Los Altos Rotary Club Home of the Annual Rotary Fine Art Show May 20 2010

An overflow crowd of 135 included well-behaved mentors and tutors involved with Partners for New Generations (PNG) along with the usually boisterous LARC membership. They were warmly greeted by PAUL NYBERG, MICHAEL STADLEN, and LOUIS WELLMEIER.

Today we dispensed with singing, due either to the lack of a Songmeister or courtesy to the delicate ears of our many guests. BRIAN WARD’s Thought of the Day made a story come alive with his Russian accent about Olga from the Volga, Ali and the Angel of Death who didn’t want Ali that day. Our lone visiting Rotarian was Judy Hanneman of Mountain View who is very supportive of PNG. Guests were introduced by BARBARA SMALL, AILEEN LOW, PAUL NYBERG, and DENNIS YOUNG.
 
BONNIE BURDETT, Chairperson of PNG, ran a well-organized appreciation program covering the accomplishments of her many volunteers, past and present. She even passed out long stemmed roses to the current volunteers.
 
The PNG Board meets the first Thursday of each month at Intero Real Estate, and all are welcome to attend. This year the Board has been increased to include KATHY BERRY, attorney, who is setting up their 501(c ) 3 legal status which will help in expanding grant application possibilities. KAREN GREGURAS will now follow in NANCY TRAFICANTI’s footsteps as the Volunteer Coordinator for elementary school tutoring.  
 

Who will volunteer  to assist PNG  in marketing and recruitment? To volunteer for that, please see Board Development Chair, MONA ARMISTEAD.

A new improved website has been created by MATT CABOT and DAVE SNOW, and it goes live today!  Visit www.pngmvla.org.
 
LIZ NYBERG proclaimed today to be “Nancy Traficanti Day”,  and read a proclamation of appreciation (with many “whereas” citations) listing Nancy’s numerous achievements during her 15 years interviewing and placing tutors in Los Altos elementary schools, filming videos, taking photos, and creating a useful system for placement of the 46 current elementary school tutors. Unfortunately, Nancy had a long-standing commitment out of town today and was not able to personally receive all her accolades. Following in Nancy’s footsteps will be Red Badger KAREN GREGURAS, English instructor at Foothill College.
 
Speakers for elementary tutoring were Leanne Reelfs, Mountain View Whisman School District Volunteer Coordinator at Monte Loma School (a Title I school) who said, “It helps me more than it helps them.” Laurissa Clements, Volunteer Coordinator at Castro School said “It’s not rock8et science; the tutors just validate that the student is doing a good job at trying their best.” Non-tutoring projects needing volunteers include “level bookroom projects” (returning books to the proper skill level group) and “bubbling” (filling in the bubbles on young students’ test forms). Many volunteers are needed to tutor one-on-one or small groups of elementary students.
 
DAN HOLDEN represented middle school volunteers and discussed the importance of those grade levels when children move from the security of one teacher to six different teachers, each of whom believes homework in their subject is important. Children also move from play relationships to more mature relationships, and of course greater potential need for tutoring.
 
ROLAND PAYNE stated that “many high school students, parents and staff have told us of their appreciation for the volunteers’ work”.  Alice and Bob Frost have been tutoring at Los Altos High since 1995 and say, “After a morning helping them, you come out all buoyed up.” Bob added, “I’m retired, and volunteering gives me a sense of purpose.”
 
Mentors assume the role of adult friends. The Mentor Coordinators, Linda Waud, Anne Battle, and Carole Dorshkind say over 1800 hours were volunteered by mentors for 123 students at the three high schools last year. One outstanding mentor, Vickie Reeder, has mentored 8 students since 2001.
 
Three training sessions for new mentors were held this past year, and they worked.  A high school student wrote, “I really love the mentoring program; I believe it’s brilliant!” Ron Cooper of Mountain View Police Department feels a special affinity for “at risk” students. He introduced his mentee, Isaac Herrera, a student at Los Altos High School, and described the many sports events where high school students accompanied him. Isaac is now on the PAL boxing team and even looks forward to becoming a Police Explorer.
 
We were treated to the first public screening of a PNG video produced by Carole Dorshkind and narrated by BONNIE BURDETT.  In it, Mountain View High student Olivia Olmos said, “It’s meant a lot to me just to have somebody to talk to.”  Alta Vista High Principal Bill Pierce noted that one “at risk student” who was mentored by former LARC member and School Superintendant RICH FISHER, developed so dramatically in photography that “two years ago, he shot the Grammies.”  
 
PNG wants suggestions for churches and other venues where the new video might be shown to recruit more volunteers. The time commitment is not extreme: tutors generally meet students one hour per week and mentors see students twice a month.
 
After the screening, Oscar statuettes were distributed to Lyle Bickley as “Best Supporting Actor”, DAVE SNOW as “Head Coach and Best Director”, and MARV PATTERSON as “Chief Pilot and Best Producer.”
 
PP BOB ADAMS, PNG’s Development Chair, thanked SANDIE WHIPPLE for her 8 years as Treasurer for PNG. He explained that PNG is funded by many foundations and individuals and is sustainable at present, but he hopes more individuals will provide the bulk of the funding in the future. He announced that BONNIE BURDETT will continue as PNG’s Chair next year, and he thanked his lovely wife, Lois Adams, for all her hard work supporting PNG.
 

At the end of the program, LARC President TRACIE announced that Past President JACK HEIDMILLER had a second knee replacement yesterday (having waited until after the Art Show, good Rotarian that he is). PP SETH MANNING announced the Kick Out Committee meeting today.  JOHN SYLVESTER reminded us, with his trademark flowing hand gestures, of the wine and cheese party at DAVID SMITH’s home Friday evening. JULIE ROSE, serving as liaison to the Chamber and History Museum invited all to the 25th year of the Country Art Show’s Gala on June 12.  FRANK VERLOT announced the next World Community Service meeting will take place at 8 AM at First Republic Bank, reminding us that the Art Show raffle/drawing will benefit their Haitian school project.

President-Elect DENNIS YOUNG announced the sad news that Fr. Bob St. Claire SJ, past member of LARC, who ran the Jesuit Retreat House for 9 years, has just passed away.
 
JEAN MORDO announced that the drawing (alias raffle), organized for the first time at this year’s Art Show, netted $7,100. 
 
ROY JONES of All Horizons Travel, was instrumental in securing the two grand prizes (a week at Club Med Ixtapa, Mexico and two nights at Meadowood Resort in Napa Valley) and PP DICK HENNING contributed two reserved seat ticket series to the 2010-11 Celebrity Forum.
 
MARY MARLEY was recognized as top ticket seller on Barbara Mordo’s busy team of sales folks. PP SAM PESNER, Grand Poobah of the Art Show for the 5th time, announced that this year’s Art Show made approximately $74,000, a sum expected to grow when more prizes collected by LOUIS WELLMEIER will be sold by silent auction at a future LARC meeting. SAM went on to thank PP BOB ADAMS, who had started PNG during his 1996-97 presidency.  A standing ovation acknowledged this great success. 
 
PRESIDENT TRACIE closed the meeting by inviting all to the memorial service to be held for BRUCE CANN on June 5, 2 pm, at Foothills Congregational Church, Los Altos.