I would hope that the rest of you occasionally have a bad day - misery loves company - but when things start to turn left, sometimes they don't stop. I mention this possibility because my tale of woe will perhaps be better appreciated thereby. Anyway, I volunteered to be a substitute driver for Meals on Wheels today - and ended up being 45 minutes late to our meeting. Thus I missed all the prelims, and all I actually heard was the craft talk business. Here is my mostly second-hand report:

THURSDAY, 5 APRIL 2001 -
The Pledge was led by KEVIN KOMATSU. LENNY FRIEDMAN was the song leader, with piano accompaniment by JACK HARRIS and JIM DOWNIE. My sources indicate that it was a perfect performance - and I didn't even get to WITNESS it! MAX LICHTENBERG provided the Invocation, as advertised in advance. (That means it was so listed on my cheat sheet)

We had one visiting Rotarian, who is coming into the Palos Verdes Club - Steve Torres, who is also incoming Administrator of the District 5280 Office. Shirley MORE was there with PETER, and NORA AQUINO had a guest, Miss Lee. Next were two lovely Proclamations from Governor Davis and Mayor Riordan. These Proclamations, honoring founding PLLUS members HENRY TSENG, WALLY FISCHMANN, and GEORGE DEA were accepted by SHARIN KLISSER, West Coast Director for the American Parkinson Disease Association. They were presented by Rocky Delgadillo on behalf of the Governor and Mayor.

Click each picture to see a bigger copy. To return click the back button.

BITS AND PIECES (SOMETIMES CALLED ODDS AND ENDS)
The Rotary Board Meeting is this coming Tuesday (Election Day evening) at 6:30, and the site is Fire Station #37, just north of Wilshire on Veteran Avenue. In addition to Board Members, I'm inviting anyone who was involved with our support campaign for the Fire Station - you will be pleased to see what they have done with the $40K plus we have raised in their behalf. Do let me know if you are coming, please, since they need a dinner count - and make it promptly at 6:30, please.

PP DOUG DESCH announces a temporary bargain on meal charges! You are probably aware that the new lunch cost is $26.00, but DOUG mistakenly listed it as $25 for the April bills. So the July bill will be for $27, dropping back to $26.00 in October and thenceforth. You can't beat the cost, which hasn't gone up for several years.

GROUP STUDY EXCHANGE plans are underway, with the Welcome Party now set for the lovely home of Sally Brant on Sunday the 22nd of this month. Save the date!

ROTARY AUXILIARY meeting on Wednesday, the 11th at the Huntington. Some space available, call Petie Henkes, please.

DISTRICT CONFERENCE will be the 26th in Newport - DOUG DESCH has applications. The $129 rate has been extended to April 9.

CAN YOU HELP?
You are probably aware the Dorothy Fergus had an operation four weeks ago. She is getting better, but slowly. During the week, she has Meals on Wheels, but if you could provide something for the weekends, it would be much appreciated. Her number is (310) 823-6398, in the Marina.

And now, THE CRAFT TALK -

ATHENA JACKSON came aboard last November, and is the first of our recent Yearlings to tell us about herself. There were some problems with her presentation - some of her 35-mm slides were backwards in the projector, for instance - and that led to her overtime. Prexy STEVE decided to let her continue after her time expired, so BERT KREISBERG will make his presentation at some later date. However, this 'interesting and different' craft talk didn't tell us much about ATHENA as a person. What we did learn came mostly from Q&A, and that is an unusual element for a craft talk, I believe. We did get out early, and that is usually a popular way to end a meeting.

Summary - we need to provide better instructions to these new members, since they haven't heard previous craft talks. DON NELSON has some written guidelines, and they are probably worth consulting in advance.

Thought for the Day - "Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy" by Howard W. Newton - and maybe YOE should take some of his own advice…

YOE, Ernie Wolfe