Our Club meeting on Friday, August 15, 2014, began quietly. However, with the large number of Rotarians present, and with numerous visitors joining us, the assembled group was able to persevere through the numerous announcements and focus on the amazing advances in medical technology presented by our guest speaker!
President Jim Hartman called the meeting to order, apologizing for the slightly late start. Tim Foley’s invocation was followed by Kjell Hellberg’s heartfelt patriotic testimony regarding the freedoms in America. Forgoing his native Swedish tongue, Kjell thankfully chose English to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance to our American flag. Woody Woodruff, a former member of the armed forces, fittingly led us in our patriotic song.
The podium then belonged to Mel Schrier who introduced our guests. John Polen, Club member, President and CEO of Premier Business Bank, introduced his guests, Debbie Richardson, Senior VP of Corporate Development at Premier, and Arleigh “Gene” Dotson, retired aerospace executive and member of the Board of Directors of Premier. Our speaker, David Meyer, PhD, from LABioMed and Paula Moore, Director of Development at LABioMed, were also introduced.
President Jim reported that long-time Club member Bob Gulcher had suffered a heart incident, but was now at home recovering well. However, he emphasized that it is necessary for Bob to take his time to fully recover and not rush to resume his full schedule. Our prayers are with Bob at this time.
Joan Behrens, Club Vocational Service Chair, read a heartfelt thank you note from one of our 2014 Rotary Scholarship winners, Rachel Martinez, who thanked our Club members and other donors for their contributions to Educator of the Year, which funds the scholarships: “My family definitely could use the help, and I am forever grateful for your support…You all make such a world of difference; you have already changed mine.”
Jim Hartman then shared with the Club pertinent information about the upcoming District 5280 Humanitarian Trip - Guatemala, February 5-9, 2015. Rotary service projects on this trip will benefit Guatemalans living outside the country’s major cities who are deemed among the poorest in our hemisphere. President Jim emphasized that signing up immediately on the District 5280 website is essential to secure your space on this humanitarian trip. The cost is $1,600 including airfare.
Over Pres. Jim’s protestations, Inga Liden was able to insert a few words about our international programs, but the podium soon belonged to our more forceful Keith Diesenroth who thanked the members for their donations (totaling $125) for his new granddaughter’s college fund. Keith read a beautiful thank you note form little Ayla Mae Chapin and her parents, and then passed around the photo card.
John Polen’s guest, Gene Dotson, invited the assembled group to “110 Stories,” a play that he is producing based on the events of 9/11. The play will be given once on September 11, 2014, in Torrance’s James Armstrong Theater beginning at 7:00 pm. Purchase tickets online at wwsw.itsmyseat.com or call (310) 781-7171. Proceeds from this play will benefit two charities; one of these is Operation Gratitude, which sends care packages to US troops abroad.
Julia Parton thanked Club members for volunteering to work at the upcoming Concours D’Elegance at Trump National Golf Club on Sunday, September 14, 2014.Julia has the white Concours polo shirts available – this shirt is part of the uniform required for all volunteers at the event. Immediate Past President Suzy Zimmerman thanked Club members for their donations of food for the Food For Kids program. Contributions by check or cash are also accepted for this worthwhile endeavor.
Paul Rubincam reminded us about the raffle tickets for the Rotary Foundation Celebration at LA’s Biltmore Hotel on Saturday, November 8, 2014. Paul distributed a pack of these tickets to each of us last week. All ticket stubs, monies, and every unsold ticket must be returned to Paul no later that this Wednesday at our Club’s “Wednesday Night Live” gathering.
President Jim next called Bruce Attig to the podium to receive his second level Paul Harris recognition. Mr. Moon had the honor of presenting Bruce with his pin acknowledging his generosity in donating to the international Rotary Foundation.
Jim Hartman called the raffle numbers and prizes were claimed by Donna Duperon and Shawn Nejad. In addition, Jonathan Udewitz won tickets to the “110 Stories” production previously mentioned.
Inga Liden was able to reclaim the microphone and announce that our September 5th meeting will be an offsite at the Palos Verdes Performing Arts Conservatory, which is located across the street and slightly to the east of the Norris Theatre. The meeting will begin as usual at 12:15 pm, and lunch will be served. Club member and vocalist Megan Lyne, Director of Education at the Norris Center for the Performing Arts will present her craft talk within the facility that she directs.
John Stillo introduced the day’s guest speaker, John’s highly accomplished friend, David J. Meyer, PhD, President and CEO of LABioMed. This non-profit research institute is located adjacent to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. After sharing several of the institute’s pioneering projects, including coining the word “paramedic” and developing the concept of training firemen to deliver emergency medical care, Dr. Meyer updated us on the latest medical research.
He began with the story of Elizabeth Holmes who dropped out of Stanford University at the age of 19 and founded Theranos. Eleven years later, individuals can visit Walgreen’s in Palos Alto, and by giving just one drop of blood, receive all the blood analysis that used to require numerous vials of the liquid withdrawn from a patient. The upside growth of this technology is huge.
Dr. Meyer also discussed Cell Sheet Engineering. A swab from the inside of a patient’s mouth is placed in a petri-type dish with a sticky substance on the bottom. After a certain period of time, the cells adhere to this sticky substance, and a sheet of this material can then be placed on a person’s eye that needs a cornea transplant. This method of treatment is currently being conducted successfully in Japan. There are no problems with rejection, since the cells are the patient’s own. Cell growth and therefore healing begin almost immediately, and costs are greatly reduced. The same method is also under study for heart attack survivors; the sheet is placed on the outside of the heart where muscles have been damaged in the attack, and healing begins.
The subject of epigenetics was also explored by Dr. Meyer. Using the example of famine during a woman’s pregnancy, where the fetus is not sufficiently nurtured, the brain connections in the fetus change. When the child is born, he lacks nervous system connections that transmit a feeling of satiation after eating to the brian, thus causing obesity. These are genetic changes and consequently appear in subsequent generations. Finding such as these highlight the crucial need for proper nutrition during pregnancy.
After answering several questions from the audience, President Jim presented Dr. Meyer with a certificate outlining International Rotary’s Polio Plus efforts and the polio vaccines of Club will donate in Dr. Meyer’s honor.
Jim Hartman concluded the meeting with a mallet tap on our Rotary gong!
Respectfully submitted,
Joan E. Behrens
