This Week's Program: 
 18 August - Bill Evers, Hoover Fellow - Education in Iraq, then and now

Upcoming Events:
AUGUST
25 August - Ed Zschau - Thoughts About the Future

See Programs for all of the important dates.

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Wearing a snappy new Los Altos Rotary Club navy blue baseball cap, President Marlene Cowan     hoisted the Rotary mallet and rang the meeting to order with a sharp rap on the brass bell signaling the start of another excellent Rotary meeting.

She asked the first of her fellow Explorers to lead the pledge, so Steve Yarbrough began the meeting by asking all to join in reciting the pledge we all know today.  You might be interested to learn that the first version of the pledge was written in 1892 by Frances Bellamy, chairman of the National Education Association for the public schools' quadricentennial celebration for Columbus Day.  He structured this public school program around a flag raising ceremony and a flag salute -- his 'Pledge of Allegiance’.  Bellamy also considered adding the word "equality" in his Pledge, but knew that the state superintendents of education on his committee were against equality for women and African Americans.  The first published Pledge reads:

I Pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands; one nation indivisible, with liberty and Justice for all.

It was amended over the years, in 1923, 1924 and 1954 to its current version.

Jeanne MacVicar led us all in “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.”  Yes, we Rotarians sing!  A train whistle even accompanied the song today. 

Clyde Noel presented the    thought for the day from Dr. Suess, paraphrased as:  If your get up and go has got up and went, you’re getting older my friend.

Greeters today were Jane Reed, Pat Gray and Julie Rose.

President Elect Sam Pesner welcomed visiting Rotarians Ed Sox and Jim Conway, both former Los Altos Rotary members who now are members of the Oceanside and Rancho Mirage clubs.  Many Rotarians presented guests. 

To continue with the theme of Exploring other Cultures, next week’s program will be  “Education in Iraq” with Bill Ebbers as the featured speaker.

President Marlene announced that announcements will be printed in the Rotator in the future.  Be sure to get your announcements in to Rotarian Bill Palmer, who will see that your announcement is included.  If you show up to the weekly meeting and need to make an announcement, there will be announcement forms to fill out located at the front table.  This will assure that announcements are accurate and included in the Rotator. 

Bella Berlly noted that this weeks’ Friday night social is at Marge Bruno’s house. 

Jeanne MacVicar reminded everyone to program the first number of their cell phone with ICE – in case of emergency, so that all police and safety personnel who are now trained to look for ICE on people’s cell phones will call the person you want contacted if they respond to help you and find your cell phone. 

Larry Chu said the LARC softball team is 2-2 and is the only team in the league with women participants.  He said Mel Kahn is going to find it hard to retain his spot at second base because Kendra Gjerseth and Chris Potter are doing such great fielding and hitting.  The team plays every Monday and meets the Los Altos Kiwanis this Monday at the ball fields off Middlefield Road.  Everyone is encouraged to come and cheer them on.

Pat Gray asked everyone to remember the Alpha Omega Dinners.  She needs volunteers to help provide the meals for the working homeless staying in our network of area churches.  Call her to help.

Jack Heidmiller advised that the school in Chile needs used laptop computers.  If you have one that you could give to the children, please call Jack before he leaves before September 10th.

President Marlene said that our membership is one less than this time last year.  She asked all Rotarians to invite prospective members so that our club can continue to grow.

She then honored Hugh Riddell   and Dude Angius (in absentia) for becoming members of the President’s Explorers.

Fine master Dan O’Donnell     hosted a baseball quiz and managed to fine Mary Prochnow, Louis Borel, Dick Henning, Pat Gray, and Joanna Medin.

New Rotarian Dan Holden gave his inspiring 5-minute talk.  Dan was adopted and raised with his adopted brother in a small New Jersey town.  At the age 18, he enlisted in the USAF to become a photographer.  He was promptly made a military policeman and sent to Germany.  As an Eagle Scott, Dan naturally fell into helping the Scouts in Germany and traveled all around Europe on scouting adventures.  When he set out to find his biological parents he discovered they both had died.  But, at the agency that was helping him with his search, he met his wife Sally and soon became the step-father of John and Jen.  John is now a stock broker and Jen is a senior at UCLA.  After 20-plus years in tech management and marketing, he has launched a new career in reverse mortgages for seniors.  We welcome Dan to Los Altos Rotary and thank Cindy Luedtke for sponsoring him.

THE PROGRAM

Each year the district governor visits each club in our district to lend a hand and to motivate Rotarians to do even greater works that we did the year before.  Arlene Greenberg, of the Rotary Club of Morgan Hill, is this year’s district governor.  She attended our meeting with     assistant district governor Don McKenzie of the Palo Alto University Club.

District Governor Arlene   gave a moving talk about how Rotarians care for each other, their communities, and the world.  She informed the group about the We Care program which is designed to support Rotarians and to assist them in becoming even more productive.  She said we sometimes need to remember that Rotarians, too, have needs.  We joined Rotary for fellowship and service, but we also know that our fellow Rotarians care about us.

District Governor Arlene said she joined Rotary in 1990 because it met her needs for fellowship and caring.  She became more and more involved and served as president of her club and then moved on to assist at the district level.  She encouraged all to attend the District 5170 Conference to be held April 28-30, 2006.  She said that at the District level you will expand your Rotary world and learn new ways to meet your needs in Rotary.

She told several stories about how Rotary works to change lives.  She was particularly focused on Camp RYLA, where our clubs send promising young people for a week of motivation and interaction.  She talked about the international travel opportunities for Rotarians to help with wheelchair deliveries and many other service projects.  She encouraged everyone to try to attend the Rotary International Convention next year in Copenhagen.  She asked everyone to broaden their Rotary horizons.

District Governor Arlene made several special presentations.  She honored Cindy Luedtke as Area 10 membership representative.  She presented special membership development  pins to our      newest Blue Badgers,  Kendra Gjerseth, Shoshana Zimmerman, Tom Liston and Marge Sentous. 

Mike Harrigan, Jerry Tomanek Mary Marley, Larry Chu, Matt Cabot and Dennis Potter were recognized with yet another pin for their outstanding club service so far this year.

District Governor Arlene presented a special Paul Harris Fellow to President Marlene    on behalf of her daughter Catherine Cowen.

The governor’s traveling gift came from the East Palo Alto Bayshore Club and will be auctioned next week with the proceeds to the Rotary Foundation.  Our gift will travel to Palo Alto University Club.

District Governor Arlene was welcomed to our club with a standing ovation.  We all appreciate the effort and dedication of those who serve Rotary.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Jack Heidmiller writes:
"Computers for Chilean Students" - donate lap top
computers for Chilean children by Oct. 10. Call Jack
Heidmiller 650-960-3977 for pick-up.

David Smith writes:
"Fine Master/Duck Bucket" - Duck Bucket volunteers
please note that payment of fines should be cash,
check or IOU. IOU reminders are two-part "receipt"
forms. Duck Bucket volunteer should fill in amount in
the "Amount Due" box, date and sign, give one copy to
the person who owes and keep one copy for LARC.
 

President Marlene writes:
Important 5 minute meeting for entire LARC Board at
the podium Thurs, Aug. 18, 1:30-1:45

Webmaster's Notes:  Here is a link to DG Arlene Greenberg's newsletter:  http://www.rotary5170.org/news/05-06/05-08-WeCare-02.pdf

Correction to last week's Rotator:  Last week we reported that the Rotacare Clinc needed cooks.  I am happy to report that, per coordinator IRENE PRESTON we need DRIVERS.  That should make it easier.  There are more of us who drive than cook.  SO, Irene needs DRIVERS to DELIVER (not cook) the dinners to the Rotacare Clinic.

Glenda, the volunteer coordinator for the Clinic, has recruited a group of restaurants in Mountain View, Sunnyvale and Los Altos to donate dinner for the volunteers and doctors, and nurses, etc.  LARC drivers provide the "last mile" connection by bringing the food from the restaurant to the Clinic on Mondays and Wednesdays.  Many people staffing the Clinic come straight from their place of work and don't take time to get a dinner.  This is a small but important and easy way to support their efforts to provide free medical services. We still need drivers for October and November.

Additions to the website:  Take a look at our website:  I have added several new pages to the Member's section of our website: http://www.losaltosrotary.org