Los Altos Rotary Club Home of the Annual Rotary Fine Art Show Mar 21 2013

Spring Comes to Life at Los Altos Rotary
 
JULIE ROSE reminded us of our old friend Dr. Seuss for today’s moment of contemplation. 
 
How many slams in an old screen door? 
As many as there are Rotarians here,
Who meet every Thursday for more?
Fun, fellowship and principles dear.
 
PP CYNTHIA LUEDTKE graciously accepted our contributions to the club after we were wonderfully greeted by KATHY LERA, PP MARLENE COWAN and ALISON SALISBURY. PP MARY PROCHNOW led the pledge. Then, we sang . . .

When Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, ‘tis like the morn in Spring.
In the lilt of Irish laughter
You can hear the angels sing.
 
When Irish hearts are happy,
All the world seems bright and gay.
And when Irish eyes are smiling,
Sure, they steal your heart away.
 
– Courtesy of FRANK VERLOT, our Irish-ish songmaster.

Because President Elect JACK KELLY was playing golf, and President Elect Nominee KENDRA GJERSETH was playing in Berkeley, President JOHN SYLVESTER introduced visiting Rotarians, of whom there were none.  John had better luck with guests, of whom there were many; including five women from Saratoga and Cupertino Inner Wheel.
 

Paul Harris Awards
 
PP WYATT ALLEN of the Rotary Foundation Committee, presented Paul Harris Fellow Awards as follows:
 
PP DICK HENNING and PP MEL KAHN were recognized for their many years of participation and will receive new pins reflecting their stratospheric status. 
 
Paul Harris Fellowships were bestowed on KURT HUEG, KATHY BERRY, LONNIE GARY, BEVERLY TUCKER, and ALLAN VARNI.  Their $1,000 donation to the Foundation will return to our club in three years to be used for our many projects.
 
Paul Harris, plus $1,000, awardees of a single sapphire pin: JEANNE MACVICAR, JULIE ROSE, DAVID SMITH, and BRIAN WARD. Double Sapphire awardees were: BONNIE BURDETT, MATT CABOT, JOHN CARDOZA, and MARV PATTERSON.  Triple Sapphire awardees were: MARGE BRUNO, COETA CHAMBERS, KAREN FOX and JEAN MORDO.  A quad Sapphire was presented to PAUL NYBERG.  Ruby pins were presented to MARY PROCHNOW, DUDE ANGIUS, and JOHN EVANS.  Three ruby pins were presented to RICH CASEY and DENNIS YOUNG. 
 
Paul Harris Society pins were presented to MONA ARMISTEAD, COETA CHAMBERS, DAVE DEMATTEIS, JERRY TOMANEK, and DENNIS YOUNG.  These Rotarians contributed $1,000 in one year to the Paul Harris Society.
 

Announcements
LAREF Grants: MARLENE COWAN advised that the next grant cycle is looming and only one application has been received.  If you know of a community organization that has a project, let them know to get their applications in ASAP!  Application forms are available online at www.LosAltosRotary.org.  For more information, call JERRY MOISON, (650) 917-2506.  Deadline is April 1.
 
Night Cap: The Rotaract fundraiser to support our club’s Child Aids Prevention project is March 28 from 8 p.m. to midnight at Frederico’s Tapas Bar in the Union Landing Shopping Center at 30971 Courthouse Drive, Union City, CA 94587.  Please bring a date to this fun event and help raise money for CAP! Great prizes, too!
 
Art Show Raffle Tickets: 5 for $20!  Get yours now!!!  JEAN MORDO and ALLAN VARNI.  Prizes: five nights in Honolulu, three nights on Maui, a, iPad mini.  Proceeds support Haiti school project.
 
World Community Service Committee: ALLAN VARNI invited all who are interested, especially Red Badgers to join the WCS at 8 a.m. March 26 at First Republic Bank.  Get involved in doing interesting and great projects around the globe.
 
Art Show Sponsorships: DONNA VERNA announced we are halfway there!  So far we have $11,500 in sponsorships.   
 
We’ve Got Talent: At least Kick-Out Chair MONA ARMISTEAD hopes so. Please contact Mona to help with the fun! (Don’t tell John.)
 
Elevate Yourself: Vocational chair STEVE WHEELER is scheduling one-minute elevator speeches to let club members know what you are doing.  Sign up while dates are available!
 
PEG Party:  DAVID SMITH invited everyone to attend the Partners for Elder Generations committee’s annual event – this (past) Saturday hosting the eldest living Olympian. Here are some pictures from the event.

Inner Wheel Turns
Many Rotarians are unaware of the Inner Wheel.  Based on friendship, focused on community service, with an objective of international understanding, Inner Wheel was founded internationally in 1924 and established in the U.S. in 1987.  Inner Wheel clubs support the needs of their communities, focusing on women and children and often partner with Rotary clubs on projects.
 
The Inner Wheel Foundation provides myoelectric limbs to children up to age 18 who have lost an arm or hand or who have lost an arm or hand through accident or disease.  Hangar Clinics provides, fits the devices, and educates the children on their use.
 

Which led us to today’s program.  Carrie Davis was introduced by TRACIE MURRAY who had heard Carrie speak at a conference.  Rotarians were certainly in for a treat!
 
When you need a leg up, reach out your hand
 
Carrie Davis strides purposefully around a room.  She is a woman who knows what she wants and how she plans to get it accomplished.  Ms. Davis arrived at the meeting of the Los Altos Rotary Club and set up a table at the front of the room.  She opened a large bag and began arranging the contents on the table.  Then she turned her attention to her video presentation leaving for the moment the unusual array of tools she would soon be describing in detail to a rapt audience of quadrupeds.
 
When Carrie stepped away from the podium to address the crowd, she raised her left arm and asked, “Did any of you notice that I only have one arm?”  Her raised arm was a natural looking myoelectric robotic arm with articulating fingers and opposing thumb.  I used to wear a hook she said, but when I want to blend in and not shock people I can use this.
 
Carrie than walked over to the table and holding up her robotic arm began peeling the skin back like you would remove a sock.  Underneath was veritable miniature machine shop.  I have tools for every job I need to do, she said, demonstrating removing the hand and replacing it with a tool for weight lifting, then one for boxing – yes the sport of boxing.  Carrie’s message was if you can envision doing it you can do it.  Even if you happen to be a tripod.  After all, how many quadrupeds can rotate a hand 360 degrees?
 
Her wit and outright matter-of-factness was disarming.(Pun) Carrie’s style almost instantly breaks down the barriers of shyness, political correctness or any other mess.  She is blonde, beautiful, articulate and a bit brazen.  Her job is to bring the message to children of similar abilities, that they too have within themselves the ability to flourish.  Life is not about finding yourself,” she said, “it’s about creating yourself.”  
 
Carrie Davis works with Hanger Clinics and partners with Inner Wheel to distribute modern prosthetics to children.  What a great program! 
 

THIS THURSDAY'S PROGRAM:

Larry Stone is the County Assessor of Santa Clara County.  He was first elected in 1975 to the City Council of the City of Sunnyvale.  After serving for 16½ years, including two terms as Mayor, he was elected in 1994 to serve as Assessor for the County of Santa Clara.  He was re-elected 4 times for four year terms.

He has served on numerous boards, councils, and commissions involving the arts, sports, business, and education.  He has received special commendations from the California Senate and Assembly and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

 Larry Stone has been a member of the San Jose Rotary Club since 1995.  He has a BA and MBA from Washington University and has attended the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.  He and his wife Carmen have three sons and have lived in Sunnyvale since 1970.