Weekly Luncheon - January 18, 2017
Posted by Bill Paul
(REDONDO BEACH, California) January 18, 2017 -- The highlight of today's luncheon was the our meals were delayed, almost permanently due to a breakdown of the Bluewater Grill's elevator. To their everlasting credit though, the chefs of Bluewater barely missed a beat and rustled up another meal of halibut and rice and a great salad. Thanks folks.
Announcements, well we had several. Incoming president Walter Campbell urged members to buy their Casino Night tickets. He noted this year purchasing can be done online, but added, "January 31st is the deadline. Tickets go up in price and there won't be any turning back. No exceptions this year."
Colette Paul followed up by circulating a flyer giving members a chance to sign up for either a cash sponsorship or table sponsorship. At least $2,900 was pledged, with a total for these two activities of just over $13,000.
President Sheehy acknowledged the anniversary of Rotarian Allen Peters. "Jeanne and I spent a wonderful weekend near Ojai celebrating our 35th anniversary," he said.
Alexis also announced a change of venue for next week. She said the club will meet downstairs at the Bluewater Grill next week because of the malfunctioning elevator.
She also noted that Pearl Davis is resting at the Acute Care facility on Lomita Blvd. and encourage members to visit Pearl.
She also noted that Pearl Davis is resting at the Acute Care facility on Lomita Blvd. and encourage members to visit Pearl.
Guests included Rotarians Jim Beardsley and Richard Henseler of South Bay Sunrise Rotary Club, Connie Siegel of Harrisburg Rotary Club and former Redondo Beach Rotarian Suzanne Lucas. Also, Athena Marano of the Salvation Army accompanied Capt. Marcello Goncalves.
Our scheduled luncheon speaker missed his appointment. In his stead new member D.P. Agrawal--on few minutes' notice--stepped up to the plate and gave his craft talk. Of course it helps that he is a former two-time president of the Rotary Club of North Attleboro in Massachusetts.
"Originally I'm from India but I'm not Indian," he said as he launched into his talk. He then recounted his journey from Bombay to Rome to France to London to Montreal and finally to Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania where he earned a doctoral degree in material science.
He elicited a chuckle from audience members when he explained (in one sentence, mind you), how he met and married his wife. "I got her phone number and we got married." Talk about a fast courtship that one sounds pretty fast, doesn't it. Well, obviously there was some time in between those two actions but the club was satisfied and chuckled heartily.
D.P. concluded by telling us he worked for an engineering firm in Massachusetts for 30 years, eventually rising to the position of V.P. of Technology.