As September creeps by extending the dog days of summer we can all dream of the changing season and cooler weather. Houston is officially in a drought- again, and if you remember a few years ago when many trees died because of lack of life-giving water, you can really appreciate the importance of water in our daily lives. But what can you do about it?
Read a book and donate to basic education programs!
September is basic education and literacy month for Rotary. Think of the Rotary wheel with its gear shaped cogs and central spokes. Now, think of each cog as being a nugget of knowledge, a little piece of literature or a community class to help people learn new things. Education is key to helping people or communities move up and advance in many other areas of Rotary focus. For example, reading a book and sharing a story about water and sanitation can help people understand what can be done for disease prevention and treatment, which are two other areas of service in Rotary.
Happy New Year! 2019 will hold great opportunities for us as Rotarians to become engaged in “Service Above Self” and strive to learn and appreciate other cultures. We will have a few members visiting Cucuta, Columbia as our container of food arrives to help feed the hungry refugees crossing the border from Venezuela. In March, we receive our six guests (5 delegates and one facilitator, and possibly a translator) from Ukraine through Open World. They will be here to focus on energy efficiency and we also want to show them Texas Hospitality with a chili cook-off, Texas BBQ and a visit to the Houston Livestock and Rodeo. This is the 20thAnniversary of Open World. We will need to submit host family forms by January 29th, so please let me know if you are interested in hosting. This is limited to those members living in Northwest Houston, but we will have the team present a program online for all to meet them.
Of course, Springtime will bring great opportunities for our garden project at Wisdom High School. We will work beside our Interactors to plant veggies and see other artistic plans take hold in the courtyard. Thanks, Wind Nguyen and Belinda Kaylani, for your diligence in attending meetings at the school and working closely with our partners Vox Culture and Galleria Rotary.
We need everyone on board to sell tickets and find some silent auction items for our House Concert on January 26that my house with Rebecca Folsom. Please send your list of names and auction items to me so I can prepare the signup sheets for the auction and keep a list of expected attendees. I will send an email soon with an auction item request form for you to use in speaking to various shops, restaurants, etc.
It will be another busy year and as always, rewarding, and inspiring! May we continue on our journey to build peace in this world, and hope to see you at the Peace Conference in Houston.
Districts 5890 and 5910 have teamed up to host a Gala for Peace on February 9th at Crowne Plaza Houston. The annual All Club Meeting will be held as part of the event. This will be a great opportunity to have a conversation about peace, obstacles and opportunities.
Looking forward to seeing you online and planning projects together in the New Year!
January 28 Zoom Social Meeting: "Oh the Places our Rotarians Go" - An exchange of travel experiences shared by our own club members who are known to have interesting travel experiences. We will hear about the Galapagos, the Azores, cruises, etc.
Join zoom meeting: https://zoom.us/j/224361774
One tap mobile. +16699006833,,224361774#. US (San Jose)
+ 16468769923,,224361774#. US (New York)
Dial by your location. +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID 224 361 774
Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/alSTQwteJ
Have you registered for the following?
*Conference for Peace & Conflict Prevention and Resolution February 9, 2019 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
*Gala for Peace/All Club Meeting February 9, 2019 6:15 PM Rotary VIP Reception 7:00 PM Dinner
*District Conference May 2 - 4 Corpus Christi
*Rotary International Convention - June 1 - 5 Hamburg, Germany *March 31 is last day for pre-registration discount.
This past December, past president Wind Nguyen met with Wisdom High School teachers to discuss the plans for stage II of our Martin Bailey Memorial Garden.
About the Martin Bailey Garden Project: this eco-garden is a green space that will produce resources for students, including food and educational opportunities. It aims to develop a modern concept of an integrated urban garden that encourages sustainability, education, and healthy food options including vegetables, fruits, and herbs. The garden will also benefit educators by enhancing curriculum and live education options, with state-of-the-art green technology features and more. Furthermore, professional artists will collaborate with Wisdom HS students to design garden beautification projects with murals being part of the first stage of development.
Our club had an amazing get together to celebrate the holidays at our President Robin and PDG Ed Charlesworth’s home. We enjoyed delicious food, drinks, conversation, and met great new people. One of the highlights of the party was the donation of teddy bears for the children in Venezuela. The therapeutic power of this simple gesture will bring a bit of joy to the children facing the serious crisis in their country. #BearHugsForVenezuela.
Join us for a House Concert at the home of PDG Ed Charlesworth and President Robin Charlesworth to enjoy the music of Rebecca Folsom. "She takes you from subtle ballads to knock-you-to-your-knees blues." - KNUC Radio
Rebecca Folsom’s music is about liberation. Her songs crack open hearts, inspire hope, and leave listeners with a deeper perspective. Rebecca’s world-class voice traverses a near-four-octave range. While her range is impressive, it’s the expression in her voice that rivets your attention and stays with you long after the show ends.
Rebecca is a true renaissance woman. Beyond her career as a recording artist and national touring musician, she is a published author with two books of poetry. She is also an oil painter with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and has shown in numerous galleries. Rebecca lives in Colorful Colorado.
Tickets are $20 per person and we will begin with a Pot Luck Dinner (that is, you bring a dish to share) and BYOB other than coffee and iced tea which will be provided by hosts. There will also be a SILENT AUCTION fundraiser to support our service projects.
Members - please help sell tickets and acquire items for the silent auction. Auction items must be identified by January 21st so the sign-up sheets can be prepared. Search for restaurant certificates, gift baskets, wine or beverage packages, movie tickets, experiences, and other creative ideas. Maybe something in anticipation of Valentine's Day. Please communicate these items to Robin Charlesworth @ 970-880-0960 (please text) or em the description to charlesworth@stresscontrol.com.
Save the date for this special zoom meeting with producer Cimela Kidonakis who will share her experiences in producing documentary films. She has produced three films: Where There is Darkness (2018), Cross Mountain (2018), and Apparition Hill (2016).
Filmmakers Sean Bloomfield, Cimela Kidonakis and Jessi Hannapel have been documenting the story about Father Rene Robert for over two years. Although they completed the final cut of the film just last month, Where There Is Darkness has already won a slew of film festival awards including Best Documentary and Best Director at the Los Angeles Crime and Horror Film Festival in November.
Join us as Cimela shares her story of creating compelling documentaries. We will create a YouTube for those who are unable to attend "live".
Join Zoom Meeting. https://zoom.us/j/102678804
One tap mobile: +16699006833,, 102078804# US (San Jose)
+164468769923,, 102678804# US (New York)
Dial by your location +1 669 900 6833 (San Jose)
+1 646 876 9923 (New York)
Meeting ID 102-678-804
Find your local number: https"//zoom.us/u/ad82v88T2r
Our own E-Club Rotarian Ruby was featured on The Rotarian magazine of January 2019, pages 44 and 45. The section of The Rotarian is about “ordinary Rotarians who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances. In their own words, they tell us what it’s like to…”. Ruby tells us “what is like to fight for families on the border”. We are so fortunate to have people with extraordinary hearts in our Rotary world. Thank you, Ruby!
“Good to see a Proactive Rotary E-Club. I liked all the messages given in your newsletter. Hope many of you also visit other Rotary Clubs in the Houston Area when your schedule allows openings in your respective schedules. Take a look at your app indicating what Rotary Clubs are meeting with info on time and where. Merry Christmas to all of you.”
We really appreciate the valuable feedback of a great leader and Past RI President Frank. Many of us in the Houston area are happy to engage in face-to-face service in Rotary as much as possible. And we love that he and many other Rotarians and non-Rotarians around the world are reading our newsletters. We are happy to share Rotary service and news to inspire others. If you would like to send us feedback on any service project, articles, or have any questions or comments, please see the left side column and click on the blue name “Adriane Miller” or “Lori Prouty” to send your message to our newsletter editors. Club members, we especially would like you to share your community service projects. Please send us a paragraph and a photo of your contribution to a better community and a better world. It is important to share good actions to spread goodness, inspiration, and a positive vibe to others.
