PRESIDENT KEVIN SMITH-FAGAN (Executive Director of Fairytale Town) began the meeting by using a ceremonial gavel to ring the Rotary bell presented to the Sacramento Rotary Club 97 years ago! ALLISON CAGLEY (Sergeant in Arms) (Executive Director of Friends of Sacramento Arts) gave a warm welcome to our guests of the day, LAURA B., NANCY SMITH-FAGAN (Director of Advancement of Christian Brothers High School), and speaker DR. RON NOCETTI. Thank you to everyone that joined us this week!
SHARNA BRAUCKS (President and CEO of YMCA of Superior California) kicked off our thought of the day with the underlying theme of November: Thankfulness. SHARNA reflected on how we as humans often focus on showing appreciation when we are reminded to – these reminders come in the form of holidays, birthdays, etc. It is important, SHARNA states, to remember that we can and should express gratitude every day! Put different acts of kindness on your To-Do list for November. Take time to journal and reflect, tell others you appreciate them and always focus on what you are grateful for, even though it is hard right now. SHARNA shared a quote by Melody Beattie:
“Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow”
NANCY SMITH-FAGAN led us in The Pledge of Allegiance. PRESIDENT KEVIN congratulated NANCY “on scoring a perfect 10” and for being a perfect 10 herself!
Our meeting sponsor for the day, TODD KOOLAKIAN (Director of Philanthropy of Sacramento Children’s Home), spoke about the Sacramento Children’s Home during the time of COVID. The Sacramento Children’s Home continues to provide a safe haven for children and infants through age five while their families are experiencing the crisis. Their Residential Program has around the clock care for local foster youth by providing them not only a loving home but the support and counseling services that they need to be happy and healthy. Their Mental Health Programs continue to still provide a full array of mental health services to children and young adults through virtual appointments. The Sacramento Children’s Home’s staff has safely delivered essential items such as diapers, formula, food, cleaning products and more to the children and families that desperately need them now more than ever. They are also holding the Luxe for Life virtual event this Saturday, November 21st at 7 PM.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Sacramento Children’s Home
CLICK HERE to register for the Luxe for Life event
PRESIDENT KEVIN announced the passing of long-timer Rotarian, ENLOW OSE. DICK OSEN graciously provided a lovely Eulogy for ENLOW OSE. ENLOW OSE was a graduate of Iowa State University. He was married to his loving wife, MELENA, for 73 years and produced four children, all of which inherited his passion for giving and contributing to their community. ENLOW was enlisted in the Navy for two (2) years and afterwards went to receive his Electrical Engineering Degree. In 1955 his family moved to Sacramento where he started with Coldwell Banker and five (5) years later began his own successful business. He served on many boards including KVIE, the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce, Sacramento State University, and the Sacramento Regional Foundation. ENLOW and MELENA established the Ose Gallery at the Crocker Art Museum and provided the land for the KVIE building and its campaign. He was also a supporter of Iowa State and the McGeorge School of Law. ENLOW made an even more generous gift of $10 million to expand the Sutter Medical Center. DICK commented that he used to joke with ENLOW, encouraging him to add the N to the end of ENLOW’S last name so he could be someone. However, we are all reminded of ENLOW OSE’S remarkable legacy as we pass the Ose Adams Medical Pavilion.
CLICK HERE to hear ENLOW OSE’S full Eulogy
PRESIDENT KEVIN reminded everyone that Daughter’s Day is upcoming on, December 15th. All daughters are welcome to join this meeting! If you would like to have your daughter speak or share a special moment with the Rotary Club, please contact Gerry.dabi@gmail.com. We are also requesting that you send a photo of you and your daughter(s) to info@rotarysacramento.com so we can honor them all with a special video presentation.
PRESIDENT KEVIN sadly informed all Rotarians that, until further notice, Pints and Pinots with the President will be cancelled due to the county going back to purple status. He hopes to see you all at the future non-gatherings and will let us know when we are able to resume this informal happy hour.
PRESIDENT KEVIN spoke on behalf of JOHN SWENTOWSKY (Owner of Swentowsky Photography) stating that if JOHN was present, he would thank everyone for volunteering to ring the bell outside of Macy’s, but would still request everyone sign up to volunteer for future bell ringing! Please contact JOHN SWENTOWSKY if you would like to volunteer.
BRUCE HESTER (Senior Vice President/Real Estate Investor of Colliers International) reminded all Rotarians that while we cannot collect toys to donate this year, we will be collecting donations via our Virtual Red Kettle. This is an important charity as there are many people that will go hungry this year and the food banks will not have enough food for everyone. So far, we have successfully raised over $3,000! Remember the Rotarian motto, “Service about Self,” and let’s make this a great holiday season for all.
CLICK HERE to donate to Rotary’s Virtual Red Kettle
JOHN MCINTYRE (Chief Philanthropy Officer of Mercy Foundation) introduced our newest Rotarian, NANCY SMITH-FAGAN! Since 2010 NANCY has managed to triple the giving at Christian Brothers High School, an amazing feat in itself. NANCY is the graduate of the University of San Diego but met her husband, PRESIDENT KEVIN in Philadelphia and they were married in 1991. She is also a hula dancer and speaks fluent Hawaiian. Welina (welcome), NANCY!
STEVE HYMAS (Partner of Downey Brand LLP) shared that the Downey Brand received the first-place award from the Sacramento Business Journal for being one of the best places to work. In honor of this award STEVE has donated $100. Congratulations to Downey Brand LLP and thank you for the donation!
CLICK HERE to read the article awarding Downey Brand LLP one of the best places to work
BOB MILLER (Business Development Officer of First US Community Credit Union) announced that his wife, Marina, and him recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. On behalf of that occasion and the patience that his wife has had for him over the 25 years of marriage, BOB has donated $100. Congratulations on your anniversary and thank you for your donation, BOB! We wish you both many more happy years of marriage.
GRANT BLEDSOE (Chair for the day) (President of Three Oaks Capital Management) donated $100 in honor of his 3rd child being born. GRANT is now the proud father of not only two (2) boys but also a new girl named Madelyn! He stated that this may be the last time he has any free income. Congratulations on the newest addition to your family, GRANT!
DAVID BAKER (CEO of Sacramento Children’s Home) announced that his son recently received a baseball scholarship to San Diego Christian College. He donated $100 in honor of his son’s scholarship. Congratulations to you and your son, DAVID, and thank you for the donation!
GRANT BLEDSOE introduced our guest speaker, DR. RON NOCETTI. DR. RON is the current Executive Director of the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) that oversees the operational areas for the state’s governing body of high school athletics. Previously, he was the Director of Athletics at Jesuit High School and a member of the board of the California State Athletic Director’s Association. DR. RON was named the California Athletic Director of the Year in 2005 and before moving to the Sacramento region, he spent nine (9) years teaching and coaching at Sacred Heart Cathedral. At Sacred Heart Cathedral DR. RON also served as the dean of students and assistant principal for student services. With over 18 years of coaching experience in a variety of levels and sports, DR. RON has also presented over 200 workshops to coaches, parents, and student-athletes on behalf of the Positive Coaching Alliance. He received his master’s in sport management and a doctorate in education leadership from the University of San Francisco.
CIF receives no state funding and is only supported by its member schools and corporate sponsorships. With over 1,600 schools and 800,000 athletes represented, CIF has a larger number than the NCAA. During COVID, CIF has focused more on public health than the money during the sports seasons.
DR. RON asked all Rotarians, “What is your goal for your kids playing sports?” A few people called out teamwork and work ethic, but DR. RON stated that many people do not mention winning or scholarships. He brought up DAVID BAKER’S son who was lucky enough to receive a baseball scholarship and stated that DAVID’S son is less than 3% in the entire country to receive a sports scholarship. DR. RON stated that at no point does he think that club sports will take over high school sports as playing for your community is the point of it all. High school students that participate in athletics are consistently receiving higher graduation rates, attendance, and grades.
DR. RON introduced the Inside Out initiative, a program that focuses on training coaches to care about the child first by focusing on transforming their lives as opposed to concentrating on winning. He emphasized that this is how sports can create leaders. Even though there are “transactional” coaches out there, coaches that focus on kids more as transactions that can transfer between schools to help them win, DR. RON believes that the Inside Out initiative can help transform even these coaches. Another initiative announced was due to statewide sportsmanship and the fact that so many fights had broken out on high school fields with even coaches participating in the fights.
DR. RON called for volunteers as CIF needs sports officials. CIF will also hold the Day of Service, where all schools and athletes will provide a day of volunteer service to California to connect students and their communities. He stated that if everyone gave up only one day of service, it would make an immense difference.
CLICK HERE to view DR. RON NOCETTI’S full presentation
PRESIDENT KEVIN thanked DR. RON NOCETTI for his outstanding presentation. In honor of DR. RON volunteering his time to speak with us, Rotary provided a donation of 100 polio vaccinations to children in vulnerable communities. Thank you for joining us, DR. RON!
ALLISON CAGLEY reminded all Rotarians that next week will be a dark week and our next meeting will take place on December 1st. Rotary’s own, RICK DAVIS, will be discussing the Rotary Foundation report so tune in at the same time, same place on December 1st!