This Week's Program: 
May 18th:  PNG recognition
 

Upcoming Events:
May 25th: Scholarship Awards
 

FINE ART SHOW:  THIS SATURDAY, AND SUNDAY, MAY 20TH AND 21ST. 

See our Calendar for all of the important dates.

To see Neighboring Club meetings go to Clubs

To our Website

To District 5170

Thanks to all who expressed their opinion regarding the Los Altos Alliance for Youth's request for LARC to be honorary co-sponsors of the Gay / Straight Alliance parade. The Board of Directors met immediately following our LARC luncheon on May 11 to further consider the issue in light of points presented during the LARC meeting. They also read all written comments submitted by members which showed nearly a 2 to 1 preponderance against LARC providing club sponsorship to the parade.

The Directors then voted by a margin of 6 to 3 to withdraw their original motion for the Club to become an honorary co-sponsor of the GSA parade. The result of this vote is that the Club will take no action regarding the issue of becoming an honorary co-sponsor of the GSA parade.

However, if they wish, individuals may certainly choose to lend their individual support to the GSA parade, and sponsorship forms will be available at the next LARC meeting.

I believe, as a result of the honest exchange of viewpoints, that our club has emerged "stronger and healthier."

Marlene

The weekly meeting began almost on time with the pledge led by DENNIS YOUNG.  Smile was done almost on key and led by   CRES MCFALL. 

JEAN NEWTON FRAGUGLIA gave us a very timely thought for the day:  about her mother.  She dedicated her life to Jean’s adopted brother, an autistic child, and led him to believe he was as good as anyone and could do anything he wanted to do.  She sounds like an unbelievable mother.  Happy Mother’s Day to all!

SAM PESNER introduced only one visiting Rotarian from Williamsburg, Virginia.  He presented us a flag and encouraged us all to visit next summer when the 400^th anniversary of the beginning of Jamestown is celebrated.  SAM also asked us all to be present next week when the topic is PARTNERS FOR NEW GENERATIONS. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:  VAL CARPENTER:  Please check the latest Art Show job assignments posted on the wall.  They are also on our website; www.losaltosrotary.org

Relay for Life, the ROTARY RAMBLERS.  Please go on line to www.losaltosrelay.com and sign up to be on our team asap.  We only have a handful signed up now and our goal is $10,000.

Also, Maltby’s night for ROTARY RAMBLERS is Wednesday, June 7^th,   at 5:00 PM.  Our celebrity (?) bartenders will be STEVE ANDERSON, SAM PESNER, SANDRA BOZICH, AND KENDRA GJERSETH.  They will pour drinks, smile, greet you as long lost friends and raise lots of money with your tips.  Remember this event is scheduled after the RICH FISCHER retirement barbeque, so come after, please. 

Harry Abbot, the GSE Firefighter who spoke to us on March 2nd gave President MARLENE several beautiful Rotary Banners   from the clubs who hosted his stay in Japan.  He is the one, if you remember, who explained in detail the plumbing intricacies of Japanese toilets.  Good to see you Harry. 

Now the President’s Announcements:

1. Bus Barn Painters; Many thanks to the 20 LARC members and 13 Interacters from LAHS,  who worked together painting this past weekend.   Lots of fun was had by all, an important city job was completed, and we got to know those great Interacters.  Special thanks to the CHU’s , both junior and senior, for donating their delicious Chinese chicken salad, the real motivation to come out to work.  Vicki Reeder of Bus Barn gave 2 free tickets for the next Bus Barn production to each painter.  Pick them up from the foyer table. 
2. FIROOZ GHAFFARI Memorial Scholarship:  Pledge cards are available in the entry foyer of Garden House before and after the meetings.  Thank you for pledging.
3. Treasurer, SANDIE WHIPPLE needs any receipts for LARC that you want reimbursed now, as the year ends June 30.
4. Cruise:  DG  ARLENE encourages you to purchase tickets to the Foundation Sunday, May 21 (if you are not working the art show that day).  The ticket price of $150 includes lunch, music, and activities and fellowship.  And best of all, $125 of the price goes directly to Rotary Foundation and credits your Paul Harris account.  Contact Marlo Seligman; Marlo.seligman@morganstanley.com or 510-839-8080.   For more information on the cruise go to the district website: http://www.rotary5170.org/foundation/cruise.asp.

Finemaster, JOHN SINES, stepped up to the plate.  Fines were fast and furious, picking on some who have not been fined much so far, he took care of that. 

KURT HUEG was fined a lot because he and his wife are pregnant.  Is this the truth?

JULIE ROSE is not pregnant, but her two daughters are and will give birth at nearly the same time.

MIKE SPENCE told us that the nicest thing he could say about his Mother-in-law is that she produced her daughter, his wife, GAY ANN, but things went downhill after that.

VICTORIA BRACHA ‘s Mother-in-law is Jewish, but she could not come up with a single Jewish dish she has taught her to make.

DAN HOLDEN ‘s Mother-in-law is a Jersey gal and is involved in tennis clubs, bridge clubs, book clubs, and now volunteers at El Camino Hospital.  She never slows down. And so that cost Dan some big dollars.

BARBARA DUNCAN will have a future Mother-in-law, as she’s about to be married.  She is still unemployed, and so that cost her.

DOUG FRANCO ‘s Mother-in-law is a championship golfer with her handicap being lower than DOUG’s.  That bit of information was thrown about by another loving Rotarian, not Doug.  Nonetheless that cost him.

Discussion took place regarding the GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE  Parade of  June 4^th.  This unusual part of our meeting was very emotional on all sides.  Those who spoke in favor of our sponsorship, were MARY PROCHNOW, and BAIDRA MURPHY.  They spoke of the terribly non-supportive and actually physically harmful atmosphere for gays at LAHS.  BAIDRA graduated from that school quite a few years ago, but the situation for gays was actually intolerable even then.  She implored our club’s support, if not just individual members support. 

PRES. ELECT, SAM spoke from the Club’s perspective in opposition to our support.  He made it very clear that he wasn’t opposed to support of the gay community, just not in support of our Club’s involvement.  He began by stating that his goal was to turn something negative into something positive.  Rotary International has actually adopted a statement with RI’s position on the rights of children.  These are all positive and we should be proud of each element.  However, he quoted from Article 12, Section l of the standard club constitution, which states the merits of any public question involving the general welfare of the community, the nation and the world are of concern to the members of this club and shall be proper subjects of fair and informed study and discussion at a club meeting for the enlightenment of its members in forming their individual opinions.  However, this club shall not express an opinion on any pending controversial public measure.  Again, pending doesn’t really matter here any more. 

SAM concluded by saying that first; he feels our club should honor the RI prohibition from expressing an opinion on this public controversy by voting not to have the club as a whole support the parade.  He went on to say that mistreatment of any youth in our community is wrong and that we should support the group individually.  A presentation here for a fuller comprehension of their situation would be welcome. The Club would like further knowledge to understand and support our youth as they deal with their most serious issues. 

Individual members then spoke up both in support and in opposition to LARC’s  position relative to this issue. 

All in all it was very emotional and intense.  One could hear a pin drop in our meeting from start to finish.  We were encouraged to write our personal feelings and turn them in.  At the end of the meeting the board met and went over each of these notes.  As a result of it all, they voted not to support the GSA parade at this time. 

Our speaker today was our own SHOSHANNA ZIMMERMAN  who gave us a very enlightened talk about the impending bird flu problem that faces our nation.  This flare up of bird flu began in October, 2005.  Now it is present on many continents.  There have been 207 confirmed cases and 115 confirmed deaths worldwide.  But, she warned, this is but the tip of the iceberg.  It is a very hard disease to diagnose and its symptoms can appear flu-like.  However, if treatment is not begun in the first 48 hrs, the results can be deadly.  At the time a human positive result is found in any area, all the birds within a 5 mile radius are killed.

The symptoms bird flu, are fatigue, headache, muscle aches and then after 3-4 days severe diarrhea, vomiting, and severe respiratory distress. Patients die of internal bleeding.  The skin becomes “air pocketed” to a point when the patient rolls over, it sounds like “rice krispies”.  Now there’s description that sort of sticks with you.  If there is any good news about the bird flu, it is that it affects mostly 20-40 year olds.  That leaves out 97% of our club!

Here are suggestions for preventative measures and treatment:  susceptible folks need to use antioxidants and gluthathione for prevention, and to use tamiflu for treatment, once an outbreak has been begun.  One of the large problems is that there is not enough tamiflu in our nation for the treatment of very many.  We need to stay healthy with lots of rest, proper diet and exercise (where have we heard this before) and drink more wine.  (this is the author’s suggestion, not the speaker’s).    Most importantly, we should stay home when we are ill.  Also, check www.birdflubeacon.com, which SOSHANNA admits, doesn’t tell us much.  We can sterilize children’s plastic toys in the dish washer, use alcohol wipes around the house, use hand sanitizers, and keep tissues handy in every room. 

In the worst case scenario, a Pandemic would affect 35% of our population.   This would overwhelm the health care system as it did in the 1918 flu pandemic.  50% of our population would need to stay home from work, shutting down the economies of cities. There would be a scarcity of food, water, electricity, and fuel.  There will be quarantines and chaos like that in war and depression.  The disease has six week cycles capable of repeating 2 to 3 times in each city.

The U.S. spent 3.8 billion dollars on allocation of vaccine and research.  There is very limited aid to states as the issue is seen as local by the federal government.  We should stock up on water and non-perishable food to last up to six weeks.  Also, keep in stock alternative fuel sources, first aid, and medications.  Most importantly, we should be knowledgeable about the symptoms and home treatment of the bird flu.  Most victims will survive depending upon early treatment.  

Her presentation was very eye opening and interesting.  Thank you, SHOSHANNA!