June 20, 2014

   Reporter: Ron Brown   Editor: Ron Brown   Photographer: Leander Hauri                   

President:  Hays Englehart 2013 - 2014          

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Jim Marggraff stumped the Club with today's THOUGHTS. Came straight from the Declaration of Independence. After numerous re-readings of said document, This week's reporter failed to retrieve any semblance of exact quote. Can we have that one more time, Jim?

VISITING ROTARIANS AND GUESTS

Steve Lack - Soon to be Past District Governor

Troy Fedderson - Lafayette Nooners, Past President

John Sherry - Lafayette Nooners, Past and Present of Everything a Club can possibly offer

Jackie Steel - Guest, local Chiropractor Practice

Dr. Zhan Li - Guest speaker, Professor and Dean at Saint Mary's College

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES

Ken Kosich - 34th wedding anniversary, celebrated in Sonoma

Skip McCowan - 66th Birthday, did absolutely nothing. Just moving forward.

Rick Ashburn - 23rd wedding anniversary, deferred to father-in-law Fillinger who had nothing to say.

Conrad Breece - Celebrated his birthday and Father's Day with 90+ year old dad.

Hays Englehart - Celebrated 37th anniversary with Regina by cutting up chickens at Three Quarter Century Club event.

John Fazel - Celebrated 77th birthday with dinner in Sacramento

Charlie Franklin - Celebrated 54th wedding anniversary, and Terry's birthday at the same time.

Mark Roberts - Formed quorum in Orinda, instead of celebrating wedding anniversary with Claire.

Thomas Peeks - Celebrated 35 great years with Yolanda at a terrific restaurant in San Francisco.

David Isenberg - Lied shamelessly about outdoing Marggraff's hourly emails, by proclaiming power point presentation to honor Evie, on their 26 years of wedded bliss, by flying her to Paris for dinner. Balderdash! Heavy fining should have ensued.

Cal Lee admitted joining the Club in 1993 and hasn't figured a way out ever since. (I made that last part up, but figured it is likely the truth).

PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS ARE ALIVE AND WELL

Don Jenkins brought Steve Lack to the lectern to announce four Lamorinda Sunrise Paul Harris Society Members: Susan Wait, Hays Englehart, Brad Davis and Chuck Bove. All you have to do to become a Society Member is to pledge (and then deliver) $1,000 per year to the Paul Harris Rotary Foundation. Steve expounded on what good things then happen as he likes to call us the adventurers of the World and that to Engage Rotary Changes Lives. District Grants have been awarded this year to Weaverville and Alamo for Fresh Water and Educational projects in Africa.

LACK PAYS JENKINS BACK

By turning the tables on Don with a Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding work in the District and Nationally.

USO FREE CONCERT UNDER THE STARS

Mark the date: Saturday, July 19th, 5:30 to 8:30 PM at the new stage at the Reservoir. This concert is sponsored by the Fab Five Lamorinda and Rossmoor Clubs. All veterans are requested to make themselves known so they may be honored along with active troops from Travis Air Force Base and other veterans in the Bay area. The Rossmoor big band will be playing and accompanying the "Swinging Blue Stars" (think Andrew Sisters), singing songs from WW II.

Volunteers are requested to help set up and take down for the event. Mo Levich needs to be informed the names of the participants who will participate, by July 14. There will be concert banners around town advertising the concert and also on the Safeway sign. Bring a picnic snack and a blanket. There will be chairs for the elderly or infirmed, and a cart to get them up the hill to the band stand.

PROGRAM: China, Random Thoughts and Reflections

Zhan Li is a Professor of Marketing and the Dean of the School of Economics and Business Administration

at St. Mary's College. He has successfully led the School to obtain initial Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation; which translates to having the highest quality faculty, relevant and challenging curriculum and career opportunities not found at other business schools. Only 5% of the business schools in the world have the AACSB accreditation.

He has guided the School to its highest enrollment in the history of the College for both the undergraduate and graduate programs. The Schools undergraduate business degree, Executive MBA Program (largest in the Bay Area) and Hybrid Executive MBA Program all receive outstanding recognition in the nation.

Prior to joining St. Mary's College, Dr. Li was Associate Dean of USF School of Business, taught at the Haas UC-Berkeley School of Business, Boston College and Peking University of China. He is a multi-national corporate consultant, an often published researcher in leading academic journals and practical periodicals by Harvard Business School Publishing. He holds MBA and Doctorate degrees from Boston University and Bachelor of Engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology, China.

As his presentation title describes, he skipped around with widely differing subjects about China, in no particular sequence, with the objective of encouraging dialogue at 7:45 am on a Friday morning.

The perception is that China is growing much faster in GDP than other countries in the world, including the U.S. Dr. Li's premise is that GDP alone is not that important. GDP per capita is more meaningful and takes into account the huge population differential that exists in both China and India.

Chinese spend time dancing, gambling. They are quickly evolving from bikes to cars to bullet trains and sleeper cars. There is improvement in living standards, infrastructure and labor productivity growth. Chinese migrant workers are making a major contribution to the economy. One benefit is low inflation. Concerns are social issues, housing and health care. They send money home, which helps to improve living conditions in the villages. They also return home after earning enough money in the cities, which leads to urban manpower shortages.

China is number two in foreign investments. They actively push investments going out into the world. China has acquired companies like Volvo. The investment goals are access to natural resources, new markets and new capabilities, especially technology.

The one child policy is okay for China. The execution of that policy is the issue. There is a saying in China that "six pockets feed one mouth." Meaning a single child benefits economically from the resources of two parents and four grandparents. The downside is that single child is also culturally duty bound to care for these six providers in their later years. Single child policy has resulted in increased individual purchasing power, materialism and entitlement and rise of individualism. There are not enough women being born and salary costs are rising in the work force. It calls into question the work ethics of a new generation and competitiveness in the future. There is definitely less support for an aging population.

The question was asked about danger of doctrinal purity being imposed on the entrepreneurial spirit in China. Where is the tipping point for the Central Government to clamp down on these tendencies? Dr. Li replied that is always possible, but personal friends who are skeptics about China have recently visited and came back with the rather astounding observation that they observed more capitalism occurring in China today than what is happening here in the U.S. A final interesting observation to be pondered is that 200 years ago the United States was considered a source of cheap labor, while Europe was considered the super-power of the world!

To another question as to how it is that Dr. Li began life in a village in China, came to the U.S. as a young man with $400 to get started and progressed to standing before us today, with his remarkable background? His response was "I am going to write a book. You will have to buy it and read it to get your answer." This was a perfect ending to an outstanding, provocative presentation. By all means mission accomplished Dr. Li and a return engagement would be warmly welcomed.