Program Chair:
  Peggy Bloomfield
December 18, 2008   


January 15
Dr. Jeff Bronstein


January 22
DG Chuck Anderson

Next Week...
January 8
Hump Day

Upcoming Programs...
January 15
Dr. Jeff Bronstein
Parkinson's Disease and PLLUS

January 22
DG Chuck Anderson visits

Activities...
January 20
District Breakfast - LAX
Westin Hotel, 5400 W. Century Blvd.

This Week...
THE OCEANAIRES at CHRISTMAS, WVRC on December 18th
TONY MARRONE led the Pledge – and note we were meeting at the LUXE, a special place to enjoy the Holiday Season. LEE DUNAYER gave the Invocation, beginning by asking us to “Remember all the religions represented in the Rotary family. Let us also recall that when we were invited to join Westwood Village Rotary, we were not asked, “Are you a Protestant, a Hindu, a Muslim, a Jew, a Catholic, or a Sikh?” You were not asked because all religions are welcome in the Rotary family. Please join me in a moment of reflection and thanks with these words – With our friends beside us, and no person beneath us, with the bonds of Rotary between us, and our worries behind us, with our goals before us, and no task beyond us, with a thirst for knowledge, and a dream of a Polio-free world, we are thankful for our Rotary friends and the meal we are about to share.  Thank You, Shalom, Amen.” LEE, once again you have set a high standard – Thank You.

We had one “guest”, PP JIM DOWNIE, back with us after a long bout with a blood malfunction.  MARGIE was also recognized for her exceptional care for JIM. Our Visiting Rotarian was Robert Berman, who belongs to Rotary in Jackson, Miss, but his more important connection is that he is the father-in-law of MARK BLOCK! Tall and lovely Rachel Heidt came with her proud papa, JOHN.  PP DON NELSON introduced Jin Kim, our Ambassadorial Scholar.  MARIE ROLF was also present. However, there was some sad news.  HARLAN LEWIS, who joined WVRC thirty-eight years ago and was sponsored by DON HANDY, passed away this past weekend.  Services will be private, but of course notes to Margaret would be appreciated.  I will include an earlier extensive profile of HARLAN with this newsletter. And for those of you who go back further than I do, PP BOB KENNEDY has died in Salt Lake City.  That was in October, and RALPH BEASOM has more details.

MIKE YOUSEM rose to thank all those who participated in the Christmas Shopping with the kids last week. There were 26 kids, and everyone who attended had a great time. As MIKE reminded us, it wouldn’t be possible without the help he gets from WVRC. It should be noted that the three members who helped pay for the bus were PP RON LYSTER, LEE DUNAYER, and – of all people – HARLAN LEWIS! And lets not forget that MIKE himself picks up the tab for dinner for the kids.  Various people spoke from the Head Table, including MARK BLOCK and PP CHRIS BRADFORD who welcomed PP JIM back, as we all did.  I note that those known criminal types such as JE DZUBAK, WARREN DODSON and ELLIOTT TURNER were tieless, and that elicited some kind of fine. This statement was immediately jumped on by someone, who exclaimed, “I object, that’s sexist”. SEAN’S reply, “You’re right – I am sexist.” However, he persisted, adding that the District Breakfast is next week, and a couple of slots are still open – call MARK BLOCK.

President SEAN took it upon himself to carry on with the Inspirational Hour.  This concerned an Irishman (surprise). Seems his wife woke up during the night, and he wasn’t in bed.  She heard some sort of noise in the basement, and when she got down there, she found the poor guy sobbing in the corner. And we all know that Irishmen seldom cry, unless they have been drinking. Asking him what was wrong provided the following answer: “Remember when your father caught us having sex when we were sixteen?  He told me then I had two choices – either marry you or I’d go to prison for twenty years. Well, I would have been released today”.

But that wasn’t all. He now leaped (a turn of phrase, perhaps overstated) to immediate history, asking what Irishman had achieved notoriety just now?  The answer, of course, was that Pat Harrington was declared the PGA Player of the Year, based on his winning TWO majors in 2008.  More than that, he is the first European to win since 1997, when some guy named Woods started his run.  It’s obviously hard to keep up with these turns of topic, but I’m sure you are used to them by now.

After an excellent dinner, the Santa Monica Oceanaires filed in.  There were sixteen of them, Directed by Bob Heron, and their MC was Brian Schroffel. They provided an excellent group of Christmas songs, and even allowed us to join in the chorus a couple of times.  There was a Q&A period, which, fortunately, can be forgotten.  But these guys really enjoy what they are doing, and it showed.  You can come back anytime, if YOE is the judge.

And now, as promised above, a HARLAN LEWIS retrospective (written in 1997).

—YOE, Ernie Wolfe


WESTWOOD VILLAGE ROTARY CLUB 2008 - 2009

OFFICERS:
President 
Sean McMillan

President Elect
Ed Gauld

Vice President
Mark Block

Treasurer
Don Nelson

Secretary
Shane Waarbroek

Executive Secretary
Ernie Wolfe, Jr.

Past President
Chris Bradford

DIRECTORS:
Community Service Chair
Leah Vriesman
International Service Chair
Mark Rogo
Membership Chair
Steve Scherer
Vocational Service Chair
Curt Smith
Youth Service Chair
J.R. Dzubak

.....

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL
PRESIDENT:

Dong Kurn Lee

DISTRICT 5280 GOVERNOR:
   Chuck Anderson
Redondo Beach Rotary


NEARBY MAKEUP SITES: Monday, Beverly Hills, BH Hotel, 9641 Sunset / Tuesday, WLA/Brentwood, Chez Mimi, 246 26th St, Santa Monica / Wednesday, Century City, Hyatt Regency Century City, in the Breeze Cafe, Culver City, Wyndham Hotel, 6333 Bristol Parkway, CC, or  Wilshire, The Ebell, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd, LA / Friday, Santa Monica, Riviera Country Club, 1250 Capri Dr, Pacific Palisades