I say this because the deadline for signing up as a Poll Worker is this coming MONDAY! I’ll send out an email, and you can register with me by fax, etc – but time really is of the essence, OK? More on this as I report on our Speaker.
We started off with new member PETER TOMARKEN leading the Pledge (and we don’t seem to have any problem with the “Under God” phrase, I’m glad to report). America The Beautiful was accompanied by JACK HARRIS on the piano, but the song leader, PP STEVE DAY was given what could be called a rowdy welcome. Would you believe he not only brought the much-anticipated Raffle Tickets for the Paul Harris Dinner on 12 November, but also spoke about them, both before and after the song. Without making too fine a point of this, this double exposure could be construed as overplaying his hand. Anyway, the message seems to be that these tickets will be in the mail shortly. And, in trying to not give this any more copy than such deception deserves, we learned that WVRC has only thirty seats for the Dinner – cost is $75.00, and it’s aboard the Queen Mary.
A minor cheer was heard when SLOSS VIAU announced we could sit down for the Invocation. SLOSS first pointed out that those of us who are older should be doing a better job of recruiting younger members. We should point out to everyone we know the following – if we had not started Polio Pluss in 1985, EIGHT MILLION children would have polio today who escaped due to our immunization program. When we started 350,000 children per year were being infected – the total for 2004 was just one thousand, and we will eradicate this terrible disease within the next couple of years. We should not only be proud of this major accomplishment, but also add that to our help with natural disasters, and we can truly say we are leading the world in service to mankind. The prayer that followed spoke about our abiding by The Four Way Test, and continuing to do our best in our small corner of the world. Thought provoking, and thanks, SLOSS.
Our Speaker today, Harry Jacobs, was also a Visiting Rotarian, and he was accompanied by his wife, Victoria. Harry is Vice President of the Whittier Rotary Club. ED GAULD rose to introduce Mark Rogo, his Special Guest, who is with Coldwell Banker, specializing in high-end properties.
Announcements followed—
October 6th – three weeks from today – we will be meeting at Riviera Country Club, NOT at the Bel Air Hotel.
President DON then read his letter of today in regards to our response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster. WVRC will be sending a check for $10,000 to our District 5280, and he is suggesting that each of us who wishes to add to that, make an additional donation of $100, so it can be added to our basic check. We should thus approach a total of $20,000, making us one of the leading Rotary responders – please make your checks out to the Westwood Village Rotary Foundation, and get them in by or before the end of this month, please. Our checks will go to RI. District 6840, the area where Katrina struck hardest, and they will distribute the funds as needed. Please note that there is NO OVERHEAD charged to this relief – the gross and net amount is the same. ELLIOTT TURNER rose to ask if we could make this a bit more complicated – his firm wants to donate $1,000, and they understand complication better than simple, or so he says.
DON spoke with Pat Anderson earlier today. PDG ANDY is home, and beginning to feel better – cards and notes are much appreciated, but no calls or visits yet, please. ANDY has been a very sick man, losing over twenty pounds – but he will be OK! And on November 18th, LA Five is hosting a program to honor the Fire and Police personnel in the LA area – cost is $35.00. Time is 11:30, at the Biltmore Hotel.
LENORE MULRYAN announced that our Ambassadorial Scholar, Mina Soroosh, is back and will soon be reporting to us on her time aboard in Spain. CANDICE DANESHVAR came forward to fill us in on the GEORGE DEA Essay Scholarship contest. This competition is open to members of several groups – Interact, Rotaract, Rotarians and family members, and the deadline for submission is November 30th. The subject is “Using the Rotary Four-Way Test and the values of Rotary International, illustrate one example of how you contributed to the betterment of your generation”. The winner will receive a $500 Scholarship, or the award can be passed on to a favorite charity. The brochure, which is available on request from YOE, has all the details. The net for prospects is certainly cast wide – think about it, please.
Former member JOHN HOAG has donated four UCLA Football Season Tickets plus a parking pass to WVRC, since he has moved to Texas and cannot use them himself. DON decided to split these up, auctioning off the four tickets for EACH game. The winner for this Saturday’s game with Oklahoma was ELLIOTT TURNER, aided and abetted by PP MIKE NEWMAN – they came up with two hundred dollars. Check your calendars – the rest of the schedule is: Washington on Oct 1st, Cal on Oct. 8th, Oregon State on Oct 22nd (homecoming) and Arizona State on Nov. 12th. This is a great offer, and the parking pass makes it a lot better.
President DON then neatly slipped in his weekly joke, purported to be an actual conversation between a U.S. Navy ship and Naval authorities in Canada:
US – Please divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision. Canada – Recommend you divert YOUR course 15 degrees to the south. US – this is the Captain of a U.S. Navy ship – I say again, divert your course. Canada – No, I say again, you divert YOUR course. U.S. This is the aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln, the 2nd largest ship in the U.S. Atlantic fleet. We are accompanied by several escort vessels. I demand that you change your course 15 degrees to the north – that is, one five degrees to the north, or counter-measures will be taken to insure the safety of this ship. Canada – we are a lighthouse – your call.
Now, as those of you know who regularly peruse this weekly publication, I have been complimentary as to the humor in these weekly stories. However, I now will exercise my editorial privilege and insert a NEW Joke Source – who else but ELLIOTT TURNER? I do this for two reasons – ELLIOTT has some good stuff, AND I don’t want President DON to have his ego stroked any more than necessary.
Herewith, some medical definitions:
Damnitol – Take 2 and the rest of the world can go to hell for up to 8 full hours.
St. Momma’s Wort – Plant extract that treats mom’s depression by rendering preschoolers unconscious for up to two days.
Emptynestrogen – Suppository that eliminates melancholy and loneliness by reminding you of how awful they were as teenagers and how you couldn’t wait till they moved out.
Flipitor – Increases life expectancy of commuters by controlling road rage and the urge to flip off other drivers.
Buyagra – Injectable stimulant taken prior to shopping. Increases potency, duration, and credit limit of spending spree.
Jackasspririn - Relieves headache caused by a man who can’t remember your birthday, anniversary, phone number, or to lift the toilet seat.
Anti-Talksident – A spray carried in a purse or wallet to be used on anyone too eager to share their life stories with total strangers in elevators, and finally,
Nagament – When administered to a boyfriend or husband, provides the same irritation level as nagging him.
Obviously, this opens the door to your comments – or your jokes, OK?
TONY MARRONE introduced our Speaker, Harry Jacobs. Harry spoke to us last year, and his subject is the same this year – the County needs Poll Workers. He spent the last ten years of his life in the LA County Voter Registration Office, and before that was a teacher. He has degrees from Cal State LA, and graduate studies at USC. But today is his birthday, so he had to endure our singing Happy Birthday!
Harry began by telling us that this was his 242nd Presentation about Voter Registration, and this is also his last one (and I have to editorialize and say he does an excellent job) He has carried on this Crusade to increase voter participation for the last eighteen months as a volunteer – which shows how important he feels it is. Last year, only Rotary Clubs were asking about the program – and this year, after its successful start, all the service clubs are inquiring and beginning to participate.
The reason for the shortage of Poll Workers is that the average age of previous workers is now pushing 80 – and the job gets too tough for them. But there aren’t enough replacements coming along, and this program aims to help fill that shortage. Here are the basic facts – the coming Special Election is set for November 8th, the polls are open from 0700 to 8 pm, and you are expected to be present from 0600 to 9 pm – it’s a long day, but there are scheduled breaks. And I have to tell you – it’s fun!
Ordinarily they have eighteen months to prepare for an election, but with this late notice, they only have eighteen weeks. There would usually be 5000 polling places – but this time, only 2200, since they cannot staff more than that. Usually, they would have 30K workers – this time, they are trying for 13.5 K. The law now allows high school seniors with a 2.5 or better GPA to work in the Polls, and college age kids are most welcome also. The expected cost of this Special Election is eighty million dollars.
Poll Workers are paid $55 plus $25 for a training course, and this $80 total can be signed over to the Rotary Club, so it can become a fund-raiser. In addition, you can wear your Rotary clothing, AND pass out Rotary information under certain conditions. So the benefits go beyond the need to staff the Polls – we can promote Rotary at the same time.
Once the voter has placed his ballot in the container, he or she may ask, why is Rotary involved here? You in turn can ask, “Does community Service interest you?” If they say yes, give them a Rotary brochure – and ask if you can take them to the next meeting of the club. Harry gave examples of how we might produce income for WVRC – but to me, the main thing we are doing is providing a badly needed public service plus showing the Rotary Flag at as many polling places as possible.
In addition to the Special Election this November, there is the Primary next June and the General Election in November of 2006 – so you can sign up now for Nov. 8th, or later for the next two elections in 2006. Here is recent history – last year, the first time this was used, 185 Rotary clubs inquired, and 48 participated. They supplied 302 workers who were paid $24,160. This year they have authority to recruit 2500 service club members, and they will be paid $600,000.
Harry then told a great story about attending a high school Marine Boot Camp. But let me editorialize here a bit, if I may. I have been an Inspector for LA Country, and after that, for the City of Beverly Hills. It is indeed a long day, but you sure meet a lot of interesting people. There are usually five workers at each Polling Place, and that allows for everyone to take a break or get a snack as needed. You work with a pleasant group of people, all of whom want to do their best and at the end of the day, you feel a lot of satisfaction. I strongly recommend being a Poll Worker (and it’s a civic duty, of course).
I’ll be sending our an email tonight, asking anyone who wants an Application for this November 8th Special Election to call me right away – I’ll fax you the Application Form, and you can mail it in, as long as they get it by this Monday the 19th.
President DON did have a final riddle for us - "It’s a free gift" – aren’t ALL gifts free?
