THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
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extemporaneous Rich
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Rich Shearer was head "lecturer" this morning in what we collectively figured out was a tutorial on the last 100 years in America. It started with recognizing the 100th Year Anniversary of Fenway Park and the Boston Red Sox. From that he segued into "do we remember how things were in the country at that time" (only a handful of us actually do), or 50 years later, or 25 years later, or ten years later? He ended up opining that in spite of our current financial, political, you-name-it woes, we really are better off now than we ever were in the past. If you believe that...?
VISITING ROTARIANS
Don Jenkins - Orinda Club
John Sherry - Lafayette Club
Alicia Cragholm - Lafayette Club
Mark Cranmer - Walnut Creek Club
Guests
Claire Roberts - Joining soon
Ron Melvin - Joining soon
John Kallio - Joining soon
Bill Leone - Orinda
Agatha Sue Lee - Cal Lee's best ever cheer leader
Antje Jahnke - From Germany and future LSR featured speaker
Traci Sharp & Cathy Schalin - Mothers of today's spectacular program performers
THE STAGE AT THE RES
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Great stewadship John
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John Sherry presented a special invitation to LSR members to attend a special recognition event at the new performing arts stage at the Lafayette Reservoir this Wednesday at 5 PM. This event is for major donors who are invited to be recognized and honored for so generously supporting this community effort. As we all know, it was the dogged determination of the Lafayette Rotary Club that made this happen.
There will be a cabaret style format that will showcase the new stage, consisting of local artists and musicians, including dancers and even a Shakespeare performance from Lafayette's Town Hall troupe.
Refreshments will follow. Free parking in the main lot will be provided (just tell them you're there for the stage event). LSR is delighted to be part of the major donor group, so let's show our support by being well represented at this inaugural occasion.
HOW ABOUT A ROTARIAN SERVICE AND RESOURCE PUBLICATION?
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Another great idea from Hays
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Hays Englehart is at it again. He is building on the highly successful HOME Team project that, after two years, is gaining serious recognition not only locally but District wide. The five clubs in Lamorinda and Rossmoor are putting together a "Rotary Service and Resource Guide" which will be patterned after the excellent Lafayette Chamber of Commerce publication. All members of the Clubs will be encouraged to "opt in" to be listed. They may also purchase a $100 quarter page advertisement for their businesses. If each club has ten members buying advertising, the net income will be $5,000 which will cover all costs of the publication.
It is true that Rotarians like to do business with other Rotarians. It's also true that the publication will add community visibility of individual Rotarians in the Clubs that can be a Club recruitment tool. HOME Teamers have found that their clients are often seeking other services in the area, and have requested a resource guide of similar community-oriented Rotarians be made available. Sounds as though it will definitely be "Beneficial For All Concerned!"
THEY'RE GOING TO BANGKOK!
| I'll go! |
| So will I! |
George Chaffey and Krysten Laine have accepted the offer from the Club to receive a $1,500 stipend each to help defray costs of attending the Rotary International Convention in Thailand in May. President-elect Mark Roberts is unable to attend, therefore, from this year forward, the club will accept proposals from other club members to be partially reimbursed from the $3,000 allocated each year to the President. If future incoming Presidents are not able to attend, however many other members choose to go will share equally in the full $3,000. Alex Arnold presumes to understand all of this.
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Carol Chaffey had a birthday and she and George celebrated with a special dinner dish from Napa called "Malfatti" (he didn't know how to spell it either).
Alex Arnold more or less shrugged off his fifth year Anniversary in Rotary. Seems he had other things on his mind at the moment.
Regina Englehart had a birthday and Hays went scuba diving? He mumbled something about celebrating next week...or the week after...or.
BUDD MACKENZIE STILL IN BUSINESS EVEN IF AFGANISTAN IS CLOSED AT THE MOMENT
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Trust In Education is okay
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Paul Fillinger reported that Budd's entre to his great Trust in Education projects is blocked as of now. The schools are still open and thriving, the teachers are not threatened, and life goes on for them as more or less business as usual. And the ongoing support for education in Afghanistan is also proceeding apace here at home. On Friday, May 11, at 6:30 PM there is a program/fundraiser featuring comedian Mark Lundholm at the Veteran's Memorial Building in Lafayette. Adults $60/Students $30.
There will be an update on the latest information from Afghanistan provided by Budd and Nabi. For tickets online, go to www.trustineducation.org.
THE PROGRAM
Buddy Burke produced a stunner this morning. Words cannot describe the show we were treated to by two home-schooled high school seniors from Livermore, Allison Sharp and Brett Schalin.
Allison has been competing in speech tournaments since the age of 12. She will be competing in Stoa's National Invitational Tournament of Champions this June in Colorado. Allison will be performing a humorous interpretation where the student creates an amusing, original rendition from a piece of literature, designed to captivate the audience.
Brett Schalin was first introduced to speech competition as a seventh grader watching his older brother and cousin compete. He decided to try it himself the following year and enjoyed it so much he continued for the next three years. Through competitive speech he believes he has gained invaluable communication skills. Brett aspires to be an astrophysicist someday.
Allison and Brett reprised their duo performance of Around the World in 80 Days which they took to the National Tournament of Champions in San Diego last year. Playing two of the main characters from the play, filled with witty dialogue, sound effects, visual movement and facial expressions perfectly executed, they took us around the world to such places as Bombay, Bangkok, Hong Kong, etc. in 15 hilarious minutes.
Allison then came back for an encore. Her humorous interpretation mentioned earlier was from a short story by Mark Twain, Mrs. McWilliams and the Lightning. For the competition Allison is required to quote the text verbatim and allowed to use only an additional 30 words however she wishes.
Her rendition would have made Carol Burnett proud. As alternately being Mrs. McWilliams, hiding in a closet, scared to death of the lightning, and her husband Mortimer, lying in bed and totally befuddled, she was spectacular. The sound effects, lightning and thunder, alarm bells, fingernails on blackboards, etc. would have made Mark Twain proud. This young woman is amazing, although she professes that acting is "not her thing." Yeah, right. She aspires to be a school teacher. If she follows through and word gets around among the students, her classes will be jammed packed from the git go!
If you were there, consider yourself lucky. If not, better luck next time!
CALENDAR
Friday 4/27, 7am - Expose yourself - David Waal
Friday 5/4, 7am - Saucy Jack the Ripper
Tuesday 5/8, 7am - Board meeting
Friday 5/11, 7am - Pan Am TV series - Nancy Hult Ganis
Friday 5/18, 7am - District Attorney Mark Peterson
Saturday 5/19 - District 5160 Assembly, Vallejo, support Home Team
Friday 5/25, 7am - Expose yourself - Jim Marggraff
Friday 6/1, 7am - Kara Boatman
Friday 6/8, 7am - Lesher Center Director Michael Butler
Tuesday 6/12, 7am - Board meeting
Friday 6/15, 7am - Marilyn Langbehn - Director/PR Mgr, Cal Shakes
Sunday 6/7 7 am - Motorama, Postino Parking Lot 9 am
Friday 6/22, 7am - Gabriel Angelo - Magical musical story
Friday 7/6, 7 am - Antje Jahnke - Procrastination
Friday 7/13 7 am - Club Assembly
Friday 7/20 7 am - John Yoo, Legal Counsel, George W. Bush
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