El Cerrito Rotary: The Wheel July 28, 2009

El Cerrito Rotary

The Wheel

Editors:  Gary Buffon & John Ferguson Jr.

Week of July 23^rd      

(www.rotary5160.org)

www.elcerritorotary.org

President Tracy welcomed us to the friendly El Cerrito Rotary Club.  Pat led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and then Karen gave us the thought for the day.

Introduction of guests and Visiting Rotarians:  Today we were joined by Frank Lee and Karen’s daughter Portia.

Announcements:

·         Jack asked for help with Golden Gate Fields on August 23^rd.  Please contact Jack if you are available.

Happy dollars:  Jane, Marty, Charlie, Lee, Frank, Nobuko, Jim, and Tracy all shared happy dollars today.

Sgt at Arms:  The Sgt. at Arms was off duty today.

Today’s Program: 

Today’s speaker was past District Governor Mark von Hoetzendorff.  Mark joined us to talk about National Immunization Day and shared with us about his time spent in Africa with the NID in 2008.  Mark told us that Africa’s polio immunization began in 1984 and the continent is almost entirely polio free, except for Nigeria, the only country left needing immunized.

One of the Rotary clubs Mark visited was in Abidjan where he discovered that many of the medical problems of the children were arising from unhealthy drinking water.  The population there is 35,000 within a 3 square mile border.  The children there are suffering from worm disease, which is caused (much like polio) by the unsanitary conditions of compact housing, lack of adequate sewage systems, and therefore lack of clean drinking water.  This is receiving attention from Rotary clubs worldwide, who are attacking the problem with proper medicine, although fighting the main cause remains a battle.

Mark did a great job sharing his experiences in Africa, and passion for addressing its basic need for sanitary, healthy water.

Join us next week for a club assembly.

Today’s Lottery Winner: Jim Spain won the raffle and went home with a bottle of wine. Next week the pot is $55

Thought for Week:  “For many of us, water simply flows from a faucet and we think little about it beyond this point of contact. We have lost a sense of respect for the wild river, for the complex workings of a wetland, for the intricate web of life that water supports.” 

- Daniel Webster