The Generators February 2011

5280 Monthly District Newsletter • February 2011

The Generators

Rotary Cares Day 2011

FEBRUARY 2011

01 Santa Monica chartered in 1922

05 Chinese New Year Parade

08 Culver City chartered in 1930

11 Westchester Comedy/Magic Night

12 Interact End Polio Bowling Night

17 South Bay Sunrise-Torrance

chartered in 1987

18 Dominican Republic service projects

begin

22 GSE Team leaves for one-month visit

to Bangladesh

23 Chicago Club #1 chartered in 1905

World Peace and Understanding Day

24 Westchester chartered in 1950

25 President-Elects Training Seminars

weekend

26 Del Amo-Torrance chartered in 1968

27 Malibu chartered in 1971

28 District Recognition Books deadline is

only 15 days away

February is World Understanding Month

Who Does What? Flyers, maps, details and e-mail addresses

are all on the district website. www.Rotary5280.org

• Governor Visits: Val Velasco and the

Assistant Governor assigned to your club

• Group Study Exchange: Earle Vaughan

• RYLA: Elyse Beardsley and Joe Harding

• New Generations: Jaimee Sul and Olivia Patterson

• Speech Contest: Jim Boltinghouse

• Art Contest: Diane Davis

• ShelterBox: Jim Dyer

• District Conference: John Colville

• End Polio Now: Shirley Giltzow

Debbie Roth, age 4, wants to use a new playground slide donated by the Rotary Club of Panorama City, but she has to wait for

club president Dr. Howard L. Mark and member George Hjelte to tumble towards the bottom. Photograph by Glickman, Los Angeles

Examiner, USC Digital Archives. February 6, 1958.

Cover Photo: Gloria Dresser, who has cerebral palsy, is greeted

by Westchester Rotarian Kim Williamson as she arrives at her

surprise home makeover. Photo by Sean Hiller, Daily Breeze.

This is your District Newsletter so don’t hesi-

tate to send club announcements and other

interesting items you want to share. Marc

Leeka, Editor. [email protected]

Two-fisted Intern Wanted

We have already received a significant num-

ber of applications but, being very selective

for this highly visible and extraordinarily in-

fluential district newsletter assistant editorial

position, we can’t take chances on just let-

ting anyone into this prestigious position.

Contact Marc Leeka for interview.

T rue story.

It happened a few years ago at one

of our local clubs. Two men sat by

themselves in the back of the room oblivious

to their surroundings, seemingly in a world

onto themselves. While the course of the

regular meeting came and went before them

they sat and talked. Later we learned the

subject matter.

Both were new to the Club, in fact, both were

somewhat new to the country. One was from

India, the other Pakistan. The topic of conver-

sation between the two was about the threat

of war. Both countries at that moment had

weapons pointed at the other, a breakout of

violence seemed imminent. And yet the con-

versation was not that of combatants poised

to do battle. It was instead one of friendship

and sincerity, each wanting to know about

the safety of the other’s families. They shook

their heads in wonderment knowing that

world peace can happen but only by getting

to know one another. And doing as only as

they did; one person to another.

No region, country or ideology has a monop-

oly on the chance of violence. But in almost

all cases of unrest, the genesis of it comes

from the same sources: illiteracy, poverty and

hunger. We put a dent into the source; we

may also reduce the chance of the eventual

outcome. If we reach out with a welcoming

hand, we create friendships and understand-

ing.

About 100 of us will leave in a few days to

the Dominican Republic. As with any Interna-

tional Service trip, we are their guest, invited

into their country and homes to help in areas

they requested our assistance. As is the case

with every International effort of every club,

we’ll do our best in being ambassadors for

Rotary, for our Country and our District as we

“Bridge Continents” placing one more build-

ing block in world understanding.

W e also begin our efforts in

publicizing our District Con-

ference. It’s going to be a bit

different! Each and every presentation will

feature not someone who has done some-

thing in the name of Rotary, but the benefici-

ary of that action! One after another, you will

feel the heart of Rotary as you learn firsthand

how lives were changed, because of you!

There also will be ample time to enjoy the

world class resort, perform a community

service project, lounge by the pool, play golf,

attend our now famous Friday night hospital-

ity gathering and above all have one heck of

a good time. Oh, and did I mention we’ll have

9-time Grammy award winning Asleep at the

Wheel in concert Saturday night? All of this

and no increase in price whatsoever from last

year.

Doug

Governor Doug’s Message

Latinos Unidos President Brenda Jaramillo helps a resident paint at the Women's

Care Cottage in North Hollywood. Her club turned out in force to thoroughly refurbish the

facility.

Rotary Cares Day A majority of clubs in District 5280 set Saturday, January 15, as Rotary Cares Day where the club performed a service project. Many districts

synchronize club projects on a single day to build awareness of Rotary’s contributions in local communities. Clubs can use the day as a cata-

lyst to create an impact in their neighborhood that publicizes the club and, perhaps, attract new members and community support.

From Wilmington and San Pedro to Brentwood to downtown Los Angeles, the projects gathered hundreds of members on a perfect, sunny

Saturday. Many clubs collaborated on joint projects to share expenses. Many clubs used a District Simplified Grant to fund the project. With

limited time, Governor Doug toured many projects and proclaimed the day “a great success for Rotary and for Rotarians.”

There is not enough space to show all photos or list all the club projects, but here are four short stories from Rotary Cares Day.

The Torrance Four Rotary Clubs joined together to design, organize and install a garden at Little

Company of Mary Hospice. The clubs used a District Simplified Grant to pay for the project.

Lawndale sponsored a Graffitti Wipeout. Here PDG Jim Hamai helps Rotary Cares Day

Chair Mindy Stogsdill and husband LJ scrub out gang symbols and Lions Club logos.

The Thai Town Club organized Cub Scouts and community volunteers to join them in their

community clean-up. Local businesses greatly appreciated the results and the club introduced

a whole new group to Rotary service.

Announcements | News

District

Speech

Contest Event registration and contestant

information forms for the 2011

District Teen Speech contest must be

received by Speech Contest Chair

Jim Boltinghouse by April 1.

Contestants will choose a problem

confronting their family, school, com-

munity, state, or nation and propose

a solution using the 4-Way Test.

Clubs interview and select candidates

for the district competition.

The District Speech Competition to

choose the top three awards will be

held at 10am on Saturday, April 9, at

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in

Downey. The first pl125ace winner

will deliver the winning speech and

be presented with a $1000 check at

the District Conference in Indian

Wells on Saturday, May 14.

All forms are on the district website.

Upon the founding of the Chicago Club on February 23, 1905, Rotary International began. In the next one hundred years, Rotary would

grow to become the largest and most important international service organization in the world. To celebrate Rotary’s birthday , clubs and

districts sponsor World Peace and Understanding Day on the annual anniversary of the first club charter.

Announcements | News

Westchester Home Makeover The premise was simple: Send Gloria Dresser, a lifelong Westchester resident who succumbed to

cancer after enduring a lifetime of cerebral palsy, to Hawaii for a week, all expenses paid by the

club. Then sneak into her home, repair a massive 10-year-old hole in the roof that caused extensive

water damage, and turn the place into a showcase. Gloria was unable to repair the house, having left

work to begin radiation treatment.

President Ted Grose hopes this project will inspire other clubs to galvanize their community to

make a difference. “We often forget how fortunate we are, so it is a privilege to help a fellow mem-

ber of our community to be warm, safe and comfortable again. Every time a member of the West-

chester Club drives past her

home we will remember how our

simple gifts live forever.”

The club’s project received ex-

tensive press coverage in The Daily Breeze and televised cover-age on Channel 9. Geoff

Maleman reminds Rotarians,

“It isn’t enough to make change;

we have to tell others how they

can join us so they, too, can

share a Rotary Moment.”

Chinese New YearChinese New YearChinese New Year

P alos Verdes Sunset will host the 13th annual Chi-

nese New Year Celebration on Saturday, February 5,

at the Empress Pavilion Restaurant in Chinatown.

Chair Angi Ma Wong says the morning will begin with a

festive meal and, in the early afternoon, Interactors will walk in

the Golden Dragon Parade.

February 3 ushers in the Chinese New Year, year 4708 in the con-

tinuously numbered Chinese-calendar year. Chinese customs closely

resemble Rotary customs. Here is a list of comparisons.

Chinese Custom Rotary Custom

Give homes a thorough cleaning prior to the celebration Dry clean the dusty Club banner before the next meeting

Buy a new set of clothes Buy a new Rotary t-shirt to replace the threadbare one you

should have tossed out 10 years ago

Get a new haircut PDGs update their toupee or lighten their hair color

Thoroughly clean home altars and statues Dust your statue of Governor Doug and replace the candle

Families plan a reunion dinner Clubs host an Ambassadorial Scholars reunion dinner

The family dinner features a whole fish The Rotary lunch features a piece of salmon, very well done

Red packets are distributed to the immediate family Club treasurer passes out invoices for next quarter

A lion dance troupe ushers in the New Year Local second grade class choir performs at holiday meeting

• There are 2 clubs totaling 135 Rotarians in the People’s Republic of China.

• There are 564 clubs totaling 19,785 Rotarians in the Republic of China (Taiwan).

World Peace and Understanding Day | February 23

A tribute to

CARL P. MILLER

C arl P. Miller was a giant of a man. He owned, managed,

edited, and published more than 20 newspapers. He was the

executive director of the Pacific Coast edition of The Wall Street Journal, the most widely read business newspaper in the U.S. at

that time. He also was president of the Los Angeles Chamber of Com-

merce and chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco.

Carl became a member of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles in 1939,

Club President in 1945-46 and District Governor in 1951-52. After

serving as an RI Director and third vice-president, Carl was selected as

President of Rotary International for 1963-64.

His theme was “Meeting Rotary's Challenge in the Space Age” to re-

flect how Rotary would move ahead in its thinking and its programs to

match the challenges of the times. He strongly believed humanitarian

work should be accomplished at a people-to-people level and initiated a

program to encourage Rotary clubs in one part of the world to arrange

for a “matched club” in another. Carl said the program “is designed to

influence understanding and goodwill among peoples of the world, and

thus to help create friendly, just, and peaceful relations among nations.”

The pairing of clubs and districts became an essential component of

Rotary’s World Community Service.

Carl and his wife, Ruth, endowed the Rotary Foundation with $1 million

to create the Carl P. Miller World Community Service Endowment Fund.

[The Discovery Grants were subsequently replaced by Individual

Grants.]

In a November 1990 tribute printed in The Rotarian, Past RI President

Stanley McCaffrey (1981-82) said, “Probably more than any other

president, Carl set the path of Rotary toward world

peace. I am convinced that he led Rotary's work for world under-

standing through the practical mechanism of Matched Clubs and Dis-

tricts.”

World Peace Day | February 23

Carl P. Miller, President Rotary International, 1963-64

I n June 2003, Rotary International had approximately 1.2 members in 31,551 clubs. As of December 31 last year, there were

approximately 1.2 million members in 34,069 clubs. In 7½ years Rotary has added more than 2,500 clubs but membership count

remained almost identical. But smaller clubs is not the shocking statistic. This is the shocker: in this seven-year period, more than 1.1

million new members were inducted into Rotary clubs. What happened?

Many Rotary Clubs are a revolving door or, worse: an old, rusted-out bucket into which new members pour in and then gush out through the

cracks. Attrition dilutes the value of being a Rotarian and seriously damages the club’s public image as it undermines club’s effectiveness.

For years Rotary International has offered a multitude of recruiting and retention themes yet few clubs have reversed the trend. Club presidents

challenge the members with new recruiting techniques and membership contests, yet most clubs end with either the same number or fewer

members than when they began the year.

Although the club is populated with experienced and successful business leaders, most club leaders treat Rotary as a nonprofit service organi-

zation rather than considering it as a business with members as customers. Members join our clubs to receive benefits in exchange for their

precious time and financial support. In the world of business, an unsatisfied customer leaves and takes his or her business elsewhere.

There are costs of being a member of a Rotary club: time, money, energy. A

strong club can provide benefits: networking, fellowship, personal and business

growth. Rotary offers one more unique benefit that other organizations cannot

promise: the opportunity to serve others, both locally and around the world.

N ew members will not join, nor will they stay, unless benefits ex-

ceed costs. A healthy club can help younger recruits discover how

satisfying it is to replace Facebook with real-face time. Young peo-

ple are looking for the same connections as the members who

joined and stayed with a club: they want to build relationships. They want to

learn about Rotary’s commitment to strong ethical values. They want to grow

as they learn.

Clubs that attract and retain new members have a consistent identity, almost

a “brand” identification in their community. They have warm, fun meetings where visitors are always welcome. They organize service projects

that attract a majority of club members to participate. They also recognize when traditions and projects become “tired” and need to be up-

dated or replaced. They keep what is successful and they are not afraid to change what has become unpopular, even when the few hold-outs

complain, “Well, that’s the way we’ve always done it.”

To change the way clubs operate is by no means easy. It starts with a club taking a good hard look at what works and what does not. Rotari-

ans have always been resourceful. To be successful today, every club needs to be honest about its strengths and weaknesses and operate

more like a business. Pleasing customers is second nature to most members. Putting it into practice will stop the revolving door.

Successful Clubs:

Think Business Satisfy Clients

Membership

22% of members worldwide joined a club within the last two years. 41% of Rotarians

have held membership for more than a decade. If a new member stays for at least 2

years, it is likely they will remain a Rotarian for a long time.

Young members want a smile and handshake, not a Tweet

< 1 year9%

1-2 years

13%

3-5 years

17%

6-10 years

20%

> 10 years

41%

Annual 5280 Wheelchair Day

Event will include all clubs Distribution of 55 wheelchairs will take place on Saturday, March 12, at 10am at the

Hacienda Hotel. Wheelchair Project Co-Chairs President Melody St. John (Hollywood)

and President Gaston Haughton (Lomita-Torrance Airport) report that all club presi-

dents have confirmed their club’s participation in the annual service project.

The wheelchairs retail for about $500 each in medical supply stores, but a consolidated pur-

chase order with the American Wheelchair Mission lowered the delivered cost to only $150 a

chair. To more comfortably fit the range of recipient sizes, the sturdy, heavy chairs come in

multiple sizes. The chairs are given to recipients at no charge.

Co-Chair Gaston says that it is not difficult to find a recipient who lives near a club’s meet-

ing place. “Recipients will not know the club has a chair available unless the club makes a

local announcement. That means the club needs to contact local nonprofits, service agencies

and churches to identify people in need. This is a great way for clubs to reach out into their

community to learn more about its needs. Finding wheelchair recipients may lead the club

into discovering other important ways they can serve their community.”

“A club in a less prosperous section of town will quickly find a large group of under-served

people, those who slipped through the cracks and have no medical insurance and who can-

not afford to purchase a nice wheelchair,” said Melody. “I am surprised when a club in a

prosperous part of town reports they cannot find a recipient. Have they called local churches

or service agencies? What about the lower-

income people without insurance who do

lawn work, maintenance, busboys and other

low-wage jobs?”

If your club has not yet found its wheelchair

recipient, Melody and Gaston will help.

Connect to Your

Community

In some communities there is a long waiting

list of people who need wheelchairs. In other

communities it might require the club to

make a few telephone calls because the need

is not as apparent.

Clubs should contact organizations that

provide services to lower-income populations:

• Churches, synagogues and mosques

• Hospitals and convalescent homes

• City, country and state agencies

• Nonprofits, such as Goodwill Industries and

the Salvation Army

Looking for a wheelchair recipient may

connect the club to a previously unrecog-

nized and underserved need within their

community.

Service Projects | Local Community

ShelterBox’s busiest year

ever

5280 Clubs Sponsored Important Relief ShelterBox celebrates its tenth anniversary this year and 2010 was their busiest year to date.

From the January Haiti earthquake to the floods in Colombia in December, ShelterBox was

there. One box provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for 10 people. With more

than 45,000 ShelterBoxes distributed to families, at least a half-million desperate people have

benefited from the Rotary-organized charity.

District 5280 played an important role in supporting the massive disaster relief efforts. Half

the clubs in the district sponsored more than 60 ShelterBoxes in response to the Haiti earth-

quake. Support ranged from individual contributions to clubs sponsoring multiple boxes. As an

example, Thai Town Rotary Club worked with IPTV to conduct a Haiti relief telethon while

Lawndale and Redondo Beach worked with their local schools to raise funds.

In addition to our focus on Haiti, District 5280 sponsorships provided support for more than

20 other relief efforts in 2010. Some of those disasters impacted friends and family of local

Rotarians. ShelterBox responded to an April 7.2-magnitude earthquake near Mexicali where

relatives of Rita Burgueno (Carson-Gardena-Dominguez) live. In December, ShelterBox

teams used boats, canoes, motorcycles and 4-wheel drives to deliver 1,600 ShelterBoxes to

some of the worst affected areas of Colombia where friends and relatives of Alejandro

Castaneda (LA Colombo Americano) live.

Shelterbox is an important and highly visible Rotary response. The only predictable thing about

natural disasters is that they will occur and Shelterbox will be prepared to help. If your club

has not yet sponsored a Shelterbox, please contact one of the program chairs.

To learn more

ShelterBox was created by Rotarians in

England. It has grown to become one of the

largest and most successful Rotary projects

and now has five offices worldwide and hun-

dreds of volunteers.

To make a contribution, to schedule a pro-

gram or to see a real ShelterBox, contact:

• Chair Jim Dyer (Santa Monica)

• Bill Paul (Redondo Beach)

• Jaimee Sul (Inglewood)

• Don Reeves (Palos Verdes Sunset)

You can track your club’s Shelterbox at their

website: www.shelterboxusa.org

Service Projects | International

On-line registration is now open at the district website for the 2011 District Conference to take place May 12-15 at the Hyatt

Grand Champions in Indian Wells. It’s only a two-hour drive from Los Angeles but a world away.

Event Chair PDG John Colville promises the weekend will be fun and you will experience Rotary in a whole new way.

“This year we’re going to show Rotarians how they changed lives.” John explained. “They’re going to meet the people we’ve

helped and I guarantee you plenty of Rotary Moments.”

The 5-star resort will meet District 5280’s strict and exacting standards by providing plenty of pool floats; additional ice will be

trucked in to cool beverages to a perfect temperature; the golf course has been renovated to insure at least one hole-in-one

per foursome; and fresh mud from distant Icelandic volcanoes will be delivered to the spa for facials.

The legendary Friday Night Hospitality will again be everyone’s favorite activity. And 9-time Grammy Award winning Asleep At

the Wheel, currently rehearsing in Governor Doug’s back yard, will cut loose and rock the place.

Early birds save 35% by registering by April 15. Registration for non-Rotarian partner is a mere $20 and kids under 17 attend

for free. Rooms have been discounted to $169 nightly. Everything can be done on-line at the district website.

Gearing Up for the District Conference

District Conference | Jocularity

Our Rotary DNA Service, fellowship, integrity, diversity, and

leadership are our core values, which I prefer

to call our Rotary DNA. Those traits are what

distinguish us from other organizations. There

is no doubt that we can help our club leaders

to reach within to embrace humanity, and to

make the world a better place, because we

have been doing it for more than 100 years,

and we do it better than anyone else in the

world.

Rotary International President Ray Klinginsmith

Who Gets Your

Club Newsletters ? Club publications should be e-mailed to these

four district leaders:

District Governor Doug Baker

Executive Aide Joe Vasquez

District Administrator Tori Hettinger

& the Assistant Governor assigned to your club

RI President Ray gets the Last Word

Our Legacy is to EndPolio

There is, nonetheless, a kind of greatness in

the elimination of a terrible disease. We as a

civilization have few things we can accom-

plish of genuinely lasting significance for

mankind: we have built no pyramids, no

Great Walls to stand for thousands of years.

It is, instead, through medicine that we may

create our enduring monument. The eradica-

tion of smallpox and now, perhaps, polio will

stand as our pyramids.

Atul Gawande, “The Mop-Up”, New Yorker, January 12, 2004.

2011 YTD Polio Cases

Worldwide: 2 !!

You can track polio cases worldwide and

learn how Rotary’s mission to eradicate polio

will be successful. There were 2 cases world-

wide in January, one in Pakistan and one in

Chad, compared to 10 cases worldwide in

January last year.

In all of 2010 there were only 232 cases in

the endemic countries (Pakistan 144, India

42, Afghanistan 25 and Nigeria 21) and 568

cases in the non-endemic countries. An out-

break in Tajikistan last year, with 458 cases,

accounted for the majority of 2010 cases.

www.polioeradication.org