Greeters, Julie Rose and  Roy Jones

BEGINNINGS
Our meeting was initiated with the Pledge led by COETA CHAMBERS and the normal pattern quickly changed when song leader KENDRA GJERSETH stepped to the microphone.   She led us in not song, but in repeating the Four Way Test, which ironically (or premeditated) was the theme for our speech contestants later in the program.
 
MARV PATTERSON attempted to provide us with multiple moral compass points, but one stuck in my mind more than others:  You come into the world crying with everyone around you smiling only to hope you go out of the world smiling with everyone around you crying.  MARV added that the breadth of your smile would be related to prior achievements and how many lives you touched along the way. 

 
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Pres. JOHN thanked our greeters for today; JULIE ROSE and ROY JONES.  He also thanked our Sergeant at Arms, REZA KHAMNEIPUR (set-up) and DAVID BERGMAN (take-down).  REZA will be stepping down due to venturing to a new business in San Jose.  Taking over his role, will be SCOTT FLEMING, who already has a business in San Jose. 
 
Pres-Elect SETH MANNING introduced visiting Rotarians and guests who included our own MEG SOLERA visiting from her new club in Durham, North Carolina.  PAUL NYBERG, JERRY MOISON and LARRY CHU, JR today also introduced guests of our club. 
 

It was a day of proclamations and awards: 
Los Altos Mayor and fellow Rotarian VAL CARPENTER read a proclamation from the City Council meeting of February 26th detailing the work of Rotary both locally and internationally and dedicating February 26, 2008 as Rotary Club of Los Altos Day.
 
COETA CHAMBERS presented a plaque she accepted on behalf of our club from the Santa Clara Board of Supervisors stating a Certificate of Accomplishment to our Rotary AIDS Project.  It was quite a prideful meeting to be recognized by our City and our County for work dome to benefit others.  

Pres. JOHN reminded all that a copy of “The Los Altos Story” is available to any member on DVD.  Newer members were encouraged to get a copy of their own. 
 
Pres. JOHN stated that there was a change in the bylaws of our process of nominating candidates to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors each year.  In the past, six candidates were nominated for three open positions, and then nominations were open to the floor.  Going forward, only three candidates will be nominated, and then nominations would be opened up to nominations of additional candidates from the membership. 
 
 
If you haven’t registered and made reservations for meals at the upcoming District Conference, you can do so at the District website, www.Rotarydistrict5170.org.
 
 
Past-Pres. SAM also announced that it is time to form the committee to prepare for Pres. JOHN’S “Kick out Party” in June.  I guess it’s never too soon to get ready to kick out a Rotary president!  
 
GINNY LEAR announced Youth Protection Awareness Training is available on March 11th from 6-7 p.m. at First Republic Bank.  She encouraged everyone to take the course if you missed it last year.  Since so many of our in our club are involved in youth activities, it is essential that every club member completes this course. 
 
JERRY MOISON challenged members to support our club by being a corporate sponsor of our Fine Art in the Park event in May.  He stepped up with $1,000 pledged from MOISON INVESTMENTS.  JERRY later asked me to recognize and thank the following people for pledging additional sponsorships before they left the meeting:  $1,000 level in addition to MOISON INVESTMENT COMPANY were BOREL PRIVATE BANK and LOS ALTOS OPTOMETRIC GROUP; $500 level PROCHNOW PROPERTIES; and $250 level VAL CARPENTER, BOGART-HARVEY, INC. and KAHN PROPERTIES. 
 
JOHN CARDOZA asked members to seek additional restaurants to provide meals to volunteers at the El Camino Rotacare Clinic.  Meals need to feed between 10-20 volunteers.  Thanks to LAWRENCE CHU and LARRY CHU, JR. for the support CHEF CHU’S provides our Rotacare Clinic on an ongoing basis. 
 
BELLA BERLLY reminded the membership of the upcoming Cioppino Feed.  Sign-up for the event on our club’s web site.  Also, volunteers are needed for preparation of the food as well as set-up and clean up for the event on March 15th. 

WEBMASTER'S NOTE:  On-line signup is simple.  Just go to our new website and click on Cioppino Night and sign up.  Click this link for detailed instructions. http://www.losaltosrotary.org/2007-2008/cioppino-signup.html If you have any problem logging in to the new website, or signing up, email STEVE ANDERSON or MATT CABOT, and they will help. 
 

MEMBER NEWS and EVENTS
Pres. JOHN relayed a sad note that JOHN BECK, president of our club 1957-58 passed away recently.  LEN MCBIRNEY provided the membership with some background that BECK was the team physician for Foothill College teams as well as the East team in the Shiners’ East-West Football Game.  LEN kidded (I think he was kidding, anyway) that if a very capable player on the East squad got even slightly hurt, he would suggest he not play the rest of the game, especially if the West team was behind?. 
We extend our condolences to the family of JOHN BECK.
 
Past-Pres SAM PESNER announced that our club has sponsored MARGE BRUNO for one of this year’s John W. Gardiner Awards for Volunteer Service presented by the Los Altos Community Foundation.  If you’d like to attend, sign up on our club’s web site and let JOANNE BYRNE what entree you want.  The event is April 3rd at the Palo Alto Crowne Plaza Hotel and the cost is $75 per person.
 
TIM BYRD, with the use of photographs projected larger than life-size, related his ten-minute talk.  TIM was born in Novato where his family had moved from San Francisco to find enough space for five kids, TIM being the youngest (older sister and three brothers).  He’s come a long way from being a self-proclaimed “mama’s boy” to a proud father of two children of this own. 
TIM related the importance of family while he was growing up and how much his parents and siblings did things together.  This is a tradition he definitely adheres to today with his own family of his wife, son and daughter.  Family vacations and reunions on both coasts are highlights of his family-oriented lifestyle.
TIM went to Sonoma State, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Business Administration, became a member of the SAE fraternity, and worked in youth camps during the summer.   His first job after college was working with youth through the YMCA.  He later worked in consulting where he trained new employees, arranged for conferences and worked with facilities.  This is all good background for his present role as Executive Director of the El Camino YMCA. 
What does his life include now?  Trips to Disneyland, tea parties, swim team and baseball.  Sound like an active family man to you?  You betcha!
 
Member recognition, a/k/a, the extraction of hard-earned funds, came after the speech contest to allow judges time to determine a winner, but I’ll take the liberty to include that recognition here.  BAIDRA MURPHY used leap year as a theme to help stump members.  Those recognized included JOHN BOGART, STEVE ANDERSON, ROLAND PAYNE, JOHN MC DONNELL, GARY MAGGARD, PAUL SCHUTZ, TIM BYRD, BELLA BERLLY, JOANNE KAVALARIS, SAM HARDING and LAWRENCE CHU (offered by his son in his absence). ROLAND PAYNE, PAUL SCHUTZ, and JOANNE KAVALARIS joined the president’s club.  CLYDE NOEL (not present) and MICHAEL STADLEN (judging) were spared today.   
 
ANNUAL SPEECH CONTEST
JACK KELLY led the proceedings for our annual speech contest.  We had two contestants, both from Mountain View High School, who were given five minutes each to make a presentation on the topic, “Investing In Tomorrow” that needed to include one or more elements of Rotary’s Four-Way  Test. 
 
Speaker number one was MEGAN MAGEE who focused on investing in one self to be an effective and contributing member of society in adult life.  She emphasized letting your own morals and ethics form your thoughts and actions rather than being influenced by not so well-meaning peers.  She would stress education, stimulate creativity, and find an inner peace that would guide her throughout life.   
MEGAN is a junior who has been on the speech and debate team three years, participates in water polo and swimming, tutors others, and is president of the business club.  She wants to attend UC Berkeley.
 
Speaker number two was SHAHEEN ADIBI who used global warming as his theme.  He provided many examples in world history, both past and current, where society has not taken action when it should have, to protect the environment or other societies.  He mentioned genocides and global warming as examples.  SHAHEEN felt that water use and water rights is key in fighting global warming.  As the population grows, the dependency upon water will become greater and greater and has the potential to lead to wars over rights to the use of precious water.  He used the bottled water industry as an example of how our use of convenient, portable water creates pollution and waste. 
SHAHEEN is a senior who has been on the speech and debate team four years, is the Lion’s Club speech contest winner and he has been accepted to Reed College.
 
SHAHEEN was the winner ($100 prize) and MEGAN was the runner-up ($50 prize).  SHAHEEN will be eligible to compete in the area competition which will be held at Alotta’s Delicatessen March 4th at 6:45 p.m.  If successful, he will compete at the Regional and then District event held on Sunday of the District conference. 
 
JACK announced that MICHAEL STADLEN will take over the reins of the annual speech contest next year.  He also thanked DICK HENNING, DENNIS YOUNG and VAL CARPENTER for judging and STEVE ANDERSON for being the timer.