It looks like Fall is finally here, as we near daylight savings time, don’t forget to set your clocks back on November 6 and I hope you will engage in voting in our upcoming elections.
This is the time of year we look forward to as we give thanks for the many blessings we have, I will be enjoying my son coming back from his first year at UCSB, even though just 2 hours up North, I am excited to once again cook a hearty Thanksgiving meal and gather our family around a table to share good food and each other’s company and celebrate in our health. This month we will have the opportunity to give to a community less privileged than our own. Read below to find out how…
Special thanks goes to Calvin Lo and Mary Johnson and their committee comprised of Isaac Hung, Greg Johansing, Fang Ho, Fary Yassamy, Scott Kwong, Joseph Chang, Sue Spence, Roberta Gunderson on the Mini Grant celebration on Friday, 10/28 with 36 applications received and 26 grants awarded. Thank you to Andy Barth who made a guest appearance and spoke about Bill Steele and the history of this grant.
In November, we celebrate our Foundation. As you know, our Foundation will be 100 this year. The annual Foundation dinner is usually celebrated in early January. We will keep you posted. This month you will hear from our Foundation committee on the various projects they are working on.
Our vocational services committee invites us to PCC for a Business and Industry Breakfast on Wednesday, November 2 at the Circadian Room from 8 – 9:30 am. Register for this event.
This is a short month with Thanksgiving, we will meet on November 3, 10, and the 17th and VOILA December is upon us with the festivities for the holidays. On November 3 we will hear a debate of sorts moderated by Steve Garrett, as David Ruprecht and Kevin Bushey share with us their opinions on proposition 64, the Marijuana legalization issue. Rotary does not take a position on this topic, we are interested in educating you on the topic. On this day, we also celebrate the work of Rotary students of the month from Southwestern Academy. Also on November 3, we will be honoring a volunteer that you don’t want to miss. On November 5th is the annual Chinese Club Mid-Autumn Festival, for tickets, contact Hai Sou Chen haisouchendds@yahoo.com or Isaac Hung ihung1026@aol.com .
November 10, we host the annual Tournament of Roses Queen and her Court, Tony Chou and Greg Custer along with their committee have organized the day filled activities at the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens, any member interested in helping at the gardens, should sign up with Tony Chou tchou913@gmail.com. The program has two goals, to sponsor the girls as they work with and inspire 3rd graders from local Elementary schools and to visit with our club for lunch and share of their experiences serving on the court and serving our community. We will be welcoming Rotary members from local clubs as well as guests from the community. Visit our website to see the agenda for the Huntington Gardens visit. This is a great opportunity to show our pride and invite potential members to our club. After our club meeting, the Rotary Charities Board will meet.
On November 16, the Membership Committee will be having its quarterly Meet-n-Greet at the home of Isaac Hung at 5:30 – 7 pm. The goal is to welcome our newest yearlings and help them navigate our club and get to know members. More details will be sent from Molly Woodford.
On November 17, Dave Abrams from Reyn Spooner will be talking about his new business venture and we welcome you to come adorned with your Reyn Spooner shirts, maybe there will be a prize of sorts ? ! This will be our 3rd Thursday of the month, so our Board will meet at 1:35 pm. All members are welcome to visit.
At PETS, we were encouraged to collaborate with other local clubs. Our club will be helping with the Pasadena Rotary Club on their annual Bike Project for the needy. Together with Altadena and Pasadena clubs, we have donated enough money to buy 200 bikes that will be gifted to children ages 3 – 11 on December 15 in time for the holidays. The Salvation Army in Pasadena has selected the families that will be receiving the bikes. The Police Department will be there on December 15 to register the bikes.
However, before giving the bikes away, we need to assemble them, the Bike Project Assembly date is set for Saturday, November 19 at 8 – 10 am. We will need volunteers to sign up, we encourage the 3 Interact clubs and the PCC Veterans to participate in this community build. Altadena Rotary club has volunteered to provide a pancake breakfast for the building date. We need a head count by November 14. We will build at PUSD Depot on Woodbury in Pasadena. The only aspect of this project that remains is providing the helmets for the bikes. The cost of the helmets is being researched, if anyone in the club has a lead on helmets for kids ages 3 – 11, please contact Gilda at gmoshir@gmail.com. We may need to raise the funds through weekly club meetings, by asking each of you to contribute to a pot that will help us order 200 helmets.
Also on November 19, is the building of the Little Christmas House with the San Marino Chamber of Commerce at the corner of Huntington Road and San Marino Avenue, the building starts at 8:30 am. Contact Rita Rodriguez if you can help sanmarinochamber@att.net
Please help me welcome back James Nash, he makes a trek from the Westside to be with us at our weekly meetings. Rotarians, help us bring members back by inviting them to visit at our weekly meetings and getting reconnected with us.
Finally, the Sierra Madre Club shared with us a nomination date of October 31 for the Humanitarian STAR Awards, visit www.rhstar.org to learn more.
Yours in Service
Gilda Moshir
2016-2017 President
