Issues are arranged in reverse order. Scroll down to find the issue you want.
November 21, 2002
COMING EVENTS
November 28 - Club Dark - Happy Thanksgiving!
December 5 - Club Dark - Holiday Party, Friday evening
December 6 - Holiday Party, Petaluma Golf & Country Club
December 12 - Children's Gifts and Dinner (Dark at lunch)
December 17 - Luncheon meeting - Special Interact program
December 26 - Club Dark - Merry Christmas!
Meeting called to order by President ED FULLERTON.
Song leader TED ADKINS led us in God Bless America.
The Thought for the Day was given by GINA PITLER about The Meaning of Life.
We had one visiting Rotarian who was introduced by AL KAPLAN. Rotarians with guests included Vera Ciammetti, who introduced Ms. Gibson, Gerry Gillespie who introduced his son and past Rotarian, Rick, and LOU STEINBERG who introduced the new superintendent of schools, Greta Viguie.
We had 4 Interact students from Petaluma High School and 3 Junior Interact students from Petaluma Junior High.
STEVE OLMSTED announced the passing of Max Cerini. There will be a Rosary on Monday and the Funeral on Tuesday, both in Novato.
NOTE THE CLUB CALENDER AT THE TOP OF THIS ROTATELLER. THE CLUB WILL BE DARK BOTH NEXT THURSDAY THE 28TH FOR THANKSGIVING AND THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY THE 5TH OF DECEMBER FOR THE CLUB HOLIDAY PARTY.
KATHY BURROUGHS announced the Holiday party will be December 6th at the Petaluma G&CC.
HARVEY FREETLY asked for signups for the passing out of Dictionaries at Petaluma area elementary schools. He also mentioned that RICK OBERLIN will be assuming his place at the sign in table.
JOHN DADO announced Day at the Races on Friday January 10th. Signup is $50 apiece. Contact John if you have an interest.
MIKE BADDELEY asked for those Rotarians who attended Friendship Feasts who have not paid to please do so.
BARNEY FAUSS announced that December 19th is Interact Day at Rotary and he will be assigning Interact students to club members.
PRESIDENT ED reminded us all that if you have any interest in a Rotary license plate you must sign up before Dec 31st.
RICK MOSSI announced that the Super Raffle is coming soon, so get ready.
JOHN RAMATICI will be hosting the French Youth Exchange student beginning next month.
GINA PITTLER announced that the Downtown merchants will be having a fund raiser to help employees who lost their jobs due to the fire.
We then sang Happy Birthday to BILL HARTMAN, FRED WULFF, RICH JOHNSON, BRIAN HOOVER, RICK OBERLIN, RICK MOSSI, ANDY KVALHEIM and RICARDO MARZO.
GERRY GILLESPIE passed the box around for UNICEF.
ALDEN HENNINGS was fined $50 for being gone for 11 weeks while traveling around the Deep South.
JOHN DADO was fined $100 for his trip to Spain and Portugal. He also had his third grandchild. Congratulations!
Also to be congratulated was KIP HERZOG for his third grandchild. Kip also paid $100 fine for his trips to the Panama Canal, Disneyland and Lake Almanor.
RALPH BETTINELLI (or is it Benedetti?) was almost fined, but it was KATHY BURROUGHS who coughed up $10 for the error.
PRESIDENT ED won the raffle, a bottle of wine.
ONITA PELLEGRINI introduced our speakers from The Family Connection. We had contributed $250 to this worthy organization that assist the homeless in a transition to being productive and self-sustaining.
Remember December 12th meeting is at 6:00 p.m. for the Children’s Gift Dinner.
Next regular meeting will be December 19th.
This week's Rota-Teller editor: Lou Steinberg. December 5 editor: Mike Baddeley.
November 14, 2002
COMING EVENTS
November 21 - Another interesting program
November 28 - Club Dark - Happy Thanksgiving!
December 5 - Club Dark - Holiday Party, Friday evening
December 6 - Holiday Party, Petaluma Golf & Country Club
December 12 - Children's Gifts and Dinner (Dark at lunch)
December 17 - Regular luncheon meeting
December 26 - Club Dark - Merry Christmas!
A very feminine bell sounded at precisely 12:30 as the understudy to PRESIDENT ED, ONITA PELLEGRINI, called the meeting to order. BARNEY FAUSS dashed to the front and started to lead us in song before, the (in control) PRESIDENT ELECT ONITA called on him. A $5 fine was assessed. He then led us in a jolly rendition of “I’m a Rambler” followed by an enthusiastic “God Bless America”.
DAN REED stepped up to the podium next for the invocation. He read a passage from a book which left us with the message: What really makes us happy? Do we only covet our possessions?
The usual hugs and handshakes quickly followed.
TAWNY TESCONI introduced the two visiting Rotarians and LOU STEINBERG welcomed the Interact Students.
HERB BUNDESON introduced the only guest, Ron Harris.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
PRESIDENT ELECT ONITA mentioned that all the new Rotarians will have their picture taken next week for the directory.
JEANETTE CLARK was up next with news about the very successful Foundation Dinner, hosted by the three Petaluma Rotary Clubs. We netted over $20,000 for the Polio Eradication Program. Twenty-six members and spouses attended. That’s a record for our club! The club donated auction items with a value of $1,250. They were: Dinner for 12 hosted by our Board of Directors - $750 and a Sightseeing flight donated by our PRESIDENT - $500. Special thanks to:
LORETTA CATAROZOLI reminded us of the Children’s Christmas Party on December 12th. She passed out sign-up sheets for those who wish to host a family, attend the dinner, and shop. The shopping days are December 3rd, 4th, and 5th at 7:00a.m. at K-Mart. Please let her know if you or your spouse can help.
RICK MOSSI made some Chamber announcements which cost him $5 and took fellow Rotarian JIM BECKER along with him for $5. It seems the Business After Hours was at Exchange Bank and the Wake Up Goes Night was sponsored by Edward Jones Investment Group.
KATHY O’CONNOR BURROUGHS reminded us of our Holiday Party on December 6th at the Petaluma Golf & Country Club. There will be dinner and dancing and lots of cheer. Please RSVP to Kathy at 778-1145.
PRESIDENT ELECT ONITA was now thoroughly warmed up to her role as the leader of this motley crew. She began her fining session by calling on proud grandfather, DAN LIBARLE. His daughter gave him his first granddaughter. Dan already has 3 grandsons. He tried to pass off his fine to UNCLE GENE BENEDETTI, but generously conceded to $100 to the Club and $100 to the Foundation. Thank You DAN!
It seems our tanned JEANETTE CLARK took another trip to Kona which cost her $25.
PAUL MASELLI has been relaxing in San Diego. He might have gotten off with a lesser fine if he had smiled for CAMERAMAN AL. Thanks for the $50 PAUL!
BANO CUMMINGS was on the East Coast caring for her 98 year old friend. This lady is doing great but it cost BANO $25.
PRESIDENT ELECT ONITA showed TOM BAKER no mercy. He donated $5 for coming to the Vets the last two weeks when the Club was Dark.
Smooth talking RALPH BETINELLI complimented all the lovely women of the Club. PRESIDENT ELECT ONITA was not listening and fined him $20 for hunting in Colorado. RALPH‘S loose lips then tattled on DON RAMATICI. RALPH thought he saw DON on the same highway in Colorado. It cost DON $20, too.
PDG ART AGNEW left the cash and walked away with a bottle of wine in the raffle.
LOU STEINBERG introduced our very own CARL WONG as our speaker. CARL is the new Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools. CARL will be overseeing 40 School Districts and 72,991 students in Sonoma County. With 169 schools and 8,222 public school employees, CARL faces may challenges as he begins his term. We wish him only the best.
This week's Rota-Teller editor: Loretta Catarozoli.
NEXT WEEK'S ASSIGNMENTS
Fine Can: James Gotelli
Microphone: Linda Zacharin
Visitors: Al Kaplan
Editor: Lou Steinberg
November 7, 2002
COMING EVENTS
November 9 - Foundation Dinner
Novermber 14 - Carl Wong - Superintendent of Schools
Since the Club was dark today, we have no local news to report. But we have important news from Ethiopia!
Rotarians help immunize 14 million in Ethiopia
More than 14 million children were immunized against polio in Ethiopia during the first round of National Immunization Days (NIDs) carried out by more than 74,000 volunteers, including Rotarians, on October 25. Ethiopian President Girma Woldegiorgis launched the massive effort the previous day at the Grand Palace, Addis Ababa, by administering drops of the oral polio vaccine to a child.
In an address at the event, the president praised the humanitarian efforts of Rotary and the other partners spearheading the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. "I appeal to those who have credibility and respect in the community, especially the religious leaders, to play a major role in making immunization part of [our] child upbringing culture," he said.
The Ethiopian army was also mobilized to support the effort in inaccessible and insecure regions of the country. Fifty five percent of Ethiopia was covered at vaccination centers and the rest through a door-to-door campaign.
"This was a very successful NID by any standard, and I look forward to the second round come December," said Shifarraw Bizuneh, chairman of Ethiopia's National PolioPlus Committee. "Given the difficult terrain, the nomadic character of some regions, and lack of infrastructure, it is indeed very difficult to reach every child. But traveling by car, plane, horseback, and helicopter, the Rotarians courageously tackled every obstacle they faced to reach and protect every child in the country under age 5."
Contributing their personal resources to cover trip expenses, 85 Rotarians from the Seattle, Washington, area traveled to join their Ethiopian counterparts in the NID. Each of the visiting Rotarians also carried along an extra piece of luggage filled with medical, dental and school supplies, as well as new children's clothing.
"We are proud to be part of this historic effort to rid the world of a crippling disease that has impacted millions of lives throughout the centuries," said District 5030 Governor Rosemary B. Aragon, leader of the group. "It is imperative that we continue our efforts during the final push to eliminate this disease once and for all, regardless of the volatility of the current world situation."
At the October 24 launch of the NID, Aragon presented President Woldegiorgis with a Paul Harris Fellow medal and certificate. Rotarian Ralph Munro, long time Secretary of State of Washington, presented the Ethiopian leader with a flag of his state and a statue of Chief Seattle, a legendary Native American. That evening, the U.S. Rotarians attended the charter ceremony of the Rotary Club of Addis Ababa Entoto.
Much progress has been made toward eradicating polio in Ethiopia. Only one case of polio was reported last year, compared to 144 cases in 2000. As part of its efforts to end polio worldwide, Rotary has contributed $5.7 million to polio eradication efforts in Ethiopia.
Here are some photos taken at our last meeting (on October 24):
There was a Rota-Teller edition last week (thanks to Steve Olmsted). To read it click here.
This week's Rota-Teller editor: Al Cattalini.
NEXT WEEK'S ASSIGNMENTS
Fine Can: Connie Heizer
Microphone: Lou Steinberg
Visitors: Gina Pittler
Editor: Loretta Catarozoli