Rotary Club of Cupertino, California

International Service Committee

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Meeting minutes

Members present: Susan Albert, Harvey Barnett, Lee Cunningham, Larry Dean, Liz Gallegos, Uina Kubota, Richard Lowenthal, Orrin Mahoney, Joanne Mansch, Ralph Otte, Dave Stearns, Kevin Tighe, Paul Weiss, Dick Wilbur, Sandie Zander

Guests present: Cecelia Babkirk, Barbara Evatt

  1. Richard Lowenthal advised us about a former district exchange student whose mother was recently shot and severely wounded. Donations for the family are being solicited, but we were reminded that our committee policy is to contribute to programs, not to individuals. Richard will email our club members so that those wishing to make individual donations may do so.
  2. Dave Stearns is still working on the shipping problem for the 2 garbage trucks he has secured for Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.
  3. Sandie will host a seminar at her home for information in writing grant proposals to The Rotary Foundation. Dick Lohmiller will lead the seminar at 7:30pm on Monday, October 17. All are welcome.
  4. Plans are being finalized for a return trip to deliver wheelchairs in Texcoco, Mexico from February 17-20, 2006.
  5. Liz shared plans for a district-sponsored literacy project. It was suggested that perhaps Mary Stone would champion this cause for us as she did such a wonderful job last year with books for the China trip.
  6. Liz reported that our project in Ajumanikope, Ghana is nearly complete.
  7. Joanne Mansch reported that Guadalupe Zamore-Torres, a representative of the CASA project from Puebla, Mexico, will arrive in Cupertino on October 15th. The club will plan a reception for her, possibly incorporating a reception for our ambassadorial scholar, Marie Bouquillon.
  8. Dick Wilbur reported that the bone marrow project in Mexico has run into some hurdles, but is actively trying to move forward.
  9. Sandie reported that Steve Ting is still in China and has met with both the Rotary Club of Beijing and the Rotary Club of Shanghei. Steve will report next month on the status of our efforts to set up a matching grant with one of those clubs to support our work with the Shin Shin Education Foundation.
  10. Sandie is pursuing a project with the Rotary Club of Tijuana involving projects for a group home for women and children.
  11. Marie Bouquillon, our ambassadorial scholar, arrived last week just in time to work at the Jubilee last weekend.
  12. Harvey Barnett is working on an International Youth Exchange. This would be a summer direct exchange program, probably to a country in Western Europe. Youth Services will provide a $1000 scholarship for travel.
  13. All those working directly with youth should plan to attend a seminar at 3pm, immediately preceding the Avenues of Service Training on Thursday, October 20th.
  14. Liz presented a proposal for our committee budget priorities for the 2005-06 Rotary year. A more refined budget will be presented next month.

Announcements/Important dates:

  1. October 6-5:30pm-Saratoga Country Club-Paul Harris Fellows Recognitions
  2. October 17-Sandie Zander’s house, 7:30pm-Foundation grant workshop
  3. October 20-Avenues of Service training/dinner, 4:30pm, special training for those working with youth, 3pm
  4. October 25, 7:15am, International Service committee meeting-Holder’s
  5. October 26-Rotary Foundation Kick-off/Partners in Service Program
  6. January 13 & 14, 2006-Project Fair, Cuenca, Ecuador
  7. February 17-20, 2006-Return trip to Texcoco

Thought for the day:

When you help someone up a hill, you get that much closer to the top yourself.

(Anonymous)