edited by
JOHN GRELCK
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One of our main goals should be to increase membership, but so far this current year we are down two. We have had one Rotarian die and two leave for personal reasons and we have had only one new Rotarian. We should all invite potential Rotarian to be our guests at our meetings. I hope that forming a membership committee will increase our number of guests. As Lord Nelson noted above, we recently had two Rotarians leave our club. Andy West is leaving due to personal reasons. Andy mentioned that he enjoyed the time with the club and would like to come back to our club sometime in the future. Angelo Perciballi left due to his business travel, which was preventing him from being able to participate in the club. Part II - August 2004 On June 16, we received our container with books, computers, sewing machines and farm equipment. In spite of some missing paperwork, we were able to clear the shipment in record time with very little hassle. We rented a forklift to unload the contents into a rented warehouse. Funny how this is the receiving country and we are doing this to help them out, and they charge us for everything (including taxes and duties) while in the US (the donor country) we were able to receive use of the warehouse facilities and forklifts at no charge. Go figure. We are now in the process of inventorying the books for distribution to the various recipients, loading operating systems on the computers and networking them in order to install the Jaws programs. We are conducting some eye screening projects and working with the high school to implement a sewing class using the machines collected by Kris Kersten of RC Santa Ynez Valley and John Wolcott of Santa Maria south and the 11 machines donated by Michael Hudacek of the Santa Maria Sewing Center. We hope to begin the classes in October. This past week a container of medical equipment and supplies arrived from Canada. This shipment was initiated as a result of a conversation with RI Representative Chris Offer at the District Conference last October (see web page at www.rotaryzone22.org). His club, the RC of Vancouver Chinatown, sent beds, respirators, incubators dental chairs and myriad supplies that were donated to the local hospital that serves the indigent. We had a wonderful turnover ceremony last week, and we presented a Paul Harris Fellowship award to Dr. Ceres Gay, the pediatrician we work with at the hospital. Joanne Schoenfeld of RC Santa Barbara Sunrise donated the award. Ceres is the Dr. who facilitated the surgery for the Siamese Twins being operated in New York. She is one very special person. Later this month I will be one of the speakers at the tri-District Rotary Foundation Seminar. My topic will be the Irrigation and Small Farm Development 3H project that was sponsored by the Rotary Foundation, and among others, RC Santa Ynez Valley and Solvang from our District. It's been a great two months albeit a very busy time. Hope to get the next newsletter out before too much time passes. Thanks for all your support both financially and with your prayers. - Rick & Esther All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism. Gardening Rule: When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. The easiest way to find something lost around the house is to buy a replacement. Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway. There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead. Coming Programs Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2004 @ 12:10PM Elverhoy Museum. Esther Jacobsen Bates, Executive Director Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004 @ 12:10PM Louis Lucas, Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards Grapes, Growing, and Wine Making Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2004 @ 12:10PM "What Is Vermicomposting?" by Renee Roberts & J. Michael Thompson |
