President Daly gaveled the meeting to order at approximately 12:13 – on a brilliantly sunny day, the day before St. Patrick’s Day. Fred Coleman lead us in a flag salute and Suzanne Scar gave the Invocation. President Deirdre then recessed the meeting for lunch and asked that we escort our guests to the buffet table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When she resumed the meeting, at approximately 12:29, President Deirdre invited us to continue with lunch while she thanked Bill Prather and Fred Coleman for setup, Steve White and Terry Beckett for serving as our Greeters, Fred for the flag salute and Suzanne for the invocation, Mike Malone for manning the roving mike, Carl Gross for being such a wonderful photographer and editor, Bryant Huber for audio and tech support, Matt Clements for manning the front desk, and your obedient servant as the Reminder Editor.

 

 

President Deirdre then welcomed Visiting Rotarians Sid White, of the Republic of Georgia Rotary Club, and Alexia Parks – and also welcomed our guests, Lisa & Brian Berman, Terence Stevenson (today’s speaker), and Barbara Rugo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bill Prather briefly described the coming programs – followed by Barbara Rugo, who told us of the wonderful work of Food Share in Ventura county.

 

President Deirdre announced that:

 

 

President Dierdre then described a District training session she attended last Saturday – and invited us all to draft a brief “elevator speech”, giving each person’s thoughts concerning “What is Rotary?”

 

 

 

 

 

To celebrate St. Patty’s Day – to the amazement of all and to thunderous applause –  President Deirdre and Bill Prather launched into a several minute (and VERY aerobic  demonstration of Irish dancing. WOW!!

 

 

President Dierdre played a short (2 minute?) video on how to welcome new members.

 

 

Terry Beckett reminded us of the good work of R.I.’s Foundation (and how it supports our international projects), and urged everyone to pay their pledges in time to report to R.I. this fiscal year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therese Brown served as our Fine master – by asking a series of questions about St. Patrick Day and the Irish flag, while Dave Watson passed the net.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Weaver introduced our speaker, 2018 Rotary Peace Fellow Terrance Stevenson, who described growing up in Arkansas, attending the first racially integrated high school in Little Rock, and the path that led him to his commitment to peace.

 

Terrence works for the Peace Corps in Washington, D.C. In order to gain field experience he spent a summer in Armenia – teaching English and chairing a country-wide HIV and AIDS awareness campaign. This spring he will complete his Masters Degree in International Service at American University. Next summer he will start his Peace Fellowship program in England.

In answer to questions, Terrence described the highly competitive application and selection process Rotary uses to select Rotary Peace Fellows and award scholarships to one of the six Peace Center universities around the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

President Deirdre thanked Terrence, presented him with our traditional Speaker’s gift of Ojai’s Pixie Tangerines, and gaveled the meeting to a close – wishing everyone a PEACEful weekend – with 1940 quotes from a Paul Harris article in the Rotarian, when WWII evidently weighed on his mind:

 

            “But, we ask, must the best genius of men be devoted to the science of war and none to the science of averting it?

 

and

 

            “On men of goodwill falls the responsibility to foster the spirit of malice towards none, with charity for all.”