MORAGA Calendar of Future Events:

ROTARY July 16 – District 5160 Awards and

Installation Dinner, Corning
NEWSLETTER September 23 - The Burns Supper
October 28-30 – Monterey, District 5160
July 12, 2022 Annual Conference
May 27-31 – 2023 Rotary International
Convention, Melbourne, Australia

Next Meeting: Members and guests met at La Finestra

Tuesday, July 19, Noon at
La Finestra Restaurante
Program: Debbie Koo –
Update on the Lumumba
Children’s Library Project
Restaurante, and our favorite
Chef/Owner/Rotarian Jeff Assadi served
Caprese and Caesar salads, Jumbo
Prawns with roasted bell peppers,
gorganzola cheese cream sauce served
over Cheese Raviolis, along with Chicken
Cacciatore with artichoke hearts, olives
and carrots in tomato sauce, and mixed
vegetables. For dessert he served
tiramisu and chocolate cake.

Greeter & Thought for the Day:

Tony Schoemehl

Zoom connection information for next week’s

meeting will be distributed early next week

Upcoming Speakers:
.
July 19 – Debbie Koo – Update on the
Lumumba Children’s Library Project

New Co-President Igor Kipnis (he’s the

tall one) rang the bell to open his first
meeting as club president, a club that
has been serving our community for over
55 years. He prayed to the heavens
above to help him not screw up his first
meeting.
Today’s Greeter Frank May led us in the
Pledge of Alligience, then recognized
today as National Simplicity Day. This is
the day to declutter your mind with a
good book and some tea, lean toward
simplicity in all you do, shut off your
devices, and be free from the
complications of the world. Great advice.
Guests today included Jim & Margaret
Tait of the Rotary Club of Tranent,
Scotland, Honorary Member Lillian
Roodveldt from Scotsdale, AZ, and
returning Honorary Member Mary
Caburi.
~~Happy Bucks~~
Angelo Costanza gave $5 Happy Bucks
for visiting the DMV and successfully
passing the eye test with one eye behind
his back. He got a new driver’s license.
Jim Campbell gave $2.20 Happy Bucks
to wipe out his credit from Treasurer
Debbie Koo, for going to the county fair
and eating his annual turkey leg.
Herb Wehmeyer and Mary Caburi both
gave $5 Happy Bucks for recovering from
illnesses and being back with everybody.
Evie Michon gave $5 Happy Bucks for
the two new co-presidents, hoping they
have as much fun as she did when she
was co-president.
Debbie Koo gave $10 Happy Bucks for
the safe return of Paul Freidman from
Goma, Congo after his 3 week trip.
~~True Confessions~~
Gary Irwin confessed that no president
acknowledged his 55 year anniversary
with Carol last month or so.
Roger Gregory spun the wheel for $8 for
buying 4 new tires.
Igor Kipnis spun the wheel for $20 for
one great week in Puerto Vallarta at a
wedding, and one lousy week with his
family sick with Covid-19.
 ~~Birthdays & Anniversaries~~
Jim Campbell celebrated his birthday
by drawing from the restaurant bowl and
picking and going with Linda to a
French Bistro, where he enjoyed a
delicious French lamb tongue dinner
with all the trimmings.
President Igor announced the board of
directors earlier had voted Mary Caburi
as an Honorary Member due to her
support of the club’s various activities
through the years. Being back at the
meeting, she was called up to receive her
official name badge and honorary Rotary
pin.

Lad & Leslie Lynch are celebrating Jennifer Brophy was in attendance
their 60th wedding anniversary. today and received her past board
member gift from ex-president Brian
South, a new baby onesie that said
“Future Rotarian” on it. She also
~~Announcements~~ received her new board member pins for
Secretary and President Elect.
President Igor (he’s the tall one)
reminded the members that our annual
club dues of $150 are due in July. In
addition, we request you consider a
voluntary contribution of $100 to The
Rotary Foundation, that will count toward
a Paul Harris Fellowship. You can
indicate the funds should go into the
Foundation general account or into
PolioPlus. The PolioPlus Society
members’ donations will go into
PolioPlus. Bring or send one check
made out to the club, at: Moraga Rotary,
PO Box 122, Moraga, CA 94556.

President Igor announced Debbie

Roessler was in the hospital for a few
days, but is back at home. She was
suffering from dehydration and a
stomach ailment, but hopes to feel better
soon. Have a drink on Debbie tonight to
stay hydrated. ~~Program~~
The District 5160 Annual Awards &
President Igor introduced Frank May as
Installation Dinner is coming Saturday,
today’s speaker to tell us all about the
July 16, at Rolling Hills Casino in
Kiva Micro Financing Program that
Corning. Cocktails, dinner and square
Moraga Rotary has been sponsoring
dancing afterward assure a great time.
since Frank’s presidential year in 2013.
Register on the District website and call
the Casino at 530-528-3500.

There are thousands of micro financing
institutions all over the world that provide
micro loans to basically poor people who
cannot get loans from a typical bank, due
to no credit and illiteracy. These
enterprises struggle to find investors
willing to support their loan programs for
struggling poor people with a business
idea.
Kiva was founded in 2005 and acts as an
overlay to all these institutions to raise
funds and finance the loans. They act as
a financial services company for those
with no collateral in a safe and controlled
manner. They promote investment by
telling the full story of the entrepreneur
with a business idea, complete with
photos and history of the person, as well
as their business ideas. As these are
business loans for around $100 or less,
the enterprising businesses are small but
help alleviate poverty, such as to buy
seeds for crops, fabric to sell, sewing
groups to make clothes to sell.
Since 2005, Kiva has provided 4.4 million
loans provided by 2.1 million lenders, for
a total of $1.76 billion. Surprisingly,
Kiva’s default rate as a loan not repaid is
only 2.5%.
Since 2013, Moraga Rotary through
Frank’s leadership donates $500 per
year into the program, then reinvests the
proceeds when the loan is repaid with
interest. The club has invested $18,350
through 576 loans in 65 countries. They
go to 71% females and 29% males,
focused primarily on agriculture, food and
retail enterprises. This year for example
we have invested $3,000 through 30
loans of $100 each.
In honor of Frank’s guidance and work
on this international project, John
Erickson gave Frank $50 to add another
loan to our mix. Thank you Frank for all
your efforts in this worthwhile project for
the club.
~~Encore Game~~
The prize pot was $30. This week’s
chosen player was Rich Render.
Honorary Member Mary Caburi selected
the winning Ace, and Rich was
determined to break the Curse of the Red
Ace, so he guessed the Ace of Spades.
BINGO! Low and behold the card was
the Ace of Spades. Tune in next week
to see who gets the chance at the now
measly $10 pot.
If you want to play the game, be sure to
pay Treasurer Debbie Koo your $10
entry fee.
Future greeter/invocators:
7/19/22 = Tony Schoemehl 8/23/22 = Alka Mulakaluri
7/26/22 = John Erickson 8/30/22 = Angelo Costanza
8/02/22 = Herb Wehmeyer
8/09/22 = Rich Render
8/16/22 = Ron Mucovich

This week’s Newsletter Editor – Rich Render

For the Rotary Year our leaders are:

President Igor Kipnis &

Roger Gregory
President Elect Jennifer Brophy

Secretary Jennifer Brophy

Executive Secretary Evie Michon

Treasurer Debbie Koo

Program Chair Debbie Roessler

Community Tony Schoemehl
Service Chair
International Debbie Koo &
Service Chairs Dianne Wilson
Foundation Chair John Erickson

Youth Services Rich Render

Chair
Public Relations Gary Irwin
Chair
Fund Raising Chair Frank May

Membership Chair Hubert Ma

Directors at Large Mary Sue Erickson &

Linda May
Eternal Director Cliff Dochterman

District Governor 5160 Suzanne Bragdon

President, Jennifer Jones

Rotary
International