Rotagram for Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Volume 71, Issue 49

Rota-Scribe: Randy McFarland

Demotion Night - June 27, 6:00pm at the Muck

President Scott Dowds followed protocol by having club members Bob Jahncke, Blake Smith and Nissa Newton aptly perform the duties associated with the Invocation, Pledge and Song respectively. Nissa led us in singing “I’d like to teach the World to Sing”. Our club is a good place to start.

Introductions

Bob Muschek warmly welcomed guests of Rotarians: Debra Sanchez’ son Anthony, Keith Mills’ wife Ann, Lee Brocket’s guest Jeremy Sulick and Bob Hathaway introduced our ambassadorial scholar Sarah Elattar.

Announcements

President Scott was sorry to report that our friend and fellow Rotarian Mark Geiss passed away this morning after a battle with cancer. His memorial service will be Saturday. Details will be forthcoming via E mail.

Bill Schenk announced that he had put a coin in his Rotary piggy bank every time Scott made a significant statement during his reign. Needless to say the pig had a lot of gravity in it because is was laden with coins. Bill presented it to Scott as a donation towards our “Fight Polio” campaign…. A great idea!.

Jim Williams asked us to attend demotion so we’ll have a quorum to assure that Scott will move on the assume the revered title of “Past President”. You might as well attend…You’ll get billed regardless. Remember, it’ll be at Muckenthaler not Meridian Club. No luncheon on Demotion Night which is Wednesday June 27 starting at 6PM.

Dan Ouweleen reminded us of the “limited time only” special matching program designed to help us attain Paul Harris points. www.Rotary jogathon.com is the website.

Bill Klinghoffer was presented Paul Harris award for the 6th time, presented by Scott and Bob Clark removed blue newest 9 ribbon of Matt Apodaca. Congrats to both of you!

Scott asked Joe Arnold, Susan Smith and Cathy Gach to come forward to receive checks from the big Rotary concert. Susan of SJMC was presented $4000 for the neighborhood care center.

Cathy took possession of $4000 for Fullerton Academy of the Arts of FUHS. Grant will allow theater group to get into more technical aspects and updated cameras and lenses. Joe received Cal State Fullerton $11,000. Music scholarship program.

Scott expressed his pride in how generous our club has supported important projects.

Scott concluded announcements by reminding us of the Rotary Cares Health Care program at Richman School this Sat AM 7:30-3PM Lots of help is needed so please show up!

Recognitions

Zoot Velasco started by fining yours truly for not knowing the answer to a dated joke Neither Ray Hansen (now 84 years old) nor his backup Bill Schenk realized that the Gettysburg Museum has stopped museum has stopped selling the John Wilkes Booth bobble head.

Zoot cleverly elicited a shameless plug for taco days at the Muck and didn’t fine himself.

J Richey and Joe Lins were fined $5.00 each for NOT wearing their signature suspenders and bow tie respectively..

Everyone kicked in $1.00 in honor for the fine job Dick Jones, Don Bankhead and Pat McKinley have done for our city.

Trivia game

Bob Maxwell was unable to determine the true statement about government bureaucracy.

Program craft talks

Ron Stock

Ron Stock was born Sept. 1947 along with another baby boy and almost ended up with that other boy’s name. For one day, he was inadvertently switched at birth with the child of his mother’s hospital room mate. Ron’s mom, trying to make conversation with the other mother, joked that the other mother’s baby was cuter than hers, but the other woman didn’t think it was funny when the nurses realized the mistake and switched the babies back to their own mothers. Believe it or not, in Colorado about 10 years ago Ron coincidentally met the man who almost switched lives with him at birth.

Ron’s family was from Wales and Ireland. When they moved to the United States some of the family died in the 1889 Johnstown flood which prompted his grandfather to choose a property up on a hill.

Ron’s personal life found him quite proficient in swimming and water polo in high school. He worked for the government in Management and Budget and earned a Masters in Public Administration.

Ron went to UC Davis law school and graduated in 1975. He met his wife Nancy who is has been a judge in Orange County for 20 years. Ron’s first job in the legal profession was disappointing because he was relegated to organizing the firm’s library and schlepping suitcases in Long Beach. He became a deputy public defender and learned that the more acquittals he got, the worse the clients he had to defend. Ron had a variety of interesting clients and experiences in real estate and hazardous waste until laws changed making liability issues for anyone who had anything to do with the waste. He has been involved with class action suits and has argued in front of the California Supreme Court.

Ron has been involved in Master’s Swimming and has dealt with hand and back problems and received deserved applause when told us that he passed the 5 year mark in his battle with cancer.

Kevin Flye

Kevin Flye was chosen by his adoptive parents in Oregon. His dad was a carpenter and is now in his 80s. Kevin spoke of the challenges of living in Lake Oswego, an affluent suburb of Portland. Many of his friends received cars as teenagers while Kevin worked a lot to earn money and purchased his car and motorcycle. His grades suffered, missing many days of school but jumped on his motorcycle loaded with his belongings when he got a scholarship for basketball. Kevin buckled down and studied to earn his degree in Ministerial Teaching and in one class earned all “As” in his work, but somehow still ended up with a “B”. He became an assistant principal and now is principal of Eastside Christian School. He has four boys aged from 1 to 7 years old and thinks the world of his wife and confirms his family is the greatest thing in his life right after Jesus.

Closing

After again welcoming our guests, President Scott made a closing comment attributed to George Bernard Shaw. “If all the economists were laid end to end, they still would not reach a conclusion.”

Proposed New Members:
Gary Swank, proposed by Blake Smith

6/20	? ? ? ? ?
6/27	Demotion Night - Dark at Noon