The La Kiwanian The Weekly Bulletin of the La Cañada Kiwanis Club Serving the Children of the World
Wednesday,  July 5, 2006
Kiwanis is a global organization of volunteers dedicated to changing the world, one child and one community at a time.
The Kiwanis Club of La Cañada meets every Wednesday at Noon – Visitors Welcome Van de Kamp Hall in Descanso Gardens  –  1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada, CA  91011

Upcoming Events

July 6 KIWANIS CLUB AND FOUNDATION BOARD MEETING Thursday Evening, 7 p.m., La Cañada CitiBank July 12 MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN Ty Ritter Wednesday Lunch Meeting at Descanso This program will not be suitable for children or teenagers July 19 LC KIWANIS TALENT SHOW Produced by Tom Burrows Wednesday Lunch Meeting at Descanso   July 26 CAMPFIRE STORYTELLER Joe Herrington Wednesday Lunch Meeting at Descanso August 2 UNDERSTANDING YOUR STRESS Al Restivo Wednesday Lunch Meeting at Descanso August 27 SUMMER SOCIAL Sunday Afternoon September 17 WINE AND GOURMET FOOD TASTING Sunday Afternoon at LCF Memorial Park Click on the following button to view the long term calendar

 

The Prez sez . . .

“A life not lived for others is not a life.”  John Wooden  

4        Prez Paul Westmoreland was vacationing again, and Prez Elect Steve Hagerty asked to be reminded next year that the job comes with about three months of vacation.    

4        Prez Elect Steve thanked Frosty Boyd and other club members for their calls while he was in the hospital.  Steve stirred up a lot of interest at the hospital when he told his visiting friends that his OB/GYN was calling and checking up on him every day!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Pat Anderson suggested July 20th was a date for everyone's calendar.  The LCF Chamber mixer will be held at Flintridge Riding Club on that day at 5:30 p.m.

Diane DellaValle emphasized that next week's program will not be suitable for children or teenagers.  Our speaker, Ty Ritter will be speaking about some extremely serious forms of child abuse.

Tom Burrows is still looking for a few more talented people to perform at our Talent Show on July 19.  Read a poem, tell a joke .... any type of talent is welcome!

Karl Johnson will have order forms available next week for the second annual Glendale Kiwanis Duck Race. 

Harriet Hammons reminded everyone to set August 27th aside for our annual Kiwanis Summer Social.  She will be providing more information about the Verdugo Kiwanis Club project to collect old computers and computer parts next week.

THE PROGRAM

Brenda Gant, daughter of Mary and Daryal Gant, lives in Saudi Arabia with her Saudi husband and four children.  Brenda gave us a most interesting overview of her life in Saudi today and had several tables of interesting items for us to look at - including newspapers, photographs of the city where she lives, items of clothing, jewelry, and many other interesting objects.  Brenda met her husband here in Westwood, CA while she was attending UCLA and he was here from Saudi doing graduate work.  After she obtained her Masters Degree, they were married and moved to Saudi Arabia in 1986.  Their four children, ages 10-17, include two girls and two boys.  The country of Saudi Arabia is about the size of the U.S. west of the Mississippi and only has a population of 22 million.  Although it is the home of Islam, it is one of the smallest Muslim countries in the world.  Education in Saudi is structured much like the U.S.:  preschool, elementary, middle school, and high school.  There are both public and private schools for preschool through 12th grade, and Brenda has recently been a business consultant to a private school.  Until recently all colleges and universities were government institutions.  Now there are beginning to be a few private schools for specific areas of study such a medicine.  After 9/11, many Saudis were afraid their assets would be frozen in Europe and/or America and they have brought their assets home.  The many new shopping malls and apartment buildings are a part of the Saudi's new investments at home.  There are no movie theaters in Saudi Arabia, but almost everyone has a satellite TV.  Women are still not allowed to drive.  Expatriates are leaving Saudi Arabia rapidly, as evidenced by the membership drop in Brenda's American Ladies Club from 200 down to 11.  Brenda had so many interesting things to tell us, and we would have enjoyed hearing her talk for another hour or two! 

HAPPY & SAD BUCKS

Mary Gant had five Happy Bucks for being a delegate to the Kiwanis International Convention in Montreal last week.  It was the best convention she ever attended!  There were more Happy Bucks for family visitors - her two daughters and three grandsons.  The entire family is off to Hawaii tomorrow.

World  traveler Linda Magarian had one Happy Buck for her trip back to her roots in Armenia; her relatives immigrated from there over 100 years ago.  A second Happy Buck was for her Kiwanis trip to the incredible Montreal International Convention.  A third Happy Buck was for her convention companion, Diane DellaValle; together they walked 10,000 miles and ate their way through Montreal.

Clyde Hemphill had a Happy Buck because Prez Elect Steve Hagerty was back with us.  He missed last week's meeting entertaining the hospital staff and being "checked out" for a minor stroke.

Daryal Gant might as well have had a podium.  He had one Happy Buck for the picture of the Sons of San Joaquin on the front page of the Dinuba Sentinel.  His offsetting Sad Buck was for an article quoting Willy Brown who apparently does not like Phil Angelides.  Willy Brown was quoted as saying "Angelides doesn't look good on TV and doesn't sound good on radio, and he should be sent to a place like Dinuba where they don't have modern communication."  for more information on Dinuba, please click here: www.dinuba.org/

Harriet Hammons was Happy about a whole bunch of things including the return of Steve Hagerty, special needs kids, and being chosen to attend the Boy Scout International Jamboree in 2007.  Way to go, Harriet!

Howard Backer had to humor Daryal and gave a Happy Buck because his (Howard's) daughter-in-law is from Dinuba.  Howard had an additional four Happy Bucks for his two-week family vacation to Alabama and Florida.

P.J. (from Kiwanis Gateway Club) had a Happy Buck because he has known Frosty Boyd since June 4, 1955 ... all his life.  Frosty was P.J.'s mother's OB and was also the OB for his mother-in-law.

FACTS AND FICTION

Music:  piano tunes by Tom Burrows and and Ed Moulton leading us in the Star Spangled Banner, Hi Neighbor, Welcome Back, Happy Birthday, and You're a Grand Old Flag.

Opening: flag salute by Bill Scherkey and inspiration by Aaron Solomon

Guests:  Howard Backer introduced long time friends John and Diane Landrum.  Mary Gant introduced Pat and Otis Hutchins.  George Lutes introduced his lovely wife, Nita; who would suspect she gave him a marriage ultimatum?  "Learn to play golf or have a lot of lonely weekends."  Both the AM Club and the West Glendale Gateway Club had Inter-Clubs.

Master of the Cash Box:  Jack Short Shorts Dawson, who was flaunting his legs and cautioning others not to be jealous.

Birthdays:  Frosty Boyd was celebrating his birthday today, and was in particularly good humor.  Joan Peters celebrated her 75th last Wednesday and donated $25.

Fines:  Not too many missed the Secret Greeter.

Secret Greeter:  Clyde Hemphill

Fifty-Fifty Drawing:  Jack Short Shorts Dawson, who offered to put his winnings in the Childrens' Hospital tub if Bachy would sell tickets for him next week.

OFFICERS for 2005-2006

President – Paul Westmoreland  ~  President-Elect – Steve Hagerty

Vice President – Diane DellaValle  ~  Secretary – Bill Scherkey  ~  Treasurer – Howard Backer

Immediate Past President – Daryal Gant

DIRECTORS for 2005-2006

Nick Berkuta   ~   Carl Christensen   ~   Clyde Hemphill   ~   Mike Leininger

Jeb Long   ~   George Lutes  ~   Linda Magarian   ~   Melinda Thompson   ~   Lloyd Welch

CLUB COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN & ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS for 2005-2006

Attendance – George Lutes   ~   Finance & Investment – Karl Johnson   ~   Historian – Bob Martin Hospitality & Welfare – Frosty Boyd   ~   House – Mel Wilson   ~   InterClubs – Steve Hagerty

New Member Acquisition and Retention – Jim Ackland   ~   Membership Records – Bob Wallace

Music – Ed Moulton   ~   Newsletter – Melinda Thompson   ~   Parliamentarian – Clyde Hemphill

Programs – Diane DellaValle   ~   Publicity – Open   ~   Sick-Lame-Ailing - Frosty Boyd

Social – Harriet Hammons   ~   Spiritual Aims and Human Understanding – Charles Broberg

Web-site – Jeb Long

FOUNDATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN for 2005-2006

Children’s Literacy Project – Harriet Hammons   ~   Community Services – Mike Leininger

Fund Raising – Open   ~   International Understanding – Hal Crockett

Soap Box Derby – Joel Smith   ~   Travel Adventures – Bob Wallace

Wine and Gourmet Food Tasting – Open   ~   Youth Services – Bachy Bachmayer

- Sponsored Youth -

LCHS Key Club – Ken Lowe   ~   Flintridge Prep Key Club – Joan Peters   ~   Builders Club – Open

K-Kids – George Lutes & Steve Hagerty  ~  Terrific Kids – Pat Flynn and Deborah Weirick

The Kiwanis Club of La Cañada meets every Wednesday at Noon

Van de Kamp Hall in Descanso Gardens – 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada, CA  91011

P.O. Box 33, La Cañada, CA  91012

Website:  http://lacanadakiwanis.org