UPCOMING PROGRAMS

March 21: Doug Pitt,

Philanthropist & Businessman

March 28: Special Surprise

and our lips are sealed!

April 4: DJ Peterson, Presi-

dent, Longview Global Advisors

April 11: John Marquis,

CFO Vallarta Supermarkets

CALENDAR IT NOW

Mar 22: AbilityFirst Bowling

organized by Denny Dynes

May 3: Camp Paivikia Day

VISIT WWW.ROTARYLA5.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SPEAKERS & EVENTS

Prez Ken’s Last 100 Days in Office

O n the surface, everything appears to be going right. Treasurer Don Robinson reports LA5 revenues are bloated by the multitude of presidential fines. People are lining up to brag about their new car, a fancy vacation,

their new mistress or paramour, new promotions or new children/grandchildren. Contact Prez Ken and get your place in line.

Only 101 days remain in Prez Ken’s administration and he must count on the best players to carry him over the goal line. The infal-

lible Arthur Kassel is in charge of the President’s Ball (April 25). Erick Weiss will manage The Grilled Cheese Invitational (April 12); last year he raised a zillion dollars for LA5 community projects. The always reliable Bob Donahue is supervising the big LA5 Ro-tary Scholastic Heroes Day @ Dodger Stadium (June 13).

Prez Ken has nothing to worry about. It’s a great year at LA5.

Leon Elster (March 3), Mike Birkholm (March 4), Bob Donahue (March 28), Tim Brown (March 21), Christina Hurn (March 4), Susan Griego-Porter (March 24) and Jon Gibby

(March 28) celebrated their March birthdays.

Rotary Club of Los Angeles

established 1909

March 21, 2014

rotaryLA5.org

2 El Rodeo

The Rotary Club of Los Angeles Welcomes

Doug Pitt P h i l an t h ro p i s t & B us i nes s m an

Providing basic needs to people across the globe Doug Pitt is the owner of ServiceWorld Computer Center, a past recipient

of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year

Award. Doug was named the Goodwill Ambassador for the United Republic

of Tanzania. Doug is currently working with the Ministry of Agriculture and

US partners on a food development program within Tanzania.

El Rodeo 3

Excited by the successful launch of her new Midnight Pleasure perfume, Carmen Estrada-Schaye shared marketing tips with

Carole Donahue.

If you missed seeing the gang last week

Friday’s program sponsor Mary Jensen, CIM Vice President Inves-tor Relations, joined guest Betty LaMarr, CEO EmpowHer Insitute,

for a wonderful lunch and laughs.

Prez Ken turned his back to the microphone for only a few sec-onds, but that was enough time for Kathy Turner to take the

stage and break into a song.

Prez Ken, new member Joseph Klauzar and his sponsor John Miller.

Walker Railey, always the fashion trend setter, modeled a spiffy bow tie to complement his Mad Men eyeglass frames. Steve

Schultz is all envy.

AbilityFirst CEO Lori Gangemi thanked Prez Ken for a $1500 grant check for the annual Bowling Party. Denny Dynes has or-

ganized the event for 13 years!

Ben’s Lunch Advice

World-class Gastronome Ben

Tunnell recently added one more certification to his lengthy re-

sumé — he is an AIS Sommelier of Olive Oil as designated by the

North American Sommelier Assn.

Diners: please RSVP to guarantee your seat!

ENTREE: California club tossed Cobb salad.

VEGETARIAN: Red quinoa vegetable paella, with zucchini, artichoke, grilled squash, peas, vine- rip-ened tomato coulis.

4 El Rodeo

You May Have Won $2,000

P rez Ken announced a new weekly raffle that awards an opportunity

drawing for $2000. Winners may keep the money or apply it towards

LA5 membership dues and lunches. The raffle

winners this week are:

● Mickie C. (joined LA5 in 2006)

● Walter J. (joined LA5 in 1988) ● Chris N. (joined LA5 in 2013) ● John R. (joined LA5 in 2003)

● Stefano V. (joined LA5 in 2006)

If you see your name, you must contact either Prez Ken or Jon Gibby before Friday, March

28, to claim your prize.

Grilled Cheese Invitational

Y ou’ve waited all year and it is time

again: Saturday, April 12, is National

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day.

LA5 will again celebrate the revered date by hosting a beer and wine garden at the International Grilled Cheese Invitational at the

LA Center Stages. Last year LA5 netted over $13,000 from the bacchanal and all indicators point towards the club doing even better this

year.

Board Director Erick Weiss needs your help

to sell drink tickets as you lounge in a syba-ritic setting with old friends — and new ones,

too!

Please keep your eyes peeled for his e-mails and maintain an even closer watch on your

spam folder because his provocative and en-ticing message may be indiscernible from promises of Nigerian wealth schemes or physi-

cal enhancement products.

LA5 Grants $5,000

to Youth Project

P rez Ken announced on Friday an

LA5 grant for $5000 to A Place Called Home. The South Central Los Ange-

les non-profit offers programs in art, music, dance, athletics and other areas to kids and young adults. The programs are held

after school and in the summer. LA5 member

Jonathan Zeichner is the executive director.

LA5’s contribution goes specifically towards volunteer-led workshops for high school jun-iors and seniors covering career planning, col-

leges, drugs abuse, self esteem and nutrition. Satisfactory attendance at only two work-shops rewards the student with a dress or

suit for the prom. Clothing is donated from

the community.

Prez Ken asked LA5ers for their help in supporting the Cinderella and Prince

Charming Project. APCH needs your lightly used

and clean dresses, purses,

shoes and accessories. Bridesmaid dresses,

cocktail dresses and formal night wear is what the young women need. And,

because more and more young men will participate,

they also need suits, shirts, ties, shoes, cuff links and belts. APCH will be at

Rotary for the next few Fridays to collect clothes

and accessories.

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, Sr. Reporter Tony Medley, Photographer

Rotarians You Want to Know:

Hal Barstow

H al Barstow has a number

of passions but the one you hear about most often

is the Los Angeles Mari-time Institute where he has been a volunteer since 1998. The organiza-

tion is famous for its TopSail Youth Program that teaches participants empowerment and teamwork. Hal is

also a member of The International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians, the

oldest of the Rotary Fellowships and the largest with more than

3200 members.

At LA5, Hal is the co-chair of the Guest Green Room, a

way to help prospective members better understand the obligations and benefits

of being a Rotarian. Hal says, “Co-chair Steve Schultz and I offer them a

relaxing and informal intro-duction to our club, plus

we help the shy ones mix

with our great members.”

“Rotary is known and un-

derstood to be a force for good in almost every coun-try of the world. I tell pro-

spective members that be-ing a Rotarian opens doors

all over the world. I know because I have done make-up meetings in ten coun-

tries and I am on a first name basis at those clubs.

No other organization is as

good as ours.”

If you haven’t met Hal yet,

then please introduce your-

self at the next meeting.

Hal’s Favorites

The best city I in the world is Paris and I can lead you on the

best walking tour imaginable.

If I had one last restaurant meal in LA I would go to Ports O’Call

on the waterfront in San Pedro.

The last book I finished was

Fortune’s Children about the de-cline of Cornelius Vanderbilt’s family wealth and written by his

grandson Arthur. I am currently reading Steps to the Summit by

LA5 speaker Paul Fejtek.

I know it is junk food but my guilty pleasure is chocolate chip

cookies.

If I could take only three albums

to a desert island I would bring Dean Martin’s Greatest Hits Vol-umes 1 & 2 and Frank Sinatra’s

Come Fly With Me.

I graduated high school in 1963.

Whenever I hear The 4 Season’s “Sherry” on the radio it makes

me think of how much I’d like one of my wife Cheri’s chocolate

chip cookies. El Rodeo 5

6 El Rodeo

Interview Scholarship Applicants

B ob Donahue, Scholarship Commit-tee Chair, has an opportunity that

will rock your boat: interview LA5

scholarship applicants.

You will hear first hand about the challenges

these students have had as they went about accomplishing great things during their high school years. They will talk about their goals

and the colleges where they have been ac-cepted. Year after year LA5ers say this is one

of the best activities they have ever attended.

What? You dropped out of school in the 5th grade and don’t feel qualified to interview the

future leaders of America? Not to worry — Bob will hold your hand and the kids will

gaze up at you as if you are Donald Trump.

Thursday, May 1, from 8:30 a.m. until noon at the Braille Institute on Vermont Avenue.

Call or e-mail Bob (all contact info is in the LA5 Directory) for a moment you will never

forget. Most important: there is free parking.

Dear Editor, What’s the deal with attendance? CLUELESS IN CULVER CITY

Dear Clueless,

LA5 membership has its privileges, but it was granted only after you made a promise to be

involved in our club and in Rotary activities. In one sentence: Your participation is essen-

tial to the success of LA5.

Attendance is not a big obstacle and can be achieved in many ways. First, show up at the

fun and entertaining Friday lunches. The food is good, Prez Ken runs a great meeting and you will leave the room a little smarter after

hearing the program speaker. Plus you get to see your buddies and make new friends. If

you don’t eat lunch then be a non-diner.

Boss on your back and you can’t skip out on Friday? Then do a make-up meeting at any of

the 100 clubs in the region. Attend one of the many great LA5 social and networking mixers. Roll up your sleeves and have a Rotary Mo-

ment at one of the service activities.

Everybody is busy with work and family but

every LA5er made a promise when they ap-plied for membership in the worlds greatest service organization: they wanted to make a

difference. If your situation is one where you are wrapped up in other things until you can get back into the LA5 swing, a modest quar-

terly attendance contribution will be charged to your account if you are unable to attend

50% of the time. The contribution is $10 for each meeting you are short but will not exceed

$50. Contributions support Club operations.

When you don’t attend you miss friendship, networking and a chance to make a differ-

ence. You miss the magic that is LA5.

Letters to the Editor

Program Chair Jose Vera’s winning 50-50 ticket was closely veri-fied by forensic investigator Ben Turner just to make sure there

was no insider hanky panky. Jose bought a mountain bike and, showing off over the weekend, fell and broke his leg. Lesson: he should have bought two tickets to the President’s Ball.

April First Wednesday Mixer

Set an appointment in your calendar for

Wednesday, April 2, at the LA Athletic Club from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. for the next First

Wednesday Mixer. $3 eats, $6.50 cocktails and $7 parking. The reason you’ve never seen any photos from prior events is that partici-

pants don’t want too many people sharing the

fun. Show up and see why. 6 El Rodeo