Los Altos Rotary Club Home of the Annual Rotary Fine Art Show July 3rd, 2008

       Greeters today were LOUIS BOREL, KEVIN PHILLIPS and JOE CORRAL

Newly minted President SETH MANNING called the meeting to order like he knew what he was doing.  Our most immediate Past President (sounds good, uh, JOHN MOSS) lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and JOHN SYLVESTER lead us in a song.  I was so engrossed in the song, I forgot to write it down, and now it is not even a blip in my memory.  I hope it isn’t an age thing.  Quick test: What was the song?  PP MARLENE COWAN had the thought for the day person and basically said, “Invest in what you want to do, not what you do.” 

STEVE GRUBER was the first member of Seth’s President’s club in celebration of his 420 mile (ouch) bike ride.  Pres SETH also said that he and Marilyn would donate $10 to LAREF for every new member of the President’s club (no limit).  He also said instead of a pin, he had a roll of stickers (not the dinosaur kind, but Rotary stickers) that President Club joiners could have.  He said that many of us had too many pins as it was.  Is it me, or do you recall that many pins before women became members?  Anyway, if you insist on a pin, Pres SETH will get you one. 
From my copious notes, I noticed only one announcement: 

GINNY LEAR announced that Past President ELMER JOHNSON (President 1966-1967) recently died at age 88. 

Well, today was CLUB ASSEMBLY DAY.  The day designed to give the brand new president a program that he is not responsible for.  A day looked forward to by everyone in the club, mostly the Red Badgers, because it is an opportunity for each Avenue Of Service Director to tell the club about the various committees under him or her, and to whet the interest of said Red Badgers and Blue Badgers to get involved in Rotary. 

NOTE TO RED BADGERS (and Blue Badgers, alike):  You might have heard the saying “Oh, he was a RINO” speaking of some unknown person.  Unlike the real rhino, it is not something to aspire toward.  A RINO is a pejorative term for someone who is a “Rotarian In Name Only.” When I coached AYSO soccer many many years ago, I used to have a parents meeting at the beginning of each season.  One of my main objectives for that meeting was to get parents involved in their kid’s activities.  I used to say, “The generation gap starts here.  The more you are involved in your kids activities, the smaller that gap will be.” implying that by showing an interest in their kid’s activities, more important moments in the future will be much easier.

Well, the same thing is true with Rotary and your involvement in it.  We each contribute to the success of Rotary by our involvement in Los Altos Rotary.  RINOs are not effective.  RINOs are not involved.  RINOs don’t contribute.  They come to lunch (occasionally) and think they are Rotarians.  But they are Rotarians in Name Only.  DON’T BE A RINO.

The Club Assembly day should have given everyone pause to say “Can I do more?”  We have about 60 committees in our club.  Each need member’s help.  There is not one committee in the bunch that is full; they all need new hands to help with the work.  But most committees don’t overtly advertise for help.  Occasionally you will hear about someone needing help, but generally it is up to you to seek where your time and talent can do the most good.  Over the next few months we will be updating our new website with additional information about our committees.  You might start by looking at our calendar and see when some of these committees meet. 

BTW, if one of the committees you are on has regular meeting (or even irregular meeting) and it’s not on our calendar, email GARY MAGGARD and tell him about it, and he will add it.  GARY is the keeper of the calendar. 

It used to be that the committees in our club were divided into 6 Avenues of Service:
                    Fellowship
                    Community Service
                    International Service
                    Membership
                    Operations
                    Youth and Vocational Service
and there was a Director for each.  There has been some talk about re-aligning the Avenues of Service, but I don’t know if that has started as yet.  Our old website showed the Avenues of Service pretty well with the associated committees.  On the new website, they are sort of buried.  The old site is still up until we can get Clubrunner to make some needed changes.  So take a look under the Avenues Of Services tab.  Also, the new website stuff, like the old website is not up to date.  Just use it to see the scope of each Avenue of Service. 

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE – COETA CHAMBERS - Director

Rotary International Foundation – PP SAM spoke about how RI (Rotary International) works with our money.  He likened it to the ‘Church of Rotary’ where the ‘church’ is always asking for money.  He said that when we become Rotarians, joining the church of Rotary (to keep the analogy alive) we sign on to donate our time, talent and treasure to the objectives of Rotary.  He mentioned that the name Rotary International had the word International deliberately set in the name.  PP SAM mentioned the ‘little blue wallet card’ that he handed out during his presidency.  On the back of that card it says [Rotary is] “A global network of community volunteers.’

He said that last year Rotary gave $100 million in grants throughout the world, and reminded us that November is the Foundation Drive. 
He also spoke about our Rotarians, (not RINOs) fight against Polio, in the Polio Plus Program.  So far Rotarians (like our own GINNY LEAR and KAILAS CHIDAMBARAM) have dispensed over 2,000,000,000 doses of the Salk vaccine to children throughout the world.  As a result, there are only 4 areas left in the world that have any appreciable cases of polio.  These regions are regions of the world still held in the grip of war. 
A video, Polio Plus: A Gift to the Children of the World was shown. 

PP GINNY LEAR then stood up and said she and Kailas were part of the big push in 2006, by going to Africa to help immunize children.  As she said:  “It is done by us.”  If you want more information about the Polio Plus program, check this out.

World Community Service (WCS) – ROLAND PAYNE, JEAN (John) MORDO and BO KERNS talked about WCS.  The PowerPoint presentation that he used can be found on our website here, and a PDF version here.  More information about the “Bring Me a Book Foundation” that JEAN mentioned is at “Bring Me a Book”. 

All in all, they demonstrated what our time, talent and treasures are doing to relieve poverty and suffering throughout the world.  Rotarians, not RINOs!  FRANK VERLOT (a relatively new member) agreed to take the reins of WCS for President SETH’s year.  Thanks in advance FRANK!

PP SAM PESNER came back up and discussed the Rotary (International) Foundation and how our money is collected from members, generally in the November Foundation Month.
 
The donors are divided into 4 groups: based upon their contribution during one year:
                    Sustainers:  $100
                    Double-Sustainers:  $200
                    Super-Sustainers: $500
                    Paul Harris Society members: $1,000

SHIV SHASTRI spoke about the Rotary International Scholarship Program.  He mentioned that the scholarship program is the largest scholarship program in the world.  It is a District selected program, meaning that clubs select candidates for scholarships and present them to the district.  While we as a club have not had a candidate selected recently, we continue to look for worthwhile candidates.  Criteria for candidate selection is posted on the District website under their Foundation tabs.  In fact, all of the information about scholarships, Group Study Exchanges, travel programs, etc., are on this link along with eligibility, and deadlines for applications. 

DAVE SMITH - Director of COMMUNITY SERVICE mentioned Rotacare and how we can be involved by picking up meals and taking them to the Rotacare clinic.  DAN O’DONNELL set up a table outside and completely filled up the signup sheet, so that opportunity is gone for now.  If you want to be on the waiting list for this service, let Dan know.

DAVE said that Red Badger, GREG DABB is the new chair of the Community Health and Safety committee.  PP SAM PESNER is still chair of the Partners for Elder Generations committee.  Both men are looking for people to help them with their work.  Give them a call.  

JACK KELLY - Director of OPERATIONS did not feel he had time to do his responsibilities with any justice, so he begged off until next week.

In reminiscent of times past, PP SAM PESNER ended President SETH’s first meeting with a joke.  As a reminder, it was about two brothers whose father was quite old. 

One brother lived with him and took care of him, while the other brother lived some distance away.  When the old man died, the out-of-town-brother said he could not attend the funeral, but told the other brother to “give the old man something special and a good send-off” and he would pay for it.  Well the first bill came in at about $6,000 and the out-of-town-brother paid it without question.  The following month another bill came in for $300 and he paid that as well.  The next month another bill arrived for $300 and, while he thought that was a bit unusual, he paid that.  Finely, after six months of bills arriving for $300 each, the out-of-town brother had enough.  He contacted the other brother and asked him why the $300/month bills.  His brother said, “Well, you said do something special for Pop, so I rented him a tuxedo.”
 

 While this was artfully told by PP Sam, I understand that MICHAEL STADLEN should get the credit.

Finely, remember "Don't be a RINO."

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

template updated: 06/27/08