Today was President Mel Sanchez’s birthday, as announced John Lacey, who also let slip that Mel is a nickname for the beautiful name Amelia. We all sang The Happy Birthday song to Mel.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: SAVE THE DATE President Mel announced that Thursday, August 18th would be a Club Fun-raiser, a Paint Night for members and family. Details to be announced.

RAFFLE continues to be in two stages. First, hold the winning ticket number, and then, draw a card from the deck. Mel shuffled the cards professionally, and Rich Strayer won $5, but Raul Lopez, nothing. Raul introduced us to these variations on the plain old raffle concept years ago, when he was club president, 1994-95. No one was sure what he was saying, in those days, and that made it even more mysterious.

FINE MASTER Ronnie Fernandez asked questions about Baseball All-Star Games, mainly about Dodgers and Angels who set records. Dan and Debbie Fox scored right answers, as expected. Where was Judge Phil Mautino, who has season tickets to the Angels’ games?

OUR SPEAKER Patrick Erlander told us about Father.Con, an organization he founded that is dedicated to stopping human trafficking, especially of young girls and boys.

Father.Con defines itself as “a place of conversation about the real stuff that matters. Father-Con is a conference to celebrate and get fired-up for the end of such threats to our children as human trafficking, and to access the support and resources needed.”

Fathers matter a great deal in the family dynamic, and Father.Con raises awareness of the exploitation of children. It’s big business for criminals, thanks to access to impressionable children’s minds through porn websites on iPhones.

“Sexting” is illegal but still children are getting exposed on their cell phones and hooked at an average of 12 years old. And teenagers are now the pimps who traffic the younger minors.

Some fathers and fathers-to-be may have had the perception of being unnecessary. But Father.Con aims to show the need for them to feel entitled, to take responsibility, “to feel deserving of that role,” and to show their children that they are deserving of their love. Fathers need to be present and to be a protective and positive role model.

Rotary International and particularly our District 5280 has taken a strong proactive stance on this crime, led by PDG Cozette Vergari. You will remember we all wore something blue, the color for the cause, to our January 6 meeting, to signify awareness of Rotary’s Human Trafficking Month in Los Angeles.

There is also now a special interest club in the district, ROTARIANS FIGHTING HUMAN TRAFFICKING, chartered by DG Bette Hall in 2020.

Several Father.Con conferences have taken place in Downey, the most recent in April this year at Warren High School. The next local Father.Con rally and workshops will be in February 2023, and Father Gregory Boyle will be the main speaker. For more information, visit www.father-con.org, or email info@fathercon.org.

Mel concluded the meeting by asking Jorge Montero to read the 4 WAY Test, and asked everyone to stand and say it with him. Rich Strayer had distributed a card with the Test to every person present. Mel is determined that by the end of her presidency, everyone will know it by heart.