Jan 20
"Investment Advisors Day"
Jan 27
"Ocean Park Community Center"
Feb 3
Current Issues Facing LA County
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This Week...
Jan 20 2011
"Investment Advisors Day"
Upcoming...
Jan 27 2011
John Maceri
"Ocean Park Community Center"
John Maceri, CEO of OPCC. OPCC is the safety net for low-income and homeless youth, adults and families, at-risk youth, battered women and their children, and people living with mental illness in Santa Monica and on the Westside of Los Angeles County.
Feb 3 2011
Zev Yaroslovsky
"Current Issues Facing L A County"
Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor - 3rd District.
Feb 10 2011
LTC Shawn Phelps
"UCLA Army ROTC program"
Colonel Phelps is Professor and Chair of the Military Science Department at UCLA.
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R.I. PRESIDENT RAY KLINGINSMITH
at the Manhattan Beach Marriott on Jan. 13th
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| RI President Ray Klinginsmith waits to greet fellow Rotarians at luncheon |
WVRC had three full tables at this meeting – more than any other club except maybe LA 5. Those attending included President GORDON FELL, ELLIOTT TURNER, PP DON NELSON, both MARCIA and RICK BROUS, JIM CRANE, ATHENA JACKSON, ED JACKSON, PEGGY and her Helper, TERRY M. WHITE, PP RON LYSTER, NEVIN SENKAN, PP CHRIS BRADFORD, STEVE LOHR, PP JIM COLLINS, PP ED GAULD, YOE, JOHN HEIDT, JOHN O’KEEFE, TOM BARRON, STEVE PETTISE and three from Rotaract. The Ballroom was jammed, and the Invocation was given by none other than our own former Rotaractor, TORI HETTINGER. There was a Pledge, of course, plus Kim Wendorff of Redondo Beach provided several good songs. District Governor Doug Baker called the roll of all the District 5280 Rotarians in attendance – it was rowdy and fun. There was also a contingent from District 5260 in the Valley.
The keynote Speaker was R.I. President Ray Klinginsmith, from the Kirksville, Missouri Rotary Club. President Klinginsmith joined Rotary in 1961. He served as Club President, District Governor, chair of the 1998 Council on Legislation in New Delhi. and chair of the 2008 Los Angeles Convention Committee. He was a member of the RI Board of Directors from 1985 to 1987, and chaired its executive committee in 1986-87. He became a member of the Rotary Foundation Trustees in 2002, was vice chair in 2005-06, and a member of the Future Vision Committee from 2005-2008. Ray is a Major Donor and a recipient of the Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service award. Professionally he is an attorney, who served as general counsel and professor of business administration for Truman State University for more than 20 years. He has been a director of the Macon-Atlanta State Bank since 1971, and an initial trustee for the Missouri Family Trust. He was the president of Chariton Valley Association for Handicapped Citizens from its inception in 1982 until 2009, and is now president emeritus. Ray is a former member of the executive board for the Great Rivers Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and holds its Silver Beaver Award for adult volunteers. He and his wife, Judie, a former elementary school teacher, belong to the First United Methodist Church in Kirksville, and their two children, Leigh and Kurt, have provided them with three grandchildren. YOE says, sounds to me like a busy and most successful Rotarian.
In introducing President Klinginsmith, DG Doug Baker reminded us that in times like these, we look to our leaders for direction and inspiration, and we want a message. We look for a challenge, and it can come from the cowboy tradition of the Great Plains – if you see something that needs doing, go ahead and do it. You roll up your sleeves, throw your back into it, and go. Fellow Rotarians, please welcome President Ray Kinginsmith – which we did with a standing ovation, followed by rhythmic hand-clapping.
President Ray spoke from an attached mike, striding about, without notes. It’s OK to follow your own path – that’s what Rotarians do best. And YOE has to admit that Ray’s delivery didn’t come across as clearly as he hoped, but here is what I heard. After a speech at a recent International gathering, he received a letter from one of the attendees, saying he didn’t agree with what was said, and thus was resigning from the organization. It was suggested that Ray should apologize, in order to retain the member – but Ray didn’t agree. Those who attend these conferences have their own agenda, and that shouldn’t allow them to control what they hear.
There was a story about a CEO and his reaction to criticism, and I couldn’t get most of it — but it did get a laugh… He asked, rhetorically, how much Rotarians spend on Rotary projects — and the answer, is, about ONE BILLION DOLLARS, each year! That can, and does, make a huge difference to the recipients. We can, and are, making the world a better place, as we know. He told the story of finding, in his travels, a rope bridge, which hung between two large pillars in a valley. This didn’t seem to make any sense, until he found that during the major rainy season, this rope bridge provided the only way for those who needed to cross the valley.
Q&A –Why is Youth Avenue of Service now called New Generations? It was an attempt to, really, create a whole new Avenue, so there would be five in place of the present four. This is still a work in progress. How close are we to raising the 350 million dollars that we need to match the gift from Bill and Melinda Gates? The amount they pledged is actually $355 million, and we need a total of $200 million. We have all of 2011 and 2012 to do this, and we already have almost $160 million now!
It was a worthwhile program and with that good news, probably a good place to sign off.
ROTARY DISTRICT 5280 LEADERSHIP 2010-11
Westwood Village
Mailing address: P.O. Box 24114, Los Angeles, CA 90024-0114
Meets: Thursday, 12 Noon, UCLA Faculty Center
480 Charles Young Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90095
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NEARBY MAKEUP SITES: Monday, Beverly Hills, BH Hotel, 9641 Sunset / Tuesday, Inglewood, Hollywood Park Casino, 3883 W. Century Blvd, Inglewood / Wednesday, Century City, Hyatt Regency Century City, in the Breeze Cafe, Culver City, Raddison Hotel, 6161 W Centinela Ave, CC, or Wilshire, The Ebell, 743 S. Lucerne Blvd, LA / Friday, Santa Monica, Riviera Country Club, 1250 Capri Dr, Pacific Palisades
For information about on-line makeups, www.recswusa.org
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