Next week: An exciting facilitated discussion of the future of Rotary Park – what do we want our Park to be for the community, and what types of events do we want to host there? Please attend to add your ideas!
Prez John Cottle opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance. Jerry Karabensh shared a Thought for the Day: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” – Edmond Burke
Today’s guests were introduced to the club: Craig Woods, visiting President of the Fort Bragg Rotary Club; and David Cummings, guest of Jody, and today’s speaker.
Our guest, Fort Bragg Rotary Club President Craig Woods.
Happy Dollars!
- Dean – happy to be back from vacation, and for the double-club picnic.
- Guenter – happy that the earthquake in Napa happened weekend after he and his wife were there!
- Heather – happy because UCB Project Management Certificate is complete; and ecstatic about a benign biopsy result.
- Susan – happy (though I admit I didn’t catch the particular reason why…)
- Gary – happy he didn’t have to send Roger any money in Manila. Me too!
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Joe gives happy dollars!
Joe – happy that his step-granddaughter is recovering well; however her parents’ house was destroyed, but no one was injured. Grateful!
- Jeffrey – very happy about celebrating his 51st wedding anniversary the day after tomorrow. Fresh blackberries are also making him happy!
Jeffrey is happy about his 51st wedding anniversary!
- David – happy to be invited here today, and happy to be an optimist.
- John C – huckleberries are fresh now, and that’s happy news.
Announcements
- We have three people on leave right now: Pam, Jennifer, Bonnie.
- Winesong needs volunteers – linens set up, servers at live auction, parking. Contact Jamie at 961-4924 to sign up, and receive free entry to the event in exchange for your volunteer time!
- Chamber of Commerce – you are a member as a Rotary member. You may enjoy attending the Mixer tonight at the Ford House, 5-7pm.
- Our Community Service committee met earlier today. Report coming soon!
- The Mendocino Rotary Foundation reported that we received the draft MOU from the County for Rotary Park, but it didn’t reflect the recent meeting with Supervisor Hamburg. The committee will need to meet with him again, and re-draft the MOU. We’ll be kept posted as to this project’s status.
Harold Hauck shares his story.
Harold Hauck – Who Am I?
Club member Harold Hauck was this week’s Who Am I? presenter. 78 years ago tomorrow was a momentous day in his life… he was born in Minneapolis, MN. He was the only child of single mom in the 1940s and 50s. They moved to LA, where Harold went to jr. high and high school. He left high school during his senior year and joined the Navy, which he says is the best move he could have made! He worked with the Navy in electronics in the Asia region. He is a Korean War vet. Harold meet his 1st wife in San Francisco, and had three kids (two boys and a girl). As they grew up, he started volunteering as Scout leader, and a US swimming judge and referee. He served as President of the Santa Rosa swim club for a few years. After the Navy, he was hired by IBM to repair business machines, then became an instructor for IBM, and then a manager, and then an engineer and designer of computer systems in his 30 year career with IBM. He got his BS from University of San Francisco during the time he worked with IBM. Harold retired from IBM’ Dallas operation in 1991; he moved back to CA, bought a house in Santa Rosa, and married the love of his life Annie in 1996. Harold had a computer consulting business for awhile. Now he’s happily serving on several local Boards… Thank you, Harold, for sharing your story!
Today’s Program
Jody introduced his guest and today’s speaker, David Cummings, Economist. David spoke to us a couple of years ago about our current economic situation, and today focused on the topic of the US Dollar as the baseline for the world’s economy. A few highlights from his presentation:
Speaker David Cummings shares his knowledge about our economy.
- David attended grad school and then worked in Washington, D.C., thru 1990. He started his own business, sold it, took a break from economics, and now he’s back to it. He splits his time between studying economics and real estate.
- As a country, we make $2.7 trillion/year, and we spend $9 trillion/year. Our debt is $16.4 trillion. Why does the rest of the world keep lending us money, and will they keep doing it?
- The dollar is the baseline for the world economy. What holds its values up? It’s a “safe haven” and it is traded a lot. However, this situation appears to be changing.
- Since 2008, 24 major countries have begun to trade with China in its own currency, not the dollar.
- Our relations with Saudi Arabia are the worst in David’s lifetime. This matters because the strength of the dollar is tied to oil being traded in the dollar.
- Last year the Federal Reserve bought 70% of US debt. We don’t know who’s buying the debt now. The use of the US dollar as the world currency is changing.
- David remains optimistic because of our environment. Silver may go extinct by 2045 if we continue at our current rates of consumption – and we need silver in all industries. We need to drastically change our lifestyles, and consume less. David believes in investing in things other than the paper money system – real estate, gold, some stocks in natural resources, real things.
- Other countries in the world have faced this issue of paper money changing its value, so he’s sure we can weather this change as well.
- A startling fact is that with an annual income of $34,000, you are in the top 1% of wealthiest people in the world.
Raffle winners: Joe Sparks and Jeffrey Stubbs. No joker drawn.
Parting advice from Prez John: go for a walk, and leave the world a better place than you found it.
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