February 27, 2002
This week's Bulletin was written by Michael Clarkson.
This Week’s Meeting
President Melissa Blackburn called this week’s meeting to order, Jim Mulvaney [I didn’t know this was rope-a-dope for the song….his words not mine!] led us in song with the Battle Hymn of the Republic upon suggestion by Steve Waterman. New red badge member Kathryn Giblin gave the invocation.
Announcements
Melissa Blackburn apologized for missing last week’s meeting but she paid her penance in Modesto. Visiting Rotarians and non-Rotarians were welcomed to our club with mention that Mike Uberuaga [Club 33] would speak to our group in the not too distant future. Sgt-at-Arms Frank introduced representatives from the Deafness Research Institute. Mike Whitehurst introduced ROTC Officer Tim Hughey and student of the month Fabiola Vazquez. Ms Vazquez is an accomplished student with an excellent grade point average, a member of the junior ROTC program, personnel administration officer to 160 cadets and public affairs officer. She has not had things made any easier by the fact that the family residence was lost in a fire and she is now living with her brother. In the absence of Dan Cleaves [it’s tax time!], Melissa presented a check for $2000 to Kim, Karen and Karl [sorry I missed the last names] from the Women’s Resource Fair. Christine Thompson reminded everybody to sell, sell, sell those opportunity drawing tickets. Remember the grand prize is a round trip ticket for 2 anywhere Southwest Airlines fly plus hotel accommodation [?]. Melissa said there is still room on the Rotary cruise and don’t forget to “Plug those Pigs”, just a quarter a day. The Senior Community Center gave thanks for their Valentines gifts, any ideas for Easter?
Fines! Fines! Fines!
Happy Birthday to Peter Shaw for this Saturday. Dave “the hairless one” Ferguson, could that tie be any louder! February was obviously solicitation month, fines to Mike Whitehurst [Rock & Roll Marathon for Lymphoma and Leukemia research], Carolyn Morrow and Nancy Vaughan, Nancy actually paid the fine for her guest LeeAnne Owens for reminding everyone of the San Diego Humane Society’s 5th Pet Telethon this Saturday from noon to 5 on Fox Channel 6. Bragging bucks for Alan Talbot, son’s date went well, as well as finishing 111th [son not Alan!] in the National Junior Olympics foil fencing and winning the San Diego Open event. Barry Tobias for his son and the son of Dave Archambault getting involved in some crazy karate/broken finger/helmet/snow boarding thing…..I must have missed that Olympic event from Utah! Lynn Hamilton also has son’s….Congrats on making the Scripps Ranch basketball team! Tune into 88.3FM and listen to Dave Ferguson’s son report sports on Monday and Wednesday at 8am.
Speaker
This week’s speaker was Bonita Chamberlain to talk on life inside Afghanistan. Unfortunately the planned Power Point slide show would not cooperate, so we went into a quick bio and Q and A session. Ms Chamberlain has lived, worked and traveled [many times in disguise] in Afghanistan for 24 years and through 4 regimes. She has most recently worked with the DoD to train Special Forces for their duties in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan has found itself at the crossroads of civilization for thousands of years and not to it’s benefit. It has been invaded by a host of marauders from the Arians, Genghis Khan to the Soviet Union. Before the Soviet invasion of 1976 the country was very prosperous and cosmopolitan, since then, the country has been fighting invaders or civil war. The Soviets left in 1988 and civil war followed until the Taliban [with backing from the US] took control in 1996, however, their oppressive and arcane rule quickly alienated them from the world and the backing from the United States.
Turmoil for 25 years has driven the country to illiteracy. The constant fighting of the many warlords and their tribes has destroyed a once proud nation. Drugs [75% of the world’s opium] and arms trading are the rule rather than the exception. Generations of people have been kept illiterate and any modern communication infrastructure has been destroyed. At their leaders own hands Afghanistan has been pushed back to the Dark Ages.
Ms. Chamberlain suggested that the United States had “dropped the ball” when we were willing to give arms to the Taliban in 1996 but not food, health care and the means to rebuild and support an infrastructure. She said that we should be feeding them before they will listen to us. She continued that the militant Muslims and Al Qaeda were surprised at the, and I quote, “success and phenomenal finesse and precision” of the attack on the WTC. She said that the extreme militants were mainly from Pakistan and not Afghanistan.
Our speaker expressed almost a “love affair” for both the people and country of Afghanistan, and wished it could be like it was back in the 1970s – don’t we all!
It is hoped that Rotary can be established in Pakistan to assist with humanitarian projects in both countries.
Postnote. Here is a follow-up letter from Bonita:
Dear Tana,
Thank you also for inviting me to speak. By way of this
email I am also
contacting the Invisible University so they can send the
information directly to you. For more information on my future speaking
schedule, contact Cheryl H. Dean at (619) 260 4815 or e-mail us - invisuniv@is.acusd.edu.
Invocation Line Up
Choosing people for the invocation isn’t as easy as it seems, there is, shall we say, a little resistance at times. So I thought I would take the opportunity to add the line up to this week’s Bulletin. If you can’t give the invocation on your allocated date, please find someone on the list to exchange dates with and let me know, you can reach me at work 619-260-1600, home 619-660-9130, cell 619-843-2218, or email at “mgandmb@cox.net”
Ø March 6th Mike Whitehurst
Ø March 13th Dave Ferguson
Ø March 20th Linda Fox
Ø March 27th Jennifer Cusick
Ø April 3rd Mike Jones
Ø April 10th Margaret Oppliger
Ø April 17th Dennis Dater
Ø April 24th Carolyn Morrow
Ø May 1st Alan Talbot
Ø May 8th Jose Hernandez
Ø May 15th Rob Berry
Ø May 22nd Christine Thompson
Ø May29th Peter Tereschuck
Ø June 5th Leah Swearingen
Ø June 12th Lou Scanlon
Ø June 19th Nancy Vaughan
Ø June 26th Jane Barry
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