COMING UP NEXT:

INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT’S INTERCLUB LUNCHEON  -  Case Van Kleef

Thursday – Lunch Meeting at Pasadena Hilton Hotel, Noon to 2 p.m.

SUPERINTENDANT OF SCHOOLS  -  Sue Leabo

Wednesday – Lunch Meeting at Descanso

BOARD MEETING  -  Kiwanis Club and Foundation

Thursday at 7:00 p.m., La Cañada Presbyterian Church

ROMEO & JULIET Opera Talk  -  Rody Stephenson

Wednesday – Lunch Meeting at Descanso

FOOTHILL VOCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES for Disabled Adults  -  Tim Hacket

Thursday – Lunch Meeting at Pasadena Hilton Hotel

EARTHQUAKE BULLETIN

If you are looking for a way to help with the rescue efforts in Southeast Asia, there are several opportunities to channel financial contributions through our La Cañada Kiwanis Foundation.  Kiwanis International has already set up an Earthquake Fund, and 100% of the donations to this Earthquake Fund will go directly to rescue efforts.  (Administration expenses will be paid out of the Kiwanis International general operating budget.)  Kiwanis International has a history of spending large sums of money for “aid’ very wisely, and our club board of directors feel confident this money will be used carefully.  In fact, at a special board meeting after this Wednesday’s lunch meeting, our Board approved a $1,000 contribution from our La Cañada Kiwanis Foundation to Kiwanis International for the Earthquake Relief Fund.  If you would like to make a personal contribution to the Kiwanis International Earthquake Relief Fund, you can write a check to the La Cañada Kiwanis Foundation, and  Howard Backer will forward the money to Kiwanis International.  If you write your check and mail it (or deliver it) to Howard by December 31, you’ll even get a deduction on your 2004 income tax return.  Jeb Long set the pace by contributing $100 during the lunch meeting.

Prez Daryal has been approached by Padmini Joseph, who is in charge of the La Cañada Montessori School.  Her husband is a Kiwanian in Colombu, Sri Lanka.  Padmini is planning to collect relief funds from her school families and would like to channel the funds through our Kiwanis Foundation to her husband’s Kiwanis Club in Sri Lanka.  Our club has done this sort of thing before, and our Board of Directors is interested in exploring this further.  More next week on this.

The Prez sez . . .

  February 12^th is the Kiwanis CalNevHa District Mid Year Conference in Riverside.  This annual conference is fun, very educational and interesting.  Especially recommended for new members, committee chairs, officers and board members.  Attendees will pay for their own lunch, but the club will cover all other expenses.  Sign up with Howard Backer.     

  Our club received several nice Christmas cards and thank you notes including ones from the parents of our Terrific Kid Nathan Chen, the Girl Scout troop involved in the tree lighting at Glenola Park, the County Registrar of Voters (several of our members served as poll workers and donated their stipend to our Kiwanis Foundation) and from Children’s Hospital.

   “Pass the Hat” contributions before Christmas for our lunch servers were quite generous  We were able to present them with a nice card and healthy thank you tip.

   We once again “Fed the Floaters” on Tuesday night, thanks to the help of many Kiwanians in our club.  In spite of the rain, the meal progressed without a hitch.

    Happy/Sad Bucks were $1 fifty years ago.  Cost of living has increased seven fold since then.  Maybe Happy/Sad bucks should have a $5 minimum in 2005.

“Don’t find fault.  Find a remedy.”

                                                   - Henry Ford

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1  -  Bob Wallace noted the pink flyers on the lunch tables announcing LifeLine Screening sponsored by the Roger Barkley Community Center on January 4, 2005.  The tests include carotid artery, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and peripheral arterial disease screening.  Call 800-324-1851 for additional information.

2  -  Don Corbett and Joan Peters passed out questionnaires to assess member commitment for the 2005 Wine and Gourmet Food Tasting event.  They believe at least 75% of club members must be willing to work on the event in order to make it successful.  The event has tremendous potential as a fund raiser.  However, during the first two years only a small number of club members did most of the work.

3  -  Bachy requested donations for Children’s Hospital; collection tubs were on each table.

4  -  Paul Westmoreland announced 19 members are signed up for the International President’s Interclub Luncheon on Thursday at the Pasadena Hilton.

SPOTLIGHT ON FLINTRIDGE PREP KEY CLUB 

The Key Clubbers prepared 35 complete Thanksgiving meals, including stuffing and cooking 35 turkeys.  The food was donated to the Institute for Families of Blind Children, which is affiliated with Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles.   The Key Clubbers good deed also received great newspaper coverage.

FROSTY’S SLA REPORT

Dick DeGrey is continuing to improve and is feeling stronger every day. 

THE PROGRAM

Our speaker, Melanie Winter, had to cancel at the last minute – but already rescheduled for March 12 to talk to us about The River Project.  Hal Crockett was a great “fill-in” program speaker.  Hal’s family can be traced back several centuries and we learned a lot of interesting information about his family.

HAPPY & SAD BUCKS

• Prez Daryal appointed Lloyd Welch  sergeant at arms.  The new microphone (thanks to Jack Dawson) was working beautifully after the knob on the wall was tweaked a bit, and Prez Daryal toured the floor with his purse goody bag around his neck. 

• Howard Backer … Happy for the 23 family members who gathered at his house for Christmas, and Sad it took his son seven hours to drive home to Fresno on Monday.

• Paul Westmoreland  . . .  Happy it only took him three hours to drive home from Fresno on Monday.

• Elizabeth Georgeon  . . .  Happy her son is a dermatologist, and Sad she has blond hair and blue eyes and needs his expertise so much.

• Bob Wallace  . . .  Sad the food area at the float site was flooded, but Happy for the generosity of the club for providing all the food on Tuesday night and for providing the labor of Clyde Hemphill (who missed the meeting because he was removing the saturated carpeting in the food tent at the float site).

• Joan Peters  . . .  Happy because the Flintridge Prep Key Club has been working hard and getting good publicity.

• Dave Spence  . . .  Sad that with so many JPL engineers working on the float, they couldn’t figure out that the food tent should have been set up on high ground.

• Jack Dawson  . . .  Happy that Jeb Long studied how the sound system works, determined which microphone to buy, and figured out how to install the new microphone..

• Jeb Long  . . .  Happy that his Alma Mater is playing against Michigan at the Rose Bowl and also Happy he has tickets for the game.

• Mary Gant  . . .  Happy that Jeb has a new digital camera and will be able to help her with her own camera, and Sad that her daughter’s Alma Mater (Cal) will not be playing at the Rose Bowl.

• Frank Ragazzi  . . .  Sad that our program speaker for today had to cancel at the last minute (because her Lassa Apso was attacked by a German Shepherd in the morning).

• Daryal Gant  . . .  Happy that LCF doesn’t have the same problems that trouble Dinuba, where they are moving to regulate taco trucks.

• Anthony Portantino  . . .  Sad to disillusion Prez Daryal – but there have been several requests in LCF to regulate the taco trucks.

FACTS AND FICTION

• Music:  piano tunes by Martha Crockett, Ed Moulton leading It’s a Grand Old Flag, Hi Neighbor (just keeping in practice – no visitors), and Auld Lange Syne.
  
                     Martha Crockett

   

• Opening: flag salute by Carlos Cortez and Ed Moulton led us in a few moments of silence.

• Fines:  $1 for lack of a Kiwanis pin
• Frosty’s Challenge:  the laughter for George Lute’s story about arthritis and the Pope left no doubt that George outdid Frosty and Elizabeth Georgeon.

  
  Frosty, Elizabeth, and George

• Knock Knock Joke:  Mary Gant tried, but almost no one “got it.”  Mary got “thumbs down.”

   

   

   

   

   

  
             Mary Gant

   

• Jelly Roll Revelation:  Prez Daryal was advised that Paul Westmoreland should give $20 to the Children of the World because he was not listed in the obituary section this week.

Jelly Roll

• Fifty-Fifty Drawing:  Steve Hagerty was the winner.

 WISHES COLLECTED BY SANTA ON DECEMBER 22

• Daryal Gant’s wish for Ed Moulton:  A hearing aid.  His actual hearing is O.K., but he only hears what he wants to hear.  With this hearing aid, he will hear what he is supposed to hear.
• Linda Magarian’s wish for Jim:  A Christmas tree kiss.
• Someone’s wish for Paul Westmoreland:  A weekend in Dinuba.
• Jim Reynold’s wish for Frank Ragazzi:  A calendar.
• Someone’s wish for Linda Magarian:  A night on the town with Arnold Schwarzeneeger.
• Charles Gulick’s wish for Pat Anderson:  A smile.
• Howard Backer’s wish for Someone:  Should receive a scholarship to the Arthur Anderson University.  (Or was this someone’s wish for Howard?)
• Someone’s wish for Jim Reynolds:  More Christmas neckties from Santa.
• Bill Scherkey’s wish for Carl Christensen:  A healthy leg, and everything that goes with it.
• Carl Christensen’s wish for Chuck Gulick:  A new Christmas tie.
• Bachy Bachmayer’s wish for Bill Watts:  An abacus.
• Melinda Thompson’s wish for Bachy Bachmayer:  A Christmas tie.
• Ken Lowe’s wish for Someone:  He wants chocolates.
• Hal Crockett’s wish for Jack Dawson:  A new hat with an eagle on it.
• Karl Johnson’s wish for Julia Thomas:  A cuddly teddy bear.
• Allan Perry’s wish for Martha Crockett:  A box of See’s candy.
• Martha Crockett’s wish for Hal:  A kiss
• Someone’s wish for Melinda Thompson:  A new computer.
• Someone’s wish for Allan Perry:  Three feet of fresh powder dumped on Mammoth Christmas Eve.
• Someone’s wish for Jim Reynolds:  A Submarine USN.
• Jim Ackland’s wish for Daryal Gant:  A ballpoint pen. 

OFFICERS for 2004-2005

Daryal Gant, President     Paul Westmoreland, President-Elect      Frank Ragazzi, Vice President

Bill Scherkey, Secretary     Howard Backer, Treasurer     Jim Ackland, Immediate Past President

DIRECTORS for 2004-2005

Carl Christensen, Diane DellaValle, Clyde Hemphill, Jeb Long, George Lutes, Bob Martin,

Melinda Thompson, Bill Watts, Lloyd Welch

CLUB COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN for 2004-2005

Attendance – George Lutes,  Finance & Investment – Open,  Hospitality & Welfare – Frosty Boyd, House – Mel Wilson,  Interclubs – Paul Westmoreland,  Membership – Bob Wallace,  Music – Ed Moulton,  Newsletter – Melinda Thompson,  Parliamentarian – Clyde Hemphill,  Programs – Frank Ragazzi,  Publicity – Diane DellaValle,  Social – Harriet Hammons,  Web-site – Jeb Long

FOUNDATION COMMITTEE CHAIRMEN for 2004-2005

Community Services – Carl Christensen and Mike Leininger,  Fund Raising – Sylvia Kirkorian,

Human and Spiritual Values – Al Restivo,  International Understanding – Hal Crockett,

Soap Box Derby – Joel Smith,  Sponsored Youth:  LCHS Key Club – Ken Lowe,  Flintridge Prep Key Club – Joan Peters,  Builders Club – Open,  K-Kids – George Lutes,  Terrific Kids – Open,  Travel Adventures – Frank & Vi Ragazzi,  Wine and Gourmet Food Tasting – Don Corbett and Joan Peters, Youth Services – Bachy Bachmayer

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

LONG-TERM CALENDAR

Jan. 5                   Wed. Lunch Meeting – Sue Leabo, Superintendent of Schools

Jan. 6                   Board Meeting – La Cañada Presbyterian Church

Jan. 12       Wed. Lunch Meeting – Romeo and Juliet Opera Talk – Rody Stephenson

Jan. 19       Wed. Lunch Meeting – Foothill Vocational Opportunities – Tim Hacket

Jan. 22       Travel Adventure – Sailing Down to Rio on the Queen Mary 2

Jan. 26       Wed. Lunch Meeting – Restoring Griffith Park Observatory – Mark Pine  

Feb. 3                   Board Meeting

Feb. 12       Travel Adventure – Exploring the Ancient Southwest

Mar. 3                   Board Meeting

March 13    Wed. Lunch Meeting – The River Project - Melanie Winter

Mar. 26       Travel Adventure – Rv’ing in Alaska’s Inside Passage

Apr. 7                   Board Meeting

Apr. 16        Travel Adventure – Soul of Morocco