Rotagram for Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Our President, Ken Kaisch, opened the meeting promptly at 12:30

Ken’s opening Remarks: It’s been a difficult week for me. Most weeks, and indeed most days, have their difficulties of course. But this week has been especially difficult. Last Thursday night a good friend of mine passed away. Tom died of colon cancer in his middle 50s. He was a wonderful man – powerful, like a force of nature. Warmhearted and caring. Generous and emotionally available. It was a big loss for me.

On Friday, things seem to turn around a little. I got my second dose of the Moderna vaccine and I was happy to have that out of the way. By Friday night I wasn’t so happy, locked in the throes of a raging fever and shaking with chills that just didn’t want to let go of me. Sunday wasn’t a whole lot better, but by Monday I was feeling myself again. Weak, tentative, but myself.

This morning I woke to the news that my partner’s father had passed away last night. At 94, he broke his hip the day before Thanksgiving. Then his prostate cancer suddenly seemed to accelerate. He’s been in hospice for the last couple of months, he went comatose several days ago, and he died early this morning.

We gather today, and we are alive and healthy. Our prospects look bright as more and more of us are vaccinated and the economy begins to open up again. But we also stand in the midst of death – the passing away of everything. Everything is in a constant process of change. This was recognized by one of the early Greek philosophers, Heraclitus.

What gives us stability in this chaotic flux? What do we have that we can hold on to? It’s not our lives – we will all pass away. It’s not our business accomplishments – they will be forgotten in a generation. It’s not the wealth we create – we leave that behind and someone else will spend it.

So, what is it that we can hold on to? It seems to me that what endures is humanity – the whole chaotic mob of us, constantly changing, with its endless permutations and its infinite forms. And what we can do as we pass through this world is to serve that chaotic mass of all of us.

For that, Rotary – with its model of ‘Service Above Self’ -- seems an ideal vehicle. We work to serve the younger generation and every generation that comes afterwards. We work to immunize the world and protect humanity from its dread diseases. And the force that drives our service is love. In the words of E.E. Cummings: “Love is the voice under all silences, the hope which has no opposite in fear; the strength so strong mere force is feebleness: the truth more first than sun, more last than star.”

Patriotic moment was led by Dan Ouweleen

Invocation was provided by Randy McFarland

Guests with us included Dick Daybell; Lydia Garcia; Don Clinebell; Keanne Matsumo, president of Rotaract; Ray Sanford; and Ernie Deflin.

Club news: • This Saturday is the 30th Annual Jim Thompson Track and Field City Championship. It will be held at the stadium at Fullerton Union High School.

• Our only fund raiser this year, Fullerton’s Schools Got Talent, is set for Friday, April 23. To make this even a success, I ask 2 things of every member. 1) Become a sponsor for FSGT. Show your love for the coming generations and step up with a donation. 2) I would like to ask every member to ask a friend to sponsor this event. You are asking for money for the youth of our community – it’s a real easy ask!

• In the chat, you will find a poll asking about resuming our in-person meetings and fellowship lunches. Please take a minute and respond. We want to resume in-person meetings, but we want to respect our collective needs to stay healthy. ( note: the poll respondents overwhelmingly voted to resume in-person meetings.)

• If you take pictures at the track meet and other Club functions, please send them to Susan Ouweleen. She will then forward them to our social media guy, who will update our feeds.

Club members that deserve special recognition for Service Above Self: Jim Thompson, former member Mark Bill and Rick Crane. Jim and Mark conceived of the idea of the track meet after watching kids from 1 of our high schools throw rocks at an opposing team’s bus after a game. Jim started the event and Rick Crane has carried it forward ever since. (Applause)

Finemaster – It seems fitting that after Les McCarthy shook us down last week for St. Patrick’s Day, that an Irishman has the honor today. There is a special group of Irish known as the Black Irish. This mean-spirited and dissolute group is famous for its feuds and for its devotion to vengeance. We have in our midst a low-down Black Irishman who will be fine master for the day. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our former president, the dark and gloomy Mike Cochran.

Mike acknowledged the following Rotarians with the associated ‘volunteered’ donations - $3; Raco for his wife’s birthday - $3; Farrell for wife's birthday -$3; all past Presidents - $5 each. He also asked some Easter oriented trivia questions. John Phelps for not knowing that the first easter eggs were died red -$1; Farrell Hirsch, who did not know that in the 13th Century, the Catholic church prohibited eating eggs on Easter - $1; and Dan Ouweleen for not knowing that England promoted eating hot cross buns on good Friday - $1.

For our program, Dan Ouweleen who will be District Governor, “2022- 2023, outlined his vision for his year as Governor. He was introduced by Jim Williams who reminded us of what Rotary does for our communities and the world and that is possible because of the outstanding leadership Rotary has enjoyed. Jim offered that Dan will continue that tradition by acknowledging the excellent leadership, he has demonstrated in the past.

Dan began by discussing the very positive effect that Rotary has had on his life of service. His vision begins with a clear focus, to ‘Increase the Impact of Rotary in our District’. He then expanded on that focus with four key objectives.

1. Embrace Partnerships and Elevate Club's visibility.

2. ‘Expand the Reach’ of Clubs and Rotary in the communities, with special emphasis on youth participation.

3. ‘Embrace Participant Engagement’, often thru greater Intra-club collaboration.

4. ‘Increase the Ability to Adapt’ to change and opportunities. It is quite an impressive vision of positive change and accomplishments. It will require the work of many. Dan hopes members of our club can and will step up to assist.

To conclude the meeting Ken offered the following quotes to reflect upon: Mae West: “You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. Oprah Winfrey. And Andy Rooney is quoted as saying: “It's paradoxical, that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn't appeal to anyone.”

With that, my friends, “Go out and be good people and great Rotarians!”