Due to time restraints we will be putting Book Reviews only in the tattler for the time being: This week by John Dunne
KING LEOPLOD’S GHOST: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa, Adam Hochschild, Pan Books, 2006 This is a book few of us would have read and not one that ever made a best seller list. It’s a well-researched history of the Congo from pre-colonial time when Henry Morton Stanley “discovered” the interior of Africa through the eventual collapse of colonialism. However, it’s not hard to extrapolate the effects of the colonial destruction of the indigenous populations and their tightly knit and well-functioning communities and kingdoms built around clan ties to the contemporary chronic fractious warfare over control of the country’s vast mineral wealth. It’s a history that I knew little about.
The tactics of enslavement and social destruction were not unique to the Congo in Africa. What made the Congo unique was that the Congo territory was personally owned by King Leopold and not by Belgium and the enormous profits went directly into King Leopold’s pocket, none to the people of Belgium.
Leopold was jealous of the wealth created by the English, Dutch and German colonies and plotted for years to find a colony for himself somewhere, before settling on the Congo. He was able to claim a swath of central Africa from the western coast to Lake Tanganyika in 1884 by having local chiefs sign over the rights to their land written in a language they did not understand in terms they could not comprehend. He couched his territorial grab in high sounding rhetoric: that he was saving the Africans from “Arab” slave traders and converting the pagan heathens to Christianity. His motives had nothing to do with that.
The initial plunder was ivory but later the even more lucrative demand for rubber powered the cruelty. His administrators enslaved both men and women using their superior weapons against the African’s outdated muskets. And they enforced compliance with brutality and fear. The author estimated that between 5 and 10 million Congolese died from execution, overwork, disease or starvation.
Countering this abuse was the Congo Reform Society, founded and led by a dogged journalist, ED Morel, that fought for years to expose the horrors to little effect other than embarrassment and international criticism. However, even when King Leopold died in 1908 and the Congo became a Belgian colony, nothing changed until the colony structure collapsed. But there were no longer any viable indigenous institutions to fill that void. Chaos and conflict naturally followed.
For anyone interested in understanding the difficulties in contemporary Africa, this book is worth reading.
Opening Welcome:
Newly minted President Peter called the meeting to order at 12:30 PM, at the Four Points by Sheraton Banquet Hall, reminding us that this was our first hybrid meeting ever and first in-person since March 9, 2020 with 50 members attending and 6 on Zoom ! He rightfully called this event a sure sign of progress as we slowly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that some of our members have not attended the
President Peter then thanked Sandee for her outstanding job keeping our Club functioning smoothly during the pandemic. As well, he acknowledged the hard work and leadership skills demonstrated by immediate Past Presidents Cathy and Gary as they presided over arguably the most unusual and turbulent period in our history.
Next, President Peter welcomed to our Club those new members who joined since our last in-person meeting: Vinson Latimore, Ward Naf, Jodi Borrelli and Michael Mallory
Club and Committee Announcements
1. We are looking for Website sponsors for the next Rotary year starting July 1st . It is a great opportunity to advertise your business and support Rotary; cost is $350 for the year. Check out the current sponsors on our website by going to Bellinghamrotary.org. We have 3 spots remaining, Thank you for those that have renewed their sponsorships!!
2. There will be a Board of Directors meeting this Thursday, July 15th at 4:30 on Zoom
You will still receive an email from Sandee each week prior to the Monday 12:30 meeting if you are unable to attend in person (you can start logging in at 12:00 for short socializing) with the link for that privacy protected meeting. If you have not done so, please download the Zoom app on your computer (you need a camera and microphone on it), iPad or phone. There is no cost to you. If you do not have either, you can also call in. On the invitation, there are US phone numbers you can call and enter the meeting ID number also indicated on the invitation. HERE ARE ZOOM INSTRUCTIONS.
Four Points is not requiring a Contract thru 2021 and need only 72 hours to cancel an event. We will continue to evaluate other locations for a permanent location. Lunch will be $22 for a sit down meal. We must notify them by Wednesday at 4:00 pm each week prior to the Monday meeting as to the number of members attending. We are sending out meeting “Invite's” weekly and members are asked to sign-up ASAP. You can also sign-up by going to the event section of our website at bellinghamrotary.org. If you sign up for a meal at the meeting, you will need to pay the $22 even if you don't wind up attending the meeting after numbers are turned in. If you plan to attend but not eat, PLEASE indicate that on your sign-up so we don't overorder meals and still make sure there is enough seating.
Four Points also will not collect the payment weekly, so the Club will collect payments prior to the meeting or at the door.
We urge members of the RCOB has set up a Venmo account for ease in payment of Meeting lunches, Happy Bucks, Minister of Fun, Dues or donations to the club. Our account is @RCOB-Bellingham. If you do not have a Venmo account you can set up an account with your computer then download the app. on your phone (just Google "Venmo" and you will find all the information you need) You then attach it to a debit or credit card (a fee on your end) or attach to your checking account at no cost. Payment will be sent directly to the RCOB checking account. When you use it for the first time it may ask you the last 4 digits of the RCOB phone number which is 0282. Give Sandee a call if you need help. 360-734-5532
Other payment options are to bring a check in the correct amount to the meeting made out to RCOB or cash in the exact amount to speed up the payment process. There is also the PayPal option as usual and we are set to take payments at the meeting. We have a QR Code that you can simply click on to pay thru paypal also.
Website and Phone App instructions:
Here is a tutorial on how to login for the first time. (Click here) In order to login you need to know your user name and password in your Clubrunner account. The user name is Yourfirstname.Lastname.264 unless you have changed it. Example: Sandra.Lindhout.264 The password is initially set by Clubrunner at 264 unless you have changed it. Sandee can see your Username from my computer but not the password. She can also change your password for you from her computer at your request if you run into problems.
Once you have originally created your User Name and Password you can download the ClubRunner Mobile app on your phone:
Please contact Sandee at 360-734-5532 or rcob@comcast.net if you run into any trouble.
Guests:
Steve Ban introduced Cory Chaplin
Rick Kaiser brought his wife Ann Kaiser
Del VandeKerk introduced guest Rotary Brass tuba player, Mark Lindenbaum
John Harris brought his wife Patricia
Presentation:
1. Past President Cathy grilled immediate Past President Gary with extremely difficult questions in an effort to keep Gary out of the exclusive and secretive Past Presidents Society. However, Gary was equal to the challenge and thereby earned admission unanimously!
2. Roland Trenouth presented Ralph Rinne with a Certificate of Honorary Membership in recognition of his many years of service to our Club as well as his invaluable contributions to our community. As a physician, Ralph set the standard of excellence to which every other local clinician has aspired. He has been, and continues to be, a role model and friend to so many in our community, including this reporter. Congratulations and many thanks, Ralph! By the way, we still expect to see you regularly at our weekly meetings. :-)
Program:
President-elect Paul Grey introduced our speaker, Cassie Cichorz, Asian Giant Hornet (AGH) Outreach and Education Specialist in the Plant Protection-Pest Program of the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA). She presented an update on the AGH problem in WA and WSDA's response plans for 2021.
The AGH is the largest hornet in the world, measuring 1.5 inch (workers) to 2 inches (queens) in length. They prefer most of the climates in the United States except the Mountain and Southwest states. Their nests are in the ground, can be greater than 2 feet wide, and can produce 100 adult hornets.
Cassie described the AGH life cycle: A queen overwinters in the ground, emerges in the spring and builds a nest, produces a worker colony, which is mature by early summer. In late summer and fall, the workers forage for protein, which is usually the decapitated bodies of honey bees. This is the most dangerous time for the honey bees because several AGHs can destroy an entire hive in a few hours. New queens are produced in the late fall and the cycle continues.
Cassie pointed out that, although the European honey bees present in the US produce more honey than the Japanese honey bees, the latter have better protection against AGH. However, the Japanese bees carry mites, so have not been brought to the US.
Cassie reported that the WSDA relies partially on citizen trapping and reporting of AGH. 31 AGHs were reported in Whatcom County in 2020. When an AGH is trapped, the WSDA sets multiple traps within an 8 km radius of that location. They then attempt to track trapped hornets to their nests, which are then carefully removed. Because AGHs have more venom than other wasps/hornets, their sting is more painful and, with multiple stings, can lead to anaphylactic reactions and, rarely, death.
Cassie concluded her presentation by giving to Club members AGH trapping kits, consisting of rice wine and orange juice, to be mixed in a clear bottle that has templated holes on three sides and hung 6-9 ft above ground in a wooded area. Full instructions plus more information about AGHs can be found at agr.wa.gov/hornets.
Covid Report:
Past President Gary reported that there are currently 4 COVID patients at St Joseph Hospital, all of whom are expected to be discharged this week. Unfortunately, the one COVID patient who had been in the ICU for many weeks died last week.
President Peter adjourned the meeting at 1:35 PM.
Program Recordings: We are now recording the speaker portion of our meetings:
Missed a meeting? Remember a great speaker but want to revisit the content? You can catch the recording on our Rotary Club of Bellingham YouTube page:
