MEETING OF AUGUST 26, 2004
By Wyatt Allen
Editor: Dick Blanding
THE BEGINNINGS:
In honor of our District Governor’s visit, Pres. CINDY invited CINDY SEKKEL, the first lady of the District, to lead our club in the Pledge of Allegiance. JOAN ROSELLE, instead of RON SEKKEL’S favorite, “Tiny Bubbles,” led the group assembled in “The Star Spangled Banner” in honor of the Governor’s visit and our Olympic team in Greece.
Because the meeting started ahead of time, JACK HIGGINS' thought for the day went unheard since he arrived a few minutes late. BAIDRA MURPHY, always with words of wisdom to share, “If you think you can….you can! If you think you can’t….you can’t.”
Pres-Elect MARLENE COWAN introduced visiting Rotarians and visitors, including ED SOX, visiting in retirement from Southern California. Good to see ED, especially when it appears retirement and relocation are treating him so well.
ANNOUNCEMENTS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:
MARLENE COWAN thanked STEVE GRUBER for his program the previous week at Foothill College, “Rotary and the Web.” If you missed the session, and are still “web-challenged” STEVE might have notes from the program to share with you.
CAREW MCFALL announced that his niece, LAUREN MCFALL, could be seen on television participating in the Olympics competition for synchronized swimming. LAUREN, daughter of CRES and PAULA MCFALL, is not only competing, she is the captain of the team. Good luck, LAUREN! (We learned later during the television broadcast that the synchronized swim team earned a Bronze Medal. Congratulations!)
TRACIE MURRAY announced a fundraiser for the Mountain View Rotacare Clinic to be held October 6th from 5:30-8:00 p.m. Fifteen vintners will participate, making this a fabulous wine tasting opportunity. $50 per person to participate and/or donations will be encouraged for those who can’t. See TRACIE MURRAY or JOAN ROSELLE at the next meeting or watch for the giving tree.
JOANNE BYRNE announced a session sponsored by the Community Foundation called “The Art of Building Successful Planned Giving Programs” to be held at Northern Trust, Sept. 8th from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please R.S.V.P. to JOANNE BYRNE no later than Sept. 2nd, at (650) 949-5908 to assure a seat at this informative session.
TOM LISTON reminded everyone of the Poker Night scheduled at the Garden House for the evening of Sept. 17th. Call him if you are interested in participating, (650) 948-3641.
CINDY LUEDTKE asked the club’s opinion as to whether or not our club should increase our efforts for World Community Service through the Los Altos rotary Endowment Fund. Let CINDY or a current Board member know of your thoughts.
RICH FISCHER encouraged everyone in our club to become or continue to be involved in Partners For a New Generation. There are endless opportunities to be a tutor, mentor or reader at all levels from kindergarten though high school. A past student who was mentored by RICH, JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS, provided a testimonial of someone who wouldn’t have considered higher education, but due to RICH’s mentoring and encouragement, is a successful college graduate and writer for the Washington Post. You can make a difference! BOB ADAMS asked that we remind anyone even remotely interested is invited to attend a “Mentor Training” session to be held Sept. 22nd, noon, at the Mountain View High School District Office in the Board Room (1229 Bryant Street, M.V.). Call LINDA WAUD, (650) 691-2434 to reserve a spot.
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION:
LARRY CHU, Membership Director, asked District Governor RON SEKKEL to induct MICHAEL CABOT into the Los Altos Rotary Club. MICHAEL was provided the appropriate standing ovation at the conclusion of D.G. RON’S enthusiastic speech.
FIROOZ GHAFFARI recalled his year as president in 2001-02 as the “Year of the Nations” and reminded us we honored 26 different countries through various members of our club. He commended BUE BOO for his efforts as a tutor for public speaking for him and other future leaders of our club.
LEM SUMMEY, recognition chair of the day, recognized STEVE GRUBER for his efforts on our website and the recent training session. STEVE became a “Big Cheese.”
HUGH RIDDELL pleaded the “Fifth” and paid a fine for his scholastic achievements; LOUIE BOREL paid a fine for his explanation why African bees are so aggressive.
DAVE MACKENZIE, nephew of past Town Crier editor DAVID MACKENZIE and
Assistant District Governor for Area 10, introduced our 2004-05 District 5170 District Governor, RON SEKKEL. RON outlined the events to “Celebrate Rotary” (R.I. Pres. GLENN ESTESS, JR theme for the year) during the 2004-05 Rotary Year. In addition to the District Assembly (Hayward in September), R.I. President’s visit (San Jose in January), and District Conference (May in Santa Cruz including golf, run, etc.), and International Convention (June in Chicago), each club is encouraged to celebrate Rotary locally in February.
RON identified every present member of Rotary as the bridge to the next century. For Rotary to continue its success and efforts toward international peace and understanding, he encouraged us to focus on four activities to keep Rotary strong: donate to the Rotary Foundation (for international projects); donate to our Los Altos Rotary Endowment Fund (for local projects); invite others to join Rotary (to assure growth and future health of the organization and its efforts); and participate in service projects (both local and foreign).
The one part of RON’S presentation that fell a little flat, literally, was when he asked us to participate by singing the Rotary Centennial Song to the tune of You Are My Sunshine. Something didn’t quite match between the new lyrics and the old tune. We get an “A” for effort, but not for execution, this time around. Maybe we should have stopped singing after the Star Spangled Banner.
RON identified four champions of Rotary International:
PAUL HARRIS as a founder of the organization
JIM DAVIDSON for spreading the concept internationally
HERB TAYLOR for introducing the Four-Way Test
YOU as the bridge to the new century of Rotary International
D.G. RON SEKKEL also awarded “Celebrate Rotary” recognition pins to the following Los Altos Rotarians for their “above and beyond” efforts to benefit our club and Rotary in general:
BRUCE CANN
ALLART LIGTENBERG
VICTORIA EMMONS
BELLA BERLLY
STEVE GRUBER
BILL REWAK
SETH MANNING
PAUL CONARD
Congratulations to each and every one of the recipients and a tremendous THANKS for your efforts and energies provided for the benefit of Rotary and Rotarians everywhere!
Next week, bring your purses and wallets for the auction of the gift brought by RON SEKKEL from the Cupertino Club. Proceeds go to the Rotary Foundation.
Pres. CINDY presented the book, Trees of Los Altos, to RON SEKKEL’S wife, CINDY, for her participation in the day’s event with our club.
Was that another cell phone I heard at the last meeting? Thought so! Please respect our leaders and speakers and remember to turn them off or switch it to vibrate, or expect to pay dearly.
Programs and Events
Note: Meetings of the board of directors are held at the Bank of Los Altos Community Room, 369 S. San Antonio Road.
Meetings of the LAREF board are held at the Masonic Lodge, 146 Main Street.
September
Sept. 2 - Richard Walker, Doing Business in China
Sept. 2 - LAREF board, 5:15 p.m.
Sept. 8 - Board of Directors, 7:30 a.m.Sept. 9 - Don Johnson - Hometown Security Update and patriotic songs by the Peninsulaires Quartet
Sept. 14 - PNG Mentor Rally, MVLA Board Room, Noon
Sept. 16 - Mary Alice Rathbun, RotaPlast
Sept. 17 - Poker Night
Sept. 22 - PNG Mentor Training, MVLA Board Room, Noon
Sept. 23 - Larry Rinsky, Operation Rainbow
Sept. 30 - Cantor Museum Tour
Sept. 30 - David Sloss, West Bay Opera in our Community
October
Oct. 6 - A Sante (Benefit for Mountain View Rotacare)
Oct. 6 - PNG meeting, Heritage Bank Community Room, 8:15 a.m.
Oct. 7 - LAREF board, 5:15 p.m.
Oct. 13 - Board of Directors, 7:30 a.m.Oct. 14 - Candidate Forum
Oct. 21 - Nick Phillips, Foundation Drive: Partners in Service from South Africa
Oct. 28 - Propositions review by Gloria Hom
Oct. 29 - Friday Night Fellowship
November
Nov. 3 - PNG meeting, Heritage Bank Community Room, 8:15 a.m.
Nov. 4 - LAREF board, 5:15 p.m.
Nov. 10 - Board of Directors, 7:30 a.m.
Nov. 11 - Salute to World War II veterans
Nov. 18 - Lynne Satterwhite, new LAHS Principal and Rich Fischer, Superintendent of the MVLA High School District
Nov. 26 - Thanksgiving holiday
Nov. 28 - Festival of Lights Parade and Party
December
Dec. 1 - PNG meeting, Heritage Bank Community Room, 8:15 a.m.
Dec. 2 - LAREF board, 5:15 p.m.
Dec. 8 - Board of Directors, 7:30 a.m.
Dec. 15 - Holiday Party
January
Jan. 5 - PNG meeting, Heritage Bank Community Room, 8:15 a.m.
Jan. 6 - LAREF board, 5:15 p.m.
Jan. 12 - Board of Directors, 7:30 a.m.
Jan. 12 - PNG Mentor Training, MVLA Board Room, Noon
Jan. 14 - Friday Night Fellowship
February
Feb. 2 - PNG meeting, Heritage Bank Community Room, 8:15 a.m.
Feb. 3 - LAREF board, 5:15 p.m.
Feb. 9 - Board of Directors, 7:30 a.m.
Feb. 17 - Four Way Test Presentation (speech contest meeting)
Feb. 23 - Centennial anniversary of the founding of Rotary
March
Mar. 2 - PNG meeting, Heritage Bank Community Room, 8:15 a.m.
Mar. 3 - LAREF board, 5:15 p.m.
Mar. 4 - Cioppino Feed
Mar. 9 - Board of Directors, 7:30 a.m.
Mar. 18 - Friday Night Fellowship
Mar. 23 - PNG Mentor Training, MVLA Board Room, Noon
April
Apr. 6 - PNG meeting, Heritage Bank Community Room, 8:15 a.m.
Apr. 7 - LAREF board, 5:15 p.m.
Apr. 13 - Board of Directors, 7:30 a.m.
Apr. 13 - Dinner at Chef Chu's
Apr. 29 - Golf Tourney
May
May 4 - PNG meeting, Heritage Bank Community Room, 8:15 a.m.
May 5 - LAREF board, 5:15 p.m.
May 11 - Board of Directors, 7:30 a.m.
May 14 and 15: Rotary Fine Art Show, Lincoln Park
May 19 - District Golf Tourney
May 20-22 - District Conference
June
June 2 - LAREF board, 5:15 p.m.
June 2 - PNG Volunteer Luncheon, Garden House, Noon
June 8 - Board of Directors, 7:30 a.m.
June 8 - PNG meeting, Heritage Bank Community Room, 8:15 a.m.
June 18 - 22 - Rotary International Convention in Chicago
July
July 1 - Kick-Out Dinner
OTHER ROTARY CLUB MEETING PLACES
On-line Meeting: www.rotaryeclubone.org
MONDAY
Palo Alto: Rickey's Hyatt House, 12:15 p.m.
TUESDAY
Los Altos Sunset: China Shuttle, 22382 Homestead Road, Cupertino, 7:15 p.m.
Sunnyvale: Ramada Inn, 12:15 p.m.
Mountain View: Adobe House, Moffett & Central, Mountain View, 12:15 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Menlo Park: Menlo Park Recreation Center, Menlo Park, noon.
Woodside/Portola: Woodside Village Church, Woodside, 7:30 a.m.
Sunnyvale Sunrise: Wild Woodys Grill, Sunken Gardens Golf Course, 7 a.m.
Cupertino: Quinlan Community Center, 12:15 p.m.
East Palo Alto Bayshore: Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula, 2031 Pulgas Avenue, East Palo Alto, 12:15 p.m.
FRIDAY
Palo Alto University: Sheraton, El Camino, Palo Alto, 7:30 a.m.
"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 2004 The Los Altos Rotary Club