Meeting of Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Inspiration
From Larry Wasem: “Your body is not a temple it is an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.” Anthony Bourdain
Warm-up
Bev Graham had us walk around the room for two minutes, greeting each other for a lively 2-minute warm-up.
Introductions
- John Horton introduced: Tanya Bruno and Dustin Duestrel from the Active 20-30 Club
- Bill Bolster introduced: Our returning short-term exchange to Italy, Andrea Meza, and her new Italian friend Asia, and Andrea’s mom, Elizabeth Meza.
Announcements
- President Sandie thanked Renee for facilitating the leadership retreat last Saturday
- John Horton: KidsSpree Back-to-School Shopping
- Shopping for and with kids on Saturday, August 4. We will accompany underserved kids one-to-one on their shopping trip. Includes dental booth, school supplies, a haircut station, and breakfast.
- Meet 6:30 AM at Coddingtown, south side near Target. An instruction sheet will be provided for each child
- Dennis Wilkinson pointed out that 20-30 Club helps kids considered ‘at risk’
- Carol Martin presented a giant check to Active 20/30 for $18,600 – raised in the Fund-a-Need portion of the Lobster Feed
- President Sandie and Renee Hyde announced that Sotoshi, our new Youth Exchange Student from Paraguay, arrives soon. We will have a calendar for activities. Everyone is encouraged to invite our student to family activities, or just to hang out.
- Anyone spending time alone with students must be a “vetted volunteer”, as part of Rotary’s Youth Protection Policy (which protects us too). Renee will help with this.
- Welcome Party for Sotoshi in a tent by the Rotary Bar on the Green, Thursday evening, August 16. No charge; bring something if the spirit moves you.
- President Sandie: We have a small project to provide books to students who lost theirs in the fires; she will provide a list of needed titles.
- Youth Service: District Governor Barb Spangler is forming a committee to revamp Camp RYLA, our summer week-long leadership program for HS seniors-to-be, held each June. To volunteer, please connect with Sandie or watch for DG Barb’s email.
- Rotary Bar at Concerts on the Green, Thursday Nights in Summer. Jack Hyde reports $1782 raised last week. EXTRA help needed on Thursday, August 2, as extra-large crowds are expected for popular band Wonder Bread.
Recognitions
Led by Brian Ling, Finemaster of the Day.
- John How – says he’s been absent for 70 years. Has taken recent trips to Idaho and Montana. Will donate to PolioPlus
- Bill Rash: 21 years this week as a Windsor Rotarian
- Dennis Wilkinson: Had primo seats in Denver to see The Tenders, Journey and Def Leopard.
- Renee Hyde – played a golf tournament in Carson City – tournament – Paul’s team came in first, Renee’s third. Paying $50 for WRCF.
- Picture of Carlos Basurta in Sunday paper (wasn’t wearing his Rotary pin) at Wine Country Rescue event – raising money for those fire depts. Carlos said he goes to a lot of events, this one was by far the best (he must have missed our Lobster Feed). He and Mike Raasch went to a Safe Schools Conference and discovered that they actually DIDN’T know everything and got some good ideas there!
- Brian is offering a contribution to WRCF for Alan Christenson, for helping him out with a Sonoma County Alliance project. He also noted that the flag on our slideshow had only 48 stars . . . and that the Pharrell Williams song “Happy”, playing as we gathered for the meeting, would be going through his head all day.
Program: Craft Talks
Carlos Basurto
Windsor’s Police Chief has a long history with police and law enforcement. Born and raised in Healdsburg, a 1987 graduate of Healdsburg High, he had “ZERO” interest in law enforcement even though it was his dad’s career. He gravitated toward science, but after a short time in junior college consulted with Dad about doing something different. Dad said that since Carlos had (has?) common sense, law enforcement might be the job for him. He went on two ride-alongs, and these, he said, “altered the course of my life.”
On the first, his Dad soothed a highly distraught couple whose daughter had run away and retrieved the daughter as well. Carlos was intrigued and wanted to be able to do that – to go into someone’s home and affect their lives for the better. He learned that more than anything else, this was the job.
The second ride-along involved foot chases, helicopters, officers everywhere, firepower and adrenaline. That sealed the deal. He began as an intern, then, at age 20 (when he claims, he weighed 130 and looked about 16) became a guard at the Sonoma County Jail.
His first cop assignment was in Roseland, where he learned about community policing. When his dad visited the station, he commented that community policing was what should be going on all along. Carlos also worked with an FBI gang task force, up and down the state, which has helped him appreciate what we have in Windsor in terms of community support, and people “who wave at you with all five fingers.”
He likes being able to work in Windsor with “people I know and care about” and considers it his passion to keep what we have here. “That’s one reason I wanted to be in Rotary. What better place to come and to reach out and have someone to go to? And it works both ways. I want to let you know that if you ever need anything, you have us. It is our pleasure to be here and our pleasure to do what we can for you whenever you need us.”
Glenn Sugden
Born in Houston, Texas, Glenn grew up in Jackson, Wyoming. He got his first computer, an Apple II, in 1977. There weren’t many opportunities in Wyoming to branch out in computer science. Because he chose to work on developing a game instead of putting a chart into Lotus, his Computer Science teacher gave him a “D”.
After high school he thought, “I don’t need college, I’ll start working, I’ll go to California, that’s where [computer] stuff is happening.” He began in San Rafael as a game developer – and meanwhile took up skydiving, jumping 500 times in the first year! He began to teach the sport, and loved seeing a light bulb go off when people learn. He realized that his calling was to be an educator.
So, at age 40, he went to college – and, in keeping with his craving for more entertainment, he also joined an acting-improv shot called AWOL – Actors Without Lines. As a student a Berkeley, he wanted to learn with the original founders of technology, so he took courses and also taught. He also liked making computer knowledge available to non-Computer Science majors – and involving women and other groups historically under-represented in technology fields. Many of his classes and other work with Berkeley Foundation for Opportunities in Information and Technology are available online – the cool thing, he notes, about it being a public research facility.
Glenn built his business, the Third Workshop in Windsor as a drop-in, come as you are place for kids to learn and play with technology. It has no curriculum, just a bunch of cool stuff to play with. Kids can play, experiment and explore. When there’s a question, he teaches them to think critically as they paw through google results, getting through the garbage. “Learning sticks when kids are passionate about what they’re doing.”
His larger goals are to branch into areas beyond Windsor, that are under-represented and under-resourced. “Technology is the great leveler. Take a kid who’s smart, give them the equipment and they can soar like anyone else. I felt so privileged to join Rotary, because you care, care about kids learning well in a safe environment. This is a very passionate thing for me.”
Glenn’s “kid” is a white cat: Ms. Mew, Queen of Darkness. The Third Workshop is in the Windsor Medical Building. Since he doesn’t have classes or a schedule, come in any time to chat, talk or play with stuff.
Sue Nelson took photos
Meeting closed with further playing of “Happy”!
By today’s faithful Scribe,
Maureen Merrill