POST 75^TH – WVRC on APRIL 8^TH

Yes, there is life after that whiz bang we had two weeks ago.  In that regard, several notes were received, and I’d like to pass them on, or at least their message, if I may.  Lew and Dorothy Stroh wrote from Palm Desert, and here’s a quote – “Dorothy’s year as Rotary Ann President and mine as President 77/78 were highlights of our years in Westwood.  I am continually amazed at what a dynamic group you have and all the wonderful  projects you have underway around the world”.  In that regard, Dorothy had had an accident which does pretty much keep her homebound.  Their address is 73512 Terrazo Drive, Palm Desert 92260, (760) 776-4289.  

From Toshie and YOSH SETOGUCHI, 16215 Spinning Avenue, Torrance 90504 (310) 327-9059 – “Yosh has not been well for the past six weeks …so we just are unable to commit to going to the gala 75^th.”  This is particularly meaningful to me, since as the fifth year PP, I was able to nominate YOSH as President for the year 1974-75. Knowing how conscientious YOSH is, he still insists on going in to Shriners Hospital for Children an hour or two almost every day.

Rusty and LYMAN POWELL were in touch, saying they weren’t feeling too well, and thus couldn’t attend.  However, LYMAN, over time, decided he didn’t want to worry about having just one rotary pin, so he bought ELEVEN.  He has returned these, along with his diamond PP pin, plus some lovely Rotary cuff links and a Rotary tie clasp, and asks us to use them in whatever way we wish.  I’ll remember to bring the cuff links and tie clasp to a meeting, and let’s auction them off,  OK?  You can reach them at 15705 Tierra Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20906 – and of course they would love to hear from you.

And now, back to the 8^th:  PDG ANDY ANDERSON was in charge, and he began by reading an email he had received from Pres. PETER.  He and Shirley are in Hong Kong, and who did they run into but Bill and Patty Bloomfield!  LEO TSENG is there, and they are planning to get together tomorrow.  PDG ANDY announced that this was his and Pat’s THIRTIETH Anniversary – and the Karen and PP DAVE WHITEHEAD were celebrating their Fifteenth.  At this point, TONY MARRONE announced that he and Veneice were enjoying their FORTY EIGHTH!  TONY then came forward to lead us in the Pledge, which was followed by LEE DUNAYER with an Invocation.  He allowed us to sit – always a popular start – and spoke about what a World-Minded Rotarian should be doing at this critical time.  He takes responsibility for sharing international understanding and advocating world peace, without bias toward his own country.  He seeks agreement with those from other nations to provide common grounds for mutual progress toward our shared goal of world peace.  This includes advocating freedom of thought, speech and fear of persecution.  He realizes that poverty anywhere endangers prosperity everywhere.  LEE, it’s a big order – but one worth striving toward.

The song team of LENNY FRIEDMAN and PP JIM DOWNIE helped us through You’re a Grand Old Flag. Next up was BRIAN BUMPAS, who introduced several Visiting Rotarians.  The first two were from Iceland, Jon Stefansson, and his wife Helga Jundottier, who were visiting us while they also visited their daughter at UCLA.  Jon is an engineer, and Helga is a lawyer, and they belong to the Rotary Club of Seltjarnarn.

Mervin Hecht, who was sitting next to me, identifies himself as a Wine Taster, and belongs to the Santa Monica Club.  Sam Pirnazar and Massoud Nabaui belong to Rancho Park, and they announced that Mayor James Hahn will be speaking at their club on April 21^st. – all are welcome to attend.  Last was Johan von Fieant, who belongs to the Helsinki, Finland Club and is an Agent.  Other guests were introduced by PDG ANDY, who brought along the new Commanding Officer of the WLA Division, Capt Vance Proctor.  This is Capt Proctor’s third tour in WLA, so he does know the territory.  CLARK McQUAY brought his brother in law, Alan McKae, who lives in Danville.

And Pat was there in support of PDG ANDY.

Birthdays were next, and there just weren’t very many.  April 1^st was picked by ELLIOTT TURNER, and Jacksonville was the scene.  BILL MICHAEL came along on the 4^th, in Dallas – and we should note that BILL has had a couple of accidents which will keep him out of action for a month or more.  CLARK McQUAY picked Alhambra on the 7^th, and lucky DICK ROBINSON arrived on the 8^th (today, thus doubling his fine) in Altus, Oklahoma.  On the 18^th, Ithaca, NY was the scene from which sprang PP ERIC LOBERG,  while DON PARK came along ten days later in Bruning, Nebraska.  Suitable gifts and singing accompanied this presentation.

At our 75^th, three of our members were presented with Rotary Hall of Fame Awards, commemorating fifty years of Rotary Membership.  They are PP JIM COLLINS, PP HOWIE HENKES, and PP JIM DOWNIE.  In addition PP JIM DOWNIE has had FIFTY YEARS of perfect attendance!  That’s something very few Rotarians anywhere can match.  Of course, PP RON LYSTER did his usual splendid job of tying everything together.  PP DAVE WHITEHEAD and his graphics were wonderful, and the film clips from DAN PRICE certainly added to the story.  GREGG ELLIOTT’S eight piece band was a big hit – and Pres. PETER oversaw the whole thing.  And I know you need to have the following information:  The number of beef orders about equaled the total of fish and chicken, OK?

There was a brief hiatus during which two excellent tickets for the Laker game tomorrow evening against the Grizzlies were auctioned off.  These came from BOB THOM, and included excellent parking.  KEVIN KOMATSU was the winning bidder, for $120.00.

SALLY BRANT introduced our Speaker, Kevin Grazier.  After earning undergraduate degrees in computer science and physics at Purdue University and Oakland University, he returned to Purdue for his MS in physics.  Then to UCLA, working toward his PhD in planetary physics.  He provided long-term large-scale computer simulations of early Solar System evolution, working with RAND at the same time.  Kevin received his PhD in 1997 and joined JPL, joining the Cassini Mission team.  He continues research involving computer simulations of Solar System dynamics with researchers at UCLA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, The University of Auckland, Purdue University and Southwest Research Institute.  He also teaches, both adults and children -  he’s busy.

This is his second visit with us – and he is a real fountain of space information.

PP JIM DOWNIE was pressed into service operating the slide projector, and Kevin then proceeded to comment on his many excellent slides.  He pointed out that JPL is the only NASA Center not operated by NASA – they come under Cal Tech.  After WWII, they were doing research on rocketry, and were, in effect, banished to an arroyo north of Pasadena itself – the idea being, apparently, that if something blew up, at least it wouldn’t destroy anything else.  In 1957, their whole focus changed, with the launch of Sputnik One by the Russians.  From then on, JPL was in the space business, period.  They began building spacecraft.

Tonight, for instance, you can see all five of the planets overhead.  These are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The early spacecraft simply flew by the planets, photographing as they went.  Kevin pointed out that it another body were flying by the earth, they might think that the polar icecap meant that the whole thing was covered by ice.  Once you achieve orbit around a planet, however, there are unlimited opportunities to study it over a period of time.

The Jean Dominick Cassini Mission was designed to study Saturn, largest of the planets.  Cassini was launched almost six years ago (15 October 1997), and will begin orbiting Saturn this July.  It’s a large spaceship – weighing six tons, and two stories in height.  There are twelve scientific instruments aboard, and it all cost 3.3 billion dollars which was shared by many participating countries. Its launch was the first use of the ‘slingshot’

technique, in which the satellite first enters inner space, gathers speed, and then on the 3^rd orbit, takes off into outer space.

One of the many objects encountered in outer space are asteroids – and we saw a picture of one that measured 56 kms in length (about 40 miles).  If this asteroid hit the earth, it would destroy us.  Jupiter has its own moon, called Ida, and it is the largest moon in space.  Jupiter itself is circled by several bands of ice, and these bands rotate right and left, at speeds of about 300 mph.  As a comparison, a tornado on the earth moves at about 75 mph.  There are about 100 volcanoes on Titan, another satellite of Saturn.

Kevin mentioned the difference in climate between the Valley and the Westside, and I noted this, living close to Mullholland and Beverly Glen from 1952 to 1960.  It is ten degrees warmer, and colder, in the Valley than on the Westside   I’m sure this had some tie in to conditions on Saturn, but my notes, alas, don’t tell me what it is.  I did learn that Saturn, for example, is composed of a gaseous globe, with the gas becoming more dense the closer it is to the center of the globe.  I wish I could read my notes better, but we thank you, Kevin Grazier, for your excellent presentation.

                                                                                                YOE, Ernie Wolfe