New Year is here!

The New Year is tomorrow as I write this.

Maybe it is just me, but when I think of how things are going, I tend to think of the frustrations first. But when I take a step back, I see a lot to be excited about going forward.

We threw a great Holiday Dinner party on Christmas Day. Lots of happy people at the event, many of them were the volunteers serving food with a big smile. I got to talk to several of the people eating the delicious food we served and there was a variety of people there - one person was homeless, there was a whole table of people from Burbank senior housing, there was a table of family members that looked to be three generations. One volunteer said it was her fourth year and now this event is her Christmas tradition. We had people from four different Rotary clubs there helping out. Thanks to Kathy Rogers, Bill Sauber, Michael McGlothlin, Bruce Campbell and many others. Linda Sinkay captured many photos which can be seen on the club Facebook page.

A whole new year ahead of us means the possibility of new thinking about how we want to do things. Scary and exciting possibilities.

Our new members are a big part of the excitement for me because they bring new capacity to the club. I am especially hopeful about our communication online getting a boost.

Hope you have a marvelous New Year.

Homecoming meeting was great

Every year we invite former members back to reconnect with the club. Linda Sinkay started this tradition and it was really good to see some old friends come back for a visit. Senator Mike McGuire was speaker and his presentation was engaging and informative. He touched on everything from potholes to pot!

What is next?

Last week we heard from a farmer about how he started a group that provides mutual support for people doing agriculture. He is a very engaging speaker. I wonder what our next program will be.

Last week was a great week for members being recognized. I thought that would be hard to beat and it is, but this week our club was recognized for its extraordinary generosity last year. Our whole district has bragging rights in part because of us. That feels good.

Cool programs

We heard about Jasper O'Farrell last Wednesday. Great person, and Arthur, our presenter, had an impressive command of not only Jasper but his ancestry in Ireland. I hadn't realized before that Analy was an old kingdom in Ireland where Jasper's ancesters hailed from.

Next wee we get to hear about cinematography. I am looking forward to that!

First Friday at Joe Gaz' home was a fabulous event. Good folks, good food, good vibes. Gorgeous weather, too.

Cajun did Well, Got first installment on hearing about Bill Sauber's big hike

Sebastopol Sunrise held its annual Cajun Zydeco Festival last Saturday on September 12. We had a good crowd that enjoyed wonderful music, delicious food, shopped our vendors' offerings and had a good time. Check out our Facebook pages for Wine Country Cajun. We raised money for projects that benefit our communities, both local and international.

For example our club with partners built the stage in Ives Park where the festival was held. It was a good hands on project and many theatrical and musical events have made use of the stage.

We regularly feed people, help kids learn to read, learn to swim and enrich arts, science and athletic facilities. Brook Haven Middle School has a "make" classroom thanks to our Rotary club. The list of local projects is long and varied.

On the international side we have projects in Asia, Africa, and South and Central America, so we touch lives all over the world. Clean water, microcredit and promoting sustainable agriculture are big interests. We work with partner organizations to make sure our donations are well spent and we often visit projects. It is a great feeling to see a plaque acknowledging our contribution on a project in Thailand or Mexico or other country. Rotary does a lot of magic around the world and we are glad to part of it.

At our meeting today on Sep 16, Bill Sauber shared a look at the equipment he used while hiking the Appalachian Trail this year. He spoke about the adventure and the experience which was not totally exciting every day as the trip wore on. But it was well worth it, especially now that he is home. He said he especially missed his wife. Glad you are back, Bill and I look forward to the next installment of the story.

Rotary is Happening

I went to a picnic with both Rotary clubs today (Sunday). Great food, good conversation. Even better, the exchange students who just arrived were at the picnic, too. Next weekend the Vocational Training Team arrives here from Nigeria to learn about telemedicine. There is a lot going on.

The program this week is about being on Everest when the earthquake hit in Nepal. Bound to be interesting. Invite a friend.

Members informed about broad range of club activities

Several members go to speak about club projects close to their heart and when we put them all together it is quite a list. This is an active club!

The Gravenstein Fair is coming up on August 9 and 10. It supports the Farm Trails and is a favorite of mine. The Tour d'Organics is on August 9 and brings together healthy eating (my favorite part) bicycle riding. The Tour supports the Sebastopol Community and Culture Center and several members help with that event. If you want to help, contact Charlie Judson and he will connect you.

Michael McGlothlin has launched an initiative to revitalize our Guys Can Cook, Too event. I can't wait to find out what the "new and improved" event will be like.

We will continue our inquiry into other ways to raise funds to support projects and grants.

Terry Kelley will lead the next club meeting while President Mikel is away.