Rotary Meeting of 11-01-2012 "Marine Biologist Captures our Eyes and Ears", by Gary Wilson, Bulletin Editor.
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.