
Meeting called to order by President Doug Brent at 12:30pm.
Barry Cheskin led the pledge of allegiance.

Visitors:
- Helmut Clenim, visiting Rotarian from Munich
- Arjun Ray—San Francisco Bay Area Rotary Club
- -Molly Rogan, daughter of Barbara Rogan
- Marjorie Brent, wife of Doug Brent
- Allison Synder, daughter of Dan Synder
- Michelle Kuntzmann, Manager Art Docents

Decorated eggs St. Lukes Pantry—Salute to the NFL
Announcements:
- January Member Birthdays (see slide)
- Anniversaries (see slide)
- Crabfest coming soon—Suzanne Boxer-Gassmann and Elaine Ware gave us an update: tickets still available from LG rotary website with new login required.
- Fund in need: New Senchi RC Junior High in Ghana lacks basic sanitation facilities
- Auction is open with 173 donations to select from. Sneak peak will be available at 1/28 meeting and crab techs will be available.

Red Badge
Debbie Johnson, wife of Paul Johnson
Jenny Anderson, Principal and administrator

Art Docents of Los Gatos
Michelle Kuntzmann is the president of Art Docents of Los Gatos.
--They teach Art History and hands-on-art to over 3,000 students in the Los Gatos Union School District. Their mission is to expand students’ educational and cultural experiences.
--The curriculum brings art museums and creative workshops into the classrooms every month, starting with kindergarten and gradually building to sophisticated concepts in the upper grades.
--Every year the Art Docents host an Annual Student Art Show featuring 3,000 pieces of art from Los Gatos Union School District students. The exhibit showcases artwork from every student in kindergarten through 5th grade, plus 6th to 8th grade students taking an elective art program. On display are drawings, paintings, collages, sculptures and more. It is open to the public.
---Community Bulletin Board Announcement: Recruiting for Civil Grand Jury
Guest Speaker:
Alan Feinberg is the founder of the LOST Gatos Project campaign to remember and preserve our unique town history before it’s “lost” forever. He is also the developer of the free mobile app “Discover LOST Gatos” which offers self-guided tours of our historic downtown with content that has been carefully researched for historical accuracy. He shared some of his stories about the town’s history.
The Cradle of Los Gatos:
- Begins at the site of James Alexander Forbes” gristmill where our town was born. He bought 2,000 acres of land and decided a build a flour mill and make his fortune. The mill failed within 1 year and never produced any flour.
- There was a Forbes legend about two Virgin Mary statues made of solid gold that were buried on the island of Cocos, Costa Rica in 1821; but the treasure was never found.
- Forbes died in 1881 and was credited with establishing the first commercial site in which the town of Los Gatos was formed; although his business venture was a failure.
Los Gatos High School 1883
Built to house a 2-year high school studies program to prepare students for a rigorous college entrance exam. One of the first instructors was Miss Martha Cilker. Women were required to remain single to keep teaching.
1908—The new Los Gatos High School opened its doors that offered 4 years of education.
1923—the desire for a gym and increased enrollment prompted a bond measure which passed and allowed construction of the first buildings of the high school we see today.
1925—Dedication day for Los Gatos High School
Town Hall and Pageant Grounds
1913—construction of town hall and 2 room jail house (1934). The jail house was the town “drunk tank”. The town hall met the wrecking ball in 1965.
Behind the town hall were the Pageant Grounds, where elaborate plays were staged for many years. In 1924, 3,000 people gathered for a pageant titled “El Gato de Los Gatos”. Even though the seating in the theater was uncomfortable, it did not deter anyone from enjoying the festivities.
The Pageants ran from 1919 to 1930.
2013—Pageant Park was rescued and reconstructed for public use.
The Beckwith Block
--Was the first retail store and International Order of Odd Fellows Hall in 1863. It burned to the ground in 1891 and was replaced with the Beckwith Block that you see today.
--1906 earthquake badly damaged the Keystone arch and was remodeled in the 1960s. The earthquake of 1989 caused the most damage to the building, which was again remodeled and restored mostly to its original design.
Meeting adjourned at 1:30pm.