Los Altos Rotary Club eNewsletter "Rotator"

Los Altos Rotary Club

Home of the Annual Rotary Fine Art Show

April 22 2010

Writer: Clyde Noew - Photographer: Jerry Tomanek - Editor: Cindy Luedtke

This Thursday's Program:

As you walked in the Garden House for the weekly Rotary meeting, three friendly greeters put out their hands for a pleasant welcome. ANNE ARJANI, JOHN CARDOZA and ALAN LAMBERT were the glad-handers for the day.
LARRY CHU collected lunch money today with PP WYATT ALLEN checking every cash procedure because Larry is a cashier in training.
Around the corner waiting for Rotarians who bought their cobalt blue polo shirt was KENDRA GJERSETH with five shopping bags full of shirts. “Put in your order now,” said KENDRA because I am ordering more.

President TRACIE MURRAY opened the meeting at 12:15 in a subdued manner today, and things started to roll with BUD OLIVER reciting the pledge.
ROLAND PAYNE provided the thought for the day and referred to Earth Day and John Muir. Walking on John Muir trails Roland said, “Take the time to look at what’s around you.”

J EANNE MacVICAR paid attention to JOHN SYLVESTER’S birthday, April 15, by singing “Happy Birthday Dear JOHN” for making all that fine music for Rotarians.
Acting President Elect, DENNIS YOUNG, opened his portion of the program for visiting Rotarians and guests.
There was only one visiting Rotarian from the Hayward Club who wanted to speak about District 5170’s Children at Risk program.
Rotarians with Guests were: STEVE YARBROUGH, CINDY WEMYSS, DAVID SMITH, KENDRA GJERSETH, and PP DICK DUHRING.

About this time Red Badger ABBY AHRENS took the podium to explain the Red Badgers program for 2010 that will beautify the Garden House for the City by selling candy. Nine Red Badgers took the stage with red and black masks that covered their entire face and prevented any identification of who is selling candy. You couldn’t even identify them by their singing.

SAM PESNER took the stage and auctioned four enticing baskets of candy to the audience.

Winners were:

President TRACIE MURRAY- $175
PP CINDY LUEDTKE -$200
PP STEVE ANDERSON- $125
STEVE YARBROUGH’S Guest, Janna - $125

NEW MEMBER: JOHN CARDOZA, membership chair, introduced two members into the Red Badge program. Their sponsors were DAVID BERGMAN ready to pin the new badges on GREG HARTSELL and ANDY WONG. JOHN reviewed the biography of each new Red Badger and DAVID tore off their cheap identification paper badges and pinned both new members to a standing ovation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

KENDRA GJERSETH repeated the program on selling the blue Rotarian shirts and wanted you to know that she gave the shirt off her back to satisfy a fellow Rotarian. Not to worry if you don’t have one yet. There is another order in for more shirts.
JOHN SYLVESTER said a clipboard was circulating for the upcoming soirée at COETA CHAMBER’S house April 30. The wine will flow and the cheese will be old.
BAIDRA MURPHY reported on the successful clothing drive. She delivered carloads of threads to Job Train and if anybody wants a receipt for the IRS see her.
FRANK VERLOT continued his request for funds and a call to action for the World Community Service and the Haiti disaster.
DAVID SMITH said PEG (Partners for Elder Generations) has formed a committee. In addition, the Cities of Los Altos and Los Altos Hills is in the process of forming an appointed committee to explore how our communities can best serve our aging residents. This committee will have six members from Los Altos and three from Los Altos Hills. The committee will decide programs for seniors who need help and encouragement and PEG will have the opportunity to work collaboratively with them on future initiatives. Please contact DAVID SMITH if you are interested in participating in this growing effort.

CLARI NOLET, STEVE POMEROY AND MICHAEL STADLEN displayed posters for Art in the Park and where they want volunteers to have them displayed.
Dressed as a disguised golfer, STEVE SHEPHERD talked about the annual Rotary event on June 4. There will be awards bestowed on the proficient however, last years Golf award given for BOB RAYL never picked up his cup and STEVE displayed it on his shelf all year. CINDY LUEDTKE is the defending Woman’s Golf Champ and when it came to the winner of the poker game, CINDY took home the money last year along with Bev, STEVE SHEPHERD’S wife in last year’s Texas Hold’em Tournament. She will defend both those positions again this year.

RECOGNITION TIME WITH KENDRA
KENDRA’S quest for the day was to raise members to the $100 level by joining the President’s Club and she appealed to those with slight donations for the year. Those who came close paid the following.

RICK GLAZE $50
ANN ARJANI joined the club.
JAN MINOR joined the club.
PP BOO BUE joined the club.
ANDY WONG $30
BUD OLIVER joined the club.
GREG HARTSELL $31
MARV PATTERSON wanted a cool president’s pin which he already paid for.
Pres TRACIE MURRAY paid a small fine, and is waiting to make a big announcement in early June. So, stay tuned.

Guest speaker
Guest speakers influence member’s emotions in many ways, but today’s speaker left the audience in awe.

BUD OLIVER introduced his friend Larry William, M.D. and the subject was obstetric fistula.
Quoting statistics, Dr. William said, “every minute around the world a woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth. Millions of women experience debilitating childbirth injuries and the most devastative is obstetric fistula in neglected childbirth.”
Representing the Fistula Foundation, showing a portion of an Emmy Award winning movie, Dr. William concentrated on childbirth problems in Ethiopia where lack of facilities and doctors provide childbirth injuries caused by obstructed labor.
Fistulas were common in America in the 19th century but with improved medical care they are almost unknown in the West.

However, the United Nations has estimated at least two million girls and women live with fistulas in the developing world, mostly Africa.
Most often a teenage girl tries to deliver her first baby and the fetus gets stuck and after several days of labor the baby is stillborn and the mother’s tissues have been damaged. To her horror and shame, the girl finds herself trickling urine and sometimes feces from her vagina which never stops unless corrective surgery can be performed.
William has been to Africa six times and will be leaving soon for the foundation to visit hospitals. For more information on Fistula visit the website:
www.fistulafoundation.org
President TRACY closed the meeting at 1:29 p.m.