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THE ROTARY CLUB OF BERKELEY EREVOLUTIONS

April 11, 2015

• The President’s Page

• Cal Rotaract Hosts Interactor “Sleepover”

• Bits of Berkeley Rotary History

• Upcoming Speakers

• A Daughter Honors Her Father

• BRC International Volunteers Set to Go

• Gifts from a Loving Quiltmaker

• Richard Beahrs - BRC Paul Harris Fellow

• Pardee Family Scholarship Fund

• Planning Calendar - April/May and an Annual Look Ahead

• Editor’s Page - BRC Contact Info, Upcoming Social Events & Announcements

In this issue…

EDUCATION:

A GATEWAY TO THE FUTUREWhat is an education? Some would say that it is the act of receiving instruction, gaining knowledge, acquiring understanding, and ultimately applying the experience toward one’s benefit and that of others. For those who have the opportunity, believe in the value of gaining knowledge, and put in the hard work, a completed education can open the gateway to a rewarding life and satisfying career.

The four women in the photo at the left believe in education and more importantly, they believe in creating opportunities for those who may not have the means to reach their potential through higher education. How do they develop such opportunities for those in need?

In a word: scholarships. These four women presented a program last week at Berkeley Rotary that exemplified their commitment to education and demonstrated their belief in sharing the gift of a great education through scholarships.

Berkeley Rotarian, Tina Etcheverry, Chair of the Scholarship Committee, hosted the special program. She began by giving credit to Jim Reynolds and Don Alter for starting the scholarship program in 2001 funded by the Berkeley Rotary Endowment. Since then, a total of $400,000 has helped 32 students to complete their higher education and gain a strong foothold toward a satisfying career. Last year, 55 applications were received and of those, only two could be selected. Tina related what a difficult process it is to choose among the pool of qualified applicants.

Tina then made the exciting announcement that beginning in 2016, the Berkeley Rotary Endowment will expand its scholarship program by awarding annual scholarships to Berkeley City College, thus opening an opportunity for students to attend one of the best community colleges in California.

Dr. Deborah Budd, president of Berkeley City College, then took to the podium to tell us a little more about the community college system in California and the position of excellence that Berkeley City College holds.

Story continues on page 5

Berkeley Rotarian, Tina Etcheverry, (left) Chair of the Scholarship Committee, with fellow educators, Lynda Gayden, Dr. Debbie Budd, and Joleen Ruffin, who presented at Berkeley Rotary on April 8, 2015. Photo by Don Melandry

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President’s Pageby O’Neil Dillon

SAD NEWSLong-time Berkeley Rotarian and one of the Club’s first female members, Deborah Ritchey, passed away. Plans for a memorial have not yet been announced.

SPRING PROJECT ON APRIL 18thSoumil Amin is leading this joint project with Rebuilding Together, which has received a $3500 grant from us this year.  The project involves painting at the Fred Finch Youth Center, and will involve our UC Berkeley Rotaractors.  Don Alter, Pamela Doolan, Anne Pardee, and Mary Wainwright will help supervise the Rotaractors - thank you!

BELL RINGERS: Honor fellow Rotarians and family members, celebrate Birthdays and Anniversaries and anything great by giving $100 to the Berkeley Rotary Endowment Fund

❧ Allen Leggett rang the bell to express gratitude for all the work that George Luna does to arrange the Club fundraisers at the race track. Thank you, George!

❧ Fred Collignon rang the bell in memoriam for Doug Millar, past president of San Pablo Rotary, and who was called "The Father of BARSHEEP”.  He coined the acronym "BARSHEEP for the I-80 clubs of Berkeley, Albany, Richmond, San Pablo, Hercules, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, and Pinole - the I-80 corridor clubs- the year Fred was PE.  BARSHEEP became a model for areas across the District because of the close collaboration among clubs in service projects, social events, and helping each club address problems.  Pam Jones, the Assistant Governor, was the driving force and is called the "Mother of BARSHEEP”. The group had earlier been led by Richmond, but Berkeley was shifted into the area, and each Berkeley president since has been among the significant leaders of the group.  The other clubs were initially a bit wary of Berzerkeley.  Doug, as a leader of a smaller club, pushed the new concept early when he saw we were a team player - big clubs help smaller clubs, smaller clubs goad big clubs into trying bigger, better and more collaborative projects. By personality, Doug was kind of like the late Bob Eaneman (a Berkeley club past president, perhaps not known to newer members) in wit and presence, and constantly there to help every later club president.

Fred pointed how out much our club has been enriched by BARSHEEP over the subsequent years.  They've supported with money and manpower our club-initiated projects and helped us win our District and Global grants, which require club collaboration.  BUT they also allowed us to become part of so many great projects we did not uniquely initiate -the Rotacare medical clinic, international water projects in India,  the dental education program and clinics in Ecuador and El Salvador that was the "practice" and model for the Kenya Smiles program of the District a year back, the unique medical program in Nepal's most remote rural areas, the sponsoring of the wonderful play "Tales of the Iron Triangle", the history of inner city life in Richmond that was the focus of all public school kids' reading that year and to which all kids went, the Christmas day toy giveaway and meal for the kids in San Pablo, the Hercules 4th of July run that brought that community together and revived the Hercules club, and many many more. Fred was joined by Grier Graff in ringing of the bell for Doug.

Club Members in Need of a Visit or Call☛ Eddie Griffin is in the hospital after suffering a stroke. See O’Neil about visiting.☛ Bob Gilmore is in Lakeside Residential Care. See O’Neil about visiting or calling. ☛ Paul Monroe is home from the hospital. Send him an email: mgmonroe@mac.com☛ Bill Commerford is at Merci Retirement Home in Oakland. Please see O’Neil to arrange a visit.

President O’Neil will be in Mexico from April 16 - 30 on the project in Las Varas. Peter Campbell will chair the meeting on April 22 and Judith Glass on April 29. Please contact them for agenda items you wish to include.

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CAL ROTARACTORS PREPARE FOR BIG WEEKEND “SLUMBER PARTY”

YAY! Interact Stayover is almost here! Every semester, Cal Rotaract hosts over 70 Interactors from districts all over the Bay Area and beyond. During this two-day event, Rotaractors facilitate various activities and workshops around the Cal campus in hope to expand and consolidate an interest in higher education as well as a commitment for service beyond high school, while making meaningful relationships with each other and us Rotaractors!

Because this event is a stayover, the Interact Committee would like to ask you for help in regards to housing! If you are available to house “kawaii” high schoolers for the night of APRIL 25th, please feel free to let us know by filling this form out. Thank you so much and we hope to see you then!

Interactor Sleepover Fall 2014

Editor’s note: Berkeley Rotarian, Deborah Ritchey passed away this week. In memoriam, here is the entry from Rotary Revolutions about her induction into Berkeley Rotary on April 1, 1987. Deborah was one of the first women to join Berkeley Rotary. She will be greatly missed by our Club.

The highlight of the meeting was t h e i n d u c t i o n o f t h r e e n e w members: Dorothy Walker, Campus Planner at U.C. Berkeley, who was sponsored by Mike Koll; Eleanor Claus, President of Alta Bates Hospital, who was sponsored by Dick Adam; and Deborah Ritchey, a realtor who was sponsored by Schuyler Bailey. We welcome all of you into the Berkeley Rotary Club.

Bits of Berkeley A Piece of Our Rotary History

from Rotary Revolutions April 8, 1987

New member, Deborah Ritchey, and sponsor, Schuyler Bailey.

Photo from Rotary Revolutions, April 8, 1987

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Club Meeting InformationWeekly: Every Wednesday: 12:15 - 1:30 p.m. Rotary brings together leaders who step forward to take on some of the toughest challenges in their communities. You’re welcome to join us for lunch!Place: Hs Lordships Restaurant, 199 Seawall Dr. at the Berkeley MarinaPlease see the Club Calendar at the end of this newsletter for information on Club committee and board meetings.

UPCOMING SPEAKERS

Apr 15 Mike Meehan, Berkeley Police Chief Serving the Berkeley Community

Apr 22 Polly Armstrong Berkeley Chamber of Commerce in

the 21st Century

Apr 29 Andy Levy Tesla Electric Infrastructure

May 13 Club Assembly Berkeley Rotary Endowment Annual Report

May 20 Matt Lappe, Exec. Dir. Alliance for Climate Education

June 10 Gina Fromer, CA Dir. Trust for Public Land

June 17 O’Neil Dillon President’s Wrap-up

June 24 President’s Demotion - Finally!

A Daughter Honors Her Father, Former Berkeley Rotarian,

Jim Reynoldsby Kathleen Franks

Prof. Glennys Farrar received her Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Princeton University in 1971, breaking the gender-barrier in physics at Princeton in the process. Her research focuses mainly on problems at the intersection of astrophysics, cosmology, and particle physics such as ultrahigh energy cosmic rays, the nature of dark matter and dark energy, and the origin of the asymmetry between matter and antimatter. Major achievements include pioneering the study of supersymmetry, finding the first optical stellar tidal disruption events, and determining the magnetic field of our galaxy.

Glennys spoke at Berkeley Rotary on April 8, 2015 as part of the special presentation highlighting educational programs that BRC supports. She gave credit to her father, former Berkeley Rotarian Jim Reynolds, for inspiring her to pursue high educational goals, and be able to find tremendous satisfaction in becoming an educator herself. Both her parents were Rotarians, in fact, it was her mother that encouraged her father to join Rotary. Glennys gave her father the idea to start a scholarship program at Berkeley Rotary. Jim dubbed it the “ugly duckling” program, because he wanted to help those who are often overlooked in the process.

After Jim retired, he set out to visit every Rotary Club in the NYC Tri-State Region. It took him three years to complete the round. Afterward he said that of all the clubs he visited, none could compare to Berkeley Rotary for the stimulating presentations and great friends he found there.

Glennys Farrar, Professor of Physics, NYU

Photo courtesy of NYU

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2.5 million students attend the 112 community colleges in California. Enrollment is open to anyone.

The mission at Berkeley Community College (BCC) is to promote student success, to provide the diverse community with educational opportunities, and to transform lives. BCC offers a platform for obtaining strong foundational skills, technical knowledge, and a pathway to continuing a student’s education at a university. BCC is proud to have the highest transfer rate in the state. 63% of last year’s graduates were accepted at Cal Berkeley. BCC values diversity, which fosters appreciation of others, depth of understanding, insight, empathy, innovation and creativity, characteristics that the college seeks in its students, faculty and staff. BCC enjoys a balanced level of racial diversity: 20% African American; 20% Asian; 30% White; 30% other.

Next on the program was Joleen Ruffin, Executive Director of the Berkeley Community Fund (BCF) whose mission is to provide 4-year scholarships and mentoring support for academically talented and resilient Berkeley High School students. Joleen began by saying that she is excited about the new partnership with Berkeley Rotary to provide more scholarships to deserving students. She is looking forward to reading the one hundred applications for the High Hopes program that she recently received!

BCF started out fifteen years ago and since then has awarded $1.7 million in scholarships to 114 students. They have a 90% graduation rate with the majority attending college for the first time in their families. Joleen mentioned that her personal goal for BCF is to achieve a 100% graduation rate. She is confident that with the help from so many in the community and especially with Berkeley Rotary mentors, that that goal will be attainable.

Lynda Gayden, Executive Director of Biotech Partners, came to the podium next to tell us a little about her organization and all that they do for education in Berkeley, especially for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Biotech Partners was established in 1993 with Berkeley Rotarian, Mary Alice Rathbun, a prominent educator in Berkeley, serving as the founding Executive Director. The program began as part of a development agreement between Bayer HealthCare and the City of Berkeley. Biotech Partners´ work today involves over 35 corporate, government, education and industry partners. They currently partner with Berkeley High School, Oakland Technical High School, and the Peralta Community College District and are expanding to new school districts throughout the Bay Area. Students receive a Certificate of Achievement in Bioscience upon completion of the program. Corporations, foundations and individuals fund Biotech Partners. The organization has been featured in The New York Times, on NBC Nightly News and in numerous reports on urban youth education and workforce development. Biotech Partners is supported by diverse funding from individuals, corporations, foundations and government sources. Students train for technical positions in bioscience, a growing industry that offers well-paid jobs and real opportunities for career advancement and continued education. Biotech Partners is managed by a seven-person staff that currently serves 110-125 students annually and will be doubling to serve 250 students by 2016. (Ms. Gayden is in the group photo on Page 1).

Tina closed the program by saying, “Thank you to all in Berkeley Rotary for supporting scholarships.”

And thank you, Tina, for arranging such an informative program that showcased the generous spirit of all your guests!

Education: A Gateway to the FutureCover story continued from Page 1

Dr. Deborah Budd, Executive Director, BCCPhoto by Don Melandry

Joleen Ruffin, Executive Director, BCFPhoto by Don Melandry

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The Rotary Club of Berkeley, California said “Bon Voyage!” to its International Team of Volunteers set to leave for a month’s work in Las Varas, Mexico beginning April 16, 2015. Over 100 volunteers from 25 Rotary Clubs in North America, and La Penita, Mexico, will join together to remodel a high school housed in an old tobacco barn. Upgrades will include three new laboratories: chemistry, computer, and culinary.

Since 2002, Berkeley Rotary has been working in the region of Nayarit, Mexico on a variety of projects to increase the educational opportunities and improve the quality of life for several communities. What began as a small project to transform a library into a community learning center for the tiny fishing village of Chacala, has grown into a collaboration of over 25 Rotary Clubs working together, shoulder-to-shoulder with local residents on hands-on projects over the past twelve years.

Every two years or so, a new project in the Nayarit region is identified, assessed, planned, and developed. Why does Berkeley Rotary keep going back to this one region? Why not spread the talents and resources of the 25 Club consortium to other areas that equally need our help?

In a few words: to create sustainability, cross-cultural cohesion, and lasting impact. These are the key components of a humanitarian project that will truly help a region gain the strength to maintain a healthy level of economic stability. One small project (like a school, a water well, or a medical clinic) for one small village cannot remain viable unless the promise of opportunity is extended to those in surrounding areas, allowing peace to spread roots. Berkeley Rotary began our work in Mexico by sowing the seeds of love, “Siembra las semillas del amor” which have produced lifelong friendships with our Mexican neighbors.

~

At the meeting on April 8, 2015, Fred Collignon, DGN, brought a very special gift for the volunteers to deliver to the children in Mexico - over a dozen handmade quilts from the Durham Rotary Club in Northern California. Laura Day, PDG, sent this photo of a visit with the quilt-maker, Dora Burke, who makes the quilts each year and provides them for Rotary missions for children. Laura says, “She has severe arthritis in her hands, but loves quilt-making so much that she endures the pain. She is the beautiful woman in the photo third from the left.”

BRC International Volunteers Set to Goby Kathleen Franks

BRC International Volunteers gather in front of Hs Lordships in Berkeley on April 8, 2015. Grier Graff, Project Leader, front center. Photo by Don Melandry

Mary Sakuma, Durham Rotary President 2014-2015; Pam Gray, Rotary District Governor 2014-2015; Dora Burke, quiltmaker and Rotary supporter; Laura Day, Rotary District Governor 2012-2013

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Anne Pardee at the podium, along with her sister, Carolyn, and brother, Tom, announced the Pardee Family Scholarship Fund which will provide $32,000 per year over the next five years to give the gift of education to ten scholars through four years of college. Anne related that her family grew up in a modest ranch home in Southern California. Her parents made sure that the children had ready access to books and encyclopedias, which lined the family home. Anne said that one day, while looking something up in the set of encyclopedias, when she came to the topic she was searching for, a crisp $5 bill lay neatly tucked in the pages! For a kid in the 1950s, the find was nothing short of hidden treasure. Anne took the experience to heart and promised herself that the pursuit of education would always be her treasure. And in keeping with that promise, Anne and her family have lovingly shared the treasure of education by setting up this generous scholarship fund through the Berkeley Rotary Endowment.

Pardee Family Scholarship Fundby Kathleen Franks

Richard Beahrs Honored as Paul Harris Fellow

Anne Pardee, President-Nominee of Berkeley Rotary, had the distinct honor of announcing that her borther-in-law, Richard Beahrs, is the Club’s newest Paul Harris Fellow. And the Club indeed shared the honor to welcome a man of such distinction as Richard Beahrs.

Richard Beahrs retired after a 35 year career as a media executive with Time Warner at the beginning of 2004. During his time there, he served as the President of Court TV and the Comedy Channel (now Comedy Central).  As an Executive at HBO, he also managed the launch of Cinemax and the Spanish language HBO.  He was also responsible for new business development at Sports Illustrated for ten years.

Since his retirement in 2004, he has continued his lifetime interest in Environmental issues.  In 2000 he and his wife Carolyn funded the launch of the Beahrs Environmental Leadership Program at the University of California (Berkeley).  This multidisciplinary program has now trained over 400 environmental professionals from 90 countries in sustainable development skills.

Beahrs has recently served on the UN Hunger Task Force as part of the Millennium Development Goals Initiative.  He is currently focused on efforts to enhance school feeding programs with locally produced foods on the African continent. He has served as the

Chairman of the Arbor Day Foundation, the world’s largest non-profit tree planting organization.  He has also been on the Board of the World Agroforestry Centre in Nairobi, Kenya and the School of Management at St. Petersburg University (Russia).

Beahrs has served as a trustee for the University of California (Berkeley) Foundation as well as on the Advisory Boards of numerous University initiatives and programs.  He also serves on the Leadership Council of the Initiative for Global Development.His current business activities include serving on the Board of the San Jose Giants and his role as a Senior Advisor for Revolution Foods, which provides nutritious meals for schools throughout the nation.

Beahrs graduated from Berkeley in 1968 and served as the Student Body President in that year.

Last October, as the Co-Chair of the Centennial Celebration of the National Park Service, Beahrs gave an energizing presentation to Berkeley Rotary describing the Summit this March: Public Education, Public Lands -America’s Two Best Ideas. Science for Parks, Parks for Science is a collaboration of our National Parks, National Geographic and the University of California at Berkeley.

Richard Beahrs Photo courtesy of gspp.berkeley.edu

Photo by Don Melandry

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BERKELEY ROTARY PLANNING CALENDAR(See Editor’s Page for other club housekeeping items)

MAY DAY/TIME EVENT LOCATION COMMENTS

6 Wednesday11:00 a.m.

Membership Committee Hs Lordships Restaurant199 Seawall Driveat the Berkeley Marina

See Mary Alice Rathbun for details

13 Wednesday11:00 a.m.

Social Committee Hs Lordships Restaurant199 Seawall Driveat the Berkeley Marina

See Moe Orenstein for details

13 Wednesday12:15 -1:30 p.m.

Club AssemblyBerkeley Rotary EndowmentAnnual Report

Hs Lordships Restaurant199 Seawall Driveat the Berkeley Marina

20 Wednesday12:15 -1:30 p.m.

Weekly Meeting/SpeakerMatt Lappe, Exec. Dir. Alliancefor Climate Education

Hs Lordships Restaurant199 Seawall Driveat the Berkeley Marina

APR DAY/TIME EVENT LOCATION COMMENTS

15 Wednesday12:15 -1:30 p.m.

Weekly Meeting/SpeakerMike Meehan, Berkeley City Police Chief

Hs Lordships Restaurant199 Seawall Driveat the Berkeley Marina

16 Thursday Mexico Project Planning Teamleaves SFO for Mexico

Las Varas, Nayarit, Mexico See Grier Graff, Project Leader, for details

22 Wednesday12:15 -1:30 p.m.

Weekly Meeting/SpeakerPolly ArmstrongChamber of Commerce

Hs Lordships Restaurant199 Seawall Driveat the Berkeley Marina

25 Saturday Spring AssemblyVallejo

Solano Community College See Fred Collignon for details

26 Sunday2:00 p.m.

Theater Party“Fifth of July”

Aurora Theatre2081 Addison St., Berkeley

See Judith Glass for details

29 Wednesday12:15 -1:30 p.m.

Weekly Meeting/SpeakerAndy LevyTesla Electric Infrastructure

Hs Lordships Restaurant199 Seawall Driveat the Berkeley Marina

MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR

MexicoProject 4/16 - 5/19

Sao Paulo RI Conf

Kite Festival 7/25,26

Angel Island Trip

Diction-ary Pro-ject

Big Game Party 11/21

HolidayParty 12/10

Super Bowl Party

100 yrKickoff2/10 Shattuck Hotel

2015/16 Look Ahead

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EDITOR’S PAGEHousekeeping Items and other Sundries

UPCOMING SOCIAL EVENTS

Theater Party April 26, 2015 2:00 p.m.“Fifth of July”and lunch before performance Please see Judith Glass for details: judithaglass@icloud.com

Family Outing June 21, 2015 around noon for a picnic lunch and tour of UCB Botanical Gardens and Redwood Grove

Please see Moe Orenstein for details: moeorenstein@aol.com

Berkeley Rotary Contact Info

O’Neil Dillon, Presidentosdillon@berkeleyrotary.org

Grier Graff, Past Presidentgg@berkeleyrotary.org

Mary Alice Rathbun, Membership Chairmary.rathbun@sbcglobal.net

Have an idea for an article? Want to share a photo? Contribute a story? Have suggestions?Please send your ideas to the editor, Kathleen Franks: thoughts@airpost.net

Inspiring Quote

"We can't float through life. We can't be incidental or accidental. We must fix our gaze on a guiding star as

soon as one comes upon the horizon and once we have attached ourselves to that star we must keep our eyes

on it and our hands upon the plow. It is the consistency of the pursuit of the highest possible vision that you

can find in front of you that gives you the constancy, that gives you the encouragement, that gives you the way

to understand where you are and why it's important for you to do what you can do."

— Ossie Davis