Thursday September 22, 2011 was an exciting and funny meeting for the Friendly Westwood Village Rotary Club. President Ed opened up the meeting with a joke. For the first time this year, everyone laughed.
The talented and vivacious club Secretary Alyssa Shoji led us in the Pledge, and our eloquent and reserved President Elect, Dwight Heikkila gave an inspirational Invocation urging us to have fun as we work at improving our community. Next, Maestro Lenny Friedman showed us why it makes sense for a hopeless romantic to work with jewelry, as he led us in “Let Me call You Sweetheart.”
Mark Rogo brought Laura Winikow, who will replace him as President of the Friends of the Westwood Library Foundation. They also brought a project that we can develop to serve the children of our community. Bravo Mark and Laura! We await the fun and service that your great idea will provide our New Generation.
The headtable was filled with 3rd quarter program chair Jack Paul, Dwight Heikkila, and Vocational Chair Steve Pettise. Rounding out the table was Alyssa Shoji and our Craft talk Speaker Krista Stilley.
PP and Foundation Chair Steve Day started our announcements with information regarding the Paul Harris Celebration on November 6th. He was also fined $100 for not sharing the news that he is now on the board of the Los Angeles Salvation Army.
Westwood Village Rotary Club will be sponsoring the dunk tank at the District 5280 Family Picnic Sunday October 2nd. Come help the district raise money as we try to dunk Governor Brad, maybe PP and present AG Gordon Fell and President Ed? Dwight Heikkila reported on all of the activities planned for our October 7-9th club visit to the San Francisco Chinatown Rotary Club.
President Ed Jackson announced that the board chose Dwight Heikkila to fill the position of President Elect, and filling his old position, as Vice President/Club Service Chair will be Terry M. White. Applause filled the room. PP and executive secretary Ernie Wolfe is back at St. Johns Hospital. We really miss you Ernie! Get well SOON!
Next person at the podium was Steve Pettise reporting on his Vocational meeting held at Peggy Bloomfield’s house. It was a great meeting that prez Ed missed because of a visit that afternoon to Kevin Komatsu for dental surgery that kept him quiet and still for the rest of the evening. Nina appreciated the results.
Thank you Peggy for hosting the meeting, thank you Steve for planning great events as you provide strong leadership, and thank the members of your committee for supporting our projects this year!!!
Our first new member of the year, Executive Director of the Westwood Village Salvation Army Transitional Center Krista Stilley, stepped to the podium She was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, the youngest with two brothers. Her father called her “Pumpkin,” a nickname that stuck and helped developed her love for the fall and the color orange. Soccer and the Church of Christ were an important part of her childhood. Soccer took her up the east coast, to Texas and even to England. Her passions became drama and music as she grew older. She attended Marietta College in Ohio, where theater led her to internship before graduating in 2001 with a degree in Theater, a minor in History and a certificate in Leadership. In 2002, she and her dad drove west, seeing the Grand Canyon and many other beautiful places along the way. Once in Los Angeles, she worked part time at the Hollywood Salvation Army and went out on acting auditions. She was offered a full time position with the Army, which led to her joining us in Westwood. We are blessed to have Krista on our team.
