President Ed Harris invocated Wednesday's meeting with a short prayer.   Ken Shadle had technical difficulties and was unavailable when the meeting convened.   Jim Harrison led us in the pledge of allegiance.   Bill Pucciarelli, Cees, Ron Willis, John Brantingham and Roger Ridley all had brags.   Roger was tuning in from Cody, Wyoming!    Roger puts Rotary right up there with vacation, both are important.  We noted Bob Sanders birthday with Bill Pucciarelli singing Happy Birthday to him (not quite the same as Marilyn Monroe).

 

Roger presented this day in history from Cody, Wyoming.  Bill Pucciarelli presented the Rotary minute on the Rose Bowl Parade Rotary Float.   The float is a collaboration of Rotary zones in southern California.   It does not receive any money Rotary International.   It costs about $100-$150,000 to produce and enter a float in the Rose Bowl Parade.   The Rose Bowl float is a great public image project for Rotary, as the parade is viewed by 125 million people worldwide.

 

Announcements - The board meeting is Sept. 22 at 5:00PM.   We need to cover approximately 36 four hour shifts at the Voter Center at Edwards Barn on 10/31, 11/1, 11/2 and Election Day, 11/3.   Please sign up on line on Rotary Club of Nipomo Clubrunner or contact Bill Pucciarelli at pucciarelli49@gmail.com.   Please ask your spouse, significant other, kids, grandkids or other relatives if they will help us.   The volunteer has to be a registered voter.

 

The speaker was Sarah DeYoung from San Luis Obispo Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).   She told has there are about 225 CASA advocates in the county and they represent about 500 kids a year in SLO county.   She said CASA is always looking for volunteers.   She said the volunteers at 90% women and 10% men.   She said men are needed as volunteers because many of the kids have not had a positive male role model in their lives.  She indicated that 80% of the cases they stand up for the kids are neglect or abuse cases to get the kids removed from the home.   This is usually because the parents have problems and/or addictions and cannot care for their children.   CASA advocates hold the educational rights for the children and represent them with the school district.    She indicated that with distance learning it is difficult.    The school district is supposed to loan children without a device a chrome book.    However the chrome books are over loaned and there is a shortage.   She said sometimes lack of WiFi can be a problem.  

 

CASA now trains the volunteers on line via Zoom.  They have had three new groups of volunteer this year.

 

CASA gets their funding from two sources, grants and fundraisers.   There is going to a virtual fundraiser Oct. 23, 2020.   If you would like to participate go to slocasa.org.   CASA usually receives holiday gift cards from shoppers at retailers.   However during the pandemic, they are reaching out to the public for $25 Target gift cards.  If you would like to contribute, purchase one and contact them at the website to donate it.

 

Next week's speaker is Gordon Lu from Morro Bay.  He will tell his story of being an orphan in China, escaping Communist China and immigrating to the United States.