Prez Tom introduced a tieless, but well-suited, Joe Lins, to lead us in the pledge followed by the Don Ludwig Quartet, Ludwig on piano, with Randy McFarland, PDG Bill Peloquin and Howard Wood leading vocals in a modified rendition of When Irish [Rotary] Eyes Are Smiling, followed by our theme song, Smile.  Scott Dowds provided a timely and thoughtful invocation and Impresario Kvetny introduced a series of muckety mucks, including John Brainerd, DG,  Roger McGonegal, DGE, Price Shapiro, PDG, Lane Calvert, PDG, and Brett Gerdes, DGN, who promoted various district and international events.  We also were visited by a muckety muckette, Deborah Sanchez, guest of Joyce Capelle, and a Muck-Enthaler, Zoot Velasco, guest of Craig Walker.  In addition, Glen Morrison, a visiting Rotarian from Killeen, Texa> and John Kacareb, guest of Keith Mills, joined us.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rick Crane, assisted by Ed Atkinson, reminded us of the track meet at Troy (on March 29).  Helpers are needed all day.  Please call Rick if you can assist.  Rick also announced that the CSUF Rotary Day at the ballgame will be Friday evening, April 25^th.  Sign up sheets are circulating.  Jim McCamy has announced that the Polker Night has been postponed until TBA and MaryAlice justifiably bragged about the Titan men making the NCAA tournament.  Mike Oates described how a $3,000 seed donation from our club to our sister club in Korea was leveraged into the purchase of a van for $38,000 to support the charitable activities of our Korean sister club.  And last of the local announcements was Randy McFarland promoting The Fab Four in concert on Friday, April 11^th at the Phoenix Club.  Ask more people to be your guests and get more tickets from Winston Creel at 871-8840 ext. 224 or winstonre@aol.com.  In addition, Randy wants us all, and our business friends (if we have any), to take out a full page [$150], half page [$100] or business card [$50] for advertisements in the concert program.  Send your camera-ready copy by email to gary@graves.com on or before Friday, March 21.  A series of announcements were made by the aforementioned District muckety-mucks, John Brainard, Foundation Giving Chairman soliciting funds and emphasizing what a great job the Rotary Foundation does worldwide, Roger McGonegal promoting sign up for the Rotary Convention on the internet before March 30^th at rotary2008.com.  Registration fee goes up after March 30^th and can only be accomplished at the convention site.  Roger also emphasized the importance of all Fullerton Rotary Club 2008-2009 directors, officers and new Rotarians attending the district assembly on April 5^th.  Get further and detailed information from Prez Tom or Secretary Jahncke.

Former Stanford defensive back, current FJUHS Superintendent George Giakaris recognized a lot of people.  John Christensen, Leslie McCarthy, Ed Little and Griff Duncan were recognized for life events.  Superintendent George charged Jim Williams, FUHS Class of ’69 a $50 rental fee for being on the FUHS Wall of Fame for no discernible reason.  John Phelps, a muckety-muck of the Phelps Foundation, was recognized for monetary contributions to help La Vista High School.  Then Superintendent George paid homage to his boss, FJUHS President Hathaway, for a host of reasons and then also thanked politicos Jones and Bankhead for approving the expenditure of taxpayer bucks in support of construction of the alternative continuation high school.  On a roll,  Superintendent George then congratulated SHHS Principal Ed Atkinson on the selection of a new football coach.  Winston Creel is hoping that he will get to horse around with a more successful football program. 

PROGRAM

Leading off with the announcement that everything that follows is going to be “all bad news,” Dr. Keith Mills, Ph.D. described all the bad stuff that can happen when your identity gets swiped.  For criminals, it is a low risk, high reward venture, particularly in states that don’t make it against the law to steal another’s identification.  Fortunately, in California, Penal Code Section 530.5 does proscribe identity theft.  The average person (are any of us average?) has key ID information in at least 50 databases.  Keith listed and described the five categories of identification theft as:  (1) financial, (2) criminal, (3) driver’s license, (4) social security number, and (5) medical.  He also explained the consequences to victims of each of the five categories.  A primary recommendation is to check your credit reports with the three major credit reporting companies and space it out four months between each one.  That way you get the report for free because they have to provide an annual report if requested.  Shredding documents, carrying a minimum number of credit cards and not carrying cards with a social security number were further recommendations from Keith.

CLOSING

Next week’s program will be Leroy Fulton, with what was thought to be the Swan Song at Hope University.  However, although it is getting close, it appears that there are continuing construction delays at The Elks Club that probably will preclude meeting there on April 2^nd.  Stay tuned for updated announcements as to the April 2^nd meeting locale.  Prez Tom’s final thought had something to do with our nation being periously close to a financial melt down before the Feds stepped up last weekend and authorized the printing of a whole lot of new pieces of paper with presidents’ faces.  That may be the reason for Prez Tom leaving town and turning things over to Past Prez Bill Mathy next week.