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Weekly Program
Meeting Notes
President Chris “Top Gun” Gallagher opened our second meeting of his term by reminding us his year’s Rotary International President is Holger Knaack from the Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany, and our theme is Rotary Opens Opportunities. The expectation is for Rotarians to create opportunities that strengthen their leadership, help put service ideas into action, and improve the lives of those in need.
 
 
Horace Crawford was both the greeter and the program for our meeting. After the flag salute  he provided not one, but two, very poignant quotes for the day:
  1. People will forget what you did, people will forget what you said, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~Author: unknown
 
  1. WHEN GIVEN THE CHOICE BETWEEN BEING RIGHT OR BEING KIND, CHOOSE KIND.” 
    ― R.J. PalacioWonder
 
After inspiring us, he impressed us by sharing information about his life.  Horace joined the San Ramon Rotary Club in 1986.  That was the same year Rotary International initiated the Polio Plus campaign to eliminate polio worldwide. He served as Club President in year 1997-1998.
He was born in his grandparents’ farmhouse in Central Texas in 1937.  His parents and grandparents were cotton farmer sharecroppers. There were only 13 students in his graduating class at Ft. Davis High School in 1956.  Twelve of them started the 1st grade together. If anyone is interested in getting a sense of his small town during the 1950’s watch “The Last Picture Show” or “Dancer, Texas.”
He and Peggy were married in 1962. Horace served three years in the U.S. Army, including a year in Korea.  They moved to the Bay Area in 1967. In 1981 the great tragedy of their life occurred when they lost daughter Susan to an inoperable brain tumor at age 14. Their other daughter Amy lives in Fairfax, CA with her husband, and their two wonderful grandchildren. Horace is known to say Peggy is the “best thing” that has ever happened to him.
A very proud native Texan, he graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, with BS and MS degrees in Architectural Engineering. The last ten years of a 40-year career, he mostly managed the Architectural design and the construction of public school projects.  He and Peggy retired in 2005. They are active in their Methodist church and with Trinity Center, a homeless day respite center in the area which our club generously supports in many ways.
 
 
VISITING ROTARIANS AND WELCOME GUESTS
Chris Gallagher – not that one, the OTHER one – from the Rotary Club of Sausalito joined in to support the “original” Chris Gallagher.  They share the same name, have the same middle initial, but the “other” Chris Gallagher is SOOO much prettier! She shared the story of how they met at bar (shocking, right?) at a PETS convention. 
Marie Galbo joined the meeting, but, really, does she qualify as a guest? Guest or not, it’s always lovely to see her.
Former “first man” Brad Lay sat next to his beautiful wife, immediate Past President Colette Lay. His bright orange hat gave the impression he had either just arrived from a hunting trip, or was about to leave for one? Whether true or not, there was an ulterior motive for his visit… keep reading to find out what it was. 
 
NEW MEMBER INDUCTION
Cheri Braga and Kerry Richard were welcomed into our club by membership director Chris Gayler, who promised to drop off their plaques and pins in an adult version of “doorbell ditch”. 
Cheri told us how happy she is to be part of our club and hopes her involvement with Children’s Hospital can lead to a joint project with San Ramon Rotary.  She is sponsored by Marie Galbo (see, not really a guest) and Glen Weber
Kerry also shared his excitement to be part of the club and looks forward to assisting his sponsor, Dennis Harvey, with his SRR projects.
After all members extended their virtual handshakes to the new members, President Gallagher led us in a shortened version of a welcome song.  “A-LO-HA” was chanted once by the members, except for Norbert Walz who very pleasantly sang it.
 
ANNOUNCEMENTS  
HAPPY HOUR – have you missed them?  They are on hiatus for the month of July to allow for some liver recovery time. They will return in August. Keep an eye on your email, and perhaps make a trip to Total Wine to prepare.
Melanie Emig provided us with a CCCC and Moe update.  Most importantly, Moe is doing well.  Unsurprisingly, no date has been set for banquet re-openings. 
 
FOUNDATION NEWS
Ray Giles had an extra special Paul Harris Fellowship presentation this week.  Prefacing his presentation, he discussed how Rotary membership about more than individual members, but about the importance of support that comes from spouses and family. With that, he presented a surprised Brad Lay with an honorary Paul Harris Fellowship.  Brad was nominated by immediate Past President Colette Lay in recognition for all the support he provided her during her term. 
 
 
 
 
PROGRAM – Coronavirus Concerns and the Homeless Population
Welcomed back to the stage/screen, Horace Crawford started by saying how proud and appreciative he’s been of the support San Ramon Rotary has provided to Trinity Center  over the years. 
Trinity Center offers a safety net of basic human services, including:
  • breakfast and hot lunch
  • mail and telephone access
  • showers
  • laundry
  • clothing
  • case management and referral services
  • substance use
  • mental health
  • support groups
Recently, Trinity Center moved from its temporary quarters in Walnut Creek to its permanent location on Trinity Avenue.  The new facility is known as “Trinity Commons,” with 30 studios and 14 one-bedroom apartments on the grounds of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 1888 Trinity Avenue, Walnut Creek CA 94596.  They are delighted that a number of the Trinity Center participants have qualified for this housing, and have moved in. The first floor is dedicated to Trinity Center services and facility management.
Highlights of the San Ramon Rotary Club Support to Trinity Center:
•10 years: Collecting food, clothing, bedding, and over 60 Christmas Gift Cards/year for 60 Trinity Center participants.
•6 years: Providing a special Mexican Fiesta off site Rotary meeting at Trinity Center for 30 Rotarians, 5 Trinity Center staff and 60 participants. (cancelled in 2020 due to the virus.)
•Year 2020: (During the Pandemic Shelter in Place) Colette Lay and team suggested that our Rotarians give a virtual meal fee for the homeless and many did donate this way. In addition Rotary District 5160 gave our club $881 for emergency relief. Together over $2,000 was donated for food that was used to pay for meals provided by Simple Elegance Catering of Danville to Trinity Center.
SRVUMC has also been supporting Trinity Center for many years through church member volunteering, donations, and Friday Food for Thought meals for the past four years.
Horace closed his presentation by addressing the fact that solving homelessness is not about “just getting a job”.  Up to 60% of homeless people have mental challenges.  He encourages us to just do what you can to help those in need.  Those that are homeless are often unseen, and as one man shared, Trinity Center is the only place he was called by his name. 
Please visit https://trinitycenterwc.org for information about Trinity Center including needed items, volunteer opportunities, activities and services. And reach out to Horace with any questions or for additional information. 
 
RECOGNITIONS and GOOD NEWS
Pat Patterson celebrated his 64th wedding anniversary and shared the secret to a long and happy marriage – have your own toothpaste tube!
Barry Toby shared some wine with former SRR member Maynard Crowther, who sends his regards.  
Chris and Natalie Gayler celebrated their 17th year anniversary with the standard COVID summer celebration, a backyard hangout.  No mention if they share a toothpaste tube or not. We hope so. 
Dr. Bill Harlan and his bride Ruth just celebrated their 9th year.  The original plans were for a special dinner out at their favorite restaurant in Walnut Creek, and a Caribbean cruise. COVID sidetracked that, and the celebration morphed into binge watching I Love Lucy re-runs. Hopefully no toothpaste sharing in that household either.    
The meeting was adjourned at 12:45 p.m. 
 
Stay safe, fellow Rotarians. 
Respectfully submitted,
 
Julie McKinney, Scribe
 
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