Los Altos Rotary Club eNewsletter "Rotator"

Los Altos Rotary Club

Home of the Annual Rotary Fine Art Show

February 14 2013

Writer: Clyde Noel - Photographer: Randy Gard - Editor: Cynthia Luedtke 2012-2013 #33

On Valentine’s Day we think about the Rotarians who are dear,
How much they add to our delightwith a handshake and a cheer.
I very much appreciate
when walking in the hall
to see ALLART LIGTENBERG and HARN SOPER
But get a hug from BARBARA SMALL

And on to the main hall to deposit money for the daily food fare with KAREN OWEN before President JOHN SYLVESTER bongs the gong and the meeting starts at 12:15 p.m. with PP ROBERT ADAMS leading us with the salute to the American flag.
While everyone was asked to take a seat, PEN KENDRA GJERSETH presented her thought for the day as a “Celebration in Love.”

KENDRA’S quote concerned a read containing a burlap and old friend that is really part burlap and part gold. But it was mainly the love for MARY MARLEY. “We need to keep her in our lives.”

Song leader JEANNE MacVICAR had us all sing: “Let me call you Sweetheart,” made famous by Bing Crosby in 1934.

Assuming his weekly chore, PE JACK KELLY called for visiting Rotarians and found a visiting Rotarian from Boulder Colo. Tina Pierce.

Rotarians with Valentines were: PP SAM HARDING, DAVID SMITH, JOHN MORDO, ROY JONES, STEVEN YARBROUGH, LONNIE GARY, MONA ARMISTEAD, CHUCK LINDAUER, RON STEFANI, ABBY AHRENS, SANDIE WHIPPLE, KATHY BERRY, PP JOHN SYLVESTER AND PE JACK KELLY.

Announcements:
PP DENNIS YOUNG announced that a MARY MARLEY scholarship Fund has been established at our own Los Altos Rotary Endowment Fund. In memory of MARY, make out your check payable to LAREF and note in the memo line- MARY MARLEY SCHOLARSHIP. The family has requested a contribution to this fund, in lieu of flowers. As Mary’s husband, PDG ARLEY said, “ Flowers are temporary but the gift of education to a youth is forever.”

There will be a nomination of new board members for the following year. Outgoing directors are CLARI NOLET, RANDY GARD, and BEVERLY TUCKER.

LONNIE GARY sent around a sign up sheet for Sponsorship of the Art Show. He also had prior sponsors stand. There were quite a few. The Sponsorship program allows us to maintain 100% of the Art Show proceeds goes to community outreach, both local and International.

GARY WALDECK passed around the Rotacare clipboard for March, April and May. He also suggested that new members who have not participated in this activity as yet, might sign up next to a seasoned Rotarian to help understand the procedure.

Also, you can go on the website and look at the instructions for food delivery, and see the food delivery calendar just in case it is you.

Just click on ROTACARE in the navigation bar at the top of the homepage. You can see the schedule without having to log in. In order to see the contact information, or the instructions, you must first log in.

CAROL GARSTEN brought to our attention that everyone should be involved with the Feb. 23, Rotarian Day event downtown to create greater community awareness of Rotary. Rotarian booths will be set up in the Rotary Plaza, Adventure Toys, Costume Bank and the Nature Gallery. There will be a tribute to MARY MARLEY during the event from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

ROLAND PAYNE provided information on a tennis tournament March 21 at the Sunnyvale Tennis Center, 755 South Mathilda Avenue, Sunnyvale. Anyone interested see Roland. Checks are made out to Rotary District 5170.

ABBY AHRENS offered a beautiful gift of roses to be auctioned. After a long bidding “upsmanship” over prices, the final bid was $105 to GARY WALDECK who bought it for his Valentine to cover his mistakes.

Fine master prevails:

PP SAM HARDING and his animal zoo questioned numerous Rotarians to become presidential material. His question was “What was the nicest thing that happened to me on Valentine’s Day?

The following Rotarians paid $20 to get closer to become a member of the president’s club or had a special comment.

LONNIE GARY, ABBY AHRENS, TOM LISTON, ESTER NG, BUD OLIVER, ROLAND PAYNE, STEVE POMEROY, PAUL SCHUTZ, GEORGE STAFFORD, ALLAN VARNI, BARBARA SMALL, LINA BROYDO, CLARI NOLET, GARY LANDIS, and PP DENNIS YOUNG

Guest Speaker

PE JACK KELLY introduced the speaker of the day, Bob Simon, who is a well-known citizen of Los Altos since 1964. The audience of Rotarians and their Valentines were treated to a half hour of poems and-words that rhyme.

Bob took the stage and commented: “You won’t find my poems in the New Yorker for three reasons. They rhyme, have meter and you can understand them.”

His poems reflect his life and provide a comparison to the listener’s experience. His first poem provided an experience the family had in North Carolina.

Then as an example, his nephew John totaled the family car in high school,

And John, the wild teenager
Memory the brain congeals
Gave new meaning to the well turned phrase
He was hell on wheels!

To get the audience involved Bob recited several poems and have the audience fill in the last stanza with a rhyme. This brought laughs and participation.

A Stanford Alum, Bob had several poems about university life that brought laughs but for a more somber poem, he discussed the Veteran Memorial “Liberty Cradle” in verse. Entitled “Who is the Memorial for Anyway.”

With a long history of participating in Los Altos events, Bob received the Los Altos Los Altos Hills Volunteer Award in 2011for his achievements in non-profit work.

The poems that brought the most laughs were those of domestic nature as the one that brought laughs relating to their own household.

My wife comments on my hearing from time to time, so….

Were I to heed my wife's behest
I'd go and get a hearing test
Yet, I fear testers in their deftness
Hold vested interest in my deafness.

I've failed so many hearing tests
One more holds no temptation
My wife has run the tests so far
No cost, no obligation.

Thanks, Bob for an enjoyable afternoon on Valentine’s Day. Your humor was appreciated with enjoyment and easy listening.

After President JOHN SYLVESTER thanked Bob he reached for the bell to close the meeting. As the Rotary meeting came to close President John reached for the bell.He wished everyone a really nice day Unless other plans took them to hell.

So as my Valentine grows older
And I totter towards the tomb
I find that I care less and less
Who goes to bed with whom.

THIS THURSDAY'S PROGRAM:

Larry Gerston specializes on the public policy process at the national and state levels. He has written eleven books, focusing on a “hands on,” user-friendly approach to politics.

Along with his academic responsibilities at San Jose State University, Professor Gerston appears regularly as the political analyst at NBC Bay Area. He has also appeared on NBC Nightly News, CNN, PBS and BBC. More than 100 of his op-ed columns have been published in leading newspapers, including the San Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle and Los Angeles Times.

A sought-after motivational speaker, Larry Gerston speaks several times each year on empowerment, political engagement, policy issues, and related topics. He has a unique ability to passionately put complex issues into an understandable perspective.

When not teaching or writing, Professor Gerston consults in media training, crisis management and strategic thinking.