MEETING OF JULY 18, 2002
By: Steve Yarbrough
Editor - Dick Blanding
Webmaster - Steve GruberPresident Mary launched her second meeting by inviting Marge Gratiot to lead the flag salute. Then Jean Newton provided the thought for the day from Francis of Assisi - (to paraphrase: A person who works with hands, head and heart is an artist.)
John Sylvester led us in a birthday salute to Billy Russell, who celebrated his 88th birthday July19. Billy got a rousing ovation after the song. (Which, standing next to Alan Lambert, sounded pretty good.)
President Elect Al Traficanti introduced visiting Rotarians from India and Cupertino and Rotarians with guests.
OF A PERSONAL NOTE: I sat next to Bill Palmer today. Bill is a very interesting guy. Did you know that he served in World War II as a PB-Y and PB-1 pilot scouting for submarines in both the Atlantic and Pacific? The United States lost many fliers during the war in these slow flying planes. I want to hear more about Bill's adventures.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
ATTENTION RED BADGERS: Now is your chance to get in an all important requirement: President Mary announced the next LARC board of director's meeting is Wednesday, July 24, 2002 at 7 a.m. at the Los Altos Community House on Hillview.
COST OF SALAD: Unlike the stock market, the cost of greens at the Rotary lunch will increase to $12. Lunches are $14.
BENEFIT: The Almaden Valley Club is sponsoring a benefit for Charlie Weidenmeir for youth football next Wednesday evening. You can't go if you are going to the LARC board meeting. Contact Mary if you want to participate.
CUDOS: Big ovation to Larry and Lawrence Chu and all the volunteers who helped them at the Los Altos Art and Wine Festival last weekend sell buckets and buckets of Chinese chicken salad.
BELIZE ANYONE? Rotarians are invited to a trip to Central America for a gathering of Rotary. $2k per person for a week of fellowship and world community service. Contact President Mary. January 18 through 26, 2003. Sounds fun.
GOOD BYE: Palo Alto Sunrise Rotary says good-bye to Doug Willard, who was instrumental to the establishment of that club. He's headed for greener pastures. Sunday 1-3 p.m. Call President Mary for details.
ROTARY DAY AT THE A's: Baseball, that is. Aug. 3. Again Call President Mary if you want to go to the game. Don't know if they are giving anything away in our honor at the game.
NEW CLUB: Tri-Valley Rotary Club dinner August 2, yes, call President Mary.
GOOD SAM: Sam Pesner purchased two tickets to the Red Hot Skillet Lickers Jazz group for $100 for Rotary's benefit. (Thanks to the donator whose name I could not hear clearly, but I think it was Chuck Hess.) MORE GOOD SAM: Sam Pesner was elected president of LAREF board! (When does he have time for work?)
SAD NOTE: Funeral services were held July 22 for Barbara Volarvich, who was the wife of the late Pete Volarvich, who was the president of the club in 1978-79.
LOS ALTOS LEGACY: Chuck Hess announced that Dick Henning has made the first commitment to the Los Altos Rotary Legacy by designating a portion of his estate to Rotary upon his passing. Dick received the first Laurel Pin in recognition of his thoughtfulness. We could all do the same.
HALEY ROSE IS GETTING MARRIED! as Julie Rose announced today.
ROTARY SOFTBALL REVIVED: Mel Kahn announced the new softball season, please see following email from Laurie Klein:
Well, guess what? We actually are going to have a season!! Apparently, with all of the elementary and middle schools being remodeled, the fields that we have been using for the past few years were needed for the pony and little league games. The fields are now ours!!!! So, the call to arms is being sounded. The first game is Monday, August 5th at Cooper East versus Saratoga Rotary.
I just got the call from Tom Heath (the Commish) and he faxed me the schedule. The season runs from August 5th to October 15th. I would like y'all to make the announcements at your next Rotary meetings and try to drum up some bodies. I'm not sure who is left and hope that this email reaches all of our players. I will have to depend on each of you that does receive the email to talk it up with your club. Los Altos Rotary has a lot of new members, how many of them can we get to come out and play? It will up to all of you to help get players to the game on time. Game time will always be 6:15 and I would like people to try and be at the games between 5:45 and 6:00. (This will give us a few minutes to warm up - none of us is getting any younger.) Note that there are 5 teams and only 4 make the playoffs, so, somebody will be left out in the cold.
When we are the home team, I will make sure that there are drinks and bases, however, you are responsible for your own gloves, bats, cleats, etc. So let's get psyched up, hit the batting cages, throw the ball around a little, watch some baseball on TV and show up on the 5th ready to PLAY BALL!!!!!Laurie A. Klein
RAP NEWS: Dude Angius informed the club of the progress the RAP committee is making on the world front. After explaining to new members how RAP came into being following the death of his son to AIDS just as Dude became president of this club, he praised the many contributors to RAP - more than 100. He outlined the horrendous scope of the problem. For example: the life expectancy in Botswana is 29 years of age. 20 million have died of AIDS, 68 million more will die in the next dozen years. 13.5 million children are orphaned today. 25 million will be orphaned by 2010 - eight years from now. The RAP booth (credited to Jean Newton and Dick Haspenflug's great efforts, as well as others on the committee) at the Rotary International Convention in Barcelona Spain was a focal point of world attention on this problem. Our club, and the RAP committee is leading the way to help find a solution.
TODAY's PROGRAM:
Past President Bob Adams introduced two guest speakers focusing on world community service:
Walt Hayes, past president of the Palo Alto Rotary club discussed the innovative approach Rotary is taking in Africa to assist one-crop farmers diversify their efforts at feeding the country. Walt told about the efforts of a matching grant program at the club, district and RI level to provide bee hives for farmers.
As a visiting Rotarian in he could see first hand how the efforts of our clubs have assisted the farmers toward better use of their resources, by introducing the hives as a second cash "crop." Rotary has assisted by partnering with an African foundation to bring nearly 300 hives into productivity so far.
Walt noted that our club's purchase of a sweet potato chip maker helps the farmers use the oversupply of sweet potatoes and allows them to be used instead of rotting in waste during periods of oversupply.
Allart Ligtenberg, now retired from HP, spoke about his very interesting projects to introduce solar cooking to third world countries where energy is in short supply. In what could become a Rotary world service project, Allart demonstrated and explained several devices he has invented or developed to provide innovative solar stoves with minimal capital investment.
Solar cooking is important in many areas of the third world because now people gather firewood, which is only 5% efficient as a way to heat food. It also causes deforestation, a huge problem, and health problems from smoke inhalation.
The several solar stoves demonstrated ranged from a trekker's stove which could heat water for hikers or mountaineers, to a cardboard stove that could be used to cook rice and other foods without much cost. A more complex and exciting stove was the parabolic stove which could heat foods as fast as conventional cooking on a wood fire.
Programs and Events
July
July 25 - Jay Manley, Drama Instructor, Foothill College, who will speak on "American Musical Theatre"
August
August 1 - John Hopkins, "The Rise and Fall of the Estate Tax"
August 8 - John Busterud: Author & Rotarian from Palo Alto University Club, "Below The Salt: How the 90th Division Struck Gold and Treasure in a Nazi Salt Mine in WWII"
August 15 - Michael Kirst, "School Funding"
August 22 - Carl Guardino: President & CEO of Silicon Valley Manufacturing Group, "Silicon Valley: State of the Valley and the Economy"
August 29 - Joyce Friedrichs: Education Director for Biz World, "Teaching Business & Entrepreneurship To Kids"
"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
Home Art Show Partners for New Generations Contact Us Links