Program Summary: Cathy Gibson, “The Wider World of Rotary,” March 25, 2021

Cathy Gibson is the current District Governor of Rotary District 5030. She oversees a District of nearly fifty Rotary Club throughout Western Washington.

CATHERINE GIBSON’s varied career spans 40 years. Beginning in 1980, in roughly 10 year increments she worked in corporate finance in New York, then managed international development projects across Africa, in the newly independent nations of the former Soviet Union, and the South Pacific on behalf of U.S. and European development agencies, then helped build the business consulting practice as a partner at Moss Adams LLP in Seattle, and since 2010, as Managing Partner, has led Evolve Partner Group LLC, a boutique mediation and family business advisory firm. Catherine currently serves as an outside director on the board of Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants.

Beyond her business career, Catherine has prioritized community service. She is a long serving board member, and former board chair at Seattle Goodwill, the West Seattle YMCA, and the United Negro College Fund. Catherine is a 20 year Rotarian, past president of her Rotary club and is currently serving as the Rotary District 5030 Governor in 2020-2021.

She and her husband of 31 years live in West Seattle.

Cathy opened her presentation with Einstein’s “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”.  Rotary International’s (RI) Theme of the Year is “Rotary opens opportunities”.  She thinks there will be many opportunities ahead for Rotary. 

Being an experienced mountaineer (she has climbed seven summits), she shared with us her setback during the climb on Mount McKinley. Despite mapping out a well-planned route, having a good team and having learned from past accidents, she suffered snow blindness.  Nonetheless, she and her team summited by doing one step at a time.

The district goals for this year align with Rotary International’s including adding new clubs, increasing membership and continuing to fight polio.  District 5030 will launch three new clubs, Environmental Rotary Club of Puget Sound, Rotary Club of Southeast Seattle, and the Rotary Club of the Pacific Northwest Fighting Sex Trafficking, with a plan to have seven more in the next three years.  The District 5030 Foundation is supporting the “End Polio Now” program with a $2 million grant.  She also encouraged Rotarians to volunteer at Covid-19 vaccine sites.

Rotary’s brand is perceived differently in different regions.  Rotarians are humanitarians in North America while it is more for personal affiliation in Europe, and for professional networking in other countries.

Regarding membership diversity, statistics aren’t currently tracked. Cathy thinks that open culture is key. We need to think about the meals we eat, holidays we celebrate, jokes we laugh about and who the program beneficiaries are etc… and be sensitive to our members and guests.

In terms of gender equality, RI is committed to have 25% female board members.  Jennifer Jones from Canada will be the next RI president, the first female in Rotary’s 115 years history.

To attract young professional, Cathy suggested Rotarians invite someone from their profession to join as they retire and to host networking events, which young professionals are interested in.

University Sunrise Rotary Club has been given the Award for Outstanding Growth in Membership.  Our membership has risen by 20% year to date.

Dr. Hal’s Corner: Doctor Gordon Geezer

AN OLDIE BUT STILL A GOODIE………….

An old physician, Doctor Gordon Geezer, became very bored in retirement and decided to reopen a medical clinic.

He put a sign up outside that said: “Dr. Geezer’s clinic. Get your treatment for $500 – if not cured, get back $1,000.”

Doctor Digger Young, who was positive that this old geezer didn’t know beans about medicine, thought this would be a great opportunity to get $1,000. So he went to Dr. Geezer’s clinic.

Dr Young: “Dr. Geezer, I have lost all taste in my mouth. Can you please help me?”

Dr Geezer: “Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in Dr. Young’s mouth.”

Dr Young: ‘Aaagh! — This is Gasoline!”

Dr Geezer: “Congratulations! You’ve got your taste back. That will be $500.”

Dr Young gets annoyed and goes back after a couple of days figuring to recover his money.

Dr Young: “I have lost my memory, I cannot remember anything.”

Dr Geezer: “Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient’s mouth.”

Dr Young: “Oh, no you don’t — that is Gasoline!”

Dr Geezer: “Congratulations! You’ve got your memory back. That will be $500.”

Dr Young (after having lost $1,000) leaves angrily and comes back after several more days.

Dr Young: “My eyesight has become weak — I can hardly see anything!”

Dr Geezer: “Well, I don’t have any medicine for that so, “Here’s your $1,000 back” (giving him a $10 bill).

Dr Young: “But this is only $10!”

Dr Geezer: “Congratulations! You got your vision back! That will be $500.”

*Moral of story* — Just because you’re “Young” doesn’t mean that you can outsmart an “old Geezer.”

*Remember:* Don’t make old people mad. We don’t like being old in the first place, so it doesn’t take much to tick us off.

PS. Written in large print for old Geezers

Program Summary: Todd Bishop, Geekwire, “What’s Next for Seattle Tech?” March 18, 2021

Todd Bishop is co-founder and editor of GeekWire, the largest technology news site in the Pacific Northwest and the hub of the Seattle region’s tech community.  A veteran technology journalist, Todd covers topics including AI, cloud computing, startups, and tech giants including Microsoft, Amazon, Google and Apple. He has interviewed many of the pioneers of the tech industry, including Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, and Jeff Bezos. Todd hosts the weekly GeekWire podcast and is a regular guest on local and national television and radio shows. Before starting GeekWire with his longtime colleague, John Cook, Todd worked for newspapers including the Philadelphia Inquirer, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and Puget Sound Business Journal.  He graduated from California State University, Chico, with a double-major in journalism and business. He grew up in Orland, Calif., and lives in Seattle with his wife and daughter.

Todd stressed the importance of the super-power tech companies in our region. Amazon had been the most recent icon for impact in the tech industry. Amazon is now expanding into rural areas throughout the country and  its creating a culture clash throughout those communities. Their revenue this past year was 40 billion dollars.  Microsoft’s  presence with lasting tech implications and  is now rebounding with increased services in the cloud. Google’s new engineering center in our community on the waterfront and Apple’s commitment to new engineering growth in our area as well.  These companies are very instrumental for the spin-off of other diverse tech companies that have popped up in the past few years. Todd believes we will see increased growth in our region due to the tech revolution in the Life Science area because of our notable research institutions here in Seattle.   His prediction is we will not have enough engineers trained  for all the jobs that will be created in the Life Sciences to meet the demand in the coming years. 

Program Summary: Emma Le Du, Technology for Teachers in Rural Guatemala (TINFA) Update, March 11, 2021

Here is a link to the actual recorded presentation.

Emma Le Du is the Executive Director and Administrator of TINFA.  She has an Engineering degree in Robotics and Electronics and a Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School, Harvard. 

Her program shared our club’s involvement with the schools in Guatemala that we have helped sponsor.

Since 2015, our club has partnered with TINFA (Technology and Information for All) to bring technology equipment and training to teachers in underserved communities in rural Guatemala.

Our club donated funds of $30,000; partnered with other Rotary clubs that donated a little over $20,000; we applied for matching district funds and RI grants and our total funds of $146,479 have help support 10 schools, train 45 teachers, and teach  1,125 students to date.  We logged on to one of the classrooms in Guatemala and watched children learning the vowels.   

The mission of this local non-profit, co-founded by Executive Director, Emma Le Du, is to empower teachers to bring 21st century skills to students in Rural areas of Latin America, bringing hope for the future.

Emma brought us up to date on the progress of our latest Global Grant project involving the schools, Escuela Belen, Escuela Estancia y Pinales, Escuela Calauache, and Escuela Las Marias. She covered the current conditions in Guatemala, particularly the impact of Covid-19 on the teachers and students, the progress of training at the four schools, and TINFA’s focus for the future.

Emma is the Executive Director and founder of TINFA. She has been in Information Technology for over 15 years, at Microsoft and at Amazon.com in various positions in International and Program Management. She has been Senior Technical Program Manager at the Grameen Foundation, dedicated to helping people in poverty, worldwide. She spent two years in Lao P.D.R, as a computer consultant to the European Union and UNDP.

Emma holds an Engineering degree in Robotics and Electronics (ESIGELEC in Rouen, France) and a Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School (Harvard University) with a focus on Leadership and International Development.

Service Project This Weekend!

The University Rotaract Club is hosting a street clean up this Saturday, March 13, 2021. Join us!  We will meet on the corner of Roosevelt Way and 45th Street by the Subway at 10 a.m. and are planning be wrapped up by noon.  More information will be provided at our regular Thursday morning meeting by Pam Mushen.