This Week's Program: 
Dr. Singhal -- ECH Cancer Program
 

Upcoming Events:

 

Website search:

See our Calendar for all of the important dates.

To see Neighboring Club meetings go to Clubs

To our Website

To District 5170

            Each week we have different greeters and today they were HUGH RIDDELL and IRENE PRESTON shaking our hands. There is another greeter who doesn’t shake our hand but takes our money and gives change if needed.

            That person is convivial and consistent Rotarian LEE LYNCH.  Each week Lee greets us at the cash box. The active community volunteer, former mayor of Los Altos and founding member of the History House makes change with a smile.

            Our Prez, SAM PESNER, started the meeting early and asked his partner, STEVE ANDERSON to provide the salute to the flag. Members applauded to see him back after his unfortunate accident with a moving vehicle in Hawaii.             

Vivacious KIMBERLY COPHER had us all singing the Walt Disney song “Zip-A-Dee-Do-Da, Zip-A-De-eh, My, oh my, what a wonderful day!”

            SETH MANNING stepped forth with a short thought of the day when KELLY HUDSON was absent. “If you’re flexible enough, you won’t get bent out of shape.”

            At guest time, DICK DUHRING introduced Gregg Biggs from World Neighbors & Rotary. Gregg came to pick up 40 books on HIV. His advice was that it is a great time to help with health issues in Latin America    

 Athletic LARRY CHU Jr. expostulated on the power of the softball team and the upcoming short pants sport. He was polite because he had his wife sitting next to him.

            Stationer, KENDRA GJERSETH, provided a master get well card for PHIL ROSE who underwent an operation last week and will be out of the office for two-three weeks. Everyone wishes Phil a speedy recovery and back to work as City Manager of Los Altos.

            Another Rotarian under the weather is RON INCERPI – a long time member of the Rotary Club. He is hospitalized at El Camino. Ron is incapacitated and a group of Rotarians have visited Ron weekly at his home before the Thursday meeting for years.

            CPA DENNIS YOUNG reminded all the Rotarians who are over 70 ½ years of age they can contribute to LAREF up to $100,000 for this year only. only.

            “Don’t get caught dying with all your retirement (IRA) money going to the IRS. Make a commitment to give money to LAREF now where it will do some good.” Dennis said.  nbsp;

Guest Rotarian, Olga Kolenko, made a big pitch for The Burned Child Program by selling $10 donations tickets. She urged fellow Rotarians to come to the Blackhawk Museum in Danville. The Burned Child Program is an International Program for the Americas.

           Oct. 12^th  is the deadline for signing up and paying for the Progressive Dinner taking place on Saturday evening, October 21^st.    Please make your checks payable to LARC. The cost is $40 per person. Steve Gruber will be collecting checks at the door at the meetings between now and Oct. 12. You can also send checks to him at 5050 El Camino Real, Suite 111, Los Altos, 94022. The information in the handbook for Steve's address is no longer current.

            PAUL NYBERG announced there would be a tour of the Lucile Packard Hospital from 10 am to 12 Noon, next Thursday. Interested visitors should be there at 10 am. 

            TRACIE MURRAY was recently honored with an Outstanding Business Woman Award from the American Business Woman’s Association. Tracie requests all Rotarians should attend A Sante to experience the taste of fine wines and cuisine from California for the RotaCare clinic. The event is held 5:30pm to 8 pm Nov. 9 at the Del Monte Building in Sunnyvale. Price is $50 per person.

            DAN O’DONNELL was fine master for the day and his theme was baseball and most of the questions were foul balls. Those who took a strike at the question were occasionally correct. The fined Rotarians were:

          LEE LYNCH joined the Century Club (POOBAH) because of all the family events that have happened in September.

            Looking good and applauding life, STEVE ANDERSON said “I’m getting better and thanks for asking, but I have some advice for you. Never get on an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle), but if you do, there is nothing like having your first grandchild born while you are incapacitated. Having a grandchild is a recommended thing.”

            CINDY LEUDTKE, with Partners for New Generations as her theme, introduced guest speaker Ramon Resa for the speaker.eaker.

            “Think about committing yourself to help a child, “ Cindy said. “We need your help on a committee or give us some money. We want 100 percent participation in our club,”

            Resa said it is hard to talk about yourself, but he presented his life as a farm worker and is proud to have overcome numerous challenges to become a medical doctor.

            Not knowing who his father was, his mother gave him to his grandparents who were historical Mexican field workers.

            “My first memory was picking cotton and seeing my grandfather pulling a flour sack to put in the cotton,” Resa said. “Jumping in the cotton wagon was great fun as a two-year old.” 8221;

            He grew up in a life with no books, no pencils and no paper in the house. There was some sexual abuse in the family and he had a hard time adjusting in high school because all the other kids were stable and not working in the fields. Graduating from high school was an accomplishment in his family.

            He moved away from his family in his senior year and went to University of California at Santa Cruz.  “At the time I wanted to go back to my home area and represent them and be a role model,” he said. 

            After encountering discrimination in medical school, he endured and spent his first year after graduation in turmoil with family problems. When his daughter was born she was his inspiration to continue with his medical practice.

            “I was always free and it never affected me that I didn’t have a mother and father,” Resa said. “I am now able to help other people because I can afford to do that now. I would never change my life because every step of the way there was somebody there all the time. When you say the right thing to a person it means a great deal.”

            During the question and answer period Resa was asked about the problems in the Mexican community.

            “Lack of education is the reason for all the poverty and crime in the Mexican Community,” Resa said. “YOU HAVE TO BREAK THE CYCLE.

If my talks make a difference to one or two people, it is worth the time for me to talk to them.”