May 22, 2013 Volume 96 Issue 44

Dear Fellow Rotarian [memname]!  

Wow, another great speaker with an unfathomable message: forgiving the unforgivable! For those who missed Melanie Washington's brief, but powerful message, you can hear it via this link.

And what a fabulous final 5th AVENUE of our club's 96th year!   Thank you John Morris and Jay Beeler for putting on such a wonderful event that drew 70 Rotarians and guests to attend. What a way to bid farewell to the visiting Group Study Exchange (GSE) team from Finland.

Finally, speaking of the GSE team, thank you, so, so much to Connie Rivera, Lori Daniel, Dana Buchanan, Victor Brotac, Wil McCulloh, Randy Gordon, Cindy Allen, Greg Owen, Wendy Sorel, Donna Reckseen, Bo Pearson  and other non-Rotarians for making last week so special to our visitors. I think they will be leaving extremely impressed with Long Beach.
                                                      Gratefully yours in service,                                
                                                      Gregory Haeseler, President #96

THIS WEEK'S MEETING          Queen Mary - Exhibition Hall "D" 

Wednesday - May 22 - 12 noon - Friends of Colorado Lagoon
Adrienne Bosler of the Friends of Colorado Lagoon provides insight on the cooperation between the City and a coalition of concerned citizens. FOCL has been working to restore and preserve an important urban wetland in our community. Their primary goal is to protect public health and environmental resources. FOCL has facilitated cooperative solutions to ensure a healthy balance between recreation, flood management, water quality, wildlife habitat and native plants in the Colorado Lagoon. This has included: achieving safe water quality levels year-round in the recreation area, reconfiguring the east and west arms to support and attract native species, restoring the north side to create a park and walking trail.

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 COMING UP

Friday - June 28 - Recreation Park Clubhouse

Save the date for the final "meeting" under Greg Haeseler's presidency. More details to follow.

NO MEETING ON JUNE 26 (WEDNESDAY)

NEXT WEEK'S
PROGRAM

Wednesday - May 29 - 12 noon - Veterans Administration Hospital - Pantages Theatre
You don't have to be a veteran to understand how important services are to our returning men and women.  The Long Beach campus is a nationwide leader in several programs.
Our lunch includes short briefings on services and programs for: blind rehabilitation, spinal cord injuries, music therapy, the homeless, Iraq and Afghanistan warriors, volunteer opportunities.

TGIS is catering and we need a head count by May 25.  Cost is $25 for those not on Meal Plan.  Make a [ Reservation ] COFFEE ONLY OPTION IS NOT AVAILABLE.

CALENDAR At A GLANCE

• May 23 - annual Inter Service Club luncheon at The Grand Event Center 11:30am     RSVP required.
• May 23 - LB Day Nursery Ribbon Cutting of Rotary Village   4:00pm
• May 26 - Ronald McDonald House Sunday Meal Prep
• June 3 - Club Assembly at Keesal Young & Logan for 2013-14 Board Members and committee chairs.
  
• June 10 - Joint Board Meeting @ The Assistance League
  
• June 15 - Sunset Ride in Hollywood Hills & BBQ Dinner 5:00pm
• June 17 - Memorial Todd Cancer Pavilion Preview Reception and Tour
• June 19 - President Greg's Demotion
• June 19 - Rotary 101 Graduation
• June 26 - DARK
• June 28 - President's Party
• July 3 - DARK
  

More information about upcoming events [ here ].  The above events qualify for makeup credit  [here ] or you can review EClub programs [ here ]

LAST MEETING

If you had been there on May 15 ...you missed one of President George W. Bush's recipients of the Points of Light Presidential Community Award.  Melanie Washington taught the audience of 125 people the true meaning of forgiveness.  When everyone you have loved (mother, sister, husband, son, mate) are all murdered, people can understand why Melanie would want to retaliate or to do herself harm.....but it's hard to understand  how she can forgive the murderers?? And not just to forgive but to work one-on-one with convicted juveniles so that they can lead productive lives through the Mentoring--a Touch from Above program.  Washington learned to forgive when she realized she could no longer live with the pain of loss.  Her success in touching and changing young people's lives is due to her wholehearted willingness to treat them as if they were her own children--to give them the love of a mother--and to never give up on them.

Traci Glassock provided the invocation; JIll Jones led the club in the Pledge of Allegiance; Scott Magee recited the 4-Way Test; the club sang America the Beautiful with Lew McCullough.  Announcements were made by: Jim Worsham (May 23 Inter Service Club Luncheon), Steve Keesel (May 29 off-site lunch program at VA Hospital), Mark Kachigan (5th Avenue at McKenna's on May 16). Rotaract President Janki Shah was awarded her Paul Harris Fellow pin and certificate. Traci Glassock will become the Director of Communications for Long Beach Day Nursery. After a long absence, Henry Meyer, returned for lunch.

The GSE Team visiting from Finland was introduced by Rotarian, Pekka Pietila: Anna-Maria Nevlainen, Aino Siippainen, Titta Soimasuo, Hanna van der Steen  Steve Kuykendall, recently returned from his GSE trip to Finland introduced his team, as well.

Brian Russell introduced as the club's newest member, Denise Dahlhausen, a woman he first met 25 years ago.  Denise left commercial real estate to enter the non-profit world. She's currently the Development Director with FOR THE CHILD, a child abuse treatment and prevention agency.

Denise is also a talented grant writer, but joined Rotary not only to do more good in the community, but to lighten up a bit.  Attending Thursday’s 5th AVENUE was a good start, Denise!

BIRTHDAYS THIS WEEK

• Greg Gill - 5/18  President, Lee & Associates  (Real Estate-Leasing Agent)
• Jon Cianci -  5/18   VP, Marketing &Sales, Wentworth Company (Employment Services-Executive Search)
• Leslie Gentile  - 5/20  President, Fernald,Inc. (Architecture-Interior Design) 
• Sy Alban- 5/21  Sr.Partner, Alban/Wertheimer Orthopaedic (Medicine-Orthopaedic Surgery) 
• Donna Castellanos - 5/22 Owner/operator, Breathe.... (Massage Therapy & Skin Care)
• Salvador Farfan  - 5/22 President, Caught in the Moment Photography (Photography-Commercial)