FogHorn January 18 , 2018  -  Megan Edelman - TRAVEL AS A FORCE FOR GOOD

Posted by Editor: FDBobko
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The FOGHORN 
ROTARY CLUB OF HALF MOON BAY
January 18,  2018
 
TRAVEL AS A FORCE FOR GOOD
Megan Edelman of G Adventures
 
Article by   Joe Brennan  
Photos by  EJ Dieterle 
 
Ginger Minoletti of Bay World Travel introduced Megan Edelman whom she has worked with professionally and highly recommends as a quality and ethical vendor. Megan has been with G Adventures for two years. She has worked with other adventure travel companies and visited over sixty countries. She says G Adventures is the best way to travel and give back to the people and the country visited. It was founded by Adventurer, Philosopher and Author Bruce Poon Tip in Toronto in 1990 when he was 22. G Adventures now has 40 offices and 2,200 employees.
 
They have a non profit foundation named 'Planeterra' which gives grants to small businesses in country to women and the underserved. An example is Women on Wheels in India where indigent women were helped learn to drive and get their licenses to be drivers that G Adventures now hire exclusively for transport. She showed a video by Planeterra.org; Hope in Africa illustrating the use of power of travel to make life better. Tourism has the greatest impact and potential for doing good. They currently have 30 projects in 15 countries = lasting change opportunity is the key to permanent change. Tourism spends $200 Billion per year wit 66 million women employed worldwide. 
G Adventures offers small group travel. Groups max out at 14 to 16, with the average being 10 to 12. They travel in small vans with local guides and stay in local accommodations thus bringing 65 cents of each dollar back to the host community. Their theme is off the beaten path + meet the locals. The head of the company is the Chief Experience officer (CEO).
 
They have their offering organized into groups or collections for example the jane Goodall Collection offers wildlife centric trips. The Jane Goodall 100 Roots & Shoots project in partnership with G'Adventures is a program for youth in nature. Showed a video of educational travelers in contact with animal and environment protection movements.
 
How do you define Adventure/ A Clutural experience other than your own.
 
G Adventures does offer upgrades to Lux properties, it need not be all hard class.
Their travelers are 10% American. Travel style? They offer local Living, Family, Rail Classic, Yolo 9youth), Active and Marine - see website for more; gadventures.com
 
National Geographic Journeys; CEO of Nat'l Geo called G Adventures because most of their subscribers couldn't afford NG's trip offerings. NG partnered with G Adventures creating a compromise between the two of small groups with highest ranked guides. 
 
They also offer 917 itineraries for private groups including 8 passenger yachts around the world. Top destinations are: Peru, Costa Rica, morocco, Iceland, Galapagos, S.E. Asia, India, Japan and Antarctica
 
 
January 18, 2018 Meeting Recap
 
Article by   Mary Rogren
Photos by  EJ Dieterle
 
                                                
Greeters: Past President Dave Andrews and Sergeant at Arms Mary Corcoran
Pledge of Allegiance: Dianne Bobko
Inspirational Thought: 
Mary Corcoran offered words of inspiration from Hans Christian Anderson
“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.”
 
Guests and Visitors
                                 
 
Honorary Rotarian – Heather Bodeman
Visitors – Marla Wong (Dave Dickson’s wife)
Speaker – Megan Edelman from G Adventures
 
Happy/Not So Happy Newssmileysad
Liz Schuck wasn’t at the meeting as she was attending the memorial service for John Corry, former Assistant Superintendent of Cabrillo Unified School District, who passed away this week.
EJ Dieterle shared that his mother is safely back in Germany after spending the holidays with EJ’s family.
Mary Corcoran announced that her babysitting days with her grandson are drawing to a close as her son and daughter-in-law will soon be moving to Southern California.   Mary’s daughter-in-law has accepted a new job as Marketing Strategy Manager at Disney.
     
Mitone Griffiths shared that her daughter’s swimming efforts are paying off.   (Mia swims nine times per week over the hill --- starting at 5 AM on many days.)  Mia had her first meet at CAL last weekend and set new personal records in four of the six events she competed in. 
John Evans noted that he and his wife Larkin went up to Skylawn Cemetery this past week to attend a funeral of Larkin’s former classmate.   Larkin happened to locate her grandfather’s headstone – which highlighted her grandfather’s role in the history of Half Moon Bay, including being a former mayor and a member of Odd Fellows. 
Rose Serdy recommended reading the article on President Jimmy Carter in the latest edition of The Rotarian.   Jimmy Carter has been a long time supporter of Rotary and its philanthropic causes.
 
Announcements
                 
 
President Warren Barmore’s video moment this week promoted the International Rotary Convention that will be held in Toronto June 23-27.   Sign up before April 1 to receive a discount.
Also, save the date – March 17 – for District 5150’s  “Learning and Leadership Development Assembly” – which will be held in Foster City from 8-3.    Register now at District website (rotary5150.org).
 
 
                                                   
Assistant DG Mitone Griffiths is also encouraging members to attend the District conference which will be held in Sacramento on May 4-6.    If our club can get 10% attendance, attendee names will be put into a drawing to be held by H2OpenDoors.    (H2OpenDoors is a non-profit that brings drinking water systems to third world countries.  The prize is for an attendee to travel with H2OpenDoors on a future trip to install a water system.) See the District 5150 website for more information.      (Note that the District has secured very reasonable hotel rates for the conference.)
 
Shana Reilly-Pond is looking for volunteers who can help out on Rainy Day Mondays by manning a hospitality room (at the Lutheran Church)  where the homeless can come to dry off – between 8:00 to 1:00 PM.   (Even an hour shift helps!)   Please contact Shana to join a standby e-mail/phone tree for the next rainy day.       Also,  Shana is looking for donations of food for these days, gloves, blankets, and clothes.
Shana is seeking volunteers for our next Rotary commitment to serve at the free Community Breakfast at the Lutheran Church – on Wednesday, January 31.     Shifts are available from 6:00-8:00 AM and 8:00-9:45.   
                   
Mary Rogren mentioned that the deadline for registering for RYLA camp is January 31, 2018.    RYLA a leadership camp run by our Rotary district in the Santa Cruz mountains – and is open to sophomores and juniors in high school.  Please pass the word along to any young people you might know.    Go to http://www.ryla5150.org/apply-now/  for more information.   (Costs are covered by the Rotary Club.)
 
     
Exchange Student Updates
Rafa commented that he participated in the Interact ice skating outing this past Monday.   (Over 150 Interact students attended the event at the Yerba Buena center in San Francisco to raise money for H2OpenDoors.      Rafa also saw the movie Jumanji this week which he thoroughly enjoyed.   He is having a great time with his 2nd host family, the Mell’s.  And, he noted that he did well with his first semester grades – A’s and B’s.
 
Louise spent the Martin Luther King weekend in Clear Lake with her host family, the Wilsons, and the French exchange student (staying in Pacifica.)   She also saw the movie, The Post, which she thoroughly enjoyed.    Louise was happy with her grades, and particularly with her AP English results – which is a very challenging class for her.
Upcoming Events
                            
On Saturday the 27th there will be a District Learning Opportunity, a workshop on Grant Management. 
February 3rd is the day scheduled for the International Chair Meeting for the District.
 
Our club’s fundraiser, Magic of the Coastside will be held on June 2.  Stay tuned for more information!
 
Marble Drawing  
 
                 No luck for Rose!   crying
 
REMINDERS
 
Our Monthly Rotary Day at the Community Free Breakfast (held at the Lutheran Church every Wednesday and Thursday will be JANUARY 31.  Please sign up for a shift for future days (last Wednesday of each month.)
Rainy Day Project for the Homeless - Rotary Assignment  Shana Reilly-Pond and Liz Schuck  are looking for volunteers to man the rainy day shelter for the homeless at a location next to the Lutheran Church.  The Shelter will be open in the mornings on rainy days so the homeless can dry off, put on dry clothes, etc.  Various charitable organizations on the Coastside will be manning the shelter.
 
OUR SPEAKERS and PROGRAMS for JANUARY
 

Jan 25 - Club Assembly

  
 PHOTO GALLERY