MEETING OF JANUARY 10, 2002
By Steven Yarbrough
Editor - Dick Blanding
Webmaster - Steve Gruber
President Firooz prides himself on his punctuality, so we decided to test him. In his weekly agenda, President Firooz set forth a minute-by-minute timetable for each point of the meeting. For example: The meeting was to open at exactly 12:25 p.m., song by Rick Glaze at exactly 12:30 p.m., speaker on Argentina at exactly 12: 37 p.m. Adjournment at exactly 1:30 p.m.We are pleased to report that President Firooz, even with the language problem that resulted in his forgetting to introduce visiting Rotarians and guests, was nearly perfect. Though he started two minutes late at 12:27 p.m., Rick Glaze appeared exactly on cue at 12:30 for the song. Our Argentine guest went over by a minute, but President Firooz had it all back on track for a punctual adjournment. A job well done!
Rotarian Becky Miller circulated a sign up sheet for the Alpha Omega Homeless Shelter rotating dinner. If you have not signed up to participate by preparing a salad or a portion of the meal and would like to help, please look for the sign up sheet next meeting or call Becky.
Bill Rewak gave us his thought of the day: Life is a Journey; if you get lost, don't look for a map, look for God.
Rick Glaze had us sing Woody Guthrey's "This Land,etc."
Wyatt Allen and Mona Armistead presented the following Rotary Foundation awards:
1. George Perham, Paul Harris Fellow, plus 1.
2. Steve Gruber, Paul Harris Fellow, plus 2.
3. Sam Harding, Paul Harris Fellow, plus 2.
4. Will Corkern, Paul Harris Fellow
5. John Sylvester, Paul Harris FellowThis makes 15 new Paul Harris Fellows or beyond, which meets the goal of the Foundation Committee for the year. Mona reported that 45 club members have yet to contribute to the Foundation and urges
them to do so. Our ultimate objective is 100 percent participation in the Rotary Foundation.
Roy Lave announced that Seth Manning, Steve Yarbrough and Ben McCann won prizes from the drawing at the Rotary District Cabinet Meeting. He also announced that Mel Kahn did not win the trip to Barcelona.
President Firooz announced the nominating committee for new board members as follows: Mary Prochnow, Ginny Lear, Al Traficante, Roy Lave and President Firooz. Candidates will be announced at the January 31, 2002 meeting with the club election to be held at the February 14, 2002 meeting when three new board members will be selected to serve in President Elect Mary Prochnowís regime.
Argentine Rita Milman spoke about her country. She moved to the U.S. 12 years ago from her home city of Buenos Aires. Argentina is a county of 37 million people, greatly influenced by the influx of immigrants from Europe after both world wars. She was proud of the Patagonia region, which she indicated was similar to Switzerland with its resorts and skiing. Once among the richest countries of the world, Argentina remains agriculturally rich, but is suffering now from severe financial problems. Thanks to Rita for a nice talk about a very interesting country.
Matt Cabot presented his 5-minute biographical sketch. Born in Lexington, Kentucy in 1938, growing up in the Bay Area, Matt attend Bellarmine High School, University of Kansas and Golden Gate University. He was active in the radio club in high school and met his wife on the train to school. They were married in 1962. He's a Navy veteran. He is active in soccer and theater, being one of the founders of AYSO soccer and Peninsula Youth Theater. Matt and his family of 5 children have lived in Los Altos since 1970. He has eight grandchildren. He loves set construction for theater and invented the 30-foot Rule: If you can't see that it doesn't fit from 30 feet, then it fits.
Finemaster Mel picked the pockets of Mary Prochnow, Marge Bruno, Dick Henning, Paul Nyberg and Marge Gratiot for sundry misanthropy.
Past President Bob Adams introduced speaker Lyman Van Slyke.
Mr. Van Slake is a professor at Stanford University whose expertise is East Asia. He has conducted numerous trips to China and other parts of Asia and presented a very informative talk about the status of the Dam Yangtzeî, or the three Gorges Project.
This famous river project in central China is the largest public works project in history, the rough
equivalent to damming the Mississippi River and flooding all the way to St. Paul. A controversial project, the first phase is scheduled for completion in 2003.
The three goals of the project are:
1. Flood control.
2. Electrical power generation.
3. Improving upstream navigation.Scheduled to generate three times the power of the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington, the three Gorges Dam will provide 18 megawatts of power, enough for 75 percent of California. Sixty million tons of coal would have to be burned annually to provide the same amount of power.
The Yangtze is the third largest river in the world; it is 3,900 miles long, serving 380- million Chinese, and produces 45 percent of the nations agricultural products and 55 percent of its industrial base. The river collects a huge amount of water, pushing a cubic mile of water a day into the China sea. All of this passes through the Three Gorges area.
The dam is situated 1,000 miles inland above the China plain. The idea began in the 1920s and was shelved until the current government pushed the plan to fruition. There is much controversy about whether the goals will be achieved, but the structure will be completed by year 2009. Ten locks will take ships around the dam. These locks are bigger than the largest lock in the Panama canal, and will raise ships 100 feet per step. Another one stage shift lock has been constructed that will lift a ship and its bathtub of water the entire 500 feet to the top of the dam for quick transit.
The reservoir behind the dam will extend 400 miles inland and displace 1.5 million people at a cost of $40 billion. Sedimentation, pollution and environmental damage are all concerns.
President Firooz presented the customary book to the speaker and adjourned the meeting at exactly 1:30.
A Report From the Director of Fellowship By Steve Shepherd
As your Director of Fellowship during Prez Firooz's year, I am pleased to report that our fellowship activities of the Rotary Club of Los Altos during the past 6 months have been a fun and very rewarding experience for me and, hopefully, for you as members of the Best Rotary Club in world. Our year kicked off 'with a loud and hungry group of baseball enthusiasts led by our own former Czar of Social Activities, STEVE GRUBER, with a baseball outing to see the San Jose Giants play ball on August 10th. This was followed up by our President FIROOZ and his lovely wife, Giti, offering up their beautiful home and garden for an outdoor evening of good wine, Persian food, and beautiful Persian dancers bringing us all together after the terrible events of 9/11 five days later on September 15. In October, JOANNA MED1N organized the second of our Annual Rotary Family Picnic attended by 29 adults and children of all ages at the Heritage Oaks Park in Los Altos. GEORGE PERHAM was our coordinator of the First Annual "Steve Shepherd" wine tasting and tour of Byington Winery in the Santa Cruz mountains on November 18. We culminated our social events with the Holiday Party led by JULIE ROSE and FATHER BILL REWAK at the Jesuit Retreat House on December 19 with a record attendance of 141 Rotary members and their guests. As the previous year, the food by Chef Arman and the host of Rotary bartenders with the Bill Hockett Jazz Trio, including our own JOHN SYLVESTER, made for a wonderful celebration of the Holiday Season in 2901,
Future events on our Rotary calendar include the famous "Cioppino Night" led by CINDY LUEDTKE and JOE RENATI calendared for Friday evening, March 8, 2002. The Annual Golf Tournament and Poker event will again be organized by par shooters LARRY MADSEN and STEVE ANDERSON on Friday, May 3. The last and best social event of the year will be led by Past President, GINNY LEAR, to KICKOUT our President FIROOZ and welcome our incoming President, MARY PROCHNOW and her now Board of Directors. Schedule your calendars now for Friday, June 28, 2002, for Part II of the Kickout Event.
Other Fellowship activities during the past 8 months have also had great organizers who have made our meetings fun and rewarding. The Weekly Greeters have been organized each week by SHELLY POTVIN with many new Red Badgers greeting us to learn our names and vice versa at the weekly meetings. DAN O'DONNELL has once again kept us informed in his capacity as the Sunshine Chair to keep us informed of members who have become ill where a card or kind word may help to cheer them. GUY FARTHING has done a yeoman's job in organizing the monthly rotation of Fine Masters this year, The Diplomat level of $100 is every Fine Masters goal of recognition for all members. Songs at Our meetings have been coordinated by that songbird himself, JOHN SYLVESTER, with others who have even better voices and easy to sing lyrics. Finally, the Thought for the Day, has been chaired by DICK BLANDING, who has diligently selected members each week to give all of us something to think about as we gather together to break bread at our Rotary Meeting each Thursday
Last, but not least, we have organized the "Birthday Table" for all members enjoying their birthday to sit together during the last meeting of each month and be recognized by the Club membership. A new twist has been the wearing of funny hats, some of which have been loved so much by the Birthday members, that they have been taken home to show off. If you haven't yet had the opportunity to wear a funny hat, you do have something to look forward to when your birthday month arrives.
It has been my pleasure serving in this capacity during my 2-year term on the Board of Directors. I continue to look forward to seeing you and your guests at future events over the next 6 months.
ProgramsJanuary
January 17 - Chris Lewis (son of Jerry) speaking on behalf of the Wheelchair
FoundationJanuary 24 - Club Assembly
January 31 - Robert Baker of Symphonix Devices, "A new approach to hearing devices"
"Information in this newsletter is intended for the exclusive use of the members of the Rotary Club of Los Altos to facilitate the work of the club and to promote club fellowship. It is not to be used for any commercial or outside, unrelated, non-profit purposes. No publication of material in this newsletter should occur without the express permission of the club President or the Editor of the Rotator."
Copyright 2002 The Los Altos Rotary Club
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