The LAMORINDAN Newsletter

June 27, 2014

   Reporter: Cal Lee   Editor: Claire Roberts   Photographer: Leander Hauri                   

President:  Hays Englehart 2013 - 2014          



We meet on Friday mornings at 7am at
the Lafayette Park Hotel
3287 Mt. Diablo Blvd, Lafayette CA


HOW TIMELY CAN YOU GET

 

Conrad Breece, undoubtedly noting that we're about halfway between D-Day and July 4th, gave the word from the top:   "The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

  


GUESTS

           Rotarians:

 

                        Alicia Cragholm, attending stag

                        Larry Sly, Concord Foodie

                        Greg Warner, also from the Concord Club visited again

 

            Ambiguous Rotarians:

                        Patti Witalis (welcome back)

                        Krysten Laine (ditto)

Ray Welles (ambiguity deleted a few minutes later) and his bride Jackie                       

                     

                   

            Guests:

 

                        Pat and Marge Werner, groupies of Film Star Buddy

                        Regina Englehart, mere ordinary citizen

                        Holly Landers Burke, come to see the show

                        Erik Leuteneker

 

POOR MS. ROBERTS - OCCASIONS    

 

She blew off tickets to Timmy's no-hitter. But she shook it off and tried to look happy as she honored the honorees:

 

Paul Bettelheim, animal man, who joined on this date in 1989 with Bob Hermann, tooth man, as both slunk away from Kiwanis which went belly up. The good news is that the Endowment is now $100 richer.

 

Ron Brown, who took very good care of Sara on her several birthday occasions:

            Saturday in Alamo with daughter

            Sunday at the Park Hotel (our home! - doesn't that sound good)

            Monday lunch in Alamo

            Thursday lunch at the Park

            Today headed to the Cliff House

 

Ron might like some of that good home cookin' at this point.

 

President-in-limbo Hays, trying desperately to burnish his legacy, passed the bucket with the requirement that everyone put in $1. This was supposed to make good everyone's $100/year in fines, etc.   Don't know how he did the math.

 

Claire Roberts, dispenser of the fancy new logo shirts, recognized Polly Bernson for her great and generous assistance in that department. Claire did what she said she'd never do - presented a pink shirt for the occasion.

 

 

Claire also recognized Paul Fillinger, who was the sponsor of Prodigal Son #1 Jack Peers, who was the sponsor of Prodigal Son #2 Ray Welles, who tried to sneak back under the radar but got what he deserved. A break was taken while everyone tried to find the best way to battle through the crowd and give 'em 5 in our new location.

 

George Chaffey forfeited $5 by making a comment about Ray's meeting with Paul Harris. By way of correcting that misimpression, some bio facts were given about Reverend Welles: Originally joined LSR in 2000, sponsored by member Frank Baldwin who was then senior pastor at Orinda Community Church. Gave in to the siren call of Rossmoor Rotary in 2012, but to err is human, and divine forgiveness was bestowed. A few years back his undergrad years were at Pomona (Go Sagehens), then he passed through Yale Divinity School, Pacific School of Religion, and SF Theological Seminary - good training for setting us straight, even if he has to get up on a table to do it. Other than preaching, many publications and spiritual guidance are his game.

 

George got his comeuppance. Belatedly, his 50th anniversary on this very day was recognized. 50 years - wonder what that cost? He's been away from home on two of those anniversaries - the very first one, and the present one since he's leaving tonight of course on Rotary business. Carol, if you're reading this, he's a good man deep down.

 

Mark Roberts gently hinted that there's never too much Rotary publicity by presenting the lame duck and the new guy with Rotary license plate frames.

 

Last but not least of the occasions, there's July 4th, starring Ron Melvin. He could use the assistance of about 6 Rotarians, and best of all would be family participation. 6 to 11 a.m.

 

 

 

 

IT WILL BE A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER   

 

Buddy Burke exposed. After of course coping with the Curse, he hit his stride with a presentation that was a collage, a potpourri, a kaleidoscope on our modest screen.

 

His opening salvos were, modestly, would you ask Hamlet to go fast? And humbly, it's better to be lucky than smart.

 

We of course were treated to another shot of The Dogs, to kick off his early life in Deliverance Country, Georgia. His Army dad was, yes, Georgian, and his mother was Russian. One of the few households with grits & borscht.

 

Buddy was isolated and therefore easily excited about everything elsewhere. He devoured National Geographics. His Aunt Natalie of SF would visit occasionally and bring news from the City. His heroes at this point (with appropriate pictures) were Teddy Roosevelt, Ben Franklin, and Ms. Gonzales, an 8th grade math teacher who was actually college educated and encouraged her students to do the same. There was also his honorary "Uncle" Dewitt, a widower of 6 kids who seemed to do nothing but talk, but those kids all went to college. Another hero was little sister Tracy, whose philosophy boils down to, everyone's equal.  

 

 

Not everything was entirely pleasant at the old homestead. It was located in Toombs County, which was generally known as Bloody Toombs. The big industry was tobacco, and we were treated to illustrations of how that process works in the field. Big old sticky leaves. Hot and humid for everyone except the boss's son who got to drive the tractor. But all mitigated by a transistor radio blaring Conway Twitty and Porter Wagner tunes, which Buddy therefore does not prefer to hear today.

 

His high school was not a pipeline to college, but was a pipeline to the big house. One sad reunion story was a classmate who was having a tough time getting a husband because she murdered her first one.

 

But Buddy bucked the trend and attended college. In fact, he overcame his natural shyness by campaigning for president of the said institution's student body. (He didn't say, but it is suspected the name of the institution was Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.) Ambiguous whether he won, but more important to him was his discovery of Jimmy Buffett, who eradicated Messrs. Twitty and Porter.

 

When Career Day came around, he surrendered easily to the Air Force and its temptation of $10,000/year to have fun flying. However, reality struck when his flying teacher turned out to be a Yankee who said rather graphically that Southerners weren't smart enough to do it. But he made it through and was rewarded by taking his dad on an extremely vertical flight, and also flying a little jet all around the country.

 

 

 

The next era was Berlin, dashing commercial pilot, hanging out there and in Italy, but living a completely hollow life (that snort from the audience was Holly). He did get to fly his mother in the cockpit from Berlin to Oslo and back. Well, most of us have seen a presentation or two in which Buddy seemed to be bearing up under this Berlin hollowness just fine.

 

As he eased through life, he was a captain with American Airlines and then Virgin Air for a bit. But he was more interested in establishing traditions, such as joining a friend to invest in a party bus which went everywhere including to Jimmy Buffett concerts. Also campouts each September at the Grand Canyon. Also a National Park annually. Also his very own flying machine.

 

 

He also mastered this online stuff to the point where he filled his hollowness by meeting the one and only Holly and described himself as having big feet (no other dimensions given). The Wedding soon followed, starring the flying machine. With a National Geographic honeymoon.

 

 His academic side came out when he demonstrated why he got out of flying. It seems the Ideal Pilot is supposed to score well on the Cognitive test but not the Sociability test. He graphically and scientifically demonstrated how he stood under this test. After 15,000 hours, 4 engine failures, 10+ emergencies, and 65+ check rides, he concluded that he was a bit restless in the cockpit due to the sociability side of his brain.

 

 

But how to secure the ideal position? Invent it! So 2 weeks ago, that's just what he did for Apple. He has to check back shortly, buy they were very encouraging. What this invented position is, well, stay tuned.

 

Now that he's all grown up, his heroes are Colonel Sanders, Harry Truman, and the president-elect of Twain Harte Rotary - a party animal age 99. (Initial guesses from his picture were way off.)

 

 

Buddy already has a start on being world famous. When he was in Sydney for the international convention, he discovered Buderoo National Park.

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, Buddy, have a good year.   

 

 

 

 

 

     

Hays is looking more relaxed already!!
CALENDAR

Friday, July 4th - 6-11am - Pancake Breakfast  hosted by Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary at the Orinda Community Center

Friday, July 4th - NO FORMAL MEETING but please join us for the Pancake Breakfast

Thursday, July 10th - 7am - Board Meeting, Lafayette Park Hotel

Friday, July 11th - 7am - Weekly Meeting & Club Assembly, Lafayette Park Hotel

Friday, July 18th - 7am - Weekly Meeting, Lafayette Park Hotel 
 
Saturday, July 19th - Joint Fab 5 picnic at the Res from 6-8pm   


Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary Links 

Lamorinda Sunrise Web Site

Lamorindan Archives


ADDITIONAL PHOTOS OF THIS AND OTHER LSR EVENTS MAY BE FOUND AT WWW.LSR.SMUGMUG.COM. SHOULD BE YOU SMITTEN BY A PARTICULAR IMAGE, PRINTS MAY BE ORDERED FROM THIS WEBSITE. (THE QUALITY IS EXCELLENT.)
. 
Contact Us

Rotary Club of Lamorinda Sunrise
PO Box 1491
Lafayette, California 94549
www.lamorindasunrise.org
E-Mail Us