Newsletter - Archive  May 22, 2010

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Rotary Club of Villa Park Newsletter

MacAloney Receives Business of the Year Award

Today we learned from our speaker Usa Jain how our stories and the stories we grow up hearing can shape our lives and impact the lives of others.  President Joe Brand was nursing a sore neck so Jay Applebaum stood in to lead the meeting. Greg Mills delivered our invocation, Jane McDonald led the Pledge of Allegiance and Teri Brooks led us in the singing the Army Hymn in honor of our guest Sgt Michael Camarena who just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq. Greg Mills then led us in reciting the Rotary Four Way Test.

Guests:

Larry Dick- Visiting from the Orange Rotary Club

Mayor Bill MacAloney

Sgt Michael Camarena- who was a guest of Eddie Nash and will participate in the Amazing Race Event for Camp to Belong this Saturday at the  Outdoor Education Center in Irvine Regional Park.

Business of the Year Award:

Pam Dunn introduced this year's recipient of the Business of the Year Award-  The Honorable Bill MacAloney.  Mayor MacAloney received a check for $200 as part oft the award  that he donated to Bryan "Eddie" Nash  along with an  additional $500 for his upcoming Camp to Belong.  He then thanked the group and gave a brief comment on the "State of the City".  Good news we still are keeping to our budget and have a good surplus.  Bill has been very generous to the Rotary and Villa Park Foundation donating food to many of our events, including our recent Harlem Basketball Game.

Birthdays & Anniversaries:

President-Elect Greg Mills celebrated his 55th Birthday on May 17th-

Diane Rothi will celebrated her birthday on May 21st at the Yorba Linda Sunrise Rotary's Lobsterfest.

Announcements:

Linda Bartrom-Olsen reminded us that the Interact Recognition Dinner will be this Saturday Night, May 22nd at Rockwell's from 6-7 PM.  Linda showed the very impressive program that she created for the event and read us the history of how the Interact Clubs began.  Villa Park has an Interact Club with over 250 active members; Lutheran High just started their Interact Club and is growing in size.

Greg Mills and Teri Brooks talked about the Villa Park Family Picnic that will be on May 30th at the Irvine Lake Facility.   Cooks and people are needed to help set up and clean up the cooking areas. A list for sign-ups was passed around. Contact Greg if you can lend a hand.

John Broussard talked about the Ronald McDonald House Dinner Sign-ups.  We have enough lead people to cook, but if you wish to help serve please contact John to find out dates and times.

Pam Dunn talked about the Camp to Belong.  So far 40 kids are enrolled, but the goal is to send 20 more. To do this Bryan will have to raise an additional $10,000.  Jane McDonald volunteered to donate $1000.  Camp to Belong Medallions can be purchased to underwrite the cost. 

Demotion Party- a vote was taken and the Demotion Party will be on Saturday June 25th at the home of Joe Brand.  Planning is underway-  will it be an Italian Dinner or Coffee and Donuts??

Surprise us....

Bryan "Eddie" Nash reminded us that the Camp to Belong "Amazing Race" will be held  this Saturday, May 22nd at the Outdoor Science Center- there will be all kinds of events and teams will participate-  they have plenty of volunteers, but you're welcome to come and be a part of the fun.

The awards ceremony will begin at 9:30 - 10 AM. SGT Camarena and some of his Army buddies will be participating in the events.

Bryan also had some sign-up sheets for the upcoming Oktoberfest Event.

Happy Bucks:

Steve Stern wanted us all to know that Teri Brooks makes a good gypsy and that if he and Jay Applebaum ever volunteer to do another fundraiser their wives Lainey and Terry will have them made into eunuchs.

Bob Kreisberg wanted us to know that Jr. Achievement is alive and well at Cerro Villa Middle School.  Over the next 5 weeks the theme will be What Grownups Do For Work. Steve Kawa and an Acupuncturist,  Jennifer Kroger spoke this week and Bob was happy with the response from the kids.  Bob took a needle to the forehead as part of the presentation.

Stan Van Denberg- visited his in laws in Des Moines, Iowa to help celebrate their 60th Wedding Anniversary.  He had a great time and enjoyed spending time with them.

Jay Lieberman talked about the mentoring program that he, Bob Kreisberg and Sylvan Swarz are doing at Cal State Fullerton.  There are openings available for the next semester and Jay felt this was a rewarding and worthwhile program.  Contact Jay Lieberman if you're interested in working with the student.

Steve Kawa- thanked Jill Kuli for taking his Meals on Wheels delivery duties last week.

He also was proud to announce that 3 out of the last 6 awards for outstanding teacher given by the Dept. of Education at the community college level have come from Santiago Canyon College.

A golfer from Santiago Canyon College, also a recent graduate of Villa Park High, Connor Covington won the Collegiate State Championship Golf Tournament.

Steve also thanked Jay Applebaum for all the hours he devoted to the recent basketball fundraiser which according to the most recent numbers netted just over $7000.

Lesslie Giacobbi chided Bill MacAloney saying that he really wanted to dance at the Harlem Ambassador Game, but was relieved when they asked Wayne Silzel.

Speaker:  Usa Jain

Topic: Stories of Our Lives

Usa grew up in India and has very vivid memories of the stories she was told by her grandmother.

The point of most of  the stories was to make her a good wife and a good daughter-in-law since the marriages in India were arranged and she was expected to live with her in-laws and behave.  As luck would have it she and her husband moved to America and she never had to face that situation, but the stories she heard helped her and her husband adjust to life in their new country, America.

She and her family have lived in Villa Park since 1995. The goal of today's presentation is to  ultimately create a story telling group in Villa Park where people can get together and share their personal stories.  This can be a very powerful tool to help  you get to know your neighbors and create a greater sense of community.

She needs a place for the group to meet and a "Mentor" to report the progress of the group.

The goal ultimately is to compile these stories and give them to the family of that individual to create a living legacy, or to help others who may have similar challenges.  Wayne Silzel and Lesslie Giacobbi offered to serve as mentors.  Teri Brooks, who is the liaison for the Villa Park Magazine feels that selected stories should be included in a monthly column in the magazine. She will contact Brian Kalchman and make that suggestion.

This was an enjoyable and humorous presentation and created a lot of excitement about creating a Villa Park Story Telling Group.

Next weeks Speaker: Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach. His topic will be "Bubbles and How They Impact Government Spending".  Be there and bring some friends.