
Susan Kealey mentioned the Performing Arts Center which offers nice programs, and encouraged the club to check it out some time. Liz Schuck said that she had been to that center and that they do have good programs, but it was unfortunate that the outside of the building looked rather sad, but she won’t think so in future. Susan noted that the Rotary Club of Pacifica has a little garden area in that center with a lot or plaques.
There were no more announcements, so President Irwin – stepping in for the meeting -- went on to his “cookie time” “Name This Tune” game where he plays a snippet of music and listeners have to guess the name of the tune. (Liz joking declared she knew she was going to win.) After a few moments’ pause to get the technology going, someone guessed “The Sound of Silence” but that was not it – Irwin played brief clip of lively music, to which Drew guessed the theme music to “Peter Gunn” by Henry Mancini. “So smart,” Irwin said, and asked the name of the actor who had played Peter Gunn. Confusion followed; some said they could visualize his face but did not know the name. So he passed the “pig” – the donation bucket – around.
He also asked if anyone had signed up for the Youth Protection program which was not difficult, and that Dianne Bobko could help and we really should participate in the program. He added that Nancy and he had attended the Peace Conference in Rohnert Park and it was “amazing,” and if we ever had a chance to do an “extracurricular program” this was the one, to get you “super charged.” It triggered him to think about the recent big fires that had happened in terms of equilibrium, and how its components were fuel, oxygen, heat which require combustion. If you take away any of these, combustion doesn’t happen. Here, the combustion is hate. So similarly, if you take away fear and anger by educating people, it’s hard to hate.
This was the theme Irwin said he kept hearing, over and over, in the program. One thing that struck him as he walked around different areas hearing different parts of the program, was how this had to do with youth and education. If you educate kids, chances are they’ll grow up not hating. He recalled a big program that impressed him that we had last summer with Richard Goldstein from Saratoga, who spoke on the “Ambassadors of Compassion,” which starts in the second grade. It began in 2010, was written and published, and he cited statistics saying 81 percent of teens 13-17 who suffer stress associated with schooling due to Covid, 58 percent of teens are concerned about their own mental health. Once this program was introduced in the United States, there were 52 percent fewer unexcused absences, 88 percent fewer assertive disciplinary interactions, 30 percent increase in aid, and 48 percent decrease in (didn’t get the word.) How did they do this? They empowered the kids, did breakout sessions with counselors, students were taught to lead and taught emotional strength, forgiveness and release of pain, and the kids were taught to counsel themselves. This nationwide program has been backed by the 49ers. Were schools here implementing this?
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
United States of America