Rotary Club El Centro, California

As the next item of business, Kris Becker introduced the speaker, Rick Johnson of the “Center for Energy Sustainability” of San Diego State University (Imperial Valley). He spoke about the various types of energy projects that are being de-veloped on 200 acreas near Braw-ley. It included

the Valley’s first commercial scale Solar-Thermal Power Plan, a 5 megawatt com-munity solar project, hyperlight energy technology, and a renewable energy train-ing and education grant that they were managing. The emphasis was on public and private sector partnerships and they offer professional education relevant to California’s energy future. Also being developed was a “Power Plant Simulator”, a software program that enable individuals to receive a certificate, for learning how “not to” blow up a “power plant”.

Energy Sustainability Center

The El Centro Rotary Club meets on Thursday noon at the PAL facility located at 1100 North 4th Street.

Visitors are welcome! If you miss Rotary meeting,

you miss out!

4-WAY TEST Few things are needed more in our society than moral integrity. The Four Way Test will

guide those who dare to use it for worthy objectives: choosing, winning, and keeping friends; getting along well with others; insuring a happy home life; developing high ethical and moral standards; becoming successful in a chosen business or profession; becoming a better citizen; and becoming a better example for the young people of the coming gen-eration. At a Rotary Convention in San Francisco, James S. Fish said, "To endure, the competitive enterprise system must be practiced within the framework of a strict moral

code. Indeed, the whole fabric of the capitalistic system rests to a large degree on trust . . .on the confidence that businessmen and women will deal fairly and honestly, not only

with each other, but also with the general public, with the consumer, the stockholder, and the employee.""The ethical standards of his or her company are the responsibility of the top man and he must insist that those standards not be diluted as they are relayed, layer by layer, down through the corporate structure."Eloquently simple, stunning in its power,

undeniable in its results, The Four Way Test offers a fresh and positive vision in the midst of a world full of tension, confusion, and uncertainty.

Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all Concerned Will it build GOODWILL and

BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Frank Miranda, President 2014-2015 Celebrate Rotary Number 7 for the Week of August 21, 2014

Pastor Ron Griffen spoke of his church pilgrimage to Ath-ens, Greece and to Turkey. He bought the President a

bottle of “oozo”, the Greek liqueur. If you have ever had that “horse rub” there are those of us who call it “snoozo”, because that is what happens when you drink it. President Miranda then accosted long time Rotary member, the Honorable Matt Con-treras, because after almost three (3) dec-ades in the El Centro

Rotary Club, he still was not a Paul Harris Fellow. The Presi-dent calculated that Matt was a “sustaining member” to the tune of 5 cents a day for the past thirty (30) years for a total of $500.00. Matt calculated that he was going to be a member for an additional thirty (30) years and therefore his contributions were appropriate. In any event, it cost him a $100.00 contribution as a “sustaining” member. Ryan Childers, received a large photograph of himself and his son (William) for which he paid the paltry sum of $50.00. This was less than ½ the value of the photograph.

Art Benavent contributed $100.00 to go along with his existing $100.00 balance as a “sustaining Membership”. John Levada was fined $100.00 for Rabobank’s $20,000.00 donation to the local Food Bank to be used to fund the Food Bank’s back-pack program. Good job John! George McFaddin paid $200.00 for “George’s Kids” a long time El Centro Rotary Club program. It appears that George had another anniversary after being married to Audrey for 58 years. Audrey must have been 12 years old when the old lecher married her.

WHINIING AND FINING aka HARVEST TIME

Pledge, Prayer and Song POT

The winner of the weekly drawing was Frank Miranda who won the weekly amount of $48. The President chose a white chip and the “larger” side pot continues to grow.

President Frank Miranda began the Rotary meeting with the

pledge led by Gabe Contreras and the bless-ing/prayer by Todd Evangelist. Neal Hitch (accompanied

by his guitar) led us in the song “God Bless America”.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ROTARIANS WITH GUEST AND VISITING ROARIANS

Ed Snively intro-duced a number of visiting Rotarians including Sylvanna Meeks from Borrego Springs Rotary (Rotary Foundation Advi-sor for for Imperial County), Joseph Dhaliwal from

Holtville Rotary (Assistant Gover-nor), Sal Ortiz from Brawley Rotary, Mercedes Wheeler from Brawley Rotary

and Richard Acosta from Holtville Rotary. Lanny Foote introduced his guest, Stacey P. Todd. Bobby Brock introduced his guest, Victor Calderon. Steve Birdsall intro-duced his guest, Richard Inman. Edgard Garcia introduced his wife, Arezoo, notwithstanding the fact that Derek Quan paid for her lunch. WELCOME TO ALL OF OUR VISITORS!

President Frank Miranda pointed out that he attended a School District meeting at which he received an Award for Excellence on behalf of the El Centro Rotary Club. It is clearly for the various Rotary pro-grams in the County, including the Star Program. Ed Snively announced that Cyndy Lopez (his co-chair on the club’s Rotary Foundation Committee) was finally pushing him out of the com-mittee position that he has held for as long as I

can remember. Sal Ortiz of the Brawley Club told the President about the various problems he had when he travelled to Paris, France, always getting snippets of bad news about El Centro and its problems. Emma Jones gave the President some-thing that he has always wanted, a sling-shot to keep the various Rotary malinger-ers in line.