‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia“No task is too big when done together by all.”

Rotary Club of Wahiawa-Waialua

Volume 9 Issue 24 – March 17th, 2022

The Hulali“The Reflector”
District Governor
Sandy MatsuiClub President
Keoni Ahlo

“Change Lives with Aloha”

The strength of our Club lies in its members“Rotary kindled the spark within me to look beyond myself
and embrace humanity.” RI President Shekhar Mehta

March is Water, Sanitation, andHygiene Month“During March, Rotary Water and Sanitation
Month, we're celebrating our commitment tocreate healthier communities by supplying
clean water and sanitation facilities to preventthe spread of infectious diseases.”
ACCESS TO TOILETS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Investing During
Uncertain Times
Service Above Self – Making a Difference

Editor – PP Geoff Horvathand claiming nearly 6000 lives while leaving
tremendous damage throughout the island.
Immediately after the typhoon, Rotary clubs fromvarious countries came to the rescue. Local clubs
responded with food supplies and worked with NGOs
to begin rebuilding homes. Once immediate relief wasprovided, the focus shifted to meet sanitaryrequirements in restoring water supply and theconstruction of toilet facilities.

Rotary clubs and partners built 222 toilets, six
rainwater collectors, seven communal handwashingstations, and 20 bio-sand filters. The project provided
more than 1,000 people with access to proper toilet
facilities and almost 600 people with a regular supply
of clean water.

From “over there” to “over here” – access totoilets changes lives

If you ask a Filipino living in a rural area of thePhilippines where they go to the toilet, they will turntheir head towards a non-specific direction and say“over there.” This means that they use any location thatgives them some sort of privacy to do their needs.
Women generally have to go longer distances to avoid
prying eyes and avoid assaults. In fact, when one talks
to local community health workers about the risks ofopen defecation, they tell you about parasitic andbacterial infections while also emphasizing the highpercentage of women being molested or harassed.
In November 2013, part of the Leyte province in thePhilippines was hit by the devastating typhoon Haiyan,
the country’s worst typhoon affecting 25 million people

The Rotary Club of Ormoc Bay identified the WAND
Foundation (Water, Agro-forestry, Nutrition andDevelopment) as having the expertise to construct
20,000 latrines together with various NGO’s

Rotary – 117 Years of Service to the World!

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua

‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia“No task is too big when done together by all.”immediately after the typhoon in the province of Samarin the Philippines. WAND Foundation’s previous
contacts with the Malmö (Sweden) International Rotary
Club, provided a natural connection to propose thisproject at the 8th Multi Club Workshop (MCW) held in
Ischia, Italy. The project was accepted by the MCW
and the partners applied for a global grant, which wasapproved in February 2016. Seven Rotary clubs andthree districts from Italy, the Philippines and Sweden
contributed to the US $52,000 project.

PP Geoff Horvath

Outside D5K
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Article by Clem van den Bersselaar, member of Rotary Club of Ormoc
Bay (Philippines)

World Water Day – March 22

Within D5K
ADG Josh Laguana – RC of Hickam-Pearl Harbor
Joanna Amberger – Founder of 3 Financial Group RC of Honolulu – Guest speaker

Central Oahu Events Center – Mango Street
Grill, Wahiawa

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RI President: Shekhar Mehta
District: Sandy Matsui
Asst. Dist. Govt: Joshua Laguana
Club President: Keoni Ahlo
IPP: Keoni Ahlo
President Elect: Jackie Barnes
Recording Secretary: Vacant
Treasurer: Paulette Kitchell-Fukumoto
Club Trainer: PP Doc Bill McKenzie &Marie Abatayo
Program/Speakers :PP Doc Bill McKenzie &PP Geoff Horvath
Membership: Aaron Agsalda & Rep
Amy Perruso
Foundation: PP Doc Bill McKenzie

Rotary – 117 Years of Service to the World!

Club Service: PE Jackie Barnes
Community Service: Mari Abatayo,
Rene Mancho
PP Doc Mill McKenzie
Intnl Service: PP Doc Bill McKenzie
PE Jackie Barnes
Youth Services: PP Geoff Horvath
Vocational Service: PP Geoff Horvath
Public Relations: Marie Abatayo
Rene Mancho
Amy Perruso
Sergeant at Arms: PP Geoff HorvathFundraising: Marie Abatayo
PP Doc Bill McKenzie,
PP Geoff Horvath
HRYF: PP Geoff HorvathNewsletter: PP Geoff Horvath‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia“No task is too big when done together by all.”Ending polio foreverRotary has been working to eradicate polio for over
35 years, and our goal of ridding the earth of thisdisease is in sight. We started in 1979 with vaccinationsfor 6 million children in the Philippines. Today,
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries where
polio remains endemic.
Help us in the final push.

Hawaii Rotary YouthFoundation (HRYF)
The final HRYF 2022 Finalist interviews will be held on
March 26th, via Zoom.

Jackie Barnes gave a HI $5 for being back in personfor our meetings.
PP Doc McKenzie gave a HI $5 in celebration of his
Dogs!
PP Geoff Horvath gave HI $10 for the services(Highway) Response provided during a car
breakdown and recent accident of a family member.
On time and on the spot!
Cash Crabbe gave a HI $5 for seeing every one andfor attend the wedding of his best friend, recently.
Joanne Amberger gave a HI $5 for being our guest
and for being foster parent to 5 kittens!
ADG Josh Laguana gave a HI $5 for making it up
here and announcing the upcoming District 5000
conference May 20-22 at the Disney Resort, Aulani, At
Ko Olina.

Recognitions for March 7 to March 20, 2022

None

Spouses’None

Anniversaries

Austin and Ty Kanamu

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None
HI
President Keoni Ahlo gave a HI $10 in thanks formeeting in person and for the support he is getting.
Derek Conselva gave a HI $5 in celebration ofThanksgiv….Uh, Saint Patricks’ Day and King
Kamehameha the III day!

What do you do when a member of the family has car
issues, like dying on the freeway?! You have to have it
towed to your residence for further transportation to
your family car mechanic? Then What do you do, when
said vehicle is involved in an accident. Sound farfetched? So, how about having that tow company tow
the wrecked vehicle to your residence but when they
got there, the car wasn’t there, but transported to thepolice impound yard? Then after the car was cleaned
out, Responsive took it off our hands! When this all
happened, we called Responsive Tow, run by Austin
Kanamu and his trusty partner, Ty! And responsive iswhat Austin was! He even told us where the car was
towed, so we could get it out of the impound yard. He
met us there, and after freeing the vehicle, hedelivered it to the residence. I bet you’d think it would
cost $$$$. But no! The fee was reasonable. A lot morereasonable than other tow companies.

Rotary – 117 Years of Service to the World!

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua

‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia“No task is too big when done together by all.”So, when disaster strikes and you are involved in a car
accident or stranded on the side of the road, it isimperative that you have a reputable and trustworthy
car transport company on speed dial. Highway
Response should be the name at the top of your list
when searching for a reliable emergency car towing
service. Located in Wahiawa, HI, they are known asWest Oahu’s premier towing company.

When you are looking for an affordable anddependable auto towing company you can trust, turnto Highway Response. Call them today at (808) 5947255 for an emergency tow or to have someone comeunlock your vehicle for you.

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“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I
remember. Involve me and I learn.” -BenjaminFranklin

Latest towing technology

This family-owned business understands how nervewracking it can be to be stranded on the side of theroad when your vehicle has quit working. They pride
themselves on rapidly responding to every call theyreceive, safely towing your vehicle to your desired
location. They respond promptly to a variety of calls,from lockout assistance, flat tires, and fuel delivery to
tow away service, they do it all, offering their services
to the communities of Wahiawa, Mililani, and Schofield.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin, Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS),
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), andRoyal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), was an American
polymath (wide-ranging knowledge) who was active
as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat,
printer, publisher and political philosopher.

ROTARY MINUTE
How Did Rotary Get Its Name?

The injured vehicle being transported to the vehicle boneyard!

If you are a business owner or an apartment complex
manager and have had problems with individuals
parking in your private lot, call Highway Response
today and those nuisance cars will soon be out of yourway. They are able to tow vehicles of all kinds,
including trucks, cars, and SUVs, due to their flatbed
towing capabilities.

Rotary – 117 Years of Service to the World!

The name "Rotary" derived from the early practice ofrotating meetings among members' offices. Rotary's
popularity spread throughout the United States in thedecade that followed; clubs were chartered from San
Francisco to New York, to the world!

PP Doc McKenzie fined all those that didn’t wear
green for St Patrick’s Day
PP Geoff fined all those that weren’t wearing theirbadges!

‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia“No task is too big when done together by all.”acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball
player of all time."

TBD
How many versions does the American Flag have?

Apr 24 – Hale’iwa Metric Century Bike Ride
sponsored by Hawaii Bicycling League. We will besponsoring one of the rest stations located at Waialua
District Park.

New meeting times. Our new evening meetings
hours are 6:00-7:00 pm. New meeting times will
begin on March 31st.

“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in
my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games.
26 times I’ve been trusted to take thegame winning shot and missed. I’ve
failed over and over and over again in
my life and that is why I succeed.”
Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan, also known by his initials MJ,
is an American businessman and former professional
basketball player. His biography on the official
National Basketball Association website states: "By

How to Manage Uncertainty in Your
Plan
or
Investing During Uncertain Times!

Joanna Amberger“I’m extremely fortunate to be in thebusiness of helping my clients achieve
their life goals.”
We were very fortunate to have Joanna Amberger as
our guest speaker this evening. She gave us great
advise on how to invest during these uncertain times.
Joanna is the Founder of Financial Group. She is alsoa member of the Rotary Club of Honolulu!
She was born in a small mid-western town, but raised
throughout the United States, having been a child ofdivorce, from a military household. This upbringing
provided a unique appreciation for different culturesand experiences that instilled a passion for lifelong
learning, travel, and great food!
Joanna earned her undergraduate degree in Fine Art
Photography from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. She then earned her Masters in Business
Administration from the University of Hawaii at
Manoa’s Shidler College of Business, where she

Rotary – 117 Years of Service to the World!

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua

‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia“No task is too big when done together by all.”specialized in Finance and Entrepreneurship. Joanna iscurrently attending night class at UH, studying law. She
should be finished soon, at which time, she will add
estate planning to her many talents.
Joanna has always had an interest in financial mattersand has developed her business model aroundempowering women by helping them take control of
their financial futures. She devotes personal time
advocating for women’s issues and appreciates thevalue of establishing a solid financial base in one’s
personal and business life.
Little known facts about Joanna....She is also a fine-art
photographer and has had her work exhibited in bothgroup and solo shows. Joanna lived in Mexico andspeaks Spanish. Bringing the two together, she wascommissioned to photograph the tequila making
process for a Las Vegas tequila bar!

Regarding Ukraine and the Markets, Joanne asked us
why invest globally? Investing globally reduces the riskof being in the U.S. market only. This way, if one or theother goes south, you are evenly balanced, so yourlosses will be reduced. This is also known as
diversification. Diversification should be a part of yourportfolio, looking toward long-term investing. An
evenly balanced portfolio is a wise way to invest.
Joanna then showed us a graph, showing historicalconflicts and impacts on the market. The graph showedthat after an average of 3 years, the market returned
to normal, and in some cases, was higher after three
years!

Joanna covered the causes of financial uncertainty intoday’s world. These are:
• War in Ukraine• Inflation• Fed Rates
And how to prepare and protect your investments.
Ukraine and the Markets. War in the Ukraine! We
have seen how crazy the market is each time something
significant happens in the Ukraine! Try to detachyourself from what you hear in the news! News outlets
are there to sensationalize the news, that’s how they
make money and increase viewers. So, you have to bevery careful of what they are saying regarding themarket. Joanne says, “Let’s center attention on thepeople who are currently having their lives upended
by this war and not forget the 40 million people in
Ukraine and what they have to endure.”, or how thefinancial industry describes it, using terms like“geopolitical tensions” or “investment implications.”

Historical Conflict Graph

Inflation. We are seeing the highest rate of inflationin many hears. Joanne asked us, “What is driving
inflation today?
••

Rotary – 117 Years of Service to the World!

Supply chain disruption. We are seeing this ona daily basis. Manufacturers are unable to get therequired materials to manufacture their goods.
Part of the reason is there is a shortage ofmaterials. This adds up to shortages and higher
prices, when the goods finally make it to market.
Increased demand for goods. When we
experience shortages of goods, the demand
increases. We saw it during the start of COVID.
Panic!!! People stocked up on paper goods, which
in turn caused shortages. Being in Hawaii, makes itworse, since we rely on shipments by sea. We all
saw the backup at all the west coast ports!

‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia“No task is too big when done together by all.”•Wage Growth. This is the result of COVID. COVID
caused a drastic drop on employment. Now
employers are having a difficult time getting
employees, so they have to offer higher wages,
which will not go down in the near future.
• Ukraine. We discussed this in length, above.
The next question Joanne asked is, “Are we likely to
see high rates of inflation going forward?” The easyanswer is, it is impossible to predict. But a lot may haveto do with Federal Reserve actions. If rates go, it may
or may not add to inflation.

Joanna answers a question

S&P 500 Jan 2, 2020 – Sept 30, 2021 Graph

Joanne gave us some tips on how to prepare for
inflation.
• Stay invested. Don’t PANIC!! Go for the long-term!
Follow the golden rule of investing, buy when themarket is low, sell when the market is high! The
arrows in the graph above shows the stock market
low at the beginning of COVID, when a lot of
people SOLD (low), taking a loss. When the stock
market started to recover, people BOUGHT (high),paying a higher price. Some lost their shorts!
•

Diversify. As mentioned earlier, diversification isa great way to reduce your risk.

•

Look at variable rate loans/dept. Pay off depts
as soon as possible, and look for fixed rate loans.

•

Prepay, buy in bulk, substitute. If you can
prepay for goods, do so, that will save you fromincreased pricing. Buy in bulk! We have a lot of
stores that sell in bulk. Take advantage of it! And,
as a last resort, substitute when possible.

•

Build inflation into your plan. By building
inflation into your plan, you reduce the risk oflosses.

•Pay attention to investment costs (e.g. fees,
taxes), if you decide to use a brokerage firm,
shop around. You want to find the one that costs
the least when making transactions. Also, whenselecting IRAs, see if you are taxed up front (pretax) or if you have to pay taxes when you startdrawing out.

Other advice…
• Prepare in advance. Market volatility is a given –Build it into your plan!
• Keep 6 months of expenses in cash
• DON’T PANIC!!! As mentioned earlier, don’t
overact to the news – Ignore the media!!
• Evaluate Your Risk Tolerance. Risk tolerance
shouldn’t change with the market. Evaluate the risk
you are willing to take when the market starts
acting up. Ask yourself, “Are you invested too
aggressively?”
For more information, check Joanna’s site out,
www.3financialgroup.com out. Also subscribe to her
newsletter. It is full of great investing advice andguidance!

We meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each Month.
For those months that have 5 Thursdays can be used for
Board meetings if required. New meeting times, 6:007:00 pm begins on March 31st.
Updated Meeting Schedule(Thursday, Hawaii Standard Time)
Meetings are In-person.
(Subject to change)
Mar 31 – 6:00-7:00 pm Board meeting – Mango
Street Grill
Apr 7 – 6:00-7:00 pm – Mango Street Grill
Apr 21– 6:00-7:00 pm – Mango Street Grill
May 5 – 6:00-7:00 pm – Mango Street Grill
May 19 – 6:00-7:00 pm – Mango Street Grill
Jun 2 – 6:00-7:00 pm – Mango Street Grill
Jun 16 – 6:00-7:00 pm – Mango Street Grill
Jun 30 – 6:00-7:00 pm – Mango Street Grill
Jul 7 – 6:00-7:00 pm – Mango Street Grill
Jul 21 – 6:00-7:00 pm – Mango Street Grill
Aug 4 – 6:00-7:00 pm – Mango Street Grill

Rotary – 117 Years of Service to the World!

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua

‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia“No task is too big when done together by all.”

The American Flag has had 27 versions!

Front Table

The first American flag only displayed 13 stripes aswell as 13 stars that were arranged in a circle. The
stars and stripes represented the 13 colonies thatdeclared independence from Great Britain. While theorigins of the first American Flag are unknown, some
do believe that is was designed by a New Jersey
Congressman, Francis Hopkinson, and sewn by aPhiladelphia seamstress, Betsy Ross.
Since the founding of the United States, there havebeen 27 versions of the American flag. Each new flag
represented the addition of new states. Today, theAmerican flag displays 50 stars that represent the 50
states that make up the US.
.
President arriving!

(Go to our Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/groups/9628
62973749303/ to view all pictures.)

ADG Josh Laguana and President Keoni Ahlo
Welcoming Table

Rotary – 117 Years of Service to the World!

‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia“No task is too big when done together by all.”Cash Crabbe with a patriotic mask

Full table!

Joanna Amberger with mask

Joanna Amberger without mask

Marie Abatayo wearing green
PP Doc Mckenzie and PE Jackie Barnes

Rotary – 117 Years of Service to the World!

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua

‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia“No task is too big when done together by all.”ADG Josh Laguana and Derek Conselva

Derek Conselva, PP Geoff Horvath and ADG Josh Laguana

Sax Player Francis Kam

ADG Josh Laguana and Rene Mancho
Entertainers Steve Lucas and Francis Kam

Rotary – 117 Years of Service to the World!

‘A’ohe hana nui ke alu ‘ia“No task is too big when done together by all.”

Rotary – 117 Years of Service to the World!

The Rotary Club of
Wahiawa-Waialua