IT HAPPENED THIS WEEK 7/7/10

By Don Trepany

Out with the old and in with the new!! Our new president, Linda Black, got the new year going with the bang of her gavel (yes, she actually has the gavel... for now). She called upon Joe Davidson to give an invocation and Bruce Jagger to lead us in The Pledge. Phil Tangalakis led us in singing "God Bless America". By the way, I love the power point presentation during the meeting.

After a short break, Cy Pierce was called upon to introduce our visiting Rotarians. Our former members, who needed no introduction, Roger and Judith Wilson, were visiting today as was Valerie Wang from the Rotaract Club of West LA. There were many guests in attendance today: Virginia Tangalakis, Buffy Cavaness, John Black, Sandy Knowles and Rafie Machado. Janet Chabola led us in the welcome song.

Next up were the announcements: Bobby Matsuyama's wife Joyce is having some health issues so please keep both of them in your thoughts and prayers. Joel Forman came up to honor those who were celebrating birthdays and anniversaries in July. Those birthday people were Linda Black, Joel Forman, Ron Foster and the twins Dannie Cavanaugh and Bill Cavaness (Joel said that they were hollow and Dannie said that he has a hollow head). Those celebrating anniversaries were Red and Kit Betts and Joel and Linda Forman.

Next up was an announcement that the District Breakfast will be held on Tuesday, July 13 and our Club Assembly will take place on Sunday, July 25 at Larry and Sandy Knowles' house.

Craig Ferre was up next and he informed us that our two students will be going to Japan soon. He also mentioned that his daughter is getting married this Sunday!!! Congratulations Craig and Laura!!

Bill Gardner, the has-been that he is, came up and gave President Linda three lapel pins. And lastly, Linda passed out the calendars for the year so we can see what is coming up.

What was coming up next was Fine Time and Linda does it a little differently. She has her "victims" (us) pick the amount that we get fined from these pieces of paper. The only catch is..you cannot see the amount on the paper until its too late. Poor Dannie Cavanaugh was the first victim. It seems his volleyball team did really well in a tournament and he picked his fine....$100!! It's gonna be a long year folks. I miss the wimp we had last year...Can't remember his name....Hmmm. Oh well, it doesn't matter. Next victim (and he

volunteered) was Cartwright Sheppard. His son was in also in a volleyball tournament, only these guys were not in wheelchairs like Dannie, and his team did well also but Cartwright picked the $40 fine. Bill Gardner (didn't he do something for the club last year?...can't remember) got fined for giving Linda those pins today instead of at the Demotion Party and he chose the $50 fine which he tried, unsuccessfully, to make it look like a $5 fine. Lastly Phil Tangalakis was fined for planning at trip to Greece during the riot season (Phil said it was cheaper that way) and he got lucky choosing the $25 fine.

Valerie Wang came up to the podium and presented a check to our club for $1000. Thanks, Valerie! She also reminded us about the Relay for Life fundraiser.

Our program was next on the agenda and it was Sharon Dumas who is the president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). She gave a passionate talk on mental illness and informed us that NAMI is having a fundraiser on October 25 in Santa Monica.

Cartwright Sheppard closed the meeting with some humor.

Next week's speaker is Mike Kane from Plug in America, an advocacy group promoting electric cars, clean air, and energy independence.

Have a good week Rotarians.