Los Altos Rotary Club Home of the Annual Rotary Fine Art Show June 19th, 2008

Greeters  MIKE ABRAMS and MARV PATTERSON

THE DAY TIME HILARITY OF OUR KICK OUT

The two-day Rotarian KICK OUT- KICK IN series of events hosted by immediate Past President SAM PESNER can be enjoyable and hilarious with occasional somber thoughts.  Thursday’s meeting (June 26) ended early with President JOHN MOSS accepting his fate by saying, “Normally, I would say, ‘see you all next week at the same time and place.’  This time I couldn’t say that.”

KICK–IN President SETH MANNING, ready to accept his future and events that have not yet happened, said “John is a great Rotarian role model and what a great standard I hope to live up to.”

Returning to the hilarious portion of the meeting; (the 49^th Rotarian meeting in the 59th year of Rotary existence) upon entrance to the Garden House, WANTED posters were tacked at the entrance accusing JOHN MOSS (LARC’s Poster Boy) of having vicious aliases and casing shops while passing out art show posters to unsuspecting proprietors. The LARRY MADSEN caricature posters were also attached above men’s urinals for the appropriate eye-level attention.

One unnamed female Rotarian asked that I enter the Woman’s restroom to see the poster on the back door of each cubicle.  “I can’t believe this,” she said. “A woman can’t sit down to do her business without looking at the JOHN MOSS’ picture at eye level right in front of me.”

The song of the day paid tribute to JOHN with homemade lyrics dating back to 1926.  To the tune of “Bye Bye Blackbird” the lyrics said “Make his bed and light the light, He’ll be home late tonight, Bye, Bye, Johnny.” 

KENDRA GJERSETH referred to a Mark Twain saying, but she also told us next year we will be standing and paying reverence to the Thought of the Day.

SETH MANNING provided JOHN with a 3” white binder that described the job description JOHN will undertake next year as Past-President. (The frigging pages were blank!)

On the serious and important side of Rotary, WYATT ALLEN presented awards to LARC members who donated $1,000 beyond a Paul Harris fellow.  They were:

MATT CABOT – Paul Harris plus one.
BUD AND ANN OLIVER - Paul Harris plus two.
SAM PESNER – Paul Harris plus four.
MONA ARMISTEAD –Paul Harris plus five.

WYATT said the Goal for the year was $24,000 and, with the generous donation from LEE LYNCH of $4000, the goal was exceeded.

SANDY WHIPPLE reminded us the new fining period starts July 3^rd. Food will be more expensive with lawn clippings starting at $15 and the hot buffet at $18. Annual dues will go to $270 but will include the kick-out,

ROY LAVE reviewed the history of the 1989 Los Altos Story and recited all the awards the movie has received since then. In addition to the many awards that have been received there is a recent addition to that list of an “Award of Distinction” for the Rotary AIDS project that promotes the global fight about AIDS.

Back to the hilarity of the program; MARLENE COWAN recited an inventory of famous Johns from all sections of humanity.  Starting with John Dillinger to John F. Kennedy, midway through, DAN DUTTON asked “When do we start laughing?”

Each table had a raffle ticket and coincidently, the winning number (25463) was DAN DUTTON’S and he received a genuine Mother Theresa Baseball signed by Mother Theresa. DUTTON still was not laughing, but he was clutching to his victorious prize and accidental lucky charm.

Continuing with the weekly ten-minute talk, JACK KELLY assumed the personality of a JOHN MOSS alias and spoke about life in Ohio, Dayton history, and other forms of becoming a man in Ohio.  As a bi-coastal person, JOHN went to Princeton and Stanford Universities for his formal education and worked for IBM and Hewlett-Packard on both United States coasts. As a final gesture, we are all invited to have dinner with JOHN and his wife Jackie featuring the casserole that made Ohio famous. (Date to be set by Jackie)

The final tribute was a long lyric of John’s life by JOHN SYLVESTER.  We were instructed to sing “Big John, Big John, President John, Big John, after each verse.  The importance of the long epistle was a tribute to John with guitar accompaniment by SAM PESNER in the Key of G.

“We want to say thanks for a darn good year,
Now it’s over, sit down and just disappear, Big John
Big John, Big John, Past President John, Big John.”

At 12:56 p.m. so ended the Kick Out of PAST PRESIDENT JOHN MOSS’ year of accomplishments and achievements.

THE NIGHT TIME FORMALITY OF OUR KICK IN
Having a social hour (June 27) before the changing of the guard offers new friendships, social pleasantries, and encourages the swapping of latest rumors.  And, good weather also helps when you’re roaming the expansive patio of the Los Altos Golf and Country Club.  But it all ends when the dinner bell sounds with a spoon clanging on a cocktail glass.

The formal Kick out - Kick In program started the evening when PP SAM PESNER announced “Can I have your attention please.”

At the request of Jackie and JOHN MOSS, our kick out president asked Mady Kahn to provide a musical interlude with songs from Broadway.  Accompanied by her musical arranger Russell Norman, Mady sang “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady.” Followed by a parody for her husband, “He’s just my Bill,” Mady changed the lyrics to “He’s just my Mel.” Concluding with a dedication to LEE LYNCH and BILLY RUSSELL, Mady sang the Rodgers and Hart hit song “Blue Skies.”  Nothing but blue skies from now on.”

After a short period when PP SAM PESNER presented flower bouquets to retiring First Lady, Jackie and new First Lady, Marilyn, President JOHN took the microphone again and provided a few heartfelt words about his year as President:

“It has been a real honor to be your president and it’s better than being Mayor. Just ask MARGE BRUNO and ROY LAVE.”“LARC is full of friends that want you to succeed and help you. Thank you for all you have done this year. I had fun and I hope you have too.”  “Stepping down is bittersweet. I’ll miss the fun, but I’m looking forward to getting my life back. The good news, I just signed a contract with HP.”

As president, the Service Above Self awards are given to club members who have demonstrated exemplary service to the club in the past year. This year’s awards were:

DICK HASENPFLUG  - Audit committee and Technology committee
MATT CABOT – Webmaster and Clubrunner master
DAVE SNOW –Website builder
MARY MARLEY – Red Badge organizer and Mentor
DAVID BERGMAN – Sergeant at Arms and Art show staffing
JERRY MOISON – Art Show Director
LARRY CHU Jr.  – Membership chair
STEVE ANDERSON – Club secretary and former president
LEE LYNCH – Cashier, LAREF Treasurer and 10-minute talk scheduler

Each year one member is singled out as the Rotarian-of-the-Year for service to the club and this year’s winner was SANDIE WHIPPLE, the treasurer of the club for the last six years. The Guy Shoup Rotarian of the Year award has been given 28 times and 18 winners are still members of the club.

After a period of placing pins on past, present and PresIdent Elect, TRACIE MURRAY, including the George Perham boot for JOHN MOSS’ mantle, JOHN then pinned SETH MANNING as our new president for 2008-2009. “It is said this little pin belonged to GUY SHOUP himself,” JOHN said.

After introducing his Board of Directors for the coming year, President SETH provided some thoughts on the coming year.  “Please God, don’t let the club fail during my year.”  “Rotary is service above self.  It’s about kindness.  If we give we get, and that is what Rotary is all about.”   Rotary is one of God’s great tools to bring peace on the planet”.   

President SETH provided an excellent speech with thoughts for the coming year that included “Love.”  Love is in the air for Rotarians. As the provider for the song for the day during the year, SETH suggested “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” and the world will be a better place for you and me.”

The Rotary Year 2007-2008 was dedicated to LEE LYNCH AND BILLY RUSSELL with the song “High Hopes” made popular by Frank Sinatra.

Just what makes that little old ant
Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can’t
Move a rubber tree plant

But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie, in the sky hopes

SETH closed with “Let’s have fun next year and make giving fun. That’s it!

Webmaster note:  There were a lot of photographers at the Kickout Dinner.  too many pictures for the Rotator.  I will set up a photo album by next week so you can enjoy their fine works. 

{Copyright � 2008 Los Altos Rotary Club. All rights reserved}

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