The Meeting

Len went to PETS (President Elect Training) and was really excited.  He along with over 500 other “President Elects”  attended.    He gave a little Presidential like speech extemporaneously about his experience.    I listened carefully to him because we will be hearing from him for a full year and I wanted to make sure whether I should bring my Iphone and Head Set for 52 weeks.  He has a very nice speaking voice, is quick on is feet, can take a joke with good cheer, and I didn’t hear one “ahh” or “um”.  He appeared confident.  He talked about Pets, gave us lots of information, and knew when to stop talking.  (He also made a comment during the Program about the Latrine Project which was very funny.  He used a swear word that began with S.  I can't say it here because I am a gentleman).

PETS started at 7AM in the morning and had lots of classes and motivational speakers.   He said he will be overthrowing the Supreme Commander on July 1 and looked forward to it.  Most "President Elects" in attendance  wanted  to make major changes.    He told us how much he loved our club just the way it is. He likes us just the way we are.   He got a nice long applause for that, Rotarian's like to clap for themselves.

He has now been initiated because we made fun of him and insulted him, and will continue to do so.  He doesn't want any short jokes however.  I wonder why.  So, no short jokes it is from this Bulletin Editor.   No sir.  (He did look a little Napoleonic to me, but that’s another story, perhaps a short story).

Doug came again for the second time as a possible new member.  Clair is his sponsor.  He owns the El Segundo Athletic Club and Restaurant.   I am a member of that club and it is very nice.

It was great to see Eng and Francis, (fellow Rotarians), come to a meeting.  Like many of us they have struggled through this recession, which is still going on by most accounts.

Joe Clark Died  

Another fallen Rotarian hero and Past President went for some tests for a heart valve…and died.  He joined Phil in heaven a week ago on Monday.. I believe.  He hit the top button on the elevator marked (I) for infinity and went right to heaven to be with Phil and many other fallen Rotarian Heroes of mine from our club.  He didn't have to stop in between like some of us may need to do before we get “in”.  I will be on 2 for a while, just a little ahead of Tom.

He probably already is sitting with Paul Harris now trying to work out some sort of Mail Delivery between our two worlds.  Many of our new Rotarians probably don’t know that Joe was the Postmaster of El Segundo for many years.  If a letter was late, he would hear about it….at Rotary.  If you got your neighbors mail, you didn't bring it to your neighbor, you brought it to Rotary and gave it to Joe…in front of everyone to embarrass him.  Joe would laugh the most.

He was always fun and happy.    Joe was always such a good sport.  When someone dies that I know I always think carefully about them and re figure my feelings about them...and try to understand them better.  I try to become a better person myself.

Joe Clark is a simple name with just 8 letters.  There are probably thousands with that name throughout America…,maybe hundreds of thousands.  I think that Joe's way of life was fairly simple.  His values spoke for them self,  and he wore them well.   Joe Clark always made me smile and made me happy.  He never talked negative about anyone.  Never.  He never took a cheap shot behind anyone’s back.  Never.  He liked everyone, and I mean everyone.  He liked Tom.  He was always the first to congratulate you when you did something good.  Even if you didn't do something good he would congratulate you on trying.  That’s the way he was.  A good good guy.  

He loved demotion parties and rarely missed one.  He took major roles in these from time to time and while he traveled a lot and often times could not make our “rehersals” he always said “Gary, write me in.  I don’t care what role you put me in, I will be there".  Tell me what to do and I will do it, and he did”.  

Well we dressed him up, put dresses on him, died his hair, and even made him a Judge which he played very well at Julia’s demotion which was like the OJ Simpson Trial.   He played Judge Lance Ito and we had many “side bars” as they do in court, and guess what we did in our side “bars”.  Yep, we had some drinks.  Throughout the “trial” we had them again and again….what fun.  And that was Joe.  Again.....What a good guy he was and I will miss his good cheer.

The Program

Len is President of the UCLA Alumni Association (Engineers) along with becoming the New Rotarian President.  (So much for retirement Len) 

Charlotte and David  -- Student Engineers doing projects around the world.  Two of the Student Engineers from UCLA had some projects in Nicaragua and Guatemala and wanted to tell us about them. 

The Guatemala  Project  was about building water holding tanks to gather water  from rain and making it potable so that the water source is now very local. Before these tanks the locals would have to walk miles to rivers with big pots and bring it back for the days need, every day.  Kids did it rather than go to school.  This is a little like Tom not having beer in his house and would have to walk to the liquor store every day for a 12 pack.  Sometimes twice a day.  Having a Keg in the yard would be the easy answer, but he has a large refrigerator so he is OK.

The Nicaragua Project was about Latrine construction.  Tough duty if you ask me.  However, most Rotarians know that the very first Pubic Project was building public toilets in Chicago.  I am not sure how public a toilet should be, but that is what Paul Harris and his group did with the first of our donated money.  Here we are 100 years later helping to build toilets.  No recession in that business is there.  I don’t know why, but I kinda thought all houses and buildings had indoor toilets.  Not so.  I am staying right here in El Segundo

That's enough for now.

Letter to the Editor..

Note:  Hi Gary--

Could you please put in the bulletin the Little League baseball game the club will be attending?  The club is sponsoring Cooper's team, the AAA Angels.  The game we will attend is Sunday, March 23rd at 3:30pm at Brett Field on Sheldon St. and Pine Ave.  We will be providing either pizza or hot dogs after the game and this year we will forgo the goody bags as the boys are getting a bit old for them I think.

Thanks,

Julie