TODAY AT ROTARY
President JOHN KIDD led us in singing 'America' (with SKIP HOYT on keyboards) and in the Pledge of Allegiance, and called on Director NICK NICHOLS to introduce visiting Rotarians HENRY S. HOLAND and AUSTIN SPENCER from Mountain View, TOM BORDEN from Menlo Park, GEORGE PAULSEN from Belmont, journeyed-the-farthest winner OKTEM KUSTU from Istanbul, and today's speaker ELTON SHERWIN from the Palo Alto University club. Guests were RAJI PRADO from Ridgewood Capital, introduced by JOERG SPERLING, and MAC McMILLIAN, new Director of Disaster Services for the Palo Alto Red Cross chapter, introduced by LUCIANNE PHILLIPS.
NICK NICHOLS announced that his Gift Committee would meet at 8 a.m. Thursday morning, December 14, at the Prudential Securities office at 525 University Avenue, 5th floor, Palo Alto, to consider the club's charitable giving program for this year.
President JOHN conducted our Annual Meeting, beginning by introducing officers and directors SARA PANTIN, DICK CARLSON, GEOFF ZIMAN, DICK FREEMAN, ROB LANCEFIELD, RICK TIPTON, IRIS KOROL, HAL MICKELSON, ANNETTE GLANCKOPF, and NICK NICHOLS. We thanked them all for their good service. President John then conducted an election for next year's officers and directors, and those 68 Rotarians who exercised the franchise unanimously elected a slate of nominees which included all of the above, less ROB whose term will expire at the end of June, plus Crab Feed/Fiesta/Carnivale fundraiser extraordinaire PAM BRANDIN who will replace ROB on the Board. SARA PANTIN will be next year's president and our president-elect will be LE LEVY.
 The Rotary Holiday Open House is on its way! That's this Friday, December 15, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., at the home of BILLY and BARBARA ALHOUSE, 26173 Rancho Manuella Lane, Los Altos Hills. Remember: If your last name starts with ABC, GHI, MN, QR, or UVW bring a bottle of WHITE wine; otherwise bring an hors d'oeuvre to share. To warm us up for the event, BILLY's holiday trio (with BILLY on clarinet, CHALMERS SMITH on viola, and SKIP HOYT back at the piano) led us through spirited singings of Jingle Bells and White Christmas.  MICKEY WHEAT thanked everyone for the generous contributions that helped the Palo Alto Rotary Endowment Fund meet its $10,000 matching-funds goal and raise nearly an additional $5,000 in pledges. If you have pledged, please send your check, payable to Palo Alto Rotary Endowment Fund, to L. W. LISTON, 2320 Byron Street, Palo Alto 94301, as soon as possible. MARCIE COX asked help in securing donations of services for the Crab Carnivale silent auction on February 11. She suggested we find service-providers willing to donate an hour or two of their services - anything from manicure through estate planning to car detailing - or consider making the donation ourselves by paying for an hour or two of service to be auctioned. Call MARCIE or KAREN BRADLEY-FOLLETTE.
President JOHN and ANNETTE GLANCKOPF brought thanks from Belle Haven children for the 52 warm coats provided by 49 generous Rotarians in BOB WHITEHAIR's annual drive. Photos and donors' names - wish we had space to reprint them here! - were posted at the meeting.
ART STAUFFER's Urban Ministry committee once again helped serve meals for the homeless on December 6. Assisting ART were BETSY BECHTEL, INGE ANGILETTA, RUTH SCHNEIDER and SKIP HOYT.
LARRY HASSETT joined the President's Club in recognition of his recent selection as representative of Ward 6 on the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Board of Directors.
JOERG SPERLING introduced today's speaker, JOERG's friend and partner ELTON SHERWIN, senior managing director of Ridgewood Capital, who told us about 'The Silicon Valley Miracle/Why Other Countries Cannot Clone Silicon Valley.' It was a fine discussion of Silicon Valley's many competitive advantages from the perspective of a venture capitalist, supported by well-designed visuals. Again you had to be there, but if you weren't you can at least read the latest edition of the speaker's book 'The Silicon Valley Way.'
| 
|
