Dr. Dana Daniels

Next Week... December 20 Dark - No Meeting December 27 Dark - No Meeting January 3, 2008 Dr. Dana Daniels "Great Issues of the Twenty-First Century"

This Week...
Our Vocal Christmas Program - WVRC on December 13th

DR ERIC LOBERG can indeed be a Straight Man, and he proved it today in leading the Pledge.  At this point, there was a minor interruption, which turned out to be Igor disguised as Santa.  He had many presents to distribute, mostly to the Spouses who were there.  CEO CHRIS got one, and in a test as to whether you read this or not, stay tuned to find out what it was!  LENNY appeared, and in honor of the season and the many Spouses present, we offered “let Me Call You Sweetheart”.  It was well received – but remember we are all extra-charitable at this time of the year…Old/New Member RON KLEPETAR offered some Invocation thoughts.  He noted how lucky he was to be born in this country, to have a mother and father who loved him, and to have inherited some of their genes.  He was lucky to be able to work with children.  Some aphorisms (always wanted to use that word – thank the good Lord for Spell-check):  “Never doubt that a small group of people can change the world”. It has always been thus.  And in a neat segue to his true interest, he noted that people were saying Illinois – which he attended –doesn’t have a prayer against USC in the Rose Bowl.  He then boldly asked all of us to pray for Illinois! Sounds OK to me…

It was Spouses Day, so let me here list those I saw:  HELEN BEASOM, MARGARET LEWIS, CAROL COLLINS, SHIRLEY MORE, CINDY LUSK, JUDI GOODWYN, SUNNY FRIEDMAN, ANNIE TSENG, KATHY GAULD, MARJORIE ZICKFELD, MARGIE DOWNIE, MAY JANE BLEAK, PAULINE HARRIS, JOE MULRYAN, MARGY BLOCK, ALY SHOJI’S husband Aaron, and MARK’s Dad, “Mort the Sport ROGO! “ In addition, Joe Mulryan got double credit sine he was our Visiting Rotarian, from LA Five.  He is in mining. And while I’m not entirely sure where to add the following tidbit, BUT it is reported that, at a Makeup in Poipu Beach,  PP MIKE NEWMAN ran into Jim Case.  Jim specifically asked to be remembered to HOWIE HENKES, JIM COLLINS, DON PARK and HENRY TSENG. MIKE YOUSEM reported on his Annual Shopping Spree.  While the bus was late, everything else went beautifully and a good time was had by all.  He especially thanked PP JOHN SINGLETON, who this year, as before, supplied toys for all the kids.

This brought forward PP BOB WESSLING, who once again assumed the mantle of chairing the Election Committee. He proposed the following slate:  President, SEAN McMILLAN, President-Elect, ED GAULD, Vice President, MARK BLOCK, Treasurer. PP DON NELSON, Secretary, SHANE WAARBROEK, plus the following Avenue of Service Chairs – International, MARK ROGO, Vocational, CURT SMITH, Youth, J.R. DUZBAK, and Community, LEAH VRIESMAN. Election by Acclimation was called for, and it was done!  Congratulations to all.

Our two newest members were Inducted today. First up was DR MARK KRAUSE, Senior Minister at Westwood Hills Christian Church. Mark was sponsored by MARK ROGO. He was born in Caldwell, Idaho, and he and his wife have three children, Mary, Jesse and Beatrice. One of MARK’S hobbies is reading Biblical Greek and Hebrew plus German – and YOE thinks we should have a well-regulated 'Read-Off' between MARK and PP DON NELSON with appropriate texts as selected by the UCLA Faculty Senate.  I mention this because NELSON’S prowess in German is legendary – and let the chips fall where they may!  Our second Inductee was LORIN RUTTENBERG, who was sponsored by PP STEVE SCHERER.  LORIN does Real Estate Consulting, with the firm of Keller Williams. Married to SEAN VALDO, they have two children, Ruby and Shane. She also enjoys surfing and snowboarding, plus computers and is active on the Dream Dollar Committee and Library Readership.

PP MIKE then launched into the formal Induction, as assembled by for PP JIM EDWARDS.  What is Rotary?  It is a service organization of dedicated, conscientious Men and women, united worldwide in an effort to help their fellow man, encourage high ethical business and professional standards and to work towards world understanding and peace.  Rotary is what Rotary does!

Let me emphasize that active participation is the key to what Rotary does. And let me encourage all to maintain perfect attendance. Participating in meetings when you travel allows you to meet Rotarians throughout the world.  And most important, we all need to carry the principles of Rotary in our daily lives.  We can and do set an example for ethics and service above self, and we are viewed by our co-workers, and most importantly, our youth. People respect what we do, not what we say.  So again, Rotary is what Rotary does. This Induction was followed by a standing Ovation for MARK KRAUSE and LORIN RUTTENBERG.

PP STEVE SCHERER invited JOHN WOODALL to the Podium. John was informed that he had successfully passed the steps necessary to graduate from Yearling Status, which of course led to some sniffling of tears. After all, JOHN will no longer be eligible to sit at the Yearling Table, but that’s what happens when you get promoted. This touching scene ended with PP STEVE first saying, and then JOHN repeating a cappella the words of the Westwood Village Rotary Song, as composed by former member JOHN HOAG in July of 1983. The final two stanzas are the same, and in the interest of being humane about all this, they are here quoted, but only once.  S-E-R-V-I-C-E, Let service turn the wheel! Unfortunately, Brother HOAG could not be present for this summation.

ED GAULD awoke to make his way to the hallway outside our meeting room, and thus escort the four Carolers in. They are from “Christmas Matters” and they provided a large selection of excellent carols for the rest of the meeting.  In addition to being well in tune, they seemed to know ALL the seasonal favorites.  Well Done!

Three final notes –
1. We won’t meet again THIS YEAR, so see you all on January 3rd, 2008
2. CHRIS’ Present was a cuddly little Bruin Bear!
3. And A Thought For The Day;
Some Christmas Gift Suggestions: To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.

P.S. Dr. Jeanne Kim will discuss "Brains, Beauty and Vitality -- Keeping a Healthy Brain Into Your Eighties and Beyond" at the regular meeting of the Westwood Village Rotary Club Auxiliary on Wednesday, January 9, 2008, in the home of Sally and Homer Newman, 1074 Chantilly Road, Bel Air.

Dr. Kim is in research and clinica work at the UCLA Center on Aging.  She will discuss memory training exercises, education and intelligence, lifestyle issues, and recent research.  She will answer questions following her talk.

All Rotarians and Rotary Auxiliary members are invited.  The meeting starts at 11:30 with lunch served at 12 noon, according to Eloise Siskel and Kathie Gauld, co-presidents.

—YOE, Ernie Wolfe

Welcome New Members

WESTWOOD VILLAGE ROTARY CLUB 2007 - 2008
OFFICERS: President  Christopher Bradford President Elect Sean McMillan Vice President Ed Gauld Treasurer Mark Block Exec. Treasurer Don Nelson Secretary Shane Waarbroek Executive Secretary Ernie Wolfe Past President Michael Gintz	DIRECTORS: Community Service Chair Mark Rogo International Service Chair Elliott Turner Membership Chair Steve Scherer Vocational Service Chair Sherry Dewane Youth Service Chair Ann Samson ..... ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT: Wilfrid J. Wilkinson DISTRICT 5280 GOVERNOR:     David Moyers Palos Verdes Sunset Rotary