This writer humbly apologizes for her tardy arrival, missing the names of LARC members who introduced guests, and she thanks CLYDE NOEL who scrambled to capture them. The club members who were thanked by President DENNIS for their service include CHUCK LINDAUER for his Thought for the Day, Songleader, GREG DABB, the greeter trio of ABBY AHRENS, JULIE ROSE, and JOHN CARDOZA, photographer RANDY GARD, three sergeants-at-arms MIKE ABRAMS, LEW FRASER, and FRANK VERLOT, and last but not least, cashier LARRY CHU, JR.

Announcements

DAN O'DONNELL – Drivers are needed for delivery of donated dinners to Rotacare (at El Camino YMCA).

JOHN SYLVESTER – All are invited to the Chamber Mixer at the Los Altos History Museum 5:30-7:30 on June 22. Sponsored by LARC and Kiwanis.

BAIDRA MURPHY – Sign the clipboard for President DENNIS' Kick Out July 1. Dinner fee for one is already included in everybody's club dues.

KATHY BERRY – Relay for Life tee shirts are available, luminaria may be purchased, and walkers/donations needed. Join the Rotary Ramblers for excellent music and a good cause this weekend.

JACK HEIDMILLER – Please contact JACK to work the Chef Chu booth for LARC at the Los Altos Art and Wine Fair July 9 and 10.

JARRETT FISHPAW's Ten Minute Speech

The youngest member of LARC and probably the youngest Los Altos City Council member stepped up to the mike wearing his distinguished (and distinguishing) bowtie to keep us entertained while recounting his life. Born in 1987, he is even younger than some items in President DENNIS' toolbox. JARRETT grew up in Los Altos with his structural engineer father and residential real estate agent mother who encouraged him to start his first business with his brother selling chocolate houses to other real estate agents. He attended Santa Rita, Egan and Los Altos High and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. During his studies at UC Santa Cruz, he spent 6 months in China and later completed an MBA in Applied Economics and Finance. He and his brother have already applied for a patent and venture capital for a pill bottle alert they invented. Employed now in Business Value Analysis, he works at Cisco Systems and is an active member of the Los Altos United Methodist Church where he is their Relay for Life Team Captain. Jarrett announced that he drives under the speed limit in town, unlike many of his generation, when he closed with a smile, announcing "Facebook has corrupted our youth!"

Recognition

Finemaster CRES MCFALL had wisely phoned those who hadn't attended LARC regularly to invite them to return (and be duly fined). First, BONNIE BURDETT volunteered to "rejoin" the President's Club (her second $100) to honor her father, former LARC member NELS BURDETT, who joined her at this meeting. Good to see you, NELS! TOM LISTON volunteered to pay $20 to join the President's Club and later paid again to recognize his 53rd wedding anniversary. DAN O'DONNELL six-upped TOM by volunteering to pay for his 59th wedding anniversary. DAVE DEMATTEIS didn't even try escaping from offering $70 to join the President's Club. CHUCK HESS offered to pay $100 in absentia. KATHY BERRY good-naturedly paid the suggested $10 fine for something she hadn't even said. LEM SUMMEY was nicked $100, but at least he got to correct the pronunciation of his name: "some-me", not "sue me". Good to see you at LARC today, LEM.
The finemaster's questions involved inventions, the US Constitution, or history. ALAN LAMBERT paid to learn that the paper clip was invented in 1892. MARGE SENTOUS paid for an obscure question that probably nobody else knew either. GEORGE STAFFORD guessed correctly that the decade of the internet's creation was the 1960's, and BUD OLIVER returned from Michigan to correctly guess that the credit card decade began in the 1950's.

Program

Today's speaker was Duncan MacVicar, husband of JEANNE MACVICAR, energetic volunteer in many Los Altos organizations, and former Chair of the very successful fundraiser Relay for Life. He was introduced by President DENNIS to address the topic, the Invisible Wounds of War.
"Don't put mentally ill veterans in jail," warned Vietnam veteran Duncan MacVicar. "Instead provide court-supervised therapy via collaborative courts." He was so moved by the life stories of young vets who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) leading to commission of crimes that he researched and amended state law to support their recovery at home. He recounted the criminal trials of US Marine Corporal Nate Damigo and Sergeant Binkley, a Los Altos native and US Army veteran who had robbed a pharmacy of painkillers to which he had become addicted following injuries suffered in the military. Binkley was tried for a serious crime and found not guilty by reason of insanity due, in part, to professional evaluation of his PTSD.
MacVicar now advocates with the Department of Defense and Veterans' Affairs. He also works to establish more Veterans Treatment Courts in northern California which currently has only two, while more already operate in southern California. Alameda County is expected to establish a Veterans Treatment Court this year.

In 2010 MacVicar proposed California Assembly Bill 674 which was subsequently passed unanimously in both houses of the legislature and signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger. Most importantly, his bill specifies which veterans qualify for a mental treatment program instead of prison. Qualifying reasons for mental treatment now include traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse resulting from US military service. These amendments also define sexual trauma caused during military service as a mental illness qualifying for alternative sentencing. Rather than requiring a hearing to determine whether the veteran suffers from mental illness, the judge may now rely on a psychiatrist's evaluation of the vet's mental condition to prescribe a treatment program rather than prison.

Veterans generally fear reporting their PTSD in this military culture. However, in collaborative courts the incentives are huge. Criminal charges might be largely dismissed or criminal records expunged (sealed) from public view, specifically from potential employers.
The invisible wounds of war have followed veterans home as long as there have been wars. Whether it was called "battle fatigue" after World War I, "shell shock" after World War II, or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after the Vietnam and Gulf wars, the need is extreme. Thirty percent of Vietnam vets suffered from PTSD, and 45% had criminal records within 15 years of returning home. Though Vietnam vets constitute only 4% of the US adult population, they represent 13% of the current homeless population in the US. Amazingly, there have been more veteran suicides than combat losses since 2001, MacVicar announced. Veterans are clearly suffering from invisible wounds.

Society realizes huge benefits from mental treatment programs rather than incarceration, as seen in the collaborative court of Judge Stephen Manley. The recidivism rate drops from an average 70% to just 15% with treatment program vets. Counseling also costs much less than the $40-60K per year cost of confinement. Collaborative courts offer a better approach using an array of services for vets, including housing assistance.
To help, MacVicar urges local citizens to volunteer at the Palo Alto VA Hospital, one of the best in the country. Pro bono professional services are also needed at the Judge Manley's county Veterans Treatment Court where the case load of 100 offenders per month is overwhelming. Despite the fear of stigmatization, combat vets should register at the Palo Alto VA for 5 years of free health care. Among veterans who have committed suicide, only about 15% had registered for treatment, so there is an urgent need for vets to seek mental health evaluation.
In addition to hospitals and clinics, VA maintains 300 Vets Centers in the US, where veterans and their families receive counseling with no records kept. Help is available, but veterans must recognize its value and request it.

THIS THURSDAY'S PROGRAM:

Larry Aceves

"California Education"