PROLOGUE

The Good News is that PP JIM DOWNIE will be writing the Windmill next week. The Bad News is that you get YOE again this week. ED JACKSON started us off in good style with the Pledge. Then BILL MAXWELL and PP STEVE DAY gave us America, and you have to be impressed by the descriptive gestures used by STEVE - mountains and plains, even with an upbeat tempo. Good job, guys! PP RALPH WOODWORTH provided the Invocation, and it was well done.

There were no Visiting Rotarians, but several visitors. BILL MICHAEL brought Ken Kilpo as a Special Guest, for the second time, and TED IHNEN had his special guest, Stan Gerlach. Stan once spoke to WVRC, knows several of the members, so be sure to rush him on his next visit. PP DOUG DESCH enjoyed the company of his daughter, Martha Brumbaugh, and his niece, Kathy Thayer. PP TOM LENEHEN was with his wife, Elinor, and his daughter, Lindsay. And PP JIM DOWNIE introduced one of our Ambassadorial Scholars, Yukio Yuki (no, this isn't a typo - that's her name), who came to LA from Colorado by way of Washington - by motorcycle, yet! This just goes to prove that our Scholars are not only smart, but flexible…Judy Wessling, wife of Prez BOB, was there, both as a guest and to make a presentation.

PP STEVE DAY stepped forward to speak about our newest Paul Harris Fellow, ELLIOTT TURNER. STEVE pointed out what ELLIOTT'S $l,000 donation could provide - artificial limbs for 25 disabled persons in Calcutta, OR, planting a tree in Jamaica, which will produce 5,000 tree seedlings, and thus income for 700 farmers, OR buying a cow for a war widow in Uganda, thus providing her and the many war orphans with both protein and calcium for many years to come. An editorial comment, please: If you can beat ANY of these three, you're a real magician. Rotary does a LOT of good things! - Let's continue to spread the word.

POTPOURRI

The aforementioned Judy Wessling came forward to present our Foundation with three checks, totaling $2,250 - that's bucks, not clams or beads or whatever! These came from the Rotary Auxiliary, and will help the HOWARD PHILLIPS fund, the Parkinson's PLLUS program, and our own WVRC Foundation. Thank you, all Auxiliaries. And there was one more donation, to the PHILLIPS fund - a check for $l00 from the Auxiliary, in honor of Judy! PP DOUG DESCH called to our attention that the official Registration number for WVRC is #769 - so please correct your records, OK? A reminder of the first Board Meeting under Prez-to-be STEVE - it will be at DiStafanos In Westwood at 6:30 pm. on July 11th - please RSVP. And there will be a gathering of those who intend to feast on the carcass of our current CEO, whose name escapes me. This will occur at 10 a.m. at Riviera CC, and if you don't rehearse, you don't perform!

How's that for a real THREAT?

PROGRAM

PP RON LYSTER introduced our speaker, Father Robert Lawton, S.J., who has been President of Loyola Marymount since May a year ago. Father Lawton graduated from Fordham University (summa cum laude) in 197l, then earned his Ph.D. at Harvard in 1977. He was ordained into the Society of Jesus (Jesuit) in 198l. He then studied in Germany, and taught Hebrew and Aramaic (the language spoken at the time Jesus was alive) at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome from 1982 to 1984, His next position was Assistant Dean at Georgetown, and he became Dean in 1989. A most impressive resume, and it showed in his presentation.

Father Lawton chose his subject, "What would the Bible say about Los Angeles" because it was a new challenge to him - and you can see from the above that he does well with challenges. He concentrated on a comparison of the old Jerusalem, as noted in the Old Testament, to LA today. Everywhere in the Bible, there is tremendous pride in Jerusalem, which attained its greatest glory during the time of Solomon. But when he died, the city began to fall apart - he had concentrated on building it, but had neglected the many unfortunate residents, and thus had no reliable successor. The Prophets - Jeremiah in particular - gave warnings about this result, but they were unheeded.

A major advantage of cities is that people who live there are constantly challenged to do their best - and this competition helps everyone to develop their abilities. Cities can be seductive, leading to self-absorption. They breed anonymity - which allows people to try something new, without any real fear of consequences. Their diversity increases the talent pool, and when you have a beautiful location, as in LA, the results can be spectacular. But let's not forget the warnings of the Prophets, please.

Q&A - What about the new Cathedral downtown ? - it is wonderful to see the pride of the workers as they build it, but having been here only a year, he has no historical background. Which Bible do you use? - The New Revised Standard. How would you compare Washington DC to LA ?- not in the same ballpark. Will the increasing use of computers increase our sense of isolation and loneliness? - they allow you to tune out, but we can learn to fully tap their potential. Facts about Loyola - they had 6300 applicants for 1100 places, most of their students come from Southern California, and they now house 60% of them, aiming for 75%. Our own DAVID MATSON then asked who was Father Lawton's favorite source for interpretation of the Bible? - it was interesting to have a Protestant and a Catholic agree that Raymond Brown was an excellent resource. This was an impressive visit, and we all will look upon Loyola with more understanding henceforth. Thank you, Father Robert Lawton, S.J.

YOE, Ernie Wolfe