The meeting was called to order by President Meghan Burton at 12:30
The pledge was led by Mike “Greek” Frangadakis.
Doug Brent inspired us with his love letter to the club. Doug reflected on what he finds inspiring about being a member of Los Gatos Rotary. Our club will be 100 years old next year, only ½ of 1% of companies make it 100 years. We have several members who have been with the club 50 years or more. There are members who year after year work with youth, raise funds, and serve the club in many ways. Doug ended by saying the word inspiration should not stand alone, but rather be what we are inspired to do.
Guests
Visiting Rotarian Hung Wei District Governor and member of Cupertino Rotary
Visitor Lissa Kreisler guest of Jeffrey Blum.
Rotarian in the Wild
Doug Brent in Argentine Patagonia. This picture was taken on a ten mile hike with a 4,000 feet vertical climb.
Announcements
Thank to Randy Cobb and Kathie Benko for the Halloween themed eggs.
Hard copy directories will be distributed at the meeting next week. Those who want two copies should wait until everyone gets one.
Henry Vitkovich announced the President’s Brunch will be December 3 from 10:00 a.m.- 1:00 Cinnabar Golf Club. The cost will be $65. This is always a fun event. There will be a champagne reception, buffet brunch, entertainment, and some surprises. We will be collecting gifts for Toys for Tots. If you are unable to make the brunch, Henry will be collecting toys during meetings in November. Tickets will be available on the website and the Cat Tale.
The Centennial Celebration will be held May 7 at Mountain Winery. Save the Date, more details to follow.
Membership Activity:
Paul Johnson introduced the following new members:
Mary Lonhart got her Blue Badge (thanks for your patience, Mary) Mary’s dad was a long- member of Cupertino Rotary and she looks forward to being a member of LGR.
Rick Rauscher and Thomas Lettiere received their Red Badges. Both work for the LGUSD. Rick is the Principal of Van Meter School. Rick looks forward to working with our club. Thomas is Director of Maintenance and Operations. Thomas went to Guatemala as part of the RACHEL project. He was very inspired by the work that was done there and looks forward to future service projects.
Marie Rector presented her Red Badge Bio. Marie was born in Wisconsin but her family moved to Arizona for her brother’s health. She graduated from the University of Arizona- Tucson with a teaching credential. During her student teaching she saw they were interviewing for international flight attendants and she was one of two people hired that day. Marie flew with TWA until they were purchased by AA. Marie had promised her mother she would keep her credential active and worked as a substitute teacher at LGHS while she was flying. During this time, she also got her Master’s Degree from Santa Clara University. After she retired from TWA she applied to be the college counselor at LGHS. Marie worked as the career and college counselor for over 20 years, retiring last June. She worked with Rotary awarding scholarships. She always said she would join when she retired and here she is. Marie has two children and two grandchildren who live in Arizona, she visits them every month.
Tina Orsi-Hartigan and John Cowell presented Marie with her Blue Badge.
30 for 30
Hal Rosen just returned from spending a wonderful summer in Sierra City, where his wife Lydia grew up. Lydia has written a book about her family and growing up in the Sierra foothills. Lydia thought people in the area might be interested so she sent a copy to the local weekly paper. Turns out they loved it and they will be publishing it in serial form. Congratulations Lydia!
Dan Snyder told us his daughter Elizabeth was selected to race in the Head of the Charles Regatta. Elizabeth rows with the LG Rowing Club. Congratulations Elizabeth (and Dan).
Program:
Our speaker today was Hung Wei, our District Governor. Gave us an overview of District 5170. What does the district do for us? Learning opportunities such as Avenues of Service and fun activities.
Coming up in the district:
- The district is having a holiday event on Monday Dec. 4 Train of Lights.
- District conference is April 26-28 2024 at Hayes Mansion.
- Ritter’s Castaway Reconnaissance Mission cruise May 9-14 2024.
She asked us to think of what is Rotary to you? Here are her suggestions for being a good Rotarian:
- Remember you are one of the invisible people who bring hope to your community and the world.
- Be a happy Rotarian
- Be a lifetime Rotarian
She also suggested that we keep our RINOs (Rotarians in Name Only) they joined for a reason and they should feel welcome. Remember, they may become more active when they can.
In addition to being DG she is also the Mayor of Cupertino. People ask her how she can do both. Here are her rules:
- Do one thing at a time
- She only does what she loves
- She never cooks
- Her husband works in Taiwan and her sons are self-supporting.
I think we all found our DG to be a delightful (she told us she’s our biggest cheerleader), engaging, and inspiring speaker. She shared some very moving and personal stories and urged us all to live doubly happy.
The meeting was adjourned at 1:30. Next week’s speaker is County Supervisor Joe Simitian.