NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION

September 21, 2005

To fill the Office of President-Elect::  Nominee -- Steve Hagerty

For a Two Year Term on the Board of Directors:  Nominee -- Nick Berkuta

  Harriet Hammons had a whole list:  a musical program is coming up soon at the Methodist Church in La Cañada – a fundraiser for the Hurricane victims.  The Tournament of Roses is raising money with “Macy Days” tickets.  Joel Peterson has offered to have our Kiwanis Holiday Party at his house on December 11.

  Joan Peters was all smiles as everything is falling in place for the Wine and Gourmet Food Tasting fundraiser next Sunday, September 25.  Just keep selling tickets!

  Mary Gant was also delighted to announce she didn’t need any more Silent Auction items for the 25^th.

  Bachy Bachmayer encouraged us to contribute to the Children’s Hospital tubs on our tables.

        The Kiwanis Club of Glendale had 23,000 ducks in their successful Great Duck Race last Saturday.  The bad news:  there were no winners from our Club.  The good news:  one-half the $1,200 we raised for the Duck Race will come back to our own La Cañada Kiwanis Foundation.

        A big turnout of Club members and spouses is expected for the installation of our new President, Paul Westmoreland on the evening of September 28.  A sign-up sheet is being passed around for the dinner at Oakmont Country Club.  (You can indicate your choice of three entrees on the sign-up sheet.)

       Our Kiwanis District Installation Dinner will be held on September 19 at the La Cañada Country Club.  Call the Prez or Howard Backer if you can attend.  Our new Lt. Governor for the 2005-2006 year will be Laurel Patric.

        The new Finance and Budget Committee has finally been formed.  Karl Johnson will chair this committee.  Committee members include Mark Alexander, Bill Scherkey, and Daryal Gant.

The number is:  248-6166.  Call Carl Gieseke at home and have a chat.  Even if you don’t know Carl, he loves to visit with Kiwanis members.  Carl joined our Kiwanis Club in 1963 and was president in 1970.  He also was a YMCA board member/director.  Carl is recovering from a bad fall and is housebound.  None of his children live locally. 

A big WELCOME to Jim Stratton, our newest member.  Jim was inducted by Membership Chair Bob Wallace and introduced by his sponsor, Mike Leininger.  Jim Stratton is our new LCF Superintendent of Schools.  Mike was Vice Principal at LCHS when Jim was hired in 1991 as the Principal.  They have worked together ever since then.  Mike told us that Jim has a real vision for the school district and articulates it well.  Mike is looking forward to working with Jim in the district office, and we are looking forward to getting to know Jim here at Kiwanis.  Jim’s induction ended with Ed Moulton leading us in singing You’re In Kiwanis Now.

Fred did the near impossible.  He gave his Craft Talk in less than five minutes, kept us laughing, and covered the high points of his life!  Fred is a recent JPL Caltech retiree but still keeps up on the various scientific projects there.  (For instance, there is a new mission to send a number of cows in low orbit around the earth; it will be the herd shot round the world.)  As a retiree, Fred keeps busy in Real Estate Management.  He graduated from Stockton High School and started college in Stockton, too.  He transferred to UC Berkeley where he graduated in 1956 with a BA in Business Administration and a commission in the Army as a 2^nd Lieutenant.  Before coming to JPL, Fred worked at the Stanford Research Institute studying waste product conversion.  (“Pile higher and deeper” was the origin of his PhD.)  Fred and his lovely wife, Linda, were married in 1986.

Bob Bettinger was back to give us an update on the Bulgarian orphanage we adopted last year.  Bob is from the Kiwanis Club in Hanover, PA.  He and his wife, Betty, adopted their daughter, Nicoletta, from an orphanage in Razgrad, Bulgaria in 1992.  They became aware of the very limited medical care available to the children in the Bulgarian orphanages.  The Bulgarian government is only able to provide 35 cents per child per year for medical care.  The fatality rate in the orphanages is about 10% per year because there is almost no medical care for the children.  Bob and Betty started the Bulgarian Orphanage and Medical Relief Fund in 1995 to provide medicines and vitamins for the orphanages.  Since 65 Kiwanis Clubs in the U.S. have starting helping (42 Clubs have adopted an orphanage), the death rate has dropped to 0-2% per year in the 47 orphanages receiving help from the Medical Relief Fund. 

Poverty stricken Bulgaria has nearly 25,000 children in over 200 orphanages.  In northern Bulgaria where the orphanage we sponsored last year is located, the unemployment rate is 90%.  Bob explained that the Bulgarian orphanages mainly care for children whose parents are living but too poor to feed them.  There are about 40 children in our orphanage; the children are ages 4-7.  It takes $25 per child per year to provide the necessary medicines and vitamins.  Several years ago our Builder’s Club (7^th and 8^th graders) decided to help and raised $500 for the orphanage; Ed Moulton made a matching designated contribution through our Foundation of $500 in order to sponsor the entire orphanage for one year.

Prez Daryal … was Happy to share a newspaper article about growth in Dinuba, including the well received opening of a new Costco.  

Joel Smith … was so Happy his new grandchild (three days old) and daughter-in-law were home from the hospital.  The remodeling at Joel’s house is still “in progress,” so Joel and Nana are sharing the upper floor of their house with their two grandchildren and their parents.

Al Perry … was Happy he could read the program at the Hollywood Bowl last weekend, thanks to the little Kiwanis keychain/light he received from the Prez. 

Mike Leininger … was Happy and Proud the La Cañada Schools all scored over 900 in the state tests with a district average of 914. This far exceeds the statewide goal of 800.

Deborah Weirick … was Happy her kindergartener just started school at the best elementary school in California.

Elizabeth Calciano Georgeon  … was Happy she receives mention in this bulletin so often, but Sad her name is often spelled incorrectly.  (Elizabeth – if this isn’t spelled correctly, then we need to get the roster corrected.) Calciano is Elizabeth’s professional name and Georgeon is her married name.

Mary Gant … was Happy she could contribute the  dollar she owed from last week.  She will be Happy next week if UCLA beats Oklahoma this weekend - $20 worth.

Tom Burrows … was Happy he could see his grandsons’ faces light up when he surprised them and gave them his 1984 Toyota Celica.

Bill Watts … was Sad the Prez was sleeveless and hoped he would find his sleeves.

Don Corbett … was Happy and Thankful for the expertise of Dr. Alan Perry – who put nine stitches in spouse Marilyn’s head after she took a fall last week.

Tom Burrows … was Sad for all the small merchants in Dinuba.

Melinda Thompson … Happy and Grateful because Bob Martin agreed to be the Guest Editor of our weekly newsletter last week (and even changed his travel plans to be available). Thanks for the great job!  Melinda was also very Happy she and Bill were able to spend a week in Minneapolis meeting their new grandson and visiting with his four year old brother, mom and dad.

Music:  piano tunes by Tom Burrows, Ed Moulton leading You’re A Grand Old Flag, Hi Neighbor and Hail Kiwanis

Guests:  Diane DellaValle introduced her granddaughter, Riley Gerhardt; Riley’s dad works at JPL on the Cassini project.  Frosty brought Karl La Masa, who was Frosty’s neighbor (before Frosty drove him away); Karl belongs to the Elks.  Fred Schooley brought his wife, Linda and her friend Jennifer.  George Lutes had Nita by his side, and Hal Crockett came with Martha.  Don Corbett introduced Lynn Tran from Vendome Liquors; Lynn has been one of our most important sponsors of the Wine and Gourmet Food Tasting event since the very first year.

We’ve Missed You and We’re Glad To See You:  Lloyd Welch, who has returned from a summer job in La Jolla.

Master of the Cash Box:  John Parady

Anniversaries:  Joel Peterson celebrated his 14^th anniversary on September 10^th, which was worth a Century Club donation.  Joel claimed he was struck by a moment of insanity recently … and is running for the LCF School Board.  Lloyd Welch and Irene have been married 52 years and then mentioned he will have his 78^th birthday later this month.  Treasurer Howard Backer quickly calculated the total of those years was 130, so Lloyd agreed to give $130 to the Children of the World.  Frank and Vi Ragazzi are celebrating their fourth anniversary today.  They planned their marriage in Las Vegas so their friends could easily fly in for the ceremony, but due to 9/11 everyone had to drive.

Birthdays:  Harriet Hammons joined the Century Club and received a key chain as a present from the Prez.  Mark Alexander celebrated his birthday by spending part of the day in God’s Country (USC).  Since Mark is closer to 50 years old than 100, he donated a half a Century Club to the Children of the World. 

Jelly Roll Revelation:  The winners of the women’s division of the Tacky Top contest were Harriet Hammons (runner up) and Linda Magarian.  Men’s division winner was Tom Burrows and Nick Berkuta (runner up).  Melinda Thompson received honorable mention for having the most technical Tacky Top.

Frosty’s Challenge:  Due to time constraints, Prez Daryal called for Quickies.  Bill Watts thought a Quickie meant talking quickly while telling a long joke.  Joel Smith had a two liner his grandson told him about a chicken crossing the playground.

Fifty-Fifty Drawing:  Lloyd Welch won the pot and will be selling raffle tickets next week.

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

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

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

Melinda Thompson, Bill Watts, Lloyd Welch

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

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

Sep. 21            Wed. Lunch Meeting  -  The Prez’  “Swan Song”

Sep. 25            Sun. Afternoon  -  Gourmet Wine and Food Tasting

Sep. 28            Wed. Evening Dinner Meeting  -  Installation at Oakmont Country Club

Oct. 5  Wed. Lunch Meeting  -  Early TV:  First and Second Decades

Oct. 6  Thu. Evening  -  Board Meeting

Oct. 12            Wed. Lunch Meeting  -  Glendale College Foundation

Nov. 3 Thu. Evening  -  Board Meeting