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The La Kawañian

May 27, 2003
Bill Watts, Editor
sparkywatts01@cs.com

OPENING: The piano played and Kiwanians swayed to the musical delights of Martha Crocket at the keyboard. What song should we sing that we haven't sung recently? How about "America The Beautiful" led by effervescent Ed Moulton.

HEAD TABLE & GUESTS: President Bob was mysteriously missing so Daryal Gant took over the job. Old Navy Pat Flynn led our Flag Salute and Glen Pettit presented the invocation. Also at the head table was membership chairman and Soap Box Derby cheerleader Paul Westmoreland. Our substitute President announced that Phil Anderson was successfully operated on yesterday and is recovering nicely. Hooray!
Guests included an inter-club from Glendale of 4 Kiwanians; Sheriff Dan Connelly guest of Mary Gant and the club was introduced by Jim Edwards; Irene Christensen spouse of Carl was introduced by Carl, and Hal Crockett introduced our piano player of the day Martha, and of course Dick De Grey gave a short intro (can you believe) to Shirley; Vernon Chase was a guest of Bob Slattery. As usual a rousing "Hi Neighbor" woke up our guests.

NOT IN ORDER TIME:
Acting President Daryal didn't follow our normal pattern, I guess because he was "itching" to fine everybody, which he did. First it was for "no pins" and then for not shaking the Secret Greeter's hand who was George Lutes. He then fined Anthony Portantino $5 for something about humility; Pat Flynn got fined for doing a good job; Jim Reynolds for wearing a "too tight" sailor uniform in the Fiesta parade; Jeb Long for going to Catalina and not helping out in the Soap Box Derby race; then we jumped to Birthday's & Anniversary's and Dick DeGrey complained he had a Birthday in May and nobody told him so he joined the Century Club; Chuck Gulick volunteered his 77th Birthday and anted up $77 big ones; Carl Christianson said his birthday was 10 years less so he popped in $67; Harold Arman reminded the club that his Birthday is in July (they always forget) but dropped in $50 for his son's 50th Birthday; Elizabeth Calcino Georgeon celebrated her 11th wedding anniversary and put in $22; Howard Backer thought that we did a super job on the Soap Box Derby and hamburger booth and thanked Daryal, Paul & Clyde for their leadership to the tune of $100. All these fines and more to follow were collected by new member and our Sgt of Arms for the day Lloyd Welch.

HAPPY, SAD, BUSINESS & OTHER BUCKS: Frosty Boyd was happy about his wife's current health and had a long winded golf joke; Ed Mouton put in a happy buck for his son-in-laws long shift of driving the Soap Box Derby cars up; Anthony Portantino put in a happy buck as Dick DeGrey took over his shift flipping burgers as he wanted to keep his hand in it; Paul Westmoreland put in $5 for a successful Soap Box Derby but he's glad it's over; Carl Christianson had a happy buck for the wife's of Kiwanians (including his) and the Key Clubbers for helping out at the hamburger booth; Daryal Gant dropped in a happy buck for Deputy Dan Connelly as a great Kiwanis helper; Hal Crockett was also happy for the Soap Box Derby; Melinda Thompson put in $5 each for Chuck Gulick & Deputy Dan for their help lifting the Soap Box's off the truck (all day); Joel Smith put in $100 for all the helpers in a most successful Soap Box Derby (his testimony enclosed).

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Anthony Portantino plugged the upcoming cat & dog clinic to be held June 5th at the ball field next to the Community Center; Doris Horwith reminded committee chairman reports are due; Karl Johnson reminded all to keep empty computer ink cartridges, used eyeglasses, pull tabs off aluminum cans to raise funds for our charities; Bachy Bachmayer told of our help to the Children's Hospital and reminded all to put in some bucks in the tubs of the tables; back again Paul Westmoreland told of our most successful Soap Box Derby with the only negative being an accident that broke the arm of one of the seasoned drivers from La Cañada. There were 57 cars that make the race with over 50% of them never having driven before; Carl Christianson announced that hamburger patties were available (with buns), get 8 for only $7, pick them up at Carl's house. Membership chairman Paul Westmoreland presented a new badge to Bea Cirar who has completed all her requirements to obtain it. 

THE PROGRAM: Craft Talks by three of our new members were the order of the day. Sookie Matthews was first who told us that she was born in Korea, got married, lived in Vietnam in wartime, moved to Miami and could speak little English but got a job in a drugstore, then next as a cosmetic salesperson at Ross and finally she got a Real Estate License and moved to La Cañada in 1988. She was asked to attend a Kiwanis meeting by Patsy Christianson and everybody was so nice she decided to join up with us and is still learning about the workings of our club.
Jeannie Scheinhorn was next in line. She got her B.A. from Santa Barbara and went to the U of Colorado where she obtained her degree as a Physician. Jeannie is an opthamologist with her office in La Cañada in the 1408 Verdugo Bldg. She started her practice in Glendale in 1987 and 5 years ago took over Dr. Previtt's practice. She carried an "eye ball" with her and told us about the road maps of the eyes and the problems she corrects.

Lloyd Welch was born in Detroit and raised in a small town in Michigan. He joined the Navy and went to electronics school, which he says was one of the best. One of his "tough" duty stations was Hawaii where he stayed for 1-1/2 years. He obtained his degree after the Navy on the G.I. Bill and got recalled into the Navy again and again went to grad school on the G.I. Bill. He is a mathematician and was at JPL for 6 years in communications research. He got a call from SC to teach electrical engineering and spent 34 years there. He retired in 1999 and has lots of Navy war stories to tell.

Lloyd Welch, Jeannie Scheinhorn, and Sookie Matthews

50/50 RAFFLE: Won by  Jeb Long.

We still had a few minutes remaining so Elizabeth Calciano Georgeon volunteered a happy buck (or was it sad?) as she thought the eye that Dr. Jeannie was holding was one of those balls that you ask questions to and it answers it. Looks like a new patient in the works for Jeannie.

CLOSING: Finally, (as this scribe is worn out) we closed with "Come On Kiwanis".

DO YOU FEEL TIRED & RUN DOWN? If you do you must be one of the many Kiwanians who took part in this hectic weekend of service. First there was the most successful "Soap Box Derby" with over 58 entrants from all over Los Angeles. (walking up Michigan hill was a job all by itself). Then there was the Memorial Day Service honoring our Vets, participated in by our special Kiwanian WWII vets, and then of course there was the parade with our Kiwanis soap box derby winners in it. The sun came out and we cooked hamburgers (as well as ourselves) as we slaved over a HOT stove as people lined up to eat at the Kiwanis cook out. (nice to see new member Jeannie Scheinhorn cooking up a storm). Those with any strength left stayed over for music in the park. A fun "hometown" weekend, but lots of tired Kiwanians.


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "Am I Not Destroying my Enemies By Making Friends Of Them?"...... Abraham Lincoln

Board Meetings are the lst Thursday of the Month at Citibank, 7 p.m.

District Council Meetings are the 3rd Monday of the month at Verdugo Hills Hospital cafeteria - 7 p.m.


UPCOMING PROGRAMS: 

• June 4th: Tom Nolan from JPL on "what we look like down here from up there"
• June 10th: New member Lloyd Welch will present a program on cryptography and National Security.