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The Mesh

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The VENICE MARINA ROTARY CLUB Publication for the

"FRIENDLIEST CLUB IN DISTRICT 5280"

The Venice Marina Rotary Club (PO Box 871, Venice, CA 90294,

Thursday at 12:15PM, at Shanghai Red’s Restaurant, Marina del Rey, CA, except

in the case of special meetings. If there are any questions or comments, call 310

995 1228. Rotarians are asked to send changes, modifications and additions in

their addresses, telephone numbers and email information to 310 745 3502.

1. Is it the TRUTH?

2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?

3. Will it build GOODWILL & Better FRIENDSHIPS?

4. Will it be BENEFICIAL TO ALL CONCERNED?

As of September 21, 2003

This Saturday, September 27, our Rotary Club is presenting a Pancake Breakfast at

the Vera Davis McClendon Youth and Family Center 8AM to Noon, at 610

California Avenue, Venice, to benefit the Center. Thanks to all who have signed up

to work and thanks to you that are going to sign up to help. Each member was

given 20 tickets ($60) to sell. We need all the tickets we can to present to the youth

in the area. THANKS TO ALL MEMBERS FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION!

Early bird drawing is being held September 30 at the District Meeting. Please bring

your sold tickets or your check book(s) to the meeting this Thrusday and see the

man – Dr. Vince Scott. Let’s all participate even if it is only a portion.

Why? We do many good works in our community and around the world. Each of

us – that is you and I – are part of an organization that decided to eradicate Polio in

the World – no the US but in the world. The Rotary International organization has

raises and spent almost a billion dollars to do this task. It was just announced that

the last push exceed the goal of $75MM by raising in cash and pledges $111MM.

The World Health Organization has established a plan to immunize the last 7 areas

in the World and fully expects to have eradicated polio by the end of 2004

We all should be proud to be part of a team that has accomplished this. There are

other tasks to be performed and other goals to be reached via the Rotary

International Foundation. Our pennies and dollars add up. So contribute even if it

is not $100 – remember Rotary raised a billion dollars a dollar at a time. If we all

gave up one coffee a week and gave that to Rotary, the coffers at the Foundation

will continue to add up. Over 99% of the Rotary Clubs in America contributed to

the last $111MM.

Winnie Northrup has had her medicine changed again. While she is not up to

receiving guests at home, she would like to receive your phone calls. Her home

number is 645 4225. Winnie, you have a number of chauffeurs when you are ready

to travel..3

Bill O’Hara is recuperating at home now. He’d also like to have phone calls at 390

5402.

Adiba Shaby is being released from the hospital for home recuperation this week.

She is to regain her strength so she can have a corrective surgery in the near future

at UCLA Hospital.

We send our prayers and best wishes to all three. Remember Winnie, Bill and

Adiba, we fellow Rotarians are here to help you as needed and wanted.

We have been fortunate to have new members join our Rotary Club in the recent

past. I urge each and every older member to go out of your way to extend your

hand in hospitality and welcome. Sit with each of these new members. Introduce

yourself. Find out about them. Most importantly, make each and every new

member feel an integral part of our Rotary Family. These new members are now

the most important people in our club and we should make them feel that and have

them become active.

We encourage each of the new members to attend every event and meeting they are

able to. We also encourage you to become active in a Rotarian area.

Venice Boy’s and Girl’s Club. We will tour the Charter School and see the Boy’s

and Girl’s Club. There will be eats. If all goes well, the Chinese Junior Men’s

Olympic Team will be present from 2-3PM for a visit and interaction with we

Rotarians. Come for all or just a part of the event. Remember the Culver City Club

sponsored our club into existence some 62 years ago. Next year’s District Governor

is from Culver City. I realize Sunday is a busy time and day to do this event, but

our Board felt that there was less conflict for this day than Saturday.

Trip to Mexico is fast approaching. We are going to build a house and have a social

function in Mexico the last weekend in October. Plan to attend.

A garden party at Joanna and David Maxwell’s house was well attended on

September 14, 2003. Rotarian Emmanuel provided wonderful and delicious food

and deserts for this event. Fund, socialization and networking were the day’s

activities. Thanks JR, Willie and Carol Williamson for planing this event and

thanks to Joanna Maxwell for her efforts.

The next District Breakfast is at the LAX Marriott on September 30 at 7:15AM.

We are honoring our heroes in the military and elsewhere. Your President has

arranged for a military person, Col. Russell Barber, the last surviving Chaplain from

D-Day in WWII, to give the nondenominational prayer. We also have invited Col.

Cervantes, the September 18 speaker, to attend as our guest. Jim Bovee, we

definately want you there if at all possible.

Remember if you attend this Breakfast, our Club will pay for your breakfast. If you

say you will attend and then don’t, you pay. If we have 10 people attend we will

have our own reserved table. Six Club members attended the first District

Breakfast.

Sign up to attend these workshops on October 11. All new members are

encouraged to attend. See your President. Past Rotary International President Rick

King is going to speak. Don’t miss this – he is a dynamic, entertaining and

informative speaker.

informative and useful. THANKS DISTRICT. Good example for what we want to

do with our Club Web Site.

Club Co-Secretary Duncan Elkinson did a television program featuring Rotarian

speaker Col. Cervantes and Jim Bovee (his other TV show sponsored by our Rotary

Club was interviews with Art students at Venice High School). Our Rotary Club

will be featured on some 3 million TV sets in Manhattan and LA. Thanks Duncan.

We now have a line of members who want to be next – remember everyone in LA

secretly is seeking to be on TV or in the movies!

The next monthly Board Meeting will be held on October 2 right after the regular

meeting. Good way to make up if needed.

Irene Bashoff, sponsored by Duncan Eklkinson, will be considered by the Board for

membership acceptance on October 2. She is a Talent Manager. Irene has attended

3 meetings and the club’s 2 social events at the boat dock and at Maxwell’s home.

If there are any objections, see or contact the Club President, Club Secretary or the

Membership Committee Members Howard Pollack or David Voss.

Remember if you need to makeup, working at the Saturday pancake breakfast

counts as does next Tuesday’s District Breakfast. The next President’s work

session is October 4 at the Champagne Bakery 9-10AM. We have lost of

opportunities for makeups and of course you are encouraged to attend other Clubs.

Past Club President David Voss presided at this meeting as part of this year’s

honoring our Past Presidents. Voss presented the invocation, Joey led our singing

and the pledge was led by (I forget – forgive me-my notes are incomplete). Howard

Pollack drew the most winning raffle tickets and he draw the second joker winning

$50. The next joker wins the pot. Let’s all come and participate. Not to pull

against Howard, but let’s make him work for that third joker!

David Voss did a wonderful job of identifying all the members brought into this

club some 10 years ago by Honorary Member Alan Culliver who now resides in

Oklahoma. THANKS ALAN and in honor of his class of inductees, David Voss

obtained these contributions and brags: Howard Pollack $100 to Polio Corrective

Surgery, Christopher McDowell $100 for Foundation tickets, Steve Williamson

$100, David Voss had previously bragged $150 – $50 to the club and $100 for

Foundation tickets and Jim Bovee $100. See Alan, you still have influence and

David Voss wanted you to know that this was done freely since no one can apply

for a loan with you now – right?!

Past Club President Willie bragged $25 in honor of Alan Culliver and David

Maxwell bragged $25 in honor of Howard Pollack and his deeds.

President Elect Carmen Portnoy announced the delivery of goods to the women’s

shelter. The Club authorized her to spend $200 for blankets and pillows. She is

seeking a washer and dryer. Thanks for your efforts here Carmen.

David Voss introduced Jim Bovee who then introduced our speaker and television

star, Henry Cervantes, USAF Retired. Jim Bovee was part of the story about the

"Bridge Too Far" which was made into a movie. Jim was truly a WWII hero. Col.

Cervantes is truly a story about what America is based on. Henry now serves our

city government by working for the Mayor (he also worked on commissions for the

previous 2 city mayors). Henry lives in the Marina and speaks at schools and youth

groups. He agreed, subject to his schedule, to speak at schools and to youth groups

arranged by the Rotary Club. THANKS HENRY. The owner of Shanghai Red’s

Restaurant building flew with Henry in WWII – (truly a 6 degrees of separation

story).

Henry just wrote a book entitled "PILOTO – From Migrant Laborer to Jet Pilot"..7

Henry wrote this book because there are no history books about or by Latinos since

11964 work on Latino Medal of Honor Winners. The Latino Ethnicity is a major

portion of this book for the youth of today. Our club decided after his presentation

to honor him and Jim Bovee by buying several of his book and donating them to

local school libraries.

Suffice it to say that this man is truly an American hero for all Americans and a role

model for Latinos. He was one of this country’s first Jet Pilots.

Colonel Cervantes started his life as a migrant worker in the fields of California.

He had a third grade teacher who made the difference in his life. She made him

learn English and she taught him to "Dream Your Dreams". He decided there and

then to become a pilot and he did. This teacher "stimulated him". One person does

make a difference as he said.

From this beginning, he qualified as an Army Corp pilot. He flew B-47 bomber

planes from England to Germany. He then flew the B-58 and became an aircraft

Maintenance Supervisor. He wrote the F-5 fighter plane handbook. He served in

strategic Air Command and was a part of the military Cold War effort.

Henry worked for the US Space Systems Department. Thereafter, he supervised

90,000 defense contracts in the Western USA. He has served and is serving as

advisor to Mayors Bradley, Riordan and Hahn on various boards including the LA

Police Department. He also worked as an official at the 1984 LA Olympic.

Thanks Henry for your service and your example to our youth.

The Rotary meeting was then adjourned. Seventeen members attended. We had

four guests and three special guests also attending.

Yours in Rotary,

David Maxwell

Venice Marina Rotary Club President

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