Invest in the Life of a Child
This Meeting's Highlights
Program: Invest in the Life of a ChildSpeaker: Dian AlyanMeeting for the week of February 8th to February 14th, 2016* * *
Is this your first time to visit us? If so, welcome to our meeting!Each Monday our week’s meeting is posted early in the morning, U.S. Pacific Time. These meetings are designed so that you can read and watch what we post anytime during the week. The entire meeting takes about 45 minutes to complete, with the video conference recording of the program being the bulk of the time.Note that you can easily read this meeting with your favorite device, so feel free to take our meeting on the go with you; read it while on public transit, waiting in line for coffee, or even at the park! Please also make sure to complete the attendance form at the bottom and leave a comment. Enjoy!
Note for Visiting Rotarians seeking makeup credit: We only provide makeup credit for those attending our current week’s meeting! If you scroll to the very bottom of this page and the attendance survey is already closed, this you will not receive makeup credit for this meeting!
Greetings
Message from the President
Hello, all!Guests, we welcome you to our fun-loving, service-focused, innovation-seeking group of professionals who are working to figure out how technology can serve the business of service.The truth is that no matter what one does, there are always opportunities, from the obvious to the hidden, to make a difference for others. Once we take time to act on them, we do much more than help those in need; we see and develop the best parts of ourselves.What is that you have been thinking about doing, but haven't quite gotten around to giving it a try? Perhaps this is the week to let what that is make a better person out of who you are!Rotarian guests, we ask that you consider contributing something - whatever for you is the regular cost of a Rotary meal, perhaps - to the efforts of our club. Please choose one of the options below:
Send via our secure Happy Dollars form.
Send via Google Wallet to: ecsv.rotary@gmail.com
Send via PayPal to: ecsv.rotary@gmail.com
Send a check via snail mail (see below for instructions)
To pay via Google Wallet or PayPal, you'll need to log in to your account with those companies.Those of you who prefer a more traditional approach can mail a check made out to the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley to our treasurer: ℅ Allen Thompson, 13500 Cascade Ct., Bakersfield CA 93314.Non-Rotarian guests, there is no need for a donation from you. As we see it, your job is to simply enjoy what you read and watch, though at the end we do ask that you let us know you were here and also leave a comment letting us know what you think. This club is loaded with folks who love sharing ideas, and we look forward to your sharing yours!
Yours in service,
Rushton Hurley,
President
Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley
The Power of Images
They say a picture says a thousand words. Every week we try to bring you a picture that we think will inspire you a thousand times. This week's photo is from Habitat for Humanity.
When we do service activities, often what we find is that we're getting to see the very best in our communities. In the picture below, you not only see Habitat for Humanity volunteers working together in Jackson, Mississippi. You also see people having fun, which is the right way to live, no?
Habitat for Humanity by Natalie Maynor from Flickr (CC by 2.0)
And another from Club Camera Czar Keith:"Here is an image I took at Super Bowl City on Friday night. The logos on the Embarcadero office building are 10 stories tall. I would love to know how they did it. Reminds me of the Hunger Games. It was very crowded and security was strong."Appropriate for Silicon Valley and the recent hoopla!
The Power of Ideas
A good idea is one that catches our attention, and then catches our breath. We try to share quotes that live up to that each week in this section.
It is not uncommon for people to spend their whole life waiting to start living.- author and thinker Eckhart Tolle
The Fun of Music
Some years before their recent troubles, Volkswagen cleverly managed to spread some serious goodwill by simply changing some stairs. It may seem like a small thing, but small insights can produce big results.
Spread a little fun and joy this week!
You're getting a double this week!There's lots about this video I love, but how they set it in motion is priceless.
Our Events & Projects
This section of our meeting is where you learn about both recent and upcoming events and projects our club is leading or supporting. We welcome guests to all of our events and service projects listed here.
Recent Events Recap:
Supporting Entrepreneurs
Last week, our eclub launched its effort to support entrepreneurs launching their efforts to make something innovative and helpful happen. Members Brian Liddicoat, Mitty Chang, and Rushton Hurley, along with Michael Yao (Catherine Liu's husband and Point Reyes hike participant) and Sherman Hu (former Japanese language student of Rushton and one dedicated to helping entrepreneurs) connected via video conference with two 20-somethings, Brendan and Eliana, in the Chicago area. These two are working to organize and build a community around open educational resources to help those taking college classes.
The group exchanged ideas, questions, and advice for a half hour, and all agreed it was time well spent. Here's a message Brendan sent us the next day (emphasis added afterward):
I really want to say thank you for all the effort you made putting last night together for us. It's really comforting to know people are out there looking to actively help others who are just starting out (like Eliana and myself).
There were some really great points that were touched on last night - I particularly liked when you were talking about the people who you worked with [part of a discussion about getting the right people on one's board]. Thankfully, Eliana and my other board member, Pope (or John Paul), are never afraid to engage in some healthy argument regarding my ideas and direction.
I'm working pretty hard on the website and expect it to be up to par in the next couple of weeks - unfortunately it's just me at the moment so it's difficult to gauge errors I have to deal with while building it, BUT I've found a way to manage it well alone (for the time being). I will keep you updated when I have a full working model - which can be expected to be seen in the next two weeks.
We'll share with you what they share with us!
Opening Doors
As our members know, a particular project the club has supported has been the work of member François Tessier to establish a clinic in a poverty-stricken slum in Sri Lanka. The idea is to give people the chance to get free advice and free treatments from a variety of practitioners as a way of identifying and hopefully addressing their ailments.
This video tells the story of the Ayubowan Foundation's first effort to open its doors to the community.
Upcoming Events:
Did you miss our past events? Come join us for any of our upcoming events! Guests, you are welcome too!All times are in Pacific Time (San Francisco, CA, USA time!)Sexy Salad Potluck & Wine in Livermore on Sunday, Feb 21st, at noon
Come enjoy the local extension of Napa Valley in Livermore. We will be having a salad potluck at the awarding winning Retzlaff Vineyard Winery in Livermore on Sunday, February 21st, from noon to 2p. There will be live music and wine. This is a sexy salad potluck! Sexy salad is a way for communities to come together and give gratitude for good food and for good company. Members and guests should bring an ingredient to contribute to the salad. For example: you could bring a bowl of cranberries, a bowl of sliced steak, a bowl of cherry tomatoes, etc. We will be providing organic assorted greens, the salad dressing, along with plates and utensils. All members and guests are welcome to attend; this event is also friendly for anyone under 21 as well! (Though those not 21 or older can’t have wine, of course.)
Helping with Bird Habitat on Saturday, Feb 27th, 9a-noon
Golden Gate Park in San Francisco is home to hundreds of different varieties of local and migrating birds. Golden Gate Audubon, a local wildlife conservation nonprofit, is looking for volunteers to help preserve and restore the habitat of these many birds! So come join us on Feb 27th from 9a-noon for a little weeding and planting in the North Lake of Golden Gate Park and check out some beautiful wildlife while we dust our knees a little. Afterwards, we can take our dusty bird-defending selves to a number of nearby eateries for lunch! Below are the details. If you want to RSVP or if you have any questions, please contact Andrew Taw (service@siliconvalleyrotary.com) or leave a comment in the Disqus section below!
Nightlife Exploration at the California Science Academy in San Francisco on Thursday, Mar 24th, at 7p
Come with our club to explore the amazing exhibits and experiences at the planetarium during the evening for California Science Academy’s Nightlife program! We will be meeting at the California Science Academy in San Francisco on Thursday, March 24th, at 7p for an exciting night of science adventures! Open to all members and guests. Tickets will be available for purchase. More details coming in early March.
More Socials!
You can sure expect more socials to be coming up! Members, if you are interested in helping plan socials, please reach out to President-Elect Mitty or leave a comment on this meeting. We would love to get you more involved with the social planning!
The World of Rotary
We are part of the Rotary International family, with over 1.2 million members in over 180 countries around the world. Rotary’s reach is global. Here we tell our members and guests about Rotary’s initiatives and events.
Rotarians around the world work to find ways to convey who we are and what we do. In this video from Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland, you'll find a simple but powerful message: your skills are invaluable.
Whether you teach children to read, or develop apps that connect people near and far, or perform life-saving surgeries, there are those who might only be able to thank you with a smile. That's a wonderful truth, and it speaks to what we seek to accomplish in our communities everywhere.
Youth Programs: Interact Update
Our Rotary club proudly sponsors the Interact Club at Kipp San Jose Collegiate Prep in San Jose, California. Interact Club is one of Rotary's official youth programs, specifically for young leaders from ages 12 to 18. Members of Interact, called "Interactors," participate in local and international service opportunities.
It has been three months since our club officially decided to sponsor the Interact Club at Kipp San Jose Collegiate. Since then, we have been working with their club leadership on a number of efforts, including the sponsoring one of their leaders to the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) camp that our district holds in July.We are very excited to pass on the information that the Interactors in the San Jose and Milpitas area (which they call "Area 6") have raised over $8,000 towards their international service project, and have completed over 9,000 service hours. Wowza!You can read a copy of their Area's February minutes here.Below is also an information flyer with some of their upcoming events, in case any Rotarians are interested in attending or getting involved. We will work on getting more updates about Interact in the upcoming meetings. It's great to see the next generation of leaders so active!
Thanks for the update, President-elect Mitty!
Service: Our Impact
We at the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley work hard to make the world a better place. This happens via big projects and little acts of kindness, and we tell each other about it. Why? To brag? Certainly not! Instead, we believe that sharing cool stories of helping others can inspire us to find new ways to do good in our communities.
We hope you enjoyed reading about the many cool things being done by our members in last week's meeting. The point of sharing this info is two-fold. First, reading what others are doing can inspire us to see new opportunities to do something ourselves. Second, sharing what is happening allows us to get interesting glimpses on each other's lives.What have you done recently to improve the world around you? It could be big or small, but by sharing it, you're helping inspire and strengthen the club. Let us know via this link, below!
The Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley Service Survey
Happy Dollars
Happy Dollars is the segment of our meeting where anyone can choose to make a voluntary donation to tell us a short story about something good that has happened to them this past week. Maybe someone paid for your coffee, gave you a ride somewhere, or you got a job promotion. This is your chance to brag about it or give a shout-out to someone deserving, while giving some of that karma back to our community.
Another way to get to know each other is to share good news, and toss in a dollar or two or more as a way both to celebrate the news and to support our club's efforts.from member Keith Marsh ($30)This month is my 30th year in Rotary. Still going strong. [Indeed you are, Keith!]
Birthdays
Monday of this week is/was Mark Dohn's birthday. A big eclub best wishes heads in the direction of Michigan from California, Utah, Quebec, Ontario, South Africa, Kenya, and Japan!Mark, on your birthday in 1960, the first eight plaques were installed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Given how much of your life was spent in Los Angeles, this one seems appropriate. I hope that you and all of us will leave our marks in the sidewalks of the world of service!
The Tidbit
Every week, we feature a new tech tidbit or life hack to make something easier, more convenient, or more fun!
Here's another one we found online, and I'm guessing there's someone in the club who will be very glad he or she saw this in the coming month or two! What is it? Well, has your cell phone ever become wet? Did you know what to do? Sharon Vaknin of CNET has some advice.
A Little Humor
Not everyone appreciates our attempts to make members and guests laugh. Then again, not everything we put forward is worth appreciating. Here's this week's attempt:
A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family in Spain, who names him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal!"
Selected Comments from Last Week
Each week we ask our members and guests to share their thoughts on the program, and even respond to each other’s comments. Using the comments at the bottom of the page, you can share your thoughts. Log in using a Disqus account you create, but you can also use your Facebook, Twitter, or Google accounts – just click the drop-down arrow next to “Login” on the right side of that section.
The comments each week provide an opportunity to learn a bit about members and guests, and what they thought of the meetings and programs. We welcome the encouragement, questions, and critique you have, and look forward to improving what we do based on your ideas!
We'll give special focus to the comments of our guests this week. Here are the selected comments from last week's program. Enjoy!From guest Steven Lease (Auburn Daybreak Rotary Club) (California, USA):
"I am a third-generation Rotarian, so I have been enjoying Rotary, but it has been missing this entrepreneur flavor. I worked for Intel and a startup company and I have been missing this "entrepreneur spirit." Your club is sharing great stories about individuals who have embraced the entrepreneurial spirit to change the world.
I have been a Rotary President and this will be my second time as President. You have done an amazing job of putting a Rotary meeting online and keeping the key aspects of Rotary. I might just keep attending your meetings for awhile and play some of them at my meetings. [Thanks for the kudos - we like what we're doing, but also know we can get better! Members, the meeting with Steven's presentation on "a million morsels," recorded last Saturday, will be the program for the week of Feb. 22nd.]"
From guest Jane White (Rotary Club of Pensacola Suburban West) (Florida, USA):
"I have "audited" several of your programs just because I have found them interesting/outstanding. After Chris Cochrane's talk, I was hooked. I am a ten-year Rotarian from Pensacola, in an active district in NW Florida. I love Rotary. I am a package designer and especially enjoy all your takes on the arts and technology. Some programs get a second view! Your live feed of the programs is a plus and I enjoy the inserted videos and photos. I guess Silicon Valley gives you the edge on technology! How lucky you are to have such talented members with enviable experience. Getting to see a perspective of Rotary from the opposite coast (and up to Canada!) makes my visits richer. Your programs are as varied as your members. In other words, you are doing a lot right. [Thanks so much, Jane - you're welcome to visit any time!]"
From guest Julio Méndez (Rotary Club of Mar del Plata) (Argentina):
"I really enjoyed reading The Power of Ideas section, and seeing how much time it takes to become habit some new experiences, and learning about what percentage of our lives is automatic. It was very impressive watching "Write your Biggest Regrets," and seeing what people wrote on the blackboard, such as "Staying in my comfort zones," "Not getting involved," and, "Not being a better friend." I wish I could join with all of you at the Planetarium in March. It would be fantastic, but I'm so far away that it will not be possible. What you call "Happy Dollars," I have seen in other clubs in the USA, under the name of "Just Because." I also read about "Service: Our Impact", and I see that Rotarians in different places in the world are always producing events working towards a better condition of life. [Great having you, Julio - Gracias for your visit, and for the pictures of Mar del Plata!]"
From guest Paul Yeadon (Los Gatos Morning Rotary Club, California, USA):
"I think what you are doing with the eClub is evolutionary. It is addressing one of the more significant problems Rotary has engaging/retaining members, which is competition for time. What a great way to stay engaged in Rotary, even if one can't attend all the home Club meetings in person. In my opinion, the eClub is complementary to a traditional Club, particularly if members are busy with careers/family. There may be some reactionaries who think it will poach members from other Clubs, but I do not agree with that thinking. The quality of content is excellent and I found it engaging and informative. Even if I don't need a make-up, I will be visiting regularly."
guest Linda Diekman (Park Ridge, Illinois, USA):
"Nicole's presentation took me back a number of years...before moving into education, I managed several "executive suite" spaces, handling marketing, sales, staffing and all manner of client support. I focused on building "community" in the space, but nowhere to the degree that Nicole does in her space. I saw how a sense of community, sharing and belonging, led to retention of users of the shared office concept. What Nicole practices adds a whole other dimension and some exciting possibilities. BTW, loved the "Clean Slate" video... a great way to start the day."
From member Keith Marsh (California, USA):
"This month I celebrate 30 years in Rotary (hence the $30 Happy Dollars). I have the privilege to have attended Rotary meetings on 5 continents (with perfect attendance no less) and to have worked on Rotary Service Projects in 5 countries."
From member Tzviatko Chiderov (Nairobi, Kenya):
"Nicole, awesome presentation. I like your focus on the community that develops around co-working spaces - it's so important and valuable. Also, I really enjoyed visiting the Shift in Chicago and thanks for inviting me to one of your member events - some many cool people and great networking. [It was this visit by Tzviatko that connected us with Brendan and Eliana, the entrepreneurs we mentored.]"
The Program
Each week we share the stories of people working to make the world a better place, no matter where they are in order to inspire those everywhere else. This week you will hear from Dian Alyan, the founder and CEO of GiveLight Foundation, a non-profit organization that builds beautiful homes and futures for orphans globally. In the tsunami of 2004, Dian lost 40 of her closest relatives and friends in Aceh, Indonesia.
What started as one home in Indonesia for 50 tsunami orphans turned into a life-long passion and born was the vision to help children orphaned globally. Now, a decade later, Dian has successfully scaled GiveLight's projects to span over ten countries and to support close to 1000 orphans. These efforts help children in Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Morocco, Haiti, Samoa, Somalia, and also locally in the San Francisco Bay Area.In recognition of her dedication and work with GiveLight Foundation, Dian received the "Humanitarian Award" from P&G, "Leadership Award" from CAIR, and the "Woman of the Year" Award from Senator Elaine Alquist.Members and guests, please welcome Dian Alyan!
links:Find the GiveLight website here, and their Facebook page here.
Upcoming Programs
Now that you have completed watching this week’s program and meeting, here are some programs that you can expect in the coming weeks.
Week of Feb 15th: Getting to Next through Training
Week of Feb 22nd: Giving Away A Million Morsels
You’re Almost Done! One last thing: The Attendance Survey..
Thanks for reading and watching this week’s meeting. You have two last things to do before you’re done. First, we have a very short attendance survey below for you to fill out to record your attendance.
Visiting Rotarians, this is how you can get an email receipt to pass along to your club’s secretary as proof that you’ve attended our meeting if you need it for makeups.Non-Rotarian Guests, we would love to see who is dropping by our meetings! This part is optional for you though.More importantly, for all members and guests — we strongly recommend and ask that you leave a comment below in our comments area below. Tell us how you enjoyed the program. Ask this week’s speaker any questions you might have. Or just stop by and say hello and tell us where you’re from!
