Congratulation Tom Hsieh!

Please join us in congratulating Code Ninjas owner and rotary club member Tom Hsieh for being featured in the El Segundo Herald! With education as one of our areas of focus, we congratulate Tom for his outstanding efforts in promoting STEM education in El Segundo.
Follow this link to the article: https://bit.ly/ESHeraldCodeNinjas
Congratulation Tom Hsieh! 2022-08-15 07:00:00Z 0

Veteran's BBQ

Are you a veteran? The El Segundo Rotary club would like to honor you with a Barbeque for Veterans on Friday, July 15th from 11:30am - 1:45pm. 

We welcome any volunteers who would like to participate by helping us honor our service members. For more information or to volunteer please email info@elsegundorotary.org.

#honoringveterans #volunteeropportunity #volunteersneeded #elsegundorotary #elsegundo

Veteran's BBQ 2022-07-11 07:00:00Z 0
July 4th Watermelon Contest 2022-06-29 07:00:00Z 0
Quote Quest - Deadline Extended! 2022-06-28 07:00:00Z 0
Quote Quest 2022 2022-06-05 07:00:00Z 0

ESHS Potatoes Robotics Team

Join us for our weekly meeting on Thursday January 6, 2022 at noon. 
~ FEATURED GUEST ~ El Segundo High School "P.O.T.A.T.O.E.S." Robotics Team. They will be discussing the meaning of POTATOES and sharing details about their latest robot designs and upcoming competitions for the team. 
This meeting will be held virtually. If you would like to join our meeting, please send us an email to info@elsegundorotary.org. 
ESHS Potatoes Robotics Team 2022-01-06 08:00:00Z 0

Rotary Holiday Luncheon

☃️🎄Members - Please join us for our Rotary Holiday Luncheon at the California Yacht Club! Thursday, December 16th @ noon. RSVP Required; please check your emails or contact Ed Su for details. See you there! ❄️🎅
Rotary Holiday Luncheon 2021-12-16 08:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Holiday Parade

🚙 Join us this Sunday Dec 12th at 1pm for the El Segundo Holiday Parade! This year our members are building a unique Holiday themed float and will be tossing out candy to people as they go by. Past years have earned top awards so be sure to stop by Main street to watch the float go by and cheer on our Rotary club! 🎄
El Segundo Holiday Parade 2021-12-12 08:00:00Z 0

Rotary Holiday Party

☃️Members - Please join us for our annual Rotary Holiday Party! Food, Dessert & Non-Alcoholic beverages provided. Please bring your favorite libation to share. And don't forget to bring a white elephant gift, (optional $20 value). Cost for this event is $45 per person. RSVP required. Bring a Sweater as Seating is Both Inside & OutSide, and it may be a chilly holiday evening!!! Covid vaccination is required to attend. ❄️
💛Special thank you to the Magid family for hosting! 💛
Rotary Holiday Party 2021-12-11 08:00:00Z 0
Happy Hanukkah 2021-12-06 08:00:00Z 0
Park Vista 2021-12-02 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 11/11/21

story thumbnail
On 11/11/21 we met with Joe and Winston of King's Hawaiian. They discussed the company's history and how they navigated through Covid. They also gave a vision for where they see the company going in the future. Very interesting!
Meeting 11/11/21 2021-11-11 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 11/4/21 - Literacy Garden

story thumbnail
On 11/4/21 we met at Center Street School to celebrate the completion of the Literacy Garden Renovation project. This was a community service project that involved the restoration of the beautiful Literacy Garden at the Center Street School. Special thank you to Chris Powell who organized the project and to our club members and the community who helped do the work. Funding was provided by Chevron, and Rotary District 5280. 
  
Meeting 11/4/21 - Literacy Garden 2021-11-04 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 10/28/21 - Upshift Brewery

story thumbnail
On 10/28/21 we met at Upshift Brewery for our weekly meeting. We inducted new member Rayna Plummer from LAWA and heard a little bit about her background . Welcome Rayna! We also got a tour of the Brewery and learned a little bit about the beer making process.
   
Meeting 10/28/21 - Upshift Brewery 2021-10-28 07:00:00Z 0
Rise Against Hunger 2021-10-23 07:00:00Z 0

Bob Hope USO Visit 2021

story thumbnail
Today we had a tour of the Bob Hope USO facility at LAX! 🇺🇸 What an amazing place for our service men and women to visit when traveling through LAX! To view photos of our tour, please click here: https://elsegundorotary.org/PhotoAlbums/uso-2021

Los Angeles International Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports, and Bob Hope USO greets and serves over 100,000 military service members and their families per year.

In 2018, the USO at LAX relocated to the historic Theme Building. An estimated 2.7 million troops and military families will visit in the next 20 years, seeking a safe-haven and a touch of home at one of the world’s busiest airports. The new 7,000 square foot, state-of-the-art airport center was built to support US troops and their families for generations to come.

One of only six USO centers in the world that operates 24/7 (hours currently restricted due to COVID-19), the Bob Hope USO at LAX is the flagship center and is the largest location by number of troops and families served. On busy days, the center has had more than 1,000 visitors, all weary troops and military families seeking the comforts and connection to home amidst the chaos and stress of travel. A congressionally chartered, private organization, the USO relies on the generosity of individuals, organizations and corporations to support its activities, and is powered by a family of volunteers to accomplish our mission of connection.

To learn more about the USO, please visit https://bobhope.uso.org

Bob Hope USO Visit 2021 2021-10-21 07:00:00Z 0
Meeting 10/14/21 - Betsy Butler 2021-10-13 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 10/7/21 - Mark Hensley 

story thumbnail
On 10/7/21 we met at the ADM for our weekly meeting. Our guest speaker was Mark Hensley, the City Attorney for the City of El Segundo. He discussed policies affecting our city and gave us a brief summary of his background in law. 
 
Meeting 10/7/21 - Mark Hensley 2021-10-06 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 8/5/21

story thumbnail
On August 5th we welcomed guest speaker Robert Greene, editor for the LA Times, to our weekly meeting. We met both in person and on zoom at the Automobile Driving Museum. Raffle prizes were provided by Dean Seligman, and the lunch menu included Blimpie Sandwiches. 
Bio: Robert Greene is an editorial writer covering water, drought, criminal justice reform, policing, mental health and Los Angeles County government. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing in 2021 for work “that clearly and holistically examined the Los Angeles criminal justice system.” Greene previously was a staff writer for the L.A. Weekly and a reporter and associate editor for the Metropolitan News-Enterprise. Prior to becoming a journalist, he was an attorney in Los Angeles. He is a resident of Highland Park and a graduate of USC and Georgetown University Law Center.
   
Meeting 8/5/21 2021-08-05 07:00:00Z 0

Rotary Craft Talk 7/29/21

story thumbnail
Today we met at Upshift Brewery and heard from three of our own Rotarians: Lt. Ryan Danowitz, Jim Miller, and Dean Seligman. We learned a little bit about each person, their background and hobbies, and what they do for a living.  We also heard from Chris Powell and Dean Seligman who gave us a summary of Malt Madness. Great job on all the hard work we all did to help make MM a successful event! We ended the meeting with a variety of raffle prizes. 
  
Rotary Craft Talk 7/29/21 2021-07-29 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 7/22/21

story thumbnail
On July 15th we heard from featured guest speaker Ed Lynch, founder and director of Mychal's Learning Place. Founded in 2002 as a social/recreational after school program for youth with developmental disabilities. In 2013 they added an adult program that is focused on independent living skills, job training and employment. More recently, they've also added two social enterprises, Mychal's Bakery and Coffee and Mychal's Prints, a t-shirt printing and embroidery business. These new divisions were created to help with job training and employment, community awareness while also being a source of revenue for Mychal's Learning Place.
  
Meeting 7/22/21 2021-07-22 07:00:00Z 0

Rotary Craft Talk 7/15/21

On July 15th we met at the ADM for our weekly meeting and heard from Rotarians Tom Hsieh, Carolyne Smigelski, and Marisol Herrera.  
Rotary Craft Talk 7/15/21 2021-07-15 07:00:00Z 0

Val's Last Meeting

story thumbnail
On 6/24/21 we had our last meeting under Val's leadership at Upshift Brewery. We congratulated our 2021 Rotarian Scholarship winners and presented them with checks: Cooper Stolnack 1st Place $4000, Trinity Sansalin Parascandola 2nd Place $2000, Thomas Davies 3rd Place $1000. We also gave recognition to several rotarians for their service to our club and inducted our newest member Ryan Danowitz of El Segundo PD. We also heard from the owner of Upshift brewery and learned a little about the buildings history and how Upshift found its home in El Segundo. 
   
Val's Last Meeting 2021-06-24 07:00:00Z 0
Meeting 6/3/21 2021-06-03 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 5/27/21

story thumbnail
~ FEATURED SPEAKER ~ Millicent Hill, founder of Mama Hill's Help. She gave us an update on her projects since Covid started. Millicent Hill is a retired school teacher with LAUSD. Over her 45-year career as an award-winning educator, poet, and activist, Millicent has changed the lives of thousands of youngsters through her innovative teaching style. Today she and her small staff cover an array of issues within the core curricula-from anger management to teen pregnancy-as most of her youngsters are living under the cloud of violence, grief, abandonment or abuse, which all too often impedes their ability to learn. 
 
    
Meeting 5/27/21 2021-05-27 07:00:00Z 0

Camp Pendelton Donations

Camp Pendleton Collection Weekend: March 13-14, 2021
The previous Camp Pendleton Collection Drives were such a success we have decided to do it again! This time, there will be FOUR collection sites – one in Torrance, one in Studio City, and new locations in Bellflower and Culver City.
Please email info@elsegundorotary.org for delivery addresses and for more information. Thank you for your support!  
#elsegundorotary#gundorotary#camppendeltondonations#rotary5280#rotarycares
Camp Pendelton Donations 2021-03-05 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 3/4/21

story thumbnail
On 3/4, we welcomed our very own Rotarian Bill Whalan, the chief of police for El Segundo. He discussed community crime rates for 2020 and went over some programs to help protect our city.
  
Meeting 3/4/21 2021-03-04 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 1/28/21

story thumbnail
On 1/28/21 We welcomed Stephanie Cuevas, Senior Government Affairs Representative and Director Rob Kastherman of the Water Replenishment District. The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) is the largest groundwater agency in the State of California, managing and protecting local groundwater resources for over four million residents. WRD's service area covers a 420-square-mile region of southern Los Angeles County, the most populated county in the United States. The 43 cities in the service area, including a portion of the City of Los Angeles, use about 250,000 acre-feet (82 billion gallons) of groundwater annually which accounts for approximately half of the region's water supply. WRD ensures that a reliable supply of high quality groundwater is available through the use of recycled water and storm water capture. WRD is responsible for monitoring and testing groundwater throughout the region.
Meeting 1/28/21 2021-01-28 08:00:00Z 0

Camp Pendleton Donations

story thumbnail
Our club came together with the community and other Rotary clubs to make another generous donation to the families of Camp Pendleton. Items included diapers, toys, food, clothes, gift cards, books, household items, beanie babies, shoes, electronics, dog food, and more. A Big THANK YOU to everyone that donated; your generosity is sincerely appreciated! 💖
Camp Pendleton Donations 2020-10-26 07:00:00Z 0

Halloween House Decorating Contest

🎃 2020 HALLOWEEN HOUSE DECORATING CONTEST 👻
🕷️ Scare us with a picture of your Spooky Home! 🕸️
CLICK HERE: https://padlet.com/kellyami/RotaryHouseDecorating
Prizes awarded for:
• Best ROOKIE Entry: This category includes entrants who have never participated in the contest before.
• Scariest: Entries will be judged on overall sense of fright!
• Silliest: Entries will be judged on overall sense of silly!
• Grand Champion: This category is decided by the judges.
• Best Effects: This category includes special effects, including lights and mechanical effects to surprise and entertain everyone!
• Best Overall Theme: Show us a Halloween-based theme that focuses on a spooky topic or genre!
Halloween House Decorating Contest 2020-10-26 07:00:00Z 0

Polio Plus Raffle Winners

story thumbnail
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED IN OUR POLIO PLUS FUNDRAISING RAFFLE AND CELEBRATED WORLD POLIO DAY WITH US! Through the generous contributions from our community, we have made a positive impact in our fight to end Polio across the world. Congratulations to our winners: Fleming's Gift Certificate - Alvaro Cortes, Sausal Gift Certificate - Elyse Beardsley, Chevron Gas Card - Carmela Raack, Magic and Comedy Club tickets - Margaret McCanless. Thank you everyone for your support! YOU make a difference!!!
If you would like to continue to help our cause, please visit https://www.endpolio.org
Polio Plus Raffle Winners 2020-10-26 07:00:00Z 0
World Polio Day Raffle 2020-10-15 07:00:00Z 0

August Birthdays & Anniversaries

story thumbnail
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Michael Bell - Aug 09
Justin Mularz - Aug 13
Julie Stolnack - Aug 17
Judith Wilson - Aug 17
Rebecca Haynes - Aug 25
 
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Susan & Zeke Aceves - Aug 02 2017 - 3 years
Rebecca & Tom Bergin - Aug 07 2004 - 16 years
Dickie Van Breene & Mark Burton - Aug 14 2002 - 18 years
Julie & Phill Stolnack - Aug 18 1990 - 30 years
Denny & Jo-Anne McDonough - Aug 22 1972 - 48 years
 
HAPPY ROTARY ANNIVERSARY!
Elyse Beardsley - 32 years - Aug 01 1988
Michele A. Rogers - 20 years - Aug 01 2000
Gary Wilson - 30 years - Aug 01 1990
James McLees - 14 years - Aug 27 2006
Dean Seligman - 11 years - Aug 27 2009
August Birthdays & Anniversaries 2020-08-03 07:00:00Z 0

Camp Pendleton Donations

story thumbnail
Did you know there are over 70,000 Marines at Camp Pendleton? Did you know more than 160 babies are born to the Marine families each month? Did you know there are 10,000 children under the age of 5?
Many of the Marines are deployed when their babies are born and family and friends may not be nearby. With very low income, most do not have all they need for newborns and small children, or basic items to set up an apartment.
The Rotary Clubs in District 5280 have been very generous to our Marines and it is that time again for us to donate items for this program.
Here is a photo of our club's contribution to the Marines. These donations were received from our community and from our El Segundo Rotarians. We hope these items bring joy and relief to the wonderful families of our service men and women. Thank you to everyone who donated! ...and a big Thank YOU to our amazing service men and women out there. ... We appreciate you!
Camp Pendleton Donations 2020-07-18 07:00:00Z 0
The Year of Eloise! 2019-2020 2020-07-05 07:00:00Z 0

2020 Scholarship Winners!

Congratulations to Samantha and Amanda, winners of the El Segundo Rotary Scholarship contest! Thank you for volunteering your time to help our community. 
2020 Scholarship Winners! 2020-06-02 07:00:00Z 0
Baseball Banners for High School Seniors 2020-05-06 07:00:00Z 0

COVID-19 Senior Outreach

Are you an El Segundo senior who needs help shopping for basic necessities? You are not alone! There are many people within our community that are currently unable to go shopping because they are isolated at home due to the restrictions imposed by our government to help control the spread of the Coronavirus outbreak. WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU! Please visit our COVID-19 Senior Outreach page for details and to learn how to get assistance.
 
Interested in VOLUNTEERING to help? Please fill out the form here: https://forms.gle/RXwue123gpGhFrzn6
 
COVID-19 Senior Outreach 2020-03-16 07:00:00Z 0

Event Updates

story thumbnail
The following Rotary sponsored events have been rescheduled or cancelled:
 
Malt Madness - March 27, 2020 - RESCHEDULED
Mayor's Good Friday Breakfast - April 10, 2020 - CANCELLED
 
The Malt Madness event has been rescheduled to June 26, 2020.
 
Due to current health concerns, our upcoming Malt Madness Beer and Wine Festival has been RESCHEDULED to Friday, June 26, 2020 from 6-10pm at the Automobile Driving Museum. We care deeply about our community and want to do the right thing for the safety and wellbeing of everyone. Malt Madness strengthens our community through fundraising that is given back to worthy causes (such as education and fighting disease). But it goes beyond fundraising. We also help small businesses by raising awareness of their products. We help professionals by providing a networking opportunity for them to connect on a local level. And we help friends by providing a space to share smiles and laughter. This is a wonderful event. But our first priority is health. Stay healthy and we will see you in June!
Event Updates 2020-03-12 07:00:00Z 0

March Birthdays and Anniversaries

story thumbnail
Happy Birthday!
 
Dina Ferguson - Mar 03
Debra-Lynne Terrill - Mar 12
Carolyne Johnson - Mar 18
Ariel Ayaay - Mar 23
Shirley Hoffman - Mar 25
Michele A. Rogers - Mar 28
March Birthdays and Anniversaries 2020-03-09 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 3/5/20

story thumbnail

On 3/5/20 we heard from LAWA’s Gaby Pacheco and Stephanie Sampson who gave us an update on what’s happening at LAX. We were also excited to welcome back long time Rotarian Ted Tokunow! We are all glad to see that he is feeling better and doing well. Another great meeting!

CLICK HERE for Photos

Meeting 3/5/20 2020-03-05 08:00:00Z 0

Pageant of the Arts 2020

story thumbnail
Great meeting with our Pageant of the Arts winners! Congratulations to our winners as follows:
Vocal - Allison Hand
Dance - Scarlett Long
Instrumental - 1st Cameron Johnson, 2nd Kathryn Muyers, 3rd Lea Jacobson
Art - 1st Aliya Rafei, 2nd Max Sexton, 3rd Rachel Lallemand
Pageant of the Arts 2020 2020-02-27 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 2/20/20

story thumbnail

This meeting we had speakers Jim McClees and Marisol Herrera. Jim is an accountant and gave us an update on the most recent tax laws. Marisol of the Automobile Driving Museum gave a craft talk and told us a little bit about herself.

CLICK HERE for Photos

Meeting 2/20/20 2020-02-20 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 2/13/20

story thumbnail

Great Valentines meeting with speaker Heike Fallon on the topic of health and fitness coaching. We were also entertained by the amazing Walkerettes of the Women’s club. 👯‍♀️ And added bonus - Carolyne Johnson, in her last celebration as a single lady for Valentines before getting married to Owen Smigelski in April, she found her Rotary Valentine in Ed Su as determined by a match of “would you ever”. Happy Valentines!

CLICK HERE for Photos

Meeting 2/13/20 2020-02-13 08:00:00Z 0

PETS 2020

story thumbnail
This weekend, our rotary president elect for 2020-2021, Valerie Smith, attended the PETS educational training program. It was a great opportunity to meet other presidents and learn more about club leadership!
PETS 2020 2020-02-09 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 2/6/2020

story thumbnail
Today’s speaker was new Rotary member Andrea Lange who spoke about human trafficking. We also heard from Shiela Fowler who gave a brief craft talk.
Meeting 2/6/2020 2020-02-06 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 1/30/2020

story thumbnail
Great meeting today with Aaron Corkin of El Segundo PD. We learned a little about him and a lot about the Community Police Academy program that’s being taught by the El Segundo Police Department. This program gives residents and community members the rare opportunity to learn about the different topics of police work, their internal structure, and learn a few basic tactics for safety, detective work, and human restraint. 
We also welcomed a few members of the high school Interact club to our meeting and saw a short video of Mr. Beasley, a Rotarian himself, honoring his granddaughter Shelby with a Paul Harris Fellow award.
Meeting 1/30/2020 2020-01-30 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 1/23/2020

story thumbnail
Another great meeting thanks to Elizabeth Bloom and her passionate talk about the challenges of Dyslexia. We learned about the difficulties that one faces when coping with this condition. We also heard from Rotarian Dave Riemann who told us a little bit about himself.
Meeting 1/23/2020 2020-01-23 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 1/16/2020

story thumbnail

Today, Miranda presented her life story via an original poem. Quite amazing! Also, Dennis gave us an overview of his professional experience with human contact and interaction which provided unique insights into improving business and life.

CLICK HERE for Photos

Meeting 1/16/2020 2020-01-16 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 1/9/2020

story thumbnail
First meeting of 2020! Today we heard a little about the Rotary Rose Parade float which won the Tournament Volunteers award! Great job for participating and helping with the build - Carolyne Johnson, Ed Su, Sean Story, Rebecca Bergen, Eloise Mendez, Andrea Lange, and Fidelmar Coronel! Big shout out to Val Smith for watching Laura for Rebecca.
Our speaker was Brady Connell, the president of the Playa-Venice Rotary club and executive producer of Extreme Makeover - Home Edition on HGTV. We learned a lot about how the program selects candidates and the processes involved in creating a successful makeover. So interesting and what a wonder way to give back to the community!
Meeting 1/9/2020 2020-01-09 08:00:00Z 0

Rose Parade Float Building

story thumbnail
Winner! Rose Parade Tournament Volunteer Award for Most Outstanding display of floral presentation of the Rose Parade Theme "The Power Of Hope" among floats under 35 feet. What an amazing evening working on the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee. Roses, roses, and more roses, every color possible and such beautiful decor and details on all the floats - what incredible works of art. This years theme is Hope Connects the World. A penguin flies across the nations of the world in a demonstration of hope connecting us all. It’s a wonderful and inspiring message that’s meant to bring peace and bridge the gap between mankind.  Special thank you to Eloise, Sean, Andrea, Carolyne, Rebecca, Fidelmar and Ed for your hard work and participation.  🐧🌷💐🌹❄️
Rose Parade Float Building 2019-12-30 08:00:00Z 0

Holiday Luncheon at Marina Yacht Club

story thumbnail
On December 19, 2019 we met at the Marina Yacht Club for our annual Holiday Luncheon with a Secret Santa gift exchange. Great food, awesome company, and good gifts all made for a fun afternoon! 
Holiday Luncheon at Marina Yacht Club 2019-12-19 08:00:00Z 0

Ed and Tom's Trip to China - the Peach Foundation

story thumbnail
The Peach Foundation helps underpriveledged children in China thrive and move beyond poverty. El Segundo Rotary members Tom Forsythe and Edward Su help their cause with their involvement in the foundation and in a recent visit. Here is a brief video on their November 2019 trip to China.
 
Ed and Tom's Trip to China - the Peach Foundation 2019-12-12 08:00:00Z 0

Meeting 12/12/19

story thumbnail
Today we inducted Nancy Jacobson into our club. Welcome Nancy! Justin Mularz and Owen Smigelski earned their blue badges today as well. Great job guys! We heard from Ruth Akumbu who is the guardian for Jaspa Awomah. She is looking for volunteers to work at the Plant A Seed Casino Night Fundraiser coming up in February. Funds will go towards helping Jaspa through college. Ed Su and Tom Forsythe were the speakers today; they told us about their trip to China and their work with the Peach Foundation. 
Meeting 12/12/19 2019-12-12 08:00:00Z 0

Guatemala Literacy Project

story thumbnail
The Rotary Club of Ohio Pathways is sponsoring a Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) led by Joe Berninger. They are still in great need of Rotarians to serve with the GLP team on their February service trips to Guatemala.
  Their educational programs currently serve more than 50,000 impoverished children. Please consider joining one of the following volunteer trips to Guatemala: Feb 1-9, 2020 or Feb 18-23, 2020.  They hope to recruit fellow rotarians to help deliver textbooks, inaugurate computer centers, and much more.
  For more information please CLICK HERE to visit the project's website. To submit an application, please CLICK HERE. Please email Joe Berninger (joe@guatemalaliteracy.org) if you have any questions or comments.
 
Guatemala Literacy Project 2019-12-09 08:00:00Z 0

Rotary Float 2019

story thumbnail
Every year our Rotary club builds a float for the annual El Segundo Holiday Parade. This year's theme was "Toyland". Our club built a "Misfit Toy" Charlie in the Box character float based on the famous "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Island of the Misfit Toys" classic animated movie. Thank you to Ronny Sanchez, Jeff Donahue, Melissa and Randy Albers for the design and build of the float! Thank you to all the Rotarians and friends who also helped out. Great job!!
Rotary Float 2019 2019-12-08 08:00:00Z 0

Holiday Party 2019

story thumbnail
The Holidays are here! This year we had an amazing dinner and cocktail hour at Second City Bistro followed by a white elephant gift exchange at Chris Powell's house. What a fun evening it was! Thank you Gilda Dyckman for planning, and thank you Chris for hosting us. 
Holiday Party 2019 2019-12-07 08:00:00Z 0

Park Vista Luncheon

story thumbnail
One of our favorite annual traditions is the Park Vista Senior Center lunch! We enjoyed great food, fun and games, and beautiful singing. Thanks so much to the El Segundo High School Choir for performing, to the El Segundo Rotaract group for helping us serve food, and to all the residents of Park Vista for joining us for lunch. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Park Vista Luncheon 2019-12-05 08:00:00Z 0
Happy Thanksgiving! 2019-11-28 08:00:00Z 0
Upshift Brewery 2019-11-21 08:00:00Z 0

Holiday Dinner Party

story thumbnail
The Rotary Holiday Party will be held on Dec 7th at Second City Bistro with White Elephant Gift Exchange taking place at Chris Powell's house immediately afterward. Please RSVP by Dec 3rd to Gilda Dyckman. For address and details please click here.
Holiday Dinner Party 2019-11-18 08:00:00Z 0

LAX Bob Hope USO

story thumbnail
Last week we welcomed Jill Villalpando, Director of LAX Bob Hope USO to our meeting in honor of Veterans Day. We also learned a lot about our own member Rebecca Bergin!
LAX Bob Hope USO 2019-11-14 08:00:00Z 0
LA World Airports - Updates and Information 2019-11-07 08:00:00Z 0

Who Killed the Butler?

story thumbnail
Our meeting on Halloween included a Murder Mystery Game of "Who Killed the Butler". Frank Glynn played the role of butler who died suddenly causing the contents of a nearby table to go flying as he himself fell dramatically to the floor. Several alarmed members jumped up to assist at which point we realized this was part of the murder mystery. We went through a list of 10 or so possible killers, all played by members, and after several rounds of voting, we discovered the killer, who was expertly played by Dickie Van Breen. Thank you Marsha for putting this together! It was a fun meeting.
 
Who Killed the Butler? 2019-10-31 07:00:00Z 0

Robotics Club Meeting

story thumbnail

On 10/24 we welcomed the very talented members of the Robotics Club of ESHS. The P.O.T.A.T.O.E.S - People Of Tomorrow Applying Their Outstanding Engineering Skills - demonstrated the operation of several different robots. Such amazing talent and such cool robots! 

CLICK HERE for Photos

Robotics Club Meeting 2019-10-24 07:00:00Z 0

Teacher Mini Grants

story thumbnail
El Segundo Rotary Club awarded a total of $7,500 in mini-grants to 50 wonderful teachers in the El Segundo School District. These grants allow teachers to buy teaching supplies that improve the quality of education. Examples of items the teachers purchase with these grants include sheet music and metronomes, calculators, counting blocks, timers, privacy dividers, art supplies, books, and subscriptions to online educational programs. We could not do this without the support of our community. Thank you to our teachers, and thank you to our supporters for attending our (many) events, buying our raffle tickets (and rubber duckies) and donating to our club.
Teacher Mini Grants 2019-10-17 07:00:00Z 0
Rise Against Hunger 2019-10-12 07:00:00Z 0

Fire Safety Poster Contest

story thumbnail
A huge CONGRATULATIONS to the winners of the 2019 Fire Prevention Week Poster Contest! El Segundo Rotary is proud to have supported this wonderful program for over 70 years in partnership with our firefighter heroes here in El Segundo! This year's theme is: Not all Heroes Wear Capes!
Fire Safety Poster Contest 2019-10-10 07:00:00Z 0

Haunted House Construction

story thumbnail
What a great build day at Twisted Tales Haunted House!!! Thank you to our amazing volunteer crew. Here’s a few sneak peek images behind the spooky scenes! The haunted house opens to the public October 18! We can’t wait to see everyone there!
 
Haunted House Construction 2019-10-06 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 10/3/19

story thumbnail
Today we welcomed Dr. Wen Chen to our weekly meeting. She brought El Segundo resident Leno Szeto as her guest. Dr. Chen is an active advocate for human rights in China. John Stabile brought raffle prizes and gave us a brief craft talk. 
 
Meeting 10/3/19 2019-10-03 07:00:00Z 0

Rotary Fellowship at Gilda's

story thumbnail
What a great evening spending time with fellow Rotary members! We met at Gilda's beautiful home and BBQ'd, had smores, and enjoyed her amazing pool. The kids loved the pool slide and are even now still asking their parents to buy one for their grandma's pool. LOL  All in all we had a great time socializing over dinner and cocktails. 
 
Rotary Fellowship at Gilda's 2019-09-28 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 9/26/19

story thumbnail
This week, we welcomed Jose Mendez as our speaker. Jose shared about his experience growing up at Kurn Hattin home for children. He reminded us to be thankful for the things we have- like loving families, vacations, and even access to food in the refrigerator whenever we are hungry. Important message. Thank you Jose!! Rebecca Haynes also gave us a member spotlight- including highlighting her training from the FBI! Reminder that a sign up sheet for Twisted Tales Haunted House ticket sales and crowd assistance will be coming! We are getting very excited!!
 
Meeting 9/26/19 2019-09-26 07:00:00Z 0
Twisted Tales Haunted House 2019-09-15 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 9/12/19

story thumbnail
This week we welcomed Rotarians Kevin Smith and Sandy Jacobs to our meeting. Kevin spoke about our club's relationship with our sister city Guaymas in Mexico. Sandy gave us a short talk about her life story and provided a joke and the raffle prizes. 
 
Meeting 9/12/19 2019-09-12 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 9/5/19

story thumbnail
This week we welcomed Brenda Jaramillo of the Latinos Unidos Rotary Club who discussed the Humanitarian project for this year's District trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. This trip will take place on Feb 26, 2020 - March 6, 2020.  This year they selected 17 humanitarian projects that require assistance from Rotary members as part of Rotary International’s areas of focus.   Sonia Rodriguez brought raffle prizes, a joke and presented a short craft talk. 
Meeting 9/5/19 2019-09-05 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 8/29/19

story thumbnail
This meeting we welcomed Dr. Walavan Sivakumar, Director of Neurosurgery at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute. He brought us information about the new stroke center at the Little Company of Mary Medical Center. This facility will be the leading stroke center for the entire South Bay region and beyond. Julie Stolnac brought raffle prizes, a joke and a short craft talk.
 
Meeting 8/29/19 2019-08-29 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 8/22/19

story thumbnail
Last week we welcomed Rotary District 5280 governor Melody St. John to our meeting. Thank you for visiting our club! Thank you Elyse Beardsley for the fun little skit to highlight Melody's involvement with the US train tour for International students. Congratulations to Cort (the grandson of members Judith and Roger Wilson) for becoming a Paul Harris Fellow!
 
Meeting 8/22/19 2019-08-25 07:00:00Z 0

Rotary & Polio 

Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 30 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever.

As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we've reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.

We've helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries. So far, Rotary has contributed more than $1.8 billion toward eradicating the disease worldwide.

Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. But it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.

How can you help? Click the links below to donate or visit endpolio.org to learn more.
 
Rotary & Polio Carolyne Johnson 2019-08-08 07:00:00Z 0
Rotary & Polio, Long Video Carolyne Johnson 2019-08-08 07:00:00Z 0

Movie in the Park 2019 SPONSORS

Thank you to all the Movie in the Park sponsors! We could not do this event without you! This event takes a village - and we are so glad to have so much support from our wonderful business and residential community.
 
 
Movie in the Park 2019 SPONSORS Carolyne Johnson 2019-07-27 07:00:00Z 0

Meeting 7/25/19

story thumbnail
Today’s meeting started as usual – with friendly hellos followed by the pledge of allegiance.
Ron Sanchez gave a brief craft talk about creating custom apparel for many of our local schools and businesses. He also reminded us of his history playing hockey, though he laughed when asked if he played professionally. His favorite team is the Red Wings. A friendly fight ensued between Dean and Ron after Ron claimed that he also likes the Kings. The fight settled on Ron admitting that “tolerating” the Kings is more accurate.
 
Maura Slavens from Kinecta earned her blue badge! Congrats!!
 
Our speaker was Scott Houston from West Basin Water District. We all know water is an important topic in Los Angeles. Scott helpfully explained many things we can do to conserve our water, including rain barrels and grass replacement. West Basin is working on many plans to ensure we always have access to water.
 
Announcements: Lots of tickets have already sold for movie in the park, but keep them coming! We are expecting a great crowd. The district breakfast is coming up on August 13th at the Proud Bird restaurant. We have 13 people signed up so far – which Len says is the biggest group we’ve had attend a District Breakfast since he became a member many moons ago. More are welcome!
Meeting 7/25/19 Carolyne Johnson 2019-07-25 07:00:00Z 0

4th of July 2019

story thumbnail
4th of July was a huge success for the Rotary club! The Watermelon Contest was MC'd by one of our newest members Owen Smigelski who led the event through 8 categories of competition. Prizes were awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers and there was more than enough watermelon to go around for everyone. The Snack Bar was another big winner with its sale of churros, popcorn, drinks and more. So many thanks go to Valerie for making the event not only successful but also profitable!  Thank you to all the wonderful members who participated! 
4th of July 2019 Carolyne Johnson 2019-07-06 07:00:00Z 0
Wayne's World 2018-2019 Carolyne Johnson 2019-06-22 07:00:00Z 0

Demotion Party 

story thumbnail
What a great night at Wayne's Demotion party! Hosted by the club's past presidents and held at the Automobile Driving Museum. Congratulations to the following Rotarians for their efforts this past year:
Gilda Dyckman - Paul Harris Foundation Award
Dean Seligman - Rotarian of the Year, for his work on Malt Madness
Elyse Beardsley - Rotarian of the Year, for her work with Interact Club and RYLA
Certificates of Appreciation went to Elyse Beardsley, Tom Forsythe, and Len Bonilla for stepping in as President during Wayne's back surgery
Distinguished Service Awards went to Ted Tokunow for 38 years of service, and Marisol Rios for her efforts in Malt Madness.
A special THANK YOU goes to Wayne Mularz and all the board members who served in his term. We appreciate your hard work and dedication to our club. 
We welcome incoming ES Rotary President, Eloise Mendez and her new board members who will lead the 2019-2020 term. Its going to be an awesome year! 
 
Demotion Party Carolyne Johnson 2019-06-17 07:00:00Z 0
Happy Hour at Flemings Carolyne Johnson 2019-06-15 07:00:00Z 0

4th of July Watermelon Eating Contest

story thumbnail
Stop by Rec Park for a little 4th of July fun! El Segundo Rotary will be hosting a timed watermelon eating contest featuring prizes for first, second and third places for the following divisions:
Boys - Ages 6-8, Girls - Ages 6-8
Boys - Ages 9-11, Girls - Ages 9-11
Boys - Ages 12-15, Girls - Ages 12-15
Men - Ages 16 and up, Women - Ages 16 and up
Come join us for a watermelon treat and celebrate the 4th!
4th of July Watermelon Eating Contest Carolyne Johnson 2019-06-10 07:00:00Z 0

Movie in the Park 2019

story thumbnail
Get ready for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse at the 22nd annual Movie in the Park!
When: August 3, 2019, Gates open at 4pm
Where: Chevron Park
 
We are looking for Event Sponsors!  Do you know anyone who might be interested in promoting their name, their business or their organization? Then please CLICK HERE for Sponsorship Opportunities!  Don't miss this chance to get in front of an audience of more than 40,000 individuals through online advertising via our website, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, email marketing, and of course in person at the event! 
Movie in the Park 2019 Carolyne Johnson 2019-06-10 07:00:00Z 0 elsegundomovieinthepark,movieinthepark,rotarymovieinthepark

Community Services Award Luncheon

story thumbnail
Congratulations to the winners of our El Segundo Community Service Awards!
 
El Segundo Employee of the Year
Kristina Kora-Beckman of the El Segundo Library
Presented by Melissa McCollum, Library Director
 
El Segundo Police Officer of the Year 
Kurt Rasmusson, Detective  the El Segundo Police Department
Presented by Bill Whalen, Police Chief
 
El Segundo Firefighter of the Year
Ryan Allee, Captain at the El Segundo Fire Department
Presented by Christopher Donovan, Fire Chief
 
El Segundo Unified School District Teacher of the Year
Carley Finkel, Teacher at El Segundo Middle School
Presented by Ali Rabiei, Principal
 
El Segundo Unified School District Classified Employee of the Year
Araceli Reyes of Richmond Street Elementary School
Presented by Dr Alice Lee, Principal
Community Services Award Luncheon Carolyne Johnson 2019-06-09 07:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Beach Clean-up

story thumbnail
We were at the 19th Annual Beach Clean-up! This event was held on 6/8/19 and was sponsored by El Segundo Power LLC, El Segundo Kiwanis & Ed Foundation. We had fun cleaning up the beach and enjoyed the reception and lunch that followed. Great event and a great way to give back to our wonderful community!
El Segundo Beach Clean-up Carolyne Johnson 2019-06-08 07:00:00Z 0
Mayor's Good Friday Breakfast 2019 Rebecca Bergin 2019-04-01 07:00:00Z 0

Malt Madness Review

Our first annual Malt Madness Beer and Wine Festival on March 29, 2019 was a huge success. Thanks to everyone for participating, sponsoring, and attending!
Malt Madness Review Rebecca Bergin 2019-04-01 07:00:00Z 0
Malt Madness is Coming! Rebecca Bergin 2019-01-31 08:00:00Z 0
Park Vista Luncheon Rebecca Bergin 2018-12-10 08:00:00Z 0
6 Causes Rebecca Bergin 2018-11-12 08:00:00Z 0

Fire Safety Poster Contest

For over 50 years, El Segundo Rotary Club has been working with the El Segundo Fire Department to prevent fires. Fire Marshal James Carver led this year's event, reminding families to be prepared in the event of fire, because fires can happen anywhere. He encouraged families to install and check smoke alarms and to always have a family fire escape plan (and to practice the plan). Many thanks to our event sponsors, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Banner Stationers, and Studio Printing for your support! Also a huge THANK YOU to all the students who participated in the fire poster contest. Your participation helps us spread the word about fire safety!
Fire Safety Poster Contest Rebecca Bergin 2018-10-12 07:00:00Z 0
Happy Halloween 2018 2018-10-06 07:00:00Z 0

Backpacks for Lawndale Schools

Each year, El Segundo and Lawndale Rotarians partner up to pack hundreds of backpacks with school supplies for the Lawndale School District! 
Backpacks for Lawndale Schools 2018-09-06 07:00:00Z 0

2018 Rotary Baking Contest!!!!

Let's bring some classic baking to the Richmond Street Fair! All entries must be dropped off for judging on Thursday, September 20th - click below for full details or download the baking contest information in the Club Info section of this webpage. Thank you and Good Luck! See you at the fair!
2018 Rotary Baking Contest!!!! Rebecca Bergin 2018-09-03 07:00:00Z 0
Movie in the Park 2018 2018-08-04 07:00:00Z 0
Community Service Awards 2018 2018-06-12 07:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Restaurant Game

Just for a little extra fun, El Segundo Rotarians and friends decided to dine at EVERY restaurant in El Segundo in a March Madness-Style bracket showdown.  The game started in September 2017 with 131 restaurants.  Participants were assigned to 2 restaurants per month, with their favorite moving on to the next round.  Over the next 8 months, Rotarians on secret dining missions enjoyed dining at El Segundo restaurants old and new!  We are proud to announce Sausal as our overall winner!  
El Segundo Restaurant Game Rebecca Bergin 2018-05-19 07:00:00Z 0
3rd Annual Rubber Ducky Adoption 2018-05-13 07:00:00Z 0
2018 Good Friday Breakfast Rebecca Bergin 2018-04-23 07:00:00Z 0
2018 Good Friday Breakfast 2018-04-23 07:00:00Z 0
Rise Against Hunger Rebecca Bergin 2018-04-23 07:00:00Z 0
2018 Mayor's Good Friday Breakfast 2018-03-19 07:00:00Z 0
Honoring Dick Van Vranken, Rotarian, Mayor, and longtime resident 2017-11-14 08:00:00Z 0
Did you know? 2017-08-17 07:00:00Z 0
Movie in the Park: Moana! Rebecca Bergin 2017-08-07 07:00:00Z 0
Lawndale Schools Backpack Project 2017 Rebecca Bergin 2017-07-20 07:00:00Z 0
4th of July Watermelon Eating Contest Rebecca Bergin 2017-06-24 07:00:00Z 0
Announcing Movie in the Park 2017: Moana! Rebecca Bergin 2017-06-07 07:00:00Z 0
Rubber Ducky Adoption Day May 6, 2017 2017-05-30 07:00:00Z 0
El Segundo En Blanco 2016-10-08 07:00:00Z 0
19th Annual Movie in the Park 2016-07-11 07:00:00Z 0
District Breakfast October 20, 2015 2015-09-14 07:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Teacher Mini Grants

Rotary Club of El Segundo
2015 Teacher Mini-Grants
 El Segundo Unified School District
 
 
Teacher Mini-Grants can be used for anything the teacher, counselor, or administrator needs to enhance students’ education (including supplies, field trips, workshops, student incentives, projects, books, technology, etc.,) not provided for under current budgetary restrictions.
 
 
Click on Link at the top of the page to Download Application
 
El Segundo Teacher Mini Grants 2015-09-01 07:00:00Z 0
Movie In the Park Tom Forsythe 2015-06-29 07:00:00Z 0
2015 Community Service Awards 2015-05-12 00:00:00Z 0
2nd Annual Beer& Wine Festival 2015-04-13 00:00:00Z 0
2014 Holiday Lunch Park Vista Senior Apartments Tom Forsythe 2014-12-12 00:00:00Z 0

Lawndale School District Backpack Donation

The El Segundo Rotary Club donated 200 backpacks to the Lawndale Unified School District for distribution to needy students. We also purchased school supplies and filled the backpacks so the students would be ready for the first day of school.
Lawndale School District Backpack Donation 2014-09-08 00:00:00Z 0
Movie in The Park Tom Forsythe 2014-07-07 00:00:00Z 0
El Segundo Rotary Poker Tournament Dean Seligman 2014-07-07 00:00:00Z 0

Celebrate those who serve the City

Posted by Gary A. Wilson on Jun 10, 2014
The Meeting
 
Our annual gathering to honor our towns finest took place in a typically orderly fashion starting with our soon to be ex-President Len Bonilla.  He quickly call the meeting to order and introduced our dignitaries and there were many there to either get an award, give an award, celebrate the giving and getting of a reward, or get a free meal.
 
He introduced some of our own leaders in the room lead by Fire Chief Kevin Smith, and the Lady in Red, Laura Gabel.  Kevin is always great at this event and I enjoy the playful banter between himself and our Chief of Police.
 
Laura was exquisite.  We don't get a chance to see her run a meeting, unless we go to the School Board meetings.  She is the President.  She is usually part of our good nature d banter in our Rotary meetings -- just having fun with the rest of us kids.   But, she put on her business hat and ran the meeting and did a great job.  Nice going Laura.
 
So who was there.  First of all the Honorees.  The U.S. Postal Employee of the Year was Brandon Jones.  More on Brandon later.
 
The Firefighter of the Year was Kenneth Schultz.  Kevin gave him a great atta boy speech and then he got to walk through dignitary row and received thanks and certificates to put on his wall, and remember when he is old and tired, yet still proud that someone, some group, took the time to say … Thanks.
 
The Police Officer of the Year was Luke Muir.  He was there with his young wife and his boss.  Hard to believe he was a cop.  He had humility written all over him.  He was cool.
 
Teacher of the Year was introduced by our Substitute Principle.  She was a graduate of Vasser, had lots of credentialed and looked very smart.
 
 Our Mayor was  there, the Mayor pro tem, Councilman Atkinson, families of the honorees, and someone representing each of our government agencies.  They do this all the time, and know each other well.  It was a nice day.
 
My favorite part was Brandon Jones who seems to be the perfect employee.  He was so perfect that this would be his last month in the South Bay, he was being promoted and going to the Beverly Hills Branch.  He attributed his success to his dads being a great role model and coach and his dad spoke briefly on what a great son he had.  His son was going to be the best man in his upcoming wedding.  It was touching.
 
 
 
Celebrate those who serve the City Gary A. Wilson 2014-06-11 00:00:00Z 0
Community Service Day 2014-05-14 00:00:00Z 0

Be Careful What You Think

Posted by Gary A. Wilson on May 13, 2014
Rotary Bulletin of May 8, 2014  “Be Careful What You Think” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor
 
The Meeting
The meeting was fairly typical for Len.  He started on time, worked off “The Spread Sheet”, had a pledge and some words of wisdom which I forget right now.  We had a full house again and there was the usual good natured banter with a little fining by the best finemaster….Joe.  He is very good at that and should have a TV show called “Judge Joe”.
 
Nancy made the front page of the El Segundo Herald and she was fined.  Fining Elyse is always fun.  Joe further commented that he had a bet of sorts with Shannon who had some kids who were going to attend RYLA.  Shannon was so sure that here kids would not enjoy it and told Joe that if they did, she would give him (Rotary) $100.  She gave Joe the check and all clapped and smiled at her honesty and generosity.  I think Joe may have fined her too.  She laughed.  Have you ever seen Shannon not “up”.  A very nice trait Shannon, its infectious on those around you and thanks.
 
Len told us that the club donated $1000 to the Floyd Carr Scholarship and that is a very nice way to remember our recently lost friend.  His name goes on and so does he.
 
Jim McLees told a joke.  I think he said that he had two.  One for the adults and one for the kids.  Since there was kids in the room I thought he would pick that one.  I was wrong, or I would have hated to hear the “Adult” one.  Jim goes under the heading with Joe and Elyse of “Never having an unspoken thought”.  Actually, you don’t have to say everything on your mind.  You are encouraged not to.  But I am sure he will redeem himself and put on those Eagle Scout pants and tell a very nice joke.   Right Jim?
 
The Program  --  Carl the Mentalist
 
Most of us that were at this program would say that it was the best in a long time.  This guy was great.  Funny and gifted from the Magic Castle.  He was out of the “Hypnotist and Magic School” way of doing things and combined both with excellent humor and timing.  Fun and funny and could laugh at himself as well.
 
I can’t even begin to tell you all the things he could do from predicting what numbers someone on the other end of the room would roll on a dice, see the number and show no one, and he would tell you what it was.
 
He had Kevin think of someone and right the name down, and he figured out what the name was.  If Kevin had picked the name “Jackie Johnson, weather girl”, we all would figure that out.  Instead he went with a different name and Carl the Mentalist got it right.
 
He did that with other’s in the room and never missed once, except when my ticket was drawn to pick the playing cards for the cash.  Of course I asked him to pick the card, and that was his first and only miss for the day.  Oh well.
 
Lets bring him back next year.
 
 
 
Be Careful What You Think Gary A. Wilson 2014-05-14 00:00:00Z 0

“Wiseburn Comes a callin”

Posted by Gary A. Wilson on Apr 29, 2014
Rotary Meeting of 4-24-2014 “Wiseburn Comes a callin” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.
 
The Meeting
Full house for Len.  Not sure why, it must be his inspirational messages.  Lots of visitors from afar.  Joe had a long time Rotary Friend come in for Joe and Elyse’s RYLA show.  This guy was right out of Central Casting.  Daddy Warbucks of Little Orphan Annie comes to mind -- although more avuncular.  In looking at him from afar it appeared he had a birthmark on his bald head.  It was not a birthmark, it was a Rotary logo tattoo.  I am old).  28 years ago he stayed at the Hacienda and met Joe. This guy is cool (cool is an old saying ... I am old). His voice matched his appearance and he boomed a big hello.  He was there to go to RYLA and I can’t wait to hear how and what he did.  He would be a program in and of himself…all of him.  Joe, tell us more about him when you have time.
 
 
Dean announced that the District Assembly is May 10.  Everyone can go, it is a great day to see what Rotary is all about and if you are an incoming officer you should go.
 
 
Councilman Dave Atkins attended. 
 
We had the usual exchange of clip boards, circulation of spread sheets, exchanges of cash etc. 
 
Tom told another great joke…he does have the knack.
 
Joe fined Laura and she was on the front page holding a $200,000 check from our Great Neighbor – Chevron.  It was for the schools.
 
He fined Julie Stolnack for going to Paris.
 
Becky and Robin got fined for not bringing magazines.  He thanked them for nothing.
 
He fined Bill Mason for a huge box of magazines that they found in his garage.  Hopefully some of them were suitable for kids
 
He fined Elyse for having a commercial on TV.  She is big time now.
 
Sherry Hughs (a former Rotarian) attended who is his daughters God mother and provides the shirts for RYLA.  She was an excellent Rotarian and I wish she would return.
 
Dick recognized Joe for the Great Job he did at the Good Friday’s breakfast.  He was (is) great at that, and many things.
 
It was Shannon’s birthday and she had lots of announcements about the Ed Foundation and fund raising activity.
 
Elyse, June 6 fund raiser at the Comedy and Magic Club
 
Michelle announced that Revlon Walk for cancer is coming up and she could use some financial help.  You can put it on your bill, or send her an email and she will send you a link to the web page and you can donate that way.
 
The Program  (Chris Jones and Tom Johnstone, Super Intendent)
 
Tom is a 14 year Rotarian himself.
 
We received a nice presentation of the Wiseburn District, it’s history and it’s plans.  They are moving to El Segundo and will be taking over an old Aerospace building on Douglas.  There is a pool in the mix that sealed the deal. 
 
For those of you that don’t know, there has been some controversy over the move from the Centinela School District to El Segundo.  Not sure if I am qualified to write about that here (or anywhere), but here are a few links one might want to follow in their research.  I think it best you go there rather than listen to me.
 
Link 1  Daily Breeze Article
Link 2  Wiseburn Web Page
Link 3  Wikipedia Information
Link 4  Recent Salary Scandal
 
 
 
“Wiseburn Comes a callin” Gary A. Wilson 2014-04-30 00:00:00Z 0

Strong Women Reach Out

Posted by Gary A. Wilson on Apr 09, 2014
The Meeting
 
Mari brought an associate who was at one time a Rotarian,
 
Kevin Introduced a Rotarian Visitor Chuck Perlman from the Culver City Club.  We love Chuck and see him quite a bit.
 
Melissa told a great joke, making fun of the Irish.  It was a joke about telling a joke, and it was told very well.   I loved #94, Great Joke and I laugh thinking about it.  It was much better than #92.  You had to be there.
We received a thank you card from Julia’s daughter thanking us for Julia’s celebration of life.  She indicated we “captured her mother’s essence”, and we did.  Rest in Peace.
 
Jack appealed to us “Every Rotarian, Every Year”.  That is a “cornerstone” part of Len’s year.  You know doubt will be hearing more about that.
We need to sell more tickets for the Mayor’s Good Friday Breakfast on April 18, 2014.
 
Shiela talked about Community Wellness and we need some more raffle prizes.
One of the best events of the year (That’s what Dean said) is the District Breakfast and it is great training for the new officers and New Members.  It is in Carson on May the 10th, which is a Saturday.
 
Melissa inducted a new Member, Becky Haynes.  She was sponsored by Deborah Terrill.
 
The Program
 
 
This is all about providing safe harbor for “Battered Women”.  There are two words that should never be said.  They shouldn’t be in the same sentence, the same paragraph, or the same letter.  What a horrible thing that is depicted by these two words.  I am a self-confessed “Polly Anna”.  There is a world out there I know nothing about, and if I had my way I would not want to know about it.
But that’s the world we are in. 
 
They were founded in 1972 and last year helped about 25,000 women and children.  The women that talked to us were Licensed Therapists.  They seemed so together and they deal with extremely sorrowful situations.  First of all the provide Shelter for the battered.  They provide food, legal advice and lots of advice and council for up to two years to be independent of violence.  This counciling can be every day.
They spoke with conviction, and concern.  They spoke of the funding they receive from government grants which are very specific on what that money will be spent upon.
 
For the most part their Shelters are in unknown locations to keep them from the batterer.
 
These strong women were very impressive and we were all very impressed.
 
They have an excellent web page.
 
Other
 
NCAA Bracket Competition was won by Debbie.  Second was Gary's dog Walter, 3rd was Johnny Danger (not sure who he is, but he showed well).   Ted and Tom were behind these elite 3 and they should be very happy with their mediocre performance.   Dean and Ed challenged, but faded in the end.  If they start reading now about College Basketball they may be ready to compete next year.  With Dean at the helm we will no doubt have many a chance to gamble.  For those of you that invest with Dean he has this great new program that he collaborates with a fella by the name of Bernie and it is the March Madness Fund.
 
Last place was a tie with our Barrister Dave tying my wife Mary on the last week.  Dave at one time new sports, but has not studied the teams since he graduated from college.  He spends many a night watching films of himself scoring a lone touch down and thinks of what might have been.  She was proud of our dog Walter doing so well and coming in ahead of Tom.
 
This was so much fun and it is not about the money, but Paul Harris picked up $100 and some of us have bragging rights (Right Debbie).  Right Walter (Woof!)
 
Strong Women Reach Out Gary A. Wilson 2014-04-10 00:00:00Z 0

Max Coleman; JPL Chief Scientest

The Meeting
 
·         Becky has been approved for membership.
·         Suzanne Fuentes, a current city council member and running for office, came for a visit.
 
  • ·         Kevin told another excellent joke.  Very Very Good.  Hillbilly accent could be improved.  Need to have a visit with Tom.  He can help with that.
 
·         It was Debbie's birthday sometime this month (12th).  She read her card and had on a very nice Birthday suit.
·         District Breakfast April 8th with a speaker named Prophet Walker who started a prison program whereby prisoners can earn a 2 year degree.  A few of us in Rotary may be eligible for that degree.
·         Services for Julia on Friday at Chevron Park from 2 to 4.  I miss her so.  We all do.
·         We are looking for Raffle Prizes for Community Wellness Day.
·         Good Friday Breakfast is April 18 (Mayor's Breakfast).
       Another Eagle Scout came to make a presentation.  Jim McLees our grown up (sort of)  boy scout introduced him.  We have had a flock of Eagles lately and it is good to see our youth staying busy helping others ... with Rotary Money.  His name is Blaise (sp) Bartowsik (sp).  He was funny and made it clear...he was there for the money.  Dave asked him a few questions and he said.."I am here for the money".  He could be a future Foundation Chairman like Julia and Jack.  Show me the money job it is.
·         Melissa's Church (St. Michaels) needed new shelving for storage.  Blaise had drawings, measurements, and a detailed plan.  He knew how much wood he needed and how many screws would be required to make the project work.  He did Jack Proud.  Jack too likes to plan.  He diagrams his day and checks things off as he completes them such as brushing teeth, taking shower every few days etc..  Blaise needed $1,700 for the project.   He got challenged by Rotarian's and he had to be quick on his feet, and he was.  That's the way life is. 
·          
 
 
The Program
 
Tom Introduced Max Coleman from JPL (NASA) who is an Astro Biologist and he was so much fun and took some very esoteric subjects and made them interesting … and to a degree…understandable.  He simply said that you needed to follow the water, and then you may find life.  Mars apparently "had some" water and he has some "simi proof" in the way of photographs showing rivers and perhaps lakes.  The other place is on a moon of Jupiter called "Europa".  Go figure.  There apparently is lots of water there.  He highly recommended a movie called "Europa" and it is available on Netflix.  I looked at the trailer and it looked excellent.  I like Space Stuff.  I wish I had the Right Stuff to be an Astronaut, but I am afraid of heights.  So, I sell Real Estate ... in the Mountains.  Hmmm, no wonder I am conflicted.
 
Life.  Here is how I think about it.  My feeling is if you have water, you can have wine, beer, bourbon,, etc. and then life will follow. Low life perhaps, but life.  So, "Europa" here I come.  Look for the nearest bar and you will find some potential Rotary members, start a club, and then not just save the world, save the Universe.   We can expand.
 
Max brought along some examples of things and did some experiments which included lighting a candle (energy) (scared the hell out of Kevin...he didn't know what to do about a fire) and eating a cracker (again energy).  He was funny, likable, and is the only Astro Physicist that I know.  He is now my friend.    We are going to get together and talk about Isotopes. 
 
He kind of lost me about here, not because he wasn't interesting...he was.  He lost me because I am not all that smart. If you want to know more about Max, click here.
 
Thanks to Max and Tom for educating and entertaining us for about 1/2 hour.
 
PS  Max also donated $20 to our Eagle Scout Project and that shows some real class.
 
 
Max Coleman, Co-I (JPL) max.coleman@jpl.nasa.gov
Integration of different relevant scientific disciplines to understand how natural systems work, especially as applied to astrobiology and sedimentary systems; specialties include stable isotope geochemistry (C, O, S, Cl). Joint appointment at JPL in Planetary Habitability Science and the Center for Life Detection.
Max Coleman; JPL Chief Scientest Gary A. Wilson 2014-03-27 00:00:00Z 0

Locked Out on the Queen

Posted by Gary A. Wilson on Mar 18, 2014
The Meeting
Jack:  Foundation Chairman
  • The Winners of the 1000 pt. Paul Harris Fellow winners are:  “You got points”.  Len, Shiela, Shannon, and Sandy
  • Dick wanted to talk about how we got “points”.  Jack decided to explain.  After a while we decided we didn’t need to know.  We picked on Jack for a while…because we love him.
  • Joe is busy organizing the Mayor’s breakfast.  Keith Erickson is the Key Note Speaker.
  • Ed Foundation “Guys Night Out” Friday, Mar. 21, 2014
  • Floyd Carr’s Nephew is trying to get something going on a Scholarship in Floyd’s name for the Ed Foundation
  • Memorial Service for Julia at Chevron Park on Friday the 28th from 2 to 4
  • Tom is recruiting for member’s “or friends or spouses” for the NCAA  “Brackets” which is $10 with ½ going to Paul Harris, and rest going to prizes.   It is great fun and makes for a much more lively few weeks for the March Madness.
  • Cooper is selling raffle tickets for the Little League.  A 9 day  Trip to the Canadian Rockies is the prize and it sounded great.  Tickets are $5.
The Program – Elyse  
When have a problem and you are locked out of your car…who do you call.  Elyse!.  She comes to help, and she is glad to do it.
When your Speaker can’t make it at the last minute, who do you call.  Elyse!  She comes to help, and SPEAK, and boy is she glad to do that!
When there is a podium available, she will find it.  See a microphone and she will grab it.  Tell her what to day, and she will say it.  Let her make it up, and she is so very glad to do that as well!
Every time I think about Elyse, I smile.  She makes me feel good.  I have never, in all my life met someone who is always of such good cheer, even when your situation is bad.  She is a classic,  and the phrase:   “there has to be a pony in here somewhere” -- was written for her.
She is a “half full” kind of girl, and we (I) am so lucky to know her.  Thanks for being you all these years as we age in Rotary together.  Anyone who has had a chance to work with you on a project, sit with you at a Fellowship Event, or just plain have a chat when it is just you and one other, know that to be true.  You are a dear friend.
Elyse filled in at the last minute to be the Program.  Before you say “WOW” be mindful of the fact that she has lots of Programs in her head.  Ask her to talk for 15 minutes about a Stick, and she will give you 20.
Elyse talked about Re-Keying the Queen Mary.  It is fitting that Queen Elyse (she likes to be called that) re-keyed the Queen Mary.  Queens helping Queens.  I hope she made a nice profit.
But you know, one of the reason’s she is so successful in her business is,” I never get a sense that she does it for the money”.  She does it for the pure pleasure of being “the best”; and what she doesn't know, she will find out.
She spoke about her upbringing in a “Man’s World”.  She said she was a “Tom Boy”.   Let me add an adjective to that and say she is a “Beautiful Tom Boy”.  She talked about all the problems she had and all the mistakes she has made, including those made in rekeying the Queen Mary.  But, you know what, none of that was viewed as negative or whining.   She laughed at herself and I believe she viewed all of these difficulties as opportunities to learn, and help others.
Speaking of helping others, she has held just about every office in Rotary including the first Female President -- and she has done that twice.  Tom wanted that honor.  She has been President of the Chamber; I know she has won a speaking contest with a Womens organization in El Segundo; and was woman of the year.  I had to follow her one time after she gave her award winning speech.  Not an easy act to follow.  I didn't win "Woman of the Year".  Tom wanted that as well.
Also, how about the job she has done in a leadership position for all these years in Interact.  She has helped shape the lives of many a young a adult out in the world today, and I am sure they are all grateful for having had the opportunity to work with Elyse…and so am I.  Over the course of a year many of them come back to Elyse to say hi, and thanks.  They are grateful.
Thanks Elyse.
PS.  Elyse also taught us all how to pick a lock.  Most of us did it fairly easily in a few minutes which either makes Elyse a great teacher or her Students great crooks.  Probably a combination of the two.
 
Locked Out on the Queen Gary A. Wilson 2014-03-19 00:00:00Z 0

A Stroll Around Mono Lake

Posted by Gary A. Wilson on Mar 12, 2014
Rotary Meeting of March 6, 2014 “A Stroll Around Mono Lake” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.
 
The Meeting
 
Mari Peters visited and recommitted her vows to Rotary and we will be seeing her a lot more often now.  For those of you who don’t know -- Mari was a fanatical Rotarian for some time and a Past President who fell in love with the mystical figure of Paul Harris.  They got married at one time, but the difficulty of a truly spiritual life became too much for her, and she had to return to her second love…Banking.  Welcome back.
 
Kevin told the joke of the day, and stayed with Religion in a clean way and it was nicely received.  He received a nice ovation and walked a fine line between Religion and Humor.  God would have laughed.  He did laugh.
 
Ed delivered his daughters Girl Scout cookies, I ate them all.  Dr.s orders.  I had to eat them, Mary takes them away from me if I bring them home and I get sent to my room.  Plus, Walter eats too many.  I hid some in the house however.  They won’t be there long.
 
April 18, is Mayor’s Good Friday Breakfast.  Keith Ericson is the Key Note Speaker.   Joe Harding will be the MC and a cast of Rotarians will fill in doing Flag Solutes and Prayers.  We have a few past Mayors in the group as well.  This will be the first year that Floyd won’t be there.  My guess is he will be there somewhere.
 
Dave Reiman gave Carlos Donahue a donation from the Church for running the program … “Run for Education”
 
Bill Mason and his daughter Peggy were at the meeting…more later.
 
The Program
 
Mono Lake
 
A Scientific kind of guy made a presentation on Mono Lake.  It is on the East Side of Yosemite and when you come upon it you feel like you made a wrong turn and ended up on the moon when it had some water.  Salt Water for sure with the only life being that of Brine Shrimp.  Not the eating kind (at least for people), but the kind you buy when you have an aquarium and want to give the bigger fish a real treat.  I use to have one of those and watching big fish swallow little fish (shrimp) is a little creepy.   I think it is best to be a big shrimp (there is a dichotomy of terms), like Mike Briney.
 
That lake has lots of history and archaeological mystery to it.  Our speaker spoke in an organized fashion about the lake, but it is best to go to the web site for detail.
 
 
 
Brag Time
We had some time left over and Len decided to have Brag Time.  For those of you that don’t know that is when we pass a Jar and you can put some currency in there and “brag” on whatever you want, or simply talk about whatever comes to mind.  We don’t want to hear any change in that jar either. 
 
Most of us talked about Julia and how much she meant to us personally and the club. She was my buddy and I will share more of my thoughts and others will do so as well on Friday March 28, 2014 at Chevron Park between 2 and 4 PM.
 
She will be missed.
A Stroll Around Mono Lake Gary A. Wilson 2014-03-13 00:00:00Z 0

By the Numbersa

Posted by Gary A. Wilson on Mar 05, 2014

Rotary Bulletin 2-20 and 2-27 “By the Numbers” Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor The Meeting

There was a sadness in the room as we all had learned during the week of the passing of Julia. We loved Julia and her ceaseless energy; fun loving spirit; and the ability to laugh. She took jokes so very well, better than anyone. She enjoyed life and we miss her so. In the next few weeks I will write more about her as we gather our thoughts and gather around Bill in his time of need. Life is so tough some times.

Speaking of tough. How about Jim McLeese and the fact that he and most member of his family have some form of Muscular Dystrophy. Was he sad, not that I could see. He and Joanna and their daughter came proudly to tell our group about their unique situation and cause. When I see these types of things by fellow Rotarians it makes what problems I have seem so small. Thanks for being you and being a role model for us.

Michelle made it a trifecta with her joke telling. She has a knack, a gift. Her delivery makes the joke. Nice run there Michelle.

We had another Eagle Scout visit us and his project was to work with the Girl Scouts. If I had known that was an option when I was a scout, I too would have been an Eagle. My projects were picking up trash along the polluted Des Plaines River in Illinois. No Girl Scouts for me.

The Program:

I am not sure I can capture this. Let me start by saying that this was very, very good. A game changer. Ms. Cobb arranged to have a Math Teacher come talk to us. His name was Luc.

Luc: A Simple Math Teacher, but oh so impressive. I don’t remember his last name, but I remember him. The name Luc works. It works for me. Simple name, complex guy. Complex subject that he made simple.

He walked the part, talked the part, looked the part and acted the part. The “new” type of math teacher. Not like mine when I was growing up. Mr. Robertson was his name. I don’t think he had a first name. If he did, it was not necessary for me to know it.

There is no question in my mind that his students will go far. He made you think. He made Tom think. At least I think so. It’s hard to tell some times.

He put some new words into a math class. Those words are “WHY”, or “HOW”. I don’t remember those words being used in my math class. I don’t remember any words being used in my math class...only numbers. Math was a very rote class for me. I memorized formula’s and numbers. I memorized Pi, but still not sure what it does. Not sure that was taught. It must have been, but I don’t remember. All I remember is 3.1416. It has something to do with a circle, I think. I bet Luc could tell me.

Once I memorized it, I thought I “knew it”. But, that’s not so. I passed the tests. 2 plus 2 is 4...right. It always was. I bet it still is, unless Einstein was involved and he would have said that that would be relative.

page1image27992
page1image28264

He showed pictures of his class, and it was not a bunch of kids sitting in a row listening to a lecturer at the front of the room. These were kids working together and solving problems. They were “interacting” with each other....and the teacher. Again, asking “How” or “Why”.

I believe he was using parabolic equations to solve an actual problem like firing a missile at another missile and determining the impact point so that the debris from the explosion falls in the proper place. He tied this puzzle in with International Relations. We did not want the debris to fall on our European Allies. He wanted it to fall into the ocean. The equation was manipulated to make that happen. That’s cool.

He talked about kids figuring out what to tip in a restaurant, but went further. In our Country it is “customary”, which means you better do it. In some countries it is an insult. They teach that...in math?? Why not?

I loved the way he consistently used the word “Rigor”. I need to study that word some. He also said he has an idol in the Math teaching field. Just like Jack’s Idol is Justin Beiber. Luc’s idol Dan Meyer and he has a number of Ted Talks. I just grabbed one to take a look. Click here: Dan Meyer Ted Talk

He was excellent Ms Cobb, thank you for arranging it. Thank you for cobbling together 4 great programs inarow. YougetanA.

PS: Jack’s favorite web site: Justin 

By the Numbersa Gary A. Wilson 2014-03-06 00:00:00Z 0
2013 Rotary 4th of July Watermelon Eating Contest Thomas Forsythe 2013-07-05 00:00:00Z 0
2013 Community Wellness Day Thomas Forsythe 2013-04-18 00:00:00Z 0

Mad March Give Away

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Feb 10, 2013

Mad March Mixer

 Tickets can also be purchased at the following locations:

Industrial Lock & Security 401 Main Street

El Segundo Chamber of Commerce 427 Main Street

Studio Printing 446 Main Street 

 

Image 

 

 

 

Mad March Give Away Thomas Forsythe 2013-02-11 00:00:00Z 0

Philip M. White

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Jan 31, 2013

Image

 

April 29, 1956 - January 24, 2013

Phil White passed away January 24, 2013 Phil joined the El Segundo Rotary Club in February 1989. Phil served as President, Secretary, Membership Chair and just about every other position you could think of. If something needed to get done in the club; all you had to do is ask Phil. Many times things were done and we always suspected it was Phil but we didn't have proof. Phil's passion was the kids in Tjuana; El Segundo Rotary sponsored children in the slums of Tijuana and Phil was directly involved in the project. Each year he would take down the Holiday presents to the kids.

Phil loved to eat, golf, tel jokes and spend time with friends. His passion was the work he did through the Rotary Club. He will always be remembered or his huge smile, his laugh, his soft heart and his willingness to help others.

We will miss you Phil!!

Philip M. White Thomas Forsythe 2013-02-01 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary & El Segundo Unified School District Book Drive

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Dec 19, 2012

El Segundo Rotary Club partnered with the El Segundo Unified School District to organize the annual Gently Used Book Drive; three schools participated in the drive; Richmond Street Elementary, Center Street Elementary, and the El Segundo Middle School. Rotarian Dickie Van Breene organized and ran the drive; Dickie is also the Principal at Richmond Street Elementary. Thanks to Dickie for all of the hard work. Hundreds of Books were donated; this year our Gently Used Book Drive will be going to Dolores Huerta Elementary School in the Lennox Unified School District. The principal is Susan Ramos and the librarian Le'Audra Mask.  We collected over 1,200 books.

ImageImage

 

 

El Segundo Rotary & El Segundo Unified School District Book Drive Thomas Forsythe 2012-12-20 00:00:00Z 0
2012 Holiday Parade Thomas Forsythe 2012-12-16 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotarians at work..........

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Dec 14, 2012

El Segundo Rotarians were joined by El Segundo High School Students to paint the progess meter for the El Segundo Education Foundation (ED). ED's goal this year is to raise $900,000 to help the school district. Please watch as we piece together the puzzle.

ImageImage

ImageImage

El Segundo Rotarians at work.......... Thomas Forsythe 2012-12-15 00:00:00Z 0
2012 Holiday Parade Thomas Forsythe 2012-12-10 00:00:00Z 0
Space Shuttle Fly By LAX Thomas Forsythe 2012-09-21 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Middle School International Garden 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Sep 05, 2012

As El Segundo Middle School draws closer to becoming an official International Baccalaureate World School, we are mindful of ways to promote global mindedness in our students.  While we are fortunate to have such strong schools in El Segundo, we want to encourage students to embrace their community, but to also think beyond about our interdependence with others around the state, country and globe.  The recent installation of our Rotary Club's International Garden is the first physical manifestation of this principle on our campus.  We hope it will be an educational tool for our teachers to explore plant life and how flora from around the planet are often every day sights in our community.  We also hope it will provide a tranquil place for students to relax, explore, and just enjoy.   We are fortunate to have the support and generous grant from the Rotary Club - they have made a significant contribution to our school environment.

ImageImageImageImage

 

 

 

El Segundo Middle School International Garden 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-09-06 00:00:00Z 0
El Segundo Rotary Club Movie in the Park 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-08-10 00:00:00Z 0
Rotary Club of El Segundo 2011 - 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-07-06 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Community Service Awards 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on May 09, 2012

El Segundo Rotary Club is pleased to annouce the 2012 Community Service Awards winners. Please join El Segundo Rotary club is thanking these community leaders at our annual luncheon on June 7, 2012, at the Hacienda Hotel. Representatives from LA County Supervisor Don Knabe, CA Assemblymember Betsy Butler, State Senator Ted Lieu and United States Congressperson Janice Hahn will be there to award certificates to the winners. El Segundo Mayor Carl Jacobson, along with Mayro Pro Tem, Suzanne Fuentes and Councilmembers Bill Fisher, Marie Fellhauer, and Dave Atkinson will also be in attendance.


Image

El Segundo Community Service Awards 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-05-10 00:00:00Z 0

Rotary Bulletin 5-10-2012 “We Are At Our Best When We are Unprepared”.

Posted by Gary A. Wilson on May 09, 2012

Rotary Bulletin 5-10-2012   “We Are At Our Best When We are Unprepared”.

Introduction:  Attendance seemed to be a little down this week and you missed one of the best meetings, let me explain later.  It was great to see Penny and Lorena again.  They have been very busy “getting through the recession” and that takes some doing now-a-days.  By the way if Penny doesn’t shake your hand it not because she is not glad to see you, she has a little bit of a medical condition that makes it uncomfortable.  I like the hug better anyway.  With Lorena I get both.

First of All Dick brought his very attractive daughter to Rotary.  Her name was Patty “Lou”, not sure if I spelled Patti right and she didn’t particularly like the Lou Part.  She was fun and lively and we were glad to have her. 

Guests:  We had no further guests this week and the fella that came last week to “check us out” did not come back.  When he was introduced by Tom last week as a prospective new member Elyse jumped in his lap and gave him a big welcome.  He was a little surprised and it looked like he thought he went to a different “club” for lunch.  With his greeting it looked like he was in a “Gentlemans Club”.  I asked Tom if the greeting was a “lap dance”.  I heard about stuff like that but Tom said “no, that’s not a lap dance!.  I would know”.  I didn’t know, but Tom did. It is great having well rounded people in the club.  People of the world who are knowledgeable about such things.

Program:  We found out at the last minute that the Program could not make it and Melissa had to do some tap dancing and called upon Julia to talk to us about the Foundation.  Julia was in charge of raising money for the Foundation for about 10 years and boy was she good at that!  I complimented her on her fine job over the years and told about how I never wanted to “catch her eye” when she was at a meeting because I knew she was going to ask me for money.  When I would tell her I couldn’t afford it, she said “what can you afford” and I would make up some number and she would tell me how there were matching funds that double that amount and if I could come up with just a few dollars more I would be saving someone from some horrible disease that would “someday grow up to be a Doctor” -- and they in turn could save thousands of future lives because of my extra $100.  Did I really want to be responsible for the fate of so many.   I found the hundred. 

She was the best and is a hard act to follow.  Jack is going to be our Foundation Chair for this year so keep your eyes peeled(so to speak).  I know he had lunch with Julia recently to “learn the ropes”.  He stared at me recently after his visit and said, “man, did I learn a lot from her…she really knows this”.   I avoided his stare and faked that I had another appointment and started thinking about how am I going to get the next $100 and save the world.

Since the program couldn’t be there Melissa tried another weapon…Joe Harding.  Never at a loss for words, Joe told us that he recently started some classes on improvisation.  This is to help Joe overcome his innate shyness and it seems to be working.  He put us through some exercises that he learned in the class.  The first was for 5 of us to tell a story, one sentence at a time.  After each sentence the next person had to begin the next line of the story with the next letter of the alphabet.  There was myself, Phil, Jim, Frank, and Marhsa.  We went through all the letters of the alphabet beginning our sentences and the story “got told” so to speak.  You might call it a “novella”.  The story line quickly went to Las Vegas with lot’s of Sex in it.  We got to the 26th line just before the “novella” turned to Porn.  People were sorry to see it end.  This was how “Fifty Shades of Grey” was written.

The next “Sketch” was a cab ride.  Julie was the first one in the cab and was the driver.  She had to play the role as Angry.  She then picked up a passenger (Sheila) who had to be giddy.  Each time someone as picked up they had a different mood to portray and the whole rest of the cab had to portray the same mood.  For a while both Shiela and Julie “drove” as giddy, then picked up Marsha who was sad, very sad because her Cat was constipated.  Everyone in the cab then had to be sad, and they were.  They were also very very funny.  Then they picked up Clair and she joined the group as “Worried”…and they all worried about everything.   They worried and whined.  This was very funny and all Rotarians were excellent actors.  I can see us doing this again.

We ended with Julie being a hammer and Sandy being a nail.  They had a lively conversation about what each would be thinking when they approached each other with their “function “ in mind.

This was a very fun Program and lots of people participated and laughed very hard.  I changed my trousers later.

Rotary Quiz:  (For an Extra Raffle Ticket and Bragging Rights be the first person to Email me the answer to:  There was a TV show in the late 80’s and early 90’s with improvisational actors.  It was on for about 10 years and was very funny.  Who was the main star and what was the title of the show?

Rotary Bulletin 5-10-2012 “We Are At Our Best When We are Unprepared”. Gary A. Wilson 2012-05-10 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary Today; Thursday April 19, 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Apr 18, 2012

Our speaker today was Phil Reed; a former local radio personality part of the KBIG morning show "The Phil & Bill Show". Phil was a very entertaining speaker and we learned a lot about the Los Angeles local radio stations over the past 25 years. Phil stated that Shirley Hoffman was primarily responsible for him achieving the News Director job in the business. He stated that Shirley would sometimes be the one to "slip the dynamite under the door" So for those of you who thinks that Shirley is the shy type; just remember she may be quiet and unassuming; but great things come in small packages. Phil is also Past President of Radio & News Organization; responsible for giving out the annual Golden Mic's awards. Thank you Shirley for asking Phil to speak with us; we could have listened to him for another hour.

Image

Floyd Carr annonuced at the meeting today that he is no longer able to organize the birthday and anniversary cards each week. We will miss
humor and wisdom and we thank him for many many years of this service. Dean Seligman will take over for Floyd moving forward. Thanks Dean for stepping up and helping the club.

Len Bonilla supplied the raffle prizes this week; 5 good bottles of wine; I know many of you will want to know the next time Len brings the raffle prizes.

Joe Clark celebrates 31 years in El Segundo Rotary this month; and Len Bonilla celebrates his 2 year anniversary. Happy Anniversary Guys!!

President Melissa is still accepting MS Donations; if you haven't supported her yet you can email her at musicalmelisa@gmail.com Melissa has done an excellent job of leading our club this year; please make sure you support her.

We have the community service awards coming up in June, Melissa's demotion party, and Movie in the Park is right around the corner. Please make sure you mark your calendars and volunteer to make a difference.

See you next week..........

El Segundo Rotary Today; Thursday April 19, 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-04-19 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary Today; Thursday April 5, 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Apr 04, 2012

Francis Blot; Administrator of LAX Facilities and Planning was our guest speaker today; thanks to Shirley Hoffman for scheduling Francis. Her presentation was very informative about what is going on at LAX with all the changes to the airport and activities to bring LAX up to global standards. Francis showed pictures of the improvements that are complete and models of how the airport will look when finished. She also talked about procedures to make your traveling time easier and how to use the resources at LAX to make your trip stress free.

Thanks to Michael Bell for the raffle prizes today; it was nice to see him today.

Remember the Mayor's Good Friday Breakfast is tomorrow at the Hacienda; you have until 4:00 this afternoon to get your tickets; call Joe Harding at the Hacienda if you wish to attend.
Image

Melissa is racing money for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) her goal is to raise $2000 this year. If you were not at the meeting today and would like to help Melissa with this achievable goal please email her at musicalmelissa@gmail.com and make a donation. This is a worthy cause and everyone in our club should support Melissa; especially with all the hard work she has put into the club this year as our club President.

Finally; Randy Albers presented a video of our community cares day home make over project. This video will be up on our website www.esrotary.org in the next couple of days. When you get a chance take a minute to view; it will remind you why you joined Rotary.

Movie in the Park is right around the corner; it's our biggest fund raiser of the year. We are in desperate need of sponsors if you have a relationship with a business in town; big or small please try to get the them to become a sponsor for this event. If you are uncomfortable about approaching them contact Tom Forsythe and I will approach them about the benefits of this opportunity.



See you next week.....




Image

El Segundo Rotary Today; Thursday April 5, 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-04-05 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary Club Home Makeovers

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Apr 02, 2012

El Segundo Rotary Club
Community Cares Day




ImageImageImage

ImageImageImage
ImageImage

El Segundo Rotary Club helped two senior citizens with home projects this past weekend. Our efforts were a huge success!!! For June's house we repainted the entire house and garage; replaced all the screens for the windows, a new security door, and new flowers and plants around the house.
Special thanks to El Segundo Boy Scout Troop 773 and Scout Leader Carl Doby, we wouldn't have been able to complete the project without their help; and also special thanks to "Rotary Randy" Albers. Our second project was for Verdie; we gave Verdie two new vegetable gardens in the back yard and a new flower garden in the front yard. Both ladies were extremely grateful for our help. Our President Melissa Albers is responsible for this event and a huge thank you to Melissa is sent out from everyone at the club. See more pictures from the event under Photo Albums at our website
www.esrotary.org

El Segundo Rotary Club Home Makeovers Thomas Forsythe 2012-04-03 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary Today; Thursday March 22, 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Mar 21, 2012

Image


Matt Knox of Diggerlist.com was our guest speaker; thanks to Joe Harding for inviting Matt to speak to our club. Matt's presentation was very informative on how to succeed in the internet world of selling and marketing. Matt had 3 main ideas he wanted to leave us with. First, find your passion and pursue it. Second, Don't be afraid to go pink... you had to be at the meeting to know what this means, and finally Social Marketing is Simple. At one point Julia Abreu-Mason asked Matt if he was speaking English because she couldn't understand his web speak.

Renee DeVore and Jack Plotiken; Co_Principal's of El Segundo Middle School were on hand to give us an update of our Major Project at the School. We are making an International Garden at the school and they stopped by to thank us for our support.

We had a special guest visit us; Christina Pascucci returned to our club and brought a guest for lunch; Briteny. Christina has recently relocated to Los Angeles and is a reporter for KTLA News.

This Saturday is our Rotary Cares day; we are going to 2 Senior Citizen's homes to help with minor repairs and gardening. We are painting the exterior of one of the homes; so if you can make it please plan on helping out.

Go to our website www.esrotary.org and check out the pictures of Mad March. Dick Van Vranken won a flat screen television from the raffle. We had over 100 people at the mixer. A great time was had by all. Thanks for everyone that attended.
ImageImageImage
ImageImageImage


See you next Week.......

El Segundo Rotary Today; Thursday March 22, 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-03-22 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Today; Thursday March 15, 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Mar 14, 2012

Image

Representatives from the El Segundo High School Choir were on hand to receive our donation of $400 for their trip to London this summer for the Summer Olympic games. The choir helped distribute Mad March Flyers and tickets to El Segundo Residents; with much success Ted has received over 50 responses with checks and ticket stubs. Thanks to Shirley Hoffman, Jack Weber and Ed Lynch for all of their hard work.
ImageImage
Image

Alan Rich was our speaker; and he talked about overcoming life's little things by Stop, Feel, Heal!!! His presentation used volunteers as seen above and his use of magic. Gary Wilson shared his story about being hypnotize to cure him of his migraines; Alan didn't seem to impressed. He mentioned that if he Gary would Stop, Feel and Heal! he probably would have the same result. Nice Speaker, thanks to Elyse for booking him; great food, and a fun lunch hour. At one point; Alan stated that our club doesn't need a speaker we can "entertain" ourselves. That received an overwhelming applause and agreement throughout the club.

Mad March is this Thursday night, March 22nd at the Flight Path Museum on Imperial. Please come out and support your club; volunteers are needed to work the event if you are able please see Melissa Albers to sign up.

Rotary Cares Day is March 31st after the PTA 5k run. If you are able to volunteer please let me or Melissa know. We need as many peope as possible to help. We have two senior citizens houses that we are going to do minor repairs and gardening. See you Thursday!!!!



El Segundo Today; Thursday March 15, 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-03-15 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary Today; Thursday March 8, 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Mar 07, 2012

ImageImage
ImageImage


Jeami Duncan was our guest speaker this week. She talked about Mercy's Village, the school in Uganda they Jeami founded and the publicity about the Kony2012 viral video that is sweeping the internet. Mercy's village is well over 100 students now and Jeami is looking to increase the size of the school to accommodate the additional children. Jeami also has started a student sponsorship program; for 35 a month you can help provide school uniforms, daily meal during the school week and clean drinking water. Quality education at Mercy's Village Primary School and all related school materials; plus many other benefits. You will receive information about your child along with the potential of meeting him/her when our club takes a trip to Uganda later this year. If you are interested in sponsoring a child please contact Jeami at 310-341-3088 Congratulations to Jeami for all of our work with Mercy's Village Primary School. Jeami and Mercy's village will be featured in an upcoming issue of the Rotarian Magazine later this year.

Mad March is approaching quickly, to that end we are meeting Saturday morning at St. Michaels to distribute packets to El Segundo Residents; if you can't attend the weekly meetings this is a good chance to give back to the club and help with this important distribution. Thanks to Shirley Hoffman, Jack Weber, and Ed Lynch for all of their hard work on this project.

Rotary Cares Day is March 31, we still need volunteers with this community service project. We will be helping 3 local senior residents with minor home repair and gardening. Once again, this is a good opportunity to help the club raise local awareness of what we do. Please volunteer your time if at all possible.

On Saturday March 24th Cooper Stolnack of the ESLL Mets will be playing baseball at Brett Field, located in the heart of Rec Park. El Segundo Rotary Club sponsors Coopers team; it would be great if we could get some Rotarians to come out and cheer on Cooper and the Mets. We are accepting donations for goody bags for Cooper and his team; please bring your donations to next weeks meeting.

Linda Cohen visited again today from El Segundo Band; she says she is still interested in join our club so if you see her around town give her a little encouragement.

Thanks to Geoff Yantz for the raffle prizes today.

See you next week!!!!!!!!


Image

El Segundo Rotary Today; Thursday March 8, 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-03-08 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary Today Thursday March 1, 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Feb 29, 2012

Image

Joe Harding was our guest speaker today; he talked about the history of the Hacienda and what's in store for the future. Joe shared many pictures and mementos from the past; old photographs, keys, and advertisements. His presentation was very funny and informative; especially the part about what is in the future for the Hacienda.

Floyd Carr Jr. is celebrating his Rotary Anniversay this month. Floyd joined Rotary in March of 1955; 57 years ago. Happy Annivesary Floyd

Happy Birthday to Shirley Hoffman and Dr. Michelle Rogers!!!!
Fine Master for the month of March will be Dick Van  Vranken......

Mad March Giveaway is approaching fast; to that end we need as many volunteers as possible to help distribute tickets and envelopes to the residents of El Segundo. We are meeting at St. Michaels Church on Saturday March 10 at 9:00 to distribute the information for the give away. Please try to participate in this; the more Rotarians we have show up; the faster we will be done. Thanks to Jack Weber for organizing this.

Len Bonilla won the card drawing today, $330.00; drinks are on him tonight if you see him.

See you all next week.....

El Segundo Rotary Today Thursday March 1, 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-03-01 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary Today; February 9. 2011

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Feb 08, 2012


Happy Valentine's Day!!!
Image
President Melissa made cupcakes for everyone at the meeting; so if you're not coming to the meetings; you're missing out on some good home cooking.
Dean Reuter was our speaker; he is the district membership chair and his presentation was great. It took him 30 mintues to tell everyone the best way to get people to join Rotary is to ask them. Dean is well on his way to becoming District Governor. Thanks to Dave Reimann for setting this up.

Debra Lynn Terrill was at our meeting; she has missed several weeks because of work. She and her husband Clark attended the Shen Yun Performing Arts Show. They were the people that came out a couple of times and spoke about the Chinese dance and culture. We'll have to hear from Debra to see what she thought of the show.
Image

Our members donated 28 uniforms to the students at Mercy's village; thanks for the generosity. Mercy's village is the school in Uganda that El Segundo Rotarian Jeami Duncun started. Jim McLess talked a little about MDA; Muscular Dystorphy Association and how the disease affects different people. The Director of the MDA Business Development was on hand to talk about the upcoming fund raiser the El Segundo Lock Up. I think Kevin Smith will be locked up again and you have to pay to get him out. Good Luck with that.

See you next week........

El Segundo Rotary Today; February 9. 2011 Thomas Forsythe 2012-02-09 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary Thursday February 2, 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Feb 02, 2012

ImageDr Ray Gen from El Segundo High School was our guest speaker today. Dr. Gen talked about El Camino College; where he serves on the Board of Trustees. Dr. Gen shared demographic information on the students and transition rates at El Camino. He also spoke about the upcoming realignment of trustee boundaries. This will have an impact on Dr Gen and El Segundo because we will no longer have our own Trustee representing just El Segundo. In the future El Segundo will be lumped with Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and Redondo. Dr. Gen's presentation was very informative; we would like to thank Nancy Cobb for inviting Dr. Gen to speak.

Joe Harding shared that Hunter Gabel; son of Laura Gabel was very active in the organization and administration of the Pier to Pier Walk a couple of weeks ago. This walk generated $27,000 to The Ed Foundation. Congratulations Hunter and Laura, Good Job.

Jeami Duncan has returned from Uganda and she briefly shared some stories about her interaction with some Uganda Rotarians. She is scheduled to be a speaker in March where she will update us on Mercy's Village and her latest trip to Africa.

We had a special visitor at the meeting; Lt Carlos Mendoza of the El Segundo Police Department. Everyone welcomed Carlos and Gary Wilson commented about how nice he looked in his uniform. 

 Image

As most of you know Julie Warner is retiring from State Farm and moving to northern San Diego county. She is having a retirement party this Saturday night at the Standard Restaurant and Bar. If you have time stop by and enjoy some fellowship with Julie.  

Our attendance continued to be impressive; if you're not one of those do like Joe Harding says and "come hungry...leave inspired" the lunches are working out great with the buffet in the meeting room and the food is delicious. It was nice to see Julia Abreau-Mason and Mr. Bill Mason

This was last weeks reaction to Joke Master; Jack Weber....Hailey and Szophie were not impressed.

Image 

 See you next week!!!!! 

 

El Segundo Rotary Thursday February 2, 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-02-03 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary Today January 26, 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Jan 25, 2012

Image

 El Segundo Rotary President Melissa Albers presenting Rotary's check to Center Street School and Richmond Street School for $1,500 each; at the El Segundo Unified School Board Meeting last week. Thanks Laura Gabel for the photograph.

If you missed this week's meeting you're in the miniority; we had 28 Rotarians this week to listen to Hailey Hansen (Mini Marsha) talk about the wild fires in Texas that affected her cousin and aunt; Marissa and Marla Stacy. Hailey presented a powerpoint that was a very graphic depection of the fires and the devastation to the homes in Texas. I can't leave out Logan Hansen; he was very entertaining even though it did not have a formal presentation he managed make himself know.  Once again the Hacienda Hotel stepped up and helped Hailey with her project of sending care packages to the students in Texas that were affected by the fires; thanks for everything you do Joe Harding.  Thanks to Dickie Van Breene for providing the raffle prizes for today's meeting. It was nice to see Lily Craig, Ed Su, Wayne (Wammo) Mularz, Mike Briney and Julie Stolnack  today. You know it was a good meeting because Jeff Donahue stayed until the end.

Speaking of Joe Harding; we had a new Paul Harris Fellow inducted today........Szofia Harding became the newest member of the Paul Harris Society, way to go Szofia.  Szofia has an audition later today for a television commercial; everyone think good thoughts for her.  Chris Powell was also presented his Ruby pin for the PHF +6; way to go Chris.

Image 

 Sydney Su our resident Girl Scout Rotarian; daughter of Ed Su is now accepting orders for Girl Scout cookies if you missed today and want to order some; email Ed at ed@studioprinting.com and he will take your order.

Image 

 See you next week!!!!!!

El Segundo Rotary Today January 26, 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-01-26 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary President Melissa Albers Presenting Check to Schools

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Jan 25, 2012

Image

 

El Segundo Rotary President Melissa Albers presenting Rotary's check to Center Street School and Richmond Street School for $1,500 each; at the El Segundo Unified School Board Meeting last week. Thanks Laura Gabel for the photograph. 

El Segundo Rotary President Melissa Albers Presenting Check to Schools Thomas Forsythe 2012-01-26 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary Today January 19, 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Jan 18, 2012

Linal Miller was our speaker today and she talked about the different career pathways that are available to our students at the El Segundo High School. Even though our students satisfy the A - G requirement to enter college; there may be other alternatives to enter college or pursue careers. She has increased the number of local companies that provide internships for our students and the field trips the kids go on are very instructional. We're lucky to have Linal in our school system teaching our kids. Thanks again to Nancy Cobb for introducing our club to Linal.

Image

We continue to have large attendance at our meetings; it must be Melissa's strong leadership skills. I set next to Marsha Hansen and she said that it's nice having a President capable of running a meeting efficiently; especially after last years' President. We had 24 Rotarians today. In addition Jenny Jacobs was the guest of her Mom Sandy Jacobs; Jenny talked about the 3rd Annual Comedy Night. It will be held at the El Segundo High School Performing Arts Center on February 4, 2012 at 6:00 proceeds benefit the high school band. Jenny Davies joined us for lunch and accepted El Segundo Rotary's donation to the Run for Eduction 5k coming up in March. We had a visiting Rotarian from Palos Verdes Sunset Club; Wally.  

Rotarian Chris Powell is running for El Segundo City Treasurer; if you see him ask who is running against. Looks like it's going to be a very close race. 

Next Tuesday night at the El Segundo Unified School Board meeting at the school district office; El Segundo Rotary Club will present two $1,500 checks to Richmond Street Elementary and Center Street Elementary schools to help  establish their art labs. 

Finally; Elyse Beardsley, wants to know what the name of El Segundo Middle School. If you see Elyse this week please help her out. 

Image

 

 

El Segundo Rotary Today January 19, 2012 Thomas Forsythe 2012-01-19 00:00:00Z 0

El Segundo Rotary Today 01-12-12

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Jan 11, 2012

El Segundo Rotary News

We had another full house at today's Rotary Meeting 32 Rotarians; of course it could have been our speaker Sarah Briney Davlantis. Sarah brought in quite a few guest with her; Barbara Briney her mom joined us as well as Barbara's husband Mike. Sarah's presentation was awesome; she is a great speaker and I think everyone left the meeting with a better understaning of what our high school students face in meeting today's challenges. Clair Sinnett brought her mom; Georgia; and today is Georgia's 90th birthday. Happy Birthday Georgia. Eagle Scout ChazMichael Morales attended as a guest of Julie Warner and gave a presentation on his eagle scout project; a cycling project to improve some landscaping. There is a car wash this Saturday to help fund his project on the corner of Main & Mariposa; stop by if you can. 

Things you didn't know; apparently not only is Debbie Terrill an avid Fantasy Football Fanatic; but she also rides a skate board. Elyse fined her for wiping out on the Venice Boardwalk; it's still not clear on how Elyse found this information out. Speaking of Elyse; she is not a big fan of George Washington; I guess she personally knew him and he did something to upset her, because she expressed her dislike of him at today's meeting. 

Dave Reimann has an standing $500 fine unless he can get his son Chris to become President of the interact club next year. Good Luck Dave.  

Finally, March 22nd is our Mad March Mixer and it will be held on the Flight Path Museum; thanks to Shirley Hoffmann.  

Image Gary Wilson was not at today's meeting; if you see Gary tell him we missed him.

 

  

El Segundo Rotary Today 01-12-12 Thomas Forsythe 2012-01-12 00:00:00Z 0

Park Vista Holiday Luncheon

Posted by Thomas Forsythe on Nov 30, 2011

Park Vista Holiday Luncheon

The 2011 Holiday lunch for the Park Vista Seniors was a huge success. Our President Melissa & Randy Albers did a wonderful job cooking lunch for the seniors. Randy sang some Christmas carols and fun was had by all. The interactors were on hand to help serve the residents and clean up afterwards. The seniors really appreciated the gifts that were brought by the members of our club. Special thanks to Sheila Fowler for organizing this event. 

Image  Image

Image Image

Park Vista Holiday Luncheon Thomas Forsythe 2011-12-01 00:00:00Z 0
District Picnic Cardboard Boat Race Thomas Forsythe 2011-10-03 00:00:00Z 0
Floyd Carr Talks about 50 Years in Rotary Thomas Forsythe 2011-06-09 00:00:00Z 0

Rotary Meeting of Sept 5, 2013 “take me out to the ball game” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Pre Meeting and the Business Meeting

Quite a “buzz” before the meeting, lots of people attended.  Most were excited by the program which was a Dodger from the 80’s…Jay Johnstone.  I usually get to the meeting early and usually one of the first to arrive, but Jay Johnstone was already there.  He was so easy to talk to, but … a little crazy.  The first think he did was order some coffee.  He didn't just order a cup, he ordered a pitcher.  About half way through the meeting I saw him order a second pitcher.  Now I know why he is so wired.  It was great fun having a one on one chat with him before the meeting.  We talked baseball.  I know there are lots of Dodger fans in the club and I can tell you each one of them that is a fan, loves to talk baseball.  Jay Johnstone loves to talk baseball too, and he talks from personal experience.  He greeted people as they came in the room.  He poured them coffee.  He was enjoying the meeting with us.  He was having fun, and so were we.

It was so crowded that Joe had to announce that those that weren't eating had to take chairs along the sides and in the back of the room, so that those that were eating could have a place setting.  Floyd was there along with Bill and it was great to see the two of them having a chat.  The both look great and had a nice grin on their faces.   It’s like they know something that we don’t.  I wonder what it is.  I know Floyd loves baseball and we always have a chat about the Dodgers when we sit together;  Dave is also a Dodger nut along with Elyse.  I was born in Brooklyn and have been a lifelong Dodger fan and we all were looking forward to hearing Jay Johnstone talk.  He was an excellent ball player and always a character.   We expected lots of stories, and we got lots of stories.

Next year’s District Governor paid us a visit(Elsa Gilliam).  She is a member of the Wilshire Club She was there with her assistant, Melanie St. John.  (Any doubt women have taken over).  Kayla (runner up scholarship winner)  came to accept a check for college.  Chris introduced a school board runner, I didn't catch her name.    Dave Atkinson was there from the City Council;  Dickie Van Breen introduced her husband Mark Burton,  City Council -- Manhattan Beach and a Rotarian in MB.   Dean introduced the owner of Banner Stationary; Elyse introduced her husband Jim, and her grandchildren.   Grand Ma still looks good.  Melissa told a clean joke (which is always risky)  about an old man groaning in the theater.  The old man Fred had fallen from the Balcony…and he was groaning, and the crowd gave a groan. 

Ted had a birthday.   No telling how old that guy is.

Len read a bunch of boring announcements, letters thanking us for things, Pancake breakfasts, fund raisers by other clubs, yada yada yada, chilli cook offs, wine tasting, yada, yada, yada. 

Lili spoke to us about “Fuel your schools” (http://www.fuelyourschool.com/select-new-region.aspx).  “Doner’s Choose” :  It’s money set aside…For Teachers.  That’s gotta be a good thing.  It’s not a government run program, its run by Corporate AmericaChevron.    If you put 8 gallons of Chevron gas in your car, Chevron donates a dollar to schools in the area.  Teachers in the South Bay can then apply for these mini grants from Chevron. So if you need gas (not if you have gas) go to a Chevron station and filler up.  www.fuelyourshools.org.

Lili further had a birthday card waiting for her and she reluctantly read “Another Year Older and You are Still Jail bait”.

The Program (Tom introduced Jay Johnstone)

We talked about Jay Johnstone before and Tom introduced him.  WOW.  4 World Series rings, National Chairman of Hope for Heroes, a Paul Harris Fellow and a member of rotary for 26 years.  La Habra Club.

This was the best program we have had this year.  (Although Tom hasn't done a craft talk yet this year).  I can’t do it justice by writing about it.  If you are a baseball fan you loved it.  Even if you are not, you gotta love Jay Johnstone.  He is a character through and through.  He is a prankster, and when he was with the Dodger we had at least two other pranksters, Jerry Reusse and Mickey Hatcher.  But Jay was the ring leader.  The did lots of stuff.  Jay wrote a book and I think he sold them out after the meeting.  I bought one.

Jay wanted to be a football player.  He signed 11 letters of intent for colleges to play football.  The NCAA says you can’t do that, so he signed one for baseball and the rest is history.  He played baseball.   He played on 8 different teams and 4 world series rings.  There very few ball players that can say that.

There was a lengthy Question and Answer period, but Jay Johnstone has been crazy his whole life and still is.  There is some footage of him and his pranks on YouTube.  Here are a few.

http://youtu.be/qZp0ge8TeYI

http://youtu.be/W-sDlyJpA6s

Note:  Sorry my self imposed deadline is 6 PM Wednesdays so I have to push the send button.  You may be able to tell that this is not polished, but perfect is the enemy of good so off it goes.

Rotary Meeting of Sept 5, 2013 “take me out to the ball game” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of August 22, 2013 “Neighbors Helping Neighbors”, written by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Dave Rieman told the Joke of the Day about an Irish Lawyer…A WINNER and nicely told.

No one wanted to do any fining.

Laura had a Birthday, don’t know which one.

No Anniversaries

An Eagle thanked us.

And a number of other announcements that we will be receiving emails during the week.

Shiela got a nice "Thank You" from Laura for stuffing teacher bags, and during that process gave a very nice presentation about Rotary.  What's in a Teacher Bag?

Image

Some Meetings are More Interesting Than Others

The Program – “Westchester Playa Village”  – Carol Kitabayashi

 

What a great idea this one is.  Here is how it works.  Seniors typically want to live at home throughout their lives, but as they get older they need “help”.   Help can be a lot of things.  It could be changing a light bulb, driving someone to an event, help clean the yard etc. etc.  Elders who have run out of family just need some help from time to time and this is a great program with lots of potential.   If they have outlived their children and younger friends -- this program is ideal.

So, the light bulb thing got us going. 

We had to come up with some sort of banter when it came to changing light bulbs.  It started by myself saying :  “If Tom, Jack and Gary were summoned  by a Senior to help someone change a light bulb, what would be the outcome”.  Tom was sure of one thing, with that group;  “the light bulb would not be changed”.   Chances are the light fixture would never work again.  And then the idea took off on a life of its own.  We may be older, but we have children's minds.

The charges to the senior for this service were just $500 for the year, and there appeared to be no limit to what they could ask for.  I smiled and I saw that Kevin smiled from across the room.  We were both thinking the same thing.  We would gladly be a member for the $500 if we could get Tom to Volunteer to help the Seniors (and he will; he has such a good heart and will always help others).  We could request him to come over every time we needed our car’s washed, floors cleaned, yard work, etc. and we could leave the light bulb changing to a more knowledgeable Volunteer.   Jack and Len could do it.  It would take some charts and graphs and project software, but it would get done, and done well, an about a month.

Back to Kevin.  Kevin could even have Tom come and wash the Fire Engines and save the City come money and make the Engines look good when he went for coffee in the morning with the siren’s going as he pulled into Starbucks and saw all the El Segundo Police having a break.

Back to the Real Seniors. 

Sometimes the Seniors just needed  to talk,  and Jack would be great for that as well.  Days would go by.  Summer would turn to fall and the leaves would change.

Or, ENTERTAINED!  How about the “Elyse and Joe show”.  They could bring their podiums.   Joe could fine the Seniors.

Or, if they wanted a spreadsheet done…."Hello Len".  He could make it in different colors.  Seniors don't like Spread Sheets, but they may want their sheets changed.  Can you do that Len?

Or, Ted could balance their check books (+ or - $5,000).  Sell them Vitamins too.

Or, Sheila could show them how to turn off their smart phones so it wouldn't disturb the other Seniors at meetings.  She’s good at that.  Most Seniors sleep at meetings anyway.  They do in our club.

Oh, the possibilities are endless.  I hope they have this program when I am “ready”.  I can think of lots of fun things to request.  Oh my!  It might be gender specific.  There is confusion over gender now-a-days, but not for me.

Rotary Meeting of August 22, 2013 “Neighbors Helping Neighbors”, written by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor. Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of August 15, 2013 “The Irish are Coming, or is it the Indians”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Quiet Meeting and light attendance.  They must have heard that I was going to speak.  Len almost lost his Bell.  No breaking news of the gavel.  Slow news day. Not a lot of announcements, but some.   You will see them in future emails from President LenDave struggled with the joke in our effort to keep them clean.  My turn is coming up in the future and I promise not to do that.  I will be admonished, but will carry on.

Membership Report on Process of Bringing in new members was presented by Melissa Albers and her abundant assistant, Gary Wilson.  The content of that presentation follows.

Membership Presentation

Aug. 15, 2013

 

I.  Membership in Rotary is by Invitation Only.  You can’t just walk in and say I want to be a member.  You must have a sponsor.  If someone does walk in, they should be assigned a sponsor at the meeting by the Membership Chairman (Melissa) or the President in her absence.

II. Recruiting:  We are all responsible for our future members.  The best way to “recruit” is by “acquaintanceship”    A Neighbor, A Colleague, a fellow committee member etcSomeone you really are getting to know; someone with whom you would like to Share the “Gift or Rotary”.  Most members who have been in Rotary a couple of years or more, will say it is a life changing experience, all for the better.  It’s a precious gift and a privilege to be a member.  You are picking your friends for the rest of your life.  Treat this treasure wisely.  However, we are not exclusionary. 

III. Wear Your Pin -- not just to meetings, but every day and every where.   It will strike up conversation about What Is Rotary.  Then you can share, and they should be encourage to share back.

IV. When you are thinking of sponsoring someone think in terms for 3 Meetings.

            Meeting 1:  Tell them about the members (what their jobs are and any other information about them), the handshaking, the timeframes for meetings, how often we meet, etc. etc.  We pay for lunch, and tell them if they come again we will pay for their first 3 lunches, then whether they are a new member or not, they will have to pay for their own and any guests they may bring during this period. 

Have a brief visit after the meeting.  Talk about the difference between Service Clubs, Fraternal/Social Clubs, and Business Clubs.  Talk about “doing business” and business cards etc.  Rotary is a SERVICE Club (i.e. Service Above Self). 

Get their phone number and Email Address and learn more about what they do for a living and their community involvement thus far

Tell them that you will contact them during the following week and see if there is any interest.  If so, call them on Wednesday and see if they are coming and would they like you to pick them up. 

If they are coming make sure you are here first.   Tell them where to park.  Stamp their parking pass.

Note:  They can join us at various service projects even if they are not a member.

            Meeting 2:  Greet them at the Door. Be there first.   Tell them about all the programs we have to help, both locally, regionally, and Nationally and Internationally.  Tell them that the purpose of Rotary is Simple…to help others.  Will they get business from Rotary?  Perhaps, but it will take a while;  and if that is the main purpose for them to consider Rotary they will be disappointed and should be discouraged from joining.  We do business by Acquaintanceship and by Accident. 

Visit with them again after the meeting and see if they have any questions.  Before the next meeting call them and determine their level of interest and invite them again to a meeting.  Get their first and have them meet other members.

Meeting 3:  They should be pretty serious by now and arrange a meeting with Melissa and other club members to discuss the requirements of members, the 4 way test, the history, etc. etc.  The financial obligations should be explained in detail along with attendance requirements, the ability to do make ups and help at events and getting on committees.  If they say they want to join tell them what our membership procedures are and that their name will be brought up at the next board meeting and to the members at large.  Assuming there is no problems then you will have them fill out the membership form and proceed from there. 

Another separate meeting should be arranged with Melissa and Len and the sponsor and anyone else who seems appropriate.  There is more to this, but that’s the highlights.

The Program

Frank Glenn is an unassuming Irishman who is an Architect.  He is a humble man with a slight swagger which comes with success.  Frank has been a member of Rotary for 17 years.  Few know him very well because he doesn’t talk much about himself, but if you spend the time with him -- you will find him very forthright with the answers.  Not only is he a very successful Architect he is also a Past President of the California Yacht Club.  He is a Sailor.  He was the Commodore in 2009.  Not the Supreme Commodore, THE COMMODORE.  That’s a big deal. 

He owns Saga Architecture.  He is a Vegetarian, and his wife Susan is Vegan.  I don’t know if that is a big deal but it is better than being a Klingon and possibly as good as a Vulcan.  They are slim and fit.  They have two children.  They met at a U2 concert or their first date was a U2 Concert. 

Frank was here to do a Craft Talk, filling in for Joe who was going to be the program, but couldn’t.  Something must be seriously wrong for Joe to give up Center Stage, a podium, a fining opportunity, and who knows what else.  I hope you are OK Joe. 

Frank has been the Architect on a huge Indian Project for a long time and it all started with a Kitchen remodel here in El Segundo.  It is a huge business park for a computer company and he is back and forth to India a number of times during the year.  He is responsible for many big, big, things…but he couldn’t get the slide projector to work.  Jack who has lots of degrees from the East Coast (specifically Brown University) and Tom (Graduate of some College in Memphis) rushed to his aid.  They worked on it for ½ hour and gave up.  Where is a 12 year old when we need one?  They only come when we tell a dirty joke now and then. 

So, Mr. Glynn, The Commodore, went it alone without visual aids and talked about this huge project without slides and pictures.  He was calm and reserved.  He really is unflappable.  This sounds like a hundred million dollar project -- in Franks capable hands.  (The Audio Visual portion of this project if there is one -- should be farmed out).  I hope they thought of restrooms in the plans.  (Frank now is pulling out the plans with a nervous grin and checking on that, sometimes you miss things).  Things happen, projectors don’t always work, rest rooms don’t get built. 

I sure like Frank.  I wish he had more time to spend with us.  I love it when he comes to meetings.  If you get a chance, sit next to him next time he comes to the meeting.  You’ll be glad you did.

(I have to send this off now, so forgive the mistakes or I will get you. ..GW)

 

Rotary Meeting of August 15, 2013 “The Irish are Coming, or is it the Indians”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor. Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 8-8-2013 “The Big Guys Come A Callin”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Before the Meeting

The District Governor’s Visit

Once a year the District Governor comes a visiting to “check up” on the club to make sure we are being run properly.  He meets with the Board a couple of hours before the regular meeting.  The President and each Officer gets an opportunity to suck up the the District Governor and he can then bless each of us and the club in General.  The District Governor Elect for this year had passed away and a prior District Governor stepped in and is is implementing the plan with the help of a few other past District Governors.  We got the chance to have Bill Bloomfield from the District to “audit” our group and he seemed very pleased.  We all were very pleased with him as well.  Good guy and has run for US Congress you will see by clicking above.  We all covered for Len as best we could.

The Meeting

Len did an outstanding job running a complex day and a few complex meetings in a very professional and timely way.  Meetings started and ended on time, everyone got a chance to have their say, awards were given and a great new member was inducted.  He fit it all in.  Great Job.  I don’t compliment Presidents much, but you deserve and atta-boy today and you make me proud to be a Rotarian.  Enough of that.

Tom Forsyth told the joke of the day at the Bulletin Editors expense.  It was a good joke, nice job.  It is getting tougher and tougher to tell jokes in that we want to keep them clean, not anger any particular ethnic group, and be mindful of the fact that we may have youngsters visiting.  In talking to Len and others it appears the joke “territory” is slim, but the “Irish” jokes seem to still be in vogue and in good taste.  Great!  So, I have a joke about these 2 Irish Lesbians that go into a bar and…. (Sorry, couldn’t resist).

Len earned his money during this meeting.  He worked with Engineering precision and dispatch.  Lots of things to juggle, cards to read, people to call upon, and keep it lively and fun.  He did with a little help from his friends.

Len went to the City Council and thanked them for their support of the Movie in the Park

Len went through a whole litany of dates to remember, which we will see in future emails from our President.  (What did we do before E-Mail)

Close to 1000 people attended the Movie in the Park.  Good turnout in today’s times.  We sold(drank) more beer and wine than ever before.  Good bar tending.  Most of our “vendors” were happy with the  sales as well.  We had about 35 members show up and volunteer…Great Job Rotarian's.

Brad Robinson (past District Governor) inducted our newest member, Tyrone Dawkins, (who is a Hypnotist) and we are very pleased to have him.  His motivation is to “give back to the town he lives in”.  Brad’s method if induction is to talk about the 4 Way Test, and Service Above Self. 

Melissa had come prepared and had Tyrone's pin all set to go, along with framed certificates and miscellaneous goods to share.  Tyrone was asked to speak briefly and did a great job…not too short and not too long.  He pretty much said he lives the motto service above self and that you “get when you give”.  In essence, he has been a Rotarian for a long time, but we made it official today.  He was originally brought to the club by Sammy, but since Sammy is no longer “officially” a member,  I volunteered to be his sponsor.   I am very proud to take that role and call him a fellow Rotarian -- and a friend.

Paul Harris Fellow’s were awarded to Clair Sinnett, Jack Weber, and Robin Fosselman.  We are all grateful for your contribution and you friendship.  Claire was/is Robin’s sponsor and she “Pinned” her with one hand.  That may require some explanation.

Sandy was given a few checks for students in Guymas to help them complete their education.  Sandy spends many hours helping these students either directly to visits to their city, and always getting donations of money and fire engines (yes that’s what I said, and thanks to you Kevin who also makes a a huge commitment of time and money to Guymas).

Len gave Jeami Duncan a check for $6000 for Mercy’s Village (A Project in Uganda that Jeami started) to be used to build a playground in the name of Phil White, our fallen Rotarian and  friend.  He’d be proud and definitely would tear up about now.    I feel his hand upon my shoulder as I write this. 

Dean, Julie, and Joe will be going with Jeami in the fall to go to Uganda and help her with the project.  Jeami is a budding “Humanitarian Rock Star” and we all look forward to her progress on Mercy’s Village and future Rotary projects.  She is humble too.  I'd say she is good looking too, but that would be inappropriate.  I wish someone would say that about me.  

The Program

The program today was given by past District Governor, Brad Robinson.  He is a very interesting fella, click here to find out why.

Brad Robinson and the International Trip

“Changing lives starts with Engagement”.  Think about it.  There are three types of engagement in Rotary.   Local Projects, International Projects (Club to Club) and District Trips.  This is a great way to see parts of the world, help others, and have a good time. That's a nice trifecta.   

Next years the trip is to Columbia. There will be 10 to 14 projects along with having dinners and lunches and fellowship activities with over one hundred local Rotarains who will become our international friends...forever.   It is in March and looks like a very worthwhile time and a way to meet other Rotarians in a casual way.  While there are plenty of opportunities to help local needs, there is also time to relax and enjoy.  Brad showed lots of pictures of last year’s trip where there was clef palette surgery, giving away wheel chairs, dictionaries, bio sand water filters, and more and more and more.  Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Panama, the Galapagos, and more were last year’s itinerary and Brad had pictures of each country doing good works and having good times. 

 

Rotary This Week

It looks like our own Frank Glynn is going to be our program this Thursday and I look forward to that.  Frank is that tall red head that comes in a little late to meetings and occasionally talks a bit, and you immediately know he is Irish.  His eyes always smile at you as if he knows something you don’t (and he does), or he has a leprechaun in his head, or at the very lease has a limerick going on that he can’t get rid of.  Those Irish Eyes really are smiling.  He is really a great guy and lots of fun -- come here him speak.

Rotary Meeting of 8-8-2013 “The Big Guys Come A Callin”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of August 1, 2013 "A Tree Grows in El Segundo" by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Rotary Bulletin

The Meeting

Rotary has so many serious things to deal with like Global Warming, Starvation, Wars between nations etc.  However, we must deal with more serious things like who stole the Gavel .  Len talked a bit about that in a cavalier sort of way, and decided to recite the 4 way test to us in hopes of getting a confession from someone and the return of the Gavel.   No such thing and we moved on.  Len had brought a new makeshift gavel to run the meeting so he gently rang the bell to start the meeting.

Marsha had a birthday.  She won’t mind my telling her birthday number,  It is 25 … again.

Len received a message from his Gavel and read it -- and it turns out his Gavel is starting to travel around and meeting other Gavels and having capricious affairs of a nefarious nature.

Seamus was there (who is Julia’s grandchild) who has had some tough times at an early age.  Very tough.  He spoke for a few minutes and is "on the mend".  His choice of Ice Cream had Olive Oil in it.  (It figures he is Julia’s grandchild).  In the sweetest voice I think I have ever heard he said said to all of us:   “Thank you all for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers when I was sick.”  Sweet, sweet words, spoken well from a child who has had some very serious problems.  We love you Seamus.

Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce

Joe took the podium for a bit (what a surprise) and called upon Sandy and asked what she was doing the night before at Chevron Park.  Sandy had been elected and installed as the President of the Chamber of Commerce.  This would be her 3rd term I believe.  Citizen of the Year last year, and now President of the Chamber…again.  

Rotarian's turned out enmasse to cheer her on and support her.  As the evening went on it was obvious this town would have a hard time if it wasn't for all that our fellow Rotarians do; especially for the Chamber.  I looked around the room and saw Bill Mason who reigned supreme in this position on and off for about 25 years.  Lili Craig did it for a few just recently;  Marsha has been President and is now the ?  (I am not sure what her title is now, but she runs the Chamber on a Daily Basis)  I think her title should be “Chamber Runner”.  I know Elyse has been President and is still on the Board.  (They must have some podiums available from time to time).  Joe must have been the President at one time.  If not he should and probably will. (Now that he knows there are Podiums available)  How about Chris Powell?  I know he was President.  He has been President of most things in the city at one time or another, and does them quietly…for the most part. 

Tom got an award for the Club, but he is not sure for what .. but accepted it anyway.

Shirley received an award as well.  She gets lots of those and I loved her speech, especially the part that says after she retires (soon) she plans on keeping her membership in Rotary.  Sweet words from a sweet person.  You go girl.  Travel and then come home to us.

Guess what.  I need to brag.   I was President of the Mountain Communities Chamber of Commerce for 3 years.  We started with 7 members and went to 125.   I couldn't have done that without having had the experience of been a Rotary President.  When my final term ended they gave me a Gavel.  I still have it.  I would lend it to Len, but I like it too much.

Guess what again.  I am sure I missed a few Presidents for now and I apologize, but they don’t do it for the recognition.  There may be some Rotarian out there that was also a President of the Chamber and I forgot to mention him or her.  But I won’t hear from them.  They would just as soon lay low…until the next time when the Rotarian rutting season for community service returns.  (And it will).  It returned to Sandy and we love her for it.  (Thanks for taking on the new job Sandy). 

So we are no strangers to leadership…and we stay on afterwards -- to follow.  That’s the neat thing about Rotary is that sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow, and you are not particularly concerned about any type of hierarchy, or credit, as long as it is -- community service. 

The Program (Adam Gerard – Tree Musketeers)

Speaking of leadership, the current President of the Tree Musketeers was there to talk to us, and boy was he impressive.  I intentionally used the word “boy” because he started with the Tree Musketeers when I think he said he was 10.  It sounded like he became an adult at the age of 11 or 12.  (Tom and I are working on it, and Joe never will get there).  Joe has the Peter Pan syndrome.  It's a good thing, sort of.  Look it up.  Marsha tried Adulthood, but came back.  It's not all that great. 

You liked Adam from Hi.  You loved him 10 minutes in. You hope he remembers you when he is in his 20's, and perhaps visit him in Washington when he is in his 30's.  If I had to pick a young person that will be a “big time player” when he is fully grown up, it would be Adam.   This guy was just…Super.  Confident with a slight swagger, yet humble and grateful as well.  Having been accepted to both Stanford and Yale he was moving on (regretfully) from the Tree Musketeers to which he attributed so much of his “maturity”, and it was ample. 

This was no Alexander Dumas Three Muskateer.  This was not Athos, Porthos, nor Aramis. (Look it up) 

This was Adam Gerard.    

Tree Musketeers has a rich tradition of sending its youth leaders out into the world via prestigious universities ranging from USC to NYU, Berkeley and Harvard. The winning college portfolio begins with LEAD courses. Adam Gerard, a nine-year veteran at the place where kids are boss, is headed to Yale this fall.  If you have about 4 minutes go to their web site and see what our future leaders will look like, you will be impressed.  If you go here you will see kids running a meeting…without a Gavel.  

http://treemusketeers.org/2013/who-we-are-tree-musketeers-new-video/

*By the way, I think Sandy Jacobs is on the Advisory Board…just sayin.  That’s our girl.

I would like to say that Len ended the meeting with the clanging of the bell, but his new gavel was stolen, so there was barely a tinkle.  That's where I have to go now. Tinkle that is.

Rotary Meeting of August 1, 2013 "A Tree Grows in El Segundo" by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of July 25th, 2013, The Case of the Lost Gavel by Jack Weber, Cub Reporter

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Rotary Meeting of July 25th, 2013

The POTESRC (President of the El Segundo Rotary Club) Loses His Gavel

By Jack Weber, Cub Reporter


The Meeting

Embarrassed by the untimely failure of his iiPhone to record the meeting of July 18th, Editor Gary Wilson wrote backstage stuff regarding the demotion skit for the Supreme Commander. Well, Gary confided in me that his short term memory is failing and he could remember nothing without the recording. Well, that excuse works, but then he was not able to be on the job for the 25th – he says that he had something else to do. Gary writes wonderful, amusing columns which we shall miss, unless he gets the iPhone fixed.


The President spooned the bell to call the meeting to order. Hard to believe, but he has already lost his gavel and has been relegated to using a spoon. He tried to blame a lot of people but became increasingly agitated when no one came forward to admit responsibility. The email system was clogged with theories about how POTESRC lost his gavel. I heard that Barrister David Reimann is being nominated for a judgeship and wanted the gavel to maintain order in his courtroom. Honestly, I don’t think that will work any better than it did for POTESRC who lost control in his first meeting despite having the gavel way back then (the beginning of July).


Ted – can we get a plain gavel from a stationery store? It should work better than a spoon.


Visitor from Rotary Club of Oakland #3:


We had a visitor from Rotary Club of Oakland #3, Able Guideon. He gave me a short history of his club and I was surprised to find that it is the third oldest Rotary Club in the world. It currently has about 300 members. Wow. That seems really big to me – Joe Harding would have to open one of the ballrooms if we had that many. Curious about the Rotary Club of Oakland #3, I Binged them (a newer Google) and found that their Charter had been revoked in 1978 by RI. The reason was that they had admitted WOMEN to the club to bolster sagging attendance. Guess it worked. Hey, was Elyse a member there? It seems to have the fingerprints of an Elyse revolution! The charter has, of course been reinstated.


 

Fines and Jokes:


Joe had some very funny fines -

He had a beautiful picture of Shannon’s stained glass window. It could pass for a Church’s stained glass window – it was that beautiful.


He had a beautiful picture of Shannon’s stained glass window. It could pass for a Church’s stained glass window – it was that beautiful.


He fined Sandy for her Growfiti – a yarn bomb at the Long Beach Pier. Shocking that Sandy of all people would do such a thing.

Jokes:


There were several engineering jokes. Bad. I could not understand them…. But then – thanks Tom you did not have to hurt my feelings.

Elyse told a Google joke. It was as funny as the “knock-knock” joke told by defense counsel recently at George Zimmerman’s trial.


Made my jokes look really, really good. I will ask the POTESRC to line me up for a few sessions of joke telling.


Upcoming Events:

  1. Literacy Breakfast at Lawry’s on August 9th, 2013.

    This is an annual event – I do not have all of the details but will get them posted. FYI, Adam Gerard is our speaker on August 1
    st. His Dad is Treasurer/comptroller for Lawry’s. I have known Adam for at least 5 or 6 years. He is a very impressive young man and I am certain he will do a fabulous presentation. Don’t miss it.

  2. October 6th, 2013.

    The District picnic and cardboard boat race. I understand we are not going to have a boat this year.


Julie Stolnack reported that Jack White, Phil’s brother, is coming out at a future date to spread Phil’s ashes at some of Phil’s favorite golfing spots. She also reported the sad news that Phil’s other brother has passed away.


Speaker and Presentation:




Jeff Carson who is the director of Broadway in the Park talked to us about this year’s selection which is the Wizard of Oz. Broadway in the Park is performed at Recreation Park in El Segundo. The show is done by a mixture of professional and amateur actors. This year it is a live musical. A number of young children are participating and Jeff reports that they are outstanding, enthusiastic as well as entertaining. Over 6,000 people have attended since 2009. It is an outreach program to kids and families that showcases local charities such as the ES Concert Band, the ES HS Drama Program, etc. This year they also have a ticket scholarship program offered to families through CASE, Richstone and others.



Broadway In The Park’s presentation of The Wizard of Oz will take place August 8-11, 2013. Gates open at 6:00pm nightly, Pre-Show at 7:00pm and Feature Presentation at 7:30pm.

No alcoholic beverages are permitted in Recreation Park.


For more details see Broadway in the Park’s website: http://www.esbroadway.com/index.html


Thanks and appreciation to Mike Bell for the raffle prizes.












Rotary Meeting of July 25th, 2013, The Case of the Lost Gavel by Jack Weber, Cub Reporter Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of July 18, 2013 “Oops, lost my recording, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor”.

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

I knew the day would come when my trusty Iphone Microphone would let me down.  Many of you know that I record the meetings on my phone and then when I do the bulletin I just put a head set on and let the words spill out of the headset -- and I put it to paper along with my comments.  Easy really.. Unless it didn’t work.  Well, today’s the day.  I started off just fine, but within a few minutes a loud Hum started and did not stop.  No doubt it was Len with some sort of Aerospace jamming device developed in a Top Secret laboratory to make sure that Rotary Secrets could not be recorded, kicked into action and left me with a blank slate.  I could probably do it from memory, but had a little nap during the meeting so my mind is a little blank.  So, this is mostly from memory.  The memory of one who’s past is much longer than his future.  I am no Carlos Danger you know, but that’s another story.

So here’s the deal.  I captured a bit of the meeting, and then we had Randy from Manhattan Beach to talk to us about an Orphanage Project in which he has dedicated about 3 years of his life to thus far, and needs help for completion.

After that I am going to add some writing that I did about Tom’s Demotion Party a few weeks ago that you may find interesting.

Eagle Scout Help

Boy Scouts Eagle project was Robert “Groman” (sp) looking for help.  He needs $3,200 total and was short about $1,000.  The project was about cleaning up a large area at the Richmond Street School that would include landscaping.  Martin Landscaping was again going to help.  Jim McLees introduced him and his mom and he talked and answered questions from the group.  The clip board was passed and I am sure we helped him with his goal.

Joe told another Good joke about shopping for a wife, and then a husband at a Department Store.  Another nice joke Joe.  A little sex in there, but then you didn’t bring your daughter today so that’s understandable, and I saved a little money. 

The Program

Randy from the Manhattan Beach Club and Director of International Service talked to us about an Orphanage that his club (and particularly himself) had adopted.  I guess you can adopt and orphanage along with a child. Both bring “opportunities” to help in a big way. 

He is a licensed Architect, a Building Contractor, and lots of other credentials.  He has a very successful career, a house on the Strand, a Porsche, but needed more.  More not in terms for money or recognition, but in terms for the thrill you get when you help others, and see the results. 

All Monies come from “donations”.  Most labor comes from “donations”.  He personally has made major donations.  In late 2008 when the economy started falling apart, the orphanage almost closed.  They needed help, big time.  When an orphanage closes what happens to the kids.  They become “street orphans”.  They don’t have a chance.  Rotary and Manhattan Beach stepped in and Randy has been there about 3 years and started with a big rundown head ache.  Now, at great sacrifice from himself (my words not his) there is a facility that is clean, with running water both hot and cold, and getting better every day.  Things we take for granted.  The kids now have a chance and need some more help. 

My guess is Randy, even with the Porsche and house on the strand, has recently found his proudest “possession” -- and that is helping possibly thousands of orphans as this “model” of his and others creation,  gets copied through Mexico for other impoverished areas.  Instead of helping hundreds, he can help thousands.  He needs more support in terms of money, or even volunteers.  You probably won’t need your cell phone, but it wouldn’t hurt.  That’s what Rotary is, that’s what Rotary does.  Help him if you can.

Back Story – Rotary Demotion Party

Meanderings about the Demotion Party

Melissa and Randy

This year’s Demotion wouldn’t have been what it was without these two Thespians.  (No Tom, that’s not what you think it is).  They are indeed modern day Renaissance people.  They sing, they act, they cook, and they’re smart.  They may dance, I don’t know.  They are well read, dedicated, and just plain fun.  Ask either of them about any music any time, and they know.  They sing at home.  When Tom and I are drinking, they are singing. When they are sleeping, Tom and I are singing.  And, they say yes to most everything.  True volunteers with talent they are.

Last year Melissa got demoted, and Randy helped.  We put on a musical.  I remember when I first said we would do a musical and everyone pretty much said “yea right”.  But, Rotary Past Presidents (being what they are said) later “why not”.   So, we sang.  From there on .. we had help.   Randy was asked if he would like to help “demote” his wife.  He grinned and said “hell yes”  and … “American Idol -- Rotary Style” was born.  When we opened with our fallen brother Joe Clark singing  “Row, Row, Row, Your Boat” Randy shook his head, and we went on anyway.   One of our Asian Rotarians said “you had me from heRow”. 

Randy was at Melissa’s side every step of the way during her reign as President -- from painting lime green houses in El Segundo, to her farewell song to us on her final day, and her last song as Rotary President at her Demotion…”You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” sung with Randy. They're quite a couple and the world is a much better place because of them, and so is the Demotion Party.

I asked Randy then and there would he like to help demote Tom the following year when the time came, and he said “hell yes”,  give me a call.  I did.  

The first Demotion meeting we have is always to come up with the general idea, the Theme, the setting, the tone etc.  We try to find things that we can exploit.  We find the peccadillo’s of a “soon to be past President”.  The odd things about a person are what we are looking for.   Tom was Christmas.

Tom was easy, we had him from Hello.  His opening day pronouncement that he was the “Supreme Commander”, and “he is from the South and speak s English differently”, was fodder.  I just started grinning.  The first few lines were written.   He also lacks a few follicles on his head and we realized we had found the mother lode.  On his first day -- the theme was born. 

When we started to meet seriously we decided we needed two settings and two acts:  The South; and Star Trek.  They go together… right?  How do we get to the hair thing and the southern twang…well, you saw the skit.  You take it to the toilet.  All young men heard about going blind when they were young, it didn’t take much to add losing your hair.  An outhouse was the perfect setting for the south;)

Melissa and Chris as Tom’s Mom and Dad were perfect.  I don’t think they rehearsed together at all, and never missed a line.  They added a few to those that Melissa wrote.   Both made their own costumes and kept it a secret until performance night.  Chris left his bottle of moonshine at home, but perhaps he drank it.   

Nancy as young Tom was our only Cross Dresser this year and she no doubt has done that before.  She can act, or was it acting.  Add Marsha and Julie as a couple of sluts and you have a play on your hands.  They are both great sluts and one sings.  I love singing sluts.  They were sexy and superb.  I hope they are Method Actors.  They never did call me to rehearse or anything.  Maybe it was because my name was Carlos Danger.  (God help New York if he becomes the Mayor.  Sometimes I write this stuff and think it is so outrageous that people know it is just too crazy, and along comes Anthony Weiner)

How do we deal with “The Supreme Commander”?   Kevin came up with the solution saying that he thinks that’s what they call the top guys in Star Trek -- and he was right.  Commander John Luc Picard was bald to boot.  Too good to be true.   Kevin loved the part and got a chance to beat up on his best buddy for a while that evening.  He wrote his own lines and the repartee between himself, the worst public space defender in the Universe (Julia), and “Tom Ass”  took on a life of its own and it was funny.  Kevin is a great actor, but then again that is what he does every day anyway. 

Kevin bought his own outfit as well.  There is a costume shop on Artesia called Aardvark.  I went there to check out a few odds and ends for the play and told them I was with the Rotary and mentioned the play.   They said “Oh yea, Kevin was in here last week buying some things for that play.  He always buys his costumes in here".  (My eyes got wide)  "We sold him a Fire Chief’s outfit here a number of years ago and he goes to quite a few “dress up” events throughout the year and buys or rents things from us all the time.   Say, if you see him would you have him return the cape and feathers.  There is another “fella” named Joe that wants to use those things.  Can’t imagine what they do with them and I am pretty sure you wouldn’t know. “   He’s right about that and I don’t want to know.

The pictures from Karly(sp) and Brenda were perfect for Elyse(Dr. Troy) to “analyze”  Tom’s fitness for Command.  He was not.  She was great and very funny.  She had studied her part, watched lots of footage of her character, and knew her lines.  She was and is a pro. 

Dave, the Vulcan Lawyer was great in guiding Elyse through her testimony picture by picture.  During rehearsal he told Elyse, “you tell me what you want to say, and I will guide you there via my line of questions”.  He also did the slide presentation and put some reference to himself scoring touchdowns a very long time ago.  That seems to be a recurring theme in Dave’s life.  Good old Cha Cha, you can count on him.

We tied the two acts together with the fumbling FedEx Man(Alex).  Tom has some history with FedEx and he had to be in there and Alex looked the part….for about 600 space years.  Alex made his own wardrobe and wrote his own lines.  He kept trying to deliver dirty magazines to Tom and Tom denied ordering them.  Jean Luc (Kevin) confiscated them for the court.  He still has them I think.

Notes on the Setting

We decided to have a trial and had to get everyone from the Enterprise at the far end of a distant galaxy in the year 2230.6, to Tom’s Demotion Party in El Segundo in June, 2013.  That’s a long way. We needed a way to do that.

Randy said he could build a Teleporter.  (Of course he could).   Oh, and by the way would you like the little Star Trek Federation Star fleet logo for your outfit.  Randy said he could make those.  (Of course he could).  By the way on the Transporter would you like smoke and some strobe lights?  (Of course.  Why not?)  "I thought the Teleporter came with that".  (I was getting into this). 

“I can do sound effects too said Randy”.  (Of course you can).  How about a toilet flushing .. yep.  Door Bell?  Yep.  Music?  Yep.   So, you get the picture.  He built the sets, he played the music, and he kept good cheer and never asked for even a thank you.  “Thank you so much Randy, how about next year?  We may need a Pope, can you make the Vatican?”  "I hear Len likes James Bond…just to get you thinking".

Finally the credit for this belongs to everyone.  It is easy for me when you have lots of very good people around you.  Pretty much everyone wrote their own parts and took it seriously.  They studied YouTube and visited costume shops, and practiced a bit as well.  We had some laughs and had a good sport in Tom.   The music, the lights, the actors, the audience and the alcohol helps as well. 

Teddy Roosevelt said “The Credit Belongs to the Man in the Arena” and that is the Past Presidents. 

Dave Rieman our great Prosecuting Attorney who was also a Vulcan,  put the slide show together and he was kind enough to give me lots of credit at the end which I did not know was coming.  I am grateful for his kind thoughts, but not worthy.   I am grateful to be a Rotarian with the finest people I know as my friends.

So, we start on next year’s demotion now.

Pictures

Tom received a very nice handbag in the drawings.  He was thrilled.  Prizes were donated by Julia from her garage full of old gifts that were not used...much.

Image


Rotary Meeting of July 18, 2013 “Oops, lost my recording, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor”. Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of July 11, 2013 “Len Starts the Long Walk -- One List at a Time” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson



Before the Meeting

The new guy shows up early (I was second) and no one is there.  His name is Len.  Len Bonilla.   He comes off as a polite and caring diminutive sort, with his way of doing things.   New Presidents are always there early on their first day.  They like to “tend to things”.  There were no chair bearers  bringing  him in like some old Pope (he did mention he may like his moniker to be “His Holiness”).  He had no one precede him into the room with flower petals.  Not even a trumpet or French horn.  He was disappointed.  But he is a humble man; a measured man.

He was the new President.   He is a man with a plan.  He’s an engineer type.  He has pocket protectors and an Ipad.  Calculators are close by, and so are calcultions.  There were 3 ring binders, Outlines, Gantt Charts,  Flow Charts, Power Points, and lots of Graphs should they be needed.  There were different colors for different things.   Red is bad, Green is good.   He was set for the New Year, but no one was there.  

Also….something was askew.   Apparently his “ex-good friend Joe”  had the room set up wrong.  Joe wouldn’t do that on purpose would he?

The tables were set up differently, and the Kiwanis Banner was hanging on the flaggard (that’s not a word but you should get what I mean).   He looked and saw the letters “K I W A N I S” and knew something was wrong.  He’s sharp.  He compared it to the pictures of the letters on our flag (Page 371-2.211 in his Rotary Manual) and there it was -- “R O T A R Y”.   Yep, they were different.  Thank God he found that before the meeting started or he would have made Rotary history standing in front of the Kiwanis Flag with everyone giggling.

Inspector Holmes (or is it Clouseau)  figured that one out and made the change; and checked it off his list.  He’s sharp and on his game, but no one came, except me.  Finally Jack came, and then the Chief, and then others, and Len relaxed a bit and looked at his plan and made a check mark on something as people came in.  He had a list.

The Meeting

The pledge was led by Robin, sweet Robin.  Quiet and complex.

The meeting was pretty much fine as he told us of the plans for the club for the New Year.  No phones went off, no one got shushed (but Frank Glen and I should have been Shushed  ( We were giggling; it was Franks fault).   It was also Franks Birthday so he got a pass.  He took Jacks seat who was selling raffle tickets and wouldn’t give it back to him.  Jack was flummoxed.  I giggled.  Jack moved on.

Jack did sell raffle tickets…he had a system.  Actually he started working on his Raffle Ticket Selling System(RTSS)  when he first arrived.  It was fluid and something to make Engineer Len proud.  It worked well and tickets were sold in a timely fashion.  He just lost his seat.  Selling tickets and hanging on to your chair is complicated.  I giggled, and so did Frank.  We are mature you know.

Sophia (Joes daughter) collected money for fines for “Pin’s and Badges”.  That young lady has cost me a bundle over the years.  I bet she grows up to work for the IRS

Shirley had 2 guests.

Gabby Pacheco a counterpart at LAWA and she is also an Inglewood Rotarian. 

Kelsey McFarland (what a nice name) works for “Best Buddies” dealing with intellectual development difficulties.  She may be interested in seeing more of us:)

Alex introduced a visitor from Sony Pictures.  I believe her name was Regaye Fulcher who lives in El Segundo and her daughter just graduated from El Segundo High School.  She was neat.  She was from Alabama and guess who squealed.  Laura squealed when she heard ALABAMA.   We are mature.  I giggled.

Tyrone Dawkins was back for the 3rd time, he is a Hypnotherapist and we will be seeing more of him.    

Joe did some fining (go figure eh?).  The other Podium Poacher was not there (guess who -- I love not saying her name.  She hates it when she is not in the bulletin). 

Joe first gave Len a box to stand on like Joe did when his Napoleonic regime was conducted -- both regimes.  He did this two years, and we survived.  I like it when diminutive people pick on diminutive people; it saves me the effort to do it tactfully.  I let Joe do it tactfully.   Tactful may be an unfamiliar word to him.   I don’t believe Joe has ever had an unspoken thought

Len accepted the box and I heard Julia say “good things come in a box”.  Hmm.  No kidding.  I just shook my head and then Len had a sip of some Tequila that was gifted to him by the President of the Kiwanis Club.  No kidding.  As the meeting went on he kept sipping and it was not brought up again, but I noticed. No kidding.  I see a 12 step program here in the near future.  No kidding.  Thee will be others.

Joe got a magazine from Shiela.  The spired lovingly about the magazine and she is such fun to watch.  She also got a very sincere thank you from Joe and applause from the rest of us for all the work she does on the 4th of July.  She does lots of other things and asks for not thanks.  She is a true Rotarian.  She’s great and her magazine is indeed excellent.  Looks familiar, but excellent nevertheless.

Claire got fined for being alive. 

Robin got fined for taking her life in her hands and sitting close to Claire

Colleen got fined for something (A Hotel Thing)

Sandy got fined, but I am not sure why.

Joe was the Joke of the Day.  (I didn’t mean it that way Joe)  He “told” another great joke.  He is very good at this.   It was very very good, and clean.  His daughter was there.  She doesn't know.  Nice going Joe.

Lots and lots of announcements, and then we passed the brag bucket.  There were lots of "brags", way too many to mention.    I Bragged about the Demotion Party and my fellow Past Presidents.  The Demotion Party has received lots of attention.  If you are interested I decided to put together another document or bulletin about it and setting the record straight that the credit belongs to the Actors and Stage Hands (Randy), not me.  See if you can find it on this web site.  I will figure out a way to put it here separately, because this Bulletin is about Len.  Len Bonilla, President of El Segundo Rotary.

The Exit

When I was leaving I went up to Len and told him he ran a very nice meeting and he only had 51 more to go.  He said, “no, only 47” he corrected me “because there were a number of "dark" meetings throughout the year and he had them on a chart, and …. "Would I like to see it?”  The chart that is.  I said well, ah, no, I had to leave because I thought I might have left the oven on and I had clothes in the dryer.  I bid him farewell and saw him check something off his list.   I also saw Jack approach him and say “I heard you talk to Gary about a Chart, I’d like to see that chart.   I had done something similar when I was chairman of …………….”.    I left the room.  

I returned about 15 minutes later and they were sharing Gantt Charts with each other and were giddy.  Power Point would be next….  They still had their clothes on, but giddy never the less.  A Bromance began, and I would be gone.   

A long year has begun.  Good luck Len.


"Where is Everyone"

Image

"Let's see, Item 47 A, it's here somewhere about the Downy Pancake Breakfast"

Image

 

 

 

Rotary Meeting of July 11, 2013 “Len Starts the Long Walk -- One List at a Time” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 6-20-2013 “Welcome Home Tom”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Ode to Thomas

The moving finger writes, and having writ, moves on”(Omar Khahim)… and so it goes.  Tom did a great job, and now it’s time to pass the Bataan.  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times” (Dickens).  There were no “worst of times” that anyone could see.  Tom kept those to himself.  That’s what leaders do.  They stand in front of the group whether they are happy or not.  They always show good cheer and deportment.  That’s a President at his best, that was Tom.  You always found the pony in “there”.

Tom knew when to cross the line, and when to let it alone.  Tom mastered the skill of a President with no currency to motivate others -- other than “thank you’s” and “atta-boys”.  Phone calls, but no flowers.  At least I didn’t get any.  But I got some atta boys, and I am grateful.

Tom ran the club and ran the meetings.  Melissa once said you don’t run the El Segundo Rotary Club, you kind of nudge it along.  It’s like a river that you need to keep from over flowing, but it must flow. She is right about that. Tom set the example, he set the pace. 

Now it’s time to rest.  It’s a hard job, but he made it look easy.

I would like to say his hair is a little grayer, but that doesn’t work in this case.  It’s time to go home to his family and friends and just be “Tom”.  No more Supreme Commander.  Go home now, have some beers and some good old fashioned Tennessee Jack Daniels and stay up late and surf the net and talk to your imaginary friend Elden.   He will still call you Supreme Commander.  He likes you.  You can frolic with him.

You don’t have to run the meeting on Thursday.  You can make fun of the President now.

Don’t answer those emails, just forward them on to Len.  It’s his time to shine.  Come back to the masses and get another job with the club.  Past President is a good one, but not as good as “Bulletin Editor”, or “Doing the Roster” like a past mayor in the club has been doing.  Selling Raffle tickets is a good one and always needed.  Lots of people do “little” jobs in the club, and that’s what makes our club so special.  Everyone has a job.  Sometimes it’s formal and has a title, and sometimes it is important, but has no title.  If everyone did a little, no one has to do a lot.  The best job is the good deed you do when no one is watching, but...God.  All Rotarians have that job, every day.

“All God’s Children have a place in the Choir, some sing lower and some sing higher, and some just clap their hands.”  Tommy Makem

Welcome Home Tom.  See you all Saturday Night 

Below:  Tom with the Big Boys

Image

Rotary Meeting of 6-20-2013 “Welcome Home Tom”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor. Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Bulletin of 6-13-2013 Time to get the Body in Order and Fit for Life, but Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Former Mayor Kelly and the In-and Out Burger people were there for the second time.  They talked about the changes they have made to the plan based upon community input.  Sharp guys, sharp presentation, and a very nice hamburger.   I won a free burger.  I would rather have the $600 for the drawing, but maybe next week.  They also talked about how much they are community minded and actually had “cook out trucks” that sponsor fund raisers for schools, charities, etc.  I have seen it parked outside of Tom’s house on many a night lately as they try to round up support for their cause. 

It was Tom’s birthday and we all sang --  it was awful.  Rotarians can’t sing, especially this club.  There was a time when we sang at every meeting.  Someone put a stop to that.

Ed Su’s Anniversary is in the next week.  His wife and daughter will be in Taiwan and Ed will celebrate alone.  What do you do when you celebrate your anniversary alone?  Just askin.

Shiela’s Anniversary card was mildly funny.  Funny Anniversary cards are hard to find.    Ed’s card said “Happy Anniversary”.  Clever.

Clair got a “feel better card”.  She was hit by a hearse; at a funeral;  in a grave yard;  with a priest.  Not a good sign.  Not good luck.  This is true.   Joe had a hard time telling us this with a straight face.  While we all felt bad for Clair, we couldn’t help from laughing.  Sorry Clair, we sure hope you come back soon.  I didn’t make this up.  No one could make this up.

Shiela is looking for volunteers for the 4th of July.  Sign up sheets are abundant at our meetings now as one Presidential year winds down, and another winds up.    Sign this, sign that.  Len likes puns.  Not too many people will admit to that.  Some Presidents like to be called Supreme Commander, others like Puns.  I will sneak a few in as this Bulletin winds to an end.  Tom’s year is coming to an end as he starts thinking about what it’s like to return to a normal life. 

Joe and/or Elyse volunteered to be the MC at 4th of July, and there is only 1 mike.  I sense fireworks

Deborah is coaching some of the girls at the Miss California pageant.  Tom engaged her with a smile and a few lively barbs.  Did you ever notice how funny she is, without trying to be funny.  She squints her eyes and makes you laugh, without even trying.  She is an excellent Rotarian.  She is a model Rotarian.

Elyse told the joke.  It was good, it was about lettuce, whores, and football, a nice combination, told well.  

The Program – Katie, a Nutrition and Wellness Coach

Her favorite Ice Cream is that which she makes herself.  She was a ball of fire and energy.   She had a contest and the prize was to go shopping for groceries with her.  She was very nice looking and most of us guys wanted the shopping trip.  Nancy won.

She had been in a very high stress job in New York City and decided that was not for her --  so she became a Holistic Health Coach.  She is also a Certified Yoga Teacher.  She always had a passion to help others feel as good as she feels, and used yoga as a gateway.    Katie had a number of “different” things that I really tuned in to.  “Never strive to be perfect”  I was taught the opposite, but guess what, she is right.  They say “Great is the Enemy of Good”.  You have to ponder those things, but once you get it, you get it.

She was very positive about “everything”.  She was, it was infectious.  Another thing to think about  -- “When you are so focused on one thing, the other areas of your life suffer”.   Total focus in not all that great.   Balance.

Take time for yourself, take care of yourself.  Keep eating what you are eating but…..add greens to your meals a little at a time.  Gradually they will take over and your new eating habits will start clicking in. 

Make  yourself number one in your life.  Only when that occurs can you satisfy others. 

She loves the sense of community in El Segundo.  She gets asked by most people “how do you have so much energy”.  She doesn’t drink coffee, cokes, etc.  No caffeine.  No energy drinks, just the green and some protein and a few chia seeds and you are all set to go.  Nothing like a Kale drink to start your day.  No more bacon for me.  Boy I need to lose some weight. 

Don’t start your day with the coffee, start it with a glass of water, then do the coffee or tea.  Hydrate yourself first.   Also, eat some “healthy fats”.  Avocado’s, walnuts, flax seed, fish oil.   Again, add some greens. (I need to go mow the lawn)  Elyse suggested Green Waffles, Katie suggested Kale.   When you feel stressed, do some deep breathing, go for a walk. Etc. (Walking Walter does not relieve stress, Walter causes Stress).

 Craving comes on when you are stressed.  Do little meditations at your desk.  For example when you have the stressful day, close your eyes and picture something you would like to have, like an In and Out Burger.  Then get in your car and get in line say at space 24 and you can answer your emails as you creep up to the window and get a double.  (I don’t know why I can’t lose any weight).

Actually I really learned a lot from Katie.  I am going to give her suggestions a big try.

3 Tips to Higher Energy

Drink Water in the Morning

Add Greens to your meals.

Breathe Deeply

Be Mindful  (It’s a Zen thing…stay in the moment)

Go Katie Go

To My Friend Tom

Being a Rotary President is not easy, but Tom made it look easy.  50 regular meetings, 12 Board Meetings, 8 or so District Breakfasts, and countless presentations and visits to other meetings, phone calls, hand holding, and on and on and on.  A Great President makes it look easy and he cares.  Tom has been a Great President and never missed a chance to help someone. 

He did all this with good cheer and guess how many times a President didn’t feel like being there, was sick but played hurt, and motivated others not because he had currency to offer, but because you didn’t want to let him down.  Tom commanded such presence.  Tom would arrive first, leave last, set up the chairs and take them down.  He set the example.  He is such a good guy and I look forward toward him coming back to the other side of the room and take on the best job in the club, that of a Past President.

Nice going Tom and sorry about what we have to do to you on the 29th.  We will be kind…sort of.

 

Rotary Bulletin of 6-13-2013 Time to get the Body in Order and Fit for Life, but Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of June 6, 2013 "Den of Thieves by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Cudo’s all around for the Wellness Day in El Segundo, especially for Sammy and for Jack.  Great job by both of you and thank you very much for your leadership.

Guests:  Sammy introduced a local Hypnosis guy by the name of Tyrone Dawkins as a prospective member.  Steve Goldsmith from Hawthorne Club was here as the program.  Tom told a joke at my expense.  It was about me stealing chocolate bars from Whole Foods.  It was funny.  Shirley and Ken had an anniversary and she has been married 32 years.   Elyse got fined for having had a nice vacation in Italy, enjoying Rome, Tuscany, Venice.  She did not attend any Rotary Meetings.  Dave Reiman was fined for not turning in receipts for the holiday party last December.  Joe got fined by Tom.  Sheila is in charge of the July 4th celebration and needs some volunteers for the water melon eating contest.  She also needs some help with the Snack Bar. 

It is time to think of the Movie in the Park event and we need some new sponsors.  Some existing sponsors have had to cut back because of the economy and we need some new blood.  The movie is The Rise of the Guardians.  Podium Poacher Elyse had to come to the front of the room for her announcement (I’ll be darned).  Apparently the Westchester Rotary dominated the last issue of the Argonaut.  Laura promoted the Ed Foundation Golf Tournament on the 21st .This is the 25th anniversary of the Ed Foundation.  Laura (from Alabama) and Sheila (from Northern Florida) squared off making fun of each others accent, it was lively and fun.  Then our President Tom  called our newest member Daren and gave him framed membership plaques and his “pin”.  Tom (from Tennesee) can’t say the word “Pin”.  It comes out “Pen”.  That’s complicated.  Those people from the south talk funny.  It is amazing they did as well as they did in the Civil War.  

 

 

The Speaker

Then the speaker started, and he was from Kentucky, but he has been here a long time and has learned the kings English.  He did say “ya’ll” however. 

Centinella Valley Youth Program.  He spoke about a program to keep our youth out of the LA County Court System.  What that is all about is if a youth gets into some relatively minor trouble like stealing a CD from a friend, graffiti, , etc. the try to “settle” this through a system with a mediator whereby each side presents their side and do so with feeling and come up with a restitution program that makes sense.  They call upon people who either have had things stolen from them, or perhaps even stole something in the past.  They prey on empathy for both perpetrator and victim to work this out, and not get into the courts.  The statistic show that when young people go to court at an early age, there is a tendency  for this to get repeated again and again with each time the crime becomes bigger.  The speaker asked the group how many have been a victim of a crime and quite a few of us have.  I have been robbed in my Manhattan Beach apartment way back when, and I sorta caught someone trying to steal my car in El Segundo about 6 months ago.  He also asked how many of us have stolen something.  A number in the room raised their hand.  I was sitting next to Nancy and she raised her hand.  I picked up my cell phone off the table and put it in my pocket and just kept my eyes open.

Interesting program.

 

Rotary Meeting of June 6, 2013 "Den of Thieves by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

The Meeting of 5-30-2013 “Bring in the Clones, There’s Got to Be Clones”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Shannon received her Paul Harris Pin …and she was grateful, and we are grateful to have her.  She is indeed a go getter.   I had a chance to share the ticket selling booth with her at the Wellness Day  for a while and she is not timid and can really sell, well, just about "anything" because that was what many of the prizes were -- at the very successful Wellness Day event put on by Sammy and Jack with the help of the El Segundo Rotary Club.  It was really neat for a second year event and will only get better.  I bet Shannon raised at least $1000 by selling tickets, one at a time to five at a time.  It was a pleasure to get to know you better my new Paul Harris friend.  She told me she at one time sold "knock of perfume" in parking lots.  That's a very tough sale unless Tom and Jack happen to be walking buy and they were feeling a little frisky.  But, that's another story.

Visitors

Len introduced Bill Bloomfield who is a Past President of Manhattan Beach Rotary Club and is currently the Assistant Governor.

Nancy introduced Steve Eno, head of the Robotics Club at the High School.  He was part of the subsequent program.  The Robotics Team

Floyd brought his grandson, someone got a free lunch.  I think it may be Floyd.

Jim McLeese told the joke again, very cute chip monk story, suitable for children.  There was a pun “punch  line” which made our future President laugh and laugh and laugh.  Len's life is simple.  It turns out he loves Puns, and plans on “punning us” at least once a week.   Who can possibly "love puns".  That will be real Punishment if it goes on too long.  Who is the next President after Len.  That would be Dean, House Gambler.

Julie Warner had a birthday, and gave an emotional thank you to Melissa and Randy for helping her.  She simply said “Thank you” and cried out of gratefulness because they let her use their travel trailer.  It must be one hell of a trailer.  Sometimes us Rotarian's wear our hearts on our sleeves.  Julie is a beauty, she really "cares", about everything.  That's a good thing Julie and we love you.

Jeami and Paul had their 6th Anniversary.  Jeami read the card.  She has a very good delivery.  I think she should be the joke teller some month.  How about it Jeami.

Sandy and Carl had an Anniversary, number 49.  Floyd would say that is a “good start”.  They had ice cream that night.

Melissa had a birthday and picked out her own card.  It was very funny.  Melissa's funny and has a good eye for humor.

Sammy and Jack spoke a bit about the Wellness Day.  They both thanked each other for their efforts, and then thanked each other for thanking each other…..  They, along with Audrey, should really be thanked by the club in a big way because it turned out to be one hell of a great day…more on that later.

Len then sucked up a bit to the visiting Assistant Governor.

Shiela is organizing for the 4th of July Celebration.  How many clowns.

(note:  I don't know how to spell Sheila or Shiela's name, and that goes for Jeami or Jamie as well.  I am not sure they know either)

Nov. 9th Paul Harris Dinner, we have 20 tickets at $85 apiece and we get to  see the Space Shuttle Endeaver.  It sounds pretty neat to me.

Debbie thanked everyone for their donations of toys to the mini toy drive she volunteered to do.  She was grateful.

Frank’s son received an award as the most outstanding Freshman on the running team.  His name is Gavin.  (I don't think I know how to spell his name either.  It may be Gaelic)

Demotion Party is on June 29, 2013.  I hope someone shows up.

The Program

Today’s program was about Robotics, and were we impressed.  Apparently the United States now  lags behind the rest of the world in STEM programs (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, that spells STEM Joe). 

The Coach of the Robotics Team is A teacher  and former El Segundo  student  and graduated in 2002 He then went on to John Hopkins and earned a degree in Electrical Engineering in 2006.   That’s not easy and was he sharp, likeable, good looking, confident, and fun.  Nice combo.  Not sure if he was married but hey someone might want to give him a call.  I’ll call him.  This is California

Then the students themselves stood up by the slide screen and quite frankly they looked a little nervous, a little introverted, somewhat geeky, and serious…until….they talked.  None of these judgments were accurate.  They were all very articulate, funny, and confident.. But not too much so; and very likeable.  They obviously love their chosen fields of science.  They were all pretty sure what avenue of work they were going to pursue upon graduation.   

It was fun to listen to their various projects as they spoke with pride about building hover craft including Ion lifters which detect something;  a self-deploying solar shade;   an autonomous rover that would be ready for anything.   It’s just basic engineering stuff.   Some of us are currently taking night classes learning things.  I saw Tom’s curriculum and it included Camp Ground Maintenance,  and proper water etiquette.

Someone asked What are 3D Printers which we are seeing more and more in the news.  One of the students explained to us simply that they really do computer modeling which is a rapid prototyping extruder head built on top of a robotic gimble.   You can make guns, clocks, and all kinds of stuff.   Tom was smiling.  He had some ideas on what he would like to make.  He see’s himself cloning himself for others to enjoy, the Supreme Commander that he is.  Len was not short on dreaming either as he sees in the not too distant future his Presidential Destiny.  Two Presidents and a machine that can clone them.  Wow.  Len could be the Supreme, Supreme  Commander.    I am out of here.  GW  PS.  No mention of Joe or Elyse in this bulletin.  They will be pissed.

A Big Thanks for Jack for the Wellness Day Event.  Here is a picture of him hard at work.  it is tough, but someone has to do it.  What a trooper.

 

 

Image
The Meeting of 5-30-2013 “Bring in the Clones, There’s Got to Be Clones”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor. Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 5-21-2013 “The Special Few Who Make this Town so very Special”

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting and the Program

This is such a very special meeting because it allows Rotary to recognize those elite individuals in our community who serve with distinction.  Sometimes I think we (me) forget how important it is to recognize.  To notice those people who quite frankly, never get noticed.  I have a few awards that I “earned” in my past, and was thrilled at the time to be “noticed’, to have received recognition for my efforts.  I gave whatever plaque or certificate I received an “aw shucks, no big deal”, but I lied.  It was a big deal then and now.  Even today when I am rummaging through the garage I will find in an old box a certificate that says “Most Valuable Senior”.  “Aw shucks, no big deal”,  but I will smile, pick it up and look at it again and my mind will return to that time to what I thought was a “simpler time”.   Then I will put it back in the box and tuck it carefully away until the next time.  My eyes may be a little moist and I am grateful that someone, sometime, took the time, to say thank you.

Lots of representatives of local politicians came to this special day to give the certificates that will end up in a garage someday, to be remembered at a later time.  The house was loaded with El Segundo Dignitaries.  We had representatives from Henry Waxman’s office, From Don Knabe’s office, from Ted Lieu’s office and from Steven Bradfords Office and our newly appointed mayor, Bill Fisher along with council members Mayor Pro Tem Carl Jacobs, Marie Felhower(sp), and Dave Atkinson, City Manager Greg Carpenter, Police Chief Mitch Tavera, Fire Chief Kevin Smith, Superintendent Jeff Yantz, Postmaster Dena Motta.  I may have forgotten someone but what a cast of El Segundo Superstars were there to honor our very special guests.   If some catastrophic event took place at the a Hacienda that day the Southbay and El Segundo in particular would be in deep trouble.  With all that talent in the room it makes you realize how important it is to honor those that do the work to make our city so very special.

It is really fun to see these people all under one roof.  You can tell there is obvious respect for each other and they are quick on their feet and the meeting is always lively.

Thanks El Segundo

Image


Rotary Meeting of 5-21-2013 “The Special Few Who Make this Town so very Special” Gary A. Wilson 0

2013 Community Service Awards Luncheon

Posted by Thomas Forsythe

Image

 

Please join us Thursday, May 23, 2013 at the Hacienda Hotel for a luncheon as we honor the winners of this year's Community Service Awards. Representatives from U.S. House of Representatives Henry A. Waxman, California State Senate, Ted W. Lieu; California State Assembly, Steven Bradford; and Los Angeles County Supervisor, Don Knabe will be in attendance to recognize and honor the winners. El Segundo City Mayor Carl Jacobson, & Mayor Pro Tem Suzanne Fuentes will also be in attendance to recognize the accomplishments of the these four individuals. The recipients have demonstrated qualities that adhere to the Rotary 4 way test in carrying out their duties in their respective occupations.

2013 Community Service Awards Luncheon Thomas Forsythe 0

El Segundo Rotary Bulletin of May 9, 2013 A Return to a Simpler Time by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting:

Tom talked about the District awards

Ballots for the new Board for the new year were distributed and collected.  The winners and new officers for 2013 – 2014 are.

2013-2014 El Segundo Rotary Officers

·        President                       Len Bonilla

·        Past President              Tom Forsythe

·        President Elect             Dean Seligman                      

·        Treasurer                      Ted Tokunow                        

·        Secretary                       Dean Seligman                      

·        Youth Activities            Elyse Beardsley                      

·        International Service    Sandy Jacobs               

·        Membership                 Melissa Albers                         

·        Rotary Foundation       Jack Weber                           

·        Public Relations           Gary Wilson                          

·        Club Service                  Dave Reimann                       

·        Vocational Service        Laura Gabel/Nancy Cobb    

·        Community Service      Shiela Fowler     


 

Sammy brought another 6 checks to Rotary for Community Wellness Day  and the fund raising has brought about $10,000 thus far.  That day is June 1st and we need some volunteers -- so raise your hand.

One of our newest members, Colleen, brought two guests I didn't quite get their names but will do so if they come again. 

Gary brought the raffle prizes

Will Barnes called in with Jack's help to thank us for some donations and to give us an update on his condition after having a double lung surgery.  He is one hell-of-a-guy.

Gary Wilson received a very funny special award given by his Rotary Friends Julie Warner, Elyse Rothstein, and Joe Harding.  Gary was speechless for a change,  flattered, humbled, and grateful.  The award was a  Visionary Board from  articles from  “The Magazine”.   Somehow these fellow Rotarian's convinced the RYLA kids to make a story board with "Moi" as the hero.  It was funny,  but there was a serious side to it for me and I am grateful.

Jim McLees told another fine joke, nice content and excellent delivery.  A funny accountant, go figure.

 

Henry Doby,  a Jr. from El Segundo High School was visiting from Boy Scout Troop  773, looking  for support for his Eagle Project.  Jim McLees introduced him and his Project which is to do much renovation at Camp Eucalyptus in El Segundo. He is going to build 11 benches around the fire pit.   He was looking to us for help for about $200.  He received over $400.  He was a very impressive kid, likes Mint Chocolate Chip, and he is a runner in High School along with President Tom's son.

The Program (Introduced by Clair)

Bunny Gibson of American Bandstand would be the program.  At first I just kind of grinned to myself because she has to be older than I am, but here she was in the garb of the times, bobby sox and all.  She took herself seriously and played that "role" perfectly.  She was well cast by Clair, our Program Chair for the month.  She was great.  My grin stayed on, but I added a "nod" to her.  She has a niche, and works it very well.

American Bandstand started in 1952 and that is about the time I started watching it.  It was something we all watched (albeit there was only 3 channels, and few programs, but it made Dick Clark, Dick Clark) and I do indeed remember Bunny Gibson.  I had no thought of learning how to dance until this came along.  Many of the "kids" became celebrities themselves, Bunnny was (is) one of them.  I learned to dance by watching, and then doing in the privacy of my parents house.  I was the best dancer there.  Note:  I heard Tom say to Bunny --  "I don't dance".  Which I did not know and that may cause a problem with this years demotion party.  Last years demotion party was all about singing.   This year (Tom's Year) it just became all about dance.  So, Tom.  You need to watch old footage (available on Youtube) of American Bandstand (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3Kt1EGzIZk) and learn to dance.  You can dance with your imaginary friends.  Those friends that think you are the Supreme Commander.  So you think you can't dance.  I like it.

Bunny had a lot of Trivia Questions and that was lots of fun and fellow Rotarians were very good in their answers -- and the repartee was quite lively.  Every Question answered correctly got a prize...a Hacienda Hotel pen, courtesy of Elyse.  She is so generous.

Later in life Bunny became an actor and has lots of credits to her name (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunny_Gibson)  Thanks Clair for another fine program.


I need to push the send button now, long day.


El Segundo Rotary Bulletin of May 9, 2013 A Return to a Simpler Time by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0
El Segundo Rotary Poker Tournament May 18, 2013 Thomas Forsythe 0

Rotary Meeting of May 2, 2013 "Double Double, Fries, and make it a diet coke I am trying to lose some weight", by Jack Weber, Cub Reporter

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting


Well, you have learned that whenever Gary can’t do the bulletin he asks me to fill in for him. The signal is: I grab his seat since is truly the best seat in the house.  Excellent views and a fast escape. But, alas, two people were standing behind Gary’s chair and the one next to it. It was not Floyd. Turned out they were from the ES Planning Commission. Then I looked around and the room was jam packed. Dean’s recruiting for new members has gotten out of hand. Need to speak with him about slowing down a bit on the recruiting. Then, bing, the light turned on: In N Out was scheduled to do a presentation of their plan to come to El Segundo. So, I started looking for a different seat. The only open one was next to our Supreme Commander. Any port in a storm, I suppose. If we get any larger, we will be bigger than the Manhattan Beach Rotary.


Our Supreme Commander called the meeting to order and we recited the pledge of allegiance. There were enough people in the small room saying the pledge of allegiance that the very level of the volume was enough to make patriotism tingle your spine.


Jim McLees was the Joke Master. However, he froze (due to the size of the crowd) and said the one he had was… never mind… too risqué. First time that ever happened.


Birthday cards. Melissa had a couple to give out but the one that caused the most laughter was Robin’s. Not so much the card, but Robin is farsighted or so we learned. She forgot her glasses and had to have the card held at least 5 feet away to read it…. Give her credit – she read it.


Food. Joe and the Hacienda treat us really well. Good luncheons, desserts, lots of food. Usually a bit left over. Not so today – gone, all of it; nothing left. Platter licked clean.


Jack (me) spoke about the progress of the Community Wellness Day. Short version: we are where we should be on the project plan. I will bring sign-up sheets for EVERYONE to volunteer for some activity. By the way (this is the truth) – some of the Lakers’ Girls will be there. They requested a reserved parking space (o.k. that can be handled); they requested plenty of water (o.k. that can be handled, too); and they requested an escort to show them around and be with them (that goes to the highest bidder so that we will show a large profit).


Joe Harding levied NO fines. I guess we have learned how to behave ourselves (except for Sheila – she still leaves her cellphone on and has not put an advertisement in the Herald – both hot points for Joe).

The Program

Our guests were representatives from In N Out Burgers and Decron Properties (In N Out being the proposed tenant and Decron being the owner of the shopping plaza at the northeasterly corner of the intersection of Mariposa and Sepulveda). In N Out wants to build a restaurant in the area where the current business is Sizzler Steak House. David Nagle ,President and CEO of Decron, delivered the main part of the presentation.

The proposal is to demolish Sizzler’s building, reconfigure parking, build the new building for In N Out, provide a stack lane for the drive thru portion of the restaurant  which provides for more stack spaces than most drive thru facilities (21 was the number used at the presentation), build an outdoor patio for those customers who are not drive through customers and build a food court patio for those customers of the food establishments on the northerly side of the shopping center.

They will make better use of the underground parking facility of 62 parking spaces which is largely ignored by current patrons of the shopping plaza.  Oddly many of us who live in El Segundo (and have for many years) and use the shopping plaza were never aware of the underground parking. I was one of them and on Friday I took a drive over there to do some “field observations”. They were right – the parking facility was in fact there and in fact had 2 cars in it leaving 60 spaces empty.

The presentation gave us many more details. Suffice it to say, the amount of work needed to get an approval is huge.

After a question and answer session, Tom thanked the Decron – In N Out team and wished them luck with their undertaking.

Now, there usually not much exciting about our weekly raffle –some wine, some cheese an occasional pineapple (Gary Wilson loves pineapple, if he loses it in the raffle, he will buy it from the winner for a premium). The Supreme Commander and the Treasurer, however, found a way of greatly boosting the amount of money the raffle brings it: The In N Out gift certificates were put in the raffle and they raised the net higher than it has ever been in our history. We ought to have them come every week!!!!

Tom gonged the end of the meeting; we all loudly said “yes sir”. The puzzled looks on our guests’ faces told the tale: what a bunch of interesting people there are in the El Segundo Rotary!!


Rotary Meeting of May 2, 2013 "Double Double, Fries, and make it a diet coke I am trying to lose some weight", by Jack Weber, Cub Reporter Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 4/25/2013 - The Meeting: Love, Give, Donate, Help, and you will feel good, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Engage Rotary, Change Lives

The meeting started like most, members introducing guests.  Dr. Michelle Introduced Brook Cavilla(sp), Mgr.  of Corporate Relations for (too much noise in the room).  Shiela introduced (sort of) Colleen from the Radison.  Shiela didn’t know her name, but fortunately Colleen did.  Chuck Perlman from the Culver City Club attended.  I think he almost has perfect attendance.  He does make up, but he has said on many occasions how much he likes our club.  He said how lively and fun it is.

Guess what!  Joe did some fining.  He got Dick (Chairman of the Board of the Herald) because there was no mention of Rotary.  Joe likes to fine.  He fined Shiela again.  Melissa was fined for continuing to Act as Rotary President.   Elyse, Elyse, Elyse.  What a gal.  She got fined for all her fine work she does with RYLA.  (Not sure if she got fined or not, but she did get mentioned).  Her and Joe have a bond now that will never be broken after their many tireless years of working together with RYLA.  It has been beautiful to watch to develop over the years.  They are One, sometimes, unless there is only one Podium, then they are Two.  Neither have ever seen a Podium they didn’t like, and want.  Some are small and can’t be shared.     

We learned about a simple thing at RYLA that when things get out of hand, they say to each other “Go See Patrick”.  Or something like that.  Not sure I got this right.  Not sure I need to.  It’s kind of like having a “time out” -- to sort it out; to gather yourself; and put things back together again.  Get a perspective.  Get some rest.  Get a life.

Elyse also had Tea this month.  It was a Tea for “People of the Year”.  The Tea was put on by the Optimist club and she and others got lots of accolades.   “Tea With Elyse”.  ( a thought popped into my head that an old movie I really liked was a title called “Tea With Mussolini)  A great watch if you are interested.

Oh, did I mention that Elyse is going to Re Key the Queen Mary.  Oh Well.  Nothing new in Elyse’s day.  I suppose there are bigger boats.  None more famous.  One Queen to another.  It’s fitting.

Julie told the Joke.  A Good one.

Melissa has the Cards.  She has a simple filing cabinet she carries and it is organized by month.  Elyse was impressed with her organization skills and said so.  I don’t think there was a lock on the file however?  I see a deal being made to keep those files and cards safe, you need a lock.

Sammy and the Community Wellness Day.  I gotta tell you he is such an inspiration for me.  He tirelessly is pursuing the Wellness day.  I thought he would run out of gas.  He just keeps amping up every week like that Rabbit that keeps on going, and going and going.   He is “always” positive.  He just keeps raising money for the Day, every day, day after day.  Run Sammy Run.   You never hear about the bad days he surely must have, only the good days and the good guys and all the help he gets.   Tough to do, but he is doing it.  Jack Weber is the Rotary Lead Person if you have help or advice…call him.    

The District 5280 Assembly is May 18, 2013 at 7AM.  This is a very important gathering of all members, especially those that will hold an office in Len’s year.  Let’s support him as best we can.  It’s a small thing to do.  Thus far the following have signed up.  Len Bonilla, Ted Tokunow, Melissa Albers, Gary Wilson, Dean Seligman, Jack Weber, Elyse Beardsley.

Special NoteJulie told us that Dean came to Coopers Little League Baseball game and bought all the kids and parents Pizza afterward.  Julie gave Dean a Team Sponsors Plaque…and he was grateful.  You give, you get.  Simple formula, (but precise) and always works.  If you are sad, give something to someone.  You will feel better.

Will Barnes

Speaking of giving and feeling better we need to help our fellow Rotarian Will Barnes.  Tom sent an email around earlier in the day and told us about Will’s situation and he is in a life threatening spot.  He needs (and can get) a double lung transplant, but needs some money.  All these charities need money and we always do our best to support them, especially those that are close to home.  Will is close to home.  He always inspired me with his good cheer, his gentle soul, and thoughtfulness. Everyone that knows will loves will.  Again, he needs some help.  Go here:  http://www.gofundme.com/2rbbeo 

Thought:  I am tired of saying good bye to fellow Rotarians for the last year.  Perhaps we can save one.  Let’s give it a good try.

The Speaker

Julie, MBA and a JD (another low achiever) from Santa Clara University.  Graduated Cum Laude and is now dedicating her life to fighting Pancreatic Cancer.  Her father died within a few months of being diagnosed and apparently that is the way it works.  Cancer is bad period, and this one is about the worst.  It too needs funds.  Rather than me give you what she told me I think a simple link to the web site should help.  http://www.pancan.org/

Rotary Meeting of 4/25/2013 - The Meeting: Love, Give, Donate, Help, and you will feel good, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of April 18, 2013 “Send in the Clowns and get Wanded” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Dick brought the gifts.

Now Joe did some fining, even though it was Dave Rieman’s  job.  He managed to push Dave aside and started in on Shiela again, who doesn’t have “the magazine”, but she does own a Clown (see later).  Then he picked on me again for having the damn magazine.  I think I have written this before.

I hadn't read my magazine but he seemed to pick on one of the pullout cards that dealt with "physical fitness and dieting".  These are two of my favorite topics and I figured once I read the “card” I would go shopping for a Speedo.   Send in the Clowns.

Bill and his daughter were at the meeting….nice to see you.  Bill has two great grandchildren on the way.

Chuck Perlman was here from Culver City.  What a nice guy he is.

Melissa delivered another fine joke.  (She is very good at this)

Shirley had a birthday and read a very funny card (also from Melissa). 

Clair had a birthday and another funny card. (thanks Melissa)

Mellissa will be appearing at the Comedy and Magic Club.

Sammy reported on the Wellness Day and filled the room again with his enthusiasm.

Sheila bought a Clown named Molly Malone.  Most people have never done that, so there Joe.  Where is your clown Joe?   I would rather have a Clown than a dumb magazine.  What do you do with your own Clown, especially if you have been drinking?

Dean is organizing a Poker event at the Hustler Casino as a fund raiser and Dean had attended the Boys and Girls Club of Venice Poker Tournament that had a similar venue.  He is looking for 200 people to join the tournament.  Marsha thought it was strip poker and said to “count  her in”.   $100 entry fee.  Talk to Dean

(As some of you know I tape the meetings and this portion of the tape ended right here is where my recorder ended, so this is where I must end.  I think I got most of it.)  Moving on to the program.

 

 

The Program

We experienced a great program from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) who is partnering with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBT), U.S. Aire carriers and Airports for TSA PRE, a passenger pre-screening initiative that allows participants who have volunteered information about themselves to be qualified for screening benefits.  Some of our members who travel quite a bit were very interested.  This guy was a good looking, very fit and a mostly serious representative of the program, but with a dry sense of wit he took us on one by one.  A number of our members volunteered to be strip searched but he said he couldn't do that.  Wanding was OK, especially in certain areas.  Marsha wanted to know what type of Wand it would be.

US citizens who are members of CBP’s Trusted Traveler programs, such as Global Entry, and certain airline frequent flyers are eligible to participate in TSA Pre and could receive benefits such as no longer removing the following items:

·         Shoes

·         3-1-1 compliant bag from carry-on

·         Laptop from bag

·         Light outerwear/jacket

·         Underwear

·         Belt

This process will speed up the process at the airport and they are consistently making “risk based decisions” on who to examine further and who not to examine further.  I guess it depends on what you look like.   I usually get right through.

What we learned:  There is likely to be an Air Marshal on Board, an Armed Pilot, an Explosive Specialist, and a Crew that is carefully trained for emergencies.  Also, passengers frequently restrain unruly passengers.  Tom get’s restrained by fellow passengers almost every time he flys with Mr. Jack Daniel.  They are friends.  He likes it.

The speaker felt that the safety of passengers has come a very long way since 911 and they would continue to improve and also make the boarding “easier”.   Will someone still get pulled aside to examined further…absolutely?   Some of it is “totally random” so that “they” know that “they”(the bad guys)  can get pulled aside for a closer look, no matter who it is.  That’s why some people who look totally innocent (like a grandma or a boy) get pulled aside.  It is just that they had the unlucky number for that hour or so.

There were lots of questions for this guy and he was great.

The Xray machines and screeners are now excellent.  The Screener can identify what kind of shoes show up on the Xray.

Each country has different procedures and standards, and so do some states.  They are working on getting some sort of unity so you know what to expect when you go to the airport.

The speaker got grilled  over and over by Nancy Cobb about the hiring requirements and what does it pay and what kind of benefits are offered and what education is need etc.  etc.  He was very funny in his repartee with Nancy and quick on his feet.  Nancy was impressed, and slipped him her resume when he was leaving.

I think the Card Drawing prize is now over $500.

At this week’s program we are going to learn about Pancreatic Cancer.

Rotary Meeting of April 18, 2013 “Send in the Clowns and get Wanded” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor. Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 4-11-2013 "North vs. South" and let's dress up. by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Shannon volunteered and Sold Raffle Tickets

Joe got complimented for his great job at the Easter Breakfast and got a nice hand.  He gave an ah shucks.

Good Friday netted $6,000, thank you Hacienda (Joe).  Ah Shuks.

Raffle prizes provided by the Closet.  Thank you closet.  No telling who or what’s in there.

Jack Flores, (guest of Joe’s) was introduced and his favorite ice cream is lactose free soy based something or other.  

Bill Mason brought his daughter again, or she brought Bill.  Glad they are there.  I love seeing him.

Dave did some fining of Kevin, Gary, Elyse for the March Madness pool.  He had the 3 ring binder and you don’t want to be in there.  The next thing you know you will be getting a subpoena.   (Kevin won some money for second place, and the booby prize was Ten Dollars for Elyse who came in last.  Not for the boobies though).

Jaime and Nancy had birthdays.

Community Wellness Day….Jack was appointed to be the “point guy” for Rotary.

Elyse organized the Korean BBQ and there were 26 people thereElyse is doing a fine job helping us eat or way through the South Bay.  Mongolian BBQ is next.

Kevin and Elyse represented our club at the “International Day of Service” and cleaned up and repaired two playgrounds.  The spirit of service is alive in the South Bay and in our Youth, and in Rotary, and in Kevin and Elyse.  Thanks for all you do.  Over 200 people attended.

Melissa made her goal in her fund raising effort for MS and thanked the club.

Dr. Rogers is doing the walk for cancer again and needs some help.  More to come later.

Shannon is working hard making baskets and raising money for the Ed foundation.  Her goal is $40,000 and lots and lots of baskets.  If you have baskets in your garage, on top shelves, or anywhere that are not being used, bring them to Shannon

Demotion dinner is June 29th which is a Saturday.

 

The Program

ImageKarl Jacobs, “Reenactment Guy”.  

Samuel M. Camp (also known as  Karl Jacobs, husband of Sandy) wore the revolutionary war uniform that was worn by the Germans in the War of Independence. (What the hell were they doing in our war).  He frequently speaks to 5th graders about his endeavor and uniform.  5th grade level is a bit much for us, but we got most of it.  

I know he “dons” that uniform at home on those special occasions when he and Sandy turn the lights down low, put on their favorite civil war music,  and “reenact” those romantic moments of another time.  That “dashing young man”  is called upon to be brave, salute the flag, and stay awake til at least 9:30 and making sure the dishes are done.Image

(Note:  Thanks Jack for the fine pictures, I couldn't make the text flow around so it looks somewhat disjointed, aren't we all)

Samuel Camp (a distant relative of Karl’s) was born in 1750, Bill thinks he knows him.  Karl read from his Journal. He brought flags from that time and Bill Mason recognized both.  They had 13 stars’s and Bill wondered where the extra stars come from.   He talked about the battle of Yorktown.  

The Purple Heart originated during the war.  In 1932 it came back into being for “meritorious service”.    Every time I see a purple heart I tear up. Image

So what is the life of a “Reenactment” person.  Click here and you will get an idea.  http://voices.yahoo.com/life-civil-war-reenactor-8280849.html  Karl was involved in the Re Enactment of Yorktown.   I think the North won, Tom things the South won and it is still going on.  Tennessee is still fighting that war.  Give it up guys.

If you want to know more about this battle and what else went on during this period so click here.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Yorktown

I have not read enough about the Civil War but it really is the bloodiest of them all with Brother fighting Brother, and Sons fighting their fathers.  I cannot imagine living during that time and going to war against those I love.  Wives were allowed to go as well and they received pay (only ½ what their husbands received).  I never would have thought about that.    If the Women of Rotary were in that war whatever side they were on would have won.   Elyse would have wanted to be the first woman in the war.  

Thanks Karl for letting us peak into the world of the Re Enactor and letting us see you in uniform.  (Curious if you went to the rest room in uniform and if anyone came in, saw you, and turned around quickly to go out the door.  Just curious.  That fella probably went over to the Marriot).

SPECIAL NOTE:  Before you come to the meeting tomorrow -- look in your garage for a basket for Shannon.  She is working tirelessly for the Ed Foundation and a basket would make her very happy.  She’ll fill the basket, wrap it, put some prizes in it, and raffle it off for $$$ to put into the fund which will help our kids get smart, go to College and then on to a big career so that they can pay a lot of income tax and support us as we get older.  Everyone wins, and it only costs us a basket.  (I feel like I should sing “A Tisket a Tasket here, but don’t know what a Tisket is, let alone a tasket).  Oh well, bring a basket, help Shannon... OK.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

I hear tell that you all are planning a party to honor “Stompin” Tom Forsyth.  Well, I am from the same area as Tom down here in Tennessee in a small town called Woodpecker Holler and can’t believe you will honor that boy.  I have a good mind to come up there to the land of fruits and nuts and tell you a few things about Tommy Boy when this “celebration” begins.  We never thought he would amount to a hill of beans; always “struttin” around like a peacock and asking everyone to call him “Supreme Commander” and such.  Shussssh,  I tell ya.  Some of us just may hop on a bus right now and come up and tell you the truth about old Stompin Tom.  We may kick some ass too.   When is it?  I may bring some of his old girl friends along.  The Dawson Twins were something weren’t they Tommy Boy.   I have pictures.  They have some stories, oh yea they do.  None of them ever did get married.   What kind of vittles are ya servin up?  Can you have a bottle of Jack set up for me?

Submitted by Rufus Tufts, Woodpecker Holler, TN

Rotary Meeting of 4-11-2013 "North vs. South" and let's dress up. by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of April 4, 2013 "Out of Chaos, Comes Order" by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

In the beginning there was chaos.  Lots of strange faces coming and going.  The Supreme Commander at the helm watching the room fill up and wondering who all these divergent people were.  Debbi Terell’s husband (the Turtle Saver) came without Debbie and wanted to make sure everything was OK at the Mother Ship.

We had a guest named Makela  (from Florence, Italy)  she was a guest of Coleen (who wasn't there and we we weren't sure who she was either), but….she had a guest.  In essence she was a guest of a guest who wasn't there.    She was pretty, and Kevin being such a kind person who has an affinity for young attractive women, invited her to sit with him.  What a trooper that Kevin is.  Later her friend (Coleen…see above) “did”  arrive and also sat with Kevin;  the Fire Chief;  the Single Fire Chief.   The “"Starched”  Fire Chief,  in uniform, ready to save us in case we self immolate.   He didn't introduce her but I think she was from the Marriot.  He didn't care.

Sandy Jacobs then introduced her brother.   I have met him before and he is very sharp and politically smart.  They are from good stock.  Then Melissa introduced Jason Chang who was a visiting Chiropractor from Alberta Canada,  who was just traveling home after a stay in Bora Bora and thought he would stop by our Rotary Meeting.  Of course he would.   We all do that on our way home from Bora Bora.  (Why are there two Bora’s)

Then Joe introduced the Speaker  from  ONEHOPE (who was Elyse’s guest),  but she wasn't there either.  She brought wine for everyone and was invited to stay and come back.  Her name was Adriana McMahon .  It probably still is her name.  It doesn't matter.  She brought wine.

Bill introduced us all to his favorite daughter.   She didn't bring wine, she brought Bill, who drinks wine.

Audrey and her son came to visit and Sammy joined her later.  It is nice to see them together in the same room.  They bring Energy and have bright eyes.

Kevin got nervous sitting next to two pretty women and decided to sell Raffle tickets, and to show his “take charge” macho man side “with compassion “ that so many women find attractive.   He was still “starched”.

Dave Rieman pinch hit for Laura (this month’s Joke Teller) and talked about his cousin Dermott and the Pope and a Lawyer going to heaven.  A Lawyer in Heaven is very unusual.

Joe didn't do any fining (What?);  no birthday’s or anniversaries, and nothing seemed to be “typical” at this meeting .   Even a phone went off and it wasn't Sheila’s, go figure.  She was next  to the phone that went off however and it took her a second to realize it wasn't her’s.  Everyone was surprised and so was she.  Tom gave her credit for the phone going off since she was "next" to it.  It is kind of like perfect attendence at meetings.  You don't want to break the streak, so Sheila is still perfect.  It turned out to be Bills daughters phone (or maybe it was Bills and she was keeping it).  It was either Julia or Bill’s bookie.

Sammy talked about Community Wellness day which he has thus far done one heck of a job as far as I can see.  It sounds like a great day.

Tom organized the Chaos as he went along and was in control at all times.  He is indeed the Supreme Commander.  Commander of Chaos.


The Speaker (Adriana McMahon, Director of Communications

One Hope wine was founded about 6 years ago and they donate ½ for their profits to non profit causes.   I borrowed the following from their web site.

About ONEHOPE (from their web page)

We are committed to making a difference all year round.

ONEHOPE is a social enterprise that integrates causes into products and services to make a social impact.  ONEHOPE has quickly become one of the most recognizable cause brands due to the success of our cornerstone product, ONEHOPE Wine. Produced in partnership with Rob Mondavi, Jr., our award winning portfolio makes an impact with every bottle sold by donating HALF of the profits to partner causes. Today,  ONEHOPE consists of the following products and experiences:  ONEHOPE Wine,ONEHOPE Coffee & Tea,Hope at Home, and ONEHOPE Weddings.

ONEHOPE’s motivation began as a personal mission to help a friend with her fight against cancer and evolved into a thriving business that always remains focused on a very basic, but compelling principle: giving back is good business. Eight founders came together in 2007 and created, ONEHOPE Wine, with the goal of selling a quality wine that would enable them to donate to worthy causes all year round.

In just five years, ONEHOPE Wine has expanded into a variety of markets across the country and continues its positive growth. It is now available nationwide in hundreds of hotels, restaurants, bars and retail stores including Whole Foods, Destination Hotels and Resorts, Fleming’s, and many more.

ONEHOPE’s motivation began as a personal mission to help a friend with her fight against cancer and evolved into a thriving business that always remains focused on a very basic, but compelling principle: giving back is good business. Eight founders came together in 2007 and created, ONEHOPE Wine, with the goal of selling a quality wine that would enable them to donate to worthy causes all year round.

In just five years, ONEHOPE Wine has expanded into a variety of markets across the country and continues its positive growth. It is now available nationwide in hundreds of hotels, restaurants, bars and retail stores including Whole Foods, Destination Hotels and Resorts, Fleming’s, and many more.

ONEHOPE has raised over $1 million for a wide range of nonprofit organizations.

Headquartered in Southern California, ONEHOPE has formed partnerships with notable nonprofits that support many distinct and important causes. Some of the causes and organizations include breast cancer prevention and treatment, pediatric AIDS prevention and treatment, Autism research and treatment , US forest preservation and protection, and ending childhood hunger. ONEHOPE is committed to making a social impact through a variety of causes and nonprofit partners. The more we do together, the more change the world sees. That’s our mission and our dream, and we’re going to keep working until we make it a reality

 

 

 

 

Rotary Meeting of April 4, 2013 "Out of Chaos, Comes Order" by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 3-28-2013 "From the Galapagos, to Japan, to Easter and Beyond" by Gary Wilson Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Visitors and Fining and Announcements

Tom opened the meeting by introducing our guests from Japan.  There was an exchange of Banners in the front as the SUPREME COMMANDER   and his counterpart from Japan 最高司令官 of Japanese Rotary.  I believe he called Tom an お尻の穴.   Tom smiled.  The two Commander’s went on and on and on and gushed with and at each other …smiling, and  speaking different languages… yet they became ONE,  neither knowing what the other said. That sometimes happens at Tom’s meetings, but we love him for it.  Tom received a gift (as is custom from some far lands) and then realizing he had to bestow a gift upon our visitor fished in his pocket for a gift to give in return.   He found some gum, some loose change, and a blue butterfly pin.  Tom wanted the gum and figured they had gum in Japan, needed the change for a cigar after the meeting, so the coveted Blue Butterfly Pin flew out of his hands into the hands of our visitor.  Tom told a story of the “Papillion du Bleu” and how he single handedly saved if from extinction for the world, and our guest liked it, or he looked like he did. 

We had visitors from the Radison hotel and there were a few others but I didn’t catch their name.  I was still smitten with the Butterfly Pin.

Ed Su brought his daughter Sidney who sold 926 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies.  I ate almost that many and was glad I could help her with that record.  It is so nice to see Ed come to so many meetings.  His presence in the room brings good energy.  (I mean that Ed)

Joe did some fining.  Of course he did, that’s what he does.    He  got Shiela again.  He fined Debbie for traveling the world who went to the Galapagos where her husband who saved a Sea Turtle.   Circle of life kind of thing.  Did they attend a Rotary Meeting in the Gallapagos?  I don’t think so.  They are going to Portugal next.  That lady moves.  I think she also mentioned China.  Mary and I are thinking of going to Downey.

Eng and her husband (Pope Francis)  were there and Joe runs into him at various locations around town and Francis wants him to Kiss his ring.  It could be worse.  Joe fined the Pope.  This Pope wouldn’t wash Joes’ feet.

Tom got fined for running and “finishing” the Run for Education.  Nice job Tom.

Melissa had the Joke of the Day.  Another  Very Good Joke.  I see a second career for you.

Debbie got a Birthday Card, and it was Michelle’s birthday, that day.  She received a beautiful rendition of “Happy Birthday” from the crowd.  She did not appreciate the singing and I took a little ill myself.

Robin got her Blue Card.  Robin owns the Mailbox in El Segundo and we will be looking forward to her Craft Talk sometime in the future.  That’s where Tom and I get our “special” magazines.

Sammy continues to work on Community Wellness Day in his tireless and up beat manner and keeps bring us checks.  Go Sammy go.

Speaker (Zeb Barnes)

Elyse introduced our speaker who was a very handsome young man who has started his own business; which is to deliver Pet products to homes so that Seniors (who can’t handle the big bags of food for their dogs)  did not have to go out to the store and lug them home.  He personally delivers Pet Products and carries the bags and other items into the homes and make friends with the Pets, along with the homeowner.  He brings treats.  He’s a Candy man.

Elyse says she met him because he also is a UPS driver and delivers packages to her office.  My guess is he also delivers Pet Products to her home.  She doesn’t have any Pet’s at home, but hey, he is a good looking guy and I think she bought a gold fish and he delivers the food, right to her door….early…in the morning…the fish gets  hungry very early.  He brings treats.  Well, enough of that.

This was a very sharp you guy with ambition.  He has a “quiet and organized and methodical” drive to be an “Entrepreneur” .  (Tom is looking this up now, he thinks it is French, I have him confused now with the different languages in the Bulletins).  Many of us in that room can relate to that drive.  It is not always fun being an “Entrepreneur” , and you can miss some paychecks along the way;  but you are your own boss and you can come and go as you please.  That usually means you are the first person in and the last to leave because you have to make the coffee in the morning and clean the restrooms before you go home, but hey, you are an entrepreneur.  It’s like the guy that cleans up after the Elephants in a parade and his friends tell him he should get a better job and he says, “What, and get out of Show Biz, no way”.  I am an Entrepreneur and the last regular pay check I had was in 1969.  My Salary was $550 per month and I had an apartment overlooking Lake Michigan, drank good scotch, and a gallon of gas was 25 Cents.   Oh well, times change.

I am sure Zeb will find a way to make it, and some day big.  He said all the right things in a very humble (but confident) way.  He listens to motivational tapes when he is driving.  He answered questions thoughtfully and with good cheer.  He was a winner and thanks Elyse for “finding” him.

Good Friday Breakfast

I know this is not an “official” Rotary Event, but it should be.  It has Rotary written all over it from the Past Mayors to the MC.  I was so proud to be a Rotarian at this event and I know all of us felt the same.  Joe Harding was the MC, The Maestro, the Ring Master, and (dare I say it) The Supreme Commander (at least at this meeting). 

Melissa Sang, Len Pledged, the Speaker (Olympian Peter Vidmar Gold and Silver Medalist at the 1984 Olympics) was related to the Briney’s 

When Joe wasn’t making the crowd laugh or cry, Marsha took over with her quick wit and performed for the crowd which featured….”her Mom from Indiana”.  There is nothing like a “Mom from Indiana”  to make Marsha happy, and she was.  Everything was flawless.   Marsha you are funny and quick and a natural in front of a crowd.  You and Joe make a great team.

The Singers from the High School were pitch perfect and guess what…Toms Daughter was one of those chosen to perform.  I sat next to Tom and asked him if his household was like the Von Trapp Family from the Sound of Music.  Did he wear a pair of Lederhosen and a little Swiss cap around the house --  especially when he was feeling frisky.

He grinned and was real proud of his daughter.  When Tom gets emotional, he gets quiet.  (We should get him emotional more often).   He looked at his daughter, grinned, and life was good.  They Choir sang and no one spoke a word.  My wife was filled with Easter joy.  I know it.  It carried throughout the day and into the evening and Easter Sunday.  It was a great begging of a Good Day:  A Good Friday Day.  Thank you Rotary.

Peter Vidmar was exceptional.  He made us all realize what it takes to be a Champion.  You can never give up or give in.  No matter how tough things are…you go on.  The striving for excellence is a great elixir…and worth it.  He humanized his Journey to the top with some great personal stories.   He scored a couple of perfect 10’s at the Olympics, and scored a 10 with us.

Joe engineered his way through humor, emotion, sadness, repartee, jokes that worked, and jokes that didn’t.  He was confident, yet humble.  This was Joe’s finest hour

At the end of the event Joe told us of the Sale of The Hacienda, the home of Rotary Meetings long before some members were born.  This has been the Sanctuary of us for a long time.  This Breakfast has become an El Segundo Tradition with few rivals honoring our past Mayors (Floyd, Dick, and Sandy) and a nice uplifting and peaceful beginning of the Easter weekend.

Joe ended with one of his Favorite Poems and Poets.  (I didn’t catch the name but as you read this Joe please remember to send me his name and the name of the Poem, it was pretty neat). 

Poems confuse me some times.  You get beyond some of my Favorites from Dr. Seuss and I get a little lost.  I asked Tom who his favorite poet was and he mentioned Willie Nelson and a few Limerick types that you say in a bar when you have had a few too many drinks and the girls get up and leave the table.  But, Joe judged the group right and read his poem.  It was great.  I think it had to do with building a bridge “after” you cross over the river to help those that may come after you.  It was the perfect end to a perfect 90 minutes and Joe, you get a 10.  Thank you for letting me be a part.

Rotary Meeting of 3-28-2013 "From the Galapagos, to Japan, to Easter and Beyond" by Gary Wilson Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

EL SEGUNDO ROTARY MEETING OF 3-21-2013 "Lets get healthy" by Cub Reporter Jack Weber

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

As most of you know, I am the CUB reporter who stands in for the awesome Gary Wilson. Gary emailed
me that he would miss this meeting. That email emboldened me to grab his usual seat which is the best
in the house (and I also hoped that some of his prestige would rub off on me – a fervent but unrequited
hope – especially when Joe Harding humiliated me by publicly calling on me to assume the joke telling
role. More in a few moments).

Our Supreme Commander called the meeting to order and we recited the pledge of allegiance. By the
way, I noted that the Supreme Commander has apparently ceded his position already even though he is
still in office until June. He’s dropped the title “Supreme Commander”.

Soon to be “Supreme Commander Emeritus”, Tom inspired us with quotations from John Wooden, the
famed coach. My two favorite inspirational quotes by Coach Wooden are:

  • Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.

  • If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

Ed Su provided the prizes. He’s certainly decadent – all prizes were booze and chocolates. No wonder
we are a raucous bunch most of the time.

Sandy Jacobs introduced her guest, Carol Atkinson. She has been to three of our meetings now (I think) -
so Dean – get on the ball and hook her in as a new member.



The Joe Show (Fining and a Power Grab)He noted that Chevron has put together an advisory council composed of residents of El
Segundo and Manhattan Beach. Nearly 50% of the El Segundo members are also members of
our Rotary Club. Joe wonders how that happened (thanks Lily) and pointedly asked what the
Council was going to do about gas prices. Probably nothing. $100 fine each.

Joe moved on to Claire – she recently played the role of a Mafia wife in a TNT production. Claire
reports that there’s lots of drama in the production and just by her comments, there’s LOTS of
drama. She’ll let us know when the production is in the theatres or at least on TNT or in the can
as they say in the movie business. Joe fined her for being a drama queen.

Shannon got Joe a couple of boxes of Oreos in various configurations. Always grateful for Oreos,
Joe told Shannon he would make a full Oreos shopping list. AND HE FINED HER.

Melissa had the joke of the day which was reasonably funny. However, the telling of the joke required a
Svedesh accent. She struggled with the accent – at times sounding as though she grew up in the Bronx,
or just got off the boat from Germany or grew up in Ireland or came from Natchez, Mississippi or Sicily.
It inspired Joe Harding to bring a formal motion for my return to joke telling. As much as I wanted to do
it, I thought it was more than I could handle. I declined.

The Great Leader reminded us of the Mayor’s Good Friday Breakfast on Friday, March 29 th, 20013 (Good
Friday, of course). $20.00 per person. We will likely have a couple of tables. This is a special tradition in
El Segundo. The Hacienda is hosting it with a number of speakers and the El Segundo HS Choir. Tom’s
daughter is in the choir so it will be good. The time is 6:45 a.m. but because of the popularity of the
Breakfast, you may want to plan on being at the Hacienda around 6:30 a.m. If you have not yet paid the
bill or arranged to put it on your bill, please see Ted at Thursday’s meeting.

Melissa asked for support for her walk on behalf of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. As we know her son
has MS and Melissa has worked diligently to raise funds for the Society. She continues her tradition this
year as well. April 6th is the date for her walk and any donation will be greatly appreciated. The Multiple
Sclerosis Society supports medical research into causes and hopefully a cure for MS. Their goal is to raise
$250,000,000 to battle this debilitating disease. Last year Melissa was 29 th in raising funds through her
walk and other donations. Help support her good work and pray for a solution finding the cause and
cure of this terrible disease. For donations, please either call Melissa or see her at our next meeting.

Our speakers for the meeting were Sammy Pyon, DC and Audrey Pyon, MA, MBA. Sammy and Audrey
are former members of our Rotary Club and friends of all of us. They own and operate El Segundo
Family Chiropractic at 100 W. Imperial Ave., Ste N, El Segundo, CA 90245. Several months ago, they
approached us about a Health and Wellness Day in El Segundo, the net proceeds from which would be
donated to our Rotary Club in exchange for our helping organize and execute the Health and Wellness
Day plan. They are meeting with good success recruiting businesses, professionals and health related
organizations (e.g. EMTs from the El Segundo Fire Department to teach CPR). They have 20 committed
participants and are turning the checks in to Ted as they come in. Dr. Pyon cited some statistics which
showed that while the United States was the leader in health care costs we were not the leader in
health care results. The purpose of the Health and Wellness Day is to familiarize the attendees with
lifestyles that will encourage healthful activities and an awareness of the services that are available to
help a person achieve those goals as well as skills that could save someone’s life. The Wellness Day will
be a high profile event – held on the front lawns of the High School on Main Street.

As promised, more on Ed Su’s prizes further pressing us into decadent behavior and debauchery:

1. Sheila had the raffle ticket for the big payoff. No luck. The pot lives on.
2. Bill Mason won a bottle of wine. He instantly gave it to Julia proclaiming he no longer drinks.
Right, Bill!
3. Marsha Hansen won the next bottle of wine. But she deserved it. She is at the center of every
project in El Segundo. She’s indefatigably “up”. Now we know why!
4. Joe Harding was next in line for a bottle of wine. That was no surprise.
5. Pastor Scott (guest) won one of the impressive boxes of chocolates. The caffeine in the
chocolate should wire him up for his next sermon.
6. Last, Sheila – wait, this was her second possible prize – another chocolate box. She’ll share it
with us next week, we are certain.

Tom gonged the end of the meeting and we all responded with a “yes SIR”.

Image
EL SEGUNDO ROTARY MEETING OF 3-21-2013 "Lets get healthy" by Cub Reporter Jack Weber Gary A. Wilson 0

Reunión Rotario de 20 de marzo 2013 Sandy goes to Mexico, by Don Juan de los Wilson

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Reunión Rotario de 20 de marzo 2013

Nuestro ganador del concurso discurso fue a la final, que es genial, pero no ir más allá. Nuestro artista tomó un segundo.

Los invitados, algunos rotarios y Mike Thomas Tracy nos visitó por segunda vez desde Texas. Tienen una hija en El Segundo.

Chuck de Culver City visitó de nuevo.

Eng y el nuevo Papa (Francis) visitó.

Melissa dijo a la broma .... muy muy bueno.

Carl Jacobs fue a ver a Sandy realizar.

Artículo pena mencionar ... Ed Su tuvieron asistencia perfecta durante el mes pasado y recibió una ovación. Y añade mucho a la reunión.

No hay cumpleaños y aniversarios.

Buen desayuno Viernes se acerca ... suscríbete a $ 20 por asiento. Está bien vale la pena para honrar a nuestros alcaldes anteriores.

Un amigo (Lloyd), de padre hijo de Shannon murió y no había dinero para un funeral. Los rotarios se les pidió hacer una contribución para ayudar. Muchos de nosotros lo hizo. Eso es lo que Rotary hace.

El Programa

Nuestro propio Jacobs arena fue el programa para el día y ella estaba allí para hablar con nosotros acerca de su reciente viaje a Guaymas, y nos dará mucho de la historia de esa ciudad con la ciudad de El Segundo. Se remonta un largo camino.

Fue divertido ver a prepararse. Se trataba de un ex alcalde de El Segundo y el Ciudadano del Año junto con montones y montones de participaciones y Presidencia con varios grupos cívicos, y ella dijo que era ... nervioso. Creo que es lindo. Ella es linda. Me gusta.

Sandy estaba allí por mes y lo puso en una presentación de diapositivas en Power Point ... para ser exactos. Eso puede ser desalentador si usted es nuevo en él y se pasaba todo el día en su preparación. (Dudo que nuestro pendejo, el Comandante Supremo, que pasa mucho tiempo en la preparación de una presentación). Kevin también tiene un gran interés en Guaymas y ha estado allí muchas veces, y esto no fue una excepción. Él les trajo un camión de bomberos a un año. La ciudad de El Segundo nunca supo que estaba perdido.

No creo que él sabía cómo manejarlo sin embargo. Con frecuencia se representa a la Ciudad de El Segundo en varias visitas y funciones. Él disfruta de la comida, la bebida, y las mujeres. Pero esa es otra historia.

Hay dos "compañeros" Clubes Rotarios de Guaymas, se habla Inglés, y el otro habla español. Decidimos hacer este Boletín en español.

Carl y Sandy se quedó en un apartamento con una hermosa vista del Mar de Cortés. Era inusualmente frío en esta época y no había calefacción en el apartamento, pero no fue hasta $ 1,150 por mes.

Algunas de las cosas que hemos dado a Guaymas son:

  • Muchas sillas de ruedas han sido donados, especialmente durante el año Phil 's.
  • 6 buses
  • Jim y Elyse pagado por una educación de los niños. Él es ahora su muchacho de la piscina y es muy lindo.
  • De Fire Engine curso Kevin 's
  • Construido y suministra una completa tienda de madera por Jim y Elyse
  • Julie Stolnack donado s jersey y el equipo de béisbol.
  • Muchas de estas donaciones no llegar con facilidad a causa de la burocracia tanto cuando usted dona.
  • Organizado por Mattel a donar muñecas y materiales.
  • Esta historia de las dos ciudades se remonta, incluso a días Floyd Carr 's como alcalde cuando les enseñaron a utilizar el fuego y sobre la nueva invención de la rueda.

Hubo un momento en que un poco de dinero fue un largo camino para hacer las cosas de viaje a México, pero ya no.

Sandy se le preguntó si se sentía a salvo y ella dijo que sí, pero mantuvo a los lugares que estaban familiarizados con ella y no involucrarse en cosas que no eran asunto suyo.

Ella nos habló de "local" aduana al salir de una tienda de comestibles que conseguir un poco de "ayuda" cargar su carro con las maletas. Sandy ellos puntas 12 pesos es por la ayuda, Carl pagado bolsa por el peso de 12 años. Carl estaba en la ruina todo el tiempo.

Cuando trataron de hablar español con la gente del lugar, fueron corregidos por los lugareños. Me pregunto qué harían con este Boletín.

Sandy, gracias por toda su preparación y trabajo y una gran presentación en la ciudad que ha significado tanto para El Segundo paso de los años.

En conclusión Julia dio un breve bastante bonito (sí Julia) habla acerca de cómo Sandy ha mantenido esta relación maravillosa pasando por tantos años y cuánto ha contribuido por sí misma ya los demás.

Thanks for Coming

Reunión Rotario de 20 de marzo 2013 Sandy goes to Mexico, by Don Juan de los Wilson Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of March 7, 2013 “Podium Poachers Take Over” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Visitors

Kevin introduced Mark Hammil(sp) a visitor who is a Financial Advisor and his father was a Rotarian.  Looking for opportunities to get involved in the community.

Chuck Perlis “visited”.  This visitor attends much more than some of our members.

Jack introduced Derick King who visited from from a local Aircraft company here in town.   His father was here a few weeks ago and they seem to be interested in a company sponsorship.  Derick was really a good sport and participated willingly and freely with the group.  He volunteered to be a member of one of Joe and Elyses sample groups that frequently are made to look foolish.  Tom is there Supreme Commander.

Recognition (Joe did some “finin”) and the business part of the meeting.

Dick Van Vranken (who is on the Board of the Herald Publication in town) was told that the front page of the paper had a photo taken by him (Joe), yet credit was given to another.  Dick, who doesn’t read his paper and certainly doesn’t proof it, said he would have a big article in next week’s paper giving the credit where it belongs.  My guess is that won’t happen.

Laura got recognized vicariously because her sons’ picture was in the paper.

Elyse got recognized for going to a Hockey game, and ran into Joe in the lobby.  “What’s the odds of that”.  Her favorite part of the hockey is the fights.  It figures.

Julie S.  brought the raffle prizes.  Thanks

Melissa told the joke.  Thanks

Dean and Tom went to the Chamber Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the El Segundo Athletic Club

Julie accepted a stipend for the Little League.  There are 365 kids in the league along with the Challenger Team of special needs kids.   

Clair was the sponsor of the Challenger team in the past, but because of her special circumstances she is unable to continue that.  Kevin decided to take over that responsibility.  Thanks to Clair for all she was able to do for 4 years and thanks to Kevin for what he is about to do by taking over.  (Rotarians at work helping others to a better life)

The Program

This was about RYLA.  The program is for kids(and Rotarians) to learn leadership skills and to get out of your comfort zone..  Joe and Elyse have been doing this for a long time and they “beam” when they do it together.  Lead that is.  However a problem did occur that they solved even before the meeting started.

Question:  When you have two Podium Poachers who want to speak, how many Podiums do you need?  Answer of course is 2.  And that is what they did.  One of our other Podium Poachers (Julia) tried to make it a Troika but couldn't pull it off.  Joe and Elyse decided to have each of them on each end of the room, and for the most part they did not talk over each other.  Nice job.  It was like watching a Tennis Match.  All love.

They taught us a number of very valuable things but I am not sure what they are.  Here are a few.

First we learned how to make a Peanut Butter Sandwich.  I would let you know how this was done, but there were many version of the technique.  After reading 5 recipes there was a question and Joe wanted to know “what is missing here”?  

Like a deer in headlights we all looked at each other and came up with some stupid answers (there are no stupid answers right, well we might have to rethink that).  The hidden message is that when you communicate questions or instructions to someone; give them enough specific information about what needs to be done so there would be no misunderstanding

We were also given a pencil and paper.  Then, we were given the assignment to draw a picture of a “Triangalope”.  Elsye barked instructions like “has body like a triangle”, “has 4 large holes, and 4 small holes”, “has a tail with fur on it”, “feet with 3 toes” etc. etc.  We all drew our Triangalope pictures separately from the same instructions and for the most part they were all different.  

Dick kept looking over my shoulder at my Trianleope and pretty much copied mine.  He was still working on his Peanut Butter and Jellie Sandwich which looked like a banana taco.  Tom's picture looked like a Banana chasing a Doughnut.  Freud would have a lot of fun with that Supreme Commander.

I had the best Triangleope in the building that day.  It looked like Tom without the hair on the tail, otherwise…  Dick’s looked exactly like mine and I saw it for sale on Ebay yesterday.  That should fetch quite a bit.

We had some other exercises where we had to do a task but could not talk to each other.  No spoken language  We never thought that you could write messages...same things just slower.  Think outside the box, or there is no box as Joe likes to say.    The task had something to do with our birth dates and you had to line up according to your age.  Shannon jumped in front, Claire jumped right behind her.  If they were the only two in line then that would have worked both forwards and backwards, but unfortunately there were 4 others no knowing what to do because they couldn't talk.  Kevin took out his drivers license (or maybe it was his Fire Badge) to show it to the others.  I hope that is what he was doing.  Our good sport Visitor Derick was kinda thinking “what the hell I am doing here.  My father really set me up”. 

Fundamentally it was all about “communications” and “leadership”.  Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow, sometimes you are bewildered, and sometimes you are a Rotarian and do them all....and laugh.  And laugh we did.  

We heard little from our President Elect as we floundered through our tasks and he shook his head and no doubt was thinking that next year is going to be a very tough year.  He is looking for Leadership and he gets peanut butter.   He needed to reach out to Derick and make sure he did not get a way  Perhaps Derick is smart.  The man with one eye is king in the valley of the blind.

Well, my time is up and we just got a new Pope.   It is time to make a Peanut Butter and Trianglealope Sandwich.  Very tasty, but tough.  I think it would be good in the slow cooker first and perhaps Joe could have it on the menu for our next meeting.

Parting Thoughts

EXTRA:  We have a new Pope, his chose name is Francis.

Question:  Who is higher, the Supreme Commander or the Pope.  Tom will answer that at the next meeting.  Tom is a Catholic, or at least he goes to the Catholic Church here in town to watch me stand up and sit down a dozen or so times.  Mary takes me there from time to time on the condition that I can’t tell anyone that I am her husband.  I like going to church, I feel better afterward.  God is a good thing.



Rotary Meeting of March 7, 2013 “Podium Poachers Take Over” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of Feb 28, 2013 "Say it Ain't So Joe" and “Len starts making his presence known” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

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

Rotary Meeting of Feb 28, 2013 "Say it Ain't So Joe" and “Len starts making his presence known” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 2-7-2013 “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

We didn’t have much of a “meeting” per se since we had so many performers.  Jim (Mr. Rothstein) was a visitor and he brought the President of his local club to see how running a meeting was done and he was there to observe Tom.  I think he quit from Rotary the following day. 

Chris Reiman (President of Interact) talked to us from the podium briefly about changes that he and his board are planning on implementing in the high school club.  He eyed Tom’s gavel, Tom was nervous and Dave was proud.  Dave is Chris’s Father and scored a touchdown once, but now he is just known as Chris’s Dad and Chris takes care of him.

We had a potential new member and I cannot remember his name, and Jokemaster Jack introduced him.  Jack told the joke and picked one suitable for minors.  It was.

I sat across from Peter Gianusso who is President of the El Segundo Girls Softball team and is the IT Manager for Prudential Pacific.  He gave an extemporaneous speech about Softball and what the “team” means to youth growing up.  He indicated that it was not about winning, but about building character.  (Oh, by the way the girls won the championship).  I thought he would be an excellent Rotarian and told him so, and put on a little extemporaneous recruiting presentation of my own.  It turns out he knows a number of Rotarians and serves on the Softball Board with Julie Stolnack.  I am assuming Julie will see him from time to time and invite him back. 

The Program

And life goes on.  We bid a good friend  good bye one week, and then youth in our community come to visit and they have their entire lives before them.  Life goes on.

They were there to perform, to compete, and maybe walk away with a few bucks in their pocket.  They were nervous.

We had Young Artists, Young Musicians, and (Young Speakers will join us this week).    Many of their moms and dads were there as well, with the beaming face of a proud parent, with just a touch of nervousness as,  their children showcased their craft.  One Student told us how much she loved her mom and how much her mom helps her.  Her mom cried.  Later when I was walking out I had a chance to chat with her.  She was blown away and said her daughter had never said things like that to her.  Rotary brings out the best in us, no matter how young or old you are.  I love it.  That is life at it’s Norman Rockwell best.  

Image

The Kids and Parents said thank you Rotary for the recognition and the rewards, and we mentally say thank you back for allowing us to watch your joy in your performance and experience vicariously the playful innocence of youth.  We too were young.  We too are grateful.

Thanks to Tom, Nancy and Jack for putting this type of meeting together, and always a big thanks to Joe for arranging the meeting rooms etc.  And thanks to Phil for looking down on the meeting and making sure things went well.

The winners of the Art and Music contest are as follows.

Art

1st                          Tobi Ku

2nd                         Lianna England

3rd                         Tania Bustaments

 

Music

 1st                          Christian Alva

2nd                          James Dahl

3rd                           Nicholas Muzuk

We didn't have a meeting last week because we had a combined meeting with Manhattan Beach.  I for one forgot.  I will bet I am not the only one.  I use to like to make up and see what other clubs are doing.   If anyone wants to “team up” on a Tuesday or Wednesday and go visit another club, let me know.  I am game for that.   I don’t suppose it would be appropriate for us to do that on a Thursday, but let’s see how interesting the meetings are for the new year and make up our minds later.

“Love ya, Tom.  Let’s do lunch some time.  I’ll have my girl call your girl.  We’ll set something up.  Love ya mean itCall me maybe

Rotary Meeting of 2-7-2013 “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of Feb. 2, 2013 “Last Call” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor and additional information by Jack Weber and Nancy Cobb, Cub Reporters

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

“The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,

Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit

Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,

Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it….”  Omar Khayyam (The Profit)

Phil is gone.  Life begins, and then it ends. 

Sad, sad day for us and the many “little people” he touched in so many ways.  He routinely performed “micro miracles” for the needy.  He was a beauty and we “celebrated” his life both at the Rotary meeting on Thursday and again to a packed house on Saturday at the Hacienda.    The Hacienda did him proud with lots and lots of people and lots of food.  Yep, the Crystal Ballroom.  Phil has spent many a day and evening making things happen in the Chrystal Ball Room, behind the scenes making sure things ran well and on time.  It was full to see Phils memory one last time.

Today was his last day in the Chrystal Ballroom and he was the star.  That was a role I am sure he never wanted, but we had to do it.  The Hacienda made his family extremely welcome and I think they felt part of our Rotary family as well.  Phil would have been glad about that. 

Phil’s Brother and Sister were much like him.  Very likable and easy to talk with, and his dad was so special.  It is easy to see how Phil became who he was….Phil. (or was he Phil, let me explain).    There were a few surprises however.  Phil’s family knew him as “Pete”.    That name came from a childhood nickname “Peety- Boop”.   (I know he is looking down now watching me type and laughing because I never heard that nickname.  I would have used that so often, but he kept that secret for obvious reasons.  “Peety-Boop” how about that.

He was a man with a number of conundrums, and that was just one of them.

As these kinds of “celebrations” go, these two were the best.  

The regular meeting was mostly about Phil, and a presentation by Lili about the goings on at Chevron in the next month or so.  They are going to move some huge (and I mean huge) "stacks" up Pacific Coast Highway ala Space Shuttle style. There was lots of that information about this in the Daily Breeze this week as well.

Back to Phil

I know these are "Celebrations of Life" and  I suppose they are... “celebrations”, but sad celebrations for me.   Stiff upper lip kinds of events.  Bitter sweet at best.  They make you realize how fragile we are.  I get pensive.  One day you are here, the next day you are not.  When the bell tolls for thee, you have to go.  So….get on with your life NOW is the message.  Right now, today.  Have the full range of human experience.  Get on with it.  

Tell the truth, help others, tell them you love them if you do.  That is what Phil’s brother told us to do at our tables on Saturday.  At our table we all told each other that we loved each each other.  (Of course not in a Broke Back Mountain kind of way, but love just the same).  It was neat.  Some you love more than others, but love just the same.

A number of us spoke on behalf of Phil and his memory.  I was honored and privileged to speak my written word.  I couldn't have done it without my sheets of papers.  My papers kept me from crying. Phil  "watched" me write it.   I didn't cry (well maybe a little...I had something in my eye... and a cold, yea that's it).   I worked hard on the papers and felt good about saying what I had to say because Phil and I would frequently share writing experiences.  He encouraged me on every bulletin.  He could turn a phrase or two himself.  He was indeed watching.  I wish I had that "Peety-Boop" thing while he was here.  

As it came out in the people that spoke about him…he was very very smart and loved by many.  Not school smart, he didn’t like school so he dropped out. He did it his way.  He did life his way.  Someone should write a song like that.  Maybe call it "My Way".  

Phil really was indeed really smart.  He knew something about everything.  No kidding.  I know.  He read all kinds of stuff throughout his life and if he read it….he knew it.  I can testify to that and so could his family and friends.  I would say about 20 people or so shared their stories of Phil and their love for him. Some stepped to the Podium and talked to the crowd.  Others lingered afterward to share stories with Phil's family.  They "lingered" afterwards just because they wanted the "celebration" to...not end...to continue.  

But end it did.   And now life goes on.  Let's do the rest of our lives better in the name of Phil.  Last call.  I am pushing the send button now.

Addendum

From Nancy and Jack

Rotary Art/Music/Speech Contests 2013 

Just in time to meet the January 31st deadline, El Segundo Rotary held their high school student contests to select the three finalists in each category who will present their work to our Rotary Club, and the winners in each event who will represent us at the District Contest on March 9 at Loyola University.

The art and music finalists, their parents, and their teacher sponsors will be our guests on February 7 when the students will present their work to the club. First placewinners will receive $150; 2nd place $100, and 3rd place $75.00.

The speech finalists will present their speeches on February 21st and receive their awards at that time.

All students in Tracy Kadonaga’s AP Art class participated in the art contest.  Three judges, (Jenny Jacobs, a professional graphic artist and daughter of our own Sandy Jacobs, art/photography teacher Dave Reed, and English teacher Pam Levy, who also has a background in art) collaborated to select and rank the three finalists. In alphabetical order, they are: Tania Bustamente, Lianna England, and Tobi Ku. Edie Rice coordinated the music competition, and Melissa and Randy Albers, along with two music professionals recruited by Edie (Virginia Figueirido and Alicia Mastromonaco), judged and ranked the participants. The finalists, in alphabetical order, are: Christian Alva, James Dahl, and Nicholas Mazuk. Jack Weber, Nancy Cobb, and retired teacher Paulette Cadill judged the speech contest coordinated by Academic Decathlon teacher Michelle Villalobos. The finalists, in alphabetical order, are: Jessica Hamade, Deanna Natale, and Leksandra Piibe.

Nancy Cobb

1/31/13

Rotary Meeting of Feb. 2, 2013 “Last Call” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor and additional information by Jack Weber and Nancy Cobb, Cub Reporters Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 1-24-2013 "Etiquette" by Gary Wilson and Mystery Ride by Jack Weber

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

This meeting was lively and fun and we all had laughs with our speaker who talked to us about Etiquette.  We had a couple of visitors who may be interested in joining Rotary and it was a very typical meeting to the very end.  The meeting came to an end.  Phil White was not there which is unusual and shortly thereafter Tom learned from Joe that Phil had been found dead in his apartment of unknown causes.  Everyone was shocked and didn't know what to do or say.  I still am, and as of this writing I don't think we know the cause of death.  I have started this bulletin a number of times, but for now I am just going to leave it alone.  I have written about Phil and will share those feelings and stories on Thursday at the regular meeting.

Jack attended Elyse's special dinner on Saturday night along with many Rotarians.  Cub Reporter Jack wrote a very nice report on the evening.  His report follows and I think it is a good idea to report on Rotary activities outside of our regular meetings.  So those of you who like to write, bring your pens along to our various functions and send me your thoughts, or talk to Jack our cub reporter when he wants an in depth interview.

Last Thursday’s Mystery Ride (be at the Hacienda no later than 6 PM) , Mystery Dinner, Mystery Restaurant

Mystery Exposed

Our very own Elyse Beardsley (with her husband, Jim) put together an incredible evening out. Jim is also in the Rotary (another club, though) and both clubs joined together for a Mystery Evening.

Now there were a few mysteries we had to struggle through before we actually had a GREAT evening, socializing with ourselves and another Club. Those mysteries were solved by the sequence of events. The first mystery was Elyse’s clear directions that we all had to be at the Hacienda by 6:00 PM no later. Everyone wondered why? Well, that mystery soon dissolved since we all were there by 6:00 PM but nothing happened until 6:30 PM when we were loaded into two Hacienda airport buses (thanks Joe). But we were told that we should look for the buses with taped over windows. There were none. In fact, the dark tinted bus windows allowed the world to see inside the bus but made looking out of the bus difficult. We pulled out of the entranceway to the Hacienda and headed south on Sepulveda (newcomers to the west coast would pronounce it Sepulveeeeda until corrected). Under way finally, everyone speculated about where we were headed. This had to be SOME restaurant – Elyse promised that whatever kind of cuisine you wanted – the restaurant could provide. Then we turned left on to the street where the West Basin Water District is located. OH NO – a catered dinner hosted by them at a plant that recycled sewage water? We’d been that route before. No thanks (interesting and likely the future source of drinking water – but I was not ready for it). We passed the water plant and turned right into the back entrance to El Segundo Plaza. Now everyone was trying to figure out to which restaurant we were headed. But none of the suggestions fit the description of an international dinner. None. Not a one (want a hamburger or a vegetarian dinner or a tasty steak grilled with vegetables and baked potatoes – you got it). The mystery deepened.

We stopped in front of Whole Foods. Mystery solved. Whole Foods has food in nearly every possible configuration – Asian, Italian, American, etc. But where would we eat? In the back of the store where the wine bar is, Whole Foods had put together two columns of tables (with table clothes).

The evening started with wine tasting. The sommelier was from one of Whole Foods’ wine suppliers. Knowledgeable about wines, he spent the entire evening with us – pouring, explaining and suggesting. Fascinating.

For dinner, Whole Foods had a prepared menu with a vast number of choices of varying types of cuisine. I had salmon, with small potatoes, and mixed vegetables. The salmon was done with a ginger dressing. Absolutely delicious. As I “Hoovered” my meal, I carefully took note of what others were eating – and as advertised – there was an array of varied dinners. Every dinner looked outstanding.

After dinner, the Hacienda transportation company picked us up and took us back to the hotel where we disappeared into the bar (thanks again to Joe who made it irresistible). 

Elyse and Jim planned a perfect and fun evening. Our collective hats are off to them for making an incredible, super fun, memorable evening. It was the best. Perfect Rotary fellowship. Thank-you Elyse (and Jim). What’s next??

We are solid fans of Elyse’s push to make us entertaining and entertained. Elyse, how are you going to top the Mystery Night??   

Rotary Meeting of 1-24-2013 "Etiquette" by Gary Wilson and Mystery Ride by Jack Weber Gary A. Wilson 0

El Segundo Rotary Bulletin of 1-17-13 "Fire Chief Avoids Embarassing Moment -- Temporarily" by Jack Weber, Cub Reporter

Posted by Gary A. Wilson
Pre Amble

The sage who usually writes this column predicted that Kevin would not show up at the meeting on as it was going to be presented by a manners expert and most of it would be directed at Kevin’s table manners. As it turns out, Kevin did come to the meeting but the date for the manners presentation was
changed to this week (how did Kevin find that out??). I wonder if he’ll come. Our Supreme Commander announced that he has purchased a Prius Hybrid. This column gives the opportunity to congratulate him for coming over to the right side; err, excuse me the left side. He is now
environmentally conscientious. He told me that he was really happy with the car – instead of paying $125 dollars for the roundtrip to Big Bear, he’s doing it for about $25.00. The gas guzzling Dodge is retired until the boys get their licenses. But then --- they won’t drive far because they will not be able to
buy much fuel. Nancy and I plan on congratulating him Tom by putting an “Obama-Biden” sticker on the bumper and giving him a year’s membership in the League of Conservation Voters. Wow, what a change for him!!


The Meeting


1. Neil Perkey attended (the landlord for the building in which Barrister Reimann has his office). Hmmm, I wonder what the other tenants are like. This was the third visit for Neil. I hope he indicates to Dean that he wants to join us. Dave was right – Neil is a really good guy.

2. Sammy Pyon (Dr. Pyon’s Chiropractic practice is located at 100 West Imperial Ave., Suite N) brought us up to date on his plans for a Community Wellness Day. It is the 2nd annual Community Wellness Day organized by him. This year it is scheduled for June 1 st, 2013 from 10
am to 2 pm. He has obtained permission to use the front lawn of the ES High School which is a primo spot. He is lining up sponsors and participants now and has asked us to join him. Tom will bring the matter up to the Board and/or general meeting. We were a sponsor last year.

3. Our loveable SUPREME COMMANDER exercised (and flexed his muscles) appointing himself, Jeami Duncan and Jack Weber as tri-platoon leaders to tackle the Mad March annual project. We will be starting the planning this next week and if there are any volunteers, please let us
know what you would like to do. Otherwise you get conscripted.

4. Kevin Smith asked for our urgent attention to the Blood Drive. There is a shortage of blood and it is approaching a major crisis. Kevin said the shortage has become dangerously critical. The blood drive Is on January 31st from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fire Station No. 1, 314 Main St. Walk ins
are welcome. Appointments can be made by emailing Kevin at ksmith@elsegundo.org and he will take it from there. You know, we sometimes kid Kevin but he is one of the kindest people I know. He is our BEST Fire Chief. We love you man!!

The Program

Our speaker du jour was our own Eng Teoh-Szetho. She is the owner and President of Team Handling Services, Inc. They are import-export Customs brokers acting for and serving as advisors to importers regarding in the sequencing of custom formalities and requirement. They perform the details that are critical to the speedy and legal exporting and importing of goods. Eng is the licensed import-export broker in her firm. She explained some of the intricacies of her
work. One of the surprises for some of us was that a Customs broker does inspect the goods. A Customs broker relies on the paperwork presented to them. The US Customs Service does the inspections. Eng described some of the kinds of materials that will be seized by Customs (e.g. trademark violations). Eng mentioned that her brother is a freight forwarder which allows door to door transportation under the same roof. Toward the end of her talk she said the pass rate on the Customs broker examination is about 20%. Tougher than graduating from medical school!! Eng’s business is located at 310 E. Imperial, Suite B, El Segundo and her office number is 310-615-0267. Thanks Eng for a really interesting presentation.

Next meeting is this Thursday at the Hacienda. Usual time with thanks to Joe and his staff for the excellent food and service they give us.


Jack Weber, Cub Reporter
El Segundo Rotary Bulletin of 1-17-13 "Fire Chief Avoids Embarassing Moment -- Temporarily" by Jack Weber, Cub Reporter Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of January 10, 2013 - "There is something Fishy Here", by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

The Roundhouse at the end of the Manhattan Beach pier was the destination point of our first meeting in 2013.  This was the 3rd field trip in a row for or Rotary members and Elyse is in charge of our meeting programs for the month.   Most of us met at the Hacienda and Joe provided a bus to shuttle us to and from the event.  It was nice to see our fellow Rotarians after so many weeks without a meeting.  Nothing like a little "Fellowship" to warm the sole.  "Femaleship" is even better.

The “Roundhouse” has to be one of the most photographed and recognized spots in Southern California.  As a Realtor I see it on just about every South Bay Realtor’s web site; in most “Photographers” storefronts; and artist collections.    Most visitors to the beach catch it from all angles.  If you have never been inside, you should.  We went as a group.  Thanks Elyse.

It’s an Aquarium with some very interesting creatures.  We Rotarian creatures joined them for lunch.  They must have found us interesting as well.  We are. Some more so than others.  Speaking of creatures,  Elyse had bought lots of sandwiches for our enjoyment.   There was turkey, salami, ham, etc.  No tuna however; or crab.  No seafood out of courtesy to our Pisces hosts

We had a long table for dining set up between the large aquarium tanks.  I sat next to my fellow Realtor Shiela and we sat in front of a Very Large Eel.  It could have been two eels, maybe 3.  I didn't want to stare or intrude.  It' not polite to ogle eels.  They can get pissed off.   It went up and down…up and down…up and down….and on and on and on.    Kinda like a life in general.  It’s a metaphor.  It’s an eel.  While I was eating my turkey sandwich I wondered what Eels eat.  (I think I need more of a life.  I need a complication.  But that’s another story for another time).  I know you are all wondering now .. “what do eels eat”.  I looked it up, and I am glad I did so now rather than before we had the meeting.  Here is what I found.

“Eel prey on fish and small crustaceans. Some eel have mouths consisting of a sucker surrounded with small teeth. The teeth pierce the scales and skin of fish and the eel sucks the blood for nourishment. Other species of eel have many sharp teeth and are able to bite and tear their prey into pieces to eat”.

I noticed Julia came in a bit late with her “Navy Seal -- Bill”.  She immediately noticed the shallow tank with a Sting Ray, which went up and down…up and down….up and down…and on and on and on.  This sting ray (and most sting rays) had a perpetual smile on his “face”.  Julia stooped down low and took his picture.  He smiled, Julia smiled back, I smiled.  A very nice Sting Ray he was.  He got his picture taken.  Not the first time I would guess.  I wonder what his name might be?  Must be Ed, or perhaps Ernie.  No, Earl.  (Boy do I need a life)

What do sting ray’s eat you might ask?  I am also glad I just looked that up now rather than before.  Here is what they eat.

“They are carnivore animals, more precisely predators, feeding on other smaller fish and other sea creature that they catch at the bottom of the sea. Their diet consists of mollusks, clams, shrimps, snails and other species of fish. They don’t have a hard time catching their victim and due to their sandy color, they can hardly be detected. They can trap their prey without the smallest of problem, using their instincts, sometimes waiting for it to just swim by. They don’t have a strong eyesight and they must rely on their sense of smell when detecting their prey. Being closely related to sharks, it doesn’t take a lot of imagination to know what a meal looks like for stingrays. Once the prey is close, they will instantly attack it and crush it with their mouth”

Well, so much for the smiling ray being a friendly ray. There could be a lawyer joke in here.  They will turn on you if you have food.  “Another metaphor for life”. 

“Never trust a smiling ray if you have food and they are hungry and don’t”.   

Fish are just like people.

Next Meeting

Next Weeks Meeting is(was) going to be about Etiquette.  There may be a change to that.

I am sure there is a proper etiquette when dining among fish with hungry Rotarians, eels, rays and rascals.  Perhaps our Etiquette Instructor that Tom talked about in his recent email will cover these situations.  He singled out a few of us in his Email as needing some special training in this area.  I will bet Tennesee Etiquette is a bit different than most.  Guess what.  I just googled “Etiquette in Tennessee” and there is a whole school for that purpose!.  This is not a Joke. How many states have their very own school for Etiquette.  Go here…it is no joke:  http://www.theetiquetteschooloftn.org/

Of course Tennessee would have such a school.  Tom is from there.  See you Thursday.

Rotary Meeting of January 10, 2013 - "There is something Fishy Here", by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor. Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of Dec. 13, 2012 “To Drink, or not to Drink, that is the question” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Pre Meeting

Because of the falling of the holidays we did not meet the last 2 Thursdays in the year, so our last meeting was at the West Basin Municipal District Reclamation Plant on the 13th.  Dick and Julie Stolnack went to the Hacienda last week and had a meeting, and Len went to the Aquarium.  2 Past Presidents and our next President were confused.  Life is indeed confusing.  The next thing you know we will be recycling our own bodily fluids.

A few of us (Tom, Len, and myself) got to the facility early and had to use the rest room before the meeting.  It looked like a typical mens room,  but standing there at the urinal one was forced to think about “where actually did this wastewater go when you were through”.   Would we see it again before the end of the day?  I decided not to go at that time figuring I could wait til after the meeting when I was home.  Tom,  however relieved himself and was quite proud, Supreme Commander and “P”  leader that he is.  He is like a Rooster

The Meeting at the West Basin Municipal District Reclamation Plant

When we arrived we were treated to a lunch by the plant with some familiar soft drinks that had lids on them and water with labels.  I checked carefully.   Then we watched a funny movie with the actor Jack Black learning about how that “reclaimed” water comes to be drinking water once again.  The movie talked about a potentially new bottled water product called “Porcelain Springs Water”, which we all sampled later in the day.  At least I think we all sampled it.  Some of us had to “man up”.   Elyse told me a number of times during the tour that she didn’t need water like most people and rarely drank it anyway.  I think she was just managing my expectations on whether she was going to drink or not.   I don’t know if she drank it nor if everyone did.   

Later in the tour I believe we learned that this “water reclamation” could happen fairly quickly and wondered if Tom perhaps could have supplied some of our sample that very day.  Some of us now are talking with a little bit of a southern accent and whistling Dixie from time to time.  Just maybe there is a little Supreme Commander in all of us now, but this too shall pass.

We had about 15 members show up and I assume those of you that could not attend did so because you knew where the plant “reclaimed” the water from and decided to be sick that day before the meeting rather than after.   

In any event we toured pretty much the whole facility and I noticed a few things that there were porto poddies  every where…disproportionally so.  It is almost like the designers said let’s not pass up and opportunity to get more “product”.

We learned all about filtration and how it works.  Quite frankly the day was very interesting and if you haven’t taken the tour you should.  You are looking at the future of our planet.  Drive a Prius, order Porcelain Springs Water with your home grown vegetables which you harvest in the nude.  Quite a life, yes sir re.  I think I am a Liberal now.  I think I need to eat some nuts and seeds too.

This week we go on another field trip and go to the Manhattan Beach Aquarium.  Bring your signed parents approval for the bus ride.   We are meeting at the Round House Aquarium at the end of the Manhattan Beach pier this week. We will have a private tour and lunch outside on the pier. Queen Elyse Beardsley is bringing lunch. 

Joe Harding and the Hacienda Hotel will be providing transportation to pier with a Hacienda Shuttle Bus. The bus will be leaving from the front of the Hotel at 11:45 sharp. The bus returns from the pier a 1:15.

See you there.

Rotary Meeting of Dec. 13, 2012 “To Drink, or not to Drink, that is the question” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor. Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of Dec. 13, 2012 “Tom is the Meeting and the Program”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting, The Program, and the Comments

Fining

Finemaster and our own Barrister  Dave fined the Supreme Commander for having a very accomplished son who runs Cross Country for the High School and won the Coach’s trophy.  Tom, the Proud father accepted the fine as if he had something to do with it.  Perhaps he did, Tom is so humble.

Phil got fined for “sitting” during the Holiday Parade.  He likes to sit.  I didn’t know that was a finable offence so I had better get my finances in order.

Elyse and Julie got fined.  Elyse stopped her car on (or just off the freeway).  When asked why she stopped her car she said she did so when she saw the flashing red lights in her rearview mirror, which interrupted her freeway phone call.  I hate it when that happens.   The only other time something similar to that happened is when she crossed over the double line to get into the passenger lane.  Oh, she had no passenger either.    Oh boy!

Speaking of driving -- Julie Warner was driving  the wrong way on a one way street  In a School Zone.  Her defense was that school wasn’t in session.   Oh boy again!

They were both fined for the fine work they did with the Holiday Parade in El Segundo.  They have been involved or in charge for over 10 years.  Julie was the “”Supreme Commandorette” of the Holiday Parade.   Elyse, with her great experiences with cars as illustrated above, was of course in charge of “Cars”.  Oh boy!

Dave, in his innocent kindness decided to limit or pay their fines.

Floyd said Dave sounded more like a politician than a lawyer.  Since Dave was going to pay for everything it must have been a Liberal

Marsha got fined as well.   Marsha and Randy sang 2 songs over, and over, and over, and over, and over….probably 100 times.  “Let it Snow “ and “Winter Wonderland”.   A couple of real toe tappers,  but 100 times.  That’s the neat thing about a parade…your audience changes about every 100 feet or so.

Dave only could fine one day in the month.   He actually had a 3 ring binder with notes (they were typewritten and had indexed tabs, just like he would in a court of law).  It was fun to watch him work as he “built his case” for the fines as a lawyer would do.  Another great finemaster.

Joke of the Day and Birthdays and Anniversaries

Phil White told a joke about a “Bacon Tree”.  He used a spanish accent, but did so in good taste and got lots of laughs and made a good presentation.

Joe Harding also told a good joke, delivered very well.   It was one of those  “Pearly gate jokes” combined with Christmas and Panties.   It was also done in fairly good taste, but treaded on thin ground.  It worked.

Floyd Carr had a Birthday 91st by the way.  91 years young.  He got his own card.

Elyse’s Birthday was TODAY, we sang and as usual it was awful.  She got a card about Breasts…it was appropriate, handled very well (the card that is).  She is not 91

Guests

Elyse brought some Interactors and as usual had to introduce themselves.  Good practice.

Recognition

Dave and Clair received recognition for organizing and hosting the Christmas Party.  A good time was had by all and all arrived safely home.

The Meeting Program

Tom tried to show a “District Video” on the computer and ….after about a minute of prodding the computer to go, go, go,  he quickly moved back to the “unoccupied” podium as Elyse and Joe set their eyes on a takeover.  The Video was a District thing on the easily found on the Web site (www.esrotary.org).  I couldn’t find it, but look for it next time you are on the web site.  Look for the link to the District site.

Tom

Tom talked about the changes that the club must implement to keep us “current” and in step in todays’ times.  I am not going to elaborate too much on this because I want to make sure we all get it right.  I think Tom will spell it out in a future email.   Many of us were involved in a couple of special meetings (we were all invited) to give our input on this situation.  The highlights are below.

·         Rename Voluntary Dues to Minimum Dues and will be $10 per month.  You can still pay more and that is encouraged. 

·         The room charge will be $5 per week or another $20 per month. 

·         Lunch’s will be $15 per month.  We need 20 lunch’s per month. 

·         The Hacienda is being sold and perhaps we will need a new place to meet.

·         Revamp Mad March Mixer – Idea’s were tossed around. 

·         We need someone to mentor with Ted and eventually take over the Treasurers role.   Ted can meet with you on his Yacht in the Marina to discuss with you.  It is Birth 32 near his parked Bentley.  (Being a Treasurer is not a bad job in the club so one of us needs to come forward).

·         Mural on Main Street coming up.

Rotary Meeting of Dec. 13, 2012 “Tom is the Meeting and the Program”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of Dec. 6, 2012 Singing from Park Vista by Jack Weber, Assistant Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson
PARK VISTA HOLIDAY LUNCHEON, by Jack Weber

On Thursday, December 6th, the El Segundo Rotary held the annual Holiday Luncheon for the
residents of Park Vista. As far as I know, we have never kept count of how many we served. However,
our own Chef Melissa and her sous-chef, Randy, reported that the somewhat unruly crowd (fellow
Rotarians caused the melee in the rush to eat), absolutely demolished the meal. We understand why –
Melissa and Randy made meat loaf, vegetables and cloverleaf dinner rolls which was outstanding.
Topped off by a homemade chocolate cake, the luncheon was deserving of the 5 star rating of the
culinary feats of Chef Hannes. Impeccably, presented and served by the El Segundo High School Wait
Staff, it was delightful. We are certainly thankful and grateful for Melissa and Randy’s work. Many of us
would starve if it was not for their culinary delights. Thanks!

Christmas gifts were put out so that every Park Vista resident had a choice (wrapped in nice wrapping
paper so they did not know what the surprise was). It’s rumored that some took more than one.

The highlight of this year’s Holiday Luncheon was the presentation of Holiday music by the El Segundo
High School Choir. The Choir has won many awards, such as performing in London at the Olympics
(chosen from choirs around the world), a sold out performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City and
many, many others. The Choir is led by and taught by Gianna Summers who is the Chorale and Chamber
Singers teacher at El Segundo High School. The performance was spectacular and it is apparent why the
choir is award-winning. They did a flawless and inspiring medley for the enjoyment of all.  

If you were not there, you missed an incredible Holiday Luncheon with outstanding food and music. But
then you would have had to sit in the extended hallway since there was no room in the dining room.

The El Segundo Rotary Club presented a check for $250 to the choir as a very small appreciation for their
appearance with us.

Did anyone notice how nervous our Supreme Commander, Tom, was? I figure there were two causes for
it: the size of the crowd (he’s only used to commanding a small platoon and this was an overflow event)
or he was afraid they would make him sing. Maybe it was both.

Picture below is Past President Dick talking to a Future President Dean asking:  "Dean, can you bring back the Cigars and Strippers, those were the good old days."  Dean said "Yea Dick I can and will"
Image

There is not too many "Guy Singers", why is that?

Image
Rotary Meeting of Dec. 6, 2012 Singing from Park Vista by Jack Weber, Assistant Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

El Segundo Rotary Meeting of Nov. 29, 2012 (The End of the NRG Saga) by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Meeting starts at 12:15 and Tom called the meeting to order at that time.  We said the pledge and had a poignant thought (as much as Tom could muster) and then…disorder took over.   Elyse arrived with an entourage or Roteractors and Tom showed “patience”,  not  something he is prone to doing.  He quietly took the room in…and let Elyse and others “work the room” as she is prone to doing upon her entrance, and then Tom calmly rang the bell again…settled us down.  He has become comfortable in his role.  I remember Melissa saying you really don’t run a Rotary meeting, you kind of guide it to it’s proper conclusion.   Tom get’s it, and is now “Presidential”.  That’s all the sucking up I am going to do, and please don’t hug me again.  Thank God we have the Sr. Center tomorrow.  Tom can give and get all the hugs he wants.  No inappropriate touching however.

Tom brought a visitor named Neil, and he manages Dave Reiman’s building as a Property Manager.  Their sons are in various activities in El Segundo together and have known each other for some time.  They seem to like each other.  Perhaps he doesn’t know Tom all that well.  He may be interested in becoming a member.  He also knew(knows) Elyse.  Elyse tried to take the credit for bringing Neil, poaching is a better term, but let Neil choose himself who his sponsor might be.  Neil chose the power of the Presidency…Tom. 

Alex brought another “inspector” who was going to be our program.  He knew many people in the room and was widely “liked” by everyone.  His name was Steve.  I don’t  know too many regulators or inspectors -- and prefer to keep it that way.   This guy did seem kind of special and very likable.  Many in the room knew him, liked him, and respected him.  He could probably shut your business down if you were not in “compliance”, so liking him may be mandatory, certainly advisable.

The Joke of the day was told by Julie Stollnack.  She chose “clean” because of the youth in the room, and out of respect for Mormon Mike, who told “the rowdy corner” some risqué  Mormon jokes.  They were funny, but  risqué  is way too strong a word.   Does Mike have the jokes for a month somewhere down the road?  I think he would be excellent in that role. 

Gary, Nancy, Jack, and Sandy meet “secretly” but you are all invited to solve the problems of the world.  We have dealt with World Hunger, Presidential Elections, War, Sequestration, the Fiscal Cliff, Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Jefferson, Truman, Obama, Bush, Reagan, Unions, movies, and TV.  We agree on a few things (favorite TV shows seem to be “The Good Wife”, “Blue Bloods”, and “Homeland” and “Revenge”…just in case you are interested).  You are always invited and we meet Wed. morning at 8:30 at Schats.

Podium poacher Elyse did some fining.  She fined the guest $20.  Not sure why.  She fined Alex for some “secret” meetings he was having with fellow Rotarians.  She fined Gary, Nancy, Jack, and Sandy for “secret meetings” as well.  Well, they are not too secret.  Gary, Nancy, Jack, and Sandy meet “secretly” but you are all invited to solve the problems of the world.  We have dealt with World Hunger, Presidential Elections, War, Sequestration, the Fiscal Cliff, Catholics, Muslims, Jews, Jefferson, Truman, Obama, Bush, Reagan, Unions, movies, sex and TV(that was this week).  We agree on a few things (favorite TV shows seem to be “The Good Wife”, “Blue Bloods”, “Homeland” and “Revenge”…just in case you are interested.  We also agreed on a “news show” that is indeed “fair and balanced”, its “Cup of Joe on early in the morning on MSNBC of all channels).  You are always invited and we meet Wed. morning at 8:30 at Schats. 

Michelle Rogers bought the fining bling for Dave Reiman for the month of December.  Possibly a defensive move or perhaps we will see some new talent in Dave’s quiver.  He always amazes me with his humility and then just “nails it” … whatever it is.  He “sorta” nailed a Rap Song at the Demotion Party, but he need not quit his day job.  I wonder if he ever played football.   As conservative as he looks, he’ll try anything.  Not sure if Dave has had the privilege of fining before, but he will no doubt do a good job with this seemingly easy task.

Dates and Announcements

This week’s meeting is at the Seniors Center.  Someone please make sure we all get out.

Christmas Party Dec. 7, at Chef Hannas, then to Clair’s house for gifts, deserts, and perhaps a few more adult beverages.  Bring deserts that do not have to be refrigerated.

Holiday Parade on Dec. 9th and we need Rotarians to walk in the parade and hand out candy to the masses.  Tom has some left over Halloween Candy for the parade.  It figures.  It’s Christmas Tom, candy canes etc.

Dec. 15 (from 9 to 1) paint the Center Street School “fund raising wall”.  Joe works real hard on this project so let’s give him support.

Julie has an intern “available” to help some local business men (or women).  No comment.

Tom invited all of us to visit our Rotary Web site (www.esrotary.org).  He is quite proud of it and quite frankly he has done a great job building it and promoting it.  I think these computers and web sites are here to stay.  Go take a look.

Major Announcement

Dean is going to be the next President after Len.  The two of them are both UCLA Grads.  (USC, where are you?)   He received a loud ovation.  He is another very talented and humble fellow Rotarian and is very popular with others.  Congratulations Dean.

The Program

As mentioned earlier and in the headline this was the end of the NRG saga for the month and this guy (His name is Steve) was from our Fire Department and he watches the watchers.   We have learned that the Energy Business is highly regulated, has lots of people making sure we don’t do anything wrong, and people watch the watchers.  He is watching you.  I am not going to say any more.

El Segundo Rotary Meeting of Nov. 29, 2012 (The End of the NRG Saga) by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

test

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

test

test Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 11-15-2012 "Full House and NRG Compliance Officer" by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Tom made a few bucks with Pins and Badges.  This was the first time I wore both, I am clean.  He picked a bit on Kevin, nice to take the heat off of me for a change.  Go Kevin.  Tom took me to the Chamber Mixer at Mattel this week as his date.  He behaved…sort of.  We giggled a bit and talked behind peoples back.  What a mixer, what food, thanks Marsha and Mattel.  You do it right.  Speaking of RIGHT, the got the El Segundo Citizen of the Year right…our own Sandy Jacobs.  Was she surprised or what, but she was the only one in the room that was surprised.  Everyone else was sure she had won it before.  She is so neat and if you don’t know her very well take the time.  You will meet a very smart and savvy and compassionate person.  Congratulations Sandy, well deserved.

There was a Full House for the Meeting.  Standing Room Only. 

Elyse did some fining of those that attended the Distinguished Speaker Series and saw Vicente Fox, former president of Mexico.  Michelle, Julie, Joe and Sandy, and Marsha and Lily all had attended . 

Make drugs legal was the message from Vicente  and poverty is the biggest problem in the world.  Every one was impressed with him.  How much do you know about your neighbors to the South, and to the North for that matter.  Can you tell me how many states there are in Mexico, and how many provinces there are in Canada?  Can you name them in either direction?  It is a good time to go to Wickipedia if you don’t. 

Joe got fined twice.  Good.  It’s about time we turned the table.  As one who get’s fined a fair bit I was glad to see Mr. Confidence catch a little crap.  Mr. Oreo Fetish I call him.  He Oggles Oreo's every chance he gets.  Elyse has a new cat named…guess what -- Oreo.  Joe was going to check him out and Elyse told him not to eat her cat.  "Cat Oreo’s" …I don’t think they will catch on. 

It was nice to see Jeami again.  She looked great and has moved to another part of town. Elyse apparently had something to do with that, and being  the “Fine Master”  -- she fined Jeami.  There was a lovely and  lively repartee between Jeami and Elyse.  You’re good at it Elyse, and Jeami is very good at being the straight “man” for Elyse.  Well done.

Lorena was there.  We don’t see here that often, but did you know that she was once the Rotarian of the Year.  Well-deserved  I might ad.  I got to sit by her.  I think Dick dumped me.  Lorena is much better looking than Dick.  No offense Dick.  Pretty is Pretty.

Laura got fined too.  Miss Alabama always gets fined.  Laura had some long, long high heals.  I think they have a nick name but I can’t say it here.  She showed them to the crowd and she was going to model them that evening at the Girls Night Out event raising money for the Ed Foundation. Tom and I didn't go to that event to see.  Perhaps Laura can wear them to the next Rotary Meeting.  My guess is she would get fined again. 

Kevin got fined for having the fire guys in raincoats (Julie Warner got excited thinking that was all they had on)  raising money for the MDA -- $20,000 plus each year.  Raincoats only, hmmm.  Julie was going to go by the corner again to make a donation., and perhaps again.  She is sooo generous..

The Tree musketeer’s thanked us for $500 donation.  Dean gave some cards out.  One to Penny who had a Birthday, and Lorena had an anniversary.  Penny’s card was very funny (one of Floyds), Dean’s card was sentimental…and sweet, like Dean.  (Thanks for the ride today Dean.  If you haven't been to Dean's office in the center of town, you should.  He is a collector and a sports enthusiest and will make you feel very much at home.  Bring your check book and he will invest your money for you.

Wayne came in a little late, and it was like norm coming into “Cheers” as greetings came from around the room.  It’s a tough room, and when you come a few minutes late, you will get hazed.  Wayne’s cool though.  If he could have ordered a Beer(just like Norm) he would have; or perhaps a tequila. 

A couple of “Julies”  each told a very good joke.  One was about sleeping with animals, and the other was about large Bra’s.   I am not sure guys could tell these jokes today, but women can.  Times have changed.  Girls tell dirty jokes, and guys share recipe's, niether smokes.

No meeting next week because of Thanksgiving.  Eat your Turkey at Home or Someone Elses House

Announcements: 

Christmas party of Friday December 7 at Chef Hanna’s, and then  to Clair Sinnetts house on Sheldon.

Art Show, Dec. 1st at Mychels Learning Place at 5:30 PM

Holiday Parade, Dec. 9th.

Joe organized the Center Street wall fund raiser for the Ed Foundation.  More information to follow.

The Program  (Nice Introduction…Go ahead Scott)

Scott “Sieple”(sp)  Compliance Coordinator.

He Oversees the onsite contractors as they relate to "compliance issues",  and the site itself for Environmental and Compliance Issues. 

He also manages the waste management function and the 500 construction guys on site and about 150 Engineers.  They all must have additional training on these compliance issues.  A Big Job; lots of People; lots of problems to solve some reasonable, some not so reasonable (my comments).  Took 5 years to get the first license, and 5 more years to get a second license. 

Environmental  issues are and/or may be Waste Management; Dust Management; or Clean Air Management in general.  As mentioned before All “Contractors” have to go through special Environmental Training.  He also looks for Biological, Habitat, Archeology and Relics etc.   Any of these issues that become apparent or are discovered, or it is believed that they may exist,  can and do shut down the work site till they are resolved with the various compliance agencies.

Dick asked what percentage of the total cost was for these "compliance" issues.  Answer:  90% of equipment is to control the environmental and other compliance issues.  I am not sure I heard that right, or that I understand that, but it seems out of whack to me. Perhaps Alex can elaborate for us at a later date.   (If they find a bottle (yes even a Budweiser Bottle) that is over 50 years old, they have to have someone from an agency come take a look while all this “talent” then has to back off for a bit to decide what to do with the bottle.  Or shells that might have been arranged for some purpose, or  Libby's Applesauce bottle that may have been over 50 years old.    I would guess they would find some 50 year old Beer Bottles in Floyd’s yard.  No digging there please.     I don’t get all this stuff, but I guess they are political issues so I am just going to leave it at that.

 

Well, Thanksgiving is upon us and I am grateful for being a part of Rotary and all my Rotary Friends.  Enjoy the next few days, they are very special for all of us in the US.  I have some new clients and they came from Russia 7 years ago and they tell me every chance they get how lucky we are to be in America. They are becoming American Citizens and they love this country.  They are buying their first house and they are thrilled.  They are very grateful and so am I.

 

 

Rotary Meeting of 11-15-2012 "Full House and NRG Compliance Officer" by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 11-08-2012 “Tom Get’s Frisky with Bulletin Editor; NRG restores order”

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting:

Tom got a thanks from the Ed Foundation for our contribution of $2,500.  NRG has contributed $50,000 plus…big applause for our Speaker of the Day from NRG, and all that Alex probably has contributed to that process over the years.  (More on Alex later)

Marsha did the fining for Elyse.  She is very good at this which takes a special skill.  I use to do it from time to time, but that is one area that escapes me.  I suck at it.   Marsha, Joe, Elyse, Michelle, and Julie seem to have that knack.  If I missed anyone let me know.  Some of you have never tried it but you should.  It’s a knack, maybe you have it.

Shannon was fined for being at the Ellen Show.  Somehow she got to talking about her first kiss which occurred at the age of 9.  My first kiss was first grade with Jill.  I wonder if she remembers.  Tom will be getting or giving his first kiss soon.  I hope I am not involved in that process.   I think I heard someone shout at Tom the other day when he was driving and cut some guy off,  I think he was a priest.  The guy  said ….”You can Kiss My AXX, You big FXXXXXXX AXXXXXE”.  Tom laughed and said “I am President of Rotary and I am the Supreme Commander and moved on through the red light.

Joe got fined for an Oreo  Picture  that Elyse had gotten for him.  Or, maybe Elyse got fined.  Rotarians are strange at times.  (Joe has an unnatural relationship with Oreo’s).   A lot of the conversations with Joe center on Oreo’s.   He has pictures of them in his office and I am sure in his home.  He eats them and shares them from time to time.  Some people collect stamps, others coins, Joe collects Oreo pictures and memorabilia.  Late night, in the quiet of his room, Joe talks to them, and they talk back.  Odd.

Marsha brought up my magazine again, but only in relation to the beautiful pictures that are in Sheila’s New Magazine only seen overseas.   Europe is much more open about nudity.

Shirley got fined for all the work she did on the Shuttle and Marsha had lots of pictures of Shirley pulling the Shuttle, driving the Shuttle, and also some pictures of her driving the Shuttle in Space.  What a girl and what a fine -- and a fine job fining by Marsha.

Julia told the joke of the week.  I think it was about a hairy arm pit, or maybe something else.  Only girls can tell these jokes anymore.  Times change.

Dates to Remember

·         Poker Party Saturday Night Nov. 17th at Melissa and Randy’s.

·         Christmas Party on probably the 7th of December.

·         Chamber Mixer Thursday at Mattel

·         Holiday Parade on the 9th.

·         Park Vista on Dec. 6th.

Tom called Gary up to the Podium to take a rare glimpse of Tom’s Power Station.  Tom thought that Gary was sad in his last bulletin and needed a hug.  He ambushed him and gave him a big hug.   I like hugs from Women, Tom is another story.   He’s sort of cute, but not really my type.  I am not use to hugging guys.   Tom went for it.  A big hug…and he lingered too long.  There might have been some inappropriate touching as well.  I am definitely not that kind of guy.    I am married too.  My wife would have laughed at the hugging only because it was Tom.  She wouldn’t laugh if he was hugging her.  He called me up and “sissified” me by demanding I hug back.  At the very time Dick and I were having a very nice conversation about how to cook Lamb and the proper seasoning to use and method of cooking.  How should it be garnished, and what plate presentation would look best.   I like to use Rosemary and some curried rice and Chutney and it seemed that Dick liked my recipe and so did Phil.  Then, I was called up for the “sissification” because of sadness, or so he says.   I am a manly man, no girlyman for me.  When Tom was through having his way with me I had to walk the gauntlet of huggers back to my humble station.  There might be some rules at the District or State Level of Rotary about this type of harassment and perhaps Tom will be counseled and reprimanded.   

The Program

Scott Valentino , VP of Development for NRG

Well, what can you say about NRG?  They are a great neighbor and a great company.  They are in a tough environmentally sensitive field and they step up to the plate every time.  Our speaker spoke over and over about all of the areas that are being explored such as solar, wind, gas, and oil.  Much of it was way out of my head.   He talked about Wind Energy and that it had to be in the right place where there was lots of wind.  I wonder if they looked at somewhere next to Tom’s house.  That would be a good spot for wind energy in El Segundo

They contribute to just about everything they can to be a good neighbor.  Last year they contributed over $600,000 to charitable causes throughout the state.  To our club they contribute “Alex”.  Alex is one of those quiet unassuming guys that go around doing good deeds without asking to be noticed.  He is what I call a “Stealth Do-Gooder”.  We have a number of those in the club and he is one of the best.  He always has been and is a great Rotarian.  Those that know him know the content of his character and his cheerful attitude.  You would never know if Alex had a bad day.  When the club needs help, he responds.  He quietly buys $20 of Raffle Tickets each meeting(over $1,000 per year), and sometimes wins a $5 bottle of wine.  The giving is his prize.  Thanks NRG for giving us Alex.  Thanks Alex, for being you.

In conclusion I was humbled by the great hug off by Tom, but I should not deprive him of his joy.  Call me maybe!

Rotary Meeting of 11-08-2012 “Tom Get’s Frisky with Bulletin Editor; NRG restores order” Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 11-01-2012 "Marine Biologist Captures our Eyes and Ears", by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Another lively meeting conducted by Pastor Tom which featured the usual accolades telling our club “how great thou art”.  (A hymn that I hear Tom humming from time to time in the restroom mirror as as he prepares for the meeting)

I liked that part of the meeting getting compliments on how great the Bulletins have come to be.  Well, that is about to change with this one.   Tom asked if anyone calls or emails to tell me of my fine work.  And yes, I do get some nice calls and emails and occasionally a wink and a handshake and an atta-boy.   I am grateful and motivated.   I know they are saying that so that they will not be made fun of in the Bulletin or be asked to do this chore themselves.  It's a form of "Baksheesh".   I do like doing it and sometimes it just “flows”, sometimes it does not.  Today….

It is about 11:30 on Wednesday (my deadline was yesterday)  and this is the first time I have had a chance to sit down and write.  The meeting was about a week ago and while I normally “tape” it on my smart phone so that I can be accurate….I did not.  No tape, a Sr. Citizen, a blank mind, tired, a bad election = mediocre bulletin.

I did remember that our Fine Master Marsha couldn’t be there to do any fining so Joe jumped in again.  Joe has illustrated significant “podium seeking behavior” (PSB) that was formally the exclusive domain of Elyse.  As a matter of fact Joe and Elyse were standing fairly close to each other when Tom said Marsha could not be here so “would anyone like to fill in and do the fining”. 

Joe pushed Elyse out of the way and jumped over the table (stepped on a guests hand) and grabbed the podium ahead of Elyse.  I never thought that Elyse could be second in that department, but she was.  I saw it.   I bet she will start sitting closer to the front now, and so will Joe.  PSB here we come.

In any even Joe said he would fine someone, and lacking any new material he decided to pick on the two Realtors in the room as he has done before  that happened to be sitting with each other talking shop and sharing fine fellowship.  Again, Joe picked on this poor defenseless Bulletin Editor about sending out the high gloss promotional magazine and quizzed me on it’s contents.  The Bulletin Editor clearly knew his magazine from cover to cover commenting on the recipe of Mussels; another on cheese cake;  the book shelves,  etc. etc.  Joe clearly had not read the entire magazine and was surprised that I had, so he quickly moved over to pick on Sheila between her phone calls. 

He said the only thing he got from Sheila was a picture which he held up to display to all that was not Sheila at her best.  (Sheila, I have some pictures of Joe that I would sell if you need them.) 

One of the reasons I take pictures at meetings is so that I am on “the other” side of the camera.  I hate pictures taken of me, especially when they are put on Facebook.  Joe decided to put a picture he took in the prior meeting of me ”pinning” Shannon with her new Rotary Pin on her blouse after she was inducted.   She whispered to me when she came in to this meeting that she saw the picture of me “molesting” her on Facebook.  She was kidding of course, but I am not so sure of others who might see it…you never know.  I was tasteful in my “pinning”.  

I am not a Facebook fan.  I dropped that about a year ago after spending about an hour looking at my younger sister’s best friend’s daughter’s cat sleeping in a colander on her cat’s second birthday with a party hat.  Weird behavior and an hour I will never get back.  Nice cat.

My wife is on Facebook and she shows me that one of her relatives has a daughter who has a 4 year old son who won a pumpkin carving contest in Calgary and she has the pictures to prove it.  I looked at them to keep the marriage together.  Nice.

Anyway that’s the meeting the way I saw it.  Watch out for the PSB (Podium Seeking Behavior).  It can be contagious to those who like the center stage.

The Program

If you called Central Casting and said "send me over a good looking and highly likable and engaging Marine Biologist"  -- you would have been sent our speaker from Australia with that great accent and the good looks of an outdoors-man.  They wouldn't have sent me or Phil. We are cast as the AV guys that come up from the basement when there is an equipment failure.  We fix it and go back to the basement to everyone's relief.

This guy was perfect for the part (Clair you should have seen him) and charming.  (There is nothing wrong with me using that word, although I can never remember using it before).    Since I didn't “tape” this meeting I cannot recall his name, but he was great.  He runs the Sea Lab for LA Conservation Corp.  The following is a cut and paste from their web page which is very interesting.  I did not know this existed.

About the LA Conservation Corps

Our primary mission is to provide at-risk young adults and school-aged youth with opportunities for success through job skills training, education and work experience with an emphasis on conservation and service projects that benefit the community.

The LA Conservation Corps was founded in 1986 by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce and Trade Ambassador Mickey Kantor. Our primary mission and purpose is to provide at-risk young adults and school-aged youth with opportunities for success through job skills training, education and work experience with an emphasis on conservation and service projects that benefit the community. Since our founding in 1986 we have become a national leader in youth and workforce development and alternative education for inner-city youth/young adults. We are currently the largest urban conservation corps in the nation with a full-time staff of over 150 employees who serve over 17,000 young people each year. This includes serving youth through the following programs:

 

·         18- to 24-year-old Young Adult Corps corpsmembers who receive on-the-job training, paid work experience and attend our charter school site to complete their high school education

 

·         1,100 14- to 17-year old corpsmembers who perform paid community beautification work in Clean & Green

 

·         250 14- to 18-year-old students enrolled in our two full-time charter high school sites

 

·         15,000 elementary and middle school students (ages 10 to 14) from 21 LAUSD schools who participate in after school enrichment activities and receive tutoring services in our After School Program

 

 

Through our programs and services, we seek to provide a supportive and enriching environment for at-risk youth and young adults to help them develop self-esteem, achieve their educational goals, establish and pursue life and career goals and gain the skills necessary to become self-sufficient, responsible citizens who will positively contribute to their communities and society. To date, the Corps has helped 725 young adults complete their high school education; 99 young adults earn their GED and 626 young adults earn their high school diplomas. Through the Russell Kantor Scholarship Fund and the alternative education programs the Corps has awarded more than $900,000 in privately funded scholarship to 535 past and current participants interested in pursuing higher education or vocational training. 

Brochure

Click here to download the Corps’ brochure Los Angeles Conservation Corps Brochure.

Rotary Meeting of 11-01-2012 "Marine Biologist Captures our Eyes and Ears", by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor. Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of Oct. 25, 2012 “Gift of Rotary” and “The Leader of The Band”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting: 

Tom had a personal emergency and had to go back to Tennessee to a funeral involving a personal friend.  I miss Tom when he is gone and it always good when you can comfort a family or friends when someone dies.  It is never a good time, but always a time to reflect that all of us are only given so much time on this planet, so seize the day as if it were your last.

Lenny, our President Elect,  stepped in like a pro and you would never know that this was his first meeting to “run the show”.  There was order, humor, and some serious moments.  Very nice job Lenny, we look forward to your year.  However, your fellow Rotarians were respectful of your plight to lead without notice so we pretty much left you alone.  That changes when you get the job for real.

Induction:  I got to induct two new members and I love to do this job.  We give the gift or Rotary to others, and more often than not this is a life altering experience for the receivers.   That’s right “a life altering experience”.  I said it in my induction that anyone that attends meetings regularly for 2 years really get’s it.  Whatever God you pray to, all compassionate Gods tell us…to help others.  Help them when you can, as often as you can.  That’s what God says, that’s what Rotary says.  And…when you do out of sincere compassion and love you get the greatest rush of all…happiness.  You don’t give to get, but you do get when you give.  Rotary does it better than any other vehicle. 

Robin and Shannon are our two new members and they seem to get it.  Shannon brought her whole family to see her inducted and that was really cool. I saw Robin the next day and she pointed to her two framed membership certificates on the wall and said how grateful she was to become a member of Rotary.  What a great word – “Grateful”.

The Program:

When I saw that the program was going to be the El Segundo Band leader I felt, well, it might be OK.  When I was in high school I played football, basketball, and baseball.  That’s what you did back then.  The members of the band did not get the same notoriety (at least as far as I knew).  I didn’t know any members of the band.  The only band member I have ever met (as far as I know), is Marhsa and she played the Sax for Purdue.  If I knew there were people like Marsha in the band I would have switched sides so to speak.  Instead of Football, Basketball, and Baseball it might have been guitar, sax, and drums.  I don’t play any football now, not sure what I would do with a basketball, and baseball is purely a spectator sport for me.  I wish I could play the guitar now, or be in a garage band, or play sax with Marsha.  Times change.

This wasn't just any band leader, this was Steven Fox and were we impressed.  This is no average guy.  He is by far one of the better speakers we have had and was an inspiration to all of us.  The band has 89 members…89.  That is way more than the football, basketball, and baseball teams combined.  But, it’s not enough.  He wants 100 and I have no doubt he will have them soon.  This guy talked about how many departments in the school have been cutting back because of the State and Countries financial condition,  and the band is no different.  (They need $100,000 this year, and they also want a van).    He then proceeded to list off in staccato fashion about a half dozen fund raisers that the band and the parents put together to raise funds for the band.  He said they could always use more money, but they were not hurting.  They seem to come in first in all the competitions in which they compete and I can see why with his leadership.  We are so lucky to have him. 

When Sandy introduced him she read an email from one of his students which kinda sums it up.  It follows here.

From: Jacob Levy 

Subject: Mr. Fox Speech

To whom it may concern,

 When I think of Mr. Fox, the words leader and motivator come to mind. Mr. Fox has revolutionized El Segundo High School's band program, turning it into a state ranked band with near to 100 members. He has created more than just a successful band, he has created a culture of students in the high school. A culture where students learn to achieve greatness they never thought possible. A culture where students learn to become leaders of themselves and others. A culture where students learn to excel in their musical capabilities and learn fundamentals that will carry with them for the rest of their musical careers. Mr. Fox is never afraid to push us to our limits and do whatever it takes to ensure the success of the band. Any student who comes out the band program finds a new confidence in themselves that will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Ask most students who are in the band who their favorite teacher is and many respond with, “Mr. Fox”. Mr. Fox is a mentor and a friend to any student who seeks guidance, even if their problem is not band related. He sacrifices considerable amounts of time with his family, spending 10 hours with us in one day to practice, ensuring we are constantly doing our best. Mr. Fox has done considerable amounts of work for this program, and has ensured its success for many years to come. 

PS:  In the past 3 out of 4 years the valedictorian has come from the band.  This Band Leader is a Leader ... Period; and the band is his vehicle to inspire the youth in our community.  He doesn't wait for California to come up with funds (he will take them if offered) but goes out and get's his own.


PSS.  Over the weekend Mr. Fox and the Band took first place in the division at a competition hosted by West High in Torrance. They picked music themed on “Revolutions”.  All selections were geared to reflect the essence of sacrifices a soldier makes for the cause he or she loves.  The band played “The Gavorkna Fanfare”, “Peterloo Overture”, and “Each Time You Tell Their Story”.  I know Phil and I enjoy that Gavorkna Fanfare followed by the Peterloo.  It brings out a strange yearning.  Can’t get those tunes out of my head.
Rotary Meeting of Oct. 25, 2012 “Gift of Rotary” and “The Leader of The Band”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor. Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 10-18-2012 Fire Poster Day (2 ways out) by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

We said the Pledge and then Melissa sang Johnny Appleseed with the group.  That’s one of my favorites.  As a matter of fact Mary and I sing that quite often at home on the “special nights”.   What a great song, I can’t get it out of my head.  It is similar to J-ZEE.  Kind of a rap song....


…”the sun and the rain and the appleseed”…

Melissa let Tom run the rest of the meeting and he did so with much dispatch.  Not many announcements.  He introduced important dignitaries that attended such as the Superintendent of Schools, The Mayor, and our own Laura, who’s responsibility it was to make it all come together for the kids.  She did a great job. 

…”Oh, the Lord's been good to me”…

The “theme” for the posters and the judging was “Two Ways Out”.  Tom didn’t mention the names of the wonderful and sensitive Judges that spent hours and hours poring over each poster making sure nothing was overlooked or under appreciated.  Those Judges were from the Wednesday morning Coffee Group currently consisting of Gary, Sandy, Jack and Nancy. (8:30AM Wed at Schats)  While we were not “recognized” (we don’t do things for recognition…we are Rotarians), we will be gracious and grateful when our stipends arrives in the mail.   We judged on the basis of:  1.  The Poster had to have marked clearly the theme “Two Ways Out”;  2.  It had to be simple to find and/or figure out;  and 3.  Get your attention quickly.  All of the finalists clearly met those criteria.

…”Oh and every seed I so”…

I got there early and Tom and Laura and Melissa were already at work putting posters on the wall, making sure the food was set up properly and doing those things that ensures a meetings success.  “The behind the scenes work” so to speak.   All meetings require preparation, and there are “the preparers”.  You often times don’t know what they do, but they do, and then they do it again.  They are diligent and they “prepare”.    Their names change from meeting to meeting(sometimes), but when thought about, they are appreciated.  Think about them when you come early into the room of an awaiting meeting.  You will know that they have been there and give thanks for those “preparers”.  They make the meeting possible.  Thanks preparer’s.

…”will grow into a tree”…

It is always fun to watch the parents arrive with their kids in tow; or is it the other way around.  The kids have the carefree look of innocence on their faces.  The parents have a more seasoned look, some innocence left, yet the tenseness of a now hurried existence.     The kids beam a lot and since they are short, they look up to the award givers in more ways than one.   

In this case there was Sparky who we don’t know much about.  We don’t know what Sparky does in his/her off hours.  We wonder, and some of us imagine, but we really don’t know.  There is also Tom.  We pretty much know what he does.  He runs our meetings when Melissa lets him.  He thinks he is a “Supreme Commander”.  This is some unfulfilled wish from his youth.  He got to be that when he was alone late at night in his room with his imaginary friend and a nice little outfit.  I wonder if his wife Brenda lets him be the “Supreme  Commander” when he goes home.   Probably when he takes out the garbage she will call him “Supreme Commander”.  

The other person that the kids look up to when they get their certificates and swag is Kevin.  Kevin really is the fire chief and that costume he wears …really is a Fire Chief’s uniform.  The kids look at Kevins kind face and see maturity and confidence.  They don’t know Kevin like we do.  We saw him at the Demotion Party and we have film should we need it.  But the kids don’t know.  No need to tell them yet.  He's the Chief.

…”And someday there’ll be apples there”…

Sometimes we forget how neat it was to win an award.  I didn’t win a lot, but I did win some and those old trophies, certificates, etc. are buried somewhere in the garage.  Whenever I clean the garage every 5 years or so I see them, blow the dust off, and beam again and relive the moment.  They don't get thrown out.  Stuff like that stays with you for life.  It is a remembrance of a simpler time, when the worries were small and hope was great for a brighter tomorrow.  Not sure when the innocence ends, but it does, but can also come back.  (Look for the novel)

…”For everyone in the world to share”…

Donations were given by:   Grand Point Bank Gift Cards;  The Rotary Club gave cash prizes,  Big Five donated hats and gift certificates, Andiamo’s  fed us all.  There was plenty of Pizza for the Kids and their Families;  The members of Rotary;  The Dignitaries;   and for all the Fire Department Members who attended.   I didn’t see Sparky eat lunch.  (My dog eats Pizza).  The Fire Department contributed their time and of course Kevin.   The Double Tree donated cookies and lots of them. 

Let’s thank them all by frequenting their business when we can --  Especially Andiamo’s.  There was at least a couple of hundred dollars of Pizza donated. 

…”Oh the Lord is Good to Me”…

Special Note:  Did anyone get any pictures of “all the posters that were posted on the back wall”.  A mom asked me if I had taken one, and I had not.  Email me if you do:  garywilson@garywilson.com

Dios se acordó de mí,
Y a El le agradeezco
Porque me dio
Un Corazón
Y asî amar su creación,
Dios se acordó de mi.

Rotary Meeting of 10-18-2012 Fire Poster Day (2 ways out) by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting 10-11-2012 "Einstein E=MC2" by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Edito

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

  • Thursday’s meeting  is at Chevron for the Flyer Poster Awards.  Judges were wonderful.
  • Two New Members will be Joining Rotary on the following Thursday Robin Fossleman and, Shannon Magid.  Robyn owns The Mail Box in El Segundo and Shannon seems to know everyone in the club, except for me.  Pleae join us a week from Thursday on October 25th.  If you remember when you were inducted it is a big deal to the person being inducted, and a life changer for many of us.
  • We received a letter from The Castaway Kids,  Jesus and Jesus (not a Christian Law Office) thanking us for the  $1200 arranged by Sandy Jacobs.  They thanked our President Melissa Albers. 
  • Raffle Prizes brought by Sheila Fowler and there were many of them.  It was garage cleaning time.
  • Our newest possible member, Robin sold the Raffle tickets getting one of the tasks out of the way for her blue badge even before she is formally a member.  Last weeks picture was taken by our other potential new member, Shannon Magid.
  • The Middle School came to talk to and thank us our support of the International Garden
  • Sandy introduced her husband Carl, who came in uniform.  Sandy loves men that dress up.
  • Chuck from Culver City joined us again and has better attendance than a few of our current members.
  • Joe read us a lexicon of Medical terms and what they mean in the South, where Tom (was our President before Melissa) came from.  A few of the words follow.
    • Artery – Study of Art
    • Cauterize – Made eye contact.
    • Fibula – a small lie.
    • Morbid – Higher Offer
    • Pelvis is second cousin to Elvis
    • Tumor – One plus one more.
  • Dean: Birthdays and Anniversaries with a few more of Floyds cards.  Floyd attended the meeting just to make sure his legacy was being followed.  Dean is doing an outstanding Job, but running out of cards Floyd.
  • Frank Glynn received a card that said something like:  “Staying Single is Sheik”, “Divorce is in Vogue”, “Living Together is Common”,  and “Marriage is Kinky”.
  • Alex received a card and was asked how many years he has been married.  He said 39 years, and Floyd said that was a good start.
  • Marsha the fine master couldn't make the meeting so we all got a break from fines.  Joe was trying to think of something but Tom moved it along quickly.

Sadness was experienced.  Jeami lost her baby and Myron Harpo of the Hacienda passed away.  Myron was Joes boss and has donated lots of money and time to Rotary for a long time.   Include them both in your special prayers.

The Speaker

Dr. Robert Piccioni, BS from Cal Tech,  PHD in High Energy Physics from Stanford, and a faculty member  of Harvard.  Tom, (our Supreme Commander) introduced him.  Tom has 9 hours of Credit at Memphis Night School.  The credits were in Campground Maintenance.  Tom also has a GED.

Dr. Piccioni  talked about Einstein.  He was very good, very informative, and very funny.  He has given this presentation before.   In his younger days Einstein was somewhat of a flake; got poor grades and had a bad attitude.  His background was similar to Tom’s to that point, but he became Einstein.  Tom became…Tom.  (Actually I pick on Tom too much but he picks on me as well.  Tom is doing one hell-of-a-job…I mean that too.  It is my custom to pick on Presidents and the Strong, but sometimes I should back off, I did for the rest of this bulletin)

The rest of his program he talked about the Theory of Relativity which he explained so that everyone could understand it.  Well…not everyone.  I still don’t get it.  But here it is…Think About It.

E = MC2

Think about it some more.

Rotary Meeting 10-11-2012 "Einstein E=MC2" by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Edito Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of Oct. 4, 2012 – "Top Golf" and"True Golf" by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Tom read a “parable” for life and it was good, but I don’t remember it.  Laura Gabel received the “Ignite Pin” for bringing Shannon to our meeting as a possible new member.

Those that had perfect attendance for last month were:

Julia, Melissa, Elyse, Len, Sheila, Laura, Joe Harding, Sandy, Dave,  Michelle,  Clair, Kevin, Julie Stolnack, Ted, Julie Warner,  Phil,  Jack, and Gary.

Joe of course did some fining, it’s in his DNA along with other strange things:

He fined: 

Phil White went to see his family.  You gotta fine somebody for that…right.  He also fined Phil  $5 in advance for his cell phone which usually does goes off…Phil did not disappoint.  His new smart phone is not that smart...loud too.

Sheila – No magazine again.   Sheila offered a picture of herself.  Could be interesting.  Joe also mentioned that Sheila gives great leg rubs…”what’s that all about?”  Could be interesting as well, keep your eye peeled on that one.

Shannon got fined for getting up early.  3:30 AM for Shannon is early morning;  Marsha said that 3:30 for Laura “is late at night getting home”. 

Joe fined Laura again for being proud of her son Hunter as the Junior Class Prince.  Laura was awarded the Mom of the Prince (MOP) and she now is known as the town MOP.  We have pictures.  Image

Bling:  Alex bought it for Marsha.  She will do the fining now and there better be some fines for Joe.  Laura, you should collaborate with Marsha to get even.

Joe told another very good joke, not as good as last week … but very good.   He has become a good "picker" of jokes, and is a good "reader" of jokes.  That is important.  His joke today was about a Priest and a Rabbi, (you can’t go wrong with that combo); throw in a midget and an Irishmen and perhaps a hair lip and you have something big.

Dean  - Birthday’s and Anniversaries

Kevin got a great card.  Floyd bought it.

Joe had a Birthday and so did Ed Su same day.

Date to Remember:  Oct. 19th, 2nd planning meeting at Chevron about 5PM.

El Segundo Choir will be at Park Vista

Laura is selling T-Shirts for the High School

Carlos took a new position in a different unit that will operate out of Los Angeles.  He will no longer attend meetings.  This “Unit” will be working on “high impact cases with Major Violators involving Big Drug Busts” as a Deputy Director.  He still lives in town and we will see him around.  We all have grown to love him as a fellow Rotarian and we will miss him.  He received a very nice applause from all.  If I were an officer I would switch to taking over the patrolling of Park Vista.

Elyse announced that we are going to have another Interact Club at the Divinci School.  More to come later.

Kiwanis Club approved the mural which we are doing together on the wall of the Mailbox.  That is where the Supreme Commander wants his picture to be.  That’s kinda what they do in Communist Countries or those countries with Dictators, before the Populace tears them down in disgrace.

The Program - Top Golf  (Note:  I apologize for the length of this but this is very important to El Segundo)

Sandy introduced the new Economic Development Coordinator for the City of El Segundo.  Ted Shove and later Top Golf Representative Alex Comisar

Writing about this is a little tricky from a number of perspectives.  My wife is a long time Golfer…I am not.  This bulletin is as much about Mary as it is about Golf.  Sometimes they are one and the same. OK more than sometimes.

I could argue both sides of this equation whether Top Golf should be allowed to come to El Segundo or not, but “Top Golf” is not “Golf”.   Top Golf is an event, a party, a fun night out -- yet  “could” bring significant revenues to the City if that is the deciding factor.

Top Golf is a family "event"; it could be a group of kids; it could be a bachelor or bachelorette party; or it could be just a bunch of guys getting together to have some drinks, make some bets on some shots, down some food and have a lot of laughs and flirt with the waitresses.   It’s a party.  
It could even be a Rotary Fellowship Event, but, it is not Golf any more than Miniature Golf -- is Golf.  Putting into a clowns mouth or having golf balls that contain sensors will make a real golfer cock his head and wince.   Golfer’s won’t use either one of these venues to satisfy their need to play.  Let me explain. 

True Golfers play golf with “reverence and tradition” behind them.  They have studied the game.  There are lots of rules to playing golf, and a golfer knows them.  There are “rules of etiquette”  they must follow, and Golfer’s know them, and the do abide.  They take pride in “The Game” and the sportsmanship of it.  There are lots of true Golfers around the world and the South Bay.    They love the game.

My wife Mary is a “Golfer”.    She is
A Real Golfer.  Is she a good or perhaps a Great Golfer; that depends on the definition.  Mary doesn't get great scores, but she loves golf.  A great score to her is beating her previous best score, or beating her average, or beating her handicap.  She has been playing for quite a while and so have her friends on the Ladies Golf team.  On most occasions after a golf match…she is beaming.  Not necessarily because she had a good score, but because the “total package” was special.  Let me explain further. 

These are things I think she and other true golfers love about golf. 
  • The crispness of the morning air when you arrive at the course during first light; 
  • The greeting of your fellow golfers and perhaps your opponents when there is a tournament;
  • The hot cup of coffee as the sun comes up over the fairways and greens;
  • The nervousness of the first tee when people are watching;  The next moment the thrill of it hitting the fairway dead center.
  • The comfort of the sun as it lifts in the sky and warm you as the round moves along.   
  • The greetings of the Canada Geese that honk their hello’s, or the gulls as they pass overhead calling to each other.
  • That one shot that you remember!
  • The discussion of the Round with your fellow golfers at the end of the round and having your favorite beverage.
  • And….at the end of the round you relive  that one shot when everything came together and it went where is was supposed to go without thought, when you and the club and the ball become one for a moment.  It might be just that one shot, but it brings you back again and again.  All true golfers know that feeling, but you can't put words to it.
  • And, when you are not golfing you share golf stories, jokes, and folklore.  Some are about greatness, some are funny, all are about commaraderie.
  • It’s a Religion
  • It’s a Culture
  • It’s no longer just a mans game, it never was.

Most true “Golfers” are somewhat “purists”.  They know the game, they watch and attend tournaments, they read about its tradition and history, and they know rules and there are lots of them.  The history of golf starts in Great Britain (same place as Top Golf) on St. Andrews in Scotland.  Mary has played there.  (You want to see beaming). 

She at one time  Caddied for her teenage boyfriend (yes there was someone before me), but Mary is a Caddy to no one for long.  A “Partner” perhaps, but not a Caddy.  

She met me some time ago and then she meets my family; especially my brother.  My brother was a Golf Salesman from the age of 20.  (a job which he had his whole life until he retired a few years ago).  He worked for Titleist…number one in Golf.  He was number one in sales in the country for a few years.  He knows the game, he knows the traditions, he knows the clubs and the balls, and he knows the professional golfers; he has stories.  I think he took Mary’s interest to a much higher level.  When they talk, they talk about Golf.

Then Mary (who is a Nurse) goes to work for a Neurologist(who loves Golf).  He buys a Golf Store in Culver City.  He belongs to Riviera Country Club.  Mary has golfed the Riviera in LA a number of times.  She didn't "win", but she beamed. To stand where some of the great golfers have stood is special. 

So, Mary is a Golfer and respects the game.  She plays with the Lady’s Golf Club at the Lakes.  She and her friends take golf very seriously (9 holes or 18) and they and other true golfers want to continue to play their type of true golf at the Lakes.

IF the Par 4’s are taken away, and the true spirit of the game is missing, these long time golfers in the Ladies Club, will drift elsewhere.  So will those other true golfers that play in the early morning before work or those that must play after work.  They play 9 because that’s all the time they have, but they must play.  It's in their DNA.  9 is better than none.  They are Golfers

Top Golf and the City of El Segundo need to find a way to preserve these elements if it can be done together.  I am cheering for them, but I am also cheering for my wife and her golf club.  Hopefully they are not mutually exclusive to each other.

If Top Golf is to make it happen, they need to make it happen with support of the true golfers in El Segundo.  They are doing the right thing by meeting with as many people as they can.  They have met with the Chamber, The City, The Planning Commission, The Kiwanis, and the Rotary to name a few.  They need to meet with the current golfers who support the club now, and will be asked to do so in the future.  

I am sure we haven’t heard the last of this very important situation. 

If you want to do some research on Golf, or "feel the moment", here are a few interesting links to movies about golf.  Go there and know what "True Golf" is all about.  


http://golfinthekingdommovie.com/
Rotary Meeting of Oct. 4, 2012 – "Top Golf" and"True Golf" by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 9-27-2012 "It’s time to get healthy .. get goin.."just sayin"", by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

We had a great turnout for the meeting;  standing room only -- almost.  Those of you that miss the meetings on a regular basis, you don’t know what you are missing, unless you read the Bulletin, but I am not sure if you all receive these or not.  “Just sayin”.   If you get this send me back an email and say hi or something:  I would like to hear from:   Ed, Ed, Dickie, Mari, Will, Michael, Matt, Rebecca, Maryam, Carlos,  Eng,  Geoff.  Let me know you get these.

Joe as usual took over the podium for fining purposes only, -- oh and a Joke too.  Joe is such a natural at the podium that I am not sure who is in charge some times.  Is it the Supreme Commander, or is he just a puppet regime with Joe pulling the strings?  We shall see.

Joe fined Elyse real good because she had just gotten back from FIGI and he had found online the “Figi Times Newsletter” and Elyse was quoted in there as “solving the water crisis for the Island, with no help from anyone”.  There was no mention of Rotary.  The Rotary “Take Credit  Queen” (TCQ) went on to introduce her own version of Bottled Figi water and the product will be introduced shortly, again with no help from anyone including Rotary “Elyse was quoted and fined accordingly.

Joe also fined Laura again, well, just because she is “Laura”, or as Marsha calls her “Miss Alabama”. 

Joe also fined Melissa again for still “acting as President”.  She got her picture in the paper again. 

Joe fined himself for inviting 2 Insurance People (Tom and Julie) to view the landing of the Space Shuttle from the top of the Hacienda Hotel.  They noticed it was not a safe place to be and would not be covered by their insurance.  I am not sure how many of my fellow Rotarian's got “invited” to the viewing from that vantage point, but I can tell you one Realtor who didn't.  “Just sayin”.

Joe then told one very funny joke about getting into heaven and not stepping on the Ducks.  Apparently that is a very serious offence in Heaven.  I tape the meetings now so I can do some accurate reporting and I listened to it again, and laughed just as hard.  A Very Funny joke…well told, with lots of laughter. 
Rule of Humor:  Unless you have a funnier joke you should never follow a super joke with one not so good.  That didn’t stop Elyse, she tried anyway.  “Just sayin”.

Other Items of Note

  • Marsha had a Birthday (no one said her age so that means she is moving up the ladder), and 
  • Julia and Bill had an Anniversary (22 years).  
  • Tom read a letter from the Eagle Scout we sponsored for $300 (sorry, I don’t have his name), thanking us for all our help. 
  • Fire Poster Contest is Oct. 18 at Chevron Park.  Laura is running that.  We need some volunteers to be Judges.
  • Park Vista Christmas meeting will be Dec. 6.
  • Nancy Cobb added another diamond to her Paul Harris pin.
  • Clair has been traveling to New York and Arizona and is making up meetings as she goes.  She had some nice stories.
  • Clair also brought Robin Fossilman(sp) to her 3rd meeting.  She owns “The Mailbox” on Main Street in El Segundo and wish’s to become a member.  I know her well and she is really neat.  (Tom, those magazines you asked me to receive in my mailbox for you will probably have to stop now.  She will know too much.  She will think they are mine.)
  • Dave Atkinson (City Council Member) visited for the second time. 
  • Oct. 13 will be another International Dinner and also (if you want) combined with an evening at the Improv. For $10 per person.  Call Elyse and/or Joe Harding for more information.


The Program

Our Youth

Dave Reiman concluded his Program Chairman of the Month that was dedicated to the youth of El Segundo by introducing Doug Sersun of the New El Segundo Athletic Club and Life Style Café.  Doug is a “Retired” Air Force Military Officer (24 years) who graduated from the Air Force Academy, and his wife is also a Graduate of the Air Force Academy.  

He has lived all around the world as most military people do, and when he retired -- he chose El Segundo 4 years ago.  He said on a number of occasions how much they loved El Segundo and that is why they chose to settle here.  After a few years  of sitting on his back porch drinking wine(I am surprised we have not met before) and watching the sun set, he chose to get back into the mainstream by becoming involved with Cross Country racing teams in our high school.  He has had a rather dramatic impact on Cross Country running with our high school.  He will continue in that role.  When he took over the program there were 4 runners.  Now there are over 80. One of his teams took a 4th in the State.  

We met Dave Reiman’s son Chris a few weeks ago at Rotary and he told us how inspiring the coach and team are to him;  and Laura’s son Hunter (who I understand is going to have the title “Prince” at the Homecoming celebration) also is one of his disciples;  and Tom’s son Conner has become the number one runner on his team.  Tom was very proud of him; let’s hope Conner feels the same.

Obviously this man is having a major impact on our youth in this town.  He feels he is helping kids make good choices.  His philosophy is fairly simple and one we learned in Scouts.

“Leave the camp ground better than you found it”.

Carrying this same philosophy over to the next chapter in his life he now owns the El Segundo Athletic Club and the Life Style Café (under construction) at 505 Main St. (310) 335-1456 .  www.elsegundoathleticclub.com

This building space is (going to be) about 6000 Sq. Feet devoted to promoting a healthy lifestyle“How you use your body and what you put into your body determines your health”.  I asked if there was going to be wine in the new café and could you get a glass while you are on the treadmill.   My partner in crime Phil was concerned about the number of ash trays in the gym and would there be one on the arm’s of the cycle machines or not.  Phil and I would be quite a pair to enroll in this gym.  Speedo's here we come.

As a matter of fact, guess what?  “I did go down and signed up for 1 month”.   The place is totally renovated with lots of interesting looking machines, and a class room for group workout classes and Yoga and Spinning (whatever that is).  I didn't want to make a long term commitment just yet.  I have belonged on and off over the years to the Spectrum Club in El Segundo and that was about $110 per month last I looked.  It does have lots of stuff there including a large pool (which I used once), A Restaurant with Healthy Foods (and some not so healthy); A Bar,(which I did on occasion use).  Lot’s of hot tubs and classes etc. which I rarely used. Eye candy was pretty good from my perspective, but when the women checked me out, they were not impressed.  They had obviously stepped on a duck.  (You had to be there).

The Spectrum Club had (has) A great shower facility -- which I never used (I am not wild about communal showers with a bunch of men and they kept having to remove me from the women’s side).  I am not a crowd pleaser.  So the way I see it I spent about 2 years as a member and went maybe 10 times.  I figure that cost me about $300 a visit.  I gained about 10 pounds a year.  That’s why I didn’t make any long term commitment, but let’s see how I do with my first 30 days at the El Segundo Athletic Club.  It’s time for me to get going again.  I have at least one more good "run" in me.  

When I went for my visit they were extremely nice (Lisa).   I “gave myself up to a higher power” and Lisa didn't pressure me at all to sign up for a longer period. She didn't point and laugh either.   Thanks Lisa.   I am going to go for the first time today, and more or less become familiar with the machines and see where I might fit in as I begin my journey back to “health”.  I will keep you posted if you are interested.




Rotary Meeting of 9-27-2012 "It’s time to get healthy .. get goin.."just sayin"", by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Bulletin of 9-13-2012 “Education in Today’s Times – Tough Times”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting:

We had a Fellowes’s Visitor from Snowflake Arizona.  She was from a club of about 8 members and she owned a Bar in the middle of Mormon Country.  Talk about a tough job.  Wow.  She has been in business about 13 years.  Somehow she found Phil and I to sit with…go figure.

We had a very special induction of a new Paul Harris Fellow.  His name is Cooper Stolnack.  He is the youngest person that I know to become a Paul Harris Fellow, and guess what, he earns it.  He is always tithing and giving part of his “income” to others more needy.  He also fined me at many a meeting when I didn’t wear my pin.  I would guess he will wear his pin every chance he gets.

Joe continued his fining ways.  He was looking for a way to fine Cooper to get even for all the times Joe was caught last summer not wearing his pin.
Image

The Program:   

Jeff Yantz, the Superintendent of the El Segundo School District and a fellow Rotarian talked about today’s education in Today’s Times.  He presented the budget and talked about all the cuts in Education in General throughout the state.  There was a time when the majority of a Schools resources came from “pre prop 13” taxes.  If you want to know more about Prop. 13, click here.

He talked about how Technology continues to be a very important component now and will become more so in the future.  Textbooks soon will become a thing of the past.  These tools will become available on eReaders.  Phone systems will be converting to VOIP.  I was surfing the internet the other day looking at Educational Opportunities and took a class on Africa which was taught by a Professor at Stanford.  You can take courses and curriculum at most major universities now on the Internet.  “They” are working on how to make these accredited.  This is all available to everyone throughout the world.  It is indeed tough times, but interesting and challenging times.

It was really nice seeing Jeff.  I had a brief chat with him after the meeting and told him I loved seeing him and he adds a lot to the group.  He spoke of how busy he is and alluded to the pressures of the job.  I told him that Rotary for me is an outlet for many of us, where you can take off the shoulder stripes and enjoy the repartee and fellowship of your peers.  Send him an email and tell him how much you liked seeing him and enjoy his company.  He is a good guy.  I noticed he won a prize from the drawing…he chose the red wine.  That will take some pressure off.  I am not sure he gets the Bulletin, but if you do Jeff come back real soon.

Image

Remember:  NO MEETING THURSDAY BECAUSE OF THE ENDEAVOUR, which has decided to come on Friday.

PS:  It seems kind of silly putting this PS here to tell people that these Bulletins can easily end up in SPAM.  If that is happening to you then you won't receive this.  This is actually the first one I personally have received.  They all went to my Spam folder.  

I thought that it was a quirk in the system not sending them to the writer and after pushing the "Send" button I would call Tom and see if he received one so that I know it went out.  I have not missed sending one yet.

Finally we figured out that Gmail (my email provider), decided to send mine to spam.  Some deserve to go there, but some do not and it shouldn't decide for me.  

I went and looked, and they were all in there.  I spoke with Marcia this week and her's were going to Spam as well (she also uses Gmail).  Not sure if Gmail is the problem or not, but thought I would mention to you who are never receiving these including this one to look in your Spam.  Of course you haven't read this to correct the situation, or you prefer they go to Spam.

This makes little or no sense.



Rotary Bulletin of 9-13-2012 “Education in Today’s Times – Tough Times”, by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of September 6, 2012 “Reiman vs. Reiman” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Every Rotary meeting is so interesting.  I have had perfect attendance in the past -- but not lately.  I always seem to miss a meeting or two, but I don’t want to…because I learn something every time and they are fun.  Those of you that weren’t there, here is what happened.  Come back soon.  You are missing out. 

We had three potential new members.  Tom may or may not have brought two of them.  He brought Jim Stone and Shannon Magid.  I think he stole them from another Rotarian to take the credit.   He may be the Take Credit King of the Rotary.  The TCK he is so named.  Clair brought a City Council member Suzanne Fuentes.  She is Mayor Pro Tem of the City.

Joe bought the Bling and he fined Dean for Bar Hopping, he was seen at a number of bars (Joe must have been on the same tour); he fined Melissa for still pretending to be Rotary President;  he fined Shannon(A visitor) and she is not even in the club.  He got into the POWER thing and became a “man in full” and that “Hubris thing” came into play and THEN -- he fined the Bulletin Editor for sending out a nice Magazine to everyone in our club.  That’s what Bulletin Editors do. They send out written material.  Then he fined Shiela for not sending out a magazine.  I think he fined Ted too for something, but Ted handles the accounting so it is unlikely to be on his bill.  I think he might have fined himself as well but Tom had to take back control.  God help us if he ever becomes a Judge.  Judge Joe.  Frightening.

There were a number of other announcements that we will be receiving emails about in the near future.  Tom likes to send his own emails about these things.  It makes him feel important.

There is one date you need to write on your calendar right now and that is September 21, 2012 at 4 PM at Chef Hannes.  It is very important planning meeting that will help us determine the direction of the club for the next 3 years.  We are going to be talking a lot about finances so come prepared and bring your checkbook and your thoughts.  Bring your appetite too because we are going to have dinner ($25) afterwards for a little fellowship.  Maybe even an adult beverage.

The Program  (There is hope for us all).  Reiman vs. Reiman

Dave always comes up with something original.  Let’s talk a little about him first.  He has been a President of Rotary -- and a Great One.  He did so with humility and style.

Now, as a member and Past President -- he really shines.  That is one of the neat things about Rotary in general is that sometimes you lead, and sometimes you follow.  Both are necessary and important.  There are lots of leaders in the club, but they also don’t mind taking a back seat to others when needed.  I find that very interesting and uplifting.

Dave on the outside is a very interesting guy, and I am sure even more interesting on the inside.  He is always up, yet he has known his share of sorrow.   Every meeting the "Irish" comes out in him.  He’s a story teller. A weaver of tales.   He can make you laugh, and he can make you cry.  He is a leprechaun of sorts.  A leprechaun is mischievous by nature, but in a good way.   His stories from Dermot(sp) come from a deep well and I suspect we will be hearing more of these as the years go by.  He frequently is our Joke Teller and never lets us down, and never crosses the line into poor taste. 

Dave is a lawyer.  I bet the Judges enjoy him in the court room as he meticulously fights for his clients with his attention to detail, sense of decency and perhaps a story or an allegory to prove a point.  I bet he quotes Dermot when he can get away with it.  My guess is he doesn’t have to go to court very often having negotiated and settled most problems to his client’s satisfaction.  But when he goes I bet he wins. 

His Judgment seems impeccable at all times.   He is a model for Rotarians, and a model for his sons.  His 18 year old son Chris was the program for the day and is the new President of the Interact Club.  Of course he is, he is Dave’s son. 

Dave set the stage for his son coming on to a “TV Program Interview Show”.  He asked Chris had they “prepared” for this interview, and Chris said they had not.  It would ruin the fun of the unknown ahead.  That's Dave, and that's his son.  As Dave set the table for the skit you could see the smile on his face as prepared to engage in a lively repartee with his son.  The conversation or point counter-point was “What  is it like to be a Typical Teenager”?  They had a friendly competitiveness between them.  Their eyes twinkled.  They were fully engaged.  They talked.  Father to Son.

I wish Chris was a “Typical Teenager”.  If so the world would be fine…forever.  That is one neat kid (Teen Ager).  He is still a kid, but he is on the verge of adulthood.  What an attitude.  Everything was great to him.  He even learned to “like” long distance running, finding the Zen so to speak in the loneliness of a long distance runner.  He knows of Zen.

Chris likes all kinds of music.  He said he enjoys Mozart and sometimes offsets some of the lightness of Mozart with that of Bach.  Or was it Beethoven.  Perhaps it was Meatloaf.  What a “Kid”.  Kids don’t listen to Mozart.  Chris does.  Dad does too.

He talked (through the interviews) about life and the “yin and a yang” to it.  Tom thinks Yin and Yang are a couple of panda’s at the LA Zoo.  Joe wanted to fine Yin $10, and Yang $20.   Chris understands how these two ebb and flow through everyone’s life.

This “Kid”, displayed the wisdom spoke by Lao Tsu some 5000 years ago.  I don’t know if he read this in a book sometime, or channeled old “Lao Tsu”, but there he was making life simple for all of us.  His dad wore a grin on his face the whole time.  His dad tried to trap him with a few questions.  He asked “what does he like best about being a Teen Ager:  Ans:  “You don’t have to pay for anything”.  He laughed and we all laughed.  We wanted to return to those days ourselves.

Dave tried other questions trying to trip him up a bit, and Chris "let" him do it and ended with a little quip himself.  “Obedience is the key to manipulation”. Think about that.  Wow.  My guess he is obedient at all times, and Dave pays the bills, and Chris smiles.  Dave now knows he has been manipulated, and he likes it.

Thanks to you two for letting us see a father and son enjoy each other’s company and share in their love for each other.  It was great to watch.  Upon leaving I talked briefly with Sandy and she said “I have much more confidence in the future and feel better”.  So do I.

Rotary Meeting of September 6, 2012 “Reiman vs. Reiman” by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of August 30, 2012 “A Worthy Endeavour"

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

A packed house came to hear about the Space Shuttles long Journey to end up in Los Angeles on September 20, 2012 about noon.  With any luck they will do a “fly over”, over Los Angeles so that everyone can see the Shuttle arrive.  They did that in Washington and it was pretty special. That is a “maybe” depending on the weather and other conditions that may exist, but that would be pretty neat and I hope it happens.  They expect thousands along Imperial to watch the plane land.

The Endeavour will spend a while at the Airport getting ready for its next mission on October 12th and 13th to travel about 12 miles from LAX to its final home in the California Space Center. (Volunteers are needed to help.  If you want to help call for an application on 213-744-2124 or email VolunteerDept@cscmail.org).

Speaking of those in the room, we had the Mayor, the New Counsel Member Dave Atkinson, The Chief of the Police, the Fire Chief, and on and on.  There were lots of Police present to view the presentation and our own Carlos came in his SWAT team uniform just in case Tom got out of hand.  Tom thought they came to see him -- they did not.  They came to hear about “Endeavour”, Los Angeles soon to be “very own Space Shuttle”. 

I brought a guest that I had met the prior week at the Chamber Mixer at Schat’s.  He is a young fella that may be interested in Rotary and his name is Connor Bescos who is an Information Technology guy (Computer Dude) from Premier Systems in El Segundo.  Very nice guy.  This was a good meeting to take a guest to.  He got a chance to see many of the “Top” people in El Segundo, and Tom too.  While he did sit next to Dick, he said he would like to come back again.  I hope he wasn't just engaging in hyperbole so I am going to call  him.  His favorite ice crème is Mint Chip.  Other visitors in the room also favored the Mint Chip.  That’s mine as well.  Perhaps some at a future meeting for desert is in order..."just sayin".

The Speaker was the Sr. Vice President of Development and Marketing for the California Science Center Foundation, William Harris.  You could tell he loved this presentation and loved the very interesting “journey” to bring the Shuttle to LA.  It was extremely interesting and a nail biter(even though we knew the outcome) as he outlined the process,  and then the countdown waiting for the “decision” phone call that said -- “you got it”.  Some facts about our Space Shuttle follow.

Space Shuttle Endeavour

Endeavour successfully completed 25 missions into space, including the first service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as the first mission to add a U.S. component to the International Space Station.

Specs

·         Inaugural launch date: May 7, 1992

·         Total number of fliers: 173

·         Total number of orbits: 4,671

·         Total miles traveled: 122,883,151

·         Time in space: 299 days

·         Orbiter length: 122 feet

·         Orbiter height on runway: 57 feet

·         Wingspan: 78 feet

·         Manufacturer: Rockwell International Corporation in Palmdale, California

Famous Firsts

  • First (and only) shuttle named by elementary and secondary students
  • First service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope
  • Assembled the Unity Module, the first U.S. component of the International Space Station
  • Carried the first African-American female astronaut into space (Mae Jemison), the first Japanese astronaut in the shuttle program (Mamoru Mohri) and the first married couple to fly on the same space mission (Mark Lee and Jan Davis)
  • On Endeavour's first spaceflight, four spacewalks were completed in a single shuttle mission, which had never been done before.

Thank you Shirley for making this meeting happen.  

Rotary Meeting of August 30, 2012 “A Worthy Endeavour" Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 8-23-2012 “Drugs” You Never Thought About (at least I haven’t)

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting:

Tom ran a nice average meeting.  The Man in Full completed his mission to present the Governor's Visionary Awards by recognizing Joe Harding as a Visionary.  Joe has done more than a yeoman’s work for more than ten years with Ryla, and certainly is deserving of the “Visionary” award for this and many other things he does for Rotary and yes…the world.  That's a big statement Joe.  Many of the kids (now grown ups) that have gone through programs you have touched are way better off than otherwise, and perhaps many in Foreign Country's are even alive because of things you have done.  Big Statement for an important guy...not your average Joe.   Nice going Joe, we are all so proud of you.

The Man in Full then recognized two other Worldly Visionaries, Dick Van Vranken and Gary Wilson.  He awarded Dick for his steadfast work on updating the Club Roster month after month, year after year; never seeking recompense for his efforts, and proceeding with his work silently for a decade or more.  He was made the proud recipient of the “Commodore Award”.  This is a new concept for Tom and no doubt will be a coveted award as the year(s) go by and will be part of Tom’s legacy as a President.  We obviously are seeking things that will be part of Tom’s legacy and this is about it for now.

Gary Wilson, our handsome scribe known as “The Bulletin Editor” also received the “Commodore Award” for turning out a “tome of nothing” each week seeking stories where none exist, and putting it into some sort of framework that is suitable, interesting and important enough to make the reader return the next week for a peek.  Those of you that are reading this…thanks for coming back.

We both received a nice piece of paper that would be suitable for framing and the award had some very nice words inscribed along with an official seal.  It looked like one of those awards Tom had won in his career that almost always had the title:  “Certificate of Participation”, followed by a month or year.   The award that Tom presented to us said July 2012.  Close enough, we do this month after month.  Perhaps he was going to make the award last month and just forgot.  It is the thought that counts, and maybe a little stipend from time to time...nothing much.

Dick and I posed for pictures and received a standing ovation from our fellow Rotarians.  Dick was choked up and Tom chortled.  I had tears in my eyes and waved at the crowd.  Pictures were taken and some wished to pose with the recipients to have their picture taken and put in their personal scrap book for future generations to enjoy.  We were humble and happy to oblige.

However, others told Dick and I that Tom was making fun of us.  It was Tom’s folly.  I attach a copy of the award for you to judge. 

 Image



The Program:

The program amazed me.  Steve Paulson from our own Police Department talked about Drugs, in our School, in our Town, and in the Nation.   He has an office in the High School which I did not know.  That sure sounds like a good idea, and now it must be a necessary one.  He had a nice calm demeanor about himself and proceeded through a detailed power point presentation about all they types of drugs there are.  Many of those products used to get high are simply sold right off the counter and many at our local Liquor Store.  I am such a Pollyanna about things like this and slide after slide amazed me.  You can get high on bath salts and incense.  I use both of those products.  You can get high on balloons filled with a gas that helps you make whipped cream.   You can die from this.  It looks like you can get  high on most anything.  A very interesting but very sad and concerning presentation.

A number of stores in our community sell over the counter items that kids can use to get high.  It is legal.  While that may be so I don't have to shop there and neither do you.  Much of my writing is meant to be fun, funny, irreverent, and silly.  There is nothing funny about drugs.  Nothing and I am stopping the writing right here.  See you next week.

Gary

Rotary Meeting of 8-23-2012 “Drugs” You Never Thought About (at least I haven’t) Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 8-16-2012 “The Visit” from the District Governor

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Rotary Meeting of 8-16-2012  “The Visit” from the District Governor

The District Governor came to check on the best Rotary Club in the United States World.   OK so I am engaging in some Hyperbole, but we are very good.  Let me explain.

New Paul Harris Fellows:

At this meeting we put our best foot forward bringing out all the guns.  First of all we had some New Paul Harris Fellow Awards to give, and some additional Paul Harris Fellows to others.  Deborah, Shirley, Dean and Laura became Paul Harris Fellow (esses).  Elyse, Kevin, Penny, and Tom added a diamond or a ruby to their status.  Congratulations to you all. 

In other announcements.

Guess what, Julie Warner is “Staying”.  She has been such a great Rotarian over the years and brightens the room when she enters.  It is great to know we will be seeing her for a long time.  She is planning a little “staying in town” celebration.  More on that later.

District Governor’s Visit

Then the District Governor came to the Podium and talked about this year’s new status of “VISIONARY”.  This would be someone who far exceeds the requirements of an ordinary person in the pursuit of goodness and conducts major projects that affect people’s lives forever..  This was reserved for the Super Stars.  We had three that were so designated by the DG.  Jeami, Elyse, and Joe.  Jeami for the work she is doing in Uganda that we all know about.  Second for Elyse and Joe who have done so much and continue to do so much for RYLA.  Everytime they talk about it they “Beam”.   Joe wasn’t there, but Elyse “Beamed” enough for both of them.  All three are labeled “Visionaries”.   

I sat with Dick and we grumbled a bit about how we too were visionaries. Dick does the Roster and I do the bulletins.  But no…no visionary for us.  But we do our tasks with pride and vigor, and perhaps someday we too can be visionaries.

The Governor talked and reminisced about his life in Rotary and all the friends he has met.  He spoke with dignity and class.  Not sure if he had the right club for that, but he spoke from the heart. 

Ignite and ASK were two things the DG stressed in his talk.  It’s all about Membership and we need to do a better job of spreading the word and increasing our membership.

Simply, ASK people to come and visit.

He closed by quoting a poem by anonymous.  I didn’t catch all the words so I googled some of the words and found this one by Mother Theresa.  It is very close to his closing and I close with it now.

Mother Teresa's Anyway Poem

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.


Image

Image

Image

Rotary Meeting of 8-16-2012 “The Visit” from the District Governor Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of July 26, 2012 “The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

We had a field trip.  Yep.  Upon awakening last Thursday I had that boyish feeling of excitement and the nervousness of …. “The Field Trip”.    I use to have that feeling in the 4th grade or so.  “We were going away”.   A Trip.   An Adventure.  A Chautauqua.   Not far, but not to the usual familiar and comfortable place either.   I didn’t have to pack a lunch this day, the Rotary would take care of that.  Today’s Trip was about MOTORCYLES.  I don’t know anything about Motorcycles and looked forward to the day.  I was excited and not disappointed.  

To digress for a second -- In my younger years I read a book called “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert Persig.  It too is about a Chautauqua.  It has stayed with me ever since.  It’s not about Motorcycles, but uses them as a metaphor for a way of life.  It is really good if you are in a particular frame of mind.  I was and still am.

I am not going to say too much about this 1 hour Journey into a special place.  It is indeed special and so was Michael, the owner.  If you are familiar with the internet service “Yelp,” you will find nothing but positive comments about Michael and his shop.  Yelp is used by the common man to rate his common experiences with local establishments.   Below is a “cut and paste” of one of the commenters who had been to Michael’s shop.  I couldn’t say it better and there are others.  All are terrific ratings of this simple yet complex store and man.

“SBC is just one of those too-good-to-be-true places.  For one, it's a top-notch place for motorcycle repair, service, and parts.  Two, it's an open, friendly art gallery, lounge, and gathering place for rides or events.  Three, like one of the reviewers said below, Michael is friendly and honest.  He's personable and takes really good, meticulous care of his customer’s bikes, his equipment & tooling.  Four, he's expanding all the time.  I knew him before he had a lathe and mill, and more tools & capabilities are on the way.  Five?  Hank”

Hank Is right about the shop and Michael.  He looks like a figure out of the past, but he is not old.  Maybe 40, but he is right out of the 60’s.  About 6’4 and maybe 140 pounds. Long Elvis sideburns.  Lot’s of tattoos.  His “shop” is perfect.  The pictures say it all and I am including most of them in this writing.  There is a huge amount of “stuff” here and perhaps 15 motorcycles as well, but there is a perfect order to it.  The walls are all decorated with his girlfriend’s art, so this is an art gallery as well.  Every piece of Art is placed deliberately on the wall in a measured way.   Michael gave us a simple 10 minute speech, unrehearsed but not nervous; and then answered lots of questions from the Rotarians who clearly were infatuated with the place and the man and his simple but seemingly perfect life.  Someone asked him what were his next plans or had he arrived where he wanted to be.  He thought, (just for a moment), and said he couldn’t think of anything else he would want.  He had arrived.  His journey and destination had become one.  This was special, you had to be there but I hope I captured a little of Michael’s magic.

Image


Image

Image

Image

Image

Rotary Meeting of July 26, 2012 “The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 7-19-2012 “Tom Hitting His Stride, before Hubris Set’s In” or How Was Your Kale?

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

NOTE:  Meeting This Thursday is at 115 Penn St. South Bay Customs and Art Gallery

The Meeting

The SC (Supreme Commander) is now fully engaged, and feeling good.  He has a swagger.  I arrived early as usual and watched things.   I like to do that.  I sat up close because the District is concerned that meetings may not be conducted “properly” and wanted to “keep an eye on things”.  (Bell Stolen, no Mystery Rotarian etc.)  They District Office selected some of us long time members to see what is going on.  Dave Reiman also sat up close on “Podium Row” to lend a legal perspective on things should it be necessary.  We are watching.


This is Kale.  (He is not a new potential member Dean so you don't have to call him)  Read further and you will find out why there is a picture of Kale.

Kale - Brain Food 

Early on Tom sat across the aisle from me and “huddled” with Jack.  They whispered and giggled through the early meal time.   I think I saw one pull the others little finger.  They didn’t want to make eye contact with me. Something was up.  

One of the items on the buffet was a Kale Salad (see above).  What is well known is that Kale is very important to eat while growing up because it helps in increasing intelligence, athletic and sexual prowess, and makes for a clean colon.  Tom had never had it before and didn’t like it.  That explains a few things. 

Our local Vegetarian Frank Glynn would have liked the Salad, he is smart too.  He came late to get his Birthday Card but didn't eat.  Tom and I like Hot Dogs and Chillie.  Ribs --even better.  Maybe sausages.  Throw in a beer and/or some wine, or perhaps some Jack Daniels and you have a real meal.  Ice Cream Sunday for Desert.   A Manly meal.  That makes for a nice bovine shape.  Frank stopped reading a while ago and had to leave the room and throw up.

I will bet Jack liked the Kale.  Tom said it wasn't from the South so it must be from one of those East Coast Ivy League Colleges.  It makes you a liberal, but smart and tidy. A Starched Look.    Did you ever talk to Jack about "things".  He is really smart and knows much.  He can also write a perfect Email, lengthy with no mistakes.  Perfect.  Jack's about as smart a guy as I have ever met.  You should come to our Wed. morning (8:30, Blue Butterfly) coffee's.  We cover lots of topics and solve the worlds problems.

Card Time was greeted with a Birthday Card for Len’s 35th Anniversary and a Real Birthday Card for Frank Glynns Birthday.  It was very funny.

Elyse was the Jokester for the day and told one “with” the Supreme Commander.  The told it together; a team; it had a touch of naughtiness to it, just right.  It was a “Peaceful, Easy Feeling” kind of union.  Man and Woman; Old vs. New.  They looked good together up there at the podium, each trying to be a bit better than the other, but not too much.  Both quick witted -- lost in the moment.  They became one... Queen and Commander.  The Joke turned out well.   Nice going.  Nice dance.

Image

Movie in the Park is Coming Up Quickly and we need to sell it out.  Chevron paid for a full page ad in the back of the local paper, and someone said the Beach Reporter as well.  Thank You Chevron and Lily.  You are absolutely precious to this club and the City of El Segundo and the South Bay in General.  This Event is our most important fund raiser and everyone should be on Board and working it if you can.  Times are tough…and as my dad use to say “the tough get going”.  Bring it on.

Kevin was back from his Hip Surgery and looked and felt good.  I think he had injured his hip at the Demotion Party and his portrayal of Steven Tyler as a judge for American Idol when he had a prurient interaction with Torch Singer Marsha Hansen.  The Video is available for a price Kevin, or it goes Viral. 

The Program 1

The Rotary Club is thinking of Sponsoring a large Mural on the wall on the corner of Mariposa and Main (The Mailbox Building).  It would be a big one and locals Neil and Dawn came to make a presentation on what it might look like.  No “Theme” has been chosen yet, but Tom did bring up that he is the President and Supreme Commander and he should be featured, and Elyse was seen putting on some lip stick and flirting with Neil (and Dawn if she thinks that would get her face on the wall).  They both looked good.

The Program 2

David Bard from the Marine Mammal Care Project came to talk to us about his facility in San Pedro that saves water animals who need some care.  They are brought to the “hospital” which has been in existence for 20 years.  David started as a Volunteer and it was a fairly run down place, and now he has scratched the facility up to where they have a Vet available 7 days a week, lots of “pens” and “water ponds” for the sick Seals and Proposes to enjoy during their recovery.  I fell asleep a long time ago on the Beach in San Diego after an all night party and think I was brought to a facility like this one.  I think I had too much to drink.  I am sure of it.  I had to pay a fine to leave.

The End

Well, the two gigglers caught the Bulletin Editor for not shaking Jacks Hand.  With great starched fanfare Jack announced that I had not.  I was the only one in the room.  You would have thought they captured Bin Laden.  Everyone else had done the shake.  I admitted my folly and gladly paid the fine.


Additional Comment 1:  We had a potential new member visit us for the second time and I think her name was Barbara (I gotta get better at this).  I think it is a good idea for the members to go by and shake her hand and say they enjoyed meeting her (or him if it's a him) and say we look forward to seeing you again next week.  Then Dean will have an easier time getting new members.  It is also up to all of us to help recruit new members to come to a meeting, let's not leave it all up to Dean.

Additional Comment 2:  Our monthly fining pledge is one of those things that helps the club run.  Money is tough to come by now-a-days and the club needs all the help it can to continue to support all the causes to which we donate.  If you can pledge a little more see Ted.  He will put it on your bill.



Rotary Meeting of 7-19-2012 “Tom Hitting His Stride, before Hubris Set’s In” or How Was Your Kale? Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of July 12, 2012 “A Full House for Tom"

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

Not sure why there was a full house for Tom, (who likes to be known as the Supreme Commander (SC).  I wonder if that title is higher than “Queen” which another member likes to refer to herself as.  We will see as the year unfolds who has the greater “presence”.  Tom could be higher than the Queen.

I had missed the first meeting so I had not seen Tom as President (or Supreme Commander (SC)) before.  I always get there early and shortly upon arrival so did Tom (SC).  He surveyed the room and became one with it.    He looked for someone to play the role of “Mystery Rotarian”, and he chose Jack, another early arriver.  Jack fulfilled his duty by not extending his hand to those who came in and I am sure he had “caught” quite a few to help fill our treasury, but Tom forgot to call upon him.  Running a meeting is complex with lots of people wanting attention, the mind racing at all times to ensure things are lively, but tended to.  He didn’t tend to the Mystery Rotarian.  I don’t think that has ever happened before.  Kevin (a member of the District Governors officer corp) could not be there because of surgery so he did not mark this down as a district infraction, and God knows I won’t tell him.  The District keeps track of these things like losing your gavel, the bell, etc.

We had a few visitors.  Tom had invited one of our new City Council electees by the name of Dave Atkinson.  He asked "moi" to chaperone him through the meeting.  Tom thought he might make a good new member.  It has been a while since we had a council person as a member and I had a real nice chat with him.  He is a nice guy with strong opinions about the City and some of the things he wishes to accomplish.  He perhaps might want to become a member, but thought it was too premature for him to start considering these types of things.

Tom presented a few checks to local causes.  One to Shawn Green from the Teen Center and another to Carol Priztuk and Jayne Pimlott of the Ed Foundation.

Image


Program:  West Basin Municipal Water District

I didn’t write down her name, but the presenter from the Water District was charming.  She had a nice combination of confidence and humility.   Oh, and she was good lookin too. That is always a nice combo for me.  That water district amazes me every time I see these presentations.  I think it would be fun to go over and have a tour of the facility which I understand is available almost every day.  I took her picture and Elyse, seeing an opportunity to be in front of a camera, hopped in to tear tickets.

I guess the recycled water is totally safe for drinking if you are so inclined.  I think I would take a pass on that for now, but perhaps in time it would be necessary and it is nice to see the technology has come so far.  If I went there with the Supreme Commander (SC) I would expect him to display his leadership skills by throwing down a pint before asking any of his minions to do the same thing.

Image

Chamber Mixer

Going to a Chamber Mixer is like going to a large Rotary Meeting.  Most Rotarians are members of the chamber and never pass up an opportunity to "mix" when there is good food and wine.  This one at Chevron Park is the Best.  Chevron goes all out with the food and hospitality.  Marsha and Lily call out the winners of the Raffle prizes and engage in lively banter with the crowd.  Tom and Ed Su were there and we chatted and I took the picture below.

Do any of you see anything “funny” about the picture below.  

Image

Rotary Meeting of July 12, 2012 “A Full House for Tom" Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of Aug. 2, 2012 “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, and “Movie in the Park”

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

We had two important events this week…the Meeting, and The Movie in the Park.

The Meeting:

Another day another meeting.   Tom moving along through his agenda with dispatch as they do in the military.  I doubt if our Supreme Commander was in the Military.  Military School perhaps as a boy.

 We had a visitor from a small town in Texas who apparently had the same barber as Tom(see picture).  They exchanged some lively barbs about whether “Everything in Texas is Bigger”.  He was a big guy and so was the SC.  They are both “Abundant Men”.    They had healthy platefuls of food, exchanged some flags (who’s was bigger” etc. etc.) and it stopped there.  Which is a good thing.  Guys gone bad is not good.  Guys gone wild is worse.
Image

The Program:

Every time I see our newest Rotarian Jeami Duncan talk about something I am amazed, or “blown away” which is a term she likes to use and it fit’s her comfortable talking style.  She went to the Rotary National Convention and was “blow away” to quote her.  She went to Bangkok, Thailand for the convention and as she talked her big bright eyes and smile were fully engaged as she clicked through her power point presentation.   Most of us when we go on these Junkets treat it as a vacation.  Not Jeami.  She doesn’t go out to fancy restaurants in a upscale part of town whether she is in Thailand, Cambodia, or India(She went to all three).  She likes to go to the impoverished areas to see if there is an opportunity to create a better life for the children she meets who live on the periphery of society.  Those who have little chance at a decent life unless they have a helping hand.  She takes those “projects” on like a David took on Goliath or Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  I don’t know much about Jeami and I don’t know much about Buffy, but for now they are one and the same to me.   Have you ever seen them in the same room together?  I haven’t.  Hellooo …. Buffy.

She takes on the Giants and is little fazed by the magnitude of her task.  She pick’s at the Worlds Big Problems.  While I look to give the fella on the street corner a few bucks from time to time because I see myself in his eye’s, she looks at building schools tens of thousands of miles away for kids who would not have a chance at a decent life unless there are schools, teachers, clean water and food nearby.  That is Mercy’s Village.  Her first project that is ongoing and moving in a very positive direction.  Click the above link and go there now.  You will see this picture there, and I place here because it is so special.
Image

But, Buffy is seeking other causes to lend a hand to and found a few in her most recent travels. 

She wants to take on some of the “filth” in India’s slums and has already rounded up a number of people that want to partner with her and Rotary for that project.  Ideas are already been generated on how to turn some profit from the garbage that is piled 25 feet high in some areas along the river.

She also wants to take on the Children Sex Trafficking that has some of its origins in the slums of Bangkok and Cambodia.  Girls as young as 6 years old are being sold.  I don’t like thinking about this and I don’t like writing about this.  I didn’t know of its existence til Jaime made her report and she already is networking in some dangerous areas to see if she can help.  That’s what Jeami does.  She is indeed a Vampire slayer and we should help her when we can.   This diminutive little warrior told us all to be brave in our pursuitsShe is something else.  Watch Buffy go.

Movie in the Park

Speaking of something else our Supreme Commander was in all his glory come Movie in the Park Day.   He barked orders, arranged things, made decisions and speeches and overall just “tended” to things with "Officialdom".   He was IN CHARGE.  That is until Lily showed up in the golf cart and took over. 

Dean, Wayne and I worked the Beer and Wine both and the Supreme Commander was checking the beer about every 15 minutes for it’s considency of taste and quantity of the pour.  He tended to it.  He tended to it.  And then he tended some more.  I hope he got home all right, he must have been very tired with all that tending.

The attendance looked to be about the same as last year and that is during these very tough times.  Everyone I talked to loves this event.  We collected emails at the booth and received about 80.  This can be used to announce future events and perhaps as a recruiting tool for new members.

It was a grand evening and I had a great time.  Thanks Lily, and Tom, our Supreme Commanders for the night.  It's a lot of work and my hat's off to you both and all your helpers...fellow Rotarians.  

PS.  I always remind myself that this event was started many years ago by Rebecca Harrison and Chevron.  Those of you who don't know her are missing a treat.  She is pretty special and hope she is still reading these Bulletins and come back to us soon.

Rotary Meeting of Aug. 2, 2012 “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, and “Movie in the Park” Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of August 9, 2012 “AWOL Supreme Commander, Dick takes over” and The Rotary Foundation Part 1

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting

The Supreme Commander went AWOL and our own Dick Van Vranken stepped in just like he had back in the 80’s.  He ran the meeting briskly and on time taking care of business.  He did not lose his gavel or his bell as happens to the Supreme Commander from time to time.  He was humble and showed his gratitude to all for their participation in the Movie in the Park.  We had a finemaster (Dr. Michelle) and she is really good at this.  Her repartee is lively and gracious, and good spirited.  She would be my vote to do this every meeting.  That job is harder than it looks.  I have done it a few times and I thought I would be good at it, but I am awful.  Nice going Michelle (even though you did pick on me for having a flat tire in the center of town).  I like to draw attention to myself and that’s why I have done this twice in the last few months.  (I really need to visit the place that sold me the tires).

Michelle took the opportunity to praise the absent Lily Craig.  If you would have been there Lily you would have been embarrassed.  She gushed about you, your skill, your generosity, and your friendship.  I love it when people say good things behind peoples backs.  You know they mean it.  She also said you got a little “hot” in the raffle tickets at the Movie in the Park and had a few winners.  God also apparently knows what a great Rotarian and Person you are.  Are you embarrassed yet Lily.

The Program

Jack Weber talked to us today about The Foundation.  Organized and starched, he did a great job.   He quizzed us a bit by asking what we think The Foundation does.  I think the answer is “A Lot of Things”.  A Trillion Dollars flow through the foundation.  These are numbers only Astronomers and Politicians use.

It is most noted for it’s fight against Polio around the world.  We all contribute to the Foundation by becoming a Paul Harris Fellow.  Most people in the United States under the age of 60 or so don’t know what Polio is (or was in the United States).  I remember it as a small boy in the early to mid 50’s  when you heard “someone on the block had gotten Polio”.  I believe it was contagious and you feared getting it.  And then, they found a vaccine and the first ones were shots.  They hurt, but they worked.  Some children didn’t get the vaccine in time.  They still don't in some countries.  Ted walks with a walker because he had Polio.  I am sure there are many reason’s whey Ted is a Rotarian, and that would probably be one of them.  

Jack outlined the Foundation for us and one of the things mentioned early is the World Peace Initiative.  It was number one on the chart that Jack showed, and caused the most discussion and questions for Jack.  We will be hearing more about this program.  In the meantime here is a  link to help us further our knowledge.

LINK:  Rotary Peace Initiative 

That's it for now.

PS.  DISTRICT GOVERNOR'S VISIT THURSDAY.  COME TO THE MEETING DRESSED AND SOBER.

Rotary Meeting of August 9, 2012 “AWOL Supreme Commander, Dick takes over” and The Rotary Foundation Part 1 Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting June 21, 2012 "Bitter Sweet Good Byes"

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Bitter Sweet Good Byes

Melissa’s last meeting as President.  That was the Agenda for the meeting, and that is what we did.  It is always a memorable moment filled with joy and tears.

Melissa had her “Staff” make presentations about their accomplishments for the year.  That was her style; that was her way; that was(is) who she is.  She let others have the limelight while running things in the background with a firm hand.  She never took the credit, but always took the blame if necessary… and there wasn’t much of that. 

She was kind to us throughout the year, only occasionally getting our attention with a crisp Whistle. That’s right…a WHISTLE.  On occasion some of us would get out of hand and show some disrespect to others with our “rowdiness” (not me…but others), and you would get… the WHISTLE.  Like a teacher (go figure) with a crisp SNAP of the ruler… out came the WHISTLE.  That was it.  No other scolding through the year (maybe a scowl now and then). 

Melissa also never missed a chance to say … Thank You.  At the end of many a meeting when something was of note for the club, she said …Thank You for letting me be associated with you.  She would open her arms as if to embrace all of us and smile with grace.

At the end of the meeting we had a great surprise.  Melissa sang to us. It was beautiful.  She has sung before and perhaps will do so again soon.  Tom thought she was only singing to him, but that wasn’t true.  She was singing to us.  Even though Melissa loves to sing, she spared us from having to sing all year long and we are grateful.  I am not sure why she spared us the singing by her because “this gal can sing”.  Well, perhaps we will find out at the Demotion Party. 

Melissa (and Randy…the Wind Beneath Her Wings) sang the song “For Good”.  This is from the play Wicked.  I recorded it on my new $40 camcorder and have about 4 minutes of the song.  Unfortunately it is the last 4 minutes of the last meeting which I have completely recorded.  I wrestled with the software to “Trim” it from the whole meeting, but my technical skills have thus far not allowed me to do that.  I will eventually master that and put the song by Melissa on the web site, but for now if you want to hear the song click here:  FOR GOOD

The song is about us her fellow Rotarians. She thanks us in a very emotional way, and we thank her back.  52 meetings, 12 Board Meetings, 10 District Breakfast, many many awards presentations and such, and a number of one on one visits with others.  Rotary Presidents do indeed work hard for their clubs, and she thanked us.

Thank you Melissa for a great year and you too Randy.  You are quite a pair.  Neither of you will ever be forgotten.  You will be with us … For Good.

Melissa singing

Check out the Badge...I see a fine here.

Joe Harding as Nancy

Rotary Meeting June 21, 2012 "Bitter Sweet Good Byes" Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 7-5-2012 “And So it Begins” or “Tom’s First"

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

NOTE:  Thanks to Marsha for such a great job in filling in for me writing the prose for Tom's First Meeting as "The Supreme Commander".  It's going to be a long year.  Thanks to Mari and Marsha for pictures from Tom's First.

Tom’s First Meeting,

by Marsha Hansen (on assignment from Gary Wilson)

Well, I told Gary I would write a column about this week’s meeting since he had to go to the mountains.  I forgot about it until the meeting was almost over. I think I was simply mesmerized by Tom’s leadership style. Such power and commanding presence…I’m not sure if I was excited or scared. Let me see what I can remember…

Tom started the meeting talking about our aging members, need for surgical procedures, medicines, senior citizen discounts at Rite Aid, etc. He then announced Kevin is having hip replacement surgery next week and presented him with a walker. I quickly volunteered to give Kevin sponge baths. You know…anything for our fellow Rotarians…Service Above Self, He Profits Most who Serves Best, etc. etc. etc.

Tom asked some very thought provoking and moving questions at the beginning of the meeting. No, not questions like, “Do you know the best way to fillet a possum?” He asked “What is the average age of the El Segundo Rotary Club Members…Granny Clampett, Thurston Howell III, Richie Cunningham or Bart Simpson? I missed the answer…I was mentally planning Kevin’s recovery. He also asked how many members missed all the meetings last year. Lily was next to me and she squirmed a bit but turns out she had not only been to some meetings…she/Chevron donated thousands and thousands of dollars to

make Movie in the Park happen for bunches of years. She is excused the rest of the year.

Tom reviewed his 2012-2013 Goals which include the following:  Strategic Plan: Develop a Strategic Plan for El Segundo Rotary Club to help ensure continued growth and involvement of members. Membership: Net gain of 6 new members. Increase participation of all members in club events. (Elyse & I will be working on this right away…we are going to recruit some new members from that Magic Mike place.) Rotary International Foundation: 100% club participation in donating to the Foundation at any level. International Service: Continue to support Guaymas Mexico with financial support and personal visits from Rotary Club members. Start a program of support for Mercy’s Village in Uganda. New Generations: Support our Interact Club with more club participation. Vocational Service: Expand the speech contest to include art and music with awards for the top 3 finishers.

Community Service: Promote Rotary through sponsorship of Community Mural on the corner of Main and Mariposa.

So as you can see, there are a lot of brains behind that beauty when it comes to Tom. Who knew!?!  Tom shared the past several years’ finances from the Movie in the Park. As our major fundraiser of the year, it’s very important that every member get new sponsors and we go out and SELL those Super Raffle Tickets. There was a long discussion about the Grand prize of a 55” Flatscreen TV or two 44”

Flatscreen TVs or twelve 7” Flatscreen TVs, etc. Tom really likes ‘em big. He said all men do. I’ll leave a follow up story for Gary to write on that. After we reviewed the numbers, we had to eat the papers then moved on to the next subject.

Tom discussed the volunteering fines/dues and how we need to take a serious look at our structure.  He announced a Strategic Planning Session to be held soon. It’s a great opportunity to get together, discuss the structure and future of our Rotary Club and make plans to assure we can continue to make an impact in El Segundo and beyond. This is YOUR club…get involved, give of yourself, your time, your resources and your talent. Again, I am REALLY good at giving baths with four small children so I will give of this talent to my fellow Rotarian. See how it works?

Am I out of room yet? Let’s see…Tom is has a new title. It’s something like Grand Puba, Really Important Guy, Fire Chief…I can’t remember. How does Gary do this…either he has pencil & paper or…he’s really smart. It’s hard to believe, but on Tom’s first day as President, someone stole his new bell. Turns out, it was Kevin. I hope Tom doesn’t steal Kevin’s new hip…just sayin’.

Note 2:  Apparently Tom didn't lose his gavel at his first meeting, but he lost his Bell.  That has never happened before and there may be a District (or higher) investigation.  It looks like Kevin helped him out by finding it for him.

Kevin with Bell

Rotary Meeting of 7-5-2012 “And So it Begins” or “Tom’s First" Gary A. Wilson 0
2012 Watermelon Eating Contest 4th of July Thomas Forsythe 0

Rotary Meeting 6-14-2012 “21 Days to a New Life"

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

The Meeting 1 more meeting  to go after this one for Melissa and her "Watch" is over and passed a long to Tom.  Oh Boy!  But that's another story.

Scouts attended.  Over the years we have had many a Scout come and tell us about their Eagle Project and they usually walk away with some financial help and this fella was no different.  These guys always have such confidence and presence.  I shoulda worked on more badges.  Maybe in my next life.   I always walk away feeling like our future is in good hands with these young souls and hope that the riggors of the world to not change their outlook on life.


Scouts

The Program: 

21 Days to a New Life

Another way to change our lives was taught to us.  Our speaker had a menu of items on how to improve our lives.  One of them only took 21 days and it had to do with changing habits.  If you can do something “new” for 21 days straight, you have changed your life.  I was pretty happy with my life, but there are “areas” that need to be improved and I am going to give it a shot.   I only have 14 more days to go and I can start wearing some speedo's.  I will probably have to talk to a Family Law Attorney as well.

Body Language

Did you know you can tell all about someone by their Body Language.  She also could “read” people by their “gait” or the way they walked.  She asked for Volunteers to be “read”.  Julia put her hand up and came to the center of the room and was asked to “walk”.  She walked and we were asked to comment on what we see.  There was lots of comments and you can see by the smiles of the people in the room that many were “in good fun”.  Julia is a very good sport.  She was smiling too.  I hope she is still smiling

Julia Gait  Julia and Speaker

Hypnosis (I am a believer)

There is no question this worked.  Phil Volunteered to by Hypnotized and I believe that he was.  Even more important…he believes that he was.  At first it appeard to be a set up, but afterward I asked Phil and he said no…he has been hypnotized before and it works on him.  He said he was susceptible to the process. 

He was told that there was a balloon under one of his arms and a weight on the other and you can see by the picture below what happened.  He was then handed a set of car keys and told to hang on to them by one key.  No problem.  Then he was told they were getting heavier and heavier and he would have problems hanging on to them.  He did.  He was then told that the keys had some oily substance on it….and he dropped the keys…couldn’t  hang on.  That won me over and that is something I need to look into more.   30 plus years ago I had a migraine headache at least once a month for most of my life.  I tried hypnosis…and never had a headache again.  Not sure how it works, but it does.

PhilPhil with Keys   

Fun meeting as always...see you next week.



Rotary Meeting 6-14-2012 “21 Days to a New Life" Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of 5/31/2012 “It’s all about finding Your Kind of Love”

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Announcements (Go Kings Go)

Melissa is cruising down the last lap of her Presidency and also had a birthday this week…the big 60.  She didn't seem thrilled with the idea.  Some of us would be thrilled with that number, and others can’t imagine themselves that old.  It is all relative.  As long as my thinking is like a 16 year old and I associate with 12 year old minds like Phil, Tom, and Jack...I am fine.  We giggle a lot.

The Meeting

We had some visitors.  Chuck Perlis (I think that is Chucks last name...he makes more meetings than many of our members...) He visits regularly and so does Ed Su. I think Ed was there too.  It was nice to see them.  

I love to kid Ed because he gives it right back to me.  Did you know that Ed was "Rotarian of the Year a few years back".  Just thought I would share with those of you that were not here at the time.  He is a "behind the scenes kind of guy.  Always helping, always reliable, solid...a true Rotarian.  You need help, he will grin at you, and help he gives.  He's a private guy.  Hi Ed, hope I didn't embarrass 
 you.  (No I'm not:)

Joe Harding introduced Michelle as a visitor and she is a Summer Intern working at the Hacienda. 

Sandy and Carl had an anniversary and have been married 48 years now.  Where does the time go? What can you talk about for 48 years?Sandy and Carl Found Love, hopefully for 48 years but hey…30 would be good too. 

Many of us in the room have been married a long time but finding real love is as natural easy as, well I don’t know.  I met Mary in a Bar, so finding love for me was easy.  Brennans in the Marina.  Mary was working as a Nurse at the Marina Hospital across the street and after work her and her girl friends would go across the street to the Bar, and there I was.  What a catch.  I brought out some of my best lines and about 7 years later we were married.  Easy.  

I sat next to Bill Mason up front for a change (I am starting to move around the room with my new found position of Exalted Bulletin Editor) and Bill and I had a nice chat.  Julia, (the wife) sat across from Bill.  That’s the way love is. Sometimes you are next to each other (like Bill and I) and sometimes you sit across from each other like Bill and Julia.  Some times you talk, and some times you don't.  You need to know the right time.

The Speaker (Love Adviser)

Love Advisor

The Speaker talked about finding love through Story Boarding.  What is Story Boarding you might ask? :   Well, it is about taking pictures, thoughts, phrases, ideas etc. and putting them on a Board with you or your focal point in the center.  The speaker found her husband in that way along with her cat.  She found some pictures of men she liked the look of, and pussy cats she liked the look of, put them in the center of a large poster board and surrounded them with supporting pictures and "VOILA" --  a year or so later she had a husband that looked like the picture and a pussy cat that looked like the picture....and they all lived happily every after.  It's a good thing the didn't get mixed up with the husband looking like the pussy cat and the pussy cat looking like the husband.  It's risky.  She was lucky.  She found love "in the center" of her story board so to speak.  

I decided to go around the room and take a look at a few of us that were using a blank sheet of paper to start our Story Boards. To maker our dreams come true.   A couple of our larger members had cheese burgers with bacon on them; some of us in power positions had a picture of dictators;  a few of our male members had some pussy cats in their center;  in essence you put whatever interests you the most in the center.  

For example:  If you want love with a very handsome person like Brad Pitt, you might find a picture of myself and put that in the center of your story board.  Then you would build the perimiters of the board with love sonnets, Barry White songs, frilly things and thoughts of romance.  Give me a call, my number is on the Roster if I can help.

Dave Reiman had a picture of a football player in the center of his board.  Tom had a sheep.


Quiz Winner:  Last weeks winner was Dave Reiman
Quiz Question:  Who is this fella?

Rotary Quiz 3


Rotary Meeting of 5/31/2012 “It’s all about finding Your Kind of Love” Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Meeting of June 7, 2012 “Every Day Heroes

Posted by Gary A. Wilson


Note:  The Kings won the Stanley Cup last night and last weeks picture quiz was the Lord Stanley himself.  First place was Dr. Rogers.   There were lot's of heroe's in the Kings Victory as there are in all of sports when someone or some team wins the big prize.  Congratulations to the Kings and those heroes for the day, but these are not your every day heroes.  We met them at last weeks Rotary meeting.

Every Day Heroes

Local Dignitaries turned out for this annual Rotary Event and it is very neat from my perspective.  Sometimes these things become “routine” to us -- because over the years we have seen this scene many times.  But when you stop and really think about the meeting, it is so very special.   We forget that it is about Real People doing Real things…every day

Sure there is an award in there somewhere; a handshake from a local politician; a picture in the paper perhaps; but that’s not why they do what they do.   They do it because they are special people with a built in (or burned in) value system and ethics that separates them from others.  These are the people that their peers, bosses, and/or department heads recognize as being exceptional.  They are everyday people like all of us.  They are way better than many or most of the athletes or actors we admire.  They are real people doing real things that help others.

I haven’t received too many of these awards over time, but I have a few.  And while you shrug it off when it occurs when people say “Congratulations”…you are indeed proud.  There is more of a bounce to your step and the world looks a little better to you. You don't do it for recognition, but you are grateful when you get some.  You’ve worked hard and someone says “nice job”, and they say it in front of others.  You smile and do indeed feel special for a few hours anyway, if not longer. You glow a little brighter, try even harder, and sleep a little better.

The Mayor was there, the Mayor Pro Tem, and a few other council members, the Chief’s of Fire and Police, the Superintendent of Schools, and the local Postmaster.  All are “Big Deals” Big Heroes in a yet bigger pond, but no more important than those being recognized.  Being a Manager, a Chief, a Superintendent is a function, not a hierarchy.  I think Teddy Roosevelt gave a speech about "The Man in the Arena" that says it all.  

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat" 

Look at these folks below.  There names are Jose Reza, US Postal Employee of the Year; Tony Tarango, Firefighter of the Year; Nicholas Budge, Police Officer of the Year, and Kim Jones, Teacher of the Year.  They are our real heroes. 

Rotary Heroes


Rotary Meeting of June 7, 2012 “Every Day Heroes Gary A. Wilson 0

El Segundo Rotary Bulletin of 5-24-2012 “Touch it by the Numbers"

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Meeting Notes

Special Presentation

Elyse Honored

Well, Well, Well.  Elyse Finally received an honor to be one of the first (not the first) women in Rotary.  She was given a special citation by the District as one of the original 25.  She joined our club in August of 1988 and the club has never been the same.  Elyse told us some stories of her early years when she went to visit all male clubs and received a variety of responses from “Are you the wife?” of a Rotarian; “Are you the Speaker?”; “Are you here to clean up?”.  “Why are you here?”.  She always brightens up the room when she enters, but apparently in those “gender changing” days – some were not so happy or bright.  If you are interested in learning more about the year that the Women Made the Rotary a Better Place, click here.

Julie Honored

There was a gathering at The Crush last night as a going away (to San Diego Area) for Julie Warner one of our most active and loved Rotarians.  She has promised that she would be back often and we intend to hold her to that. She has lots of friends here in town, and especially in Rotary.  Don’t stray too far my friend.  You have contributed so much to our club as a President, Past President, and as an individual contributor.  You contribution to our youth in Scouting and Interact will be forever remembered by those you have touched.

The Program

Speaking about Touch, that was what our program was all about.  Combine “touch” with “numbers” and you have a very interesting program about “I FLOW”, by Caressa Ayres.  It is called “Jin Shin Jyutsu”.  Speaking of numbers, I would say she is about a 10.  That’s a good start and got a lot of attention from our male members (we still have some).  When she hopped up on the chair and bent over to touch some “meridian” spot on her legs (In looking at the chart she was going for Spot labeled #1).   Phil swallowed his spoon. 

There is apparently 26 “spots” on the body with numbers assigned to each “spot”, by “touching” the spot you can “cure” whatever problem is associated to that spot.  She handed out some diagrams of the body with the numbers assigned to each area.  Phil had one of those magic highlighters and was working on his own personal plan.  He highlighted #15 and #18.  Tom had his eye on 25.  Dick was interested in the female 13, and Elyse liked all the numbers.

It is tough to explain the ancient are of Jin Shin Jyutsu in a paragraph.  This practice predates the Budha, Moses, and Floyd and Bill.  If you want the real story and how this can  work for you, ….

Go Here.

Quiz for a Ticket:  

The first non-English speaking Rotary Club was established in?  Send email with answer to garywilson@garywilson.com





El Segundo Rotary Bulletin of 5-24-2012 “Touch it by the Numbers" Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Bulletin of 5-17-2012 "Barter This"

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Rotary Bulletin of 5-17-2012  (Barter This!)

Notices

Note 1:  This will be a short one today (I can hear the yea’s now), have a lot to do and not a lot to say.  Tom wants these out on Monday and he is my editor.  He doesn’t give me too many rules, just this deadline and to mention his name In every issue.  There, that’s done.

Note 2:  Queen Elyse wanted some ink for her handsome husbands (Jim Beardsley Rothstein 310-466-1122) club event to visit the SeaLab / West Basin Temporary Ocean-Water Desalination Demonstration Facility and Water Education Center --  on I believe June 6.  Call Jim or Elyse for more information

Introduction and Announcements

Visitors

Keith Schuldt,  a long time Rotarian a while ago now lives in Iowa with his wife Joy visited the club.  He owned Schuldt Printing (Richmond St.) for a very long which occupied the space where Deluca’s Restaurant now sits.  I think he gave that to the city or some non-profit group and they in turn sold it to the owner of Deluca’s.  He was always very generous with his time and money and it was good to see him.  I can tell by looking at his face at the meeting that he really enjoys seeing Rotary go on with many different faces, and a few old timers.

Chase – Eagle Scout

Rotary has a long history of supporting our Eagle Scouts as the work on this distinquished award and Chase made a fine presentation on his project and the usual clip board was passed and I took a peak when it came by and it looked like he did OK.   A few of our Past Presidents were Eagles when they were young men.  I was in Scouting as a boy.  I was a sparrow.  Tom was a humming bird. Elyse wanted to be the first female Eagle Scout, so did Nancy...they were Peregrin Falcons. instead.

Joe’s Mom 

A brave woman coming to the meeting and admitting to being Joe’s mom.  She was attractive, fun, articulate and in all ways seemed normal.  Go figure.

Joke Master

Jim McLees provided the giggles and Elyse did the fining.  She got Clair and a few others and then fined Keith (the visitor) and Joe’s mom.  She is tough.

The Program

A number of us were rather excited to hear that there is a South Bay “Garter Club” and came specifically to hear the presentation and find out how we could fit such a thing into our busy lives.  We thought it was a Gentleman’s Club.   Well, it is actually A Barter Club.  Where you “Barter” goods and services with others so inclined.  For example you could trade some Financial Counseling for a Car Wash,  A Large Pizza and some Ice Cream and Cake for a membership in Curves.  It is an idea which has had some legs lately and if you are interested talk to Clair for the details.

Last Weeks Contest Winners:  Joe Harding, Dave Reiman  (many participated and got it right, but were too late) Ask for a free raffle ticket.  We are working on quarterly prizes and and annual prize.

Year to Date

Joe 1

Dave 1

Question of the Week

Based on a simple article in a recent Rotary Magazine a Rotary Club in What US City recently raised money and installed 8 wells in Bolivia?


That’s it for now.

Rotary Bulletin of 5-17-2012 "Barter This" Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Bulletin - "There is No Answer" Meeting of 5-3-12

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Rotary Meeting of 5-3–12  -  There is No Answer

A Pledge, A Thought, and we were on our way. 

Introduction

We had a visitor who was checking us out as a possible member.  His name was _______  (I can’t find his business card) and he is a Financial Advisor…like Tom and Dean and maybe even Jim McLees. I should probably talk to him about my vast wealth.  I am thinking of going to Las Vegas and either putting it on a hard 8 (great long odds) or play it safe and just  sit at the Black Jack tables for 3 hours drinking for free and going home broke, but happy, and alone for a few hours, or perhaps the rest of my life

Our Program was provided by Clair Sinnett.  And the program (more later) was to be given by Rev. George Honn (favorite ice cream is chocolate).  He brought along a couple of his followers – Cheryl Stump (French Vanilla) and Frank Fisher (Neapolitan).  They filmed his presentation.   So Joe, I ask you (because you study these things) …”what does it mean by the various ice cream choices we make”.  Is it psychological, pathological, sexual, or other.  There really is deep meaning to your choices.  I checked it out on the internet so it must be true. (Go here to find out what your favorite ice cream means:  FAVORITE ICE CREAM.)

The site talks about compatibility between various Ice Cream favorites and the personalities of those who choose.  You may have to reevaluate your choice of a mate.  There may be those in the club that will have a natural affinity for each other because of their choices.  (I hope Tom and I don’t have that).    I think Elyse started this in depth questioning of visitors.  She was looking for some complex questions to ask, and that’s what she came up with.  Her second question was “do you need your locks changed”. 

Speaking of Elyse, she was the “Fine Master” today.  This was a spot she was given when Michelle purchased the honor for her a few weeks ago, and like some Viper she turns on Michelle and tries to fine her $25 for something…anything.  Apparently Michelle was not “somewhere” where Elyse thought she should be and Elyse fined her and asked her where she was.  Michelle, (quite nimble with the repartee I must say) said she was at church praying for Elyse.  Elyse decided to pay that fine herself not taking a chance that God might not be looking on our meeting that particular day. (He watches our meeting every time…Nancy I use the word “He” for the sake of clarity, God could be a woman ("fat chance" of that says Tom). 

Elyse is still pretty young (by no means close to the youngest in the club which at one time made her quite proud…(i.e. being the youngest and only female).   She is still female as far as we know, although she has taken a lot of “vacations” in the last year or so to foreign countries where “those operations” are not all that uncommon, but that’s another story. 

Actually her and I had a brief Spontaneous Fellowship Event (SFE) in the corner when I received my birthday card and I had a great hug and a kiss, and there was lingering to it that…well... I assure you as of now she is still very much a female. 

Program

The Reverend Honn’s topic pretty much was about “The Answer”.  The Answer is…there is no Answer”.  I might disagree with that.   He held up the bestselling book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne,  which has sold millions of copies around the world.  It is a very nice simple read that gives one positive affirmations that will make your life happier and fuller. It is called the Law of Attraction and it is kinda neat.   I have a copy and I like it, but there really is nothing new about it.  It is not Religion.  You just need to be reminded about certain things.  If you are happy and fun and caring you will attract the same kind of people to yourself.  (i.e.  You are a Rotarian).  

If you are miserable, complaining, whining etc., then you will attract people like yourself (Kiwanis) and you will surely be miserable until you become a Rotarian and return to Joy.  It is that easy.  And some day we all go off to heaven and there is a big Rotary meeting up there, every day actually.   And it will be good.

Reverand Honn has his own church.  I think it is called the Center for Spiritual Living and is connected to the “Church of Religious Science” by Ernest Holmes.  I have always “studied” Religions and find them all of interest. 

Rotary rarely talks of Religion in it’s meetings and all are welcome.  I talk a little of it now because it was our program, but this fella was not at all recruiting any of us, he was just sharing his experiences.  Our personal Religion may come upon us in many ways. 

I was confirmed a Lutheran because all my buddies were of that church.  They joined the choir and so did I.  I quit when my brother saw me in a Choir Robe and he couldn’t stop laughing at me  in the church. (I have pictures of me in the Choir Robe…I was really hot).  I quit the church and the choir and haven’t sang since.  I married a Catholic and go with Mary when time permits (like Christmas and Easter).  Mary came upon her Religion because of the 4 generations before her.  She is happy in it, and I am happy she is happy.  Peace in the home is a good thing.  I am tolerant of all kind Religions, especially the kind ones.  My God is a friendly God, and he is funny, and yes he may be a She ;)

The Church of Religious Science is a kind Religion and has a lot of that “new age” kind of thinking to it; although it was established in the 1920’s and much of the thinking is of a Philosophical nature and similar to much of what Ralph Waldo Emerson and the boys wrote about when they were hanging out at that Pond name Walden(that is where that line comes from about “He dances to the beat of a different drummer” or something like it” 

Note: "If a man loses pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured, or far away. " 

They were Transcendentalists and that was in the mid 1800’s.  That is all I am going to say about Religion.

I am done rambling for now
Rotary Bulletin - "There is No Answer" Meeting of 5-3-12 Gary A. Wilson 0

Rotary Bulletin - "Awards Galore and Come Fly With Me" April 26, 2012

Posted by Gary A. Wilson

Opening


After the Pledge of Allegiance Melissa had a thought for the day that pretty much said to "quiet the mind" when it needs it.  It’s important!  Every day.

We are only at our best when our mind is at ease.  As I looked around the room at my fellow Rotarians I knew that this would not be easy for most.  I know Phil and Tom's synapses were mis-firing inside those skulls left and right.  I could hear it and see it in their minds as they wandered from thought to though.  No telling what goes on in their heads.  Quiet them down...no way.  Fireworks have to run their course.  

Some of us in the room took the words to heart and "quieted the mind down".  I know Frank can do that.  (Have you ever seen someone so calm).  Sheila is pretty calm, unless her phone goes off and then she picks through her purse looking for the intrusion and everyone else is relieved that it was not their phone and happy she get’s busted and frowned upon.  

A lot of people reach for their phone every time there is one going off and breathe a sign of relief that it is not theirs and that Kevin is not in the room (if that’s true).  Kevin doesn’t like phones going off, but Joe does.  Kevin thinks it may be a fire and that is not good in his profession; Joe thinks of it as a sign of commerce being transacted.  That’s what’s neat about Rotary, different views, different religions, different politics…all coming together in harmony in the same room


Visitors

My brother in law was in town from Prince Edward Island, Canada and had lots of fun and commented on how nice it is to see meetings begin with the Pledge of Allegiance.  He is a dual citizen of the US and Canada.  (Be the first person to send me an email giving me the name of a Canadian singer who sang a song called “Restless” and win an extra raffle ticket for the next meeting).


Gordon Shurtlaf was vising from the LaJolla area with his wife.  He has not missed a Rotary Meeting in 41 years and has made up in over 280 separate clubs.  He had a Rotary Banner across his chest and Tom told me he wearing Rotary Underwear.  There is nothing wrong with that.  The 41 years is amazing enough but 280 separate makeup meetings is 5.4 years of weekly meetings at a different club.  These old timers really have some records.  Ed came to 3 meetings in a row one time, and we were glad to have him.  Which Ed was it?


Awards

Our club won many awards.,,,.many awards were given…many awards were accepted.  I looked at the awards on the District Web Site and was not sure what they all were.  Maybe you had to be there.  Tom was there and he can explain them to you. I invite you to go look for yourselves go there now by clicking here. 

Program

“Come Fly With Me”  --  Another Great program about our very important neighbor to the North known as LAX.  This was a history in pictures of the airport going back to the beginning in 1928 to the present.  It was set with background music from the time, with the tune changing a few times to keep pace with the years.  It started with “Begin the Beguine”  Marsha started singing with her “after hours sexy torch voice” and pretty soon Elyse joined in and the fun began.  Marsha is a singer, Elyse is a Locksmith.

I have often said that “Rotarians can have fun with a Stick”.  Elyse would want you to know that her stick was bigger than yours and Joe would want to know “do you see the stick as a tool, or as a weapon” and that would tell you a lot about your personality and the trajectory of your career. 

Phil and I were wondering what a “Buguine” was.  We thought it was a sweet pastry that you can get in the morning with coffee when you are hung over in New Orleans.

The program moved along and a couple of surfing kind of jingles took the background vocals featuring that famous hit “LA International Airport” by the Great Susan Ray.

It was a very fun and interesting presentation and our visitor from La Jolla asked Ethyl would she come down to La Jolla to give the same presentation.  He said that she would be rewarded with a glass of fine wine.  She said she would take a pass but give him the video disk.  My guess is that Ethyl and her time would be worth a lot more than fine wine and we are grateful that she took the time to visit our club.  Also, a big thanks for Shirley for a fine month of presentations and congratulations on being the Rotarian of the month.  You are very special.

 

Melissa’s Notes for the Week of 4-30-12

Hi gang- I hope everyone has recovered from their weekend!

This week since we are really not sure who ended up with the exempt bling- we will auction it off again for May.

Nancy Cobb has the raffle prizes and

Jim Mclees has the jokes for the month.

 

We have a board meeting on May 6- Jack Weber is responsible for dinner for this meeting.

The year is winding down but let's finish with as much enthusiasm as we started!

 

May 17 is scholarship interviews

June 7 is our community service lunch

June 28 NO MEETING

June 30 is the demotion party

August 4 is Movie in the Park

 

And we still have lots of fabulous speakers and fun meetings left.  See you all on Thursday!





Rotary Bulletin - "Awards Galore and Come Fly With Me" April 26, 2012 Gary A. Wilson 0
Good Year Blimp Acknowledges Rotary's End Polio Now initiative Thomas Forsythe 0

El Segundo Rotary Today; Thursday February 23, 2012

Posted by Thomas Forsythe

Image


President Melissa pictured with the Speech Contest Winners; congratulations to our three winners. A very special thanks goes out to Nancy Cobb for organizing this great event; the students did an excellent job in relating their speeches to the Rotary Four Way Test. Thanks also goes out to Alex Sanchez and Jack Weber for judging the students. The three speeches today were about Immigration, Bullying and The Arts, all three did a awesome job!!

We had 38 people at our meeting today; so many that every seat was taken and we had to bring in extra chairs for seating. The buffet in the room continues to work out great; thanks to Joe Harding and his staff.

Gary Wilson won the right to draw a card from the deck; he was looking for the Old Maid to win the money; but as usual; LOSER.

We also had a member of the El Segundo High School Choir join us. She talked about the upcoming trip to London to perform at the 2012 Summer Olympics. El Segundo's Choir has been invited to sing at the Olympics and our Rotary Club sponsored her with a check for $300 . She performed a solo at the end of the meeting that was very inspirational.

If you didn't make it to this weeks meeting; you missed out on an opportunity to see some of El Segundo's finest young people. Look at our schedule of upcoming meetings and mark your calendars; see you next week.

El Segundo Rotary Today; Thursday February 23, 2012 Thomas Forsythe 0
El Segundo Rotary Holiday Parade Thomas Forsythe 0
Follow Us on Facebook Thomas Forsythe 0

Mychal's Learning Place

Posted by Thomas Forsythe

ImageImage

ImageImage

Mychal's Learning Center Offsite

Our offsite meeting today at Mychal's learning center was very successful. Ed Lynch was the perfect host; and the tour of Mychal's new home was great; Ed shared his philosophy on what he wants Mychal's to become as he moves forward. It takes special people to do what Ed Lynch does and after our meeting today; Ed is the perfect person to be giving back to the community in this way. I'm proud to call Ed a friend and a fellow El Segundo Rotarian. Keep up the good work Ed.   

Mychal's Learning Place Thomas Forsythe 0

Welcome Laura Gabel

Posted by Thomas Forsythe

Welcome Laura!!

Join me in welcoming the newest member to our El Segundo Rotary Club;

Laura Gabel!!

  Image

Laura recently won on seat on the El Segundo Unified School District; School Board. Laura is married to Greg; and they have two children, Hunter and Hannah. If you have talked with Laura you know she has a Southern Accent; however she's not from Tennessee; not everyone can be so blessed. Laura and Greg are from the Great State of Alabama. When you talk with her and Greg just remember to talk slow so they can understand you. Welcome Laura. 

Welcome Laura Gabel Thomas Forsythe 0

Chevron El Segundo 100 Year Anniversay Dinner

Posted by Thomas Forsythe

Lily Craig....You're the Best

Lily you're the best; thank you for extending the invitation to our Rotary Members for the 100 year celebration of Chevron El Segundo. I know that every Rotary member that I spoke to had a terrific time and the fellowship at my table was without equal. The food was amazing and the entertainment fantastic. On a personal note; I pinned Huell Howser down and talked with him for 10 mintues; don't be surprised if he doesn't set foot in El Segundo again. Lily I know that you are a very busy person but I want to let you know how much your support means to our club;

THANKS FOR ALL THAT YOU AND CHEVRON
DO FOR EL SEGUNDO ROTARY!
Image

 

Chevron El Segundo 100 Year Anniversay Dinner Thomas Forsythe 0

El Segundo Rotary Donates Baseball Equipment to Mexico

Posted by Thomas Forsythe

 

Baseball Equipment Donated to Children 

in Mexico  

 

SNAGS, BUT SUCCESS . . . A TRUE-LIFE ADVENTURE

BaseballAnnually, the Rotary Club of El Segundo, California comes up with a program or two to serve the youth of Mexico – in particular Guaymas, San Carlos, Fatima, and San Jose areas.  Whether it be a new playground at a school, sewing machines, woodshop tools, trees, paint or scholarships through Castaway Kids.   Very early this year, we began to gather baseball equipment (El Segundo is known for its Baseball Teams).  Little League, Babe Ruth League and Girls Softball soon began to drop off uniforms, shoes, bats, balls, mitts, and hats to our home.  Thus, the journey began.

A cargo van with all of the equipment sorted and identified headed for Blythe, CA where we met with   Castaway friend, Doug Groppenbacher.  The equipment was transferred to his truck and trailer and we headed back to Los Angeles and Doug to Phoenix where he planned to add additional items to the load for one of  his scheduled trips to San Carlos.

We all held our breath on departure day, March 3.  Doug arrived at the border crossing in Nogales at 6:00am, armed with value declarations, itemized lists.  Everything but the shoes , uniform  pants and   jerseys were not allowed to cross.  Doug tried everything he could - but to no avail.  The shoes and jerseys were not to be allowed in.

After driving back into Nogales, AZ, Doug unloaded, stored the shoes and jerseys (for a later pickup), repacked his truck and trailer and hit the border again.  This time he was allowed to cross. Two flat trailer tires added to Doug’s 24 hour marathon finally arriving at Bahia Storage to unload the items for Castaway Kids on March 4.

BaseballThis baseball equipment was a donation of the children of El Segundo Youth Sports to children in Guaymas and surrounding areas.  Our primary equipment recipient, however, was designated to be Fundacion Aceptame Como Soy.  This foundation provides a baseball program for more that 100 developmentally disabled children in Guaymas/Empalme.  They play ball every Sunday morning at the Miramar Deportivo at 9:30 AM. We attended last Sunday and if you want to have your heart warmed make time to attend their game.   The remaining equipment will be distributed by the Hinojos Family to neighborhood ball teams.

We again want to thank the Hinojos Family of Fundacion Aceptame Como Soy, Paulo Delgado of Bahia Storage, and The Castaway Kids, and El Segundo Rotary Club who have helped baseball programs continue to be alive and well throughout the greater Guaymas area.  There is really no way to properly thank Doug Groppenbacher except to invite him to join us one Sunday morning in Miramar.  Terry Challis

 The Castaway Kids Website is  here

El Segundo Rotary Donates Baseball Equipment to Mexico Thomas Forsythe 0
Movie In the Park 2011 Thomas Forsythe 0
Tags