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2007
2 October - Club assembly - no speaker
25 September -
18 September -
11 September -
4 September - Speaker: Dr. Lee V. Ansell of Foundation Surgical
Hospital, a Premier Specialized Orthopedic and Spine Care
hospital in Houston. . They are pioneers for joint replacement
programs and spinal surgery procedures which include minimally
invasive surgeries, spinal disc replacement and many other surgical
interventions techniques.
The trend in modern surgery is to find increasingly less invasive and traumatic ways to treat the various ailments that require operations. The surgeons and staff at Foundation Surgical Hospital in Houston, Texas, are committed to developing and adopting the latest techniques for treating degenerative problems of the spine and joints. One of these problems is lumbar spinal stenosis which results from degenerative arthritis of the spine. It is a common problem and a consequence of the normal wear and tear on the joints of our spine. The discs and associated joints enlarge as a result of the arthritis. The spinal canal slowly becomes narrow, and eventually this puts pressure on the nerves when a person stands. The person experiences pain that usually starts in the low back as soon as they stand, then gradually goes down the legs and gets worse the longer they stand or walk. As soon as they sit down, the pain subsides. When a person is sitting, there’s usually no pressure on the nerves. When they stand, the spinal canal gets slightly narrower and the nerves get pinched (which causes the pain). It is a problem that usually requires surgery; non-surgical treatments are seldom very effective. Traditionally, it required a laminectomy, a procedure that involves extensive removal of the overgrown bone and joint material, is often quite painful, and requires weeks for recovery. A newer procedure, Interspinous distraction decompression, requires little if any bone removal, takes much less time to perform, and usually results in much less post-operative pain. Patients usually resume normal activities within one to two weeks, as opposed to eight to twelve weeks for laminectomy. Dr. Ansell will discuss the condition of lumbar spinal stenosis and the interspinous distraction decompression procedure and entertain questions afterwards.’
28 August - Speaker: Our own Dr. Joel Brende will be talking about the rewards of doing make-ups at other Rotary Clubs and how to do an e-Club makeup.
21 August - Dan Rodriquez , visiting Rotarian from the Jurupa
Rotary Club of Redlands, California. Dan will provide a vivid account
of their clubs’ assistance to the community of Pass Christian,
Mississippi, which was virtually destroyed by Hurricane Katrina on
August 29, 2005. The storm surge from Hurricane Katrina that hit Pass
Christian was estimated at 30-37 feet, leveling Pass Christian up to
half a mile inland from the shore of the Gulf of Mexico. In 2006, much
of the city remained empty and deserted.
The Rotary Clubs of District 5330 in the Riverside and San Bernardino
Counties of California, created a group called ‘STARS’ (Service to
American Rotarians) to identify and assist in projects that would
benefit other Rotarians in need. Dan Rodriguez, through his club and
other clubs in STARS, traveled to Pass Christian to assist in
community reconstruction projects.
14 August - Lou Christine, a "contemporary American folk writer”
who just returned from a series of visits to Cuba will be the guest
speaker at the Midday Rotary club meeting on Tuesday, August 14th. His
talk will be “One Man’s view of Cuba”.
Christine has penned five-fiction novels, and a number of screenplays
and essays. He has authored a reference work, incorporating his
20-year study of Chinese Astrology. Since 1995 he's been steady
contributor inside the Atencion. During 2005, Christine wrote and
produced his original stage play, "Loose Ends," that had a successful
run here in SMA. Currently, Lou Christine manages the San Miguel VIP
and also acts as Sales Manager and Field Editor for Show Daily, a
magazine dedicated to antiquities that is distributed twice a year in
Central Texas. His piece, "San Miguel Writers: Prolific and
Notorious," chronicles famous writers who have resided here, and has
been chosen by the San Miguel's Authors Sala as the book's "forward"
in "The San Miguel Anthology," slated to be published this coming
October.
7 August - Dr. Cesar A. Gil Hoyos of Medico Cirujano y Homeopata, will be the guest speaker. Dr. Gil will be talking about alternative medicine and anti-aging.
31 July - Speaker: Ed Clancy, American Consul in San Miguel de
Allende discussed the intricacies of his role as Consul, and the
interaction he has with local authorities.
24 July - Speaker: Susana Alonso Martinez. A presentation on
Stained Glass production....a cultural experience.
In her presentation, she will discuss the history and techniques used
in stained glass production.
A graphic designer by profession, Susana has specialized in the design
and manufacture of stained glass at Oregon State University, where she
also studied photography, weaving and ceramics. Upon returning to
Queretaro, she became a stained glass designer. Susana has developed
major glass projects for public and private institutions as well as
residences in major Mexican cities.
Susana Alonso now resides in San Miguel with her family, where she continues to design and teach
the various stained glass processes.
17 July - Speaker: Dr. David E. Rowe, President of Patronato Pro Niños. Dr. Rowe will speak about the role of his organization in our community.
Founded in 1970, Patronato Pro Niños de San Miguel de Allende, A. C. is a non-profit, non-government organization dedicated to providing free or low-cost care to low-income children in the municipality of San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. Last year, they provided medical attention to more than 2,500 children and dental care to more than 2,000 children. The work of Patronato Pro Niños is carried out through fund-raising efforts, the support of national and foreign volunteers and the assistance of their administrative team.
10 July - Club Assembly. President Gordon Logan presents ideas for the coming year.
3
July - Speakers:
Joanie Barcal, Dr.
Roberto Maxwell, and Lee Carter. Hospice services are much
needed in San Miguel. With over 8000 permanent expatriate
residents who have made San Miguel their home and 68,000 national
residents, there are no adequate services for quality end-of-life
comfort care. Hospices in the United States and other countries
offer a team of professionals who provide physical, emotional,
spiritual care to those facing grave illnesses. Hospice care is
for the patient and his family caregivers. Beginning in
the summer of 2007, San Miguel will have its own hospice providing the
same standard of care found throughout the world.
Hospice adds life to days when days can no longer be added to life.
Past efforts to create a hospice in San Miguel have been unsuccessful
because of the lack of medications and the ability to alleviate pain.
Hospice San Miguel has fortunately been able to resolve this issue.
Hospice San Miguel, an effort
of over 2500 volunteer hours to date, will be ready to provide this
comprehensive service in the summer of 2007. Many of us
consider San Miguel our home. Yet, we are “forced” to abandon our home
and go elsewhere for comfort treatment at the end of our lives. That
is no longer the case.
30 June - Party for Rotarians, awards, induction of new officers for the year 2007-2008.
26 June - Rotarian Robert Baines showed videos of the District conference.
19 June - Closed session to discuss issues of importance to the Club.
12 June - Speaker - Donald Patterson, Director of Environment and Ecology, for San Miguel de Allende. In the prior administration he served in the Department of Urban Development. Mr. Patterson will discuss his 3 year plan for the Department of Environment and Ecology.
5 June - No speaker. Club assembly.
29 May - Speaker: Roberto Salcedo, a local businessman and a member of the cultural group called “Fiestas, Costumbres y Tradiciones.”
An aficionado of San Miguel’s culture and history, Salcedo discussed one of the most sacred plants of the high plains of Mexico—the Magey. He believes strongly that San Miguel should become a World Heritage Site (UNESCO) and has been working with local government officials so that the city will qualify for that designation.
22 May - Speaker: Guillermo Mendez. Mr. Mendez is prominent locally and stateside for his considerable knowledge of Mexico’s ancient civilizations. This is was an abbreviated version of his 90 minute lecture ANCIENT CULTURES OF MEXICO, PART I. This lecture introduced the Olmec, Teotihuacan, Toltec and Aztec cultures and focuses on distinguishing between them.
15 May - Speaker: Dr. Martha Susan Horton, a practicing psychologist and founder of The Amate Institute. The Amate Institute offers healing options for those in the final phases of life, their caregivers, and those touched by addictions of all sorts. She works with both Spanish and English-speaking individuals. Dr. Horton spoke on "Achieving Emotional Maturity, Meaning and Fulfillment in Adulthood."
8 May -
Ariel Roland, a college student at Belmont Abbey, N.C.
shared her mission experiences in the swamps of Nairobi, Kenya where
she recently adopted an orphan at the Mogra Star Orphanage in
Nairobi. She will tell us about the conditions in that part of
Africa.
1 May -
Speakers are Canadian sculptors, painters and acrobat,
Nisha
and Dan Ferguson. Dan is the sculptor and mold maker, and
Nisha is the designer and painter.
Now known as DaNisha Sculpture, they exhibit
their work in prestigious galleries and boutiques throughout Canada,
Mexico and the United States. Dan, Nisha and the two sons, Joshua and
Julian relocated to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico three years ago.
Nisha, also an accomplished acrobat and choreographer, founded the
successful performance troop in Ontario know as “Gravityworks”.
In San Miguel de Allende, Nisha now has a new aerial dance
troupe, “Gravityworks South”.
24 April - Second time Speaker: Ali Zerriffi, President of the Biblioteca Publica He spoke about some of the innovations which have taken place at the Library during his 3 year administration including the new software system that is just being implemented in order to better catalogue the library collection of more than 60,000 books.
17 April - Speaker Ronald Ruiz - Illegal immigration in the United States is a subject with no clear answers. Mr. Ruiz knows that there is no ready solution to this very complex problem. However, he recognizes that government has to do something soon to deal with the economic, social and security implications of this phenomenon. In his talk, he will bring his own special legal and political perspective to bear in providing various options for handling the illegal immigration problem.
10 April - Speaker: Anne Wilson - talking about the “Grandes y Chicas” program that she has established in San Miguel. Based on the international model of Big Sisters, the program has been used successfully at Casa Hogar-San Julia Don Bosco girl's refuge.
3 April - Speaker: Bill LeVasseur, the owner and curator of “The Other Face of Mexico Mask Museum’ (“La Otra Cara De Mexico”), discussing some of the dance celebrations he has observed in towns and villages all over Mexico, including a video which graphically shows how these indigenous masks fit in with the local culture.
27 March - Speaker: Mark Hill. Mark is the Managing
Director of Ecosystem Sciences Foundation in Boise, Idaho, which is
involved in water issues in Mexico, particularly in the San Miguel
area. 
Several
years ago, Ecosystem Sciences Foundation completed a comprehensive
appraisal of the whole Rio Laja watershed, and has extensive knowledge
of this area regarding all aspects of water issues. Currently,
they are starting the second phase of a project to bring clean water
to villages with wells contaminated with arsenic and
fluoride. Contamination is a consequence of pumping so deep into the
Independent Aquifer that many village wells are in prehistoric water
laced with poisons.
The other
project is a PES (Payment for Environmental Services) project. It
will improve the water quantity and quality in a tributary from the
Pechaco Mountains outside San Miguel that flows into the Charco. They
are also working very close with the SMA Department of Ecology and the
new Director (Don Paterson) on a variety of environmental issues like
gravel extraction in the San Marcos river, cleaning up the presa and
developing pocket wetlands along the Rio Laja.
20 March - Speaker - Bob Leonard on
adopting villages for projects.
13 March - Speaker:
Dr. Annette Goodheart, Ph.D. Dr. Goodheart Is a licensed
phychotherapist, International presenter, trainer, laughter coach, and
author of "Laughter Therapy: How to Laugh About Everything In Your
Life That Isn't Really Funny". Dr.
Goodheart (her real name) uses laughter as well as everything else
she's learned In the past 37 years as a therapist, to help us see our
lives In a whole new light. She has been featured on Oprah
Winfrey, CNN, CBS TV "Charlie Rose Interview" with Norman Cousins &
Annette and many other national and international programs.
6 March -
Speaker: Jack Watson, currently a resident of San Miguel de
Allende, was Chief of Staff in the Carter Presidency. He chaired
a National Commission on the Vice Presidency which produced the book
A Heart Beat Away.
He serves as Vice Chairman of the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt
Institute in New York and as Commissioner of the National Portrait
Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
27 February - New Member Classification Talks. New Rotary Members give a 5-7 minute presentation of their background and experience. These talks have proven to be very beneficial, as they have opened doors to new avenues of service to Rotarians .
20 February - Speaker - Warren Hardy of Warren Hardy
Spanish on “'Social Protocol in Mexico”.
Warren Hardy became fluent in Spanish as a young man while living in Argentina. Before receiving his BS in Education from Northern Arizona University, he had already published his own Spanish textbook and started his school for adult learners. Since then, he has founded two other successful language schools; one here in San Miguel. He is a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow, an honor awarded for distinguished international service.
13 February
- Speaker: Frank M. Young with a presentation on ‘Developing a
Strategic Plan for China’. In
2000, his law firm,
Haskell/Slaughter, was selected as the Alabama member of TAGLaw, an
international association of law firms. In 2006, he was
appointed to Alabama Governor Bob Riley’s ‘China Task Force’ and was
part of the Governor’ Trade Mission to China.
February 6 - Speaker: Señor Hugo
Victoria. A native of Monterrey, Mr. Victoria was the creator
and operator of a famous chain of 5 natural food
restaurants and whole-wheat bakeries called “Sr. Natural”. He
discovered the benefits of ‘living foods’ when he worked as a
volunteer at the Ann Wigmore Institute in Puerto Rico in the early
nineties.
January 30 - Speaker: Richard McClarty, founder of Select
Real Estate on the SMA real estate market and the impact of some
controversial developments in the works. 
Richard has over 20 years of Sales and Marketing expertise. After graduation from Illinois Wesleyan University with a B.A. in English, Richard received his Illinois Real Estate license and successfully marketed homes and commercial properties. During this time, Richard successfully entered the foodservice business by opening a Colombo Frozen Yoghurt shop that eventually led to divesting the store to become National Sales Manager for Colombo.
January
23 - Speaker: Ross McDonald on the benefits of exercise to slow
down the aging process and to aid in physical rehabilitation.
At the age of 60, he went into competitive power lifting and possibly
still holds 4 Texas records and 1 American record.
Ross moved to SMA 10 years ago and started training seniors here. Four years ago he purchased the gym on Calle Sterling Dickenson. The average age of his clientele is 78 – with 2 members over 90!
16 January - Speaker: Mayor Jesus Correa on his plans for San Miguel de Allende and what we as ex-patriots can do to help. Mayor Correa previously worked in Administration as Secretary to Mayor Luis Alberto Villarreal. He won the election in July and took office on October 10th, 2006.
9 January
- Donald Kwait, a former Trustee of the Rotary Foundation,
also Past Treasurer and Past Director of Rotary International, on
"Keeping our Promise on Polio Plus”. As Zone Coordinator for the
Polio Eradication Fund Raising Committee in 2002-03, his zones raised
over 11.4 million and were the second out of 17 paired districts in
the Rotary world!