This Week's Program: 
(EOC)  Dolores Davison   Exploring Eastern Europe
 

Upcoming Events:
June 22nd:  Los Altos Hills - 50 years NOTE PROGRAM CHANGE

June 27th:  WCS: CHEF CHU'S NOON
note new location and time.   Please email Allart or Dave with your reservations.

June 29th:  Kickout Luncheon

June 30th:  Kickout Dinner
 

Website search:

See our Calendar for all of the important dates.

To see Neighboring Club meetings go to Clubs

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To District 5170

To District 5170 Newsletter

rev 6/19/06

PRESIDENT'S CORNER
As the end of the Rotary year draws near, it's time to think about completing projects and plans. You didn't make any plans? Well, here's a last chance to contribute to RI and/or LAREF to help fund projects. We hope your donations to our Los Altos Rotary Endowment Fund (LAREF) will grow the corpus so that future interest earned can be used for grants to worthy non-profits or a major Club project...but that will only happen if our members' goal is to increase the LAREF corpus to a significant amount--perhaps a million dollars--like the one funding generous scholarships through the Rotary Club of Menlo Park. With a donation of $1,000 or more (or a bequest) to LAREF or RI, you can join the founder's group on the soon-to-be unveiled LARC Donor Recognition banner.

President MARLENE COWAN rang the bell and called the Rotary Club of Los Altos meeting to order at 12:15 p.m.  Red Badger, SHAYNE CORNWELL, led us in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.  RICK GLAZE stepped up as songmeister, and led us in the school-kid favorite, “California Here I Come.”  The summer vacation season seemed to be kicking in, so greeters KATIE NUTTER and JOHN SYLVESTER had a slightly lower than normal crowd to greet.

DICK HASENPFLUG provided the thought for the day, recounting how he was on a World Community Service trip to Kenya, and bumped into then Rotary Foundation President, Frank Devlin.  Frank mentioned that Rotary is just about to award its one-millionth Paul Harris Fellowship, a testimony to the continuing generosity or Rotarians.  Dick reminded us of the “Four-T’s” that make each project of the Rotary Foundation work: Thinking, Talent, Time, and Treasure (thanks to all foundation donors).

Future President SAM PESNER was chomping at the bit to jump on a plane for the Rotary Convention in Malmo, Denmark, but paused long enough to introduce visiting Rotarians Karyn Sinunu from San Jose, Roger Bolgan from Monterey, and Hal Tayler of Mountain View.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:  Art Show Poobah, HERB MARSHALL, announced that there were still some wine glasses and wine cases available from the show at reasonable prices.  They are going fast so call Herb.

KATIE NUTTER announced that the planning Committee for the Kick-out dinner and meeting would have its next meeting on June 14 at 5 p.m. at Maltby’s. 

REMINDER:  GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND RSVP FOR THE KICK-OUT DINNER.  We need to get an accurate headcount.

RELAY FOR LIFE  SANDY BOZICH announced that, SAM PESNER, STEVE ANDERSON, and she had a very successful night as celebrity bartenders at Maltby’s.  They raised over $1,000 for the Relay for Life.  KENDRA GJERSETH, assistant bartender that evening, also announced that club members could sponsor a Luminaria to “Light the Path” at the Relay for Life.  A $10 donation sponsors these items the light the way around the Relay for Life track for the 24 hour event. JEANNE MACVICAR announced the Survivor’s lunch and dinner events for the Relay, and that the group, Sorella, will be performing at the dinner.

JOHN HAMBLIN then honored and introduced all the club members who had provided sponsorships for the Art Show.

PRESIDENT’S ANNOUNCEMENTS First she congratulated RICH FISCHER on his retirement (and on having a pretty good party to celebrate).

MARLENE reminded us that KELLY HUDSON and COETA CHAMBERS are currently in the middle of the AIDS/LifeCycle 5 bike ride from SF to LA.

She also congratulated that hard numbers guy, and Finemaster Extraordinaire, Dennis Young who netted 13 new Explorers last week!  New Explorers should pick up your Los Altos Rotary Club jotters after one of the next few meetings and tell MARLENE if she missed you.

President MARLENE also announced that on Tuesday, at the Board of Directors meeting of her year, the Board took the following special actions:

·         The Board awarded two Honorary Paul Harris Fellowships (contributions to the Rotary Foundation in the name of the honorees).  The first was for Rich Fischer, who is retiring after his long and successful career as MVLA High School Superintendent, and the second was for Bernadine Fong, who is retiring as President of Foothill College.

·         The Board awarded one Guy Shoup Fellowship (a contribution to LAREF corpus) to honor Past President FIROOZ GHAFFARI by making a $1,000 donation from LARC to the LAREF corpus. FIROOZ’s widow, Giti, will be invited to the Kick Out dinner to receive this special recognition.

President MARLENE also reminded the club that a banner is being constructed to honor the donors to LAREF and The Rotary Foundation.  It will be displayed at the last business meeting on June 22, so if you plan to contribute $1000 (Guy Shoup Fellow) or $5000 (Los Altos Fellow) or bequest in your will (LARL) this week, please tell Marlene immediately so she can order a name badge to include you in the Founders’ Group.

MARLENE announced that the club received a thank-you note from the City of Los Altos for the work done on the recent BUS BARN painting.  They hope to have another project for us next year.

MARLENE then presented a special commendation to GINNY LEAR who has just resigned (after 9 very successful years) as Artists’ Coordinator for our Fine Arts Show. Her shoes will be very difficult to fill, but a search committee is being organized to seek the next Artists’ Coordinator. If you have suggestions, please see Katie Nutter, next Art Show Director, or the search committee chair (to be announced shortly by Sam Pesner).

MARLENE also awarded two “Service above Self” awards.  The first was to HERB MARSHALL for his diligent (and soggy) work as head of the Art Show.  It appears that despite the Sunday downpour, this year’s artists’ totals may come close to last years.  President MARLENE also honored SANDIE WHIPPLE, for her tremendous work heading up Partners for New Generations.

DISTRICT 5170 DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.  Finally, MARLENE announced that our club had received a tremendous honor, in that we had received the District 5170 Significant Achievement award.  This is awarded to only one club in the 60-club district.  The criteria for this club award is an achievement that: (1) addresses a significant problem or need in the local community, (2) involves most of the club members in personal rather than merely monetary service, (3) is capable of being emulated by other Rotary clubs, and (4) is carried out by a single Rotary club. Each district governor may nominate only one club’s project from her district. This year’s winner of the RI Significant Achievement Award is Los Altos Rotary for the fine service provided by Partners for New Generations! Sandie Whipple and Hinda Weber accepted the award on behalf of all PNG volunteers, and all the volunteers were asked to stand for a round of well-deserved applause.

FINES:  Poor DAVE SMITH had to follow Dennis Young’s act as Finemaster.  DAVE decided to take a kinder, gentler approach, and allow people to volunteer to join President Marlene’s Explorer’s Club.  As we reach the end of the year, the appreciation for Marlene’s fine work grows, and people were volunteering too fast for the Duck Bucket.  It looked like at least another 8-10 new explorers were gotten, and we may get a final count next week.

LOS ALTOS ROTARY CLUB GOLF TOURNAMENT/POKER EVENT 2006
GOLF AWARDS

Low Gross Champion
Ladies	Mona Armistead	104
Men	Rob Rayl	73
Low Net Champion
Ladies	Ann Oliver	73
Men	Larry Madsen	63
Yellow Ball Team (Low Net)	Bob and Norma Rayl	Bud and Ann Oliver
Closest to Pin
Ladies	Mel Kahn given the award
Men	Matt Cabot	13'4"
Longest Drive
Ladies	Mona Armistead	249 yards
Men	Jim LoConte	250 yards
POKER TOURNAMENT	TABLE WINNERS
	Mel Kahn	$90
	Dick Hasenpflug	$90
	Tom Liston	$90

Click here for some pictures from the golf tournament and BBQ held at MONA and Bob ARMISTEAD's home last Friday. 

THE WEEKLY PROGRAM-WORLD COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNUAL REPORT

The meeting then turned to a presentation of the many projects that had been sponsored (or co-sponsored) by WCS for the 2005-2006 year, and it was an amazing array of international good works.

AL LIGTENBERG introduced Budd McKenzie, who reported on the projects in Afghanistan.  Budd reported that Rotary had supported a program for fruit tree planting, to replenish these important parts of the food system, destroyed over many years of war.  Already, we had planted 12,981 trees to replenish this industry (and give the villagers an alternative to growing opium).  He also reported on the “Trust in Education” project (trustineducation.org), which is bringing education, healthcare and economic development village by village.  TIE had provided an irrigation system to support the tree planting in the Lalander Village.  Budd pointed out that much of the impoverished world lives on $2 a day, and a small amount of money goes a long way  to moving them up to a better life.  Budd also noted that retiring “boomers” can provide a great resource of “thinking, time and talent” (see above) to promote WCS projects.

AL reported on the many projects in Nepal, directed at providing solar and sustainable energy to this country.  The population uses most of their resources (wood etc.) for heat, and lacks enough energy for cooking. Open fire cooking also injures children and the smoke causes respiratory diseases.  WCS provides solar cooking devices that address all three issues: they require no wood energy, and there is no open flame or smoke to cause injury.  When the sun is not available, WCS provides “rocket stoves” that are safe and energy efficient. WCS also provides solar water pasteurizers, to use the sun’s energy for heat to purify the drinking water.  AL also showed us the briquette industry WCS is developing in Nepal.  Instead of the hazardous rout of gathering and crushing gravel for building materials, as a means of earning income, local villagers have learned to form “donut” briquettes made from organic plants and dirt to sell and use for their own cooking.  AL noted that the “renewable energy school” project is on hold, due to the loss of the Kathmandu club, and they are looking for another local club to partner with.  (revision 6/19/06 deletion)

AL reported that the "renewable energy school" project in Nepal is progressing quite well with the first batch of villagers (females/males of different castes/ages) "graduating" and producing solar/sustainable devices.
In Afghanistan, the matching grant project for the Noor Eye Clinic was on hold for a while because the RC of Kabul ceased to exist. The RC of Jalalabad is our new local partner now and we will soon order eyeglass lense edging equipment for this Clinic that provides 85 % of eye care in Afghanistan. (revision 6/19/06 addition)

AL showed 8 new projects currently under way.  He also noted that WCS had leveraged $14,000 in LAREF money into $39,000 in matching grants.  A small donation goes a long way in WCS.

JACK HIGGINS then reported on the work being done in Ocoa province in the Dominican Republic.  They have almost no communications or transportation, so there is no access to education or health care without a day-long walk.  The WCS project plans to jump from this 19th century situation, direct to a 21st century internet connection through existing wireless systems already in the region.  The project is hooking up local computers to various centers, such as the Limon Telecenter, enabling the villages to directly access education classes and interact with doctors in the central cites, and obtain much needed medical advice and treatment.

WCS is also sponsoring FACE AIDS, a project begun by 2 Stanford Students to raise funds for and awareness of AIDS in Africa.  Local villagers make beaded AIDS pins, which the students sell to raise money to support AIDS prevention projects in Africa.  FACE AIDS is young, but it has already spread to 15 other campuses.

The problems of open fire cooking (burns and smoke disease) are also being confronted by WCS in Guatemala, where WCS provides alternative stove technology for safer and more energy efficient cooking.

BO KEARNS then reported on our clubs Fishing Boat project in Indonesia.  This was the special project for the 2005 Red Badge Auction.  The fishing industry is critical to the coastal town that was devestated in the 2005 tsunami.  The project builds boats with the help of local financing, and sells them to the villagers through subsidized programs.  That way the villagers have their own investment in the project, and work hard to rebuild the local economy.  The Jakarta club is a partner on this, and through the involvement of other clubs, the project has provided up to 100 boats.

WCS is also starting a new project, “Save a Lost Generation” to address malnutrition.  Right now, 2 children die every minute from malnutrition.  Modest improvements in food production and quality can save many of them.  Once again, a dollar to WCS can be multiplied into many dollars and have a huge, life-saving impact overseas.

The accomplishments of WCS are truly amazing and inspiring, and no one complained as the presentation ran a bit long to show the names of all the WCS members who do so much to make this vital committee successful.

The meeting ended at 1:33 with a timely reminder for Service above Self.