MEETING OF MAY 30, 2002
By Dick Blanding
Editor: Dick Blanding
Webmaster - Steve GruberEven before the opening bell, Firooz began our meeting today with a remarkable announcement: the Packard Foundation has agreed to donate $40,000 to RAP, to help facilitate the raising of the priority of this effort in the list of projects for R.I. to undertake. Dick Hasenpflug was recognized for his efforts in bringing this gift to fruition.
Rick Glaze paid tribute to our country of the day, Chile, by leading us in a rousing rendition of Sweet Molly Malone. Maybe they also export cockles and mussels in Chile, who knows.
Wyatt then introduced Cindy Luedtke, for the purpose of presenting her hubby Dave with a Paul Harris Fellowship in honor of their 27th anniversary. Cindy delivered what will long stand as the most moving and memorable tribute to a Paul Harris recipient, with her citing of Dave's many contributions of time and effort to the community, and her obvious appreciation of his being such a good husband. Congratulation to you both, Cindy and Dave.
Dude followed with a brief report of his recent safari in Africa with the Hennings and five others. They saw impressive wild animals, and were treated with the utmost in gracious hospitality at the Rotary Clubs visited. He also mentioned a 65% unemployment rate and the abject poverty they saw, in the process of delivering some 240 wheelchairs we helped fund. He and Mary P. also reminded us that AIDS is still rampant in Africa, and that they would be taking copies of the "how to" book on setting up treatment clinics to help victims, to the international convention in Barcelona next month.
Leroy Jones, who prefers to be called Roy, gave his five minute talk today. With his wife and two sons, he's lived in Los Altos for 33 years. His dad had been a mining engineer until being hurt in a mining accident, whereupon he moved the family to Southern California and began a successful doughnut-making company. A 1954 graduate of USC, Roy joined the U.S. Marine Corps, and retired in 1980 with the rank of Lt. Colonel. His company, Security General Corp., provided security for a wide variety of Silicon Valley companies, including many on the Fortune 500 list. He had fond memories of one project of providing security for Lockheed personnel in Saudi Arabia. A former Lion's Club member, Roy also volunteered in officiating small college football games, where he worked with Mike Holmgren before his rise to fame.
John Sines was brutal in his final day as finemaster, setting up Joe Renati with the revelation that Joe and Roy Lave were in the process of lassoing a plastic biffy at the art show, (in order to tow it to a location where there were none), when a patron emerged from within. As the truck hadn't yet reached thirty mph, the woman escaped unharmed, though reportedly shaking her fist and muttering incoherently. Bill Rewak earned a fine for having exercised insufficient influence to prevent rain on our art show on Sunday. And Dick Fouquet, who has been much involved in the moving of his business to Paso Robles lately, returned and volunteered to become a Diplomat today.
Our speaker, Consul General Fernando Varela of the Chilean Consulate in San Francisco, was introduced by Jack Heidmiller. (Jack's sons have lived in Chile, and one was just married there last month.) He has represented his country in the diplomatic corps in countries all over the world,
including at the U.N. and in Washington D.C. He acknowledged the successes of the Rotaplast and Burn Victims programs by Rotary in Chile.
Mr. Varela has helped construct free trade agreements for his country with several other nations and the European Union, and hopes to have one in place with the U.S. by the end of this year. He feels these agreements have contributed to the thriving economy in Chile today. Other factors affecting that success are the geography and climate of Chile, the energetic people, and a government which has less corruption than most others, and encourages a high degree of economic freedom.
In response to a question, Mr. Varela stated that the "social security system" in Chile is enjoying great success, both for its beneficiaries and for the country's economy, because it is privatized, allowing pension funds to grow through ownership of common stocks.
Chile features a wide variety of flora and fauna, as the country spans the same latitudes (South) as we do from Alaska to Baja California. It is twice the size of California, with fifty million people, and has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Exports have multiplied four fold since they began pursuing the free trade negotiations, and they export over 3000 different products today.
Mr. Varela said Chile is one of the safest countries in the world, protected on one side by the high mountains and on the other by the Pacific. He invited us to come for the country's bicentennial celebration in the year 2010.
Programs and EventsJune
June 6 - LAREF program and election
June 13 - Art Show
June 20 - A recipient of a 2002 Packard-Gates Fellowship will speak on family planning and reproductive health services to populations in their home countries
June 27 - Kickout luncheon
June 28 - Kickout Dinner at the University Club in Palo Alto, with the theme "A World Class Kickout"
July
July 4 - No Meeting
July 11 - Kickoff to the new Rotary year
July 18 - World Community Service
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"
"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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