President's Message

Happy Holidays, Niles Rotarians! With Thanksgiving in the rear-view mirror, we are truly in the midst of the holiday season.   And Niles Rotary has a plethora, a myriad, nay a bunch of ways for you to celebrate with friends and fellow club members. You could join us on the Train of Lights on Friday, 12/2. The following week, you could ring in the season with some caroling at Scott Chambers’ house on Friday, 12/9, and ring the bell for the Salvation Army at Dale Hardware on Saturday, 12/10. Finally, the culmination of Niles Rotary’s holiday madness will be Saturday, 12/17, when we host Pizza with Santa and the annual Niles Rotary Holiday Party at the Allen’s home.

Before we bid adieu to 2016, and because I neglected to write an article for the November issue of the Pinion, I wanted to express my appreciation to all the club members who helped organize the many social and service events for Niles Rotary in October and November. Thank you, Paul Andrus and Jeff Shinkel, for organizing the Candlelighters Ghost House assembly and disassembly. Thank you, Harry Avila, Wendy Mills and Melissa DiMatteo, for running the Niles Walking Tour and Essanay movie. Thank you, as always, President Elect Rose, for Feed the Hungry. It’s especially great to see so many of the newer members of the club taking the lead with Niles project.

And thank you, Past President Steve, for assembling the Niles special-ops community-service team to put a waterproof tarp over the top of the Bunk House at Shinn Park. This service project was so covert, so stealthily-crafted that no-one – not even I – knew it was happening until it showed up in the Tri-City Voice. I didn’t even get a pair of night-vision goggles or a colorful code name out of the deal.

In the month of December, I am going to ask Niles Rotary Club members to contribute to a project being championed by the District Governor’s spouse, Barbara Orth. The mission of the project, titled “Read Me a Picture,” is to promote visual literacy and art appreciation through book ownership. As Barbara points out, over 61 percent of low-income families have no books in their house, and their children are at a substantial disadvantage in achieving success in elementary school.

In supporting Barbara Orth’s project, our goal is to give at least one book to every second-grade student enrolled in Title 1 schools in Fremont Unified. These schools have high percentages of children from low-income families enrolled. Fremont Rotary and Fremont Warm Springs Sunrise Rotary will be partnering with us on this, as there are 460 second-grade students for whom we hope to purchase books.

Stepping up to the plate to help make “Read Me a Picture” a huge success at Niles Rotary is Sam Forbes. Thank you, Sam! So, look for more information coming out on how you can help support this literacy project. The Governor’s spouse has asked that we collect funds to purchase the books through the month of December. Stay tuned.

With that, I would like to wish everyone in the club the happiest and merriest of holiday seasons. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the winter solstice, Three Kings Day, St. Lucia Day or (my favorite) Boxing Day, I hope you get to spend time with loved ones. And lay off the egg-nog on Hogmanay, if you are driving. We want everyone back at the club safe and sound for the second half of my presidency.

In Rotary,

President Angus

Music to my ears, that’s what it was. Richard D. King – our song-leader, the man who loves dogs, friend to leaders worldwide, and Past President of Rotary International – on Thursday, September 15, declared that Niles Rotary is, “In my opinion, the best Rotary club in the world.” Now, I have been known to make that claim myself, but truthfully, I can count on one hand the number of Rotary clubs that I can compare. But for Rick King to make the claim . . . well, he has visited clubs throughout the world. So, it must be true.  And the reason we are the best club is because of YOU! We have the best Rotarians in the world, which is how we have the best Rotary Club in the world. So, thank you, friends, for all that you do for Niles Rotary Club.

Rick King’s talk was entitled “The Prisoner of Second Avenue,” and it touched on the subject of Vocational Service in Rotary. The lesson I learned from the presentation was that even though we are all in Rotary to make a difference in the world, an important collateral benefit is that Rotary Clubs also serve Rotarians. By belonging to the same club, we are in a position to help each other succeed professionally and socially. As the Rotary year progresses, I hope that we will do more in the club to promote Vocational Service and showcase our members’ professional accomplishments.

Where did September go? All I know is that we got a lot accomplished. The service project at Blacow Elementary School on September 10 was a huge success. Thank you, Paul Andrus and Steve Landon, for heading up the planning for this event. We had roughly 25 Nilesians, a handful of Interactors from Fremont Christian Schools, members of the Rotaract Club, and a group from Carmax, who came to us courtesy of the YMCA (thank you, Josh Carlson). By the conclusion of the project, we had planted foliage and trees, spread a ton of wood chips, replaced a handful of basketball back-boards, and painted a beautiful map of the United States on the playground. It was great to have Jim Morris, the Superintendent of Fremont Unified, and Jose Hernandez, the principal of Blacow Elementary, join us for the project. At one point, I walked past them both and they were stringing a net on a basketball hoop together. I know that Jim and Jose, and all the students at Blacow Elementary, truly appreciate our efforts that Saturday morning.

September also saw the launch of the Haggis Challenge, this year’s drive to grow the membership of Niles Rotary. This challenge comes complete with its own mascot – Hamish the Haggis – courtesy of the boundlessly talented Jeff Schinkel. As membership chairs, Chuck Canada and Rick Hood, tell us, the best way to attract new members is to invite friends and acquaintances to have lunch with us at a club meeting. So, please support the membership drive and don’t let your teammates down: bring a friend to lunch! Remember, if you and your teammates work hard enough, you could find yourself on the winning team, eating haggis and barbeque at the President’s Manse in lovely Oakland. And that is no joke!

As October rolls in this weekend, I encourage all of us to participate in the some of the many opportunities the club offers for service and fellowship.   As District Governor Jeff Orth noted during his Governor’s visit, we are a busy club. So consider participating in the Candle Lighter’s Ghost House project on October 1 and please support the Hot Hot Chili Pepper Challenge that our very own Daren Young is championing. Your short-term pain will lead to long-term gains in the community.   As always, my advice to you is to “Keep Calm and Serve On!”

In Rotary,

President Angus

With apologies to Jane Austen, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a Rotary club in possession of a good membership, must be in want of new recruits. Niles Rotary is no exception to this rule. As Rick Hood and Chuck Canada, our Membership Committee chairs, remind us, if the club isn’t attracting new members, then we are in trouble. With the leadership of the Membership Committee and the commitment from recent past presidents, club members have introduced in an unparalleled group of new Rotarians who have brought fresh ideas and great energy to the club. You only have to look around and see what is being accomplished: Simon Cho led the way at the Rotary International Convention in Seoul, Korea; Geeta Kadambi is going to catapult us into a new realm of international service with SightNow; Aggie Freeman is working with the Rotaract club to help strengthen its membership; Maria Mendoza is leveraging her position at Republic Services to help with service projects; the list goes on and on. The contributions of our new members are keeping our club vibrant and relevant. And through the mentoring program, we have done an admirable job of retaining new club members.

August was membership month in Rotary, and Rick and Chuck have asked me to lead the charge in attracting new members this Rotary year. So, over the next couple of weeks, you’ll be hearing about a new membership challenge that we will launch, asking everyone to participate in bringing friends and acquaintances to lunch at the Club. Stay tuned as we get ready to roll this out. Actually, to be perfectly frank, Rick and Chuck have been ready for weeks and have been very patient waiting for me to get my act together. Thank you, guys!

August was also great month at Niles Rotary, with a host of opportunities to socialize and support the club’s service projects. Thank you, Bruce Prescott, for hosting the annual Bocce tournament at your house, and thank you Bubba Hagg for grilling dinner for us all. A little later in the month, Harry Avila hosted Hit n’ Giggles at Castlewood Country Club, which was very well attended. At the end of the month, we held a fundraiser for SightNow at Big Dog Winery in Milpitas. This was one well-attended club event, with over eighty people there to support the project championed by Geeta Kadambi. The hors d’oeuvres were delicious, the band was rockin’, the wine flowed freely, the setting was beautiful and . . . best of all, we raised over $5,000 for SightNow, which primes the pump nicely for our ambitious plans for the project. A host of people made this happen: Audrey Kearns had the vision, Manuel Franco contributed the band, Geeta organized the hors d’oeuvres, Nader Ayad donated a watch for the raffle, and club members showed up in droves. Thank you to everyone who helped and attended!

Next up, September. September is Education and Literacy Month for Rotary International, which is very apropos, as the District Governor Partner’s Project this year (called “Read Me A Picture”) aims to put a book in the hands of elementary school kids throughout Rotary District 5170. District Governor Jeff Orth and his wife Barbara will be visiting the club on September 29, when we will hear more about this terrific initiative. For our club, discussions have begun with Fremont Unified about how we can help students most effectively; thank you President Elect Rose and Jim Morris for initiating discussions. Also, on September 10, Paul Andrus and Past President Steve Landon have orchestrated a big service project for the club at Blacow School. They have organized an impressive number of upgrades for us to get accomplished, so please plan to attend and support our local schools.

Thank you, everyone, for everything that you do for Niles Rotary. The club is its members! Get involved, lend us a hand, pitch in, do your bit . . . and don’t forget to Keep Calm and Serve On!

In Rotary,

President Angus

What? A month has passed in my presidential year already? How time flies when you are leading the best Rotary club in the world. July was memorable for many reasons. I certainly enjoyed my two weeks in Nantucket . . . until, that is, I got word from Rick King that RI President John Germ was fining me $200 for missing two club meetings during my first month at the podium. Thank you to Past President Lisa and President Elect Rose for presiding over the meeting in my absence.

I would also like to extend my appreciation to Dirk Lorenz, our Youth Services Director, who orchestrated a bagpiper to pipe me into my first meeting on July 7. Actually, in the history of the English language, I am not sure anyone has ever used the verb “orchestrate” in relation to bagpipes before. I have to tell you that being piped into an occasion is very emotional for Scots folk, even for a pseudo-Scot like me who has been in the States since I was in high school. The last time I was piped anywhere was at my wedding in 1998, where my dad piped me into the ceremony. I am sure my wife’s family must have wondered what she had got herself into. Thank you, Dirk and all your co-conspirators, for arranging the piper. I loved it!

July was bookended with two excellent opportunities for club members to get together and do what we do best – have fun. On July 4, our newly minted Social Chair Past President Lisa spearheaded Area 3’s entry in the Fremont Fourth of July Parade. As you could see from Mary Lynn Pelican’s photos, our parade entry was fantastically decorated and had great posters publicizing the work that Rotary does in the world. Assistant Governor for Area 3 Karen Koshy, from the Fremont Warm Springs Sunrise Rotary Club, rode on the float and ensured that all the clubs in the Area were well represented. That afternoon, Past President Chuck Canada hosted his by-now annual and legendary July 4 BBQ on his newly super-sized deck. The good news is that the work Chuck and Past President Steve Landon did to extend the deck proved strong enough to hold roughly 60 Nilesians and guests. Thank you, Chuck, for opening your house again to the club.

At the end of July, our ever-busy Social Chair, Lisa, and Jim Brunelli organized an outing to the production of Beauty and the Beast staged by StarStruck Theatre. What a production! The cast and crew pulled out all the stops to bring the Disney classic to life on the stage. The standing ovation that the cast and orchestra received was well deserved. The evening began with a dinner hosted by Chris and Bev Louie at their lovely home in Pleasanton. Thank you, Chris and Bev!

So we move onto August, which is looking to be a busy and fun-filled month. On tap, we have a service project with the Fremont Chamber on August 5, Mentoring Meeting on August 9, Bocce on August 13, Hit n’ Giggle golf outing on August 26, SightNow Fundraiser on August 28, and Friday Fellowship Evenings all month long. Details for all these events will be announced on the website, in the eBulletin and at club meetings. Join us . . . and don’t forget to Keep Calm and Serve On!

In Rotary,

President Angus

It is with some trepidation that I sit down to write my first President’s Column for the Pinion. When I think of all the presidents who have come before me, I am, I have to confess, a little intimidated. And most immediately, I am realizing what high heels I have to fill after Past President Lisa’s year at the podium. Thank you PP Lisa for a wonderful year leading Niles Rotary. Your focus on membership growth grew our club by 14 new members and your commitment to the Rotary Foundation ensured that we exceeded our goal in Foundation giving. But, most of all, your warmth and charm each week expressed the enthusiasm you have for Rotary and the love you have for all the members of Niles.

I would also like to thank the outgoing board members for their service to the club. John Dutra, you held down the club service duties with aplomb. Terri Landon, you kept us busy with community service projects far and wide. And Past President Steve, you made sure that our social calendars were full of engagements. To the incoming board members — Paul Andrus and Sandy Stabile — thank you for stepping up and taking leadership of community service and club service, respectively. Past President Lisa, you are a natural for Social Chair, so we are expecting a eventful 12 months of socializing. And at the back table, I would like to thank Steven Springer for serving ably as Sergeant-at-arms for the last year. Dana Jones and Steven have been Co-Sergeants for the past six months, and now Dana will assume those duties herself. Thank you, Dana, for taking up the reins in that role.

When I look back at my year as president-elect, I am first of all astonished at how fast the 12 months passed and second of all thrilled by all that I have learned about the Rotary organization. My journey to Seoul, Korea for the Rotary International Convention was undoubtedly the highlight of my president-elect year. Being in the same vast room with 25,000 other Rotarians from all over the world was truly awe-inspiring. And hearing about the global impact of Rotary made me proud to be an ever-so-small part of the organization. With then-President Lisa, I met a Rotarian from Kathmandu who offered to host us if we ever visited his home town. Simon Cho (who, it turns out, is descended from Korean royalty) set us up for a Korean banquet and a tour of the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. He even talked our Korean tour guide into singing a traditional Korean love song. Daren Young answered that by leading us in a rendition of Smile for the baffled and disbelieving Rotarians on our tour bus. It was a trip never to be forgotten.

In the year ahead, I hope to lead us all in a year of Rotary exploration, opening all our eyes to what Rotary accomplishes around the world and in our own region. It is a great honor to be your president this year. My door and inbox are always open; if you have any requests for the year, please feel free to get in touch.

Yours in Rotary,

President Angus

It is hard to believe that this is my last Pinion article.  It wasn’t long ago that the thought of standing at the podium to conduct a meeting was nothing short of terrifying for me, but with each passing week I found myself enjoying being at the front of the room looking out at all of your smiling faces more and more!  It was especially comforting to get a nod of support during one of my inevitable “hot flashes!” Throughout the year members would ask or comment on how busy I was due to my role as club president.  Additionally, several have asked if it was worth the time commitment that came with the responsibility of the president and whether or not I “got anything out of it.”  As each meeting passed, I found that I experienced an increasing amount of personal growth – that, I believe, is what I will value the most of my year as club president.  Yet, what I have come to cherish is the personal relationships that have deepened because I have had the opportunity to interact with each and every member of our club.

At this writing, I am sitting in my hotel room in Korea reflecting on the great RI convention that I just attended.  I am grateful for the time I got to spend with President Elect Angus in Korea.  As I am sure he will confirm, attending a convention provides an opportunity to meet many new Rotarian friends and better understand the worldwide impact that we as Rotarians have.  At the opening session, we listened to world leaders express their gratitude to Rotarians worldwide for being a “Gift to the World.” We made so many new friends.  Additionally, one of the benefits I gain from attending the conventions is deepening my friendships with those local Rotarians I travel with on these trips. I most appreciate that Rotary has given me the opportunity to meet and make friends with like minded community leaders in almost every country around the world.  Therefore, I urge you to consider attending the Atlanta RI Convention in June of 2017!

I have asked many of you throughout the year the question during recognition, “what do you enjoy about being in Rotary?” Obviously, the projects that we as a club have worked on, the money we have raised for the RI Foundation, Polio Plus, and countless other projects and worthy causes have been mentioned.  One thing that has become obvious when I would hear your answers …. I am constantly reminded how proud I am to be a Rotarian, and especially a Niles Rotarian.

This Rotary year has been a busy one…. which is why my year as president has flown by so fast.  My year was made so much easier due to the knowledge and expertise of many past Niles Rotary presidents who would take the time to meet with me. I am forever grateful for their guidance.   As a matter of fact, all past presidents told me early on in my journey that this would be my best year in Rotary.  I can now say based on experience, it has been my best year in Rotary! It is with heartfelt gratitude that I say to each club member YOU made my year the best I’ve experienced.  Thank you so much!

As we turn our attention to the end of this Rotary year, I am excited not only to attend the wonderfully kind and sensitive “celebration” of my year as president, but am looking forward to Angus taking the helm of our club.  We can all agree that his quick wit and wonderful sense of humor will be the hallmark of his presidency.  We are in for a year full of fun and laughs.  Speaking of fun, I am looking forward to my year as social chair.   I plan to have some new events as well as our tried and true events in this upcoming social year.  I would like to thank PP Steve for setting the bar high insofar as our social calendar and will work to “fill his shoes.”

I wanted to finish my last Pinion article thanking those who have assisted me during my presidential year.  Short of mentioning everyone in the club, I will simply state that my success as president is entirely due to each and every member of the club.  Like the spokes of the Rotary wheel, our club would not “roll” if it were not for each and every member.  Each of you has kept us “on the right track.”  I am forever in your debt for what YOU have given me this past year as your president.