Los Altos Rotary Club Home of the Annual Rotary Fine Art Show March 9 2009

 
I shook hands with BOO BUE today and said that I was glad to see him back at Rotary.  “Glad to be back, I’ll tell ya,” Boo replied. 
 
Then, President Seth chimed the meeting to order, the pledge was said, RICK GLAZE thought about “The Road Less Traveled.” Song master MICHAEL STADLEN helped us plod through the “Easter Parade”, but we all made it safely.

 
For the first time in recent memory (at least as far back as 2000, when I joined the club), there were no visiting Rotarians and no guests!  President-elect TRACIE MURRAY did a nice job of filling the void.
 

Announcements Were Many
 
Balalaika Performance
CHUCK LINDAUER and JACK HEIDMILLER advise that a special performance, sponsored by Los Altos Sister Cities, will feature musicians from Syktyvkar, Russia playing the ancient musical instrument balalaika on Tuesday, April 21 at 8:00 p.m. at the Los Altos Youth Center at 1 North San Antonio Rd in Los Altos.  The performance is free, though donations of $5 will be accepted at the door.
 
The distinctive triangular-shaped balalaika has been highly esteemed in Russia since the old days. In ancient times there was not a holiday without it, people sang and danced with the accompaniment of the balalaika. During many centuries the balalaika had been used by wandering minstrels -skomorokhs, who were the most honorable guests at outdoor festivals.
 
District Celebration
President Seth and MARY MARLEY encourage all to join him on April 17-19 for the District Celebration formerly known as the District Conference at the Marriot Hotel in Santa Clara.  Join as many as 10 free hospitality rooms on Friday and Saturday including our own Hawaiian-themed room with Mai Tais and leis with STEVE ANDERSON.  MARY PROCHNOW advised that at the Saturday luncheon, the Rotary AIDS Project will be recognized for 20 years of dedicated service.  Be sure to be there for this event.
 
RI Convention
RICH CASEY invited us to travel to Birmingham, England, for the Rotary International convention on June 20-24.  KAREN FOX and COETA CHAMBERS will be there representing our club and the RAP committee.  Roundtrip tickets are just $787 from SF to London.  Good opportunity to travel and learn about Rotary.                    
 
Blood Drive
When Rotarian BUD OLIVER’S wife Ann was severely injured a few months ago in a bike accident, she required 11 units of blood.  Bud asked fellow Rotarians to donate to the Blood Bank on April 18 at the Congregation Church in Los Altos in her honor.
 
Rotacare Food Delivery
DAN O’DONNELL thanked all the volunteers for helping deliver donated meals to the volunteers at the clinic.  Next time he asks for volunteers please sign up if you have not done so.
 
Youth Awareness Protection Class
MARY MARLEY said the Youth Awareness Protection class is set for 5 p.m., Thursday, April 23, at First Republic Bank conference room.
 
Rotarians at Work Day
DAVID SMITH said five locations are ready for projects for us to work on.  The clipboard was circulating for gazebo painting at Lincoln Park, which needed a coordinator, and for signup for manning grocery locations throughout Los Altos to collect food for CSA and hand out information on Art in the Park..
 
Art Show Sponsors
STEVE POMEROY announced that 23 sponsors have signed up for the Art Show totalling $11,500.
 
Green Town Los Altos
“LARC is now a member of GTLA!” said STEVE ANDERSON.  Now he is asking individual members to become part of this energy saving group as well.
 
Hermitage Museum Speaker
KAREN FOX says bring a guest in two weeks to hear our speaker on the Hermitage Museum.
 
Progressive Dinner
KENDRA GJERSETH said the progressive dinner is sold out!  See you all there.
                                                           

Four Way Test
STEVE GRUBER presented a brief history of the Four Way Test.  The Rotary code of ethics was started 77 years ago when Rotarian Herbert J. Taylor, of the Club Aluminum Company, was trying to revive his failing pots and pans business.  The firm had relied on grandiose advertising claims such as “the world’s best pans.”  But business was declining anyway.  Herb decided to change things and be honest about his company’s merchandise.  He jotted down the now famous test:  Is it the truth?  Is it fair to all concerned?  Will it build good will and better friendships?  Will it be beneficial to all concerned?  He applied the test to his business advertising and business revived!  It still works, and since it was adopted by Rotary in 1943, Rotarians have applied Herb’s test in their daily lives.  

RANDY GARD’S 10-Minute Talk
Randy was a cute Texas baby who fit nicely in a grocery bag. By age three he was a pistol packin’ Texas Ranger roaming his parents’ Texas living room.  When Mom and Dad moved to California in 1972, Randy retired the weapons and grew his hair to his shoulders..  He towered over his two younger brothers.  Randy attended Saratoga High School, then went on to get an engineering degree at Santa Clara University, later getting a law degree and turning to patent law.  He married Laura in 1983 and they have raised four-legged lab and golden retriever friends together ever since. They love to travel and have visited such far-flung places as Kenya and Tanzania.  An Avid flyer, Randy once flew WWII T-6 trainers with his dad doing loops and rolls just for fun.
Music is this hobby.  He has thousands of records and built is own music system in their home.  It’s a pleasure having Randy in our club!

Fine Herbs
After presenting JERRY MOISON with a bar of soap with which to wash out his mouth, HERB MARSHALL levied a few fines.  JOHN CARDOZA celebrated a birthday for $25.  RANDY GARD joined him for $50.  DICK DUHRING celebrated his 57th anniversary, but got off without levy.  RICK GLAZE’S 26th anniversary cost a mere $40.  DICK HENNING’S and JEANNE MACVICAR’s birthdays were free.

CAREW MCFALL celebrated 13,000 days with his spouse for $40. SANDI WHIPPLE paid less than fair market value of $20 for 28 years of marriage.  Tall LARRY MADSEN gave a presentation on his granddaughter’s victory in the NCAA swimming for Cal for a mere $20.  MARGE BRUNO, KAREN FOX, MARLENE COWAN, and JACK KELLY all had something vaguely in common for various fees.
 

GLOBAL BURDEN OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE
MARGE BRUNO introduced our speaker Dr. Ellen Jo Baron.  Dr. Baron is a professor of microbiology at Stanford.  She has started a project in developing countries of Africa and Asia where the biggest burden of infectious disease has befallen those populations.  Although her father was a Rotarian in the Midwest, this was the first Rotary meeting Dr. Baron had ever attended.
 
Her current project is in Cambodia, a country with the world’s youngest population under age 20.  The mortality rate in Cambodia is increasing whereas in all other countries, the mortality rate is decreasing.  Dr. Baron believes that a fundamental reason for this is that there are no diagnostic laboratories and no training for lab technicians in all of Cambodia.  If you get sick in Cambodia, you only recourse is to fly to Thailand or die.  She cited as an example the director of a resource development agency’s recent demise due to failure to diagnose his illness.
 
Dr. Baron has developed a basic microbiology workshop-in-a-binder that she uses as a teaching tool in Phnom Penh and Battambang.  After her week-long class, she leaves the binders with her students to use as a basic bench-top lab manual. 
 
Dr. Baron’s goal is to establish three working diagnostic labs with trained technicians over the next three years.  One problem that she has resolved is the use of hair sheep for blood supplies for lab tests in a country where normal wooly sheep simply can’t exist.
 
It was pleasure to get to know Dr. Baron and welcome her back to her next Rotary visit!
Au Kun (thank you).
                                   

template updated: 06/27/08