CLICK HERE TO SEE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE LATEST CLUB MEETING
Today’s meeting was called to order by President Maureen Merrill a little later than usual to allow our members an opportunity to share their stories of survival and appreciation for each other.
“Messages of love and appreciation” is the theme for our upside down and backward meeting.
Sandi Krutz introduced our last speaker, our current exchange student from Trivero, Italy, Vittoria Castelli. She shared that her community is a small and friendly town where people know and care for each other. Her father, Mario Castelli, is the president of his Rotary Club at home. Her father followed in her grandfather’s steps as a Rotarian.
Cristina is her mother who is a working woman who manages to keep the family together and in order. Her brother Ettore is also her confidant and she relies on him for his experiences and willingness to share his knowledge. She looks forward to emulating her brother for his character and caring nature. We also met her grandmothers through a series of slides that even introduced her dog, Dante.
Vittoria’s home has been opened to other exchange students over the years. That gave her the opportunity to meet students from the East Coast, which gives her a good perspective on the differences in society and the openness of the West Coast.
We saw a photo of her high school and got a lesson in the differences between the education system. Her preference is the schools in America because there is not the same rigidity for studies that Italian schools adhere to.
Sue Nelson asked what her parents might have known about the fires in our area. She shared that the time difference makes it hard to talk with them and it appeared there was no fear.
John LeCave, Club Foundation Chair, took the microphone to give us an update on The Rotary Foundation. He reminded us that November is Foundation Energy Month. To date, the Foundation has made more than 4.7 billion dollars with most of that going back into a variety of worldwide programs. The Foundation has been recognized as the leading charitable organization for its projects and the minimal dollars required to keep the Foundation’s work going.
Ken Moulton and Pam Moulton were asked to share the emotional moment that made them realize the impact that caused a transformation in their Rotary and personal lives. Their trip to Nigeria to share polio vaccine drops with children was life-changing. They shared the opportunities they have had to travel the world and see the benefits of Rotary in the lives of those who need help the most.
There are many ways to make a donation and John is anxious to have our members reach out to ask how they can participate.
Alison Huber brought in new filters for members and offered to bring in additional filters from the Filtration Group. She reminded us that we have to make those changes to our homes’ filter.
Sue Nelson followed and shared a need for some housing for a past member in need of a home for two. Their home was not lost but was damaged in the Kincade Fire and their insurance will help them with a 6-month program to help with rent. Another home is needed for Meghan the police dispatcher who lost her home in the fire. A single woman with a dog and highly recommended by Sue.
David Culley is sharing that the local hotels are all empty with numerous cancellations for weeks and months to come. David appealed to those of our members to make every effort to share that Sonoma County is still alive and well and not all was lost. He did share that his restaurant had to throw away close to $12k in food lost to the lack of power. He offered that the business takes the biggest hit with cash flow. Maureen reminded us to consider local buying versus Amazon, especially during the recovery.
Glenn Sugden shared that computer backups are essential to keeping a record of your family pictures. Don’t copy it and leave a flash drive in the drawer under the computer. Consider sharing your precious memories on the cloud and if you need to reach out for some help, give Glenn a call.
Bill Bolster shared that his burning barn made national news, but best yet, his house was saved because of a group of committed first responders. He shared that he would like to find the people that saved his place and give them the hug they deserve.
Diane Brabitz Let us know about her adventure in evacuation which brought her family and employees took refuge at her offices. She shared a thank you to all the caretakers who took care of people in need.
Dennis Wilkinson copped to the fact that he was a renegade when it came to evacuating. He chose to stay in his home. That meant he had a firsthand look at the operations that had fire trucks racing at a high rate of speed down Old Redwood Highway. Good that there were no people on the roads to get in their way.
Mike Raasch was recognized for his efforts in the fire. He had multiple nights on duty and offered that the experience of the past fires helped to make the fight more effective.
Visiting Rotarians included Mary Banks from Santa Rosa Sunrise and David Mark-Raymond with Sebastopol Rotary.
Guests today:
Lamar Collins with Windsor High and he shared that the staff is ready to work with children who have been emotionally distraught due to the fire. He shared that the future of solving our fire problems in the future is in the schools today.
Closing:
Susan Cole suggested that we all be true to ourselves… and we should do something Rotarian.
Credits:
Photos by Sue Nelson
Written words by Tom Boylan
Next speaker, November 12: Ken McNab, Manager, Town of Windsor. Ken will speak on the challenges of the wildfires and what’s ahead for us now. Link for more info: https://windsorrotary.co/speaker/ken-macnab-from-town-of-windsor/
FIRE RESPONSE from ROTARY CLUBS in Windsor and Healdsburg
Represent our club, make things happen!
I’ve been in touch with the Presidents of The Rotary Clubs of Healdsburg and Healdsburg Sunrise – Paul Frechette and Lance Cottrell, respectively, after Lance brought up the idea of exploring what responses we could take as soon as possible.
Are you interested in exploring this idea with our Rotary neighbors in Healdsburg? Please contact me about meeting with Lance and Paul in the near future.
Best,
Maureen
Note:
Bill Arnone’s mother, Yolanda, passed away last week. Our condolences to the Arnones and their families.
Calendar Items:
| Date | Event | Info | Contact / comments |
| 11/18, Mon., 5 – 6:15 | Windsor Rotary Community Foundation Board of Trustees Meeting | Maureen’s office, 145 Wikiup Drive (north side of the street) off ORH, in “South Windsor” | Please see AGENDA items in the body of the minutes in this bulletin; dark blue, Section B |
| 12/4, Mon., 5-6:15 | Monthly Club Board Meeting | Maureen’s office, 145 Wikiup Drive | New Members President succession Financial plans |
| 12/7, evening | HOLIDAY PARTY! | Home of Sue & John Nelson – watch for more info | Bev Graham, Coordinator |
| 5/15 – 5/16/2020 Fri-Sat | Annual Rotary District Conference | Fortuna River Walk Lodge in Humboldt County | Get rooms now! Ask Maureen for more info |
Rotary Club of Windsor Board of Directors
Monday, November 4, 2019
5 PM
Not final; pending acceptance vote
Location: South Windsor Board Room
Call to Order at (time): 5:06 PM___
Directors Present:
x_ President Maureen Merrill
x_ President-Elect Bill Bolster
x_ Immed. Past President Sandie Krutz
x_ Treasurer Ed Turner
x_ Secretary Steve Klick
_x President Elect-elect Pam Moulton
_ Membership Chair Renee Hyde
x_ Club Rotary Foundation Chair John LeCave
x_ Director Alison Huber
_x Director Carol Martin
_x Director Glenn Sugden
Record of those present. A quorum consists of 6
- ITEMS
- Our response to the aftermath of the Kincaid Fire. I plan to allow time for this at our Tuesday, November 5 club meeting as well.
- Vittoria, TRF month, time to socialize
- Fire Response (open meeting for emotional discussion), WRCF and District Fund, Windsor Thanks 501c3 in the works and grants as other avenues for donations. Lessons learned from Tubbs to today. Refer donations to District Fund.
- Board’s approval of plans proposed by the Major Event Task Force. Steve gave input on a proposed community engagement event, Windsor gets together. Fun and relaxed, BB motion, GS second, Concept approved by vote. Need venue and date. SK, AH & GS will be part of leadership for the event. Component of the community engagement project. Impacting community members.
- Rotary Foundation Month – John LeCave – Each meeting through November, we will have a little piece of the info on the foundation. Boost Rotary direct donations. 5 minutes during each meeting. Stories are important. Glenn will work with John. Pam will speak about Foundation first.
- Progress on the selection of Club President for 2022-23. The search continues.
- WRCF fund development – building donors and matching grants. Need to build a policy for the use of money.
- Alison is working on job descriptions for positions in the club.
- Membership development – Who do you know that would like to come to Rotary.
- We need socials, next one is the holiday party. A goal for one for every month.
- MJ and BL working on corporate involvement for our community needs. Still mostly schools and ToW. Need more connection to local businesses.
Adjourned at 6:21
- Agenda for Special WRCF Board Meeting – Nov 18
- Intended date: Monday, November 18 at 5 PM, South Windsor office
- Purpose and Intended Results: To provide direction, take action and move forward on the following matters:
- Bylaws – unless existing Bylaws are found between now and our meeting, we need to adopt current bylaws. If we do have them, we’ll review and see if revisions are needed.
- A policy for the spending of interest now that we have reached $500,000 in the Permanent Fund, thanks to Glenn’s generous donation
- Appointment of an additional non-club-director member
- Direction for a development plan
ADDENDUM to Windsor Rotary Bulletin:
A letter to the Business Community from Downtown Windsor Business Association President Laurie Shimuzu; edited for length
Dear Windsor Business Owner,
To assist our local businesses with recovery, the Town of Windsor and the Sonoma County Economic Development Board have both put together a collection of online resources and the Windsor Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a free legal support workshop on November 7.
We hope you will assist in the recovery process by encouraging residents and visitors to the area to shop locally to help Windsor businesses get back on their feet. The Town will be partnering with Sonoma County Tourism, the Chamber of Commerce, and other partners to spread the word to media outlets that Sonoma County and Windsor are “Open for Business.” We need your help to spread the word that our community did not burn and in fact, is stronger than ever.
When people ask “How can I help you?” – tell them to spread the word too! Ask them to share pictures and stories with friends and family that show positive images of the community. Use your own social media accounts to tell the human story of how our amazing community has come together and is stronger than ever. Inform them that Windsor did not lose a single building and our businesses are open and ready to serve them. Please see below for a few suggested key messages and strategies to help:
Key Messages
- Windsor is open for business!
- Residents have returned, and businesses have power and gas service and are ready to serve you.
- No structures in Windsor were destroyed.
- Visiting now helps support local businesses and families.
- Although the Kincade Fire is being called the largest fire in Sonoma County history. This is due to the acreage burned, rather than the structures damaged, or loss of life. The fires were largely situated in a remote, rugged, mountainous area, in the northeastern part of Sonoma County.
- Of more than 425 wineries only two wineries were significantly affected.
- It’s a beautiful time to explore the region and enjoy tasting rooms, brewpubs, colorful forests, and gorgeous coastline.
- With warm temperatures and blue skies, there is a full slate of events to enjoy, and the hospitality remains unmatched.
Social Media Strategies
- Give a glimpse of what you are doing to welcome back customers.
- Profile a customer and thank them.
- Share a neighbor’s post and increase awareness of two businesses.
- Promote community events to help encourage business while fostering a sense of community.
- Explain why you support Sonoma County businesses.
- When followers tag friends and share a post using the hashtags below, the community also wins.
Hashtags
#WindsorTogether, #GatherInSonoma, #OpenforBusiness, #KincadeFire, #VisitWindsor
Laurie Shimizu – President
Old Downtown Windsor Merchants Association