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MARCH 3, 2015

NEXT MEETING: MARCH 10, 2015

the donation of a weekend at the Stanford Court


Hotel again this year for a raffle prize.
Kevin Reneau celebrated his birthday by doing
nothing but attending the dinner for Dianne
Wilson. Since he has the fine free hat, he was
fined nothing. . . . Frank May passed around the
NAR job signup sheet for additions, corrections,
etc.

Holy Trinity Hall 6 pm evening meeting


Program: Four-Way Test Speech contest
Greeter and Invocation: Jim Campbell
~~CLUB MEETNGS COMING UP ~~

Mar. 14 Nite at the Races Big Event- Trinity Hall 5:00 pm


*Mar. 17 Dr. David Richie Nutrition and Health
*Mar. 24 Melanie Wentz Story of Holden High School.
Mar. 24 Board of Directors Meeting Trinity Hall
Apr. 7 -- Clunkers4Charity program
**Apr. 14 Area 4-Way Test Speech Finals (Trinity Hall)
Apr. 21 Moraga Education Foundation
Apr. 28 National Alliance for Mental Health
June 2 Cooking with Kids
*Regular Noon Meeting

** Second Tuesday Evening

BUSINESS MEETING

High Fives and Happy Bucks: Cliff Dochterman


gave a HB for the TGITLFOTM social at Tony
Schoemehls house, and because he was able to
navigate Tonys hilly driveway. . . . Fred Collignon
gave a HB for his familys involvement in the
popular BMW Super Bowl commercial, even
though a local advert guru panned it . . . . Frank
May gave a Happy Buck for attending the District
Leadership Academy last Saturday in Vacaville,
along with Fred Collignon and four PDGs. . . .
Queen Debbie gave a HB for the commencement
of her front yard re-landscaping. . . .Roger Gregory
unloaded a High Five because he is off to
President Elect Training Seminar this weekend.
Al Simonsen did a kind of back-door confession of
a recent cruise to Mexico when he passed around
some photos of buses there with Rotary donation
inscriptions on them. He spun the wheel for a
back-pocket $30.

The meeting was called to order by President &


Queen Debbie, and the Thought for the Day, a
quotation from Henry David Thoreau, and the
Pledge of Allegiance was rendered by Gary Irwin.
Guests were: Fred Collignon of Berkeley Rotary, a
former UC Professor and our District Governor
Nominee 2016-2017, and speakers April Rovero,
founder of the National Coalition Against
Prescription Drug Abuse and Jaime Rich of the
Lamorinda Alcohol Policy Coalition.
Announcements from Queen Debbie: Thanks to
all the Moraga Rotarians that attended the Fab Five
InterClub meeting last Tuesday at Rossmoor. She
presented the Rossmoor Rotary our donation of
$500 toward their Sintaro Village project in
Ethiopia, told of our many service projects, and
invited other Rotarians to attend A Nite at the
Races. She also thanked Kevin Reneau for his
fine work as the Master of Ceremonies at the
Businessperson of the Year dinner for Dianne
Wilson, which many Moraga Rotarians attended.
She also thanked Herb Wehmeyer for obtaining

Jaime Rich, President Debbie, and April Rovero


Angelo Costanza announced our Camp Royal
selectees: Peter Moore and Nikki Ahazie, both
juniors at Campolindo HS. Angie has been our goto Camp Royal man for several decades, and his
campers have fabulous experiences at Camp
Royal.

John Erickson presented Gary Irwin with his third


supplemental Paul Harris Fellowship donation,
represented by a PH pin with three simulated
imitation emeralds.
At our next meeting, the program will be the FourWay Test speech contest, and will be assisted by
Judges Ron Mucovich, Jim Campbell, and Gary
Irwin. Head-counters will be Frank May, Kevin
Reneau, and Doug Damaschino. We also need a
volunteer for door guard (unarmed, no experience
necessary).

PROGRAM
April Rovero is the founder of the National
Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse
(NCAPDA), which educates people about the
dangers of drug use in general and in
combination with alcohol. She was led to this
task after her son, a graduating senior at
Arizona State University, died in 2009 of a
combination of his own prescribed medication
and alcohol because his breathing was
suppressed during sleep.
April made the point that even though medicine
may be legitimately prescribed for you, the
effect of the combination of that drug with
others or with alcohol is difficult to predict and
may be disastrous to some individuals. If the
drugs are not prescribed for you, the
combination is really unpredictable.
In our county in 2008-2014, there were 542
deaths from overdoses, and 2595 non-fatal
incidents involving prescription drugs. The
average age of those killed was 35 years old.
Illicit use of prescription drugs may easily lead
to illegal narcotic use.
One source of prescription drugs is the unused
pills many people keep after the need has
passed. Users steal from this source, so April
is encouraging everyone to take their drugs
with no immediate use to a police station or
other drug depository. (Moraga Police has one).

John, Gary, & Paul Harris


Dangerous prescription drugs are categorized
as painkillers, sedatives, or stimulants. The
first two kinds work on the nervous system to
slow down breathing. The stimulants increase
odds of heart & blood pressure problems, lethal
seizures, and psychotic episodes.
In short, illicit use of prescription drugs can
cause death, crime, addiction, driving incidents,
and financial cost, and it has become a national
epidemic.
Jaime Rich is the Director of Environmental
Prevention at the Center for Human
Development, and leads the Lamorinda Alcohol
Policy Coalition. They sponsor and organize
community outreach to targeted groups such as
athletes about the dangers of Alcohol and
drugs, and are currently sponsoring the movie
Out of Reach, a documentary of a high
schooler who uncovers teens abusing
prescription medication in his home town. It will
be shown on March 25 at the Orinda Theater.

Kevin Reneaus raffle ticket was drawn on the


third try, as two winning tix were left on Lads
table. He missed winning $33, but happily
settled for $10.
Next week: Evening meeting at 6 pm at Holy
Trinity Hall, courtesy of Ron Mucovich (be
sure to thank him early and often). Friends and
Spouses are welcome. Greeter/invocator is
Jim Campbell.

CALENDAR OF FUTURE EVENTS


Mar. 14 Nite at the Races Fundraiser
Apr. 10 Finals for area Speech Contest
Apr. 24 Rotary Trivia Bee, Orinda Masonic
Hall at 6:00 pm
Apr. 25 District Assembly in Vallejo
May 2 E-Waste Collection
May 9 Moraga Community Faire
May 13 Moraga Rotary Field Day
June 30 Demotion of Queen Debbie!

EDITORIAL COMMENT--RESTATED
In just a little over a week, Moraga Rotary will have our
major fund-raising event A Nite at the Races.
It is important because the income provides our Club the
opportunity to sponsor so many events during the coming
year scholarships, magazines for all school kids,
contributions to the Moraga Educational Fund, Christmas
stockings for the young people in Juvenile Hall, sponsorship of the Rotacare Clinic and the Moraga Employee of
the Month, assist the Rotaract Club at St. Marys College,
send student leaders to Camp Royal, conduct Field Day,
sponsor Odyssey of the Mind teams and so many other
things in our community, as well as international projects.
In other words, the money raised at the Nite at the Races
makes it possible for us to be a real service club.
To make the event a success and do what a Rotary Club
should do, we need the help and participation of EVERY
member of the Club. As of this date, we have about 3/4
the number of items we have had in previous auctions!
We need at least 4 more tables filled with attendees. I
urge all Moraga Rotarians to make the event part of your
personal responsibility to make the evening another huge
success. Frank, Debbie, John, Mary Sue, Gary, Lad,
Al, Kevin, Tony, Roger, Barbara, Dianne, and a few
others are really the ones who are doing all the work. But
they need and deserve the help of each member to invite
some friends to attend and to pick up two or three more
auction items. Things are generally looking good but
with just a little more effort we still have time to make this
years Nite at the Races the best we have ever held.
Each one of us must do our part to make that difference!

MORAGA ROTARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2014-15


President Debbie Roessler
President-elect . ......Roger Gregory
Past PresidentNora Avelar-Martin
Secretary.........Kevin Reneau
Treasurer....Lad Lynch
Community Service Chair.. .Barbara Bruner
New Generations...Rich Render
International Service ChairTony Schoemehl
Rotary Foundation...Nora Avelar-Martin
Public Relations Gary Irwin
Membership.......... Frank May
Director at Large.John Erickson
Director at Large ...Marv Ellenberg
Director at Large....Cliff Dochterman
Director at Large ...Linda May
President, Rotary InternationalGary Huang
District Governor.Pam Gray
Assistant District GovernorMark Roberts
Newsletter Editor for March -- Player to be named later

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