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Wednesday, October
7, 2009 |
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The Kiwanis Club of La Cañada meets
every Wednesday at Noon
Visitors
are Welcome
Van
de Kamp Hall in Descanso Gardens
1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada, CA
91011
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Upcoming Events
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October 14, 2009
Don Sheppard - President and
Founder of LA Futbol Club
Wednesday Lunch Meeting,
VanDeKamp Hall @
Descanso Gardens
October 21, 2009
Stephen McNally - President of
the Pasadena Humane Society
Wednesday Lunch Meeting,
VanDeKamp Hall @
Descanso Gardens
TRAVELOGUE SCHEDULE:
October 17, 2009-
Buhtan: The Cloud Kingdom
November 21, 2009 – Crossing the
Mediterranean
February 20, 2010 – Egypt and
the Nile
March 29, 2010 – Inside
Iran
Today
April 17, 2010 – Burma
May 15, 2010 – Great Rocky
Adventure
Kiwanis Board Of Directors Meet
The First Thursday Of Each Month
At The La Cañada Community
Center– 7:00 Pm
Click
on the following button to view
the long term calendar
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WEEKLY MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
MUSIC
We all enjoy the background music provided by TOM BURROUGHS as
we gather together for our weekly meeting. We are so lucky to
have someone with such talent playing the piano. On your way to
the food line - as you pass by TOM and the piano - remember to
drop a dollar or two in the "tip" bowl on the piano. It's a
great way to say Thanks! to TOM for the great music. TOM
donates all the "tips' to our own La Canada Kiwanis Foundation,
so it is really a Win-Win opportunity.
OPENING
 This was NICK BERKUTA'S first meeting as President. In keeping
with tradition, we all got up and walked out. As NICK explained
later, this tradition goes back more years than anyone can
remember. (And Ed Moulton joined the club in 1952!) NICK claims the
tradition reminds the new president each year that the
members are really in charge. However, some of us might
think it is just a way to get a new president a little rattled.
After we all wandered back in and before PREZ NICK even had a
chance to start the meeting, CLYDE HEMPHILL took the floor and
asked the PREZ why he didn't use his gavel to start the
meeting. NICK admitted he lost his gavel right after the
installation dinner last week. CLYDE suggested the gavel might
turn up if the PREZ would make a Century Club donation. (Talk
about turning the screw!)
 Even without his gavel, NICK got the meeting started. ED
MOULTON led us in singing God Bless America and JACK
DAWSON led the flag salute. JACK mentioned that when he was
growing up, the salute was made with your arm extended in front
of you, but that changed due to the Nazis. ROLANDO MORALES gave
the inspiration - a lovely poem reminding us that we won't be
remembered for the year we were born or the year we died, but
rather how we live the "dash" in between those years.
GUESTS
 Chamber staff members
Starr Fraser and
June Beemer were guests of PAT ANDERSON.
MARTH BURNS, President of the AM Kiwanis Club, was introduced by
Mary Ann Berkuta.
Martha and Mary Ann
Suzanne Passantino's
mother KRISTINE BOCTA joined us.
Mary Gant
welcomed RONALD BIBONIA.
Kristine and Suzanne
Wendy Smith
introduced Gary GREENBALM
from the La Canada Country Club.
Wendy and Gary
 Welcome back to past club member and president DON CORBETT who
dropped in for a visit.
Bob and Don
CELEBRATION
LINDA MAGARIAN explained that the surprise dessert today was to
celebrate all the new members who have joined our Kiwanis Club
during the last two years. In September we hit our interim goal
of 90 members. There were ten new members in the 2007-2008 year
and thirteen new members in the 2008-2009 year. LINDA'S
outstanding committee (New Member Acquisition and Retention)
consists of Jim Phillips,
Mary Ann Berkuta,
and Megan Nordvedt.
MARY GANT has brought the most guests to meetings, and BILL
WATTS has sponsored the most new members. LINDA and her team
have done a super job, and LINDA shared a few of their new ideas
and plans for the future.
DONATION
PREZ NICK presented Capt.
DAVE SilversparrS and
Deputy Mark SLATER
with a $100 donation for the 999 for KIDS
Foundation. This organization is sponsored by the Sheriff's
Department and provides assistance to severely abused and
disabled children. One of the ways they raise money is by
selling little teddy bears - $5 each.
Mark left a basket
full of bears at the back table in case we wanted to make
individual donations.
Dave, Mark, and Nick
SAD NEWS
 NICK sadly announced that members
Ellie and
Bob Wildermuth's
house caught on fire Monday morning while they were gone. It
appears the house is a total loss. Right now their most urgent
need is finding a three-bedroom house in La Canada to rent while
their house is being rebuilt. NICK and GIGI SCHLEUTER will keep
us informed about other ways we can be of assistance as ELLIE
and BOB recover from this tragedy.
BIRTHDAYS
 FRED SCHOOLEY celebrated on October 1; he added three zeros -
and contributed another $1,000 to the Ed Moulton Endowment
Fund. Jim Phillips
celebrated one day later - on the 2nd of October.
Paul Westmoreland
joined the Century Club for his birthday, which means he is
donating $100 to our La Canada Kiwanis Foundation.
Bea Cirar was celebrating her birthday today, and she also
joined the Century Club. We sang Happy Birthday to all of them.
HAPPY AND SAD BUCKS
PAUL WESTMORELAND and DARYAL GANT both grew up in the small town
of Dinuba in the central valley; they love to brag about it!
PAUL had Happy Bucks because
Pat Anderson
forwarded an email to him from the Dinuba Chamber of Commerce.
Ironically, the Dinuba Chamber just had a Wine and Cigar
Sampling fundraiser!
CAPTAIN SILVERSPARRE had a Happy Buck for the excellent
cooperation between all the public agencies during the Station
Fire.
CLYDE HEMPHILL had a Sad Buck because the PREZ still hadn't
committed to a Century Club donation. That was the price set
for the return of his gavel.
BOB WALLACE had a mixed bag of Happy and Sad Bucks for his
northern California schools - Stanford and Cal. Football
extremes!
SKIP BOYD had a Happy Buck because he is no longer on the House
Committee. Did he forget the trade-off? Now he is our
Secretary!
JACK DAWSON just returned from a three-week vacation and had a
Happy Buck because no one missed him.
EMILITA BITUIN was very Happy because she had a $500 check from
Citizens Bank for the firefighters fund. EMILITA'S family in
the Philippines has been very adversely affected by the terrible
storms and flooding, and EMILITA had a Sad Buck for that.
PROGRAM
Steve Martin introduced by Jim Stratton
Our new program chair and Vice President,
Jim Stratton,
introduced the Los Angeles County Fire Department Community
Services Liaison officer,
Stephanie English, who introduced Battalion Chief
Steve Martin.
Stephanie
Chief
Martin reviewed the enormous area covered by the Station
Fire. The fire department has records going back 120 years, and
it is the biggest fire on record. The San Gabriel mountains are
among the steepest and most treacherous mountains in the United
States, and upcoming rains may cause much more devastation
within our community than the fire itself. He strongly
recommended preparing for severe mud slides and flooding.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Linda Magarian
reminded us about the Happy Hour this Friday, October 9. Meet
at Mijares in Pasadena around 5 p.m. The address is 145
Palmetto Drive but the entrance is on Pasadena Avenue, one block
north of California Avenue. See you there! And bring a friend
or two.
PAT FLYNN encouraged us to join him tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.
at the Descanso parking lot. On most Thursday, PAT and his
cohorts drive down to Union School and work with the children on
their reading.
TOM BURROUGHS is beating the bushes for Kiwanis talent. He is
putting together our Talent Show on November 11th.
BRIAN FULLER is heading up the committee that organizes the
writing of this weekly bulletin, and he is looking for willing
volunteers to write the bulletin for a week or two. No long
term commitment here. (For new members, it is a great way to
get to know everyone in Kiwanis - as you are unwittingly forced
to learn everyone's name.)
PAUL WESTMORELAND had good news! Our Kiwanis "Blue Book" is
finally at the printers. You will find lots of useful
information about Kiwanis at the beginning of the book, and then
a page for each member with their picture and personal
information.
KARL JOHNSON encouraged everyone to participate in the Glendale
Kiwanis Club's annual Duck Race. He passed out fliers; you can
buy just one duck or a Quack Pack.
HOWARD BACKER asked everyone to put a contribution (paper
preferred over coins) in the Pediatric Trauma cans on the
tables.
TOM SLAUGHTER asked PREZ NICK if he was ready to make a Century
Club donation to get his gavel back. It was clear NICK couldn't
close the meeting without using the gavel to ring the closing
bell. NICK agreed to make the donation, and then found out the
gavel was on the rafter just above his head!
OTHER STUFF
Harriet, Pat, and Wendy at the Union School
for the Literacy Program
Winner of the 50/50 Drawing: PAUL WESTMORELAND
Secret Greeter: George Lutes
Master of the Cash Box: MARY GANT
This Week's Reporter:
This Week's Photographer:
Wendy Smith
Webmaster and Newsletter Coordinator:
Jeb Long
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