NEWS FLASH:
YOE ERNIE WOLFE WILL NOT BE SPENDING THE HOURS AND HOURS IT TAKES TO WRITE THE WINDMILL FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. ELLIOTT TURNER WILL UNDERTAKE THAT THANKLESS JOB. HOWEVER, WE AT WVRC ARE EXTREMELY GRATEFUL TO YOE WOLFE FOR HIS TIME AND DEDICATION TO DOING THIS JOB. WE ALSO EXTEND A HUGE “THANK YOU” TO ELLIOTT TURNER FOR HELPING OUT. WHAT A GUY!!!
NOW FOR THE 12/09/04 MEETING NEWS:
I WILL KEEP THIS BRIEF, AS THOSE THAT WERE THERE WILL ALREADY KNOW THE EVENTS THAT OCCURRED AND THOSE THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, COULD NOT ATTEND WILL NOT REALLY CARE. IF I AM INCORRECT PLEASE LET ERNIE KNOW.
OUR NOBLE PRESIDENT, R. ALVAREZ, CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 12:30 AND ZERO SECONDS. THIS TOOK ONE MINUTE (ACCORDING TO PRESIDENT ALVAREZ’S NOTES). HE ASKED THE QUESTION “ IS ANYBODY HAPPY?” NO ONE RESPONDED.
STEW GILMAN??? LED THE PLEDGE. THE SONG, “SILENT NIGHT” WAS LED BY STEVE DAY, IN HIS FASHION. JIM DOWNIE AND JACK HARRIS DID WHAT THEY COULD TO IMPROVE THE RESULTS. THE VIENNESE BOYS CHOIR HAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.
THE REVEREND MYRON TAYLOR LED THE INSPIRING INVOCATION. AS A FOOT NOTE, IF I EVER DIRECTED A MOVIE AND NEEDED A REVEREND, HE IS “IT”.
ON BEHALF OF ALL WVRC MALE MEMBERS WHO REMEMBER WWII, WE WANT TO THANK LILLIAN KLIEVER FOR HER EXCELLENT DISPLAY OF RETRO HOSE. AS BRUCE ROLF COMMENTED IN THE PAST “YOU SEAMS ARE STRAIGHT?” YES THEY WERE!
IMPORTANT REMINDER: THE BREAD PLATE IS ON THE LEFT.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
BOB WESSLING ANNOUNCED WVRC’S NEW AND IMPROVED 2005 BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
THE FOLLOWING CAST OF CHARACTERS ATTENDED WVRC’S YOUTH SHOPPING SPREE AT THE SALVATION ARMY TRANSITIONAL VILLAGE. THE EVENT WAS ORCHESTRATED AND CONDUCTED BY MIKE YOUSEM. AND WHAT A JOB THAT BAD BOY DID!
CHRIS AND SHARON BRADFORD, SHANE WAARBROEK, ANN SAMSON, GEORGE DEA, RON LYSTER, MICHAEL GINTZ, LEO TSENG, DAVE WHITEHEAD, SEAN MCMILLAN, ELLIOTT TURNER, VICKY MORALES, JOHN SINGLETON, SLOSS VIAU, STEVE DAY, RUDY ALVAREZ, GORDON FELL, CHRIS GAYNOR, HANK HEUER, KEVIN KOMATSU, SHEILA & MIKE YOUSEM.
DINNER WAS HELD AT ISLANDS WHERE ALL ENJOYED BIG BURGERS AND FRIES. THE ABOVE MENTIONED CAST OF CHARACTERS ESCORTED APPROXIMATELY 30 CHILDREN TO BIG LOTS AND ASSISTED IN THEIR FAMILY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ADVENTURE. A JOLLY GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL. SPECIAL THANKS GOES TO HENRIETTA LIAN, FLOYD DEWHURST, ANN SAMSON, AND BRIAN BUMPAS FOR THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
DEC.16- WVRC’S HOLIDAY GALA (I.E. CHRISTMAS PARTY) PLEASE BE READY FOR PICTURES. ROTARACT WILL PERFORM MUSIC, SIGFRIED AND ROY MIGHT BRING THEIR LIONS FOR SOME MAGIC, AND TONY BENNETT MAY PERFORM “I’M DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS”. CELINE DION CANNOT MAKE IT THIS YEAR, DUE TO A SCHEDULING CONFLICT. WE WILL MISS HER.
JAN.11- DISTRICT BREAKFAST-CHRIS BRADFORD-LAX MARRIOTT
FEB.17- CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION- LONG BEACH HILTON- LARRY KING WILL BE THE GUEST SPEAKER
OUR CLUB CAN BE VERY PROUD THAT ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2004, 10:30 AM - 2:00 PM, FIFTEEN INDIVIDUALS FROM WESTWOOD VILLAGE ROTARY CLUB PARTICIPATED IN THE ANNUAL HOLIDAY LUNCHEON FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED STUDENTS OF THE BRAILLE INSTITUTE OF LOS ANGELES: RODOLFO ÁLVAREZ, BRIAN BUMPAS, PAT BUMPAS, GEORGE DEA, JACK HARRIS, HOWARD HENKES, PETIE HENKES, ARTHUR HENRY, TORI HETTINGER UCLA ROTARACT, LILLIAN KLIEWER, CHRISTIE KLIEWER, WINDYANNE KHRISTY UCLA ROTARACT, DON NELSON, AVA LUCILLE PEPLOW, AND DANIEL PRICE.
IT WAS, INDEED, A HIGH IMPACT EVENT. TORI HETTINGER, PRESIDENT OF UCLA ROTARACT, SAID ABOUT THE EVENT: " WHAT A GREAT EVENT! WE REALLY ENJOYED IT! INTERACTING WITH THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED REALLY IMPACTED ME AND I CAN'T WAIT TO HELP AGAIN. THANKS FOR HAVING US ROTARACTORS THERE! "
OUR GUEST SPEAKER WAS RON WILSON OR DON WILLIAMS OR MAYBE RON WILLIAMS. RUDY CONFIRMED IT WAS RON WILLIAMS. U.S. SECRET SERVICE, RETIRED. CURRENTLY PRESIDENT & CEO, TALON EXECUTIVE SERVICES, INC. MR. WILLIAMS SPENT 22 YEARS IN THE SECRET SERVICE GUARDING SUCH LUMINARIES AS HARRY TRUMAN, POPE JOHN PAUL II, AND SHIMONE PERES.
HIS MESSAGE: “ISLAM HAS BEEN HIGH-JACKED BY RADICALS”
THE PRIMARY THREAT TO BUSINESS IN THE UNITED STATES AS WE ENTER THE 21ST CENTURY IS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE, TERRORISM.
TERRORISM IS BENT ON THE ABSOLUTE DESTRUCTION OF OUR SOCIETY AND OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM. TO COMBAT TERRORISM, PROVIDE A SAFE, AND SECURE ENVIROMENT IN WHICH TO CONDUCT BUSINESS, YOU MUST FIRST UNDERSTAND THE GOAL OF TERRORISM. HE SPOKE WITH US ABOUT AN ARM OF TERRORISM HE HAS STUDIED AND UNDERSTANDS: THE THREAT OF ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM. IF YOU ARE TO FULLY COMPREHEND THE ARM OF TERRORISM THAT CONCEIVED AND EXECUTED THE EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11,2001, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THE OBJECTIVES OT THE ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST. ALTHOUGH IT IS DIFFICULT FOR THE WESTERN CIVILIZATION MIND TO UNDERSTAND THE KILLING OF INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN AN ACTION UNRELATED TO THE DEFENSE OF LIFE OR LIBERTY, SUCH AS THAT WHICH OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 11,2001 IN NEW YORK, WASHINGTON, DC AND PENNSYLVANIA, WE MUST TRY TO GRASP THE MOTIVES OF THOSE WHO ENGINEERED THE PLOT.
FIRST, THE GOAL OF ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALIST TERRORISM IS TO DESTABILIZE OUR ECONOMY BY ATTACKING CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES AND ICONS OF BUSINESS. SECOND, THE GOAL IS TO DESTROY OUR FAITH IN OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT AND UNDERMINE OUR BASIC CONCEPTS OF INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS. THE THIRD GOAL IS TO ULTIMATELY CREATE AN ISLAMIC THEOCRACY WHERE RELIGION AND STATE ARE ONE AND THE SAME.
DESPITE CLAIMS TO THE CONTRARY BY LEADERS OF CERTAIN WESTERN COUNTRIES AND SPOKES PERSONS FOR ARABIC AND MUSLIM COMMUNITIES, THE PRESENT WAR WE ARE FIGHTING IS A CONFFLICT OF CULTURE AND RELIGION, AND NOT JUST AS WAR ON TERRORISM. THIS CONCLUSION, OUTLINED CLEARLY IN SAMUEL HUNTINGTON’S BOOK, “THE CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS,” WAS MEMORIALIZED BY OSAMA BIN LADEN HIMSELF. ON THE NIGHT OF THE FIRST STRIKES ON AFGHANISTAN OSAM BIN LADEN STATED IN A VIDEO, “THESE EVENTS HAVE DIVIDED THE WORLD INTO TWO CAMPS; THE CAMP OF THE FAITHFUL AND THE CAMP OF THE INFIDELS… EVERY MUSLIM MUST RISE TO DEFEND HIS RELIGION. THE WIND OF FAITH IS BLOWING AND THE WIND OF CHANGE IS BLOWING.” THE WAHHABISM THAT INFILTRATED ISLAM IN THE 17TH AND 18TH CENTURY HAS COME TO FRUITION IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
THE OIL CRISIS OF 1972-73 ENHANCED THE WEALTH AND POLITICAL BARGANING POWER OF THE FUNDAMENTALIST ROYAL REGIMES IN SAUDI ARABIA, THE SMALLER GULF STATES, AND THOSE OF THE MORE RADICAL ALGERIAN AND LIBYAN REGIMES.
SAUDI AND LIBYAN MONEY BUILT MOSQUES AND SO-CALLED ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTERS IN EUROPE AND OTHER COUNTRIES WHICH FELL AS RIPE FRUIT UNDER THE CONTROL OF RADICAL ISLAMIC ELEMENTS.
THE SUCCESS OF THE REVOLUTION AND VICTORY OVER THE UNITED STATES IN 1979 IN IRAN HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON ALL THE RADICAL MOVEMENTS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD.
1983 EXPULSION OF THE U.S. AND FRENCH PEACE FORCES FROM LEBANON BY THE IRANIAN AND SYRIAN BACKED HIZBALLAH. WE SHOULD NEVER FORGER THE 243 U.S. MARINES KILLED IN BEIRUT BARRACKS BOMBING.
THE GULF WAR, ALTHOUGH SEEN AS A VICTORY FOR THE AMERICAN LED COALITION OF THE MODERATE ARAB REGIMES AND THE BEGINNING OF THE “NEW WORLD ORDER”, IN FACT FURTHER EXACERBATED THE RADICALIZATION OF THE ISLAMIC MOVEMENTS.
LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, THE UNILATERAL ISRAELI WITHDRWAL FROM SOUTHERN LEBANON IN JUNE 2000 WAS PERCEIVED AS A STRATEGIC VICTORY FOR THE SMALL HIZBALLAH GUERRILA FORCES. THIS VICTORY INFLAMED THE HEARTS OF ARABS AND MUSLIMS AND HOPE FOR RAPID DESTRUCTION OF ISRAEL.
THE JERUSALEM FOUNDATION MEETING THAT OCCURRED IN BEIRUT, LEBANON IN JANUARY 2000 LITERALLY HERALDED THE DAWN OF A MOVEMENT, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHICH FEW WESTERNERS UNDERSTOOD. OVER 400 MUSLIMS FROM RADICAL ELEMENTS ATTENDED THE THREE-DAY CONFERENCE. REPRESENTATIVES FOR AL QUEDA, HAMAS, HIZBALLAH, ISLAMIC JIHAD, ABU SAYYAF AL GAWA AT AL ISLAMIJYA, MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD AND OTHER FRINGE RADICAL GROUPS WERE PRESENT AS WELL AS REPRESENTATIVES FROM IRAN, IRAQ, SYRIA, SUDAN AND OTHER RADICAL TERRORIST SUPPORTING COUNTRIES. OUT OF THIS MEETING THE JERUSALEM FOUNDATION COALESCED INTO AN INITIATIVE THAT SUPPORTED THREE GOALS:
1. JERUSALEM SHALL BE RETURNED TO PALESTINE CONTROL
2. ISRAEL SHALL BE DESTROYED AND A PALESTINIAN STATE WILL BE DECLARED
3. THE UNITED STATED IS THE SECOND ISRAEL.
WAR WAS DECLARED!!!”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MR. WILLIAM’S PHILOSOPHY PLEASE E-MAIL HIM AT WWW.TALONEXEC.COM
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOURS .
