December 2, 2021 - Annual State of the Club Assembly

The RCHMB Foundation currently has a cash balance of $142,653 (includes the current value of the investment fund). Current value of the Investment Fund as of 10/31/2021 is $120,802 an increase of 3% since 6/30/21 when it was $117,396 a 25% increase over the previous 12 months when it was $94,259 on 6/30/2020.

 

The current Foundation balance for this Rotary year of $126,938 includes having paid our ongoing commitment to Friends of the Library $15,000 in June, 2021; the net now owed for Foundation Library Grant = $45,000

 

Dianne then reviewed the “Chart of Accounts” guidelines for the disbursement of funds from the Foundation. The following accounts comprise the “Chart of Accounts.”  The percentages represent minimum and maximum amounts and provide the guidelines for expenditure of funds generated from the annual net income from the Foundation’s fundraisers and individual donations.

 

She then asked Warren Barmore to report on the results of the Investment Advisory Committee’s efforts in managing our Investment Fund. 

 

Warren reminded us that the Investment Advisory Committee had approved his update of our Foundation Investment Fund Investment Policy guidelines a year ago and are what the investment Advisory Committee is following. That guidelines state that “The assets of the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay Foundation’s Investment Fund will be invested in a balanced diversified portfolio to seek market returns or better without assuming greater than market risk and to preserve principal over the long term."

 

Warren explained that our investment policy also states that the asset mix of fixed income investments and equity investments will be within the following ranges:

 

We are currently operating within those guidelines. Warren spoke in detail about the investment policy saying that it is not a matter of monetary “flavor of the month.” While we want the value to grow, we do not want to be dependent on the stock market’s daily ups and downs, but rather aim for a long-term approach with broad diversification. He cited Robin Jeffs’ take on investments which was to buy individual stocks and buy and sell more frequently. Robin had done a great job for the Club, but that we are now invested primarily in funds that provide that broad diversification. Dianne mentioned that Robin had told her earlier this year that he was very pleased with what the committee was doing and with the financial direction the club was taking. 

 

The club’s Investment Advisory Committee consists of Chair Dianne Bobko, Ed Daniels, Susan Kealey, Teresa Adam, Liz Schuck, Warren Barmore, Mary Rogren, and John William Parsons who is not a Rotarian serves as an outside advisor and member of the committee. The committee meets periodically through the year and met in November to review the status of the investments, their current approach, and whether any adjustments should be made. The group decided to continue with the plan in place. 

 

The question was posed by EJ that, when we donate to the Club Foundation, doesn’t half come back to the Club as TRF and DDF? How do we see or learn about how it is coming back? Dianne said that was Club business not at all connected to the Club’s Foundation funds.  She indicated that Mary Rogren as Club Treasurer would have information about that later in the meeting. Kevin asked about his donations for his birthday each year. Dianne discussed how that money goes to the Club Foundation and is disbursed according to the Chart of Accounts she described earlier by the RCHMB Foundation Board. Lighthearted banter then touched on Club members making donations on their birthdays by writing checks based on their age. That led to Pres. Joe speculating about three-figure birthday donations when members become centenarians.

 

With the conclusion of the Club Foundation yearly report meeting, Joe called the regular Club meeting back to order and proceeded with the induction of new member Joaquin Jimenez of Half Moon Bay, in a ceremony conducted by Ginger Minoletti. His sponsor, Stacy Trevenon, told of having known Joaquin for some years and thought he would be an ideal Rotarian. He is originally from Jalisco, Mexico, is locally a director for ALAS, has served on the Half Moon Bay City Council since November 2020, has a background in ranching and agriculture, has participated in Half Moon Bay Fourth of July parades on horseback, and has made very clear to Stacy his desire to support the local community. 

 

Stacy pointed out that his involvement brings the club a tie to the Coastside’s very prominent Spanish-speaking population. Ginger presented to Joaquin his certificate of membership, an information booklet about Rotarians being people of action, a wallet-size card outlining the object of Rotary and his Rotary pin; and added that a T-shirt is coming. Joaquin said he felt honored to be invited into Rotary, since he sees giving back to the community as “part of who I am” and sees the people of ALAS as family, a connection he hopes to strengthen through Rotary to the community and to the world.

 

  

Ginger spoke of membership, encouraging Half Moon Bay Rotarians to consider other potential new members.

 

Pres. Joe then asked for the “State of the Club” reports from Club Officers and Directors. 

 

Mary Rogren, Club Treasurer, reported that we are in good shape, noting that there have been no significant changes to our cash balance since the onset of the Covid pandemic. Monthly dues cover the Club’s administrative costs including Rotary International and District 5150 dues. We were able to provide $934 for gift cards for new Cabrillo Unified School District teachers and $500 for backpacks, and currently we have $1,500 in our small donations fund. Also in the budget is support for RYLA. Mary spoke of continuing support for monthly deliveries of household items to Coastside Hope families and other Rotary causes through District Designated Fund Grants (DDF). Specifying grants planned in 2021-22, she itemized: $3,600 to Coastside Hope, $800 for maintenance of the Little Libraries, and $1,500 each for dictionaries for third graders and Alliance for Smiles for its project in Guatemala. The DDF grants come from the District.

 

EJ Dieterle was curious about whether the allocations come from Rotary International through the District. Mary explained how this works In more detail. Pres. Joe noted that we do have to apply for the funding through the District. Annually, our Club can apply for up to 50 percent of the funds that our members donate to the Rotary International Foundation. The Rotary International Foundation then disperses 50 percent of its donations directly back to the Districts to allocate for local Club grant activities either for use for District Grants to projects or can be designated for International projects. And if Club members don’t contribute annually to RI, then there will be no DDF grants available to us for the year in question. 

 

Rose Serdy, Community Services Director, updated ongoing activities supported by Community Service as follows:

 

 

1. ALAS - Club contributed $1750 for Thanksgiving dinners to farm laborers.

2. Abundant Grace - Club members prepare lunch for 20 individuals twice a week.

3. Abundant Grace - members completed the west side fence.

4. Adopt a Family with Coastside Hope- adopted 2 seniors this year and Renee Lewis shopped for requested items totaling $300

5. Some members participated in the California Coastal beach cleanup in September. Mitone Griffiths continues to organize

beach clean ups on a weekly basis.

6. Club provided new incoming teachers to the Cabrillo School district with gift certificates.

7. Coastside Hope Special Delivery program. Mary Rogren continues to shop for personal items for 8 families registered with CH.

8. Little Libraries coordinated by Liz Schuck - 8 libraries were completed, and Liz worked with the City of Half Moon Bay on approved locations to install.

9. Senior Coastsiders - Club members painted the deck of a senior in Canada Cove.

10. Senior Coastsiders - Club members participated in the “Meals on Wheels” program to act as back up relief for volunteers who are unable to be there.

11. Relay for Life with the American Cancer Society- Club team was able to raise over $12,000 for cancer research.

 

Warren Barmore, Club Service Director, said that Club Excellence Awards through the district are coming up, and he noted that there are criteria for 2021-2022 awards which will soon be posted. He is hoping to see Half Moon Bay nab one of the Best Club awards for District 5150, and he listed some of the things we need to check off to be eligible for that award. One thing we still need to do is to produce a video documenting our work. Eligibility for the award is reckoned by points; for Best Club, 1,800 points are required, and he said we are at about 1,470. The points are needed by April.

 

Krystlyn Giedt, as Youth Servicers Director, reported there was little that had been done recrently with the Covid restrictions.  Warren asked about plans and funds for RYLA this year and if we had any of the youth lined up. He and Mitone added additional information and reported that it will take the form of a four-day program to be held in August 2022. Krystlyn will be working on this with Mitone Griffiths who hopes we will participate as usual.

 

Liz Schuck, Public Image Director, spoke about public image, and the need to be aware of and strengthen our club’s visibility in the community. Stacy had written some articles about our activities that were published in the Half Moon Bay Review, and Liz urged members to wear their Rotary T-shirts often in public, to spread visibility about the local Rotary Club’s presence and its work. She also mentioned our Web page which is full of information about our club and our projects and the FogHorn that Dianne manages and edits.

 

Paul Wrubel, Chair of the Club’s Responsibilities to Rotary International Foundation, said that the not much had happened. He voiced his concern what he saw as too much “jargon” skewing communications these days; he said he wants to see a speaker from the District come to give us a straight and jargon-free talk on The Rotary Internation Foundation (TRF). 

 

He then added his thoughts on other Club activities. He reiterated Robin Jeffs’ often-expressed delight in our club’s investments and, continuing his thoughts on club meetings and speakers, added that he looks forward to meeting again face to face in the Half Moon Bay Library. He suggested as something worth considering, that it might be good to have speakers from around the world address our club via zoom at meetings. 

 

Dianne asked Paul about our yearly participation in the District’s RI Foundation event and whether Club members had been entered in the drawing at a foundation event.  Paul responded that he wasn’t aware of an event.  Joe mentioned that there was an event at the Green Hills Country Club, but that we hadn’t gotten our names in for the drawing. Liz said she was glad that we would have a speaker who could provide members with more clarity around the Rotary International Foundation with Dianne adding that it would be good to follow that with a presentation about our Club Foundation since members sometimes aren’t clear on the differences.

 

 

Renee Lewis said that she had finished the shopping for the last two seniors on the list for this year’s Adopt-a-Family – a 66-year-old woman and a 73-year-old man. She will deliver the new items to Coastside Hope for them to give to these two individuals.

 

 

 

Joe gave this week’s look at another state: New Hampshire, with its “live free or die” theme as the first to break away from England in 1776.  He spoke of the first settlement in New Hampshire, near Algonquian tribes and that the colony originated in North Carolina. New Hampshire is the 46^th largest state in size, and its population is one-fourth French-American given its nearness to Canada.  It lists in the top 10 states for health care and socioeconomic status and enjoys a relatively low level of poverty and homelessness. It is associated with the first shot fired in Concord in the Revolutionary War. It is also known as the site of convergence of five major New England rivers.

 

 

There will be a board meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 6.