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The La Kawañian

June 4, 2003
Bill Watts, Editor
sparkywatts01@cs.com

OPENING: The closest thing Shirley DeGrey could find to her childhood ambition to be a saloon piano player, I guess, is playing at our Kiwanis meetings, which she does so graciously. Ed Moulton said as long as we're standing why not sing the Star Spangled Banner, which we did with vigor.

HEAD TABLE & GUESTS: We saluted our Flag helped along by Bea Cirar and Anthony Portantino invocated us with a prayer. Ed Moulton introduced his guest and assistant manger of Citizen's Bank; Karl Johnson guest was Liz Blackwelder; Dick DeGrey had us greet wife Shirley (and our piano player of the day); and Don Graf (a.m. club) was breaking bread with us; Pat Flynn presented two "Terrific Kids" from La Cañada Elementary: Akemi Hinzer and her parents Ed & Sharon and sister Miya, and Tommy Woods & his Mom Sue Olson. Pat told us why these kid are so "Terrific" and it was great to have them and their proud parents with us. However, there was no welcome song which the kids would of loved to hear us pound on the table. (tsk tsk).

Pat Flynn, Terrific Kids and Parents

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Pres Bob congratulated all for the great Soap Box Derby and last weekends "Dine Around"; Paul Westmoreland said he wasn't going to talk about the Soap Box Derby anymore other than to mention that there were some pictures of it on the entrance table and then went on to tout the membership conference; Diane DellaValle said the "Dine Around" was a great success and also told us to sell tickets to the Glendale Kiwanis Jazz Festival on June 28th, we sell them for $20 and get $10 back for our club (what a deal!); Joan Peters, like a proud mother, brought a "rising star" trophy to show us that her Key Club had won; Howard Backer said that hamburger meat was still available at $8 call him to pick it up, also, speaking for Bachy Bachmayer whose voice was out, he said to put in dollars not just change, in the tubs on the table for the Children's Hospital; Phil Anderson is at home now recuperating, how about sending him a card?; Karl Johnson said to remember to save used printer cartridges, eye glasses, pull tabs, etc and thanked Clyde Hemphill for putting containers for used cartridges in so many places, he also said he now has stickers to put inside bike or scooter helmets for emergency care; Jim Ackland said this is the greatest day of his life as we are only 2 clubs away from having a "round robin" and urged all who still have red stickers on their badges to attend an interclub, he has 2 coming up soon; Daryal Gant pitched upcoming programs.

BIRTHDAYS & ANNIVERSARIES, HAPPY BUCKS & PORIE: Acting Sgt of Arms Jeannie Scheinhorn collected the bucks first from Dick DeGrey who remembered his 60th Wedding Anniversary with 60 big bucks; Pat Flynn had all kinds of celebrations with 50 years of marriage, his wife Joyce's birthday and Pat's birthday so he joined the Century Club (that's $100 bucks). Then we got into fines for no pins and not greeting the Secret Greeter who was Bill Watts and then Don Corbett came in late and the Pres wanted to fine him $5 but he gave all sorts of excuses and then said he had a patient (?) who wanted to donate an organ but it was the musical kind so call Don if you have an interest; Howard Backer dropped in $5 for reading Emac?; Sheila Cook celebrated a daughters graduation and she was Summa Cum Lade; Dick DeGrey said all he had left was 50 cents and he was donating that for the great dinner he had at the "Dine Around" at Bob Wallace's; Daryal Gant put in a sad buck because he had the last meeting of the Soap Box Derby committe at his house and the 9 members drank 8 bottles of wine; Clyde Hemphill put in a buck as he was glad to see his old friend Rick Lazarre show up for a meeting.

50/50 RAFFLE: We have a new replacement for the Gants: Diane DellaValle

THE PROGRAM: Tom Nolan was introduced by program chairman Daryal Gant. Tom is a self professed "Satellite Jockey" for scientific studies of the earth's atmosphere from a satellite (operations engineer). He has a B.S. from S.C. in Marine Biology and has done killer whale research and was a dolphin trainer at Marineland and Sea World. He has also done dolphin research with a Japanese 
fishing fleet and was a naturalist in Alaska. For 12 years he rode as "Tommy Trojan" on the famous white horse Traveler. He is married and has 3 children and volunteers with various youth groups. He presented a most interesting program, first on our 2 trips going to Mars (2nd launch this Sun). It is truly amazing what they expect the MAR (Mars Exploration Rover) to do once it gets there, including core drilling of rocks. It will take 7 months to arrive there. His next portion of the program was on "seeing here from there", a view of Earth from outer space and how this has opened up all sorts of new fields. He predicted that we are 30 years away from a human landing on Mars and also that it will be a female. A great presentation!

Speaker Tom Nolan

CLOSING: "Hail Kiwanis", of course, by Mr. Ed.

DINE AROUND A SUCCESS: If you missed it, you missed a great event. Managed and directed by Diane DellaValle, this was a wonderful way for us to get to know each other better as well as have a fine dinner & fellowship. The hardest part of the dinner was put on the hosts and we are all thankful for their hard work (especially the clean up afterwards). Let's do it again!

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 10th: New member Lloyd Welch will present a program on cryptography and National Security.