In 1972, a group of concerned citizens founded Community Family Centers (CFC) to provide community-based social and educational services to low-income families in Houston’s Greater East End. CFC, formerly Chicano Family Center, serves low-income families within Houston’s impoverished Greater East End. CFC is an agency with a $2.7 million annual operating budget, 48 staff members, and more than 500 volunteers, who serve over 40,000 clients each year. CFC works towards its mission by providing a safe and nurturing environment for children to excel and adults to learn, strengthening community partnerships, and promoting cultural understanding and community empowerment.

Barbara Radnofsky, professor at the University of Houston, is the author of A Citizen's Guide to Impeachment.
This is a non-partisan guide to a precise understanding of the rules and history of impeachment.

Spotlighting in particular the precise rules of impeachment—including an explanation of the crucial grounds for impeachment, the famous “high crimes and misdemeanors”—the book also details its origins in British law, the rules as set out by the founding fathers in the Constitution, and their application throughout the history of our democracy.

Come and learn the real facts.

Join us November 23, as we hand out over 200 turkeys along with the rest of the fix’ns to those in need.  We will team with The Fulfillment Project to distribute food from the Houston Food Bank, along with the birds we provide.  Bring the whole family for a fun filled morning of service and fellowship!

Family Service Project! 

Ask Joe, Gerard or Stacy for more info!

The Houston Angels have asked our rotary club to support a family for the holidays. They have paired us with a family of 4 girls!

On Saturday, November 30^th at 12:00 you invited to my home to wrap gifts for this darling family.

If you can make it, or would like to pass this invite along to anyone else, please do.

RSVP to me at 516-423-1966. Houston Angels is taking care of picking up the gifts on the wish list and we are gathering together to wrap and mingle.  

My address is 914 Main Street Unit 1104, Houston TX

The parking garage entrance is at 911 Travis Street- Look for the discrete sign for Commerce Towers just past the McKinney Street Garage.

On November 30 you will have the opportunity to help Houston Angels bring Holiday joy to foster families. Come join us at Christine MacMillian's as we wrap presents for the families. Food there? yep! Beverages too? Yep!

Contact Christine MacMillan for details: 516-423-1966.

Holiday Party for WUR

Garhett Wagers is a passionate and engaging leader with more than 20 years in education, where he has worked in both traditional and nontraditional settings. He believes strongly in the importance of a whole-child education. Garhett believes the teacher is charged with meeting learners where they are, understanding who they are, and crafting an atmosphere that challenges students to be better versions of themselves. It is the evolving discovery of self that causes Pre-K through 8th-grade schools to stand out. It is no coincidence that Garhett has spent so much of his career in Episcopal schools, where stewarding these values is at the core of culture. 

PROFILE Betirri is an international artist recognized primarily by a series of paintings depicting bodiless sport figures in motion.  His work ranges from figurative to conceptual expressing always the essence of an idea or subject.  He is also the official artist of the Houston Lamborghini Festival since 2014. 

Learn more at https://betirri.com/

We anticipate a light crowd at this meeting, but come and enjoy having breakfast with friends.  We don't always get enough time to visit one another.

Our minds are powerful tools and we don’t use them to their capacity. It is Robin’s goal to help you use your brain to unlock the potential in you and to help you become and achieve things you have dreamed of but not yet dared to try. The tools Robin employs; hypnosis, NLP, EFT; assist in making new solutions readily available to your mind. 

Former Congressman Mike Andrews was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1982 and represented a Houston area district in the U.S. House of Representatives for twelve years. At King & Spalding, he serves as counsel in our Government Advocacy and Government and Internal Investigations practices. 

https://www.kslaw.com/people/Michael-Andrews

Books for the World

Rotary Books For The World is an International Service Project, started in 2000 and supported by Rotary Clubs nationwide, Rotaract Clubs, and Interact Clubs.  We are proud to announce the shipment of our 370th  40’ shipping container of books and school furniture (for a total of over 15.5 million pounds with a value of over $155 million) to Rotarian led literacy projects in 24 countries in Africa and around the world.

Would you & your club like to help with the shipment of the next container? 

Please bring a group of your Club members, Interactors, Rotaractors, friends and family members to help sort and palletize books on the following dates:

Saturdays:   9 AM to 11 AM – November 16, & December 7, 2019, January 18, February 15, March 7, April 11, May 9, and June 6, 2020.

Our warehouse is not air-conditioned or heated. Please dress appropriately.

Yes, you are welcome to bring used books of any type as long as they are in good condition to donate to this project.

Parking is available  on Eagle Ave. or under Hwy 225.  Be careful crossing the street and do not leave valuables in your car

Questions?  Terry Ziegler - bigzlumber@aol.com or 713-825-1176

Donations are welcome!  Please consider asking your club to donate to this great project or to apply for a District Grant to support us.  See more at the project website www.rotarybooksfortheworld.org.  

Dee Dee Dochen / ReelAbilities Film & Arts Festival 2020

With 2020 marking the 30^th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by Pres. George H.W. Bush, how effectively are businesses today embracing the often-overlooked “D” (Disability) in D&I (Diversity & Inclusion)?

An introduction to best practices, along with a sneak peek into the eighth annual, 10+-day ReelAbilities Houston Film & Arts Festival (February 2020), will be presented by Dee Dee Dochen, 2020 Festival Chair and owner of DDD Marketing Communications.

Eric C. Botts, Adjunct Professor of International Studies at the University of St.Thomas and Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Houston Downtown, received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from St. Mary’s University and Master of Security Management from the University of Houston Downtown.  After service for 31 years in the U. S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer (Santa Domingo, Seoul, Dublin, and Nassau), Assistant Director of Houston Passport Agency and an Information Systems Security Officer, Mr. Botts retired to work in the private sector.  During his federal career, he served as Program Chairman of the Gulf Coast Federal Safety Council and as a member of the Federal Executive Board.  He is a founding board member of the Foreign Policy Alliance and has spoken on foreign policy issues to civic groups, colleges, and the media.  He works as a Security Project Manager Consultant for Swailes & Co. Inc. specializing in cyber security, risk management, business continuity, due diligence, travel security, and investigations.  In the cyber security community, he is on the Secure World Advisory Council and served on the Executive Board of the IT Summit.

Third annual West U Seniors Breakfast served by members of the Rotary Club of West U.
 

About this Author

Chris Tomlinson has written a commentary on business, energy, and economics for the Houston Chronicle since 2014. Before joining the Chronicle, he spent 20 years with The Associated Press reporting on politics, conflicts, and economics from more than 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. He’s also the author of the New York Times bestseller Tomlinson Hill, and he produced the award-winning documentary film by the same name. Both examine the history and consequences of race, politics, and economics in Texas

Books for the World

Rotary Books For The World is an International Service Project, started in 2000 and supported by Rotary Clubs nationwide, Rotaract Clubs, and Interact Clubs.  We are proud to announce the shipment of our 370th  40’ shipping container of books and school furniture (for a total of over 15.5 million pounds with a value of over $155 million) to Rotarian led literacy projects in 24 countries in Africa and around the world.

Would you & your club like to help with the shipment of the next container? 

Please bring a group of your Club members, Interactors, Rotaractors, friends and family members to help sort and palletize books on the following dates:

Saturdays:   9 AM to 11 AM – November 16, & December 7, 2019, January 18, February 15, March 7, April 11, May 9, and June 6, 2020.

Our warehouse is not air-conditioned or heated. Please dress appropriately.

Yes, you are welcome to bring used books of any type as long as they are in good condition to donate to this project.

Parking is available  on Eagle Ave. or under Hwy 225.  Be careful crossing the street and do not leave valuables in your car

Questions?  Terry Ziegler - bigzlumber@aol.com or 713-825-1176

Donations are welcome!  Please consider asking your club to donate to this great project or to apply for a District Grant to support us.  See more at the project website www.rotarybooksfortheworld.org.  

Board Meeting

Executive Director of Evelyn's Park - Bellaire

Nestled on five acres of green space in Bellaire, Texas, Evelyn’s Park offers our community a place to relax, reset, and rekindle connections with the outdoors and each other.

https://www.evelynspark.org/about-park

Kris Asper, Dean of Center of Excellence Architectural Design, and Suzette Brenner, Dean of Center of Excellence Consumer Arts and Science.

The Architectural Design & Construction Center of Excellence offers certificates, competency-based training, and associate degree programs to support the growing need for electricians, HVAC technicians, industrial automation, Solar Photovoltaic, Building automation, and General construction management.

The Consumer Arts & Sciences Center of Excellence provides technical design, fashion, food, culture, costume, beauty, interior, and kitchen design training through its eight award-winning arts and degree or certificate programs.

With over 11,000 restaurants and growing food establishments around the region, as well as hosting over 280 conventions annually, there is a large need for highly-trained culinary and hospitality workers in Houston.

The Centers provides training that follows relevant industry skills standards and credentialing and supports customized training and partnership with regional employer organizations engaged in workforce development.

Flag committee members, please join us for a time of fellowship.

Prospective members are also welcome to attend.

Family friendly. Little Matt's does not have a liquor license but they do offer free margaritas, red and white wine, or a beer.  Limit 2 drinks.

Carrin Patman is chair of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County. She is METRO’s first woman chair, appointed in 2016 by Mayor Sylvester Turner. She previously served on the board from 2010 to 2013.

Books for the World

Rotary Books For The World is an International Service Project, started in 2000 and supported by Rotary Clubs nationwide, Rotaract Clubs, and Interact Clubs.  We are proud to announce the shipment of our 370th  40’ shipping container of books and school furniture (for a total of over 15.5 million pounds with a value of over $155 million) to Rotarian led literacy projects in 24 countries in Africa and around the world.

Would you & your club like to help with the shipment of the next container? 

Please bring a group of your Club members, Interactors, Rotaractors, friends and family members to help sort and palletize books on the following dates:

Saturdays:   9 AM to 11 AM – November 16, & December 7, 2019, January 18, February 15, March 7, April 11, May 9, and June 6, 2020.

Our warehouse is not air-conditioned or heated. Please dress appropriately.

Yes, you are welcome to bring used books of any type as long as they are in good condition to donate to this project.

Parking is available  on Eagle Ave. or under Hwy 225.  Be careful crossing the street and do not leave valuables in your car

Questions?  Terry Ziegler - bigzlumber@aol.com or 713-825-1176

Donations are welcome!  Please consider asking your club to donate to this great project or to apply for a District Grant to support us.  See more at the project website www.rotarybooksfortheworld.org.  

It is once again time for Challenger Baseball. For you newcomers Challenger Baseball is a division of West University Little League for mentally and physically challenged children. The games are played on Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm and last for about an hour. Our job is to serve food in the snack bar or “Dugout” located in The Rotary Field House @ the corner of University and Auden. We have a team of 8 Rotarians and typically get there at 1:30 and leave about 3:30

The dates are March 8, March 29, April 5, April 19, April 26 and May 3.

Please sign up by e mailing me the date or dates you wish to serve – dcancelmo@bridgeway.com

We would like as many Rotarians as possible to experience Challenger Baseball, if you are new to the club or have not served please make an effort to sign up, you will be glad you did. For more information on Challenger Baseball please go to - http://www.westull.org/

Dr. Jim Jackson has many years experience in counseling and ministry and is an executive coach.  His blog "Jim's Daily Awakenings" is widely read. 

He had been working on a list of 70 mistakes that business leaders make.  He will share that list with us and offer ideas on how to avoid making them.  He has decades of wisdom to share.

All club members are encouraged to attend an online meeting.  The meeting will officially start at 7:30 just like we do at Pico's.  The link to the ZOOM meeting is: https://ymcahouston.zoom.us/j/553752555. It's not hard to do, so join the FUN!  This is a test run, so it will be a fellowship meeting, no speaker.  

Until further notice, all board meetings will be virtual.  Watch your mails for your connections to join in Zoom. 

Stacy Brevard, President

Be sure to join this meeting!  ShelterBox USA provides families with shelter and other vital aid in global areas that are most susceptible to, and least prepared for, the covid-19 pandemic. 

ShelterBox, Rotary International's Project Partner for disaster relief, was founded in 2000 and has responded to over 300 disasters in 100 countries providing shelter and life-saving aid to over 1.5 million people.  ShelterBox has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 and 2019 for projects assisting families displaced by conflict.

We will be meeting at Skeeter's from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

Andrzej Stewart is an experienced spacecraft operator for a wide variety of NASA missions. He’s worked as a spacecraft mission controller for NASA’s Mars orbiter fleet, Juno, GRAIL, and the Spitzer Space Telescope. Andrzej now works in Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center, developing tracking and navigation operations for upcoming missions of the Orion spacecraft. He is also a 1st Lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol, serving as an Assistant Aerospace Education Officer and Assistant Public Affairs Officer, and currently training as a SAR/DR Mission Pilot.

Andrzej earned degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and aspires to be a NASA astronaut. In pursuing that, he has served as the Flight Engineer of HERA C2M2, a two-week asteroid mission simulation at the Johnson Space Center, and as Chief Engineering Officer of HI-SEAS IV, a year-long Mars simulation in Hawaiʻi.

Andrzej will speak about the challenges of travel to Mars and his experiences in the mission simulations at JSC and Hawai'i.

Rotarians In Action By Sharing Our Skills at PEP

Prison Entrepreneurship Program

Empowering Innovation.  Releasing Potential.  Transforming Communities.

Our vision is to expand our community of accountability and encouragement until every inmate who is truly committed to change has the choice and the chance to reboot his life.  We strive to empower our men to move from being tax consumers to taxpayers; from gang leaders to servant leaders; and from felons to real fathers and even philanthropists.

We will build this robust community with an army of executive volunteers who share with us and our men a passion for education, mentoring and entrepreneurship.  Through their engagement, our volunteers will move from knowing the joy of success to experiencing great significance in their lives.

Location: events are located in Cleveland, Texas

Visit the website for more information about sharing your skills and other ways to support at https://www.pep.org/.

For more details, please contact our fellows, Suzanne and Bill Diecks, Carol Lester, Geoff Lanceley and Paul Ralph. They are happy to share their experiences as volunteers.

Kristine Klavers is the Sr VP responsible for Argus Consulting Services at Argus Media, Inc. She has over 20 years of experience in consulting and is an expert on global fuels, fuel quality, and refining. Prior to Argus, Kristine led Hart’s consulting services, including the International Fuel Quality Center. She worked for Lyondell as an MTBE product specialist, and as a process engineer for a Japanese gasoline company in Japan. Kristine developed a catalyst for methane coupling at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan and gained her MSc in chemical engineering from the University of Twente, Netherlands. Last year, she won CFA’s Best S&P 500 forecast award. She serves as a member of the National Petroleum Council (NPC) as appointed by the US secretary of Energy.

more to follow....

Here's something to lift our spirits!  I have good friends who are piloting the SB2C Helldiver (only one left flying in the world)   Ed and Carole Vesely are residents of West U!

https://abc13.com/houston-flyover-lone-star-flight-museum-may-8/6147173/

BIO: Monique Hammond 
Monique Hammond is a registered pharmacist who lost hearing in her left ear – from a loud band - at a church fundraiser 10 years ago. The incident became a life-changer – she had to quit her job at the University Hospital Pharmacy.

Monique had graduated with high distinction from the University of Minnesota, College of Pharmacy.  After losing hearing, she did 5 years of research and wrote the book:

What Did You Say? An unexpected Journey into the World of Hearing Loss (now in the 2^nd Edition).

Monique was appointed by the governor to the Commission of Deaf, Deafblind and Hard-Of-Hearing Minnesotans, where she completed two terms as vice-chair.  She is also a past president of the Twin Cities’ Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America.

Monique speaks regularly to employees and the members of the public about Hearing Loss and the dangers of loud noise.

Website and blog:   https://hearing-loss-talk.com/

Emma and Sebastian had to shorten their RYE year in Houston and return to their respective home counties (France and Denmark) due to coronavirus.  They will do their presentation from abroad.  Please welcome them back virtually.