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Meeting Highlights provides members, guests, and the community an overview of each speaker's presentation, significant Club and member achievements, and information regarding upcoming speakers and events.                                                                                                                                                                                                           Jim Negri, Editor
Re-imagining Rotary: Embracing Our Community
Gary Howard, Jill Duerig & Mark Poniatowski
 
District 5170 Lt. Governor Jill Duerig joined Castro Valley Rotarians Gary Howard, Past President, and Mark Poniatowski, Chair of the Racial Discrimination Forum, shared the presentation that they made at the District 5170 Leadership Training Assembly earlier in May.  The presentation focused on the work Rotary is undertaking at the local, national, and international levels regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Gary Howard provided an introduction to DEI work, Jill reviewed in detail the efforts of Rotary International to support DEI work throughout the organization, and Mark Poniatowski described the work of the Club's Racial Discrimination Forum over the past two year.  
Jill explained that there are many ways to define diversity, equity, and inclusion and that Rotary International uses the following definitions:
 
Diversity - Rotary welcomes people of all backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and identities.
Equity - Rotary strives for the fair treatment, opportunity, and advancement of all Rotary participants.
Inclusion - Rotary is working to create experiences where all people feel welcomed, respected, and valued.
 
Jill then traced the historical exclusions in Rotary and how things have slowly changed to the point where Rotary has now established a DEI Code of Conduct, which is accompanied by the quote from Incoming RI President Jennifer Jones.
 
Despite the great efforts to address DEI in Rotary, there are still challenges that need to be addressed.
Jennifer focused on three Clubs in District 5170 that are aggressively addressing DEI issues including Castro Valley.  Mark Poniatowski reviewed what the Racial Discrimination Forum has done and plans to do.  He stressed its motto,
 
We want to be part of the solution Racial Discrimination rather than part of the problem: Silence is not an option. 
 
The presentation was powerful, timely, and challenged all Rotarians to take action.  Since these Meeting Highlights cannot capture the power of the presentation, everyone is encouraged to view the video of the presentation here.
Click here to see the slides from the presentation.
 
 
In the absence of President Dwight Perry and President-Elect Lytrel Carter, Past President Gary Howard presided over the meeting.
 
Castro Valley Car Show
On behalf of Car Show Chair Dave Sadoff, Cliff Sherwood announced that the Show is scheduled for June 18 (9:00 am - 6:00 pm) and already has over 300 entries and should hit 400 without a problem.  For the first time, the Rotary Club of Castro Valley is hosting an in-person version of the Show. 
 
A number of volunteers are still needed.  All Club members have received an email with the list of volunteer positions and times needed.  Please volunteer asap to help with selling beer, merchandise, and water as well as staffing the Rotary information booth.
 
Volunteers are needed on June 6 to prepare a mailing to participants and on June 14 to post No Parking signs.  All members are requested to stay after the lunch meeting on June 7 to help prepare the goodie bags for the participants.
 
Presidential Demotion.
Past President and Demotion Chair Gary Howard announced the Demotion of President Dwight Peery on June 28 at 5:00 pm at the Rowell Ranch.  An email invitation was sent to all members this past week.  Please make your reservations asap. The Demotion is always a very fun evening of fun and recognition. 
 
Chamber Mixer
Aaron Lewis announced that the next Chamber Mixer is June 22 at Oculto on the Mezzanine at the Castro Valley Marketplace.  Oculto had writeups in both the San Francisco Chronicle and East Bay Time this past weekend.  
 
Watch the video on the announcements and presentations here.
 
Meeting notes and photos by Jim Negri
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Rotary Club of Castro Valley
P.O. Box 2107 
Castro Valley, CA 94546
www.castrovallyrotary.org
Founded 1953
 
Dwight Perry, President