Today we had 25 Zoom meeting

MORAGA participants including our guests –

today’s speaker, Nancy Davis
Kho; Moraga Rotary friend, Mary
ROTARY Caburi and two first time visitors,
Mariela Herrick of MCE Clean
NEWSLETTER Energy and Mojgan Kavianinejad
from the new Chase Bank on
November 17, 2020 Moraga Way.
_________________________________
Mariela introduced herself as the
Next Meeting: November 24 Community Development Manager
Zoom at noon for MCE – “Your not-for-profit utility
Program: Alka Mulakaluri provider.” She is excited to renew
MCE’s association with Moraga
Greeter: Gary Irwin
Rotary. You will recall MCE has
____________________________
been a Business Member of our
To participate next week: club and Mariela seeks to convert
Zoom connection information for next week’s
meeting will be distributed early next week. to a regular member status.
Mariela grew up in Oakland and
Upcoming Speakers: has been working for non-profits
Dec 1 – DG visit: Mark Roberts since graduation.

~~Twentieth Meeting of Mojgan is a twenty-year resident of

Moraga. She now works as a
the ‘20/’21 Rotary Year~~ supervisor at Chase Bank. Prior to
that she worked from home as a
President Brian South rang the yoga-meditation instructor and she
bell to open our meeting all the way used to bake at home for Neiman
from Southern California where he Marcus. (How cool is that! The
is doing police related training. newsletter editor thinks she
Greeter Evie Michon told us probably has some killer recipes.)
November is Rotary International Mojgan travelled from Tehran to
Gratitude Month. We are reminded Moraga and stayed.
to minimize the negative,
emphasize the positive and always
be grateful. Evie then led the
~~HAPPY BUCKS~~
Pledge of Allegiance.
• President Brian South had
$5 happy bucks for our guests
 today and explained to our • Jim Campbell had $5 happy
visitors how happy bucks are bucks for the successful event
a way to express good last Thursday with 273
thoughts and donate to our dinners sold. He added that
club. Rich Render added. the food was delicious.
“They’re tax deductible too.” • MarySue Erickson tossed
• Evie Michon had $2 happy out $5 happy bucks because
bucks for delicious she thinks she may have set a
persimmons she got from new Guinness Book record
Debbie Koo. having used 320 feet of
• Gary Irwin gave $5 happy cellophane and ribbon while
bucks for the “Dinner With wrapping the wine for last
Rotary” crew. He said the Thursday’s event.
dinner was delicious, and the
wine was tasty and beautifully
wrapped too.
• Debbie Koo had $5 happy
bucks to celebrate our
potential new members and to
welcome Nancy Kho.
• Dianne Wilson gave $5
happy bucks to celebrate
Gary Irwin’s Sierra Leone
article in the Lamorinda
Weekly newspaper. MarySue’s talented decorations for the wine bottle
necks
• John Erickson submitted $5
happy bucks for Roger • Linda May donated $11
Gregory and his boat building happy bucks to celebrate her
project. (Roger reports a glue grand-daughter, Brittany’s
problem between his eleventh birthday.
garboard and second strake • Roger Gregory threw out $5
which halted progress last happy bucks in honor of Gary
week. You can’t glue when Irwin who rescued Roger last
the temperature dips much week by finishing the weekly
below 50 degrees… But newsletter when Roger had a
Roger says he is learning a medical issue.
lot! And not just salty
language!)
 ~~ANNOUNCEMENTS~~ Debbie Roessler reported on a
recent Rotary Major Donor virtual
President Brian called our “Dinner event attended by 328 individuals.
With Rotary” a great success. The Past RI President Ravi Ravindran
half rack of ribs, mashed potatoes, from Sri Lanka was there.
salad, and cookie were delicious
and substantial. We’ve received President Brian South said the
lots of positive compliments on our Polio Plus Society pins are coming.
liaison with Rotarian John Reyna’s Brian, Rich Render and John
Town Bakery & Café. Dinner sales Erickson are coordinating the list
really escalated near the end of the of club members who donated, to
order period and we ended up with make sure everyone gets their pin.
273 dinners. The event raised These are folks who pledged $100
almost $2,500 for our club. Brian to the Rotary International Polio
offered a hearty thanks to Jennifer Plus Society for this year and for
Brophy for her Shopify work and every year going forward. John
meticulous accounting – also for Erickson is chairing this function
the work crew – Debbie Roessler, for our club and if anyone would
Rich Render, John & MarySue like to add their contribution to this
Erickson and Ron Mucovich. A worthy cause contact John
big thanks to Lad & Leslie Lynch ([email protected]). A check
who donated the 56 bottles of wine will be mailed out about December
that were gifted to folks who 1st representing the total
purchased two or more dinners. contribution for Moraga Rotary this
Orinda and Lamorinda Sunrise year.
Rotary clubs are planning similar Please see the flyer at the end of
events. Orinda will be first with a this newsletter for information
chicken dinner from Casa Orinda about See’s candy sales by our
on the evening of December 9th. friends at the Kiwanis Club of
Brian urges us all to help Orinda Moraga Valley. Who can resist
out by patronizing their dinner as delicious See’s candy! And the
many from the Orinda club have Kiwanians always support Rotary
come to ours. See the flyer at the events. Recently Kiwanian, Steve
end of this newsletter for info on Woehleke raved about our Town
the Orinda Rotary event. Bakery & Café, ribs dinner event.
Four Rotarians from San Leandro
Rotary came to pick up dinners and
to see how the event works.
 ~~PROGRAM~~ reintroduce yourself to writing
letters/notes of gratitude you will
Evie Michon introduced today’s find you may gain a lot of benefit
speaker, Nancy Davis Kho. Nancy from the exercise. Think of how
is a freelance writer whose work you are grateful and what you are
has appeared in the Washington grateful for. Let your thankfulness
Post, San Francisco Chronicle, US express itself.
Magazine and other sites too
numerous to mention. She’s been Nancy said as she turned fifty, she
recognized as a “Voice of the Year” decided to send out one thank-you
in the humor category by BlogHer note a week. She found it gave her
and was the inaugural champion of a feeling of peace as she wrote
Oakland’s Literary Death March. each note. As you develop your
(Google it – interesting). Evie has a note writing skill you will find your
personal connection with Nancy life has changed and your outlook
who graduated from University of is much more positive. Recipients
Pennsylvania where she was good respond with surprise; gratitude
friends with Evie’s son and and you will often find forgiveness
daughter-in-law. on both sides of the exchange.
Nancy has lived and worked Nancy has written notes of thanks
overseas and is a graduate of the to all sorts of organizations
Thunderbird School of Global including the City of Oakland and
Management. She lives in Oakland to the Mayor of Oakland, Libby
with her husband Andrew and two Schaaf.
daughters. She does a podcast – Ending on a “forward looking note-”
“…covering the years between Nancy asked the club, “Who will
being hip and breaking one…” at you write to first?”
MidlifeMixtape.com
http://midlifemixtape.com/
Nancy thanked Evie for her
generous introduction and began
with the question, “How many of http://daviskho.com/
you had to be cajoled into writing
thank-you notes?” Most of us http://twitter.com/daviskho>
learned to dislike the process early
in life and we formed the bad habit
of writing something simple like,
“Thank you for the nice
sweater…etc.” However, if you
 ~~ENCORE GAME~~ Greeters/Invocators
Lad was up to bat but whiffed by Volunteers:
guessing the wrong Ace and left
• 11/24 = Gary Irwin
the $10 prize for someone else.
Lad guessed the ace of clubs, but • 12/1 = Herb Wehmeyer
the drawn card was diamonds. Lad
said, “I didn’t even get the color
right.” Next week we play for $20.

Moraga Rotary Directors 2020/2021

President Brian South
President Elect Brian South
Past Co-Presidents Evie Michon & Debbie Koo
Executive Secretary Evie Michon
Secretary Jennifer Brophy
Treasurer and Youth Services Chair Rich Render
Club Administrator Debbie Roessler
Foundation Chairman John Erickson
Community Service Chairman Tony Schoemehl
Public Relations Chairman Gary Irwin
Fundraising Chairman Frank May
International Service Chairs Dianne Wilson & Debbie Koo
Membership Chairman Roger Gregory
Director at Large Mary Sue Erickson
Director at Large Linda May
Advisor to the Board John Erickson
Advisor to the Board Jim Campbell
Advisor to the Board Cliff Dochterman
District Governor 5160 Mark Roberts
President, Rotary International Holger Knaack

This month’s Newsletter Editor – Roger Gregory