Sailing Science Center News
September 2020
Vol. 4, No. 1
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Welcome to the September issue of the Sailing Science Center News! Our theme this month is Service, exemplified by One Treasure Island, our neighbor on the island and the subject of this month's spotlight. Other things that make this issue special are that the Autumnal Equinox is this month (see our new Science Corner below) and that this is the beginning of our fourth year of publication! Keep reading for more news and thoughts from the SSC!
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Your rewards in life are in direct proportion to the service you provide.
― Earl Nightingale
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Community Spotlight - One Treasure Island |
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We are delighted this month to bring you our spotlight on One Treasure Island and Sherry Williams. This breaks our usual pattern of spotlighting volunteers and board members to focus on one of our service-oriented island neighbors. If anyone is concerned that we are drifting from our purpose, let me be clear that the mission of the SSC remains firmly focused on science and sailing, things we continue to hold in high esteem for our future. But sometimes the urgency of a situation compels us to change our short-term priorities, and our team members deemed this to be one of those times.
Originally named the Treasure Island Homeless Development Initiative (TIHDI), One Treasure Island was formed under the Base Closure and Homeless Assistance Act of 1994. Sherry was recruited in 1995 as its Program Coordinator and worked alone until 1997 when the organization was incorporated and she became Executive Director. Sherry continues to run the show 23 years later, now with a staff of nine, including herself.
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Their mission is to create a vibrant, inclusive community on Treasure Island that provides pathways for economic advancement for lower-income San Franciscans, including those who have experienced homelessness. They achieve this through affordable housing, jobs, community building, and advocacy. Sherry says their mission has been stable through the organization’s life.
They have partnered with anyone involved in the development of the island, including other nonprofits, employers, developers, labor unions, banks, and housing providers. Among the direct services they provide to island residents are food distribution, financial services, employment training & assistance, and resource information.
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Sherry Williams - Executive Director, One Treasure Island |
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When the coronavirus hit, they pivoted to create an online construction training program that has now had 15 successful graduates and 11 job placements. They have seen an increase in the need for food services, climbing to 200 households per week, from 85 before the first shelter-in-place order. They also piloted an 8-week program with Aracely Café called the Treasure Island Supper Club, to provide hot meals to 160 Island residents one day per week.
Asked what she expects in the coming months, Sherry says “More innovation to meet the challenges that the pandemic has brought,” adding that she expects increasing financial hardship as the repercussions of business shutdowns work their way through the economy, adding that “This is a marathon, not a sprint.” We concur with you on that Sherry, and are glad to support the admirable job you are doing.
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August Volunteer Event - Picnic in the Park |
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On August 29 the SSC held a socially-distanced picnic at Golden Gate Park. A dozen volunteers showed up for the event, which met the test for success by having most people stay for an hour past the official end. Call me old fashioned, but I really prefer seeing people in person, over Zoom or virtual reality, even if we are socially distanced. It was great to see everyone! |
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If you continually SERVE yourself you will eventually be BY yourself.
– John Maxwell
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Sailing Science Corner
The Autumnal Equinox
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At 6:30 am, PDT, on September 22, the sun will cross the equator into the Southern Hemisphere, and our Northern Hemisphere summer will be over.
In today's world of navigation by GPS this may seem like just another day on the calendar, but it was less than 40 years ago that the average offshore sailor was still navigating with a sextant and the equinox was a special day. What makes it special is that on the equinox (Vernal or Autumnal), sunrise is due east and sunset is due west, regardless of where you are on the earth*. As a consequence, a rod placed vertically in the ground will cast a shadow that is pointing due west (am) or due east (pm).
Try this at home if you have kids, or if you are just a big kid yourself. Mark a North-South line at 90 degrees to the shadow and check it with a magnetic compass to see if it's right. If you live near San Francisco the compass should point about 13 degrees to the left of the line. So what's the problem? If you were careful it's not your line or your compass; the error is in the Earth's magnetic field... but we will save that for another day.
*Neglecting slight changes in the sun's declination (north/south position) during the day.
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2021 Volunteer Event Planning |
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At the SSC we consider our volunteers to be our most valuable asset. We have a top-notch team of talented, energetic people who have excelled in their professions, and we believe our first order of business is to take care of them by acknowledging them and thanking them for the contributions and service they provide.
That's why, on August 1, we got an early start on our event planning for 2021, filling out a 12-month calendar of fun and fulfilling things for our volunteers to do. If you're not already a volunteer, go to our Volunteer Page to sign up and get in on the action.
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This Month's Newsletter Banner |
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True heroism is remarkably sober; very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.
— Arthur Ashe
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Wanted for the SSC
Photos
Do you have photos you want to share? The SSC is looking for great shots to use on our newsletter banner and elsewhere. Photographer attribution will be given.
Apps Script Developers
The SSC is looking for a Google Apps Script developer interested in writing automation macros for our internal systems. If you have experience in C++, Java or Java Script you're most of the way there.
Salesforce Developers
The SSC is now set up on Salesforce as its new Contact Relationship Management (CRM) tool. Give us a shout if you are proficient in Salesforce and want to get involved in the SSC.
VR/AR People
The SSC is getting into Virtual Reality and Augmented reality. We have been actively engaging businesses with expertise in these technologies to learn how best to use them for delivering STEM content framed around sailing. If you have experience in either of these areas we would like to hear from you.
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Formerly known as The Treasure Island Homeless Development Initiative (TIHDI, pronounced “tie-dye”), One Treasure Island relaunched under the new name in 2018 and "aims to build a new San Francisco neighborhood that includes formerly homeless and low income people from the ground up."
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Got something bigger to share with our community?
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SSC continues to be COVID-conscious and cautious, with in-person events being held outdoors in small groups and with proper social distancing. We are working behind the scenes on longer-term initiatives for teaching science and for raising SSC to the next level in every area. Details will be shared at the appropriate time.
Stay tuned!
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These are things YOU can do to move the SSC vision forward:
Make a difference. Move the needle!
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Leadership Corner - Service |
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This month's Leadership Corner is particularly short, because, well, the message is short. We are social animals and we have to work together cooperatively. Through the eons leaders have asserted their influence through either dominance or cooperation (service), with the former being more common. While this may be deeply rooted in our biology and may have been effective at stabilizing societies of the past, with the invention of the weapons that could end civilization, the dominance hierarchies of the past need to give way to the cooperation and servant leadership that can take us safely into the future. We all need to start thinking less of ourselves and more of others. I hope you will join the SSC in supporting One Treasure Island through our Facebook Page as we work together to exemplify this ethic.
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We want to give a big shout out to Sara Merzi, who raised her hand in August, offering to volunteer. We are very excited to have you making waves with the Sailing Science Center Sara! Welcome!
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That's all for this month.
Cheers!
Jim Hancock
President and Founder
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The San Francisco Sailing Science Center is a Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation recognized under IRS Section 501(c)(3), Tax ID 82-3631165. Your donation to the Sailing Science Center is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. |
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AN INTERACTIVE HANDS-ON LEARNING CENTER:
DELIGHTING “KIDS” FROM 5 TO 95
PROVIDING STEAM* LEARNING EXPERIENCES
FOCUSING ON THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATH
AND KEEPING IT FUN!!!
*STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math
VOLUNTEER EVENT COORDINATOR
Morgan Davidson
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The Sailing Science Center News is published on the first business day of each month. It is sent to team members, partners, volunteers, sponsors and supporters of the San Francisco Sailing Science Center. You are receiving this because you are considered to be in one of these groups. If you wish to be removed from the mailing list, please click the Unsubscribe link below. We do not sell, share or otherwise give out our mailing list beyond our organization. |
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San Francisco Sailing Science Center
One Avenue of the Palms, Suite 16A
San Francisco, CA 94130
510.390.5727
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