Los Altos Rotary Club

PRESIDENT-ELECT SAM introduced RICH FISCHER by “not having enough time to insult him.” Rich told us about Freestyle High, a new Academy of Communication Arts and Technology, opening in the Fall of 2006. Freestyle High is the result of an epiphany Rich had regarding the use of the old Alta Vista High School buildings. By virtue of his powers of persuasion and communication, the result is a Multi-media High School focused on project-based learning.

For those of you who have read this far and would like more information about Freestyle High, please see their website: http://acaat.info/

And a fine day it was!

Today’s fine finemaster, SANDY BOZICH, managed to extract cash from members in the usual manner. However, when MATT CABOT had the opportunity, he chose to dig himself into quite a nice hole. So much so, that BELLA BERLLY saw fit to nominate him for the BRIAN WARD Award. I assume that award is for possessing the gift of blarney.

PRESIDENT MARLENE then recognized the new Explorers: FIROOZ GHAFFARI, MONA ARMISTEAD, PAT FARRELL, KAREN FOX, KELLY HUDSON, ROY JONES, SETH MANNING, MARLIS MCALLISTER, JOANNE MEDIN, CRES MCFALL, DAN O’DONNELL, JOE RENATI, PHIL ROSE, GARY ROSS, NANCY SIMON and DAVID SMITH.

Membership Guru LARRY CHU inducted new Red Badgers LOU FAZO and SCOTT RICHES into our club. Lou is the Sales Director for Marriott’s Residence Inn and Scott is the President of Pinewood School. They were welcomed with our club’s traditional standing ovation.

Keep your hand raised if you’re still a Hundred Percenter in the March Lunch Bunch and in the running for the prizes to be drawn on April 6th.

PRESIDENT MARLENE announced that PAUL NYBERG was undergoing triple bypass heart surgery at El Camino Hospital while we were meeting. A card expressing our support and best wishes was circulating. I hope Paul checked with Marlis to make sure this was an excusable absence.

FIROOZ GHAFFARI thanks everyone who’s offered to drive him to his medical appointments. Thank you. Thank you.

World Water Day is Wednesday, March 22, as designated by the UN General Assembly in 1992. Jeanne MacLaren, the Water, Health & Hunger Coordinator for District 5170 reminds us that 20% of the world’s population lacks access to clean, safe drinking water, leading to poverty, disease and social instability. By attending Interact Club’s Multi-Cultural Night for $20 benefiting Pump Aid at Los Altos High on March 31st (7 pm), you can help. That’s Friday, March 31st.

Save Saturday and Sunday, April 22 & 23, for our Club’s Hands-On Project. We’ll be painting the Bus Barn Theatre, and Larry Chu has promised Chef Chu’s delicious Chinese Chicken Salad for the painters that weekend. A sign up sheet will circulate next week, so talk it over with your spouse & friends. It should be a fun event.

SANDIE WHIPPLE is still looking for adult volunteers to help with the Challenge Learning Center at Alta Vista High School on April 6th. See Sandie soon.

GIGI CARTER and KIM COPHER reminded us about the Red Badge Auction coming up next meeting. Donations are still welcome, but most importantly, bring your checkbook.

Contact PRESIDENT-ELECT SAM PESNER by email for details about enjoying a free dinner at the upcoming District Assembly.

KATIE NUTTER announced April 8th is the day for the De Young Museum visit and all participants need to get their money to her ASAP.

JOAN ROSSELLE, standing in for JEAN HOLLANDS, announced the date change for the annual Chef Chu’s Banquet from April 12th to April 11th; be sure to mark your calendars, Palm Pilots, PDAs, etc.

JOAN ROSSELLE, as herself this time, pointed out the invitations to the RotaCare 10th Anniversary Celebration at Trader Vic’s on April 6, 2006 beginning at 5:30 PM. April 6th, as you will see, is a busy day for Rotarians.

PAST-PRESIDENT CINDY LUEDTKE reminded us that every other year, the Los Altos Community Foundation has our club honor one of our members who demonstrates the true spirit of Rotary and Community Building. This year’s Gardiner Award winner is DICK DUHRING who will be so honored at the LACF dinner to be held on April 6th at the Cabana Hotel in Palo Alto. Make your reservations with Joanne Byrne at the Community Foundation by March 30th.

VAL CARPENTER is still lining up workers for the Art Show. If you’ve done it before, you can do it again; only better, this time. See VAL to sign up and do your part.

KENDRA GJERSETH and SANDY BOZICH are promoting participation in this year’s Relay for Life. We were given a short but sweet math lesson on how LARC can reach $10,000 for this very worthwhile cause. See Sandy or Kendra to participate as a member of the “Rotary Ramblers.”

MARLIS MCALLISTER gave an in-depth explanation as to why attendance at our weekly meetings is so very important to our overall standing as a club. Seems like you can get credit for a make-up by participating in anything that isn’t illegal, immoral or fattening; just let JOHN CARDOZA know what it was you did.

Red Badge Alert! Some of our most active Club members are new Red Badgers, and what an energetic group they have proved themselves to be, based on their Hurricane Relief Auction scheduled for 23 March. Organizing such an event takes Herculean effort: first, they had to find stable contacts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, then locate affected groups with defined needs. And next, they had to motivate new LARC members to approach longtime club members and companies for donations, plus put together a new collection system using credit cards, and the series of challenges goes on and on. So next Thursday, when we come to share fellowship and hopefully maintain Hundred Percent Attendance in March, let’s all contribute our part to the success of their project. Invite a friend to join you for lunch, bid often, and see the results of the Red Badgers’ hard work.

After the bell and the Pledge, Irish songster SETH MANNING led the choir in a fine rendition of “I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover.”

The Thought for the Day was delivered by PAT MILLAR. Pat shared the eight points that Thomas Jefferson, that well-known Irishman, lived by and might be a good model for the rest of us:

Be just; justice comes from virtue which comes from the heart.
Treat people the way we want them to treat us.
Always work for peaceful resolutions, even to recurring violence, with compassion.
Consider valuable the things of no material value.
Do not judge others.
Do not bear grudges.
Be modest and unpretentious.
Give out of your generosity, not because you expect to be repaid.
PRESIDENT-ELECT, SAM PESNER, introduced visiting Rotarians, Judy Hanneman from Mountain View, and George Fitzgerald from Palo Alto, and then called upon our members to introduce their guests.

Then, to the surprise of us all, PRESIDENT MARLENE announced that instead of “Fellowship Time” we would be treated to some traditional Irish Step Dancing by Miss Ariel Ross, daughter of our own GARY ROSS, with the music handled by proud Mom, Tracy Ross. The young Miss Ross, currently a student at Blach Jr. High, presented two dances that generated the greatest applause, by far, for anything that day (and even a few whistles). I’m sure you sharp-eyed aficionados in the audience noticed the dress worn by Miss Ross to be the custom work of Gavin Doherty of Dublin, Ireland, the world famous dress designer for National Champion Irish Step Dancers. Oh, did I mention that Miss Ariel Ross IS the National Champion Irish Step Dancer. We were quite honored to have this future MVHS student perform for us on this fine day.