PERSPECTIVES FOURTH QUARTER 2016
Inside:
President’s Message, Member Profile, Book
Group Notes, Reservation Coupons, Program
Schedules, and WAC news and information.
SAVE THE DATES:
THE GLOBAL RACE FOR CLEANER
ENERGY
Friday, Oct. 14, 2016. Noon
Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club
U.S., LIBYA, AND THE RISE OF
THE ISLAMIC STATE
Thursday, Oct. 27, 2016, 7:30 p.m.
Spring Lake Village Auditorium
GUNS VS. BUTTER: Security and
Foreign Policy in the U.S.
Election or the Pocketbook
Election?
Friday, Nov. 4, Noon
Fountaingrove Inn, Camelot Room
WHOSE HERITAGE IS THIS?
Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, 1:30 p.m.
Schroeder Hall, SSU
SCHOOLS FOR SALONE
Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016, 7:30 p.m.
Spring Lake Village Auditorium
2017 ANNUAL DINNER
Friday, January 13, 2017
Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club
Details within …
WAC MEMBERSHIPS TO GO UP IN PRICE
In the President’s Message (inside) I note that membership dues have not
increased in 15 years. I also, of course, note that we must at last break this long,
proud streak. Here are important details that pertain to the Board’s discussions on
this issue:
The main drivers of our cost increases are:
a) Speaker Program costs: these include hotel, travel, and incidental meals.
Note that as a matter of policy, we do not pay fees or honoraria to our speakers..
b) Audio-Visual expenses: speakers’ programs using AV equipment are
occurring more often and are increasingly more technical, requiring hired
professional operators.
c) Insurance: liability and directors’ and officers’ insurances are necessary to
protect WACSC financially and legally, and these costs have increased.
d) Other costs such as administrative, communications and WACA national
dues are also rising.
Your Board looks for cost savings whenever possible and operates as frugally
as possible.
Below is a chart showing the dues-paying membership categories:
Membership
Existing Dues
Dues Increase
Cost Per Year
Individual
$35
$10
$45
Senior
$20
$15
$35
Family
$50
$15
$65
Senior dual
$35
$20
$55
Sustaining
$100+
None
$100+
Note that the increased dues will occur only with new memberships or
renewals after January 1, 2017. It will take about a year for WAC to receive all the
increased membership revenues; WAC reserves are easily able to cover any
shortfalls during this period.
The subject of philanthropy is quite relevant at this time! Voluntary contributions by those who are able will help keep the organization strong and productive.
Please consider becoming a Sustaining Member at $100 per year or making a
(tax-deductible!) donation in another amount to WACSC.
Lastly, I should note that approximately half of our programs are luncheons,
but the cost of these meals is fully offset by those paying to attend these events.
There is no cost to our overall membership, nor does it affect WAC’s financial
situation.
The Board’s decision to raise dues did not come quickly. It took several
Continued on page 6
The World
The World
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AffairsCouncil
Council ofof
Sonoma
Sonoma
County
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is a non-profit,
is a non-profit,
nonpartisannon-partisan
membership organization
organization
dedicated
dedicated
to providing
to providing
greater
greater
awareness
awareness and
and
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understanding
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of foreign
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VisitVisit
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President’s Message
money matters. The bottom line is that we need to raise our
membership dues effective January 2017 to maintain WAC’s
strong financial position. Raising dues is never pleasant, but
rising overhead costs make the decision necessary to
maintain the number and quality of our speaker programs.
Our Council has benefited in recent years from ample
reserves that covered our increased expenses. Future financial
projections indicate that we shouldn’t rely on our reserves any
longer, and that the time has come to raise dues.
Your Board has examined this issue very thoroughly
and looked at alternatives. My article in this Perspectives
details many of our considerations. Rest assured that this
dues increase will be sufficient to cover existing and
projected costs. I am pleased to note that WAC has not
raised dues in over 15 years and that your Board does not
intend this to be a regular event! WAC programs remain a
great bargain; our expert speakers provide us with understanding and knowledge of world affairs for a price you
cannot find anywhere else.
In conclusion, I hope you have a pleasant fall season. I
look forward to seeing you at upcoming WAC events!
— Mike Morrison
I hope all of you had a pleasant and relaxing summer. As
fall arrives it’s time for another President’s Message. This
time the Message runs from the sad, due to the loss of a
colleague, to the financial.
As some of you may know, long-time
WAC member, Board Member, PastPresident, and all-around great human
being, Bill Anderson, passed away
recently. Bill’s involvement dates back to
the early days of WACSC. Over many
years he gave enormous energy and put
Mike Morrison in countless hours to make our Council
the great organization it is today. Bill was
smart, saw issues from all sides, worked well with everyone,
and was unfailingly pleasant. All who met him were impressed and considered him their friend. He will be greatly
missed. To get a better idea of what an extraordinary person
Bill was, please see the article about him in this issue of
Perspectives. If an Other Worldly Affairs Council exists, Bill
has likely already joined the Board, and if such a group
doesn’t exist, Bill is working to start one, as well as a full suite
of other community efforts.
This Perspectives also features an article from me on
IN LOVING MEMORY
BILL ANDERSON
“You shouldn’t be doing this,” Bill remarked as I sat down
Bill would be happy to share from his background as an
to conduct my interview a few months ago: “Featuring me
executive at printing and paper firms. When the world’s oldest
serves no purpose.” I was gathering information for a piece
joint-stock company, Stora Enso, celebrated its 700th anniverabout Bill as one of my first tasks as the new Perspectives
sary in Sweden, what proud Swedish-American was a VIP
Editor, a post that he had gently persuaded me
guest? Bill, of course. During his life of travel,
to take over from him in April. He finally agreed
Bill visited 46 countries, including favorites like
to be interviewed when I assured him that the
Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Vietnam and
interview would highlight his appreciation for
Cambodia. Bill embodied WAC’s mission to
the World Affairs Council (WAC), an organizaengage with other countries and cultures.
tion he loved.
A native of Oakland and graduate of UC
Bill’s interest in world affairs grew from his
Berkeley, Bill’s professional career took him
life experiences. Name an interesting place or
away from the Bay Area for years at a time, but
event abroad and Bill had usually been there. He
he always managed to return. When at last he
was among the first Americans in Tokyo after
retired, in 1994, he directed his energy and
the Japanese surrender in WWII, stepping off the
experience into volunteer service. Bill and his
Bill Anderson
USS Chenango to take coal-powered taxies around
wife, Ann, joined WAC early in their Santa Rosa
the impoverished city. (He never returned to Japan. When I
years, and Bill brought his considerable professional skills to
mentioned that my wife and I had visited Tokyo recently, he
bear on behalf of our organization. His 16 years as a member of
remarked, “I bet it’s different now” — a lovely example of Bill’s
our Council affirmed for him the important role that the Coundry humor.) Care to learn a little bit about European paper
cil serves in our community. “WAC makes more people aware
mills and the international scope of the fine-paper industry?
of international affairs and gives us an opportunity to learn
PERSPECTIVES
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FOURTH QUARTER 2016
Anderson, continued from prior page
from experts on happenings around the globe,” he said. Bill was
particularly pleased with the development of our Sonoma
County Council, noting, “We can be proud of the fact that as
an all-volunteer Council, operating without any paid staff, we
are well managed, offer consistently high-quality speakers, and
are favorably viewed by other Councils across the country.”
Bill valued the many interesting and accomplished friends
he made in WAC, and was proud that he helped to grow the
Council and secure its reputation for outstanding speaker
programs. An Oakmont friend’s description of Bill’s wholehearted, full-throttle approach to volunteer efforts certainly
describes the energy he brought to our group: “Bill was
pressed to become president of practically everything he ever
joined.” In the case of our Council, Bill served not only as
President, but at various times as Perspectives Editor, Editor
Emeritus, Program Committee member, and long-serving
Board member.
When editing Perspectives, Bill was famous for insisting on
a strict 200-word limit per piece, to the chagrin of some of his
contributors. This article greatly exceeds that limit, and Bill
would not have approved. His many friends in WACSC would
protest that there are not words enough.
Bill’s friends are invited to attend a celebration of his life at
2:00 p.m. on Friday, October 7, 2016, in the Berger Center, 6637
Oakmont Drive in Oakmont.
— Mark Stapp
Meal Reservation Advice
To avoid disappointment when reserving for meal service meetings be sure to mail your
reservation with check before the deadline date. Space is always limited, so reservations are
accepted until we are sold out or until the deadline date, whichever comes first. If you arrive
without a recorded reservation, we probably won’t be able to seat you.
Reservation Coupons: (Mail Before Deadline Date!)
Mail your check with relevant portion of this form to: WACSC, P.O. BOX 1433, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
For more information, call 573-6014
_ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _
10/14/16–THE GLOBAL RACE FOR CLEANER ENERGY (Jeffrey Ball)
Noon, Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club
Members: $30; Non-members: $35 (Reservations due: 10/7)
_____Chicken Marsala _____Spinach Onion Frittata
Name_____________________________________________ Phone No._____________________________
_ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _
11/4/16–SECURITY & FOREIGN POLICY IN U.S. ELECTION (David McCuan)
Noon, Fountaingrove Inn, Camelot Room
Members: $30; Non-members: $35 (Reservations due 10/28)
_____Roasted Pork Loin _____Mushroom Ravioli
Name_____________________________________________ Phone No._____________________________
FOURTH QUARTER 2016
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PERSPECTIVES
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2016
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2016
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4
THE GLOBAL RACE FOR CLEANER
ENERGY
U.S., LIBYA, AND THE RISE OF THE
ISLAMIC STATE
Noon, Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club
333 Country Club Drive, Santa Rosa
Members: $30; Non-members: $35
Reservations due: 10/7
7:30 p.m., Spring Lake Village Auditorium
5555 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa
Members & SLV free: Visitors $5
GUNS VS. BUTTER: Security and
Foreign Policy in the 2016 U.S.
Election or the Pocketbook
Election?
Jeffrey Ball, Scholar-in-Residence,
Stanford University’s Steyer-Taylor Center
for Energy Policy and Finance; writer and
lecturer
Mr. Ball will discuss the “sharp fights
and hard
lessons”
occurring as the
nations of the
world search for
cleaner energy
sources. At the
Steyer-Taylor
Center, he
heads a project exploring how China and
the U.S. might deploy cleaner energy
more efficiently if each one played to its
economic strengths.
He came to Stanford in 2011 from
The Wall Street Journal where he spent
14 years as reporter, columnist, and as
the paper’s Environment Editor. He has
been awarded many prizes for his
writings, and has appeared on major
media networks including PBS, NPR,
CNN, and BBC. His articles regularly
appear in The Atlantic, Fortune, The New
Republic, Foreign Affairs, The Wall Street
Journal, Slate, and other publications.
Mr. Ball graduated from Yale
University. He and his wife are Resident
Fellows of Roble Hall, a Stanford undergraduate house, where they live with
their two daughters.
Lane Olson, Sponsor
See Program &
Book Reviews online at
www.wacsc.org
PERSPECTIVES
Ethan Chorin, former Foreign Service
Officer in Libya; CEO of Perim
Associates; author
Libya today is in a very dangerous
situation, with ISIS occupying part of the
country and challenging the very weak
Libyan government. As an expert on
Libya, Dr. Chorin will give us the
background on modern Libya and bring
us up to date on its current affairs.
Dr. Chorin was a Foreign Service
Officer assigned to the U.S. embassy in
Tripoli, receiving a Meritorious Honor
Award. As an Arabic speaker, he understood what led to
the departure of
Colonel Qaddafi
and the Libyan
revolution. He
was a member of
President
Obama’s 2008
campaign foreign
policy advisory
group, an
executive with a Dubai-based multinational company, and a cofounder the
Avicenna humanitarian group. He
received two Fulbright Fellowships to
Yemen and Jordan.
He has published journal articles and
books, including: Exit the Colonel: The
Hidden History of the Libyan Revolution;
Translating Libya: In Search of the Libyan
Short Story; and, most recently, Compound Error: The U.S., Libya, and the Rise
of the Islamic State.
Dr. Chorin received his B.A. from
Yale; his M.A. from Stanford; and his
Ph.D. from Berkeley. He resides in
Berkeley.
Barbara Fry, Sponsor
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Noon, Fountaingrove Inn, Camelot Room
101 Fountaingrove Parkway, Santa Rosa
Members: $30; Non-members: $35
Reservations due: 10/28
Dr. David McCuan, Professor of Political
Science, Sonoma State University; faculty
member with U.C. Davis-Sonoma State
Joint Doctorate
American elections traditionally
focus on the economy and the condition
of voters’ pocketbooks. The 2016 cycle is
distinct. Dr.
McCuan discusses
changes in the
American
electorate that are
altering issues of
importance to
voters. The
economy still
matters, but
foreign affairs, security policy, and
international events increasingly drive
elections and public opinion. We look at
the impact of world events on our
presidential election and the likely
implications for governing after the
cheering ends.
Prior to coming to SSU, Dr. McCuan
was a visiting scholar at the Institute of
Governmental Affairs, UC Berkeley, and
an Assistant Professor at the California
Maritime Academy. He was awarded a
Fulbright Scholarship to Masaryk
University in the Czech Republic. Dr.
McCuan’s research interests include
American Politics and International
Relations, focusing on the impact of
“direct democracy” ballot measures.
McCuan writes commentary and makes
frequent appearances on all major
media outlets.
Linda Lambert, Sponsor
FOURTH QUARTER 2016
PROGRA
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1:30 p.m., Schroeder Hall,
Green Music enter, SSU
Joint presentation with SSU/Osher
Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)
No admission charge. Must RSVP online
or with SSU Box Office at 866-955-6040.
See WACSC website for details.
$5 parking fees, payable on campus.
Dr. Margaret Purser, Professor and
Chair, Department of Anthropology,
Sonoma State University
A Syrian militant
group destroys the
World Heritage
ancient site of Palmyra, loots similar sites
and sells the artifacts
on the international
art market. The island
nation of Kiribati
petitions for international heritage funding to preserve its
identity as a people and culture when its
physical location disappears under rising
seas. These examples and dozens more
illustrate the increasingly complicated
concept of “heritage” in the early 21st
century. Scholars, officials, pundits, and
advocates alike struggle with what the
term “heritage” means. Dr. Purser will
explore how global heritage policies and
the lucrative, politically-salient global
“heritage industry” play a role in stoking
certain conflicts and mediating between
other conflicting parties.
Dr. Purser received her doctorate in
anthropology from the University of
California, Berkeley in 1987. Having been
at Sonoma State University since 1989,
she now serves as chair of the Anthropology Department. She teaches courses in
historical archaeology, cultural landscape
studies, and contemporary heritage
studies, and supervises thesis research
design and implementation in the
master’s program in Cultural Resource
Management.
WAC and OLLI are pleased to jointly
sponsor this unique event, which we
hope will be the beginning of an ongoing
and fruitful partnership. SSU’s new
president, Dr. Judy Sakaki, will make
welcome remarks. Note that this program requires an online RSVP—details
are available on WAC’s website.
Lane Olson, Sponsor
2017 Annual WACSC Dinner
World Affairs Council of Sonoma County will hold its 2017 Annual Dinner
at the Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club on Friday, January 13. The chosen
speaker is Anja Manuel, Co-founder and Partner of RiceHadleyGates, LLC.
This firm was founded by Condoleezza Rice, Stephen Hadley, and Robert
Gates, all top officials of the George W. Bush administration. Ms. Manuel
served as Special Assistant to Nicholas Burns, Under Secretary of State for
Political Affairs. She was part of the negotiating team for The U.S.-India
Civilian Nuclear Agreement that was passed by Congress. She has also played
an influential role in developing U.S. policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan.
She is the author of This Brave New World: India, China and the United States.
Reservation forms will be available in December. We hope you will join us
for a memorable evening.
FOURTH QUARTER 2016
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2016
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2016
WHOSE HERITAGE IS THIS?
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SCHOOLS FOR SALONE
7:30 p.m., Spring Lake Village Auditorium
5555 Montgomery Drive, Santa Rosa
Members & SLV free: Visitors $5
Cindy Nofziger, Founder and Executive
Director, Schools for Salone
Dr. Robert Heavner, former Board
Member for Schools for Salone; clinical
psychologist
Ms. Nofziger
works to build
schools and train
teachers in Sierra
Leone. Dr. Heavner
provides therapy
services to African
asylum refugees
who have survived trauma and torture.
Ms. Nofziger and Dr. Heavner will
describe the
challenges of
creating indigenous partnerships, anticipating crises, and
addressing
fundamental
needs in education and health through
international initiatives.
Schools for Salone (SfS) partners
with villages in Sierra Leone to rebuild
the schools devastated in the civil war
that ended in 2002. Since 2005, SfS has
constructed twenty schools and three
libraries, numerous water wells, latrines
and sanitary stations, provided learning
materials, scholarships, and more. Early
in 2016, a new reproductive health
education initiative was launched.
During the Ebola crisis, SfS sent funds
for health education, sanitation supplies,
and emergency food relief, thus preventing the spread of Ebola into their school
communities.
Cindy and Robert were Peace Corps
Volunteers in Sierra Leone. The couple
live in Seattle.
Linda Lambert, Sponsor
PERSPECTIVES
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he World Affairs Council Book
Group read a most inspiring book
before our summer break this year,
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the
Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee
Vance. If you are not familiar with Elon
Musk and his many accomplishments, we
highly recommend this fascinating book.
Disrupting the automotive world, solar
energy, and space flight are just three of
his main goals. All of this is being done by
one very complicated and brilliant man in
the quest to ensure a future for mankind
in a world faced with an unprecedented
array of perils. Compelling reading!
Dreamland: The True Tale of
America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam
Quinones was a perfectly-timed book.
We read it just as consciousness of the
extent and damage caused by opiate
addiction seemed to rise to the surface in
our national conversation. The author
managed to involve us in the individual
stories of those affected. We came to
understand the various threads that were
being woven together out of our sight as
PERSPECTIVES
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it all developed into a nationwide
phenomenon. Addicting prescription
opiates were offered freely to patients
who were experiencing pain from a
variety of sources. When they ran out of
their prescriptions and stopped the
medication, the side effects of withdrawal drove many to substitutes. A small
group from one rancho in Mexico
developed a system of delivery similar to
a pizza delivery to serve addicts with a
form of heroin at affordable prices. Rural
areas were particularly targeted because
large criminal organizations had control
of cities. Thus, the scourge spread
throughout America. A significant
number of deaths due to overdoses
brought it to light, and we are still
working to find solutions. Again, a
recommended read.
After a summer break, our Fall book
is Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards,
Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal
Dictators, Fading Empires, and the
Coming Collision of the World’s Superpowers by Simon Winchester. This
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ambitious book attempts to distill the
essence of the Pacific in 444 pages, a tall
order as you can surmise from the title.
As always, we welcome new members to our Book Group. If you are
interested, please call 573-6014 for more
information.
Pat Mai
Membership increase,
from page 1
months of discussions and financial
analysis. On August 15 the Board voted
to increase the dues on renewed and new
memberships effective January 1, 2017. If
anyone would like to further discuss the
increase or the Board’s decision process,
please contact me at mbmorrison17@
yahoo.com. If you find the dues increase
to be a financial hardship, please contact
Pat Givens at pgivens@sonic.net—WAC
does not want financial concerns to limit
our membership. The Board and I thank
you for your understanding of this
situation.
Mike Morrison
President
FOURTH QUARTER 2016
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WACSC Volunteer Management Team
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*Mike Morrison, President
*Kathy Riley, Vice-President; Program Committee Chair; A/V Director
*Judy Burness, Secretary
*Perry Ritenour, Treasurer; Treasurer’s Advisory Group
Tom Gemetti, Assistant Treasurer; Treasurer’s Advisory Group
Jim Jepson, Assistant Treasurer: Treasurer’s Advisory Group
*Paul Willihnganz, Immediate Past President
*Dale Schmid, At large
*Pat Kocher, Membership
*Brantly Richardson, Administration
*Bob Kirk, Past President; Publicity
*Leanna Breese, Program Committee Logistics Coordinator
*Pat Givens, Past President; Human Resources Coordinator; Program Committee
*Mark Stapp, Academic Outreach; Perspectives Editor
Doris Evans, Perspectives Assistant Editor
Marvin Mai, Perspectives Distribution; Treasurer’s Advisory Group
*Alice Eurotas, Phone Line
*Pat Lewis, Reception; Hospitality
Joe Oliver, Webmaster
Jim York, Assistant Webmaster
Barbara Fry, Program Committee; Great Decisions Program
Mary Valentine, Program Committee
Lloyd von der Mehden, Program Committee
Richard Esperance, Program Committee
Joe Clendenin, Program Committee
Ashanthi Dissanayake, Program Committee
Joe Leadem, Program Committee
Linda Lambert, Program Committee
Lane Olson, Program Committee
Alex Avard, Program Committee Intern
Nancy & Rodgers Broomhead, Spring Lake Village Liaison
*Members of Board of Directors
E
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Perspectives
is published by
World Affairs Council of
Sonoma County
Address: P.O. Box 1433
Santa Rosa, CA 95402
Telephone: 707-573-6014
E-mail wacscca@gmail.com
Website: www.wacsc.org
Editorial Board: Leanna Breese,
Doris Evans, Paul Willihnganz,
Mike Morrison, Kathy Riley, Mark
Stapp.
Publisher: Jay Gamel
Sustaining Members
(These members have contributed in excess of membership fees)
Marie & George McKinney Judy Burness
Gerry French & Paul Willihnganz
Pat Givens
Viviann & Mark Stapp
Jean Schulz
Gladys Praplan, La Gare Restaurant Gertrude Reynaud
Jan & Harry Hufford
Barbara Fry
Leanna Breese & Alec Vance
Gail Ellestad
Carolyn & Bob Anschicks
Robert Gilchrist
Lynda Millspaugh & Mike Morrison Mary Valentine
Lyn & Ron Crocker
Kathleen Riley
Don & Marilyn Sanders
Joe Leadem
Jim & Jeannine Park
Jean McVeigh
Francis & Kathleen Rogers
Debra & George Schneider
Nancy & George Duncan
Corporate Member
Contributors: Mike Morrison,
Mark Stapp, Pat Mai, Lane Olson,
Barbara Fry and Linda Lambert.
Submission deadline
For next issue
December 1, 2016
Spring Lake Village
FOURTH QUARTER 2016
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PERSPECTIVES