The Rote – June 13, 2019
The Miami Yacht Club
President Dave Skinner called the meeting to order. Angela Deggs gave the invocation. Scott Richey led us in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
Guests and Visitors were introduced by Rick Miller:
- Damodar S. Prabhu, a visiting Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Bicholm, Goa, India;
- Pratap Shantaram Parab, President of the Rotary Club of Mhapsa Elite, Goa, India;
- Arriving during the meeting were Rotarians from the Randburg Rotary Club of South Africa, District 9400, Mahmoud Badry Awad and Mimi Badry.
Announcements:
- President Dave encouraged people to attend the free and wonderful day of training at Rotary University on Saturday, August 24th;
- Norby Rudel will be installed as President of the Rotary Club of Miami on June 20th. RSVPs are required in advance to attend;
- On June 27th the Club will have our awards and recognition lunch. President Dave reminded people that their accomplishments in Rotary for the past year need to be reported to Diane Landsberg by June 14th in order for them to receive any recognition at the awards luncheon on June 27th;
- We are fortunate to have the Don and Maria Van Orsdel host our July 4th party again. We need volunteers for setup and breakdown. Without enough volunteers, the event will have to be cancelled. Please contact Diane Landsberg as soon as possible if you are willing to help;
- Phil Seipp reminded us that it is our last chance to make an EREY contribution for this Rotary year (which ends on June 30th); and that it is our last chance to make your Carol Kassoff Memorial donations to either or both of the Alzheimer’s Association and the TBM trust;
- President Dave presented member Renel Noel with a check for $5,000 from the Rotary Club of Miami, Florida Foundation, Inc. to be used for Renel’s Haiti sanitation project.
Happy $$$$$$$$$$$$$ were collected by Arlene Terrinoni:
- Renel Noel is going to Haiti to work on sanitation projects benefitting a medical center, church, and local residents, and will be missing us on July 4th;
- Marcia Brod and her husband, Lenny, took a wonderful, enjoyable ride on the Brightline train;
- Robin Shelley had a marvelous time at the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg, Germany. He talked about Renel’s Haiti sanitation projects at the World Water Summit that preceded the convention and to RI director John Smarge, who is very impressed with what Renel is doing and may be able to collaborate with him;
- Jay Almeida illuminated our USA Women’s Soccer Team who made an historic 13 goals at the World Soccer Tournament. The number of goals made exceeded any made by world soccer teams of either gender in previous years. (Women rule! *Scribe’s note);
- Scott Richey was celebrating the St. Louis Blues first time ever victory in the Stanley Cup!!
- Rick Hernandez will be traveling for a month to Aruba and Europe and thanked President Dave for his work as President;
- Noreen Timoney was happy that our speaker, Matt Haggman, was here;
- Angela Deggs was glad that she attended the YWCA national conference;
- Amelia Bonilla was very happy that her parents-in-law visited her family and spent time with them, and related how ecstatic she was to enjoy her mother-in-law’s Cuban home cooking;
- Norby Rudel thanked the club for sending him to the RI Convention in Hamburg, Germany. He is looking forward to ascending to the presidency of our club;
- Jaime Tobin is happy to be rehearsing for what it is going to be like to have empty nest syndrome with both of her kids being away this summer;
- Diane Landsberg publicized the feature story about the generations of the Shelley family attending the University of Miami in the University of Miami alumni magazine;
- Rick Miller shared a Rotary Four-Way Test joke that went over very well with the crowd;
- Matt Haggman was happy to be at our club today and to see Marcia Brod and Noreen Timoney.
OUR SPEAKER: Matt Haggman, introduced by Marcia Brod:
Matt Haggman moved to Miami in 2001 to work as a journalist, where he decided to make his home.
After 10 years as a reporter, he was looking for another opportunity and moved to the Knight Foundation. He was given the role as Miami Program Director, tasked with talking to Miamians to help determine what the Knight Foundation should do next in Miami. He concluded that the next issue to address should be entrepreneurship. Over the next six years, grants were given to diverse groups to solve problems in Miami.
After the 2016 presidential election, he believed that our politics needs the contribution of new people with new ideas. In August 2017, he resigned from his position at the Knight Foundation and ran for congress in District 27, whose then current congresswoman was Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. He talked about his race and the dynamics of having a very well-known contender enter the race towards the end. He learned much about running as a candidate from his race. He said that we need to do more to demystify the campaign process to assist and advise political candidates. To reach out to voters in a large district, campaigning door-to-door is impractical. Money is needed to reach them through the media. A candidate must engage with voters as soon as possible while spending their days raising money.
After losing to Donna Shalala, he is now sitting on several boards of organizations which are trying to solve international problems. Vocationally, he is working as a consultant.
50/50
Renel Noel sold the 50/50 tickets. $1,311 was in the pot. Noreen Timoney’s ticket was picked but she did not pick the ace of spades, thus narrowing the odds for us all at the next 50/50 drawing. Good try, Noreen!
4-WAY TEST
Rick Hernandez led us in the 4 Way Test of the Things We Think, Say or Do.
Scribe: Linda Singer
