It’s been an interesting few months at the club. We have had a flurry of new members and I want to welcome them all in as Rotarians. I look forward to watching all the great things they will be doing going forward.
A few things to mention: The Clergy panel was very successful and powerful and I wanted to thank Anna Sakvarelidze, Ron Supancic and Sandy Rosenholz for working so hard in making this a successful event. Special thanks goes out to Anna’s husband Julian who worked really hard in setting up and breaking down the room. My intent is to continue to grow the event and expand the participation.
Having Henry Oster a Holocaust survivors speak at our club for Holocaust Memorial Day was an honor and it is important that we continue to memorialize that horrific time in the worlds history. (see story and photos below)
As most of you know we are partnering with the Calabasas club this year for our Poker & Casino fundraiser on June 3rd at the Canyon Club in Agoura. We all like to do projects and many of us come to the club for funding of their projects and favorite causes. Needless to say the money does not grow on a Rotary Tree, we need to fund raise. Quite frankly, I have an expectation that every club member do their part in a way that they can. There are multiple ways for club members to help. Buy tickets and attend the event, buy tickets for friends and family, help sell tickets, buy sponsorships, donate auction items and help spread the word. This is the opportunity for each and every club member to be a giver. We are 5 weeks away from the event so let’s get to work! (see information below)
Yours in Rotary service,
Paul
Bringing Peace to Our Community
by Ron Supancic
"Somewhere within us all exists a supreme Self who is eternally at peace."
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love
At the April 17 Peace Committee meeting the Bill Eddy method of high conflict problem solving was revisited. There was discussion of the tactics, techniques, and steps that are necessary in separating people from the problem. It is best to focus on issues, minimizing conflict, stimulating conversation, and provoking solutions that end conflict.
Members of the Peace Committee are encouraged to share incidents, events, and opportunities for using the tools from their Peace Maker Tool Kit. The kit is being developed by the United States Institute of Peace coordination with the United Nations Mediation Support Unit and in collaboration with a number of other mediation institutes and experts. The toolkit will include a series of "best practices" on key aspects of mediation and peacemaking.
During Ramadan, between May 15 and June 15, there will be a dinner with the Muslim community. A Peace March will be held in West Hills on Valley Circle, from St. Bernadine’s Catholic Church to Temple Alia and ending at the mosque in Woodland Hills across the street from El Camino High School. The Peace March Committee will be meet at 6 p.m. on April 30 to discuss the event.
The club has 10 Buddy Benches ordered and three schools are confirmed. Seven additional schools to be confirmed. The process starts with locating decision makers the selected schools and sending a congratulatory letter to them. A meeting is scheduled with the decision-maker, faculty, and student council to talk about any objections or concerns. It is vital that we establish an installation date, which should be an event in which we invite the media so that the community is informed of Buddy Benches and their purpose.
Buddy Bench coordinators included Sheri with Pacific Boys Lodge, Jeff Stern with Reseda Elementary and Serrania Charter, and Ava Teherani with Willow Elementary and Lupin Hill Elementary and A.E. Wright Middle School. Other places being considered are Viewpoint, Fulbright Elementary, Woodland Hills Elementary West Valley Girls and Boys Club and New Directions for Youth.
The club's first Buddy Bench.
Casino Night Volunteers Are Needed
Auction prep - put together auction baskets and other items, make bid sheets, create master list of items for tracking and close out
Auction set up - On the day of the event, set up auction items and bid sheets at the venue
Auction monitoring and close out - Monitor auction tables through out the event, pick up bid sheets at the end of the auction, assist with collection of funds and delivery of auction items to successful bidders
Venue set up - One the day of the event, set up and decorate prior to the start of the event
Check in table - Check in guests and provide instruction/direction on the night of the event
Your name, email address, phone number and the area(s) you are available to help.
Please indicate if you will be able to help on the day of the event. Remember, if you are playing poker or casino games, you need to tell me that so we won't be counting on you to help during those hours.
(If you have any comments or questions, please contact the editor)
Stories
Posted by Michael Turner
A Poignant and Riveting Account of 9/11 from Ground Zero Note: During the 9/1 program, Marc described to us the tragic events he witnessed on 9/11 from his office at Merrill Lynch. Here are some excerpts from his moving speech.
Iwas in my office on the 22nd floor at 55 Water Street, in an 8:30 meeting with my boss when we heard an airplane that sounded unusually close to us, followed by a horrifically loud crash. I went just outside my office to our Risk Management Department (who always had the news on) and saw on the TV this gaping hole in the side of the North Tower. It was so surreal, yet felt too real.
15 minutes later at 9:03, we watched in horror as a second plane appeared on the screen, and struck the South Tower. At that moment I though back to 1993, and I knew exactly what was going on, and I was worried.
And then my hear stopped for a moment, when I immediately though about my good pal Lenny.
My staff was now standing in the window offices from which you could see the towers...watching as people were jumping from the building. As they fell, they would disappear from our sights, behind other buildings. The, we would hear them hit the pavement.
I will always remember that sound, and the sound of everyone’s screams and crying. Then the first tower collapsed.
By the time the second tower collapsed, downtown Manhattan was a black as night. In that moment, I literally didn’t know what was coming next, or whether I would see my wife and kids again. This was terrifying for me...imagine the horror going through the minds of the people who were trapped, as well as all the first responders who were running into the danger.
Posted by Diane Nelson
The Halloween Faire: Your Help Is Needed
I’m excited that our upcoming fundraiser, our second annual Halloween Family Faire which will be on October 28th at Warner Center Park from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
I have a dream! I’d like to see this take off so in 20 years or less, we make a profit of $150,000 or more so we can do amazing things in our community.
But I need your help to get there!
I need each member to volunteer his or her time that day to help make this event successful. Lynn Miller will be passing around a sign-up sheet at the next three Rotary meetings. If you can’t make it to the meetings, please contact Lynn atLynnMiller3646@gmail.comor call her at 818-903-3646 to get involved. We have 75 lawn signs that need to be strategically placed. Can you take some? They will be at the next few meetings.
Other volunteers include CSUN students who will receive credit and Taft High School students who will run our Face Painting booth.
How else can you help you ask? We need event sponsors and vendors. It’s a great kids and family event, so think about businesses that would benefit and send them to our website: HalloweenFaire.org
or have them contact Rabia Dahal atRabia.dahal@asmmcpa.comor 818-378-6076 for more information. We also gladly accept donations!
Got kids? Or, grandkids? They will love this event! We will be pre-selling tickets at our next few meetings so you won’t have to wait in line to purchase tickets at the event. How about clients or customers? Give them event tickets. It builds goodwill and better friendships!
Tickets to what you ask? There will be seven fun kids games that we built with great prizes, several bounce houses, bungee jumping, rock wall climbing, face painting, cookie decorating, pumpkin painting, and frame decorating…..Tickets are $1.25 each or 10 for $10.
No ticket will be needed for the kids costume parade, pet costume parade, Shakey Quakey School Bus, Wings of Discovery, Bubble booth, playing the Theramin, and all day entertainment on the stage! We also have Disneyland tickets for a family of four for our drawing, plus gift cards, restaurant cards, two bikes from Fleet Street, haircuts, and more!!! There also will be great food and beverages for purchase.
The West Valley-Warner Center Chamber and the Valley Cultural Center are assisting with the Faire. They have been very supportive.
Thanks to the committee who has helped plan this event for the past several months, the Faire will be larger than last year’s and we have attendance was about 5,000. Let me know if you’d like to be on the committee either this year or next year. Please let me know how you will help!
Click on the flyer to learn more about the Halloween Family Faire
Posted by Paul Gross
October 7: Light Up the Night!
Imagine hearing the words, “you have cancer.” Think of how your world would change, how dark and scary that moment would feel. Sadly, many families in our community are facing this emotionally devastating reality.
I believe that everyone deserves a healthy, long life. That’s why I’m proud to be participating in Light the Night on October 7. The evening fundraising event benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). LLS raises much needed funds that help find cures and ensure access to the best available treatments for all blood cancer patients. Since 1949 LLS has invested more than $1 Billion in cancer research.
Will you help me save lives and reach my goal with a donation today? I have set a personal goal of raising a minimum of $1,000 and I can’t reach it without supporters like you. Please join me in helping to make someday, today with a donation to my page: My Fundraising Page
Your support and donation would mean so much to me and the lives of the more than 1.2 million people in the U.S. living with, or are in remission from, a blood cancer.
DG Cozette Vergari Pays a Visit to the Club Photos by Neal Goldman
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Paul Gross congratulates Victoria Burke and Kaye Rosen after they were inducted into Rotary by DG Cozette Vergari
Past DG and President receives his second major donor pin from DG Cozette Vergari
Dana Sherman is recognized by DG Cozette Vergari for his tireless efforts with Fleet Street
Tom Ludowitz is recognized by DG Cozette Vergari for his perfect attendance
Past President Jeff Stern is recognized by DG Cozette Vergari for for being named member of the year
PR Chair and District SAG Communications is recognized by DG Cozette Vergari for his service to the club and district
Cuidad Obergon: Rotary Donation of Firetrucks
For a number of months our club has been working the Ciudad Obergon, Mexico Rotary Club, and fire personnel to send two firetrucks to Ciudad Obergon. The firetrucks are in San Mateo, CA, and with funding from Joe Martinez and both Rotary clubs, the trucks will be shipped in late October or early November to Yuma, AZ. They will be stores at the Yuma first Station until import documents can be completed. The firetrucks will then be sent to Ciudad Obergon by flatbed truck. This ensure their longevity. Additional donations are needed. Contact President Paul if you want to make a contribution or know others who are interested as well.
After the trucks are delivered Joe and other fire personnel will travel to Obergon to train their firefighters. It would be nice if representatives from club could join the officials from Obergon when the firetrucks are turned over to them.
Holocaust Survivor Henry Oster
At the April 11 meeting Henry Oster told his compelling, inspiring life story, battling prejudice and the politics of fear as a Holocaust survivor. As a young German boy he survived deprivation in the Lodz Ghetto, a life-or-death selection in the Birkenau extermination camp, a firing squad in Auschwitz, being strafed by an Allied fighter, and starvation in Buchenwald. Henry rebuilt his life in America, arriving at 18 with no family, no English, no money and no education. Of 2,011 Jews uprooted from Cologne, Germany in 1941, he is the only survivor. Henry was still working as a world-respected Professor of Optometry on his 89th birthday, helping the world to see.
Michael Turner ► editor ► bearsworth@earthlink.net
P.O. Box 144 ► Woodland Hills, CA 91365 ► (818) 344-5776
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