Weekly eBulletin -- October 9, 2013

(l to R) New Rotarian Nicholas Sandoval, sponsor Michael Jackson, and PDG Eli Gauna.	Following club tradition all members greeted Nick. Here Chantel King says "welcome."

We inducted a new member into our club today.  He is Nicholas Sandoval, sponsored by Rotarian Michael Jackson.  Conducting the induction ceremony was one of the club’s five past district governors.  He delivered one of the most inspirational induction messages any of us had ever heard.  Here is the opening line: “Five score and 13 years ago our Four Founders brought forth a new concept of service, founded on fellowship and dedicated to the proposition that all vocations have value, and that every individual is entitled to a measure of dignity,” said Eli Gauna.  Sound familiar? It should.  The Rotaryburg Address is based on the Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln, 150 years ago this November 19, 1863.  This version, however, was penned about 10 years ago by Gauna, past district governor of District 5260, now merged into District 5280. Click HERE if you want to read the rest of this inspirational induction.

Announcements:  Vocational Service Month October.  A table is set near the entryway for members to display their company brochures and descriptive literature. “October is sharing your business,” said Karen.

District Picnic – President Karen said, “We had lots of fun.  Thanks to all that attended. Scott Fellows was our chili chef, and Bill and Colette Paul set up the club canopy and brought and dished out ice cream sundaes.  Thanks also to everyone who participated in building our boat, the Redondo Beach Cougars.  In addition, thanks to Laura Fields, my rowing partner. “Our goals were to finish the race, not get wet, and look good.  We did that!” Oh, and lest we forget, Chuck Anderson served as commodore, James Jackman, Galina Gilman, Rick Mendoza, and Ted Wendorf helped dish ice cream, and four Rotaractors were recruited to help set up the club canopy.

Karen and Laura Fields reminded us that the Vision to Learn project is scheduled at Washington Elementary tomorrow (i.e. Thursday morning).  Washington Elementary is a Title 1 school, meaning 40% of students come from families with incomes below the poverty line.  Click HERE for a report of this project.

La Paz Trip: Rotarians will leave LAX Thursday, Oct. 31, 10:00 a.m. and return Sunday, Nov. 3, 5:17 p.m.  See Terry Bichlmeier for more details

The club’s evening meeting on Wednesday, November 6th, will feature Mike Grady who manages a country band here in the South Bay. We will not hold a luncheon meeting that day; instead, the evening meeting will start at 6:30 p.m.

$6,724 has been donated to the John Parsons Scholarship Fund.  Make checks payable to the Redondo Beach Rotary Club.

The UCLA-USC Tailgate Luncheon will be a joint meeting with the four Torrance Rotary Clubs, Tuesday November 26th at 12 noon. Location: the Doubletree Inn on Hawthorne Blvd.  Cost is $30 per person.  The club is responsible for 60 tickets.  Two $500 sponsorships are still available. Speakers at the event will include J.K. McKay for USC and Kevin Jordan for UCLA.  Our own Steve Aspel will serve as the auctioneer.  See Bill Gard for tickets and Scott Fellows for updates about the event. Scott said the football pool still has 40 squares available at $10 a pop.

Gayle Albin-Bailey presided during an update of the club by-laws and standing rules.  Click HERE to see the updates.

The luncheon Speaker today was Pulitzer Prize nominee Craig MacDonald.  He told the little known story of Jessie Benton Fremont who, more than any other person did, is responsible for Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias being saved for posterity.
 

“She was a beautiful woman, a great writer, and very persuasive,” said MacDonald. “Her father was a U.S. Senator from Missouri so she was around politics her whole life.  Her husband, John C. Fremont, was the first Republican candidate for U.S. President in 1856.  After he lost, he bought property and built a home overlooking San Francisco Bay at what is now known as the Presidio.  Jessie saw Yosemite Valley for the first time in 1858, and was appalled to see people saw down the redwood trees to build houses.”

MacDonald added that in ensuring years, Jessie invited prominent Americans such as Horace Greely, Brett Hart and Herman Melville to a home she established in Bear Valley near Yosemite. She then took her guests on tours of Yosemite Valley. A few years later, before famed naturalist John Muir even heard of Yosemite, she organized a group of influential Californians to persuade the federal government to grant the valley to the state as the nation’s first public preserve.  President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant on June 30, 1864, during the Civil War.  Twenty-six years later Congress passed legislation creating Yosemite and Mariposa Grove National Park.

Craig MacDonald and his son, Chris, have been working with Congress and others to get Jessie proper recognition. There is a bill in the House to name a mountain peak near Tuolumne Meadows, to be named Mt. Jessie Freemont, after her. If she and her friends had not done what they did, there may not have been a Yosemite National Park today. They helped the federal government save the first scenic lands for future generations.

Karen rang the bell ending the meeting at 1:25.