Friday, October 15

District Governor Doug Baker

Club Assembly

This Friday, October 1

James Hirsen, J.D., M.A

Hirsen on Hollywood

Friday, October 8

Sarah Culberson

A Princess Found &

The Kposowa Foundation

Rotary Club of Los Angeles

Est. 1909

www.rotaryla5.org

2010-11

Number 10

September 29 El Rodeo

President Gerry Turner, no stranger

to controversy, opened his tenth

meeting of LA5’s one hundred and

second year with an invocation by

Rev. Dale Click, a plea for goodwill

and understanding in a fractious

world. He concluded it, unscathed,

after a provocative session, in which

members questioned the proponent

of a controversial initiative statute ―

with goodwill and understanding.

President Gerry invited all Club mem-

bers to attend the 2011 Rotary Inter-

national Convention in New Orleans

next May. Truly the best way to ap-

preciate the international character

of Rotary is by making friends with

Rotarians from the host city and

throughout the world. We’re explor-

ing the possibility, he said, of travel-

ing to New Orleans as a District 5280

contingent, by Amtrak train.

(Continued on page 3)

Can You Imagine Legal

Marijuana in California?

Many Californians Can.

Our Speaker, Judge Jim Gray, author, retired Superior Court judge

All photos courtesy of Carole Donahue

Contents

Executive Director’s Message Page 2

Club Leadership 3

Meeting news (continued) 3

LA5 & District Events 3

Welcome new member, Scott Moe 4

Our last speaker, Judge Jim Gray 4

Who was Dick Ferris? Next week

LA5 Committees: International,

Hiking, Special Correspondents 5

Photo gallery 6

2

Executive Director’s Message September 29, 2010

Housekeeping Anyone?

When it comes to running your Rotary Club,

there a number of “housekeeping” items that

often go unnoticed or unaddressed, including:

keeping your Club Runner member profile up

to date, placing your dining reservation early

in the week so that you can enjoy the food

and hospitality offered by the California Club,

paying your dues on time so that club opera-

tions can continue uninterrupted, and sharing

the Rotary experience with a friend or col-

league.

Did you know that out of the more than

33,000 Rotary Clubs only a few hundred of the

larger clubs have a paid Executive Director?

Fortunately, LA5 has the budget and long-

standing tradition of providing outstanding ex-

ecutive management and club services to our

members through our paid staff.

Did you know that my predecessor, Karen Mik-

kelsen, led LA5 for more than a decade along

with her Executive Administrator, Jennifer Fo-

jas? Every leadership transition presents chal-

lenges and new opportunities. In our case, our

Executive Administrator, Jennifer Gregg, and I

have less than one year of combined Rotary

service. Let us know how we can better serve

you and truly make LA5 the best Rotary Club

in the world.

Did you know that even though the Rotary

Club of Los Angeles was organized in 1909, we

are in the process of re-inventing ourselves

and the way we do business through the im-

plementation of a very aggressive and forward

looking Strategic Plan? At the same time, for

the first time in more than a decade, the

Club’s capital assets are fully depreciated.

What this means is that we need to invest in

new equipment and upgrade our technology to

remain competitive, operate efficiently and

provide effective member services.

Did you know that one of my primary responsi-

bilities is to protect the Club’s assets, ensur-

ing that all internal controls, procedures and

protocols are being followed? It has been

brought to my attention that a few members

attend our weekly fellowship reception or ar-

rive for our lunch program after the registra-

tion table is closed without buying a “non-

diner” $10 ticket. This simply does not pass

the Four-Way Test and is certainly not fair to

all concerned. Everyone attending our Friday

lunch meetings must purchase either a $10

non-diner or $38 diner ticket – no exceptions.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

It is indeed my honor and privilege to serve as

your Executive Director. Having been a mem-

ber of LA5 for the past 15 years, I am passion-

ately committed to providing the executive

leadership that this club needs, expects and

deserves – well into the next decade. I ask for

your continued support and thank you for

sharing your time, talent and treasure.

Best Rotarian regards,

Jon S. Gibby

Executive Director

3

(Continued from page 1 )

Carol Shafer called upon Sep-

tember birthdayites Jack

Dibbs, Jay Richardson, Karl

Schmidt and Elizabeth Wheeler

for birthplaces, but not ages.

President Gerry recognized

Past President Don Crocker for

60 years of service to the Boy

Scouts and, come January, 40

years in LA5; and Art Kassel,

President and CEO of the Eagle

and Badge Foundation.

Two LA5 fathers proudly pre-

sented their newborns: Jay

Richardson, with wife Miyuki,

Sakura and LJ Rivera, Noah.

John Green John Langfitt Diane Netzel LJ Rivera Barrie Segall Carol Shafer Margaret Todd

Alan Bernstein Christina Hurn

Art Kassel Gus Oppermann Noble Trenham

Jose Vera Elizabeth Wheeler

LA5 Events

Oct. 1 Regular Meeting

James Hirsen

“Hirsen on Hollywood”

Oct. 8 Regular Meeting

Sarah Culberson

"A Princess Found and

The Kposowa Foundation”

Rotary Information Meeting

Oct. 15 Regular Meeting

District Governor Doug Baker

and Club Assembly

Oct. 21 Evening Hike

Griffith Park, 6:45 pm

Watch for news from the

Hiking Committee

District Events

Nov. 7

Save the Date!

And buy Raffle Tickets!

Paul Harris Foundation

Mardi Gras Celebration

House of Blues, Hollywood

8430 Sunset Blvd.

West Hollywood

Feb. 17-21, 2011

Dominican Republic Interna-

tional Service Trip (p. 5)

Rotary Club of Los Angeles Est. June 25, 1909

Club Leadership President Gerry Turner

President-Elect Megan O'Rourke

VP Program Chair Jay Richardson

Secretary Christina Chanpong

Treasurer Don Robinson

Immediate Past President Marc Leeka

Directors:

Club Fellowship Carol Shafer

Elizabeth Wheeler

Communications Noble Trenham

Funding Art Kassel

LJ Rivera

Diane Netzel

Membership Jon S. Gibby

Barrie Segall

Christina Hurn

Jose Rivera

Service Projects John Langfitt

John Green

Gus Oppermann

New Generations Margaret Todd

Alan Bernstein

Sergeants-at-Arms Anthony Bourg

Anthony Calloway

Robert Donahue

Executive Director Jon S. Gibby

jon@rotaryLA5.org

Administrator Jennifer Gregg

Rotary Club of Los Angeles Office

900 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 418

Los Angeles, CA 90017

Telephone 213 624 8601

Fax 213 624 2694

Website www.rotaryLA5.org

District 5280

Governor Doug Baker

Website www.district5280.org

Club Assembly Photos

Please review your LA5 photos. Submit the best by October 8

for presentation at the Club Assembly. Please email them to Marjorie Heller at 2MarjorieHel-ler@gmail.com.

Judge Jim Gray

Our speaker presented his topic

― Why Our Drug Laws Have

Failed and the California Ballot

Measure to Legalize and Tax

Marijuana ― with humor and

common sense, getting nods of

acknowledgement as he made

his arguments in favor of legali-

zation. He admits, though, that

many important questions re-

main unanswered.

Judge Gray and President Gerry

with Judge Gray’s book, Why Our

Drug Laws Have Failed and What

We Can Do about It; A Judicial

Indictment of the War on Drugs

4

A New Member

Please Welcome Scott Moe

Scott Moe (BS, University of Illinois,

Urbana; Masters, USC) is the man-

aging partner of

SDM Advisory

Group, a boutique professional

services firm that offers custom-

ized consulting solutions ranging

from independent consulting pro-

jects to fully managed, on-site

solution delivery. The firm’s en-

gagements have spanned the

business functions of top manage-

ment, marketing, operations, and

quality control and information systems. SDM pro-

vides the appropriate specialists at the right time,

without the rigid methodologies, protracted proc-

esses, and high costs associated with traditional

consulting firms.

Originally formed in 1999, SDM has served clients in

engineering, manufacturing, health care, media and

entertainment, real estate development, and finan-

cial services. He counts among his clients Hochiki

America, Inc., Buena Park; The Amerland Group,

Los Angeles; Fisher Technical Services Inc., Las Ve-

gas; Ramsey-Shilling Commercial Real Estate, Los

Angeles; and Proprietary Control

Systems Corporation, Torrance.

Among his areas of expertise are

turnarounds, business develop-

ment, partnerships and joint

ventures, project planning and

execution, change management,

negotiations, project manage-

ment, real estate brokerage and

asset management, property

management services, internal

policy and procedures, case study development,

training programs, and marketing campaigns.

Here Scott is pinned by his sponsor, LJ Rivera.

A father and son in New Mexico, dedicated and life-

long Rotarians, inspired Scott to join Rotary. Please

welcome Scott to the Los Angeles Rotary Club!

See It and Believe It

At our meeting on September 15, President Gerry

introduced dramatic visual measurements of our

success in meeting our key Club Membership and

Donation Goals.

Two graphs, created by LA5er Michele Leal , Presi-

dent of DesignQuorum, will be updated every week

and on display for all to see. We hope to keep

track — more legibly than here —of our steady pro-

gress upward, in parallel, in El Rodeo.

5

News of LA5 Committees International Service Rita Lee, Chair

The Registration Deadline is October 15th!

February 17 to 21: The District’s Dominican Republic

trip. LA5 will sponsor a project in Santiago to provide

insulin for diabetic children, distribute wheelchairs

and take part in other projects. Members and friends

will visit projects, attend evening fellowship events

in historic locales with local Rotarians and take fasci-

nating day excursions, and can extend their trips to

visit world-famous beaches, like Punta Caña or

Puerta Plata. Airfare, hotels and meals will cost

$1,600. For more information or to sign up, contact

Rita Lee at ritaasialee@gmail.com or see the District

website.

Hiking Bob Firring, Chair

For spectacular nighttime views of the City, join us

on October 21 at 6:45 pm at the upper Merry-Go-

Round parking lot at 4730 Crystal Springs. (If you

haven’t signed a Sierra Club waiver form, be pre-

pared to sign one.) Hikers will enjoy it.

International Service Our Special Correspondents

LA5ers Dr. Reiko Sakata and Marjorie Kasper leave

October 3 for a month long trip to the Middle East

and Sri Lanka. They’ll report to our readers periodi-

cally. In Beirut and Colombo they’ll visit Rotary Clubs

and humanitarian projects co-sponsored by Clubs in

District 5280. They’ll explore Syria and Jordan. Keep

The Sailing of the Irving Johnson On Saturday, September 18th, four LA5ers and fam-

ily and friends joined members of the Newport Har-

bor Fleet of the International Yachting Fellowship

of Rotarians (IYFR) for a day sail aboard the brigan-

tine Irving Johnson. It’s one of the "Official Tall-

ships of the City of Los Angeles," operated by the

Los Angeles Maritime Institute (LAMI). Everyone had

a chance to take the helm, help raise and trim sails

and climb aloft.

IYFR is the oldest and largest fellowship in Rotary,

with nearly three thousand members worldwide. Its

objectives are to:

• advance international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and pro-

fessional persons united in the ideals of service;

• promote Rotary International fellowship through cruising, yachting, sailing, kayaking and other activities

involving boats and boating;

• promote high standards of seamanship and abide by recognized yachting

customs and etiquette on the water; and

• support Rotary International service projects and opportunities, on and off

the water.

Fair Winds in Rotary Friendship,

Hal Barstow, International Relations Volunteer, Los Angeles Maritime Institute. Pictured, Woody Anderson, Melody and Paul St. John

Dr. Reiko Sakata &

Marjorie Kasper,

pictured with Past

President Kathy

Turner and

Executive Director

Jon Gibby

6

Johannes Masserer, Amir Vishani and

Alex MikoLevine

Rev. Dale Click delivers a moving invocation,

before President Gerry Turner, Jay Richardson, Ken Chong,

new member Scott Moe and LJ Rivera, with baby Noah

Left, Lance Miller,

Past President Don

Crocker and

Rita Lee

Right,

Darin Marinov,

Past President Bill

Plunkett,

Margaret Karren

and Carol Shafer

Below, left,

Past President Bob

Aldridge, Jose

Vera,

Past President

Mike Birkholm

Above, Paul St. John with Kara Savoian, guest of Brad Turner. Below, right, Sergeants at Arms Anthony Bourg and Bob Donahue

Left, Pat

Wright and

Russ Guiney

Right, close up of LJ Rivera and baby Noah

All photos courtesy of Carole Donahue