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President's TimeWith a packed agenda, President Debbie had to speed through her usual list of announcements but there were a few of them that were REALLY important.
February 23 is World Rotary Day. It's our birthday. Rotary is 107 years old. There's a lot of things happening around town to honor this occasion ...
To start with we're going to have Birthday Cake at next week's meeting... then ...
Coral Gables High School Interact Club is going to light the High School on the LeJeune Road face with the END POLIO NOW logo on Thursday at 6 p.m., and ...Gulliver Senior High School Interact is having their annual fund raiser benefiting Chapman Partnership for the Homeless. It's a fashion show being held at hte School and it's only $10. So mark your calendar for next Thursday and plan to celebrate all things Rotary.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW for our upcoming annual fund raiser - "A Night on the Red Carpet". Dinner, dancing, drinking and a silent auction on March 9 will jointly benefit our Club Foundation and Citizens for a Better South Florida. It's $150 per person. Black tie is optional - we'd rather you come dressed as your favorite celebrity. There will be prizes for the best "dressed". You can purchase your tickets at Registration or on-line on the Club Home Page by clicking on the PayPal button.
Here come the cusp babies again! People born between February 19 the February 23 reflect the characteristics of both Aquarius and Pisces. That means that they are friendly, loyal, sensitive, sympathetic, unpredictable and idealistic. Say Happy Birthday this week to Bill Quesenberry on the 18th, Rob Hatfield on the 19th, Fred Baddour and Greg Martini on the 21st and Carlos Ruiz on February 22nd. And just wait until next week - this club is a Pisces Club and we have more Pisces members than any other sign in our Club ... isn't astrology interesting!
Congratulations to Evelyn Mayo-Paz
City of Coral Gables Employee of the Month for February
Mayor Jim Cason introduced us to his Executive Assistant. Evelyn has been with the City for 23 years. Mayor Cason said that he was very glad he took the advice of his predecessor and kept Evelyn in his office because seh is the most efficient, service oriented, friendly employee he could ask for. She is respected and loved by everyone at the City and it is a privilege and a joy to work with her. WOW, with that kind of recommendation you know that she is a really special person! Congratulations Evelyn. Keep up the great work!
Say Hello to our Newest MemberRon Gerstl
George Reeves is the proud sponsor of our newest member, Ron Gerstl. Although not a new Rotarian (Ron has been a member of the Downtown Miami Rotary Club for the past 13 years), he is a welcome new addition to our Club.
Ron spent his childhood in Curacao and so speaks Dutch, English and Papiamentu proficiently. When he was 13 his family moved to Venezuela and he went off to the Taft School in Connecticut. He then attended Harvard and got his MBA from Columbia. He worked in Caracas as a marketing executive for P&G and later went on to found the first executive search firm in the country. Because of the business from this area he moved to Miami in 1983 to conduct searches for multinational companies for many of the headquarters firms located in South Florida and especially right here in Coral Gables. Now retired he keeps busy as an investor, playing tennis and golf and is actively involved in many organizations, He is currently the President of the Harvard Club of Miami.
Ron is married to Suzanne Lesh of Indianapolis. They have two daughters and three grandsons who live in Parkland and Palm Beach Gardens. WELCOME TO ROTARY CLUB OF CORAL GABLES!
Graham Miller Made Honorary Rotarian
Celebrates 67 Years of Rotary Service
Bruce Kerestes has been a member of our Club since 1984. He was sponsored by his Father-in-Law Graham Miller. Graham joined our Club in 1983 after being in the downtown Miami Club for many years. He was President of that Club in 1967. But when he retired, it was more convenient for him to join the Coral Gables Rotary Club. And is certainly worked out great for Bruce who grew up here in the Gables.
Rotary sort of runs in Graham's family. His father, Francis Graham was a Rotarian, and he was accompanied today by his daughter, Marty who is a Rotarian in the Norfolk Club. Is it any wonder he coerced Bruce to join too?
Graham is a native of Deland, Florida. He attended Duke University and graduated from University of Miami Law School in 1944. He's retired now and isn't able to make the meetings regularly since at 92 he no longer drives and is dependent on others to get him to the meetings. But after 67 years of Service Above Self, we just figured that Graham Miller has earned the title and the right to be an HONORARY ROTARIAN in the Rotary Club of Coral Gables. Congratulations and thank you Graham!
Introduction of Guests & Visitors
by Dick Bullman
Not too many people visiting today... Bruce Kerestes introduced us to his wife Janie and his sister-in-law Marty both of whom accompanied Graham Wilson for today's special presentaiton. Chuck Whitcomb introduced us to his daughter Debra from Montana. Joe Lancaster brought a former member of the Club as a guest today, Ramon Irigoya. President Debbie brought her business partner, Alberto Milian, and Alberto Herrera from Citizens for a Better South Florida.
Happy $$$
Dr. Randy returned today to Groh scholarships. Time is growing short now. We need a lot of happiness because we have a lot of very worthy scholarship winners in the running this year and the awards will be made in April. Bill Quesenberry was happy today after his trip to Peru. He got to see a big Rotary Monument and was fortunate to see the villagers use the biosand water filters such as our club has provided for needy communities elsewhere. He's also getting funding for an international matching grant with a club in Ecuador to retrofit a boat that is a village's sole means of transport. Elizabeth "Lovables" wanted to say "Thanks" to all the Rotarians who have either hired or recommended her for work of late. She just catered a party at which Don Slesnick was honored by South Com. Pat Morris called her to prepare the food for the reception for Mrs. Obama after her recent talk in Homestead. Pat Morris was happy because when he received the call from YUSA that Mrs. Obama was coming to the Homestead Y to talk about childhood obesity he knew to call Elizabeth "Lovables" for a really outstanding event. He definitely made the right choice. Bill Forshee is happy to have a new Gator in his house. His daughter is going to University of Florida. Dr. Phil Boswell was ecstatic that his oldest daughter, Becka who since graduation from college has been doing active brain research was yesterday offered a PhD from Yale to study the Psychology of Obesity in Public Health. Steve Magenheimer had some unhappy dollars today because his heart surgery was rescheduled until the 27th of February. He also wanted to thank everyone for their good wishes and the Club for the beautiful orchid! Yolanda Woodbridge was happy that Evelyn Paz was finally recognized for her excellent work as Employee of the Month. And finally, Dr. Randy once again invited anyone interested to sign up for this year's photo safari to Africa. He's planning on sometime between the end of September and Thanksgiving. If you're interested, give him a call. If you want to know what it's like you can ask Terry Long or Luis Boue who have accompanied him before. Keep on smiling. Happiness pays!
Working Rotarians - February 16, 2012
Greeters - Rolf Frankfurther & Steven Spann
Registration - Aaron Glasser
Collections - John Porro & Lorraine Sheldon
Head Table - Rodney Langer
Special Needs - Lan Nghiem-Phu
Open the Meeting - Jack Witty
Invocation - Abe Horowitz
Pledge - Bill Quesenberry
Singers - Dan Scipione & Bill Quesenberry
DeWitt Law Silver Dollars - Steve Magenheimer
Given to - Dan Scipione &Chuck Whitcomb
Pin Drawing Gift - Yoli Woodbridge
Pin Drawing Winner - Jim Roen
50/50 Raffle - Don Trombly
50/50 Winner - John Wallace
4-Way Test - Don Trombly
Today's Program
Dr. John Parker, Environmental Science, Florida International University; "Sustainable Energy for a Warming Planet."The U.S. National Academy of Sciences confirms that there is strong, credible body of scientific evidence that Climate Change is occurring and that it is the result largely of human activity. It poses a significant risk for a broad range of human and natural systems. 90% of research climate scientists surveyed said that HUMANS ARE CAUSING GLOBAL WARMING.
The current CO2 levels in the atmosphere are 38% more than historical values 200 years ago. The levels are the highest measured in 800,000 years. The State Department addresses greenhouse gases and recommends that we reduce the amount of methane by 1/3 globally. This means we must stop throwing garbage in landfills, reduce deforestation and reduce the amount of soot in the air. Soot is the single largest problem that faces the world today. 20 years ago cyclical solar radiation, aerosol cooling and coal production in order to reduce the sulfate particles to counteract the problem helped somewhat. 10 years ago we included greenhouse gases, aerosols and solar and science finally began to understand the basic idea. The impacts will be major during this century. There is 4% more water vapor in the atmosphere. And so in winter we see huge snowfalls. There's been a 1.6 degree temperature rise in the last 50 years. This last decade has been the warmest in more than 1,000 years. The planet is rapidly warming and it's worse than we thought. In a recent study of Arctic sea ice, there is a rapid degeneration of the ice cap in western Antarctica.
The extreme weather events impact on our eco-system. Florida is looking at a 3 to 5 foot rise in water by the end of this century. We have 10 years to focus on this. There is a 2% solution to this problem IF and only IF we can improve the air quality by 2% every year for the next 100 years. We need to stop burning coal. We need to teach people how to take advantage of carbon offsets by making more use of solar electricity and other forms of power such as wind.
Dr. Parker closed by saying, "Global warming is a breathtaking opportunity disguised as an insolvable problem," and it is NOT insolvable.
NEXT WEEK'S PROGRAM: Mark Buoniconti discussing the proposed Boat Storage facility at Matheson Hammock Marina.
Thought of the Week
by Frank Sexton
Frank said that while sitting in court he was mulling over the concept of "fear". This took him back to the time when he was an insecure 8 year old but he pursed the topic. Martin Luther King said, "There is normal fear and abnormal fear. Normal fear protects us, abnormal fear paralyses us. Normal fear motivates us to improrve our individual and collective welfare, abnormal fear constantly poisons and distorts our inner lives. Our problem is not to be rid of fear but, rather to harness and master it." President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, in his first inaugural address, "This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper. So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified, terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." And finally, Terry McMillian, author said, "My mama taught me that anything worth doing in life should be a little scary."
Scene Scenes
Mayor Jim Cason chats with Richard DeWitt
Keith Phillips off his diet
Fellowship abounds
New-old member Joe Lancaster brought another former member today, Ramon Irigoyen to visit.
Felix Pardo chats with Chuck
Whitcomb's visiting daughter, Debra
Chuck Whitcomb introducing
everyone to his daughter Debra
visiting from Montana
Two happy fathers?
President Debbie with Mayor Cason with the Employee of the Month Evelyn Paz
Welcome to Ron Gerstle, our newest Member, seen here with President Debbie, his sponsor George Reeves and Membership Chair, Greg Martini.
Congratulations to Graham Miller for his new status as Honorary Member after 67 years of Rotary Service. Graham is seen here with his daughters Janie and Marty and his son-in-law Bruce Kerestes and President Debbie.
See you again next week.
Same time, same place.
Same great bunch of Rotarians!
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