Our esteemed President James L. Leet (Boutin Jones) called to other the last regular meeting of the Leet Administration. Despite many rumors to the contrary, Jim assured the attending Rotarians that military intervention would not be required for him to leave office. Jim noted that June 30th is his 366th day, so he must have a European hike in his plans soon.

Soon-to-be Past President Jim thanked our Chairperson of the day – Jeanne Reaves (Jeanne Reaves Consulting). Our thought of the day was provided by Sam Peters (Construction Testing Services) who looked to Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken.”

 

 

 

“The Road Not Taken”

By Robert Frost

 

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

 

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

 

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

 

Robert Frost’s description of our lives being played out in the choices and roads we take seems particularly relevant today. “The Road Not Taken” asks us to consider choices between joining mainstream conventional ideas or to go it alone. Sam Peters’ Thought for Today highlights these times in life when a decision must be made. It’s very timely with the uncertainty surrounding us all.

 

Our meeting sponsors – Nancy Teichert and Past President Fred Teichert donated their time for the presentation of a performance review of Olive and Mabel – troubled dogs evaluated by a Scottish Sportscaster. Click here to see this one of a kind review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moux8wQC1lQ

 

Past President Dan McVeigh (Downey Brand LLP), Chris Ann Bachtel  and Steve Johanson (Johanson & Associates) thanked all of our sponsors from the past year. We’re especially grateful for the sponsorships during these difficult times. Special thanks to Past President Diane Woodruff for sponsoring 3 of our meetings, Nancy & Fred Teichert who also sponsored 2 meetings, and Dee Hartzog for sponsoring 3 meetings. “Service Above Self” is a motto we live by, and these sponsors provide our Club the ability to continue meetings virtually while staying connected.

Click below for a presentation of our sponsors:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H5IjCeRT6HULzaFQGJH7HW0P_8EsLkQO/view?usp=sharing

 

A special Happy Birthday to Jeanne Reeves who is both r and a birthday girl!

 

 

Announcements:
Sarah Hodge (California State University, Sacramento) reminded us that Golf 4 Kids is on! This year’s event is being held on July 31st at William Land Park. The $70 per person for a 9-hole game provides financial sponsorships for orthopedically challenged or physically impaired children.

 

Click here for a link to sign up highly coveted Tee sponsorship may still be available. Contact Diane Mizell for details.

 

Chris Ann Bachtel notified us that Kim Mueller (Chief United States District Judge / Eastern District of California) was severely bit by a pit bull while walking her dog for the second time within a month. Virtual care would certainly be appreciated by Kim after this very traumatic injury. Kim – please know that you will be in our thoughts and prayers.

 

Presidential Demotion:
Dick Olsen announced that ongoing investigation into the Leet Administration have not yet been resolved. More information should be available at the formal, virtual Demotion of President James L. Leet next Tuesday. This historic event should not be missed.

 

Thoughts and Prayers

We should all reflect thankfully and remember our Rotarian Titans who passed this year. We lost a combined 209 years of Rotary fellowship, experience, and service. Click here for our lost members, who remain in our thoughts and prayers:

https://thegoralkalawfirm.sharefile.com/d-s89f2d6d50b146379

 

President Jim opened the meeting (meaning we remained somewhere in the cloud) to Rotary fellowship. Some other topics discussed were:

  • A trip to Carmel and an open air lunch
  • A visit to Sea Ranch with his daughter and his first golf outing since the pandemic began
  • How to keep an adventurous 16-year-old safe at home
  • Homeschooling – while a village is needed to raise a child, a vineyard is needed to homeschool a child

 

Rotary Good News!

Tom Engel:

  • Thanked soon-to-be Past President Jim for his excellent job under most unusual and trying circumstances this year.
  • Thanked Jim for help with a legal matter.
  • Thanked Jim Relles (Relles Florist): for the beautiful flowers sent to his daughter. 

 

 

Chair Person Jeanne Reaves then introduced our Speaker Emily Rooney (President / Agriculture Council of California). Emily joined the Agriculture Council in 2008 and became its President in 2010. She manages the organization and handles regulatory and budget policy matters on behalf of the Ag Council members.

 

Prior to her work with the Ag Council, Emily served as director of farm policy for the California Farm Bureau Federation where she represented the interests and objectives of California’s farmers and ranchers as they relate to farm policy, tax and biotech issues before the U.S. government and administrative bodies. In addition, Emily has legislative experience in Washington, D.C. where she worked for 2 members of Congress advising on issues including agriculture, budget, taxes and judiciary matters.

 

Emily comes from an agricultural background in San Joaquin County where her family owns a beef cattle and sheep operation just outside of Lodi. Emily is a graduate of the University of California, Davis and Class 39 of the California Agricultural Leadership Program.

 

The Agriculture Council of California just celebrated their centennial in 2019. Click here for a video on their celebration of its history and mission during the last 100+ years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSxllh6m9d0

Emily provided an excellent and timely discussion of how the Agriculture (Ag) business has been affected by both the pandemic, the trade wars, and other current events.

 

For many years, the Ag industry developed multiple lines of distribution for schools, restaurants, and grocery stores. These specific chains of distribution created great efficiency, but were found to be

very fragile when affected by the pandemic and the trade wars. The products themselves and how they are packaged and designed for each of these different distribution chains created new challenges and bottlenecks.

For example, dairy cheese is usually sold to Papa Murphey’s of restaurants in 40 pound blocks or 2 pound bags of shredded cheese. However, these big blocks and bags of cheese cannot be safely sent to food banks or stores to be used for normal consumers. This is just one example of many that created huge hurdles for a wide variety of food products.

 

The Ag industry learned from this and began to pivot to open up these impediments. Grocery stores now have stable shelf supplies, and restaurants are opening to at least half capacity.

 

Worker safety measures were implemented to improve social distancing, as well as procedures for harvesting and picking crops.

On a positive note, the agriculture industry adapted and was able to provide 30,000 pounds of cheese to local food banks in the first two (2) weeks.

 

Tune in at the same time same place next week for the first virtual demotion of a Rotary President. This promises to be a historic, fun event that should not be missed. Thank you soon-to-be Past President Jim Leet!