December 7, 2005

This Week’s Bulletin Was Written By Tom Sayer

THIS WEEK’S MEETING

This week’s meeting started with an invocation by Scott Silver-Hill from Gandhi – There are two types of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit – join the first group – less competition! -- and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Jack Gilbert (welcome back!).  Ken Juen introduced visiting Rotarians and Guests, including an exchange of banners with the President of the Manchester England Breakfast Club.  Linda Jalving and Rosalie Kramm warmed us up for our upcoming caroling at the Senior Community Center with a round of Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer.

Announcements

Ø      David Lynch  from Responsibility thanked us for our secret Santa gifts, and gave us a few minutes of his history with the project.  In 1980 he came to Tijuana for a month to work with the kids who were then living in cardboard hovels in the dump, scavenging for recyclables to make enough to survive.  For suffering through that one-month stint amongst the stench, flies, total lack of sanitation, and otherwise miserable conditions, David figured he had earned his place in heaven.  He went back to his teaching job in the New York City public school system, and would use his experience as a retort whenever parents or students would complain of conditions in his classroom.  The following year he figured he might be able to handle another month, and 25-years later he is still doing this remarkable work.  The project has now grown to where they have a real school with paid teachers, bathrooms and a health clinic.  The gifts we provide are distributed among the kids in the school and to the poor in surrounding areas.

Ø      Bridget Johnson and Aaron Adragna reported on another very successful Rotaract Jazz for Diabetes Fundraiser.  The Youth Services Committee promptly stood up to add $1,000 to the over $5,000 raised at this event. 

Ø      Maureen announced that April 29, 2006 is Rotarians at Work Day.  Every Club in the District will be participating in a service project on that day.  We will be working again with Rebuilding Together along with, perhaps, the Golden Triangle Club.  Put this date on your calendar now!

Ø      Pat Cowett and Susan Davis reminded everyone that our annual Christmas Party will be Friday, December 9th at Susan Davis’ home from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.  Click Here For Directions.  Please leave the parking spots on Conde Street for our friends with disabilities.

Ø      Alex Kwoka  reminded everyone that we will be serving lunch and caroling at the Senior Center at 11am-1:30pm on December 10th.  The location is 9th and Broadway and on-street parking shouldn’t be a problem on the weekend.  We need 15-20 people or so for this event.

Ø      Condolences to Rachel Humphreys whose mother passed away unexpectedly, and to Steve Davis (Susan’s husband) who lost a son unexpectedly.  The Club has made donations in their names to requested charities.

Sgt. At Arms

Ø      Linda Jalving, Pat Cowett, Maureen and Eileen Henesey made donations from the proceeds of their jewelry and gift party on December 5th.

Ø      Leah Swearingen-Millet had to explain her duality when she was reported spending the early morning hours (4-10 am) duck hunting in the mud and the afternoon-evening hours (3pm-midnight) at a haut couture event. 

Ø      Jim Mulvaney’s folks just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in Hawaii.

Ø      George Mullin paid a fine for his recent trip to Tortola.

Ø      Jack Gilbert had three fines to pay – taking his kids to meet family in England, surviving an assignment at a nuclear power plant, and recently representing our Club at the La Jolla Rotary Club.

Ø      Heather Xitco’s football dreams have come true.  Her high school is playing in the finals at Qualcomm, her college is playing in the Rose Bowl, and her fantasy team has won its first playoff game.  Do I see a side bet coming with Leah for the Rose Bowl?

ThIs Week’s Speaker

Mary Dawe introduced Warren Ogden and Shinpei Takeda, Executive Director and President, respectively, of The AjA Project.  The AjA Project was founded to empower refugee youth to use photography and other media arts to share their stories, gain self esteem, and build leadership skills, thereby helping them to create better opportunities for their futures.  The mission of The AjA Project is to empower refugee and underprivileged youth through educational programs and to help them create better opportunities for their future.  It fulfills its mission by fostering a sense of belonging and self-worth in refugee youth, as they develop valuable vocational, technical, and photography skills.  We were treated to a slide show of various photographs taken by youth refugees.  We learned that there are more than 20 million refugees worldwide and half are children.  The AjA Project began in the summer of 2000 through the efforts of Shinpei Takeda. He created a participatory photography project for Karen refugee youth living in a refugee camp located on the border of Thailand and Burma. This first project was designed to provide Karen refugee youth with the opportunity to learn documentary photography and use it to record their lives and changing culture. Takeda’s vision enabled him to provide the Karen community with important arts and educational programming for underserved young people.  At the end of the program, the community in the refugee camp asked Takeda to make the program permanent. Takeda partnered with Co-Founder Warren Ogden to provide sustainable programming and incorporated The AjA Project on October 18, 2000.

For more information on the AjA Project, Click Here.

Next Week’s Speaker will be Ron Popham, Senior Director Maritime Division, San Diego Port District.

 See you all there!

Created by David Tereschuck of:

Copyright © 2000