Bulletins - 2007 -03/07/2007

This Week's Bulletin Was Written By Larry Nuffer

THIS WEEK’S MEETING

President Carol brought the meeting to order and promptly brought Mike Whitehurst to the podium for the invocation.  Mike Lewis followed with the Pledge of Allegiance.  Keeping the momentum, the spirited Rosalie Kramm and Linda Jalving led the group in a stirring rendition of Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog . . . ribbet! 

SGT. AT ARMS

I didn’t win the drawing . . . again!  Dig deeper!!  Regardless, Rosalie continues to do a great job finding prizes.

GUESTS

A rather large contingent of Rotaractors attended; what a great group of people they are!  And, of course, there were the usual Breakfast wannabees from Club 33.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Carol extended kudos to all those who participated in the Humane Society telethon March 3. 
• Rotaract President Bridget Johnson invited club members to their 39th birthday celebration – an international potluck dinner on March 18.
• Caroline Chen proudly announced we had reached the $30,000 pinnacle for the silent auction of Wiggin’ Out fundraiser April 14, but need to get to $35K.  Forty-seven percent of the club has reeling in silent auction items.  Bobbi Spinner-Flack made a pitch for more sponsorships.  By way of preview, some special live auction items include a stay at Rancho La Puerta and an exclusive 7-course dinner for 6 at Gary & Karen Green’s luxury condo; this dynamic duo will also be your chefs and servers.
• Maureen Eberle presented Jonathan Stone with yet another Paul Harris Fellow.  Way to go!
• Blood Drive will be held March 15, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 701 B St. (2nd floor atrium).  Those who can donate this life-saving liquid should call 1-800-4MY-SDBB; provide sponsor code IMBT.
• Mike Whitehurst announced that the district Assembly is coming.  The club pays your way!

THIS WEEK'S PROGRAM

Our speaker was the young, tough-as-nails, five-language-speaking Sailay Siddiqi, a medical student from Afghanistan who’s pursuing her dream to become a cardiac surgeon.  She provided some grim, disturbing pictures of growing up in her native country when fundamentalist Muslims invaded Afghanistan following the fall of the Soviet Union.  Rapes, children murdered, bombings . . . they were all part of day-to-day struggles.  She and other families lived in cellars for the most part, with parents emerging as little as possible to get food.  As a young girl, her “bedtime” stories were a series of cautions, including: don’t pick up toys in the streets because they’re rigged with bombs; if someone kidnaps you, go with them until we can save you; when you’re at school and bombings start, don’t run, stay put until the explosions subside.  When the Taliban took over power in 1996, Sailay’s father, a diplomat in pre-war Afghanistan, decided to escape with his entire family to The Netherlands, where they were considered refugees and ushered off to refugee camps.  Her parents still live in the Netherlands, but they continue to struggle, living on welfare.  She is so thankful to Maureen Eberle for taking her into her home all the time she’s been in San Diego.  Sailay plans to return to The Netherlands at the end of March to complete her training in cardiac surgery.  Whew!  And we complain if our Starbucks is tepid.