UPCOMING PROGRAMS

Dec 13: Claude Arnold,

Claude Arnold, Immigration

and Customs Enforcement

Dec 20: Paul Jan Zdunek,

CEO Pasadena Symphony

Dec 27 and Jan 3

Dark for the Holidays

CALENDAR IT NOW

Dec 14: ANGEL CITY CELEBRA-

TION & GIVEAWAY held at Algin

Sutton Community Center

Dec 21: HELP DECORATE the 2014 RI Rose Parade Float

VISIT WWW.ROTARYLA5.ORG FOR MORE

INFORMATION ON SPEAKERS & EVENTS

Rotary Club of Los Angeles

established 1909

December 13, 2013

rotaryLA5.org

Rose Parade Queen presents Roses

Prez Ken’s only moment to relax

W ith 165 days served as the LA5 leader since

his inauguration on July 1, Prez Ken receives a daily diet of complaints, requests to adjudicate

differences and the impossible mission to bal-ance the budget. So it was with great pleasure that Ken had 60 minutes in the spotlight with one of the most attractive

beauties in the Southland (honorary LA5 member and Paul Harris Fellow Fritz Coleman) and seven gals who are trained to wave to cheering audiences. When the 96th Rose Parade

Queen Ana Marie Acosta presented Ken with a spectacular bouquet of roses, there was a noticeable croak in his voice as

he sniffed, “Gosh, I wish my frat brothers could see me now.”

The day was soon over and Prez Ken was again back to busi-

ness fining unsuspecting members to balance the budget.

2 El Rodeo

El Rodeo 3

If you missed the meeting last week

There is always a spike in attendance when the Rose Parade Court visits. Past District Governor Bob White (Rio Hondo-Vernon

Club) and Bruce Murdoch entertain the gals with ribald tales.

Office Intern Lizzy Tooke and LA5 Executive Administrator Jennifer

Gregg wish everyone Happy Holi-days and Happy New Year. If any-one has leftover presents, please ship everything to the Rotary Office.

Roger Reck and Al Shonk waited patiently for their turn on Santa’s knee. Santa must have spotted them and kept them wait-

ing and waiting and waiting.

Susan Porter Griego and Paul Richey have a theory that we stay the same age and it is the gals who get younger every year.

Sister Christine Bowman asked Past President Mike Birkholm, “Did you hear the one about the priest, three nuns and

the Christmas tree?”

Scott Moe congratulates new member Debra King to LA5.

What a great way to end the year!

Ben’s Lunch Advice

Past President and world-class

Gastronome Ben Tunnell plans his week around the Friday

lunch selection. Here are your

choices this week.

Diners: please RSVP to guarantee your seat!

ENTREE: Roasted Free-Range Boneless Chicken Breast with peppered orange sauce. Yum !!!

VEGETARIAN: Red Quinoa Vegetable Paella, zuc-chini, artichoke, grilled squash, peas and vine-ripe tomato coulis.

4 El Rodeo

Last Minute Ideas

Enjoy the Season by Volunteering

C o n g r a t u l a -

tions go out

to LA5 Past

P r e s i d e n t

Paul Netzel who will

serve as one of the fif-

teen trustees on The

Rotary Foundation

Board for the 2014-

2018 term. He will help

lead and direct the activities of the almost $1 billion

corpus of The Rotary Foundation. We are all so

proud of you and you bring great honor to the Ro-

tary Club of Los Angeles.

T he foundation of every successful

Rotary club includes service projects and LA5 has a bunch of them sched-

uled for the few days remaining be-fore Christmas. All of these activities are fam-ily friendly — in fact, you will have a better

time if you bring the kids. And, if you don’t have any of your own, show up and enjoy kids being excited. Then go out to dinner later

and take in a movie and wonder how do their

parents do it.

Marjorie Heller is the chair of the annual An-

gel City Giveaway at Elgin Sutton Park on

Saturday, December 14.

Want to decorate the Rotary International

Rose Parade float? It is Saturday, December

21, and you have to do it once in your life.

Rotarians Needed

Ringing the Red Kettle Christmas bell

is a long standing tradition for LA5. Join your fellow Rotarians and get in

the Holiday Spirit while helping those

less fortunate enjoy their holidays.

Meet at the Christmas tree in the cen-

ter of Farmer's Market. Bring your kids and grand kids. Stay as long as you like. Contact Peggy York (her

telephone and e-mail address is in the directory or call the Rotary Office) to

let her know you will be there and Peggy will make sure there is plenty of

hot cocoa.

The historic Farmer's Market: 6333 W 3rd St, LA 90036 on Monday, Decem-

ber 23rd from 1:00 to 5:00 P.M.

Chartered June 25, 1909

Club Leadership 2013-14

Ken Chong, President Alan Bernstein, President-Elect Jose Vera, Vice-President Elizabeth Wheeler, Secretary Don Robinson, Treasurer Jay Richardson, Past President

Club Service Arthur Kassel Paul Richey

Community Service Margaret Karren Jim Hoyt

Funding Todd Johnson Al Shonk

International Service Laine Wagenseller Rick Sarmiento

Membership and Retention Charisse Older Erick Weiss

Vocational Service John Miller John Jaacks

Youth Service Anthony Calloway Paul Jacques

Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Ekstrand Barry Hytowitz Steve Sommers

Executive Director Jon Gibby JON@ROTARYLA5.ORG

Rotary Club of Los Angeles 523 West Sixth Street, Suite 718 Los Angeles, CA 90014 Telephone 213.624.8601 Facsimile 213.624.2694 WWW.ROTARYLA5.ORG

District 5280 Governor Doug Baker

El Rodeo Marc Leeka, Editor Peter Weinberger, Cub Reporter Darin Marinov, Photographer

El Rodeo 5

Rotarians You Want to Know:

Megan O’Rourke

C onstant and reliable best de-

scribe Past President Megan O’Rourke. She still lives within

3 miles of the house she grew up in. In fact, the only time she has lived anywhere other than Los Angeles was a

summer in college in Washington D.C. For almost 25 years she has been a part of her father’s firm BTI Appraisal, having

first worked there when she was only 10 years old. After a hiatus for college, law

school and a brief stay at another firm, she returned to BTI in 2003. Now as Vice Chairman she over-sees the company’s ma-

chinery and equipment and

personal property divisions.

“I joined LA5 in 2004 and the most satisfying thing I have done in the club is

serve as President in 2011-12. Other than that, I am torn between my two loves

— the Scholarship Commit-tee and the Children's

Court Committee.”

Megan also serves on the LA5 Foundation Board of

Directors. As she puts it, “Rotary makes a huge dif-ference in the world be-

cause change starts locally and grows globally. The

club's Foundation focuses on growing the corpus over time, thus ensuring our

club has sufficient funds to make a difference in perpe-

tuity.”

If you haven’t met Megan yet, then please introduce

yourself at the next meet-

ing.

Megan’s Favorites

The best city I have ever visited is

Paris.

If I had one last restaurant meal in Los Angeles, I would go to Pat-

ina. I would start and end my

meal with the cheese cart.

I am currently reading Dr. Wil-

liam Pollak’s Real Boys. Not only does he offer insightful sugges-

tions on parenting but he also has some good ideas about

schools and sports programs.

I know it is junk food but my

guilty pleasure is really good on-

ion rings and anything chocolate!

Three albums I would take to a

desert island because I never grow tired of listening to them:

Bob Marley & The Wailers Leg-ends, Negotiations and Love Songs by Paul Simon, and the

collection of Police singles Every

Breath You Take.

I graduated in 1995. When I hear Madonna on the radio, it takes

me back again.

6 El Rodeo

Fellow LA5 Rotarians,

As we approach the halfway point of the 105th year of the Rotary Club of Los Angeles, I extend my gratitude to the long list of members whose voluntary efforts make us the best

Rotary Club in the world. In particular, our Board of Directors have shown the vision and resolve to bring our LA5 culture into its second century. The Board took the bold step to increase annual dues to match the level of services we provide, and furthermore raised ex-

pectations on what the club expects from members. We implemented a 50% attendance policy and raised the bar on new member requirements. I am proud to report that club at-

tendance and participation has increased by almost 50% from prior years!

Every week our meetings are infused with great energy, fun and interesting speakers. Having chaired or co-chaired the annual UCLA/USC Rivalry Luncheon lunch every year

since joining LA5, you can conclude it is one of my favorite meetings of the year. And, tak-ing full advantage of my Presidential powers to root and cheer for UCLA at every opportu-nity, I thank President-Elect Alan and the USC alums in the club for their patience. And at

our last meeting in a momentary lapse of good judgment, I handed over the gavel to Past President Megan and she promptly fined me for the UCLA win over USC. What is good for

the goose . . .

We’ve already had so many great events this year. We had twenty members participate in the YMCA Stair Climb to the top of the US Bank Tower and raised over $2000. LA5

sponsored JumpStart’s Read for the Record Campaign. Our LA5 Rotarians delivered thou-sands of books to children and then, icing on the cake, read from those books to the kids.

LA5 and co-sponsor LA City Parks and Recreation organized the SOS Mentor Healthy Family Harvest Festival that drew over a thousand people to South Los Angeles for games, fun and education. We also provided holiday meal baskets and groceries complete with a

turkey to families who would not have the financial means to enjoy the holiday. Pumpkin pies were generously donated by Todd Johnson and Gina Doyle of Lawry’s Restaurant

Group.

The year isn’t over yet! We still have big plans, great events and heartwarming service

opportunities in store for you for the next six months.

● LA5 Disneyland Day with the Sheriff’s Youth Foundation will sponsor 100 kids who have never been to Disneyland. Sheriff Baca will provide transportation and chaper-ones. LA5 members can participate to share in the magical experience.

● Community Service Grants ● Ability First Bowling Party

● Scholarship Luncheon with Scholastic Hero Award ● President’s Ball produced by Arthur Kassel

Hey, everyone and families: Happy Holidays and a prosperous and productive new year!

You make us the Best Club and together we make a difference through Rotary!

Yours in Rotary Service,