Los Altos Rotary Club Home of the Annual Rotary Fine Art Show October 9th, 2008

President SETH MANNING chimed meeting to order promptly at 12:15 p.m.

Arriving Rotarians had been greeted by MARLIS McALISTER, and red-badger NANCY DUNAWAY. (But even before getting inside, we were greeted by the Red-Badge team seeking help on the Bullis library project. The “WINE NOT” fundraiser at Vino 100 is Saturday, October 11, 2008 at 7 p.m.)

STEVE GRUBER led the Pledge of Allegiance and past president AL TRAFICANTE stepped up to give some political thoughts for the day. From H.L. Mencken, “Under democracy, one party devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule--and both are right.” From Will Rogers, “Elections are a good deal like marriages, there’s no accounting for anyone’s taste. Every time we see a bridegroom, we wonder why she ever picked him, and it's the same with public officials.” Songmeister KURT HUEG led us in “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” (carefully stopping before we got to the scandalous portion where “Someone’s in the kitchen with Dinah”).

President-elect TRACIE MURRAY called on visiting Rotarians and guests. We had a visiting Rotarian with her own guest from the Calgary, Canada Club. TOM LISTON introduced two guests of the club. STEVE ANDERSON and STEVE SHEPHERD jointly introduced another guest, Randy Gard.

ROTARY FOUNDATION MONTH
SAM PESNER, wonder-technology maven, managed to get a video going, but the sound fizzled so DAVE BERGMAN bailed him out by holding the microphone next to the small speaker. The video was well worth it, and explained how Rotary International is developing and supporting new programs to expand literacy throughout the world. Rotary Foundation Month is coming up, and we can all help support the world-wide projects of RI.

ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Red Badge Project for this year is to create a living memorial at the Bullis School library to our lost, long-time Rotarians, LEE LYNCH and BILLY RUSSELL. Red Badger BILL BALSON announced that the WINE NOT fundraiser is being held Saturday, October 11 at 7 pm at Vino 100 on Main Street.

CINDY LUEDTKE had three announcements:
First, LOU WELLMEIER is just about to have his first baby (we assume with some assistance from his wife, Kelly). Following, is the official word from Lou-- October 10, 2008; Weighing in at 7 lbs, 4 oz, Sophia Wellmeier made her dramatic and athletic entrance into the world at 1:50 AM.

Saturday, October 25th will be Community Work Day at the soon-to-be new Day Worker Center of Mountain View located at 113 Escuela Avenue. Bring your work gloves and volunteer to help clean up the premises which will be in for future extensive remodeling next year.

The third announcement is that the annual Avenues of Service event is next Thursday October 16. We already have 14 people signed up, and can always have more. There will be carpools leaving that day from the Moison Development Office on Second Street.

SANDY WHIPPLE announced that Partners for New Generations was putting on a free event Thursday evening with past LARC Rotarian, RICH FISCHER and Jose Vargas (Pulitzer winning PNG mentee).

STEVE YARBROUGH announced that the new project, Partners for Elder Generations was setting up a speakers’ bureau and was looking for members to volunteer their time to speak on their favorite topic to groups of Seniors in the community.

MARY PROCHNOW made the sad announcement that Jeanette Paul, who had worked as one of our catering servers for many happy years, had passed away a few weeks ago from an illness. On a happier note, JOANNE BYRNE is doing better, but MARY would like some helpers to prepare meals for JOANNE while she is recuperating. JOANNE takes care of her 82-year old mother, who lives with her, and needs help during her treatment for breast cancer.

MARLENE COWAN announced that the 1-day STRS leadership training is set for November 8. Several past and current board members endorsed the great value of the STRS training. Signups are ongoing.

TRACIE MURRAY and JOAN ROSSELLE announced that the A Sante’ event is scheduled for November 5, and is only a few weeks away. This is the joint fundraiser for our Rotacare Clinic. It is a night of wine tasting and food, along with a silent auction and live auction. Last year we raised $27,000 at the event, and are looking to do more this year.

GREGORY DABB boasted that he had been elected Health Committee Chair (by arriving late at the meeting where the other members of the Health Committee elected him). He was looking for suggestions for speakers on health topics for our meetings. He also gave out some helpful and informative web sites with great (FREE) health advice. Check it out at; www.Breastcancerfund.org and www.safecosmetics.org.

ROY LAVE reminded us that the “Follies,” the local spoof of all things silly, is coming up this weekend. Buy your tickets if you haven’t already.

SAM PESNER reported on the successful “Fiesta of the Americas” fundraiser for the Coaniquem Burn Center in South America. The Center treats 8000 children who are burn victims in South America. The fundraiser is a 5170 project spearheaded by the Fremont Club. KAILAS CHIDAMBARAM and BRUCE CANN who personally visited one of the burn clinics have given special support to this cause for many years. SAM PESNER gave special recognition to STEVE YARBROUGH and CINDY LUEDTKE for their sizeable support in sponsoring a child. With generosity from them along with many other members of our club, we were able to raise the full $2,100 to continue to support three children for another year.

RECOGNITION: “I’ll go $20, Jerry”
JERRY MOISON returned to the podium as finemeister, begging for anyone to give him some money. Jerry decided to intimidate the club by showing he could pronounce extremely difficult medical terms that no one understood, from his new favorite book, “The Owner’s Manual of the Brain.” He immediately fined DANTON BRINGAS for giving him the book in the first place. DANTON set the tone for the fines by volunteering the first $20.

Luckily for Jerry, a few members volunteered for recognition. JOAN ROSSELLE was delighted to put in $30, after spending her special-needs daughter’s 30th birthday party in the Fantasy Suite in Disneyland.
MARV PATTERSON announced that the business book he wrote, “How to Build an Industry Hot Rod” had finally come out, and joined the President’s Club.
CHUCK LINDAUER announced a triple Birthday, his own, his daughter’s and his grandchild’s. His daughter is a new VP at Wells Fargo (one of the few banks left), so he joined the President’s Club. MARLENE COWAN announced that the house she had been remodeling finally sold (on great terms) and volunteered $20.
CINDY LUEDTKE joyfully announced that her 16-year old son, Matt, had obtained his driver’s license and tentatively suggested $16 as an appropriate fine. When JERRY started crying, CINDY graciously increased it to $20.

Heady from the extra cash, JERRY promptly singled out members to fine if they did not know “The
Brain.”
NANCY DUNAWAY did not know how many brain cells we are born with (23 billion) and when JERRY demanded money, said she’d go $20.
SAM HARDING did not know the fragrance or choice that helps sleep was almond vanilla and paid $20.
JOE LOCONTE did not know breakfast increased mental alertness and improved longevity, so JOE said he’d pay $20 (notice a trend here?).
PHIL ROSE did not know that you are actually awake when you nap (!!) so he stated he would pay $20.
PAUL SCHUTZ did not know that the age when reaction time starts to double is 20 and so PAUL decided he would pay, yes, $20.
KURT HUEG did not know the difference between our brain and the brain of animals is that 2/3 of ours is “available” for new tasks. KURT wracked his brain for a number and came up with $20 for a fine. JERRY desperately turned to MARY MARLEY (a known softy at fine time) and stumped her with question the most critical time for brain development (years 1-3). MARY’s brain had developed during the meeting, and she knew she could get off by volunteering $20.
Jerry, along with his brain book and his awesome medical vocabulary, slinked back to his table.
JACK KELLY paid no fines and made no announcements, but he was sitting near JERRY, and he reads the Rotator looking for his name.

THE WEEKLY PROGRAM: CANDIDATES FOR LOS ALTOS HILLS CITY COUNCIL

At the conclusion of the Q&A, President SETH chimed the meeting to close at 1:30.

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

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