Monday August 14, 2000
Last Week's Meeting
Our program featured Diane Rocha, Director of the Delta
Blood Bank. The Delta Blood Bank services 14 hospitals in the Stanislaus,
San Joaquin, Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties. Diane informed Gateway about
all the new technology that is being used today to rapidly test and prepared
the blood. Today's hospital needs have take the blood demand to 170
units per day. It was interesting to note that the biggest demand for blood
comes from surgery, cancer and gunshot wounds. If you would like more information
about donating blood, contact the Modesto office of the Delta Blood Bank
located on West Orangeburg.
Other meeting activities:
Roger Liston was on hand
to present yet another stirring episode of our Gateway Rotary Minute.
Chet Cummins reminded everyone about the great
party we have planned for our Paul Harris Fun Night on Saturday September
16th at the home of Mark & Daphne Tromblee(pictured below).
All club members are resonsible for a $25 gift or cash to be delivered
to Chet prior to party night. We'll have an unusual game format,
dinner and libations starting at 6 o'clock. This promises to be another
fun evening for Gateway.
Kathy Boyd presented a yet
another suggestion to motivate new members to Gateway. Plans are
being designed for a membership mixer where we can invite prospective members.
More details to come.
Ron Posey reported on ideas for a fall fund raiser. We have acquired the help of some wine industry executives to help in a new event for the club. A fall wine tasting and art auction/exhibit event is in the planning stages. Possible sites include Diablo Grande Golf Club and possible the opening of the new facilities at the Del Rio country Club. Target date for this event is Saturday, November 4th.
FINE ACTIVITY
So, who do you think celebrated
their 72nd birthday with a day at the lake...waterskiing? None other
than Gary Bright...I said GARY BRIGHT. Happy Birthday Gary and thanks
for the ten dollars. Jeanette Robinson just received a check
for $105 for Bruce Ramsey's dues. Bruce seemed to have forgotten
that Jeanette was our club treasurer two administrations
ago. It looks like Bruce's dues were increased to $115. John
Bettencourt
turned in 12 club banners that were recently found.
He also announced that Gateway's bid to establish the Gateway Rotary Foundation
has just been approved by the IRS. John also had just returned from
a trip to the San Diego Zoo to see the famous new baby panda bear on exhibit.
In true John Bettencourt fashion, John presented President Howard with
the option of choosing one of four envelopes for his fine. Inside the envelopes
were $25, $50, $100, and empty. Our guest speaker selected the envelope
with a check for $50. Thanks John. No fine from Byron Snyder
this week. Byron delivered another one of his humorous anecdotes.
MESSAGE FROM THE PREZ
President Howard Mathews wants to remind everyone of this year's policy on missed meetings and make-ups. You can make up two weeks prior or two weeks after a missed meeting. Our Prez is asking everyone to please be as diligent as possible in keeping with Rotary's desire of 100% attendance.
The Importance of Technology to Rotary:
By combining the legacy of Rotary's
PAST
With the Technology of the PRESENT
We are building
Rotary for the FUTURE
GATEWAY VISITORS
Grant Bare introduced Dr.
Delos Champaign. Dr. Champaign is the Medical Director of the Sierra
Health Center. He and his wife moved here from Palm Springs twelve years
ago.
Matt Friedrich introduced as his guest, Mike Choy. Mike is a financial advisor for Dean Witter & Co. in Stockton. Mike was raised in Modesto, attended Central Catholic High School and the UCLA. He has recently returned to Modesto and intends to make his home here and to build his client base from this region.
GATEWAY MEMBER PROFILE
Dr. Dave
Jolliff (Click on Dave's name to
be linked to his Profile Page.)
WEB SITE BROWSING
Another website added to the Members Rosters. Click
on Jeanette Robinson to see the latest at her company, Computerware.
If you have a business web site
or anything you would like to share with the club, send it to me and it
will posted on your very own page. Go to the Members Roster Page
and click on any member's name that is highlighted, this means that there
is a link to a web site or a personal page. I put one together for
myself as a demo of information that could be shared with the club.
Click on the highlighted name, in this case Ron Posey, and it will take
you to a personal member's page. On the personal page you can double
click on 98.3 KWIN and also Kimmelot Kennels for two web site links.
This feature is available for everyone.
GATEWAY DRAWING
This week's $20 windfall was won
by Sunrise visiting Rotarian, Marlene Campbell.
You've read all the press.
Now take a first hand look, behind the doors of Tri Valley Growers, Plant
#7. If you plan to attend, you need to respond to this message. Everyone
is to meet at the plant which is located on Finch Road in Modesto at noon.
Proceed to the visitor parking area and the guard will direct you to our
staging area.
We need your lunch order by Friday,
August 11th Lunch $10
Sandwich
Chips
Drink (Regular or Diet)
Roast Beef
Doritos
Coke
Tuna
Fritos
7-UP
Turkey
Potato Chips
Fax selection to Bruce
Ramsey @ 526-8516 or phone 529-7777
or click on Bruce's name above and an e-mail form will
appear. Be sure to include your name.
THIRD BOARD MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Discussion of a fall fund raiser
to be scheduled near the last weekend of October or the first weekend in
November. Working towards a wine tasting, art show, art auction.
Possible locations include: Diablo Grande Country Club, Poolside at the
Double Tree, Mallard's Inn.
Lunch cost is going up to $11 after September 1st. Also some discussion of looking for a new meeting site unless we can get a guarantee that the food quality will get better.
Gateway is participating in the Tournament of Roses Parade Rotary Float with a donation of $62.
Gateway donated a $100 and a $50 cash raffle prize for the foundation dinner on October 13th.
The board decided to shelve all request for donations until after the fall fund raiser.
The board is also re-examining the clubs insurance policies for special event coverage.
HOLLOW HIGH
“Hollow Man” is number 1 at the box office. When
the film's protagonist discovers there is nothing to him, he does what
anyone else would do. He immediately marries Darva Conger.
GAS GREATS
BP Amoco reports profits are up 164 percent this summer.
This is the result of the oil company finding additional territories to
drill. Consumer wallets.
KMART DOWN
Kmart reports a big earnings decline. The company
may have to lay off some of its senior staff. Such a reduction in
work force would affect those employees who have more than 2 weeks experience.
MAC SCALD
A Vallejo, California woman is suing McDonalds after
getting burned by hot coffee. She immediately applied something cold
to the affected area. She bought a hamburger.
CIVIL SUB
A Civil War submarine has been raised off the South Carolina
coast. Markings on the side indicate its ties to the Confederacy.
“Buchanan for President.”
BUSH STUMPS
George W. Bush is on the stump. Being both the
GOP presidential nominee and Texas governor is a tough assignment.
He has to squeeze campaigning in between executions.
CELL LINK
Researchers have found no link between cell phones and
brain cancer. Experiments with constant cellular usage proved futile.
Scientists couldn't get white mice to act that pretentious.
And this just in...
Last week we took some friends out to a fine new restaurant,and
noticed that the waiter who took our order carried a spoon in his shirt
pocket. It seemed a little strange, but I ignored it. However, when
the busboy brought out water and utensils, I noticed he also had a spoon
in his shirt pocket.
I then looked around the room and saw that all the staff
had spoons in their
pocket. When the waiter came back to serve our soup I
asked:
"Why the spoon?"
"Well," he explained, "the restaurant's owners
hired Anderson Consulting,
experts in efficiency, in order to revamp all our processes.
After several months of statistical analysis, they concluded that customers
drop their spoons 73.84 percent more often than any other utensil. This
represents a drop frequency of approximately 3
spoons per table per hour. If our personnel is
prepared to deal with that contingency, we
can reduce the number of trips back to the kitchen and
save 1.5 man-hours per shift."
As luck would have it I dropped my spoon and he was able
to replace it with his spare spoon. "I'll get another spoon next
time I go to the kitchen instead of making an extra trip to get it right
now." I was rather impressed.
The waiter served our main course and I continued to
look around. Then I noticed that there was a very thin string hanging
out of the waiter's fly. Looking around, I noticed that all the waiters
had the same string hanging from their flies. My curiosity got the better
of me and before he walked off, I asked the waiter "Excuse me, but can
you tell me why you have that string right there?"
"Oh, certainly!" he answered, lowering his voice. "Not
everyone is as observant as you. That consulting firm I mentioned,
also found out that we can save time in the restroom."
"How so?"
"See," he continued, "by tying this string to the tip
of you know what, we can pull it out over the urinal without touching it
and that way eliminate the need to wash the hands, shortening the time
spent in the restroom by 76.39 percent."
"Okay, that makes sense, but . . .
if the string helps you get it out, how do you put it back in?"
"Well," he whispered, lowering his voice even further,
"I don't know
about the others, but I use the spoon."
DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR
AUGUST
Saturday, Aug. 12th District Foundation
Seminar 8:30 am - Noon at the MJC
Monday, Aug. 14th Tri-Valley Tour don't forget to RSVP and make your lunch requests
Monday, Aug. 21st "Air Transportation Regionalization" Howard Cook, Manager of the Modesto Airport
Monday, Aug. 28th Govenor Gordon Kennedy's visit.
SEPTEMBER
Monday, Sept. 4th Dark - Labor Day
Monday, Sept. 11th Gary Plummer, the new CEO Modesto Chamber of Commerce
Tuesday, Sept. 12th Board Meeting 5PM
Saturday, Sept 16th Paul Harris Party 6PM @ Mark & Daphne Tromblee's home in Oakdale
Monday, Sept. 18th Fred Silva - Performing Arts Center
Saturday, Sept. 23rd District Leadership Safari
Monday, Sept. 25th Interact Kids talk to us. What can Modesto Gateway Rotary do to help them.
OCTOBER
Monday, Oct. 2nd
Since Columbus Day is next week, we have a counterpoint presentation on
"How The Vikings Really Discovered America"
Monday, Oct. 9th Dark - Columbus Day
Tuesday, Oct. 10th Board Meeting 5PM
Friday, Oct 13th District Foundation Dinner - Stan State
Monday, Oct. 16th Hot Topic: The School Voucher System
Thursday, Oct. 19th Club Anniverary Party 6PM
Monday, Oct 23rd Second Club Assembly
Monday, Oct 30th Lt. Raul De Leon, Stanislaus Drug Enforcement Agency (leave your stash at home)
NOVEMBER
Monday, Nov. 6th National Cemetary at Santa Nella
Tuesday, Nov. 7th Board Meeting
Monday, Nov. 13th Ron Alves, "Food Irradiation and Genertic Engineering" (Hot Topic)
Monday, Nov 20th Ron Duffy, "Global Warming"
Monday, Nov. 27th Regular Meeting
DECEMBER
Monday, Dec.4th Regular Meeting
Tuesday, Dec. 5th Board Meeting 5PM
Monday, Dec. 11th Regular Meeting
Thursday, Dec 14th Club Christmas Party 6PM
Monday, Dec 18th Kid's Chistmas Party
Monday, Dec 25th Dark - Merry Christmas
(More to follow...I don't want to appear that
Gateway is too organized)
