Last weeks meeting
Repeat from last week: nothing to report but:
Meeting Rules
Let's all keep each other safe by following the protocols below when attending our morning meetings:
1. Use hand sanitizer upon entering and exiting the meeting
2. Maximum of 3 people per table
3. Maintain physical distancing of 2 meters at all times (including when at the buffet)
4. No singing of O'Canada
5. No passing around of sign up sheets, cards, etc
6. No money will be accepted during Sergeant at Arms
(The Board strongly encourages members to annually e-transfer a minimum of $102/Rotarian to cover S@A contributions for the year)
Presidents Report
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...
be socially distant and don't sing!
Announcements
Your editor reported that the on line auction platform Eflea does not seem to exist anymore so we will not give up but look for another possibility.
Carolyn reported that we are changing banks because Coast Capital was not meeting our needs. So please do your e-transfers or deliver your cheques before August 21, 2020. So that is at or before our next meeting August 20th 2020.
Visitors
Six Zoomers and Susan by 3D holographic image beamed from her car parked in the Costco parking lot.
Sergeant At Arms Tidbits
Kathy is golfing, playing bridge and going to medical appointments. Tip: Keep score and you should never lose at bridge or golf.
Chris M. is enjoying a family game night where the games are very sophisticated and hard to follow but good for the mind. Perhaps Agricola or Settlers of Catan. She is also playing bridge and participating in her Yoga challenge but five days from now preparation starts for the school return. We believe in you Chris.
Dick is practicing social distancing by playing solitaire. He wins regularly except when he plays Barb.
Debbie M. was at Whistler where all those biking stopped as a bear was on the path. An unsuspecting and preoccupied jogger went by without hearing the warnings. A scream was heard as Goldilocks awoke to find Mama, or Papa, or Baby Bear. Fortunately for Debbie there was no crow.
Belinda told us about visiting Redwood Park in Surrey which is an 80 acre oasis of 32 different species of trees in a mature forest. In the middle of the park is a fairy land with lots of fairy houses. Larry commented that he was always looking for an appropriate real estate investment and may check it out.
Dalbir expressed his pleasure at seeing Richmond Minor Hockey mentioned in main stream media.
Kal expressed his pride in seeing Kamala Harris chosen as the Democratic VP candidate.
Sam went to Tofino.
Yours truly had a colonoscopy and as promised click on caveofmystery/www.youtube/watch?=colon?not
Gordon told how two of his friends found themselves side by side in post op and post colonoscopy and apparently their story was hilarious. Ha Ha.
Bobby fed himself from his own garden and as he spends more time with his brothers he is realizing how bizarre they are. All you needed to do was ask Kal, Bobby.
Melinda's new granddaughter now has a name "Rory Main" lovely. Melinda explained that the middle name is the first letter from each grandmothers name. It did not go unnoticed that the first letter stands for Melinda. After all she could have been called "Rory Amin" after the ex Ugandan dictator and her Grandmothers.
Susan our Holographic visitor, expressed happiness that her family was home even though a delayed ferry had them arrive very early in the morning.
Carolyn has also been playing bridge and golf. While despairing with all the news but expressed both hope and happiness with the selection of Kamala.
Elena had a private conversation with Belinda about cleanser that is being generously donated to our health care system.
Pat now has the benefit of seeing her paper delivered early in the morning which was not available for viewing before the installation of her security camera.
Garth enjoyed rebuilding his floor in Whistler with the expertise of his son. He also enjoyed golfing in Comox in spite of the rain.
Larry's son turned 40 and he delivered a bunch of Caesar Salad. Also Larry listed all of the Birthdays among his family and friend. I had it all written down but I have misplaced those notes.
Debbie S. visited her daughter where they went for a hike and a three hour boat tour(yes it is funny) "a three hour tour" with her daughter and husband John who found it weird to be on a boat when someone else was the skipper. Old white guy demonstrated why we are stereotyped as being unable to shake being known for gender bias. "Can I help you with that dear?"
speaKER
Ed. Note Correction apparently Susan was our Sparkler last week and Sparkles for us every week.
Melinda Newman our membership chair spoke to us about - wait for it - membership. But only after Kathy had assured us that after searching through face book posts of dancers, show girls, and physiotherapists that we had the right Melinda.
Melinda asked the meeting to participate in a discussion about how to bring in new members. August is Rotary Membership month. None of us have all the answers and we have to come together as a club. She noted that as a ten year member she is one with less longevity in the club than most. She asked us how we can grow and the club needs buy in and engagement. New members are not a statistic but a resource. We may need our younger members to attract younger members, we need to look at diversity and perhaps our Rotoracts and Interact clubs. Many members had thoughts about this issue. It is important to consider who we are as a club. We are a family and we want to share that feeling with other people who want to be a part of it. We need to look at who would be a good fit either for our club or another club. We can look outside of Richmond for members. We need to discuss it with friends or business contacts. It is important to consider what our club can offer that would be of benefit to a new member. The issue is to have a plan and execute the plan. There were comments about the fact that our club is mostly retired or close to retirement empty nesters and that is our core. We should be expanding that core. Chris M. says she plans to make a list of potentials who are close to or are retired and ask them. Kathy suggested we focus on what we do well and build on that. We were all invited to her place for Gin. I hope she did not mean Rummy. All current members who are not attending in person were encouraged to do so as the set up by the Ghirras is safe and we miss you.
Dick presented Melinda with a virtual pen when virtually thanking her.
From your editor after having reviewed these comments and looking at our club I think the focus should be on the candidates that have the characteristics of our core. If you look at the new members over the last 5 years they have been retired or almost retired and most are women. I think Chris M.'s idea of asking in her case school friends and acquaintances close to or retired is a good one. Perhaps we could all consider this plan or whatever might work for you.
Meanderings
Anthropologist have recently theorized that homo sapiens were likely not the strongest or smartest human species 100,000 years ago. It was our friendliness as compared to other human species that caused us to succeed. We are experts at working and communicating with complete strangers. We can inherit the knowledge of others and plug into their minds. It is called self domestication and it is compared to the domestication of wolves into dogs. So when you look at your partner or your pet even though it might not be obvious at times, they are both the result of domestication.
Unfortunately, our friendliness does not always overcome our other human urges. This is the 75th anniversary of the end of WW II and this month of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. WW II caused the greatest loss of life in human history.
Upcoming Events.
August meetings will be at 14431 Knox Way behind the Grand Ballroom or by Zoom.
Planning is proceeding for an on line auction we hope.
Committee (and other) Updates
From the PR Committee
This is the year where we really need to explain ourselves to the community and it’s going to take more than just promoting what we do, we need to also tell everyone who we are:
The following definition sums this up in a way that the community can better understand us.
Rotarian: a committed volunteer who is looking to make a deeply meaningful contribution to the community in which one lives, and to the world beyond.
TODAYS CHUCKLE
There is only one kind of joke allowed during the pandemic. Inside Jokes.
I didn’t think the chiropractor would improve my posture. But I stand corrected.
And if you think those are funny you really need to go to caveofmystery/www.youtube/watch?=colon?not
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