|
Editor Marg Burgess
President Stan rang the bell to hear from Rotary International’s President Dong-Kurn Lee of South Korea, give awards to Club 33 members and a focus on service to the people of the planet. Sheila Korn rose to give the Inspirational Moment. She tapped quotes from P.G. Wodehouse and Martin Luther King Jr (“Everyone has the Power of Greatness. Not for fame but Greatness. Because Greatness is determined by Service.”) and some startling statistics on the death and suffering in the world to exhort the gathered Rotarians to serve.
Tom Blair lead the assemblage in The Star Spangled Banner.
Janie Davis read the news to include the fact that President Obama received his $3,000 spy-proof smart phone.
President Stan retook the podium to welcome the main speaker’s aides, his own wife, current District Governor Pam Russell and past District Governors George Jessop, Bill McDade and Jim O’Meara as well as a loaded table of talent with Club 33 Past Presidents.
Lisa Miller spoke from the floor to introduce students from Lincoln High School.
Mario Bourdon introduced new member T.D. Rolf saying club members would need to find out the meaning of “T.D.”
Dennis Kenneally launched the Club 33 Rotary careers of two more new members, Captain Thomas Farris and returning member Joe Dolphin.
Captain Farris currently serves as Commanding Office, Sector San Diego for the US Coast Guard.
Joe Dolphin, a former member of Club 33, resides in Del Mar with his wife, Nancy.
Bonnie Schwartz rose to exhort club members to attend the District Council meeting to be held at the Marriott La Jolla on February 10th, reminding everyone of President Stan’s goal of seeing 100 Club 33 members in attendance.
Joyce Gattas gave members a preview of Sweetheart’s Day at Rotary on February 12th .
President Stan wielded the Mighty Fine on Bink Cook who spoke of the Max and Jake Big Race to benefit the Rady Childrens Hospital Heart Institute. Robert Horsman stood to be taxed, abjuring any knowledge of table flyer distribution, he spoke of the 2009 Kyoto Prize Symposium coming in March as described on the flyer at everyone’s table. Tom Wilson rose to Finedome and drew everyone’s attention to the table flyers promoting the upcoming Buick Invitational Golf Tournament which he said Mr. Horsman had distributed.
President Stan, citing the Club tradition of acknowledging the Rotarian who had traveled the furthest, bestowed the central focus on R.I. President Lee for the travel from Seoul, South Korea.
President Lee and President Stan recognized three new Paul Harris Fellows: Greg Augustine, Kathleen Pasulka and Kevin Ward; Bill McDade was awarded a 3-stone Ruby Pin for service. Then, in a surprise to her, Bink Cook was brought to the podium to receive the “Four Avenues of Service Award” to recognize someone who participates in and exemplifies Rotary’s four avenues of service: Club Service, Community Service, International and Vocational Service.
And then, President Lee took the podium to speak.
He asked for patience with his English, saying that he might have paid more attention in school if he’d realized that later in life he would become President of Rotary International and most of his speeches to hundreds and thousands of people would be in English.
He spoke of his experiences traveling the world for Rotary. Whether it was in “India or Columbia or Rochester New York, there were always Rotarians there to greet us.” “Not one person saves a life,” Lee said, “we all work together to make dreams real.”
President Lee spoke of the need to promote public health and education saying “we can be as proud of funding a public toilet as for helping create fresh drinking water” because so many preventable diseases are born from improperly handled waste. “30,000 children a day die from preventable diseases, especially under the age of 5.” He once more exhorted the gathered Rotarians to take action.
Photos by Paul Nestor
| 
