Miscellaneous
Repeat from last week:
Wait a minute, there was no meeting last week!!
1) Mute your microphone if you aren't already muted. Background noise is distracting.
2) If you are not engaged in the presentation, turn off your camera.
3) Chat function should only be used to address the speaker, not for Club member remarks during the presentation
4) Unmute when harassing the Sergeant at Arms or taking your turn during Sergeant at Arms.
Presidents Report
All meetings will be by zoom until further notice.
The count down begins - only 358 more days until Christmas.
Oh and it is my Birthday! 🎂
Please direct any questions to me or a board member of your choosing and we will discuss any and all questions or concerns during our board meeting. Also please refer anyone who may be interested in attending a meeting or joining the club.
Be kind and be calm and safe...
Announcements
The Youth Committee will be looking for students grades 8 - 12, to attend adventures in Health Care On Line from March 13th to April 30th 2021. For more information go to https://adventuresinhealthcare.com/
Auction Meeting January 18, 2021 NOT. TBA
Board reports to Sandra by Saturday oops that was yesterday!
A Paul Harris was awarded to our Dick Wagner, his third. Well deserved! Congratulations Dick.
Hope is being able to see light in all the darkness. Rush back to the parts of normal that are worth running back to.
Visitors
No one. Not even Iqbal (iPad 2) or the agent from the deep state(aka costco parking lot)!
sergeant At Arms Tidbits
Dalbir is looking forward to the coming of his second grandchild.
Peter was alerted to an accident in front of his place by some horn honking as a vehicle had flipped into his hedge. Fortunately the hedge saved his potted plants.
Debbie M. had a quiet Christmas responding from her boudoir to texts. Miles was eating the meal from the Grand Ballroom.
Mary Lou was ready to go back to work and something about the 10 month old grandson and a quiet Christmas. Can it happen?
Marg's real tree will stay up until the stocking openings can take place. There will likely be a lot of vacuuming between now and then. Her literacy programs are starting up in the new year.
Dick and Barb had a very exciting Christmas and New Year and turned off both twitter and face book. A new years resolution perhaps.
Ron watches Chek TV News from Victoria and walked his 13,000 steps. No news about a vaccine yet but knows he will be slightly ahead of Dick in line.
Judy had a quiet Christmas, has been vaccinated and the family all got to see Ralph. Not quiet since, as baby sat all four boys and had a day with grandson Jack.
Kathy was wearing her rain pants in anticipation of golfing in the rain. Note no one else got up to show if they were wearing pants.
Pat has not been to Palm Springs in a year. Had a quiet Christmas.
Chris P. had Christmas with the kids. Very busy at work with offers through the holidays. Went through a sensory deprivation program and advised we are not to turn off the lights. Driving on Granville with a car stopped in her lane facing her. Noticed the driver was slumped over the wheel and she called 911. Frightening and good thinking.
Joyce commented on the horror show down south and reminded us that words have consequences.
Gord was grateful all guns were banned from the gong show in D.C. yesterday. Don't even want to think about it. He welcomed Trump to something?
Carolyn reported that everyone at her sisters care home has been vaccinated. She was going golfing with Kathy but omitted showing us if she was wearing rain pants.
Sandra had a nice Christmas and while helping son Kyle move noticed a black bundle by the side of the road that turned out to be an elderly lady who had collapsed. Good thinking to call 911 and Firemen showed up in Hazmat suits.
Bobby had a quiet holiday season and did not get to work on Christmas Day or New Year for the first in many years. So he volunteered with Santa Christmas Eve through the toy drive.
Melinda was very busy and happy with business before Christmas and the line up to Gourmet Meats went all the way to A & W. People were getting their hamburger meat at the back and front of the line.
Sam avoided S at A by taking Moose for a walk.
Debbie T. had zoom conversation with family members who were hanging from the ceiling and appearing upside down. Drews surgery is imminent.
Larry is uncomfortable with family going back and forth to TO to help aging mother. Suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning, scary. Work is busier than ever.
Brian enjoyed Christmas Breakfast with family. His calf exploded with running. Had veal for Christmas dinner. Mom had terrible eye pressure and had a vitrectomy to release the pressure - keeps Dad on the side of the bad eye. No mention of the evil eye.
Chris B. has decided to take a sippy cup with wine on her walks. E/A courses are starting so is new puppy training. Had New Years at Steveston Seafood house where they managed to produce 500 take out meals. Missed Malcolm's Birthday????
Deb S. had her son drop by for Christmas, had a New Years Yahtzee game - scratched her Yahtzee at least that what she said she scratched. Got snowshoes for Christmas.
Bill Jaffe our Jedi in training, has a chicken phobia, and is the Klingon blood pie eating champion. He told us about Dean Crain running for a cure for a disease that eventually killed him and Bill continues to run in his memory even though Dean often called Bill an idiot. Dean loved our Rotary Club and it's diversity. The Dean Crain award was established to honour Dean and his honesty, integrity, courage and determination in the face of the inevitable end of Huntington's disease.
speaKER
Our Speaker today had the following comments about our Dean Crain winner.
Honesty
Garth is always straightforward and honest both in stating his opinions and in his dealing with people. You know when you talk to him you will get a clear and truthful answer as to his thinking. There is no duplicity. Even if you ask for his advice on a legal matter he will be clear and truthful. There are several instances known only to the individuals involved where he has given free and honest advice on a particular matter.
Courage
Anyone who goes through the breakup of a marriage knows that regardless of the decision being the right one there are always doubts and questions about whether oneself could have done more, what the effect will be on the children, the finances of the situation etc. Although an outsider may have thought that the relationship was a good match it takes courage to take that step into divorce, to potentially lose friends, to change a life style and to adjust to a new normal. Garth did that without recrimination or blame attached to either party and successfully maintained a close relationship with his children.
Determination
No matter what task is given or requested of Garth he does it with complete dedication and thoroughness. His leading the club through the Bye Law revision and the Constitutional changes were done with attention to detail, accuracy of the amendments that were required and an ability to convey the new information in a clear and simplistic way. Garth’s commitment to his demanding choir responsibilities are unquestioned. His length of service in Rotary is testament to hid determination to honour a commitment made which he has done with or without a partner’s support.
Integrity
In any meeting, and particularly in projects meetings, Garth can be relied upon to cut to the issue at hand and reming us of the purpose of the meeting. He reminded us that funds raised should be spent on need in the community, whether local, national or global and not on our own perceived need. He can be relied upon to follow guidelines with consistency and integrity. He exemplifies this same integrity in the challenges presented in his work as he so clearly demonstrated in a recent talk to the club.
Congratulations Garth well deserved.
Meanderings
As we all know the winter solstice was December 21, 2020. But the sun actually set the earliest on December 10th at 4:13:53. It set two seconds later on the 9th and one second later on the 11th. By December 21 the sun was setting as late as 4:16:59. However this was being offset by the sun rising later faster then the sun was setting later. On December 1oth the sun was rose at 7:58:08, 7:57:11 on the 9th and 7:59:03 on the 11th. Almost a whole minute. By December 21st the sun was rising as late as 8:05:45. The latest the sun rose was December 30th at 8:07:38 but the sun set at 4:23:54 that day. So although the days were getting longer after the Solstice it was because the sun was setting later faster then rising later. The sun will not rise earlier than it did on the Solstice until January 8, 2021 at 8:05:24. The sun will set that day at 4:34:07. My father actually told me about this phenomenon and explained it was because the earth wobbled slightly on its axis. Also what else am I going to do during the days of isolation except check up on the things my father told me. You can see it for yourself at this web site Sunrise and sunset times in Vancouver, British Columbia - January 2021 (sunrise-sunset.org)
According to Scientific American the largest known Galaxy cluster in the universe is called El Gordo! Apparently named for a PDG who resides a few months of the year in Mexico! Who knew! Glad El Gordo is part of our universe!
Upcoming Events
All meetings by Zoom until further notice.
Please note the new date for the Auction
Friday September 24, 2021 Auction Fundraiser with final details to be determined but anticipating live and in person.
January 18th 2021 Auction Committee Meeting.
Committee (and other) Updates
The Youth Committee will be looking for students to attend adventures in Health Care On Line from March 13th to April 30th 2021. For more information go to https://adventuresinhealthcare.com/
TODAYS CHUCKLEs
Did you know there are actually jokes about chemists? The jokes about lawyers and accountants will have to wait. So here are some great chemist jokes.
Have you heard the one about a chemist who was reading a book about helium? He just couldn't put it down!
The optimist sees the glass half full. The pessimist sees the glass half empty, but how does the chemist see it? Completely full, half with liquid and half with air.
What do you do with a sick chemist? If you can't helium, and you can't curium, then you might as well barium!
Two atoms are walking down the street. One atom says to the other, "Hey! I think I lost an electron!" The other asks, "Are you sure?" "Yes, I'm positive!"
