Villa Park Rotary minutes of November 17,2011

The November 17, 2011 Newsletter has been published to the Villa Park Rotary website. A copy has been included below.

You may also read it on-line by visiting
http://www.RotaryClubofVillaPark.org/Newsletter.cfm

Rotary Club of Villa Park Newsletter

Happy Thanksgiving

Opening Ceremonies:

Invocation: Mike Brunhober

Pledge of Allegeance: Jill kuli

Rotary Four Way Test: Brad Reese

Song: " God Bless America" Teri Brooks

Guests:

Frederick Fascinelli- Guest of Steven Pollack

Bill Langstaff - new member inductee

Inge Drost- visiting Rotarian from Denmark; Past District Governor

Steve Lopushinsky- Orange Rotarian

Jason Mefford - New member inductee

Rick Barnett- Marine Thanksgiving Chairman

Induction of New Members:

Pete Moriarty Chairman Membership

Welcome to our newest Rotarians Bill Langstaff and Jason Mefford

Bill Langstaff will work on the International Service Committee/sponsor Steven Pollack

Jason Mefford will work on the Community Service/ sponsor Jay Applebaum

Pete Moriarty announced that we have inducted 8 new members this year which represents

18% growth for the club. Amazingly we have inducted 15 new members in the last 17 months.

Three Cheers to our Membership Committee Chaired by Pete Moriarty and his committee

members Jim Glenn, Brad Reese, Wayne Silzel, Lisa Stepanski, Steve Stern and Stan Van

Den Berg.

Announcements:

Steven Pollack Club Secretary read the bylaws concerning upcoming election of officers and

Committee Chairs. This information is presented 1 month before the actual election of officers

during our annual meeting in December. Nominations are now open for all officers and service

committee chairs.

Tom Grundy reminded us that this is Rotary Foundation Month. The Foundation Dinner will

be this Saturday Night in Seal Beach. Tom also announced that it is now possible to make

donations directly to the Foundation on-line by going to www.rotary.org and clicking "member

access" then clicking on " Contribute to the Rotary Foundation". Tom announced that our

club raised $1700 for the Foundation Dinner.

Stan Van Den Berg noted that because we are a sustaining Paul Harris Club( a portion of our

dues goes to the Foundation) that we are eligible for a Presidential Citation from the Foundation.

We are also a 100% Paul Harris Club since July of 2009.

Jill Kuli and Bill Baker announced that we are now the official sponsor of Boy Scout Troop and

Pack 850- our sponsorship cost was a mere $40. Lots of joint activities are planned. Bill Baker

also serves as the Boy Scout Council Commissioner. The Troop Scoutmaster Bruce Ram will

attend an upcoming meeting.

Jill Kuli is also selling Villa Park 50th Anniversary Raffle Tickets for $5 each. The winner will

split the take 50:50 and be announced at the upcoming Villa Park Boat Parade.

John Broussard thanked the Ronald McDonald House Planners- Jane and Bill McDonald,

Pam Dunn, Lesslie Giacobbi and Brad and Lisa Reese. John is looking for someone to

do Thursday April 12th 2012- contact John if interested.

Ken Caplin announced that he is looking for volunteers to help prepare turkeys on Tuesday

November 22 at the Hilton Hotel. The shift will start at 7:45 and volunteers will meet at the Anaheim

Convention Center. More details to follow. Volunteers must wear long pants, closed shoes,

hats and be prepared to stay till 10 PM. The We Give Thanks Thanksgiving Day Meal will feed

about 20,000 dinner at the Honda Center.

Teri Brooks announced an Open House at the Orange Jewelry and Loan Store on Wednesday

evening November 30 from 7- 9 PM . Wine and Cheese will be served and there will be special

prices on the merchandise. RSVP To Teri at 714-633-0740.

Teri also talked about creating t-shirts for the boat parade either with Boy Scout Troop 850 or

on our own. Business sponsors will be listed on the back of the shirt.

Happy Bucks:

Teri Brooks is very proud of the undefeated 10-0 Villa Park Spartans who will be playing in

the CIF opener tomorrow night at Fred Kelly Field at 7:30. She is very impressed not only with

their play on the field, but with their academic prowess and their manners off the field.

Ed Carter reminded us that the Dad's Club of Villa Park Elementary School is holding a clothing

drive. You can bring donations to the meetings. The Mall of Orange will be hosting an event for the

drive in January. Ed was also happy to see Fred Fascinelli at the meeting. Fred has been involved in the Dad's Club and has been a go to guy.

Bob Kreisberg thanked Jim Brodsky for addressing his students at Cal State Fullerton who are

working on a medical practice. Bob also just got a new Prius SUV- did anybody say fine.

He really likes it but says that some of its feature require an on-board IT specialist to work.

Mark Schmidt pointed out that Pam Dunn and her family are featured in the recent Villa Park

Magazine. Greg Millsseconded the Happiness and was also happy to see Fred Fascinelli at

the meeting.

Tom Grundy was happy just because.

Jill Kuli was happy that one of her sons just got a job as a Vice President of Marketing and that her

other son Mark, who runs the T-shirt,etc business got a contract with the California PTA to do all

their merchandising.

Drawing: Milt Stamos drew an Ace.

Speaker: Lesslie Giacobbi Craft Talk.

Lesslie Giacobbi gave us some wonderful insight into her childhood upbringing and the time she spent in Italy with Peter. We learned that Lesslie was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. and that her mom was from Indiana, and her father was from the South. After marrying they moved to New York and later

Westchester County where they purchased a home her mother dubbed, "Folley Farm". An old home that was in need of repair. Lesslie's parents did all the renovations themselves and her mom still lives there at the age of 99. The kitchen was used in one of George Clooney's movies, " Michael

Clayton". Lesslie's mom loved to entertain servicemen about to go off to serve in WWII and played the piano nightly at the St. Pierre Hotel for them. She loved jazz and quilting. Lesslie's father was a journalist for the Associated Press and taught Lesslie her love for gardening. He was the founder of the Carver Center.

Lesslie went on to attend Cornell University, where she met and married Peter. Peter, was a mechanical engineer who went on to attain his MBA, let Lesslie know right from the get go that he wanted to live and work in Europe. So in October of 1963 the newlyweds went off to Italy to begin

their lives together. After some initial social setbacks the Giacobbi's met some wonderful people who become their family away from home. Years later Lesslie's daughter met and married

an Italian who was the nephew of their long time friends, further cementing the relationship. Lesslie

looks back on those days fondly and realizes how much it shaped her life and how much she learned from the experience. Great talk.

Next Week: Happy Thanksgiving- Dark