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President's Message
  
 
           
 

It is with great sadness that I tell you something that you may have already heard. Last week our Club lost one of its best Rotarians, a man that had been with us through thick and thin, Mr. Larry Letters.

Larry was in the club as long as I can remember. Larry had the most incredible spirit. I can’t remember a time that I did not walk into a meeting and see him smiling. Larry also told great stories. If I remember correctly, (and yes it’s hard to remember everything over all these years) he once told us a great story of his days in the Newspaper business. We always thought it was funny that a man whose last name was “Letters” was in the print industry. Larry told of how his apartment building in the city had a large bank of mailboxes. Of course, on his box his name was printed “Letters.” I remember him saying how the mailman would look at the boxes, see “Letters” and make a comment like “Of course, Letters, I’m not stupid.”

I always just thought that Larry would be at a meeting again. He would always show up no matter what diversity he had faced. He was airlifted off a ship in Alaska and spent months in a hospital, but he still came back to Rotary. His leg would “act up” and he would be gone for awhile, but he would then be back at Rotary in his regular seat. Sometimes Larry would have a cane and most recently he would have his wheelchair, but he would continue coming to Rotary as much as he could. Larry had such an incredible and persevering spirit that I could never believe there would not be a time when he wasn’t at Rotary or at least making plans to attend a meeting as soon as he was able to. Deep down I know he is still with us at our meetings, and making sure that the car washes are running smoothly. Let us all raise a toast to Larry and learn a lesson about what it means to appreciate fellowship, hard work and a good laugh.

 
 
YIRS,
 
Her Royal Highness, Your President, Heather Weare
President 2017-2018
 
 
 
 
Today's Program
 
February 13th
 
 
Lynda Gantt
 
"Five Ways to NOT Leave Your Lover"
 
 
 
 
Last Week's Meeting
by

 Aurora Borealis 

Classification:  Lighting Technician 

HRHYPHW called the meeting to order at 12:10 PM.  John Henning delivered an inspirational Invocation.  Cody Miller led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. 

There were several visiting Rotarians in attendance. Assistant District Governor Judy Henbury from the Nipomo Club introduced our speakers, Kat Stowell and Cees Dobbe, also from the Nipomo Club.  Diana Harb introduced Valerie Moya from the Breakfast Club. 

There were no guests of Rotarians. 

 

             

Sunshine Reporter Frank Culley had no sunshine to report.  Lynda Gantt said that her husband fell and had the flu.  He spent four and a half days in the hospital and is home now.  HRHYPHW said that she talked with Caitlin Sanders this past week.  Fred and Judy are doing well.  Caitlin is trying to convince Fred to take off a few hours on Tuesdays to go to Rotary. 

 

Judy Henbury introduced Kat Stowell and Cees Dobbe who talked about Club Runner, which is the program we use for our club webpage.  They have an app that can be put on your cell phone or on your tablet that can put you in touch with what is happening in our club anywhere in the world, as long as you have an internet connection.   With the app you can check out the club calendar and what is going on.  You can check your attendance.  You can get addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses for club members.  You can read club stories that are posted on the club website.  You can use it to have people sign up for events.  I think our problem is that it takes time to update all this technology.  Maybe we should recruit a member of the Geek Squad for our club. 

They did give a very shameless pitch for the Golf Tournament that they are having on May 11th at Monarch Dunes.  They are accepting sponsors and players now.

 

The Exemption Badge Drawing was held and Jason Diani won $5.  Too bad he wasn't at the meeting. HRHYPHW said she would keep the money in a safe place until she saw Jason.  Bob Miller won $10.  Cody Miller said he would give it to his grandfather.  The winner of the coveted Exemption Badge was Danielle Martinez.  She spent her entire time gushing about her father.  He was honored at the Boys & Girls Club Annual Luncheon as Volunteer of the Year.  Growing up she said her Dad was always volunteering for different organizations.  He taught hunter safety classes for the Fish & Game Department.  He coached Little League for 30 years.  Parents always like to brag about their kids, but she likes to brag about her parents.  Tom was always the cool, calm, and collected parent and she could always go to him with her problems or concerns knowing that she would get the right answer and/or good advice.  Her Dad's actions spoke louder than words when she was growing up as she watched her Dad start a business, raise a family, and volunteer in the community.  The best thing is that he didn't have to give her $100 to say this stuff. 

HRHYPHW received a packet of poppy seeds from the Rotary Club of Santa Rosa East.  These seeds were given out at the Rotary International Convention in San Francisco in 1938.  Our club gave a packet of seeds to all the attendees of the convention.  It referred to Santa Maria as the Valley of the Gardens. 

 

Moving on to Fines & Brags, Tom Martinez was recognized for being the Volunteer of the Year by the Boys & Girls Club.  He was happy to pay the $30 assessment. 

 

Jason Telander was tardy for our meeting.  He blamed it on work issues.  He then talked about Salud Carbajal going to Vandenberg Air Force Base and praising the people with disabilities who work there.  It was great publicity for the VTC.  Jason was fined $5.  Susan Rees temporarily lost her mind and volunteered to pay $25 because her daughter-in-law was in the pictures of this event. 

 

 

Camille O'Brien bought another new car (Didn't she just buy a new Lexus last year?).  This one is a Jeep .  She and Marty plan on towing it on the back of their motor home.  The Jeep has five wheels including the spare and she was fined $10 per wheel, or $40.  It's the new California math. 

 

Diana Harb celebrated a big birthday on January 28.  It was so big that she had to spend four days celebrating in Monterey.  She must not have spent all her money as she decided to pay for the table. 

Jason Telander also celebrated a birthday.  He didn't go to Monterey.  He went to the Escape Room in Oceano.  Not only did he escape in less than one hour, his self respect and sense of common decency left him as he volunteered to pay for the table. 

 

Carlie Engel and Norma celebrated 50 years of wedded bliss.  They travelled abroad to celebrate as they started their celebration at the IHOP.  After taking a bus to Emeryville they boarded the California Zephyr and went to Denver.  They stayed at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, then they flew to Las Vegas, and then flew home.  It's a good thing he could not be fined as Norma promised the kids and grandkids that Carlie would take them to Hawaii in June. 

 

In reference to the packet of seeds that HRHYPHW talked about earlier, Fred Donati said that he remembered a banner that went over Broadway when it was only two lanes wide.  The banner read "Valley of the Gardens."  He did not know what happened to it. 

 

Under announcements Bob Frias said that we are having a Valentine's dinner on Thursday, February 15th at Trattoria Uliveto.  The cost is $80 per person.  Sign ups were going quickly, so if you are interested please get your reservation in as soon as possible. 

 

Tom Martinez said that the Super Bowl Pool was a success.  The absent Virginia Perry Souza won the 1st and 3rd quarters.  I believe that Virginia will be "donating" some of that money back to the club.  The proceeds from the pool will be going to our exchange student for her trip at the end of the year. 

 

              

John Henning talked about the Green Bucket.  He thanked Barb Blanchard for filling up the bucket this week with shampoos, conditioners, soaps, mouth wash, toothpaste, etc.  These items will be stuffed into  Ziploc bags at a stuffing party in April and then they will be given to the Good Samaritan Homeless Shelter, Catholic Charities, and/or Domestic Violence Solutions.  I am not a lawyer and I don't play one on TV, but I have it on good authority that no laws will be broken in rifling through the maid's carts at the Santa Maria Inn and helping yourself to as many hygiene items as you can stuff into your purse, pockets, suitcase, or manbag.  You can also do this at any hotel you might stay at in the months of February and March without fear of incarceration.  When you go out of town to celebrate the Presidents' Day long weekend think of your obligation to Rotary and how you can appropriate hygiene items with a clear conscience. 

Try not to get too excited, but next week President Elect Michelle will announce her slate of officers for next year. 

 

 

                        

Andrew Millar told a joke, and I can't decide if his jokes are getting better, or if our standards are getting lower, but the joke was pretty funny. 

 

 

 

There was $970.50 as the winner's share in the 50/50 drawing.  Jim Talbott had the winning ticket, but he was unlucky at selecting the correct marble.  I guess that shows that he hasn't lost all his marbles yet. 

The meeting was adjourned at 1:33 PM. 

  

 

 

 
The Green Bucket Returns
 
In the months of February and March we will be collecting all the extra soaps, shampoos, conditioners, deodorants, toothpastes, etc. that you get at hotels.  Then in April we will have a stuffing party where we put these items in Ziploc bags and then give them to the Good Samaritan Homeless Shelter, Domestic Violence Solutions, or Catholic Charities.

    

 
Charitable Giving Application
 
The weekly speakers and programs are critical to a successful club!  If you have an idea or a program that you would like to see,
 
please contact Yvonne Biely, Program Chairman.  And as Yvonne always says,  Love is blind. Marriage is the eye-opener."
 

  
Upcoming Events
 
February 13th:  Lynda Gantt "Five Ways to NOT Leave Your Lover"
 
February 14th:  Today is Valentine's Day. Or, as men like to call it, Extortion Day.
 
February 20th:  Vilma Contreras, Exec. Director of Community Partners in Caring
 
February 27th:  Offsite - The Pad Climbing Gym
 
March 6th:  Judge Jed Beebe, Santa Maria Superior Court
 
April 3rd:  Connie Logeman "Human Trafficking"
 
 
 
        Invocation                                                                                 Tickets              
 
        Scott Dunn                                                                             Warren Buffett    
 
         Pledge                                                                                      Greeter
 
        Lynda Gantt                                                                              Andrew Millar
 
Board and Committee Members
2017-2018
Heather Weare - President
Jason Diani - Past President

Michelle Shipman - President Elect
Frank Culley - Secretary
Rick Ellison - Treasurer
Open - Membership
Open - President Elect Nominee
Andrew Millar - Club Service
Danielle Martinez - Youth Services
Virginia Souza/ - International Service
Patrice Mosby- Community Service
Brandon McCool/Ruben Escobedo - Vocational Service
Tom Martinez -"TRF" Found. Chair
Ron Nanning - Membership "Induction"
Susan Rees/John Henning - Membership "Orientation"
Yvonne Biely - Programs
Frank Culley - Website
TBD   - Sargeant At Arms
Frank Culley - Sunshine Reporter
Michelle Shipman - Fundraiser Chair
TBD - Publicity
TBD - Historian
Blanche Fugate - Awards Chair
John Henning - Rotator Editor
Club Members
ACTIVE MEMBERS
 
Yvonne Biely                                       Ron Nanning
Barb Blanchard                                   Jenifer Napoli
Allison Borja                                       Camille O'Brien
Terrilee Coleman                                 Fred Pratt
Frank Culley                                       George Railey
Ken Dally                                            Susan Rees
Jason Diani                                         Tom Ross
Fred Donati                                         Fred Sanders
Scott Dunn                                          Cynthia Schur
Rick Ellison                                          Michelle Shipman
Ruben Escobedo                                   Virginia Perry Souza
Carl Engel                                            Jim Talbott
Karen Fothergill                                    Jason Telander
Bob Frias                                             Heather Weare
Blanche Fugate                                    
Lynda Gantt                                       
Diane Harb
Rick Haydon
Judy Hearn                                           HONORARY MEMBERS
John Henning                                       
Hans Kardel, Jr.                                      Hardy Hearn
Peter Lopez                                            Alice Patino
Danielle Martinez                                   
Tom Martinez
Brandon McCool
Cynthia McKellar
Andrew Millar                                       VISITING ROTARIANS
Cody Miller
Robert Miller                                         Jo Grande - Hawaii
Laura Mohajer
Patrice Mosby                                       LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Greg Muscio
 
 
 
   
Central Coast Rotary Clubs
 
 
Mondays
6:00 PM Santa Maria South
The Historic Santa Maria Inn
12:00 PM San Luis Obispo
Madonna Inn
 
Tuesdays
7:00 AM SLO DayBreak
Et Viola on Los Osos Valley Rd.
Cambria Sunrise Centennial
Cambria Cafe
7:15 AM Solvang Breakfast
Alisal River Grill
Templeton
Ian McPhee's
12:00 PM The Rotary Club of Santa Maria
The Historic Santa Maria Inn
Pismo Beach/5 Cities
Ventana Grill at Shorecliff ZLodge
Morro Bay
The Morro Bay Golf Course
 
Wednesdays
7:00 AM Grover Beach
Mission Inn, Pismo
Nipomo
Cypress Ridge
Paso Robles Sunrise
Paso Robles Golf Course
12:00 PM Atascadero
Atascadero Lake Pavillion
San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Madonna Inn
12:10 PM Santa Ynez Valley
Santa Ynez Valley Marriott
6:00 PM Lompoc Rotary Club
Lompoc Embassy Suites
 
Thursdays
7:00 AM Santa Maria Breakfast
The Historic Santa Maria Inn
12:00 PM Paso Robles
Paso Robles Inn Ballroom
Arroyo Grande
Rotary Bandstand
Buellton
Marriott Buellton
 
Fridays
6:45 AM Vandenberg Village
Village Country Club
7:00 AM Los Osos
Sea Pines Golf Course
12:00 PM Cambria
Cambria Pines Lodge
 
To visit our website select the link:  http://www.rotaryclubof santamaria.org/
 
 
To visit District 5240's website select the link: http://www.rotarydistrict5240.org/
 
"Cybermake-ups"  http://rotaryeclubone.org/
 
Please submit any Rotator contributions to John Henning
 
Website contributions and Make-Ups to Frank Culley
 
 
 
 
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
ClubRunner