December 14, 2000

 

President STEVE opened the last meeting of the year with Holiday greetings for all and a wish for a Happy & Prosperous New Year. PP STEVE DAY led the Pledge. TODD GURVIS with JACK HARRIS at the piano, led us in God Bless America. Before P.STEVE called on DAVE MATSON for the Invocation he asked our prayers for BILL MAXWELL who is undergoing further treatment and not doing well. DAVE gave a Christmas reading entitled "I Wish Christmas" by John Greenlee a former Professor of DAVE'S. It was an inspiring Christmas message from a Christian point of view.

TODD GURVIS introduced visiting Rotarians BEN TURNER with the classification of Engineer from L.A. 5, NORMAN BIRKENSTOCK an International Consultant from Terra Linga CA and EARL BUBAR an Optometrist from Venice-Marina. Member Guests introduced were Bert Kreistberg a Financial Consultant by RALPH SMITH, Carice Evans by ELLIOTT TURNER, Joyne Spencer by PP TOM LENEHEN, Dustan Radjenovic, our sponsored Serbian High School student, by NEAL ZASLAVSKY.

The following members had December Birthdays: ANN SAMSON & RICK LIVERMORE on the 1st, KEN LEVER on the 2nd,PP RALPH WOODWORTH on the 4th, PP DAVE WHITEHEAD on the 6th, PP HOMER NEWMAN on the 18th, PP JIM COLLINS on the 20th, NORA AQUINO on the 22nd, BILL PIERCE on the 25th, TED IHNEN on the 27th, and RALPH BEASOM on the 29th.

GEORGE DEA introduced Dr. Jeff Bronstein who has been a consultant and instrumental in the formation and success of PLLUS. GEORGE called on PP STEVE DAY to present a Paul Harris Fellowship to Dr. Bronstein. It was announced that TED IHNEN will replace GEORGE DEA as chairman of the PLLUS Board.

P STEVE called PP DOUG DESCH to the podium to let him know that the WVRC Board had voted DOUG & OPAL a Christmas bonus.

TED IHNEN introduced our holiday program which again this year was a presentation by the Pali High Madrigals directed by Linda Badran. After the opening selection the director thanked TED for the introduction and stated that they would present a program of both familiar and some less well known selections. She also expressed her and the Madrigals pleasure in once again presenting before the Westwood Village Rotary. The Madrigals sang a full half hour of delightful and skillfully presented holiday music for which they received a standing ovation. I overheard several say that this was our best ever holiday program. One cannot help but observe that the Pali High Madrigals are an outstanding group of very talented young people. They are also blessed with a dedicated and professional director who obviously enjoys her work.

KEN KILPO was called up to introduce Tania Fischer who received her BA in Art from UCLA and a MA also in Art from Cal State Northridge. Tania spoke for a few minuets on a project called " A Community of Angels". It is their plan from February to April of 2001 to adorn the streets and parks of Los Angeles with some 800 decorated Angels. JOE FISCHER has agreed to sponsor his daughter as one of the artists at a cost of $600.00. Tania is currently teaching ssculpture painting and ceramics at Santa Monica High School.

Thought for the Day: "Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success" Henry Ford

No meetings on December 21 & 28. Our next meeting will be January 4 2001

Floyd Dewhirst Floyd Dewhirst, DDS dewhirst@worldnet.att.net