Gold Shoes and Fighting TIgers - Jordan Harrison

 

            Projects and Rotary Connection: Coordinator Lenore Romney and Sandy Fink on Monday, Dec. 14, will collect gifts from members for Holmes School from 3-5 p.m. (See below.) 

 

            Zoom Holiday Luncheon: At noon on Dec. 21 all club members are invited to wear Christmas items and share a brief on-line memory of years past.  President Steve Bergman will be chief elf.  Steve said that “this is not the usual holiday luncheon we have, but we will try the best we can” as the Covid chaos continues.

 

            Happy Bucks: Lenore Romney was happy that tags from all 38 families were filled.  Ron Noble agreed with another dollar. 

 

            PETS job filled: President Bergman said Lenore Romney has agreed to fill the vacant position of President-Elect Training Session for the remainder of the year, succeeding Steve when his term ends June 30

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            As a reminder, holiday gifts from needy children and families from Holmes Elementary School should be delivered to the school at 2600 W. Sharp between 3 and 5 p.m. next Monday.

 

            Coordinator Lenore Romney said administrators chose 38 families to participate.  Each student will receive gifts totaling $40.

 

            Romney said each gift should be wrapped and – on a tag with the gift -- placed with the name of the child and the alphabet letter of the family.

 

            Romney and Sandy Fink will greet members at the front of the school and gather gifts from each family into large bags to store in the supply closet until deliveries are made.

 

 

            PETS topic: Gold Shoes and Fighting Tigers

           

            On Dec. 7 Club President Steve Bergman showed a video of one of the most inspirational speakers at the regional district president-elect training session early this year.

 

            Steve said that Jordan J. Harrison, described as “a professional speaker, educator and social entrepreneur,” drew raves at the Seattle session attended by 750 Rotarians from several Northwest Rotary districts.  The meeting occurred just before the Covid 19 pandemic closed large gatherings.

 

            Harrison, born in Chicago, moved to San Diego when he was 11.  He said he gave his first speech when he was in the 8^th grade.  He often speaks at large Rotary gatherings.

 

            He was a graduate of San Diego State University and has a master’s degree in education from Harvard.   Now, he said, he is “First Director of College Town and Senior Director at Reality Changers.”

 

            He said he “focuses on students with a 2.0 GPA in jeopardy in dropping out and students who were gang affiliates.”

 

            With rapid-fire delivery and nimbly crossing the stage in his “gold shoes,” Harrison asks his audiences to “Face the Condition.  Change the conclusion.”

 

            He asks: “How do we create environments where every person can succeed, no matter where they come from?”

 

            Harrison says his gold shoes help diminish the tigers (obstacles and demons) which can derail our best plans.

 

            “There might be a lot of tigers that are chasing us,” Harrison said, “but perhaps the greatest victories we can be is finding the gold shoes.

 

            For Rotarians, he said, that might be a service project or something else. “But we need to out-run (with those golden shoes) that very thing that wants to destroy us.”

 

            Harrison adds: “Our happiness depends on it.  Our life depends on it.  Our nation depends on it.”

 

            Bulletin editors: Chuck Rehberg and Sandy Fink