Club Assembly

First to be thanked, was Patricia Megallon, who with her characteristic modesty, declined the honor of coming to the podium and “taking up our time.”  Nevertheless, President Paul reminded us how effective Patricia has been behind the scenes all year, as Club Secretary, making sure everyone is notified of what is going on, and of special events. 

In addition, Patricia took on the task of making the District Conference honoring, outgoing DG2 Doug Baker, more attractive and more delicious than ever before.  Patricia delivered on the Friday night Governor’s Home Club Hospitality Suite with her by-now famous fabulous mac ‘n cheese casserole.  Plus she decorated the dinner tables for Saturday’s Governor’s Ball, and made $1,100 for the Club by selling the décor afterwards.  Patricia is ingenious as well as talented.

Dahlia McDonald and Anne Ullstrom, as Program co-chairs, thanked their special resources, Diane Davis and DG Doug Baker, for helping get interesting speakers.  President Paul confided that when he was asked to take the presidency of the club, his first thought was, “As the programs go, so goes the presidency.”

Club Service chair Alex Lopez was on vacation, but President Paul showed us the written report he had requested from Alex – a blank sheet of paper.  Paul ad-libbed the list of activities and fund raisers Alex has arranged, from Movie Night in December to the upcoming 10K Winners Night.  Reviewing the Fourth of July fireworks sale, Pres Paul noted that we had good planning and plenty of volunteers, but sales were off.  Location might have had something to do with that, plus fireworks in drought conditions are less popular.

Greg Welch and Willie Medina outlined our Community Service involvement, highlighted by our glorious annual Pancake Breakfast, which benefits the YMCA, and the Fishing Derby, which the Arc clients and Rotarians love equally. The lake at Wilderness Park was stocked with $180 worth of fish, to make it interesting.  Larry McGrew was especially thanked.

Toni Diep netted $250 for the club with the Downey community E-waste project, and thanked Ray Brown for loaning us his premises at Hometown Hardware and Garden.  The Rotary Golf Tournament, our biggest money maker every year, brought in $25,000.

Vocational Services Director Gabriel Orozco described how our High School Art Contest in December had involved several schools, which made the local art teachers happy.  The winner, from Warren, went on to be district winner as well.   Gabriel also announced that he had helped secure several district grants for Downey Rotary projects: $550 each for the Downey YMCA, the Downey Arts Coalition, and the Downey Symphonic Society, for its Music in the Schools Program.  Great going, Gabriel.  What a plus, when funds, to which this Club contributes, get to be spent right here in Downey.

We also made a visit and walking tour of Stay Gallery in downtown Downey, after our Christmas luncheon at The Fireside Grill at Embassy Suites, hosted by Maurice Casaus, and we took in the art exhibit there at the cultural Gallery.

Lorraine Neal also spoke of Community Service.  The high school Interact clubs have raised money to give to the Ronald MacDonald House in Long Beach, and to the District Picnic and the District Conference, where our Club received a Presidential Citation from a proud DG2 Doug.

Downey High Interact is only three years old, but since its being founded, it has raised money for Downey school kids who live in homeless shelters. And members worked at our pancake breakfast.  Our club has given three scholarships, each worth $500, to Downey, Warren and Our Lady of Perpetual Help.  As Pres Paul commented, it is great to see young people, who instead of thinking of “me, me,” are learning and acting out the Rotary motto, “Service above self.”

Both Warren and Downey High interacts and OLPH spoke highly of their “take-overs” of our club meetings, where they raised generous sums of money for cookies and other baked goods.

Ray Brown took this occasion to award special pins from the Foundation to multiple-time Paul Harris member-donors, Bill Kirkwood and John Lacey, who is a Paul Harris member five times over.  Ray received special thanks for his work with the Foundation, and Pres Paul announced that Ray will continue as chair of the Foundation, because “he’s got it right.”

Kevin MacDonald and Raul Lopez as Membership co-chairs, reported we have had a  gain of 11 new members, all of outstanding quality, each year for the past three years, which is when Raul accepted the co-chairmanship.  Kevin saluted Raul on his retirement from the committee as “a great co-chair.”

Our membership retention rate in this club is 60%, so we constantly need to bring in new members. All are asked to help.   Kevin and Raul thanked those who have brought in several new members, notably Barbara Lamberth.  Rich Strayer deserved special mention, for bringing in the most new members of any person over the past twenty years.  Dr. Bill Kirkwood was singled out by Raul and thanked for bringing Johnny Croshaw back to the club.

Raul exhorted each member to make it a personal goal this coming year, to bring at least one new person to lunch.  Not necessarily into membership, just invite someone to lunch.  The club spirit should do the rest.

Dan Fox was praised for the Hubbub, which communicates directly with the club members and contributing to morale.  As its Editor, he brought this reporter up to share the podium.  “Lorine writes the Hubbub,” Dan said.  “I’m just the frosting on the cake.”  This reporter replied that if that makes her the cake, she enjoys it, and as a member she is grateful for the opportunity to make this her contribution to the club.  Dan asked how many actually read the Hubbub, and saw a gratifying show of hands.

Some of our members are aurally challenged, that is, don’t hear as well as they used to.  They are the Bub’s most faithful readers, and several of them, have commented over the year how much they look forward to getting the Bub and reading what actually happened at meetings which they attended.  We also send the Bub to absent members, such as Wayne Wilcox while he was in Guatemala.  Several members who have moved on have also asked to be on the email list, so they can keep in touch with old friends and our activities.

“Next to last, and certainly least,” was the way Treasurer Paul Mathys was introduced.  The profit and loss statement for the past year was circulated, and Brian Saylors rose, “as a fellow CPA,” to thank Paul for his good work.

We are in a good position financially.  The Club is solvent, pays all its bills and has a rainy day fund.  “A lot of clubs don’t have a surplus,” Paul noted, but for over twenty years, this Club has been successful about getting payments for dues.  This statement, Paul noted, does not show the anticipated additional $10,000 from the 10K Winners night to be held June 20.

The assets are less than they were a year ago, but that is because assets includes the accounts receivable, or unpaid dues by delinquent members. Arrangements have been made and members are much more current on the books.

Being Treasurer is “the worst job,” Treas Paul said, but thanked Past president Ray Andazola for stepping in this year and helping with all the behind the scenes paperwork.

Treasurer Paul takes much ribbing during the year, but his contributions in time and guidance are many.  As a token of the club’s appreciation, Treas Paul was asked to sign the children’s book for the Downey’s Library (Our literacy program with the library represents yet another area of Rotary working closely with the Downey community).

President-elect Larry Garces, who has “no specific job” was thanked nevertheless.

For the final report President Paul likened his own job to that he holds in his firm as attorney.  He gets to meet with the clients face to face, and gets the rewards and recognition.  But as President, he knows he owes his success to his “team:” his Board of Directors, whose reports we all have just heard.