Don’t miss the Volunteer of the Year dinner honoring our own Dick Burkhalter this Sunday, February 8 at 6:00 p.m. at the Orinda Country Club.  The cost is $60 per person and includes wine.  Let’s raise a toast to Dick together!  Buy tickets here.

On January 28, we inducted six new members from our newly formed Orinda Rotary Satellite Club: Jim Breedlove, Scott Chritton, Sylvia Jorgensen, Kristen Southworth, Bill Waterman, and Debbie Wiener.  Welcome to Rotary!  We are proud to have you as members and look forward to your participation and fellowship!

Steve Paddock, Ken Jew and Weylin Eng encourage you to do your spring cleaning early and get those lightly used, re-sellable items ready for the Hospice Donation Drive which begins March 4 and runs to April 1.  Drop-off locations include Mechanics Bank and the Orinda Country Club.  Pick-up is available for large items.  Click here for more information.

In partnership with the Rotary Club of Berkeley, Orinda Rotary is providing $5,000 to fund the Shoulder to Shoulder Program, which is refurbishing the  La Prepa High School in La Vera, Mexico.  From May 7 to 15 Orinda Rotarians will travel to La Vera via Puerto Vallarta to assist in a variety of school improvements and education programs. A typical day will include breakfast at 8:00 AM, transportation to the school and working until around 1:00 PM.  A review of the day’s work and planning for the next day runs from 1:00 to 2:00 PM, followed by transportation back to the beach and recreation. Estimated cost to participate in this international project is $1,500 and includes airfare, ground transportation most meals and lodging.  Contact Sue Breedlove if you would like to be a part of this effort.

The Devil Mountain Chorus sent a quartet to our meeting on February 4 and they regaled us with classic Barbershop tunes, such as “Let Me Call You Sweetheart” and “Goodbye My Coney Island Baby.”  Their remarkably close harmonies impressed us all – and even more so when they told us that, as a foursome, they had never previously performed together.  Singers included Bill Dunn (Baritone), Don Nelson (Bass), Jim Stenson (Tenor) and Dick Ahern (Lead-Melody). The Devil Mountain Chorus offers Singing Valentines for those trying to think of something special for their special someone.  Each $60 package includes a personalized serenade at a location of your choosing (within Contra Costa and Alameda Counties), plus a box of Sees chocolates and a long-stemmed red rose.  More information is available here.

The annual 4-Way Speech Contest, featuring student speakers from Miramonte’s very successful Public Speaking program, was held at our meeting on January 28.  Under the tutelage of Kristen Plant, the Miramonte program produces many award-winning young orators.  Two students, Cecelia  (Cece) Andrews and Sydney Mays joined us and each gave a well-constructed, well-presented argument using Rotary’s 4-Way test as the basis for support of their position:

• Is it the Truth ?
• Is it Fair to all concerned?
• Will it build Goodwill  and Better Friendships?
• Is it Beneficial to all concerned ?

Cece argued for increasing the ranks of women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), citing reasons why the dearth of females in these professions could actually hold back progress and breakthroughs important to mankind.   Sydney advocated for better education and cultural exchange programs to encourage global citizenry as a way of countering radical nationalism.  By thinking and acting with a global sensibility, she argued,  we would be more able to foster peaceful resolutions to worldly problems.  Judges Dick Marchick, Linda Delehunt and Barbara Bontemps convened to determine who would prevail in this year’s contest.  Both students were so well-spoken that a tie was preferred by the judges, but rules dictated that a winner must be chosen.  Sydney Mays was thus selected as this year’s winner.  Her prize was a $300 check, with runner-up Cece receiving $200.  Sydney will go on to compete among the “Fab Five” Rotaries (Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette, Lamorinda Sunrise and Rossmoor) and, if she wins, at the District level later in the Spring.

On January  21, we welcomed Shawn Sladek, Senior Vice President of Wealth Management at Merrill Lynch, Walnut Creek, to discuss how the end of government stimulation is effecting the markets, as well as investing trends for 2015. Shawn gave a thorough overview of sectors of our economy that appear to be performing well, along with a look at those that are underperforming.  A comparison of US markets versus those in the global sector was likewise presented.  Many of the topics included in Shawn’s presentation are included in this report from the Merrill Lynch Research Investment Committee.  Enjoy!

A hearty CONGRATULATIONS to Dick Burkhalter who has been named Orinda's "Volunteer of the Year" by the Orinda Association.  The awards dinner is scheduled for Sunday, February 8, 6:00 PM at the Orinda Country Club. Tickets are $60 per person.  Let's have a big Rotary turn-out to honor Dick!

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS:

Dave Goss (February 20); Gene Gottfried(February 26)

YEARS OF ROTARY SERVICE:

Jose Avelar (23 years); Horst Rademacher (22 years) Rudy Reich (19 years); Jackie Horwitz (12 years); Carlos Rangel (2 years)