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Rotary Wheel Rotagram - Meeting Notes and Club News
Rotary Wheel
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Volume 66, Issue 28 Rota-Scribe: Leslie McCarthy
Davis Gaines (star of The Phantom of the Opera) & CSUF Preminents
 Rotary Charity Benefit Concert - January 27, 2007
Plummer Auditorium - 8:00 PM
$50 per seat
Do you have your tickets? See Winston Creel or call 526-3832

For Printable Flyer, Click here
Returning Rotarians: Debra Koff, Jana Bogart & Jon West re-join our club

Dick Mathewson was invited by President Terri to lead us in the Pledge.  He was followed by Howard Wood singing “O Columbia the Gem” which was weakly rendered by our club and “Smile” which showed us in our finest performing glory.  We should be the opening act for January 27th!  Dean Heiser, our very own “Yo-Yo Man” led us in the invocation for the day.

Guests:

Thank you Wally Bartelt for introducing all the visiting Rotarians.  They included Owen Dean from Sunrise, Past District Governer, Bob Larson, Gary Goodson from San Gabriel and Ted Russell, an Entomologist from Placentia Club.  More important visitors were Pari Hakim, a guest of Diane Masseth-Jones, Coach Maryalyce brought Pastor Rich Anderson, Al Triay introduced his wife Paulette and Dick Mathewson introduced us to his wife Jane.  Welcome to all!

Induction:
Ed Atkinson

Welcome to our newest of the Newest Nine!  Sponsored by George Geokaris and Ray Ashcroft, Ed Atkinson was introduced as “A Good Man.”  He is Principal of Sunnyhills High School and a man who will figure largely in Fullerton’s educational history.  We all welcome you.

Returning members welcomed were Jana Bogart, Deb Koff and John West.  Welcome back and nice way to ditch out on having to do “Newest Nine” guys.

Announcements:

·        Rotary Club of Fullerton Night at Titan Gym for Thursday, February 8th,  for pre-game fellowship, reception, food and drinks join all in the Gym lobby at 6:00 pm, game time is 7:00 pm as announced by Rick Crane.  (Past Rotary Presidents will be coaches for the night!)

·        Rotary Community Investment applications are due to Buck Catlin by February 19th.  Forms are also available from him at buckc@adelphia.net.

·        Ayuda Dental Clinic will be Saturday, January 13th.  VIP Tour begins at 9:30.  Location is Richman School and the project is sponsored by our Rotary Club.  Questions see Minard Duncan.

·        Bob Jahncke came up with a new way to see if we could all pass the 4 Way Test.  Holding up a large roll of money he asked if anyone had lost it.  Needless to say, you may visit him at St. Jude’s where he is recovering from the stampede of claimants.

·        Spring cleaning hit early this year thanks to Randy McFarland.  He cleaned out the closet and was looking for owners of a silver bell, (See Keith Mills for the story of how our brass bell was a flea market find.) songbooks, someone’s lost marbles, a Citation for Wally Bartelt, and yes he is still looking for the Project Reports due from every active member of this club.

·        Join and support Bob Engemann, when he celebrates the life of his wife Joann on Friday the 19th at 1:30 pm.  It will be held at the Assistance League Hall, 233 West Amerige Avenue, Fullerton. 

Fines:

Finemaster Pat McKinley was very liberal in assessing monetary damages to individual members of our club.  In a not so subtle dig at our fine Fire Chief Wolf Knabe for having an All American Daughter who threw over a fellow policeman for a Marine. Wolf was fined $50.  For all of us who were born in Camp Le Jeune, the switch was well worth the fine.  Ray Ashcroft was fined for his award of being the PR Officer of the Year for Fullerton’s Barbershop Quartets.  Land Baron John Phelps received a $50 fine for shooting out windows at his apartment complex in Fullerton (I may have gotten that one wrong.)  Dick Mathewson was fined $50 for turning the Pledge of Allegience into a Program.  Paul Dudley was fined $30 for turning 60.  Robyn Mathy’s birthday in six short months generated a fine for Bill.  It was also noted by Bill that he shared a birthday with Elvis who would have been 72 to Bill’s 57.  Dick Glaus was fined for wife Sandy’s birthday on the 11th and Joe Lins was fined $25 for having to spend his birthday at his kid’s school learning how to pass the SAT.  Bob Savage was fined $25 as acting City Manager because of the wonderful “to do” list he gave to Chief Pat.  Great mini-fundraiser Chief!  $305.00 was raised in five minutes.  I think Kiwanis and Soroptimist want to borrow you for their next meetings.

The Raffle was won by Howard Wood who promptly drew the Queen of Spades.  $10 was provided by Jim Blake for consolation.

Program: 

Ambassador Gaddi Vasquez
US Representative to UN Food and Ag

The speaker for the day was Gaddy Vasquez, past Supervisor for Orange County with twenty-nine years of public service.  He is past director of the Peace Corp and US Representative to the UN Food and Ag Organization, positioned in Rome, Italy.  Gaddy Vasquez gave us a great overview of the Peace Corp, including the statistics that indicated it is alive and thriving in the post 9-11 world.  He feels that the volunteers for the Peace Corp are some of our best ambassadors for the United States.  We currently have 8000 serving in over 75 countries.  From the Peace Corp, he moved into what the mission is for the Food and Ag Organization.  Problems faced by the world include uncertain political climates, HIV and Aids, as well as hunger.  He emphasized how involved the American people are in trying to stop world hunger and malnutrition.  Statistics are very grim though and we need to keep attacking the problem.

Closing thought by President Terri:  If you think you are too small to make a difference, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.

Respectfully submitted - Leslie McCarthy
Don Bankhead and Terri Grassi welcome Ambassador Gaddi Vasquez to Our Rotary Club