Download - The Generators February 2011
FEBRUARY 2011
01 Santa Monica chartered in 1922
05 Chinese New Year Parade
08 Culver City chartered in 1930
11 Westchester Comedy/Magic Night
12 Interact End Polio Bowling Night
17 South Bay Sunrise-Torrance
chartered in 1987
18 Dominican Republic service projects
begin
22 GSE Team leaves for one-month visit
to Bangladesh
23 Chicago Club #1 chartered in 1905
World Peace and Understanding Day
24 Westchester chartered in 1950
25 President-Elects Training Seminars
weekend
26 Del Amo-Torrance chartered in 1968
27 Malibu chartered in 1971
28 District Recognition Books deadline is
only 15 days away
February is World Understanding Month
Who Does What? Flyers, maps, details and e-mail addresses
are all on the district website. www.Rotary5280.org
• Governor Visits: Val Velasco and the
Assistant Governor assigned to your club
• Group Study Exchange: Earle Vaughan
• RYLA: Elyse Beardsley and Joe Harding
• New Generations: Jaimee Sul and Olivia Patterson
• Speech Contest: Jim Boltinghouse
• Art Contest: Diane Davis
• ShelterBox: Jim Dyer
• District Conference: John Colville
• End Polio Now: Shirley Giltzow
Debbie Roth, age 4, wants to use a new playground slide donated by the Rotary Club of Panorama City, but she has to wait for
club president Dr. Howard L. Mark and member George Hjelte to tumble towards the bottom. Photograph by Glickman, Los Angeles
Examiner, USC Digital Archives. February 6, 1958.
Cover Photo: Gloria Dresser, who has cerebral palsy, is greeted
by Westchester Rotarian Kim Williamson as she arrives at her
surprise home makeover. Photo by Sean Hiller, Daily Breeze.
This is your District Newsletter so don’t hesi-
tate to send club announcements and other
interesting items you want to share. Marc
Leeka, Editor. [email protected]
Two-fisted Intern Wanted
We have already received a significant num-
ber of applications but, being very selective
for this highly visible and extraordinarily in-
fluential district newsletter assistant editorial
position, we can’t take chances on just let-
ting anyone into this prestigious position.
Contact Marc Leeka for interview.
T rue story.
It happened a few years ago at one
of our local clubs. Two men sat by
themselves in the back of the room oblivious
to their surroundings, seemingly in a world
onto themselves. While the course of the
regular meeting came and went before them
they sat and talked. Later we learned the
subject matter.
Both were new to the Club, in fact, both were
somewhat new to the country. One was from
India, the other Pakistan. The topic of conver-
sation between the two was about the threat
of war. Both countries at that moment had
weapons pointed at the other, a breakout of
violence seemed imminent. And yet the con-
versation was not that of combatants poised
to do battle. It was instead one of friendship
and sincerity, each wanting to know about
the safety of the other’s families. They shook
their heads in wonderment knowing that
world peace can happen but only by getting
to know one another. And doing as only as
they did; one person to another.
No region, country or ideology has a monop-
oly on the chance of violence. But in almost
all cases of unrest, the genesis of it comes
from the same sources: illiteracy, poverty and
hunger. We put a dent into the source; we
may also reduce the chance of the eventual
outcome. If we reach out with a welcoming
hand, we create friendships and understand-
ing.
About 100 of us will leave in a few days to
the Dominican Republic. As with any Interna-
tional Service trip, we are their guest, invited
into their country and homes to help in areas
they requested our assistance. As is the case
with every International effort of every club,
we’ll do our best in being ambassadors for
Rotary, for our Country and our District as we
“Bridge Continents” placing one more build-
ing block in world understanding.
W e also begin our efforts in
publicizing our District Con-
ference. It’s going to be a bit
different! Each and every presentation will
feature not someone who has done some-
thing in the name of Rotary, but the benefici-
ary of that action! One after another, you will
feel the heart of Rotary as you learn firsthand
how lives were changed, because of you!
There also will be ample time to enjoy the
world class resort, perform a community
service project, lounge by the pool, play golf,
attend our now famous Friday night hospital-
ity gathering and above all have one heck of
a good time. Oh, and did I mention we’ll have
9-time Grammy award winning Asleep at the
Wheel in concert Saturday night? All of this
and no increase in price whatsoever from last
year.
Doug
Governor Doug’s Message
Latinos Unidos President Brenda Jaramillo helps a resident paint at the Women's
Care Cottage in North Hollywood. Her club turned out in force to thoroughly refurbish the
facility.
Rotary Cares Day A majority of clubs in District 5280 set Saturday, January 15, as Rotary Cares Day where the club performed a service project. Many districts
synchronize club projects on a single day to build awareness of Rotary’s contributions in local communities. Clubs can use the day as a cata-
lyst to create an impact in their neighborhood that publicizes the club and, perhaps, attract new members and community support.
From Wilmington and San Pedro to Brentwood to downtown Los Angeles, the projects gathered hundreds of members on a perfect, sunny
Saturday. Many clubs collaborated on joint projects to share expenses. Many clubs used a District Simplified Grant to fund the project. With
limited time, Governor Doug toured many projects and proclaimed the day “a great success for Rotary and for Rotarians.”
There is not enough space to show all photos or list all the club projects, but here are four short stories from Rotary Cares Day.
The Torrance Four Rotary Clubs joined together to design, organize and install a garden at Little
Company of Mary Hospice. The clubs used a District Simplified Grant to pay for the project.
Lawndale sponsored a Graffitti Wipeout. Here PDG Jim Hamai helps Rotary Cares Day
Chair Mindy Stogsdill and husband LJ scrub out gang symbols and Lions Club logos.
The Thai Town Club organized Cub Scouts and community volunteers to join them in their
community clean-up. Local businesses greatly appreciated the results and the club introduced
a whole new group to Rotary service.
Announcements | News
District
Speech
Contest Event registration and contestant
information forms for the 2011
District Teen Speech contest must be
received by Speech Contest Chair
Jim Boltinghouse by April 1.
Contestants will choose a problem
confronting their family, school, com-
munity, state, or nation and propose
a solution using the 4-Way Test.
Clubs interview and select candidates
for the district competition.
The District Speech Competition to
choose the top three awards will be
held at 10am on Saturday, April 9, at
Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in
Downey. The first pl125ace winner
will deliver the winning speech and
be presented with a $1000 check at
the District Conference in Indian
Wells on Saturday, May 14.
All forms are on the district website.
Upon the founding of the Chicago Club on February 23, 1905, Rotary International began. In the next one hundred years, Rotary would
grow to become the largest and most important international service organization in the world. To celebrate Rotary’s birthday , clubs and
districts sponsor World Peace and Understanding Day on the annual anniversary of the first club charter.
Announcements | News
Westchester Home Makeover The premise was simple: Send Gloria Dresser, a lifelong Westchester resident who succumbed to
cancer after enduring a lifetime of cerebral palsy, to Hawaii for a week, all expenses paid by the
club. Then sneak into her home, repair a massive 10-year-old hole in the roof that caused extensive
water damage, and turn the place into a showcase. Gloria was unable to repair the house, having left
work to begin radiation treatment.
President Ted Grose hopes this project will inspire other clubs to galvanize their community to
make a difference. “We often forget how fortunate we are, so it is a privilege to help a fellow mem-
ber of our community to be warm, safe and comfortable again. Every time a member of the West-
chester Club drives past her
home we will remember how our
simple gifts live forever.”
The club’s project received ex-
tensive press coverage in The Daily Breeze and televised cover-age on Channel 9. Geoff
Maleman reminds Rotarians,
“It isn’t enough to make change;
we have to tell others how they
can join us so they, too, can
share a Rotary Moment.”
Chinese New YearChinese New YearChinese New Year
P alos Verdes Sunset will host the 13th annual Chi-
nese New Year Celebration on Saturday, February 5,
at the Empress Pavilion Restaurant in Chinatown.
Chair Angi Ma Wong says the morning will begin with a
festive meal and, in the early afternoon, Interactors will walk in
the Golden Dragon Parade.
February 3 ushers in the Chinese New Year, year 4708 in the con-
tinuously numbered Chinese-calendar year. Chinese customs closely
resemble Rotary customs. Here is a list of comparisons.
Chinese Custom Rotary Custom
Give homes a thorough cleaning prior to the celebration Dry clean the dusty Club banner before the next meeting
Buy a new set of clothes Buy a new Rotary t-shirt to replace the threadbare one you
should have tossed out 10 years ago
Get a new haircut PDGs update their toupee or lighten their hair color
Thoroughly clean home altars and statues Dust your statue of Governor Doug and replace the candle
Families plan a reunion dinner Clubs host an Ambassadorial Scholars reunion dinner
The family dinner features a whole fish The Rotary lunch features a piece of salmon, very well done
Red packets are distributed to the immediate family Club treasurer passes out invoices for next quarter
A lion dance troupe ushers in the New Year Local second grade class choir performs at holiday meeting
• There are 2 clubs totaling 135 Rotarians in the People’s Republic of China.
• There are 564 clubs totaling 19,785 Rotarians in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
World Peace and Understanding Day | February 23
A tribute to
CARL P. MILLER
C arl P. Miller was a giant of a man. He owned, managed,
edited, and published more than 20 newspapers. He was the
executive director of the Pacific Coast edition of The Wall Street Journal, the most widely read business newspaper in the U.S. at
that time. He also was president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Com-
merce and chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.
Carl became a member of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles in 1939,
Club President in 1945-46 and District Governor in 1951-52. After
serving as an RI Director and third vice-president, Carl was selected as
President of Rotary International for 1963-64.
His theme was “Meeting Rotary's Challenge in the Space Age” to re-
flect how Rotary would move ahead in its thinking and its programs to
match the challenges of the times. He strongly believed humanitarian
work should be accomplished at a people-to-people level and initiated a
program to encourage Rotary clubs in one part of the world to arrange
for a “matched club” in another. Carl said the program “is designed to
influence understanding and goodwill among peoples of the world, and
thus to help create friendly, just, and peaceful relations among nations.”
The pairing of clubs and districts became an essential component of
Rotary’s World Community Service.
Carl and his wife, Ruth, endowed the Rotary Foundation with $1 million
to create the Carl P. Miller World Community Service Endowment Fund.
[The Discovery Grants were subsequently replaced by Individual
Grants.]
In a November 1990 tribute printed in The Rotarian, Past RI President
Stanley McCaffrey (1981-82) said, “Probably more than any other
president, Carl set the path of Rotary toward world
peace. I am convinced that he led Rotary's work for world under-
standing through the practical mechanism of Matched Clubs and Dis-
tricts.”
World Peace Day | February 23
Carl P. Miller, President Rotary International, 1963-64
I n June 2003, Rotary International had approximately 1.2 members in 31,551 clubs. As of December 31 last year, there were
approximately 1.2 million members in 34,069 clubs. In 7½ years Rotary has added more than 2,500 clubs but membership count
remained almost identical. But smaller clubs is not the shocking statistic. This is the shocker: in this seven-year period, more than 1.1
million new members were inducted into Rotary clubs. What happened?
Many Rotary Clubs are a revolving door or, worse: an old, rusted-out bucket into which new members pour in and then gush out through the
cracks. Attrition dilutes the value of being a Rotarian and seriously damages the club’s public image as it undermines club’s effectiveness.
For years Rotary International has offered a multitude of recruiting and retention themes yet few clubs have reversed the trend. Club presidents
challenge the members with new recruiting techniques and membership contests, yet most clubs end with either the same number or fewer
members than when they began the year.
Although the club is populated with experienced and successful business leaders, most club leaders treat Rotary as a nonprofit service organi-
zation rather than considering it as a business with members as customers. Members join our clubs to receive benefits in exchange for their
precious time and financial support. In the world of business, an unsatisfied customer leaves and takes his or her business elsewhere.
There are costs of being a member of a Rotary club: time, money, energy. A
strong club can provide benefits: networking, fellowship, personal and business
growth. Rotary offers one more unique benefit that other organizations cannot
promise: the opportunity to serve others, both locally and around the world.
N ew members will not join, nor will they stay, unless benefits ex-
ceed costs. A healthy club can help younger recruits discover how
satisfying it is to replace Facebook with real-face time. Young peo-
ple are looking for the same connections as the members who
joined and stayed with a club: they want to build relationships. They want to
learn about Rotary’s commitment to strong ethical values. They want to grow
as they learn.
Clubs that attract and retain new members have a consistent identity, almost
a “brand” identification in their community. They have warm, fun meetings where visitors are always welcome. They organize service projects
that attract a majority of club members to participate. They also recognize when traditions and projects become “tired” and need to be up-
dated or replaced. They keep what is successful and they are not afraid to change what has become unpopular, even when the few hold-outs
complain, “Well, that’s the way we’ve always done it.”
To change the way clubs operate is by no means easy. It starts with a club taking a good hard look at what works and what does not. Rotari-
ans have always been resourceful. To be successful today, every club needs to be honest about its strengths and weaknesses and operate
more like a business. Pleasing customers is second nature to most members. Putting it into practice will stop the revolving door.
Successful Clubs:
Think Business Satisfy Clients
Membership
22% of members worldwide joined a club within the last two years. 41% of Rotarians
have held membership for more than a decade. If a new member stays for at least 2
years, it is likely they will remain a Rotarian for a long time.
Young members want a smile and handshake, not a Tweet
< 1 year9%
1-2 years
13%
3-5 years
17%
6-10 years
20%
> 10 years
41%
Annual 5280 Wheelchair Day
Event will include all clubs Distribution of 55 wheelchairs will take place on Saturday, March 12, at 10am at the
Hacienda Hotel. Wheelchair Project Co-Chairs President Melody St. John (Hollywood)
and President Gaston Haughton (Lomita-Torrance Airport) report that all club presi-
dents have confirmed their club’s participation in the annual service project.
The wheelchairs retail for about $500 each in medical supply stores, but a consolidated pur-
chase order with the American Wheelchair Mission lowered the delivered cost to only $150 a
chair. To more comfortably fit the range of recipient sizes, the sturdy, heavy chairs come in
multiple sizes. The chairs are given to recipients at no charge.
Co-Chair Gaston says that it is not difficult to find a recipient who lives near a club’s meet-
ing place. “Recipients will not know the club has a chair available unless the club makes a
local announcement. That means the club needs to contact local nonprofits, service agencies
and churches to identify people in need. This is a great way for clubs to reach out into their
community to learn more about its needs. Finding wheelchair recipients may lead the club
into discovering other important ways they can serve their community.”
“A club in a less prosperous section of town will quickly find a large group of under-served
people, those who slipped through the cracks and have no medical insurance and who can-
not afford to purchase a nice wheelchair,” said Melody. “I am surprised when a club in a
prosperous part of town reports they cannot find a recipient. Have they called local churches
or service agencies? What about the lower-
income people without insurance who do
lawn work, maintenance, busboys and other
low-wage jobs?”
If your club has not yet found its wheelchair
recipient, Melody and Gaston will help.
Connect to Your
Community
In some communities there is a long waiting
list of people who need wheelchairs. In other
communities it might require the club to
make a few telephone calls because the need
is not as apparent.
Clubs should contact organizations that
provide services to lower-income populations:
• Churches, synagogues and mosques
• Hospitals and convalescent homes
• City, country and state agencies
• Nonprofits, such as Goodwill Industries and
the Salvation Army
Looking for a wheelchair recipient may
connect the club to a previously unrecog-
nized and underserved need within their
community.
Service Projects | Local Community
ShelterBox’s busiest year
ever
5280 Clubs Sponsored Important Relief ShelterBox celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and 2010 was their busiest year to date.
From the January Haiti earthquake to the floods in Colombia in December, ShelterBox was
there. One box provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for 10 people. With more
than 45,000 ShelterBoxes distributed to families, at least a half-million desperate people have
benefited from the Rotary-organized charity.
District 5280 played an important role in supporting the massive disaster relief efforts. Half
the clubs in the district sponsored more than 60 ShelterBoxes in response to the Haiti earth-
quake. Support ranged from individual contributions to clubs sponsoring multiple boxes. As an
example, Thai Town Rotary Club worked with IPTV to conduct a Haiti relief telethon while
Lawndale and Redondo Beach worked with their local schools to raise funds.
In addition to our focus on Haiti, District 5280 sponsorships provided support for more than
20 other relief efforts in 2010. Some of those disasters impacted friends and family of local
Rotarians. ShelterBox responded to an April 7.2-magnitude earthquake near Mexicali where
relatives of Rita Burgueno (Carson-Gardena-Dominguez) live. In December, ShelterBox
teams used boats, canoes, motorcycles and 4-wheel drives to deliver 1,600 ShelterBoxes to
some of the worst affected areas of Colombia where friends and relatives of Alejandro
Castaneda (LA Colombo Americano) live.
Shelterbox is an important and highly visible Rotary response. The only predictable thing about
natural disasters is that they will occur and Shelterbox will be prepared to help. If your club
has not yet sponsored a Shelterbox, please contact one of the program chairs.
To learn more
ShelterBox was created by Rotarians in
England. It has grown to become one of the
largest and most successful Rotary projects
and now has five offices worldwide and hun-
dreds of volunteers.
To make a contribution, to schedule a pro-
gram or to see a real ShelterBox, contact:
• Chair Jim Dyer (Santa Monica)
• Bill Paul (Redondo Beach)
• Jaimee Sul (Inglewood)
• Don Reeves (Palos Verdes Sunset)
You can track your club’s Shelterbox at their
website: www.shelterboxusa.org
Service Projects | International
On-line registration is now open at the district website for the 2011 District Conference to take place May 12-15 at the Hyatt
Grand Champions in Indian Wells. It’s only a two-hour drive from Los Angeles but a world away.
Event Chair PDG John Colville promises the weekend will be fun and you will experience Rotary in a whole new way.
“This year we’re going to show Rotarians how they changed lives.” John explained. “They’re going to meet the people we’ve
helped and I guarantee you plenty of Rotary Moments.”
The 5-star resort will meet District 5280’s strict and exacting standards by providing plenty of pool floats; additional ice will be
trucked in to cool beverages to a perfect temperature; the golf course has been renovated to insure at least one hole-in-one
per foursome; and fresh mud from distant Icelandic volcanoes will be delivered to the spa for facials.
The legendary Friday Night Hospitality will again be everyone’s favorite activity. And 9-time Grammy Award winning Asleep At
the Wheel, currently rehearsing in Governor Doug’s back yard, will cut loose and rock the place.
Early birds save 35% by registering by April 15. Registration for non-Rotarian partner is a mere $20 and kids under 17 attend
for free. Rooms have been discounted to $169 nightly. Everything can be done on-line at the district website.
Gearing Up for the District Conference
District Conference | Jocularity
Our Rotary DNA Service, fellowship, integrity, diversity, and
leadership are our core values, which I prefer
to call our Rotary DNA. Those traits are what
distinguish us from other organizations. There
is no doubt that we can help our club leaders
to reach within to embrace humanity, and to
make the world a better place, because we
have been doing it for more than 100 years,
and we do it better than anyone else in the
world.
Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith
Who Gets Your
Club Newsletters ? Club publications should be e-mailed to these
four district leaders:
District Governor Doug Baker
Executive Aide Joe Vasquez
District Administrator Tori Hettinger
& the Assistant Governor assigned to your club
RI President Ray gets the Last Word
Our Legacy is to EndPolio
There is, nonetheless, a kind of greatness in
the elimination of a terrible disease. We as a
civilization have few things we can accom-
plish of genuinely lasting significance for
mankind: we have built no pyramids, no
Great Walls to stand for thousands of years.
It is, instead, through medicine that we may
create our enduring monument. The eradica-
tion of smallpox and now, perhaps, polio will
stand as our pyramids.
Atul Gawande, “The Mop-Up”, New Yorker, January 12, 2004.
2011 YTD Polio Cases
Worldwide: 2 !!
You can track polio cases worldwide and
learn how Rotary’s mission to eradicate polio
will be successful. There were 2 cases world-
wide in January, one in Pakistan and one in
Chad, compared to 10 cases worldwide in
January last year.
In all of 2010 there were only 232 cases in
the endemic countries (Pakistan 144, India
42, Afghanistan 25 and Nigeria 21) and 568
cases in the non-endemic countries. An out-
break in Tajikistan last year, with 458 cases,
accounted for the majority of 2010 cases.
www.polioeradication.org