Weekly Luncheon - July 10, 2013
(REDONDO BEACH, July 10, 2013) Today’s luncheon was the first meeting for our new, 2013-14 president, Karen Weigel. For a newbie, she did well.
As members came in, they received their new gold nametags. These are a real step up for our club.
Visiting Rotarians: Arlyne Krugger from the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Rotary Club joined us today. Arlyne has family out here and visits occasionally, and Peggy Beauregard from the Sierra Madre Rotary Club
Visitors: Make Rabe and special guest of Jeff Melodia, Ricardo Goncalves, a special guest of Marcello Goncalves, and Deborah Sheppard. Deborah was the club’s Businessperson of the year and was honored today as the District 5280 Businessperson of the Year.
Laura Fields, fresh back from Lisbon, promoted the upcoming Relay for Life, July 20-21st at the Lincoln Elementary School.
Karen reminded everyone about the Demotion and Promotion Party set for Saturday, July 13th at the Crowne Plaza here in Redondo Beach.
Karen acknowledged members of our club who traveled to Lisbon for the annual RI convention there recently: Nancy Campbell, Eli Ganau, Laura Fields, Karen and her husband Jeff Weigel, and former Redondo Beach Rotarian Kathy Stephens. She lives near Atlanta now and joined Nancy for the trip to Lisbon. Next year the RI annual convention will be held in Sydney, Australia, June 1-4, 2014, “Mark your calendars,” Karen said.
Immediate Past President Nancy Campbell asked members of her boar, and a couple of other folks, to come up and be recognized for their contributions to the club during her year as president: Ali Adham, Steve Aspel, Terry Bichlmeier, Chat Campbell, Jim Chen, Pearl Davis, Laura Fields, Karina Galina, Bill Gard, Bruce Logan, Rick Mendoza, Vickie Raidel, Jean Scully, Karen Weigel, Monique Waite, Colette Paul and James Jackman. Each received a box of Sees candy from Nancy as a thank you gift.
Other announcements: Scott Fellows announced his 29th year in the catering business in the South Bay, and tanked everyone who attended the anniversary mixer he held with the Redondo Chamber of Commerce recently.
Recognizing the value of levity, Karen introduced a new club position today: joke master. Karen has asked Chantel King to serve in that role this year. Chantel is a semi-professional comedian so this should be fun. Here is her first joke:
Q) What do you call a smart blonde?
A) A golden retriever
Program: Our speaker today was Sara Clickenger of the American Cancer Society Relay for Life team. She said the Relay for Life was started as a fundraiser to fight cancer by Dr. Gordy Klatt in May 1985. He walked a track for 24 hours and raised $27,000. In 2012, there were 5200 Relays and they raised $31.7 million. This will be the 100th anniversary of the American Center Society, she said. “61 years ago 1 in 3 cancer victims survived,” she said. Today two cancer victims in three survive. Our goal is 3 in 3 survivors.” Learn more about the activity at RelayForLife.org.
Karen thanked Sara for her presentation and announced the club will donate a book to the Redondo Beach Library Children’s Section in Sara’s name.