Los Altos Rotary Club Home of the Annual Rotary Fine Art Show July 31st, 2008

Opening Moments:
BONNIE BURDETT, PAUL SCHUTZ and LARRY CHU welcomed every Rotarian with a smile and handshake today.  It was a pleasure to see them at the front door!   Following the pledge of allegiance to our flag, led by Past President AL TRAFICANTI, MARGE BRUNO gave us all a little something to think about.  In essence, Marge said, “Don’t wait until tomorrow to do what you want to do in life.  You never know how many tomorrows you will have.  Don’t wait until it’s too late – do it all today.”

Songmaster JOHN SYLVESTER then led the group in a “spiritedly” You Are My Sunshine.”
 

Thinking of Our Friends:
Past President GINNY LEAR informed us the former Los Altos Rotarian, HUGH RIDDELL, who served for many years as the Vice Principal at Mountain View High School, is suffering from colon cancer, but doing well.  Ginny welcomed all Rotarians to sign a card for Hugh during the meeting.  Our thoughts and best wishes go out to Hugh and his family from his Rotary family.
 
Visiting Rotarians:
President Elect TRACIE MURRAY welcomed visiting Rotarians and Rotarians with guests.  Dan Messersmith, of the Kingman Arizona Route 66 Club, retired college administration, presented our club with two special gifts: gold coins celebrating the 2007 Ford Mustang and the 1966 Chevrolet Stingray.  Dan’s club uses the coins to raise money for the Rotary Foundation.  In a quick auction, DICK HENNING purchased the Mustang coin for $500 and STEVE POMEROY got a deal for the Stingray coin at $125.  Both purchases go toward their Paul Harris Fellowships.  Thanks to Dan, Dick, and Steve for their very generous contributions to the Rotary Foundation.
 
Tracie also welcomed two visiting Rotarians from the Burlingame Rotary Club: Jennifer Pence and Jay Miller.  Tracie then asked Rotarians with guests to introduce themselves and their guests.
 
Fellowship:
President Seth reminded everyone to join at Chef Chu’s at 5:15 p.m. for fellowship, courtesy of LARRY CHU.  By show of hands, it appeared a large group was expected.
 
Fellowship chair KENDRA GJERSETH announced that the next gathering will be hosted by Dr. GREG DABB at Better Life Chiropractic at 5 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008.  All Rotarians are invited to stop in for social time at Greg’s courtyard.  Music will be provided by our own JOHN SYLVESTER.  Sounds like fun!
 
Next, JEAN and Barbara MORDO will host the club at their home on Friday, September 26, 2008 for a wine and cheese gathering.  More fun!
 
Rotary Foundation:
Rotary Foundation chair, Past President SAM PESNER, reminded us that the motto for contributions to the foundation is: “Every Rotarian, Every Year.”  Sam says it’s not how much you give, it’s that you give.  Every contribution helps.  Our club goal is for every member to commit to giving $100 per year to the Rotary Foundation.   If you want to become a Double Sustaining member, make a $200 gift to the Foundation.  For $500, you become a Super Sustainer.  Upon reaching the magic number of $1,000, you become a Paul Harris Fellow.  Sam wants every member to reach that level because the Foundation is the life blood of Rotary.  Without it our organization could not do the good works we do around the world.
 
GEORGE STAFFORD’s 10-Minute Talk:
It is amazing what you learn about our members during these talks.  Who would have guessed that George is a cowboy at heart?  Yes, it’s true.  He’s a ropin’, ridin’ cowpoke.  He, his wife Carol, and sons Paul and Joseph, love the equestrian life.  Paul has grown up at race tracks around the country due to George’s career path.  After getting a degree in biochemistry and physiology at San Francisco State University, and working in the Chemistry Department at SFSU, at age 28, George met a real cowboy who eventually sold him a horse for $1.  This must have been a good deal, because it launched a lifelong love of the fine animals.  After leaving the university, George got a job selling drugs to veterinarians who cared for horses at race tracks around the country.  He took his son Paul along wherever he went.  Following this, George worked overseas selling chemical fertilizers in countries in Central and South America, Africa and the Mediterranean.   We also learned that George loves to hunt.  (He has to make sure he gets to know fellow Rotarian SCOTT FLEMING, another avid hunter!)
 
Finemaster LARRY CHU:
Following George’s 10-minute talk, LARRY CHU, finemaster of the day, talked George out of a “shipload of fertilizer.”  He helped HERB MARSHALL celebrate getting married at age 31, or, I guess bachelorhood up until now; DENNIS YOUNG for being such an “honored” CPA; JACK HEIDMILLER, just because; BARRY GROVES due to son’s med school acceptance; CLARI NOLET for travels to Machu Pichu; ROLAND PAYNE for 75th summer; DAN HOLDEN for daughter at USC; ROY LAVE for racy spring break photos from 1920?; DICK HENNING, for 52 years of marriage – 30 with Paulette; BOB ADAMS for 16 kids to Alaska and 75th birthday; and Greg Dabb for hair dresser’s advice to LARRY CHU about getting pregnant!
 
Los Altos City Center Renovation Plan
Past President BOB ADAMS welcomed Rotarians to participate in the development of the City of Los Altos renovation planning session Aug. 8, from 1-3 p.m. at Grant Park.
 

The Program: Martha Cravens and How to Parent Teens
TRACIE MURRAY was visiting a Kiwanis meeting where she met Martha Cravens.  Martha, after 20 years in the fire insurance business, is completing a doctorate in psychology and working at the Community Health and Awareness Council (CHAC).  She also is a counselor for area schools, including Egan School.
 
One day, Martha spotted a brochure for a program called the Parent Project.  She was intrigued, became a Parent Project facilitator and launched a Parenting Teens Class through CHAC.  As Martha’s handout states, “the tougher it gets to be a kid, the tougher it gets to be a parent.”
 
After the success of the first 17 parents to complete the class, Martha is expanding the program throughout the county.  The 12-week class runs Wednesdays from September 24 through December 18 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and costs $120, which includes a dinner each evening donated by local restaurants.
 
This is not a class on the theory behind teen behavior.  It is a how-to class on dealing with teens.  It is a practical approach on how to respond when a teen is physically aggressive, verbally abusive, defiant, getting high, getting expelled from class, or running away.  It helps parents learn to effectively deal with the most difficult teen behaviors.
 
Martha talked about how to get the power back from the teens to the parents.  When the parent gets the power back, how to develop a plan to go forward to resolve the underlying issues.  Sometimes this may mean giving some space in the relationship – i.e., devoting time to the parent and less to the teen.
           
One example, Martha pointed out was that she learned that grounding a teen for two weeks is like a “death sentence” to a teen. They now have nothing to lose by acting out even more.  She said a better approach is to remove all toys – cell phones, IPODS, etc., for short period of time maybe two hours.
 
Martha fielded questions from many Rotarians.  She was an impressive speaker who could really help parents with troubled or difficult teens.  If you have a teen or a friend with a problem teen, contact Martha at (650) 965-2020 ext. 30 or email her at marthacravens@hotmail.com.
 
 
 

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