Volume XIX
Number 34

Tuesday
Nov. 4, 2003

HAIL TO THE OLD CHIEF
By Jeff Whitehead

Phil Toohey Club President   Phil Toohey Past President

At our meeting of October 28^th, President Phil Toohey presented Jeff Epps with the Past Presidents plaque on which Jeff's name was added to those who have led the St. Helena Rotary Club. The plaque is displayed at every meeting and is a reminder to all of the dedication and sacrifice of our past club leaders.

Trek to Katmandu

Phil Toohey will return to Katmandu on November 9-18 to deliver the wheelchairs that have been so generously donated by the club. These wheelchairs will raise the quality of life instantly for so many. Phil thanked everyone in the club who so generously contributed to the Wheelchair Foundation.

Improve Your Golf Game

Jonathan Briano , PGA Professional, passed around a sign up sheet for golf lessons. These will be group lessons with lesson dates to be determined. Please contact him if you are interested.

Polo Shirts

Tony Albright passed an order sheet for St. Helena Rotary Club polo shirts. The order will be placed soon, so if you haven't signed up for a shirt, do it at the next meeting.

Winter Ball Update

Joel Toller let all present know that the next Winter Ball meetings are being held regularly to plan for the event. He asked everyone to think of some new and creative live auction items that would spur the bidding during this annual event. He added that thus far, 30 wine donations have been received.

Hail to the Old Chief -- Continued ...

Show Rotary Program

Steve Yost commended those members of the St. Helena Club that have assisted him in assembling the Show Rotary project. He gave special thanks to Tony Albright, who, like Tim Doran before him, has been invaluable in layout and production work for the Club for this project and other printing jobs as well. The final newspaper edition should be ready in January -- originally it was Jerry McQuiddy's (chairman of the project) hope the publication would be in early November but other clubs in the Valley have not finished their work.

Bell Ringers

Charlotte Williamson     Ron Clark

Though there were a number of bell ringers for this meeting, Charlotte Williamson's was the most memorable. After her most recent medical tests, she was given a clean bill of health after enduring both a kidney and stem cell transplant. To celebrate these results with the Club, she donated $500.00 toward her Paul Harris. Congratulations Charlotte, and thank you!

Fabulous Fords

Ron Clark of Zumwalt Ford, the meeting's Fine Master, stumped a number of Rotarians with his questions concerning historical facts about the Ford Motor Company. A few of these questions are as follows:

For Jeff Epps (Which of Henry Ford's engineers left him when he decided to give up on racing and concentrate on production?) Louis Chevrolet

For Bert Johansson (Which is the most popular vehicle purchased by law enforcement agencies?) Crown Victoria

For Mike Smith (During World War II, what did Ford produce the most of?) Sherman tanks for the Army.

RUNNING FOR YOUR LIFE

Don Fraser , former St. Helena Rotarian, began his presentation by congratulating the St. Helena Rotary Club on the proactive manner that its members approach the projects and fundraisers that it sponsors. He told the group present that this cooperative spirit has always been the hallmark of St. Helena Rotary. This spirit and can do attitude sparked Don and his fellow St. Helena Rotarians to bring to fruition a Rotary Fellowship that encourages Rotarians worldwide to support and participate in fitness activities.

Don was one of the founding members of the International Fellowship of Running and Fitness Rotarians. St. Helena Rotary established this Fellowship in 1977-78. Don mentioned that Rotary Fellowships are somewhat rare, as only 70 exist among the 3150 worldwide clubs. This Fellowship's membership now numbers 500 and its members represent 14 countries. The IFRFR supports hundreds of road races each year as fundraisers. It also sponsors a number of other fitness activities. The Fellowship strives to provide a program that will add to the quality of life for all who participate and will present Rotarians as fitness role models for the generations to follow.

In terms of fitness, the United States is a nation at risk. In the 1960s, 45% of the population was overweight (15 pounds or more over the acceptable range) and 13% were obese (30 pounds over the acceptable range). Today those numbers are 64% and 31% respectively. Twenty-two percent of twenty somethings in the U.S. are obese. One billion people in the world are now overweight and 300 million are obese. This increase in obesity has created a rapid increase in the number of cases of Type 2 diabetes in young Americans. Don reminded the group that although obesity is a severe health problem, it is a problem that is reversible. With proper diet and exercise, no one needs to suffer from this problem.

Don encouraged the St. Helena Rotary Club members to join the International Fellowship of Running and Fitness Rotarians. Any Rotarian in good standing may join. The cost is $25.00 for the initial membership and may be renewed every two years for $12.00.

Since the fellowship began in St. Helena, he feels that the Club should re-embrace this fellowship both as a means of developing more healthy Rotarians, but also as a vehicle to help the community and those beyond our city limits. It is also an opportunity to connect with like-minded Rotarians throughout the world. 

DIVING IN PALAU, MICRONESIA
By Wendell Laidley
 

Phil Toohey Club President   Kathleen Patterson

President Phil opened the October 21 ^st meeting and welcomed Joel Tranmer from Napa Sunrise. Andy Bartlett then introduced his Guest Loren Gardner who was our 1996 Exchange Student to France.

President Phil thanked Kathleen Patterson for the tour of her wonderful new Central Valley store. He then reminded members of the Foundation Dinner November 8 at 5:00 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds and that the next Board meeting will be November 6th ( NOT the second Thursday) at Carnegie Building (Oak and Adams) at 12:00 noon.

After the Welcome Singers, Andy Bartlett reported that our current exchange student in France, Raphael Cruz , finds school there different and harder than here, but loves all the other exchange students and is very happy. He attends Rotary meetings on Thursdays, and was initially a bit intimidated at having to introduce himself in French, but has now done it a couple of times. He says the food is different, and wrote his Mom that he misses her but is not homesick.

Tony Albright reported that the Golf/Polo shirts for men and women will be white with the logo and St. Helena below and he will circulate a sign up list again in the coming weeks. He will also circulate another sign up sheet asking members to report their Rotary and other committee activities and their sponsor's name so he can identify members who might be available to help as needed.

Bell Ringers started with Dave Brotemarkle nervously offering $10 for his 16-½ year old daughter's first car bought from Jeff Epps. Some members felt Epps should make the payment. Sean Wickersham announced the arrival of a baby girl and a new car from Jeff Epps without clearly distinguishing which was the more significant, then Jim Wright acknowledged his long time friend Joel Tranmer from Napa Sunrise with whom he started kindergarten and went all the way through high school. Andy Bartlett reported that Exchange Student Kerianne was a wonderful Alice on the Alice in Wonderland Seniors float in the Homecoming Parade. Bob Wandel gave $100 on the good news that he and Margie have bought a new house in Denver and hope to move in late November, and Dick Rogers closed with not exactly a Bell Ringer, but gave $10 if Mark Terrell would explain why our meeting is always dark after Ohio State loses.

Steve Rivas

Fine Master Steve Rivas successfully fined numerous members on tough questions about wine, both local and international. He showed his courage if not his best judgment in fining Bob Trinchero for not identifying Cannonau as a wine not found in the Chianti region. Then when Bob objected to Steve's pronunciation of Cannonau Steve surprised everyone by arguing with him. Everyone enjoyed the exchange.
 

DIVING IN PALAU, MICRONESIA

Paul Krsek

Paul Krsek showed slides of his recent diving expedition to Palau, an island nation of about 200 islands 450 miles east of the Philippines. While most of the world's coral reefs are dying for various reasons including pollution and perhaps global warming reefs are healthy and he saw some spectacular examples of both coral and tropical fish. Another startling fact is that the ocean's fish number only ten percent, yes 10%, of what they did in the 1950's. Paul's photos displayed many varieties of fish, including sharks that he said didn't bother him, but some in the audience suggested they might not feel the same confidence.

The dive site was the world famous Blue Corner where rapid currents bring lots of nutrients and fish. Among many species, the divers spotted and photographed the first ever Eagle Ray seen by any of them in probably over 10,000 dives collectively. Another unique sight was the world's only Jellyfish Lake. It contains seawater and approximately 25 million Jellyfish with no natural enemies save one that are very few. The lake has three layers, the top one of which contains the Jellyfish, the middle of which is very gaseous, and the bottom of which is extremely toxic and is where the Jellyfish go to die.
 

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