Rotareminder Rotary Club of Kent September 22, 2020
Next month’s programs: October Program Chair Curt Stumpf announced the October programs, which all follow the theme of “celebration.”
October 6: Don Schjeldahl from the North Water Brewing Co.
October 13: Tim Sahr from Kent Cheesemonger
October 20: Amy Mesh, Partnership Manager, and Josh Daily, General Manager, Middle West Spirits, Columbus, OH
October 27: Kent Waldeck from Crafted Artisan Meadery or Sandor Ellix Katz, PhD,
Fermentation Expert Extraordinaire and author (depending on availability)
Welcome new member Dr. Bill Doane! Asad Khan introduced Dr. Bill Doane, who is rejoining Kent Rotary after a number of years.
Stay Right at Home: Kathy Myers reminded us that Coleman Services is staging its annual fundraiser, normally called “Right at Home” virtually so people during the pandemic can stay at home and participate. The auction opens Thursday, September 17, with items people can bid on. For $50, one can buy a raffle ticket for a Ben Bassham landscape. For $25 or 5 tickets for $100 one can buy a raffle ticket for a wall of fine wine. The bidding opens at 8 a.m. The event concludes Thursday evening, September 24, at 7 p.m. with a one-hour recognition of supporters and participants.
Club history: Jim Myers talked about a fundraising scheme 100 years ago.
Chuck Whiting: Member Chuck Whiting is in the hospital on Hospice with his wife Sue, also a Rotarian, and children at his side, reported Shawn Gordon.
Program: Former General Motors Chair and CEO Rick Wagoner gave a fascinating talk over Zoom (video available here). He resigned from GM in 2009 and is currently a director of ChargePoint, Inc., a company, whose focus is an electric vehicle infrastructure. He advises startup companies and serves on several corporate boards. Rick is a graduate of Duke University and a friend of Rotarian Tom Myers.
In his remarks, Rick discussed how Covid-19 has impacted the auto industry, globalization, electric cars, fuel cells and self-driving, or autonomous, cars. He is involved with Rivian, a company involved in the production of electric delivery vans and pickup trucks. Rick says batteries for electric cars are expensive but predicts that prices will come down. Regulatory changes could make electric cars more popular in the U.S. He says autonomous cars will be popular first in gated communities and on military bases, as well as Class A trucks operating on interstate highways. Most cars sit idle about 96 percent of the time, so the ride-sharing industry, such as Uber and Lyft, is a popular one—at least until the pandemic. He also commented on new entrants to the auto sector, including Tesla and others. Rick’s own garages contain only GM vehicles, and his favorite is his Chevy Corvette.
Responder was Howard Boyle.
Submitted by Mary Beth Harper
