The Kiwanis Club of La Cañada’s Weekly Newsletter

Melinda Thompson, Editor

The La Kiwanian

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

COMING UP NEXT:

AN AMERICAN IN LOVE WITH HIS COUNTRY  -  Bruce Seivers

Wednesday – Lunch Meeting at Descanso

BOARD MEETING  -  Kiwanis Club and Foundation

Thursday at 7:00 p.m., La Cañada CitiBank

SUMMER SOCIAL 

Sunday Afternoon at the Toffel’s Home, 1 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

HI JACKERS FLYING  -  Cathy Keen

Wednesday – Lunch Meeting at Descanso

SWEENY TODD  -  Summer Theater

Friday @ 4:30 p.m.  –  St. Francis High School Parking Structure

The Prez sez . . .

        Our Club donation of the four Sports Chairs to the local high schools was covered on the front page of the Valley Sun last week with a big picture and great story.                                  

        Anthony Portantino spread the good news that the LCF City Council approved a $5,000 grant to our La Cañada Kiwanis Foundation to be used for infrastructure for our Soap Box Derby.

       The Prez and Mary Gant (his beautiful wife) will be at the Kiwanis International Convention next week and will miss the Wednesday meeting.  They will be working hard in Hawaii!

       Our semi-annual Kiwanis Cal-Nev-Ha convention is being held in Fresno this year (because Barstow was all booked up).  Save the dates:  August 17-21. 

       Special thanks go to Mary Gant and Clyde Hemphill who worked so hard to arrange today’s Special Guest Day.

FROSTY’S SLA REPORT

Jim Ackland is still at home and not on the mend as quickly as he would like.  He enjoys telephone calls.

THE PROGRAM

Pat Anderson started the program by giving a brief and very interesting history of Kiwanis.  (Did you know the word Kiwanis is a derivative of an Indian word that means “we enjoy trading and sharing.”)  Then The Prez talked about our Club projects.  Then the lights went down and Dr. Diane Evans of JPL gave us a very interesting slide presentation of the “earthly” research being done by JPL.   Dr. Evans, the Director for Earth Science & Technology, said this research is not in the news nearly as much as the events connected with JPL’s space exploration but may be more important to the survival of our planet.  Joel Smith wrapped up the meeting with an invitation to our Special Guests to consider joining our Club.

HAPPY & SAD BUCKS

Bill Scherkey … Happy  for a new grandson born on Monday. 

Karl Johnson … Happy  his good friend, Liz Blackwelder was able to attend Special Guest Day.

Jack Dawson … Wondering When  Mark Alexander will tell him he can hook up to the sewers.

Mark Alexander … Sad  he can’t tell Jack Dawson when he can hook up to the sewers.

Frank Raggazi … Happy  we have so many Special Guests today.

Ed Moulton … Happy  for the birth of the first of three great grandchildren.

Mary Gant … Happy  to be leaving for Hawaii this week and Happy her daughter and grandson, who live in Saudi Arabia, will arrive for a visit right after the trip to Hawaii.

Jim Edwards … Happy  to be here for Special Guest Day and proud to say it was his second Kiwanis meeting today.

Howard Backer … Happy  for the four Special Guests at his table who all just happened to be good Presbyterians.

Pat Anderson … Happy  the VP of Wells Fargo, Suzanne Park, was able to one of our Special Guests today.

FACTS AND FICTION

Music:  piano tunes by Tom Burrows, Ed Moulton leading God Bless America, Hi Neighbor and On Kiwanis

Opening: flag salute by Joel Smith and inspiration by Deborah Weirick

Guests:  Nilo Pineda, our Lt. Governor and our 25+ Special Guests

We’ve Missed You and We’re Glad To See You:  Dick DeGrey and Jim Edwards 

Master of the Cash Box:  Clyde Hemphill

Anniversaries:  Mike Leininger will celebrate 33 years on July 1 (“the best thing that every happened to me”)

Birthdays:  None

Fines:  Amnesty today

Jelly Roll Revelation:  A notable Kiwanian from our Club was at the Tri Chamber Mixer  last week and wasn’t wearing her Kiwanis pin.  Mary Gant owned up and gave $20 for theChildren of the World.  The Prez will be $20 short in his allowance next week.

Frosty’s Challenge:  In response to a “request” for a brief joke, Frosty had a one liner:  “The bride doesn’t always get the best man.”  George Lutes must not have received the same request for brevity (or ignored it), but his story about a lobster won the challenge although Elizabeth Calciano’s joke about soldiers in your cup made everyone laugh, too.

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 – Daryal Gant,  Historian – Bob Martin,  Hospitality & Welfare – Frosty Boyd,  House – Mel Wilson,  Information Data Base – Joel Smith,  InterClubs – Paul Westmoreland,  Membership – Bob Wallace,  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, 

Reading Assistance – Harriet Hammons,  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 – Ed Moulton,  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

Jul 6                Wed. Lunch Meeting  -  An American in Love with His Country  -  Bruce Seivers

Jul 10              Sun. Afternoon  -  Summer Social at the Toffels

Jul 13              Wed. Lunch Meeting  -  Hi Jackers Flying  -  Cathy Keen

Jul 20              Wed. Lunch Meeting  -  Sweeny Todd  -  Summer Theater

Jul 27              Wed. Lunch Meeting  -  Equador

Aug 24            Wed. Lunch Meeting  -  Apple for the Teacher Day

Oct. 15            Sat. Evening  -  Travel Adventure:  The Real World of New Zealand 

Nov. 19           Sat. Evening  -  Travel Adventure:  Europe’s Alps