Classification: Lighting Technician
HRHYPHW called the meeting to order at 12:10 PM. John Henning delivered an inspirational Invocation. Cody Miller led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
There were several visiting Rotarians in attendance. Assistant District Governor Judy Henbury from the Nipomo Club introduced our speakers, Kat Stowell and Cees Dobbe, also from the Nipomo Club. Diana Harb introduced Valerie Moya from the Breakfast Club.
There were no guests of Rotarians.
Sunshine Reporter Frank Culley had no sunshine to report. Lynda Gantt said that her husband fell and had the flu. He spent four and a half days in the hospital and is home now. HRHYPHW said that she talked with Caitlin Sanders this past week. Fred and Judy are doing well. Caitlin is trying to convince Fred to take off a few hours on Tuesdays to go to Rotary.
Judy Henbury introduced Kat Stowell and Cees Dobbe who talked about Club Runner, which is the program we use for our club webpage. They have an app that can be put on your cell phone or on your tablet that can put you in touch with what is happening in our club anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection. With the app you can check out the club calendar and what is going on. You can check your attendance. You can get addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses for club members. You can read club stories that are posted on the club website. You can use it to have people sign up for events. I think our problem is that it takes time to update all this technology. Maybe we should recruit a member of the Geek Squad for our club.
They did give a very shameless pitch for the Golf Tournament that they are having on May 11th at Monarch Dunes. They are accepting sponsors and players now.
The Exemption Badge Drawing was held and Jason Diani won $5. Too bad he wasn't at the meeting. HRHYPHW said she would keep the money in a safe place until she saw Jason. Bob Miller won $10. Cody Miller said he would give it to his grandfather. The winner of the coveted Exemption Badge was Danielle Martinez. She spent her entire time gushing about her father. He was honored at the Boys & Girls Club Annual Luncheon as Volunteer of the Year. Growing up she said her Dad was always volunteering for different organizations. He taught hunter safety classes for the Fish & Game Department. He coached Little League for 30 years. Parents always like to brag about their kids, but she likes to brag about her parents. Tom was always the cool, calm, and collected parent and she could always go to him with her problems or concerns knowing that she would get the right answer and/or good advice. Her Dad's actions spoke louder than words when she was growing up as she watched her Dad start a business, raise a family, and volunteer in the community. The best thing is that he didn't have to give her $100 to say this stuff.
HRHYPHW received a packet of poppy seeds from the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa East. These seeds were given out at the Rotary International Convention in San Francisco in 1938. Our club gave a packet of seeds to all the attendees of the convention. It referred to Santa Maria as the Valley of the Gardens.
Moving on to Fines & Brags, Tom Martinez was recognized for being the Volunteer of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club. He was happy to pay the $30 assessment.
Jason Telander was tardy for our meeting. He blamed it on work issues. He then talked about Salud Carbajal going to Vandenberg Air Force Base and praising the people with disabilities who work there. It was great publicity for the VTC. Jason was fined $5. Susan Rees temporarily lost her mind and volunteered to pay $25 because her daughter-in-law was in the pictures of this event.
Camille O'Brien bought another new car (Didn't she just buy a new Lexus last year?). This one is a Jeep . She and Marty plan on towing it on the back of their motor home. The Jeep has five wheels including the spare and she was fined $10 per wheel, or $40. It's the new California math.
Diana Harb celebrated a big birthday on January 28. It was so big that she had to spend four days celebrating in Monterey. She must not have spent all her money as she decided to pay for the table.
Jason Telander also celebrated a birthday. He didn't go to Monterey. He went to the Escape Room in Oceano. Not only did he escape in less than one hour, his self respect and sense of common decency left him as he volunteered to pay for the table.
Carlie Engel and Norma celebrated 50 years of wedded bliss. They travelled abroad to celebrate as they started their celebration at the IHOP. After taking a bus to Emeryville they boarded the California Zephyr and went to Denver. They stayed at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, then they flew to Las Vegas, and then flew home. It's a good thing he could not be fined as Norma promised the kids and grandkids that Carlie would take them to Hawaii in June.
In reference to the packet of seeds that HRHYPHW talked about earlier, Fred Donati said that he remembered a banner that went over Broadway when it was only two lanes wide. The banner read "Valley of the Gardens." He did not know what happened to it.
Under announcements Bob Frias said that we are having a Valentine's dinner on Thursday, February 15th at Trattoria Uliveto. The cost is $80 per person. Sign ups were going quickly, so if you are interested please get your reservation in as soon as possible.
Tom Martinez said that the Super Bowl Pool was a success. The absent Virginia Perry Souza won the 1st and 3rd quarters. I believe that Virginia will be "donating" some of that money back to the club. The proceeds from the pool will be going to our exchange student for her trip at the end of the year.
John Henning talked about the Green Bucket. He thanked Barb Blanchard for filling up the bucket this week with shampoos, conditioners, soaps, mouth wash, toothpaste, etc. These items will be stuffed into Ziploc bags at a stuffing party in April and then they will be given to the Good Samaritan Homeless Shelter, Catholic Charities, and/or Domestic Violence Solutions. I am not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV, but I have it on good authority that no laws will be broken in rifling through the maid's carts at the Santa Maria Inn and helping yourself to as many hygiene items as you can stuff into your purse, pockets, suitcase, or manbag. You can also do this at any hotel you might stay at in the months of February and March without fear of incarceration. When you go out of town to celebrate the Presidents' Day long weekend think of your obligation to Rotary and how you can appropriate hygiene items with a clear conscience.
Try not to get too excited, but next week President Elect Michelle will announce her slate of officers for next year.
Andrew Millar told a joke, and I can't decide if his jokes are getting better, or if our standards are getting lower, but the joke was pretty funny.
There was $970.50 as the winner's share in the 50/50 drawing. Jim Talbott had the winning ticket, but he was unlucky at selecting the correct marble. I guess that shows that he hasn't lost all his marbles yet.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:33 PM.
The Green Bucket Returns
In the months of February and March we will be collecting all the extra soaps, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, toothpastes, etc. that you get at hotels. Then in April we will have a stuffing party where we put these items in Ziploc bags and then give them to the Good Samaritan Homeless Shelter, Domestic Violence Solutions, or Catholic Charities.