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RETURN HOME? WVRC Discussion, July
22nd
LILLIAN KLIEWER came forward to
lead the Pledge, preceded by various opinions as to how to pronounce her
surname. We had another gaggle of song leaders, including LENNY
FRIEDMAN, JACK HARRIS and SLOSS VIAU, with PP JIM DOWNIE on the piano.
We then took off on AMERICA, going through several verses, aided as
before by song sheets on the table. While this overview is probably
useful, YOE suspects that the only way we will learn any verses beyond
the first one is to take them one at a time. And I realize that this opinion is
worth just what you paid for it – that being the price of allowing me to
pontificate (but only from time to time, of course!). PP DAVE WHITEHEAD
was invited to fill the unoccupied seat reserved for Rotaract, and Senor
RUDY gave the Invocation – one he learned when he was eight, and which
still makes a lot of sense. “I live for those who trust me, for those I
know are true…for the cause that needs assisting, for the wrong that
needs resisting…and the good that I can do”.
New Member SOL DRESNER introduced
our Visiting Rotarian, Richard Marracino, from the San Juan, Puerto Rico
Club – he is in Private Education, and was accompanied by his wife,
Lillian. Mr Marracino rose to explain that he and Lillian spent the
first night of their honeymoon at the Bel Air, and their first daughter
was born in Los Angeles.
Flags were exchanged, once a
camera with film was produced, operated by BILL MICHAEL. Senor RUDY then
made a perhaps unnecessary comment regarding the photo instructions from
Mrs. Marracino. CHRIS BRADFORD spoke about the much –announced first
District Breakfast – it will be at the LAX Marriott, 0715, on August 11th
– and since Board Members are also urged to attend, we can get a
discount if we have ten members attending. The Speaker will be Alvin
Rudisil, Emeritus Professor of Religion from USC – so please reserve
your place with CHRIS, OK? SHANE WAARBROEK reminded us of the District
Membership Seminar, which is set for Saturday, August 7th at
the Carson Community Center.
Rudy’s World was introduced, and
the first targeted pigeon was MARK BLOCK. Turns out that MARK had not
only checked the web, but he was able to identify the sign from the
Culver City Rotary Club. At this point, we learn that Senor RUDY
misidentified the site of the sign – but it’s hard to get the President
to fine himself, sad to say. CLAWSON BLEAK was next fingered, but when
he stated that not only did he not have a computer but didn’t want one,
we moved on. ART HENRY pleaded no lo contendre (sp?) and was to be
listed as a Voluntary Contributor – the first of several, apparently.
SEAN McMILLAN rose to point out that you cannot impose laws after the
event, which lawyerly advice was applauded by all. Senor RUDY then asked
LILLIAN KLIEWER, KATHY REZOS, HENRIETTA LIAN, LENORE MULRYAN and GEORGE
COX to stand – apparently the glue that bound them together was that
none of them had yet been fined this Rotary year. KATHY asked if they
could contribute their Virginity…LENNY FRIEDMAN was next added to the
list of those making a voluntary contribution (read, fine). The
overriding question here is, who decides how much to pony up? Methinks
this subject has had enough space, at least for now.
RALPH BEASOM reported on BRUCE
ROLF, who was having a serious problem of not being able to get
sufficient food down. Last Friday he had surgery at Cedars, and he is
finally beginning to feel better. Cards should go to their new address,
1255 S.Beverly Glen, LA 90024-5208, but hold the phone calls, please.
PP JIM DOWNIE was in touch with PP HOWIE HENKES, who was suffering from
the same mysterious malady that RALPH BEASOM just got over. HOWIE was
in the hospital for a week, had several transfusions, and on Monday will
be hooked up to a mobile testing machine – all intended to locate the
source of occasional internal bleeding. He CAN to phoned, so please
check with him directly, if you will.
Two general
announcements/reminders, please:
The Summer Fun Party, set for
August 21st at the Hancock Park home of Anica & Yoshi Nishio,
Senor RUDY’S daughter and son-in-law, has signed up THREE Decorators –
DORIS SUMNER, SHARON BRADFORD, and BETTYE WOODWORTH – so save the date –
it will be, as they say, One For The Book. This second note is a
plea for assistance – DANNY SKINNER has closed his flower shop and thus
we need a new source for our monthly birthday carnations, etc. Please
tell me who you have used – but I need to know by NEXT meeting, OK?
Senor RUDY then shifted to the
Club Assembly topic of the day - Where will WVRC continue to meet? We
were asked to talk it over by tables, appoint a reporter who will convey
our feelings, and the discussion was open! We had eight tables, and the
first reporter was STEVE LORE. His comments were that the Bel Air might
be world class, but the food is not as good as it should be. Lighter
meals should be provided, and whatever happened to the idea that they
were going to provide an advance menu for us to OK? There was concern
that this hotel will just keep raising prices. SEAN McMILLAN reported
that his table favored the Bel Air, mostly because of the venue. He
liked the access into and out of the Luxe, but several dissenting voices
questioned this.
My latest mea culpa is that I
failed to take notes as PP ROY LYSTER, BILL MICHAEL, and PP STEVE
SCHERER spoke for their tables. I do apologize, and next time I’ll pay
more attention to the running time of my tape recorder. However, the
good news is that the remaining speakers seemed to echo each other at
times, and herewith my notes – PP JIM COLLINS, in answer to a suggestion
from the audience, reminded us that KFC could provide lunch for $2.95!
Moving right along, he noted that the parking at the Luxe was not good,
and this whole process has given us the opportunity to really tell the
Bel Air what we want to eat. STEW GILMAN, we liked the Bel Air, but
should change the menu, maybe try family style meals. We need lighter
fare and buffets sometimes. (Note that a buffet is more expensive
than a set meal, so we should recognize that this is only an occasional
option, OK?). Someone suggested we should have two choices – a salad,
plus a regular meal, thus helping those who want a lighter menu.
DAN PRICE felt constrained by
being warned not to tell any Mae West jokes, but he did report factually
that his table was unanimous for the Bel Air. This allowed him to point
out that they allow dogs here, and when he has stayed, his dogs take
care of business outdoors in the gardens. This led to another story, in
which the Bel Air chef at first refused to give up his closely held
cooking techniques. He finally confessed that his secret was that he
grew his own herbs in the herb garden on the property. In-as-much as
DAN’S dog, Rocky, used the herb garden for his business, DAN wondered
how much that affected the herb flavors! CHRIS BRADFORD noted that the
Bel Air was a special place, and that if we change the menu, we can
change it back – whereas, if we change locations, it’s a hell of a lot
tougher to change that back.
DON NELSON had two suggestions –
first, we should get some richer members, and second, that we get MADAME
WU to reopen her restaurant! On a more serious note, he reported we had
an offer from the Olympic Collection, but it wasn’t better than the two
we are considering. He then briefly gave instructions about how to vote
– note that you are to SIGN THE ENVELOPE on the outside, and do not sign
the ballot itself, please. He and I will publicly count the
ballots before the meeting on August 5th.
Y.O.E. |