MEETING OF MARCH 7, 2002
By Steve Yarbrough
Webmaster - Steve GruberPresident Firooz began the meeting precisely on time as usual. President elect Mary Prochnow, fresh from PETS (President Elect Training Seminar), presented the club with flowers and the motto of our next RI president: "Sow the Seeds of Love."
Sam Harding led us in the correct - one nation under God - version of the pledge. Ellen Yamane present the briefest thought for the day - but no less profound. Paraphrased as follows: If you want it, do it, be it. John Sylvester led us all in a rather rousing God Bless America.
President Firooz accepted a banner from visiting Rotaract member Zeliha from Istanbul Turkey. He present Zeliha with a LARC banner to take back to her home country.
ON a sad note, President Firooz announced that LARC President of 1963-64 Paul Major died in February.
Mary Marley announced that the art show personnel committee, i.e., she and Sam Pesner, are organizing chores and insist that everyone participate in the art show, even if you will not be present the weekend of May 18-19. They say jobs are available for everyone. Contact Mary or Sam ASAP.
Membership chairman Alex Ng announced that we are still on track to be one of the top clubs in the district for membership growth. He urged everyone to continue to bring in new members and new blood.
Rotarian Herb Marshall, the youngest member of our club, presented his five-minute talk. Herb is a mere 24 years old, but he's already a partner in his own architecture firm named Barrington Studios in Campbell. He is a local - attending Los Altos High School before going south to Arizona for a brief time at college, finally transferring to UOP where he launched his interest in design. His company does a lot of work on area Victorians and residential projects. Herb's interest are mountain biking and restoring his vintage Mercedes convertible.
Finemaster John McAllister didn't let Mel Kahn, John Sylvester, Marge Bruno, Steve Anderson, Ellen Yamane, Bill Rewak, Joanne Kavalaris off the hook easy this time.
Our speaker for the day was James E. Gross, director of annual giving for the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He is a long-time Silicon Valley businessman whose involvement with the Hoover Institution began about a year ago. He informed the club of the mission of the Hoover Institution: To support the Constitution of the U.S., its Bill of Rights and it's method of representative government. The overall mission of the Institution is to "recall the voice of experience against the making of war."
The Hoover Institution was created in 1919 by Herbert Hoover with a gift of $50,000. With the funds Hoover wanted the institution to house his collection of World War I historical document collection in a new library and research facility. It consists of a large collection of political and historical documents, posters and other artifacts.
Today, the institution has an operating budget of $26 million annually. Approximately $12-13 million is raised by the development team of which Mr. Gross is part. The other half of the budget comes from the interest from the institutions endowment fund and an annual $1 million contribution from Stanford University. The institution is controlled by a board of directors under the umbrella of Stanford. The institution is quite fiscally health now due to a five-year $100 million campaign to enlarge the endowment fund.
The Hoover Institution is a think tank, hosting more than 100 fellows who work on projects of their own choice. These projects result in books, articles, op-ed pieces in daily newspapers and other publications which are a primary project of the institution.
The library and archives, consisting of 25 miles of shelving is now in the process of being moved to the nearby Green Library on the Stanford campus. For many years it has been house in the famous Hoover Tower, which is the home of the institution.
The three areas of focus of the institution are 1) research, 2) publications, and 3) the library and archives. The Hoover Institution is free to anyone who would care to visit and conduct research there.
Thanks to James Gross for an interesting insight into one of the most well-know, yet mysterious think tanks in the country.
From Mary Marley:
Sam Pesner and I would like to thank everyone who has already completed the Volunteer Sign-up Form for the Art Show. If you have not done so as yet, please complete the Volunteer Sign-up Form as soon as possible and fax it to Sam Pesner at 650-941-9980. This is the one event of the year that we expect everyone in the Club to volunteer their time, since this is our big fundraiser of the year. Family members and friends are also invited to volunteer, so be sure to encourage their participation.
There are quite a few jobs which need to be done before the Art Show (May 18-19), so if you will be out of town that weekend or would like to volunteer some extra time for the planning of the Show, please let us know.
We have an immediate need for Volunteers to help us in the following areas:
* Operations Chair: George Perham has done an outstanding job in this area, but is not available to commit to it this year. The role includes Arranging for electrical service to the site, PG&E interface, Golf Cart logistics and Walkie/Talkie set-up. George will help with this transition.
* Baidra Prochnow is Chair of Young At Art, which is the Art Competition for the community teenagers. She is looking for some folks to help with the logistics, judging and transporting of art, before, during and after the Show.
* We need volunteers who have trucks, vans or SUV's to help transport some of the bulkier items before, during and after the show.Please call Mary (650-941-1111x461) or Sam (650-964-5619) if you can help, or if you have any questions.
From Jerry Tomanek:
John Gardner died recently. His writing and speeches influenced me a great deal three decades ago, especially on contributing back to the communities we belong to.
Before he died, he consented to have his name attached to a new award given by Stanford Business School. Last week I was selected as the first recipient of that award, a bit of closure that seems very fitting. The award is given for over 25 years of volunteer leadership, both continuity and breadth of service.
I will complete my donation to the Club to become a Diplomat. I will also contribute to the Rotary Foundation to mark this event.
Programs and Events
March
March 14 - The new San Francisco Presidio
March 21 - Susanne Pari, author of The Fortune Catcher, "Ancient Persian Traditions in Modern Life"
March 28 - Samir Laymoun, "A Muslim speaks on Islam"
April
April 26 -28 - District 5170 Conference, Lake Tahoe
"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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