BUT DOES HE DO WINDOWS, TOO?

Wherefore art thou, Sir Alex?

 

Mark does it all

On this special celebration of the 25th anniversary of the official chartering of the Rotary Club of Lamorinda Sunrise Lafayette Moraga Orinda Rossmoor, President Alex Arnold had the good sense to be elsewhere. Therefore, in addition to doing the set-up and the tear-down and the B&A recognitions and run the AV equipment, Prez-to-Be Mark Roberts also ran the meeting. Is there no end to that boy's talents?

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

 

Well done, Michael

 

Mike Edwards led us in the most appropriate Thought for the Day we could have had on the cusp of the Memorial Day weekend - a minute of silence for all of our fallen soldiers, sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen. Perfect, Mike, as usual.

VISITING ROTARIANS

Alicia Cragholm - Lafayette

Anna Stevenson - Lafayette

Gary Irwin - Moraga

Debbie Roessler -Moraga and ADG

LAMORINDA SUNRISE ALUMNI AND ALUMNAE

Jack Peers

Bruce MacDougal

Mark Dunn - complete with his "hammer pants"

Jeff Adams

Tay Wheeler

Bart Fornfeist

Susan Wait - now with Orinda, but still one of ours

Joanne Luscher

GUESTS OF OTHER PERSUASIONS

Mary Mark - here for at least her fourth time (nudge nudge wink wink)

Ulrich Luscher - Joanne's hubby

Glenda Fillinger - the Queen returns

Carol Davis - Brad's better and far saner half

Carol Chaffey - George's better and far saner half

BIRTHDAYS, ANNIVERSARIES, AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS GOODIES

Nancy Baglietto and Thomas Raeth celebrated a total 31 years of wedded bliss. Not to each other, mind you, but their total time of matrimonial wonderfulness adds up to 31 years. What their fines totaled will have to remain a matter of conjecture, as this reporter once again demonstrated a shocking inability to hear over the riff-raff.

BATTER UP

John's running too, we presume?

The Orinda Fourth of July festivities need our, and we can make a shekel or two in the bargain, say John Fazel, who knows a thing or two about shekels and bargains. All we have to do is make and serve pancakes for the Pancake Breakfast. Whoever has been doing it can't any more, so we are stepping into the void. Bodies are needed from roughly 7:30 to 10:00. Yes, that is in the morning. No, Steve Ware, that is not a Saturday. Contact John to volunteer to help out.

MOTORAMA UPDATE

It's still on for June 17, which is still Father's Day. We still need cars, so keep those "You Have a Cool Car" cards handy.

And get your wine to Chuck Bove (or, in a pinch, Claire Roberts). You know, the $20+ bottle to go into the big wine barrel raffle/auction/whatever. Chuck says we are about two-thirds of the way there. He also says that, starting next week, he will name names. You have been warned.

WELCOME BACK, KRYSTEN AND GEORGE

Bangkok and Motorama too

More from George later

Krysten Laine and George Chaffey have returned from the venture to Bangkok for the Rotary's annual International Convention. We'll hear more about the goings on at a later date, but this reporter has been informed that George was deeply disappointed not to be able to find a single game of "Chicken in a Pot" while there.

PROGRAM

Happy Birthday to us! On June 2, 1987, the Club with the longest name in all of Rotary (that would be us; see above) was chartered. Today, we had a special celebration to mark that auspicious occasion. What began as a series of organizational get-togethers at the Lafayette Park Hotel has grown into, what we get to enjoy every week.

Past Presidents +

 Brad Davis guided us through the past darkly. He began by reminding us

The ever serious Mr. Davis

that in 1987 the average annual income was $24,000; the average home cost $88,500; the Dow Jones was at 2002 and Ronald Reagan was exhorting Gorbachev to "tear Down that wall!.

Paul Fillinger presented a slide presentation worthy of the solemnity and decorum for which the Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary is justly renowned. 

https://vimeo.com./42974815.

Laughter is good for the soul, says Paul

And of course, Paul's tribute included Rose. For those of you who weren't in the Club when we met at the old Vet's Hall (where the Lafayette library is now), Rose made our breakfasts. She was about 4'10" and looked like she weighed about 93 lbs soaking wet, and we were her gang. She had a gravelly two-pack-a-day voice and whipped up wonderful breakfast fare in a kitchen that was, to be charitable, slightly less than modern, usually with a cigarette in her mouth. Her ability to gauge how much to make was legendary - she could tell, just by looking ahead to what the program was going to be, how many people were likely top show up and, thus, whether to make extra or less than usual or the normal amount. Rose is no longer with us, but those of us of a certain Lamorinda Sunrise vintage still remember her fondly.  

Media maven Fillinger strikes again!

After a wonderful trip down Memory Lane, Paul appropriately reminded us that, if we want to maintain the spirit and bonhomie of the past 25 years, "It's up to you." Why we would want to do such a thing was left unasked and unanswered.

Brad next took us through the reigns of the 24 Past Presidents and the current President, allowing each one in attendance to offer up a few pithy words. As for the absent Past Presidents, well, they weren't here to defend themselves so they deserve whatever abuse they got.

Our first Grand High Poobahs, Jack Selway and Wright Morton, couldn't make it. But President #3, Tay Wheeler, was back. He noted that we were always a "fun" Club and had about $2,500 in the bank. But we had good Members and always had a good time.  

The "Hammer" strikes again!

The next Prez was #4, Mark "The Hammer" Dunn. He recalled that irreverence was always the name of the game. And yes, those were "hammer pants" Mark was wearing. And for those who were never in the line of fire when Mark was in "Hammer" mode, he showed from whence his nickname came by fining Jeff Adams $100. According to Brad, Mark once fined John Fazel $200.

Jeff Adams was never Club President, thereby showing that he was smarter than at least 25 other Lamorinda Sunrise Members, past and present. But Jeff was in charge of putting together the District Conference during George Chaffey's year as District Governor. Jeff, did not say it, but this

Jeff agreed, he handled George very well

reporter has it on good authority that, whenever George would express concern about the upcoming Conference or otherwise try to inject himself into the planning, Jeff (sort-of) politely told him to buzz off. This was the District Conference where the dictionary project was first done. And yes, that is the same dictionary project that we are still doing.

The next Club President was George Chaffey. The seemingly fearless George admitted his one fear: having to follow Mark. George appears to have done just fine.

Gary Westernoff, Bob Schwein and Harley Jensen couldn't make it, so Brad Davis himself was the next Past President to speak up. He recalled that, in the head-scratching and brain-storming about how to attract more women Members, a woman Member offered that pithy observation that "we'd get more women if Brad would shut the hell up."   Brad thought it was Joanne Luscher, Joanne thought it was Patti Witalis, and we could believe it about either one.

Stand down, stands Patti tall!

Speaking of Patti Witalis, Brad reminded us of when she was "retired" from the US Army Reserve, a move she did not want to make and which the Army handled with all the grace of a wounded hippopotamus. Patti was feeling, shall we say, low. So up stepped Mike Edwards, who came in his old and immaculate Coast Guard dress uniform and led us in a retirement ceremony honoring Patti worthy of a five-star general. This was a noteworthy example of how Members have been there to support each other over the years. There have been many others, most having flown under the radar.

Susan and Bob Riegg share a moment

Next was Susan Wait. She was our first woman President, and under her leadership we won our first Distinguished Club Award from District 5160. She also wanted to get us more involved in international projects. Thus began our involvement with the Russian Bakers, which went on for at least five years and was reborn this year on a similar model, but a different profession, when the Russian Realtors visited last Fall. Susan was also the first woman to serve as District 5160 Governor and the first DG to hold a District Conference outside the borders of the District (in Ashland, no less), making Susan a leader's leader.

Jack Peers observed that it was best to "be short," so he left it at: "It was a delightful year. Thank you." Skip McCowan followed by observing that one of the reasons he wanted to be Club President was so he could go to an exotic foreign locale for the International Convention. And go he did - to Indianapolis.

Cal still outsmarts us all

Rodger Hogan could not join us, so on to Cal Lee. At this time, it was still customary for the Club to walk out when the new President rang the bell for the first meeting of his tenure. But Cal was ready. He had Bart Fornfeist (who by this time had had to leave the Club for work reasons) standing by just outside, complete with military uniform and bullhorn, to whip us ne'er-do-wells into shape and back into the meeting.

Speaking of Bart Fornfeist, he not only was a Member for many years, but even after he had to leave he would still come back to serve as Santa at the annual holiday party. Many of our kids have sat on Santa Bart's lap while he dispensed Christmas cheer. You have to see his calming touch with the little ones to believe it.

Bob Riegg considered his most notable accomplishment as being the first Club President to skip out on his inaugural Presidential meeting. That was because he was in Denmark as part of a Friendship Exchange with the Løgstør Club working on his plumbing identification skills. (Ask Bob about this - he probably won't tell you but he'll get delightfully red in the face.)

Paul Bettelheim wasn't here to defend himself, but his successor, Club Secretary Chuck Yeager, told how Paul and he worked together to coordinate planning and how, by the middle of Chuck's year, he gave up entirely on long-term planning. And so it goes unto this very day.

Joanne and Patti BOTH told Brad where to go

Joanne Luscher came next. Not only did Joanne get a bridge built in Tanzania - no small accomplishment, believe you me - she presided over the move from the about-to-be-demolished Old Vet's Hall to Postino. It may seem like a no-brainer now, but it sure was controversial then. But with aplomb and sterling leadership skills, not to mention the utter inability to pronounce "TGITLFOTM" or half the Members' names, she pulled it off.

Ernie Furtado was not here, either, but it is safe to say that he ran the most organized year in the history of the Club. That was a good thing, because coming up behind him was . . . .

Would you want this guy as your Advisor?

Rich Shearer. Rich noted that he was brought into Lamorinda Sunrise by Past President Gary Westernoff. There is a saying among Past Presidents that no President can kill the Club in one year. Rich noted that he and Gary were the proof of the statement.

Paul Fillinger was the next Ex-Pres. He decided to stand on his PowerPoint presentation.

Pat Flaharty was due to be next up, but he was not here. Brad said all sorts of nice things about Pat, but Rich pointed out that Pat actually called, and asked for advice from, his Past President Advisor who happened to be . . . Rich Shearer, thereby showing that whatever other qualities Pat may have, his judgment is certainly suspect.

Tay always got 'em

Tay Wheeler, in his long-time role as Chief Recruiter of Future Presidents, had been nagging John Fazel for years to serve. Finally a couple years ago, Tay asked John what his excuse for this year was. John didn't have one. And that is how John came to be a poor excuse for a Club President.

Told you couldn't sink it

Thomas Peeks offered perhaps the most insightful commentary of the day. He said he was nervous going into his presidential year. He then said that he wished he could have met all these Past Presidents before he took over, because then he wouldn't have worried at all.

As noted above, President #25 Alex Arnold wasn't here, so we abused him in absentia. So President # 26, Mark Roberts, finished off the day by noting that his upcoming year had him feeling a mixture of "heart-warming inspiration and bone-chilling fear." To which all Lamorinda Sunrisers, past and present, rose up as one to tell Mark: Don't worry, we'll beat the inspiration out of you.

Happy, happy B'Day, LSR

It was a wonderful meeting. It gave the current Membership a glimpse into the people who got the Club going and instilled the unique spirit we enjoy. It also gave the former Members a chance to see that, while details have changed over time, we still stand for having fun and not taking ourselves too seriously while we do good in the world.

Many thanks to Brad Davis, John Fazel and Paul Fillinger for putting this celebration together, and thanks to everyone who came and shared the Lamorinda Sunrise spirit.

CALENDAR

 Friday 6/1, 7am - Kara Boatman, the euro zone

Friday 6/8, 7am - Lesher Center Director Michael Butler

Tuesday 6/12, 7am - Board meeting

Friday 6/15, 7am - Motorama revealed

Sunday 6/17 9 am - Motorama, Postino Parking Lot

Wednesday 6/20 - Three Quarter Century Club luncheon

Friday 6/22, 7am - Gabriel Angelo - Magical musical story

                   5:30 pm - Demotion party, Waal home

Friday 6/29, 7am - Jim Margraff exposes himself

Wednesday, 7/4 - Pancake Run - Orinda

Friday 7/6, 7 am - Antje Jahnke - Procrastination

Tuesday 7/10, 7am - Board meeting

Friday 7/13, 7 am - Club Assembly

Friday 7/20, 7 am - John Yoo, Legal Counsel, George W. Bush

Friday 8/3, 7am - A woof and a meow

Friday 8/10, 7 am - Economist Tappan Monroe

Tuesday 8/14, 7am - Board meeting

Friday 8/17, 7am - Dan Borenstein & Pensions continued