Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly...Who, Us?

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1 A Publication of the Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary Club January 23, 2008 President Ed Knudson, Volume 20 Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly...Who, Us? Upcoming Programs January 30 Sister City/Friendship Force Frank Trippichio February 6 DARK February 13 Wendy Wayne First 5 Kern For questions or information about Bakersfield Breakfast Rotary, write: P.O. Box 2568, Bakersfield, CA 93303; or visit our Website: Comments or suggestions about the content or the format of The Beacon should be addressed to: Dr. Dixie L. King, Editor dking@tlcprofessionals.com Meeting Notes, January 16 By Dixie King Boy Scouts was the theme of the January 16th meeting, and Scout Law is something that Rotarians should be able to identify with: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent. Well, at least we are Cheerful and Helpful, and most of us are Clean! As for Friendly, Courteous and Kind...well, some meetings provide better examples than others! Don Parrish opened with an Invocation, and Sandy Foster led the flag salute. Carol Smith guided us through a rousing rendition of God Bless America. And the BBRC was blessed with a guest greeter, our own one-time BBRC member Gerry Saba, who hopes to return to the fold before too many months have passed. In point of fact, we were overwhelmed with greeters today Kay Pitts, Martha Samora, and Scarlett Saben. Visiting Rotarians included Annette Bazzell from East, and Carla Musser and Bill Roberts from Downtown. What an impression they must have gotten when President Ed Knudson announced the cancellation of the January 18th Board Meeting and everyone cheered! Obviously we are neither Loyal nor Reverent. Alas, attendance was at 69%, so we aren t very Obedient, either. Mike Turnipseed announced that the Diner s Club is back in business, meeting Upcoming Events at Little Italy, 8200 Stockdale Highway, at 6:00 p.m.; cost is $35 per plate. The Prez reminded us that Paul Harris Fellows will be awarded on February 5th at a reception at the Bell Tower Club, downtown. Rotarian of the Year will be announced, as well...and a correction to a report in the last issue of The Beacon the all-club meeting at the Doubletree on February 20th is $25, NOT $35, per person Fine Mistress.hmmmm.that is to say, Sergeant-at-Arms Denise Haynes is, sadly to say, getting less creative by the week. She had no fines to assess. (Be Thrifty, Denise, be Thrifty!) President Ed pointed out that Dave Spalinger was in Mexico over the holidays...shooting doves. He was only fined $15, despite repeated calls for $1 per dove (he shot 200, or so he says ) President Elect Nominee Karen Wass outed the Beacon editor, who made a sotto In this Issue: -continued on Page 2 Upcoming Events Page 1 Meeting Notes, Jan 16 Page 1 Meeting Notes, Jan 23 Page 2 A Welcome to the New Beacon Staff Writers Page 2 BBRC Profile: Pete Leveroni and his Passion for Travel Page 4 The Home Page Page 5 BBRC Diners Club: Little Italy Tuesday, January 29 Paul Harris Fellows Reception, Bell Tower Club Tuesday, February 5 All-Club Meeting, Doubletree Hotel Wednesday, February 20

2 Page 2 January 16 Meeting Notes, continued voce comment about it being an odd way to celebrate Christ s birthday...killing the dove of peace. President Ed also pointed out that most of our past presidents were absent. What was that about? Joe Nunez was present, Susan Eaton was present, and Howie Wass was present. Absent were Larry Mueller, Cecil Martin, Mike O Doherty, Mike Daniel, Paul Cooper, Carl Leech, Bob Bryant, and Jerry Starr...So much for Loyal. Russell Johnson introduced the program, opening with the Boy Scout Pledge. Vondre Moore talked about the impact of scouting on his own life, after a very rocky childhood left with neither parent. His dream is to touch as many young lives today as possible through scouting, and give kids both an anchor they can hold onto in the present, and the skills they ll need to be successful in the future. The meeting ended, shockingly enough, EARLY. Which proved that President Ed can sometimes be most Helpful, in true Scouting tradition. The eagles are coming! Vondre Amour (left) poses with Bill Roberts and our own Eagle Scout, Bill Black. Meeting Notes, January 23 By John Bryan With his usual flair, President Ed Knudson rang the bell to begin the meeting precisely on time, and greeted the Finest Rotary Club in the U.S. in his accustomed fashion. Past President Howie Wass commented that despite the close accommodations, the day was a success because the fruit was ripe for the first time in memory. Sandy Foster asked the blessing for our breakfast, and after the flag salute and a rousing rendition of America the Beautiful the meeting was off and running. Ken Quarnberg and Kay Pitts were commended for their exemplary service at the front door, greeting and steering members to the alternate site. Kay we even observed tackling a few members whose early morning focus is perhaps a bit lacking and insisted on turning left instead of right! (Make note, Ed, to recommend Kay to Coach Chudy for next year s O-line!) BBRC is becoming a popular breakfast hangout for members of other clubs, as witnessed by a count of four visiting Rotarians among our eight visitors. Mike Chertok, whose classification has been amended to include retirement, and Gordon Foster, father-in-law of BBRC s own Sandy, were visiting from the Downtown, while Jerry Arseneau from Nipomo, and Susie Geiger from Taft broke break with us, as well. A fifth visitor was Sandy s sister-in-law, Marti Foster, who was visiting for the final time as she was inducted into BBRC later in the morning s program. Always nice to add new faces, but it is especially nice when we get another Foster! Also visiting were Ross Elliot, a fellow Kern River Valleyite of member Mike Not MY Pin Henstra, and Tim Hackett, who was a guest of Jan The Joke Girl Lemucchi. Before he introduced the morning s guest speaker, President Ed reminded everyone about the Paul Harris Reception scheduled for February 5 at 5:30 at the Belltower Club. Twenty-one Paul Harris Fellowships will be presented to BBRC members and loved ones, and the highlight of the evening will be the announcement of Rotarian of the Year. Heavy hors d ouvres will be served and a cash bar will be available to enhance the A Note from the Editor: A Welcome to the New Beacon Staff Writers As BBRC members will have noticed, the Beacon has been getting out later and later...sometimes barely before the next meeting. For the meeting of January 16th, it didn t make it out at all. Believe it or not, this hasn t been due to procrastination...just a difficult schedule, family crises, and an issue with time management! In true Rotary tradition, a number of BBRC members are galloping to the rescue: I am happy to announce the formation of an Editorial Board that will include a number of staff writers who will be taking turns writing up the minutes from each meeting, and/or providing special features. The ubiquitous Neil Walker, who has often rescued me in the past, will be joined by John Bryan, Mike O Doherty, Sarah Baron, Harry Bryant, Mike Stepanovich, and Gary Fachin. I will continue to format and mail out the newsletter and, of course, I ll still be writing for it. Please join me in thanking these wonderful people for being willing to dedicate even more of their time to the good of Rotary!

3 Page 3 January 23 Meeting Notes, continued celebration. Also, members were reminded of the All- Club Meeting for Group 2 at the Doubletree on February 20. All seven Group 2 clubs will be represented at this meeting, with a crowd of between 400 and 500 expected. Of course, since the 20 th is a Wednesday, our club will be dark that day. President Ed also noted the absence of all but two past presidents from the previous week s meeting and the fact that the meeting that day was concluded in 38 minutes. Theory is, the missing presidents somehow absconded with the missing 22 minutes. An investigation continues. This was apparently Sandy Foster s day, as she received a three-month fine-free dispensation from Fine Master, Denise The Cat Catcher Haynes for coming to the rescue of the day s program with her trusty laptop computer. Ahh, technology! Neil Walker was not as fortunate as Fine Master for Life Howie levied a $25 ding for an unnamed offense. Inquiring minds want to know, Neil! That brought the induction ceremony for Marti Foster, whom Bret Cross noted was not the only new member to be recognized this day Penny Fulton was in the house!!! Watch out Penny, you re starting to be recognized again!!! Marti is a pharmaceutical sales representative for Merck, a field she has enjoyed for 22 years. Sandy was pleased as a sister-in-law could be as she welcomed Marti to the club, saying she was adding to a family tradition, noting father-in-law Gordon s 40-plus years as a Rotarian. It s a lead-pipe cinch that Marti will be a valuable asset to our club. Welcome Marti! Guest speaker Romala Ramkissoon, director of Community Action Partnership, explained the new 211 system that has been recently granted status as an official Call Center for Kern County. The service provides county residents with immediate access and referrals to social and community services from such organizations as the Food Bank, Head Start of Kern, the Family Health Center, county youth services and more. Ms. Ramkissoon said the plan is for the 211 system to be up and running statewide by Currently, 19 states containing 65 percent of the U.S. population Romala Ramkissoon, of the Community Action Partnership of Kern is served by the 211 system, she said. Kern County s call center is now available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, though Ms. Ramkissoon said after-hours calls are currently being handled by Ventura County s call center while Kern ramps up its volunteer base. Among the many other interesting facts Ms. Ramkissoon listed, the fact the call center is fully bilingual (English/Spanish) and can service callers who speak 160 languages through an interpreter service stood out. In all, more than 1,200 services and agencies around Kern County are accessible through the 211 system. President Ed adjourned the meeting at 7:45 a.m., further setting a precedent that Jim Bell will be hardpressed to emulate when his term as Chief Bell Ringer begins in a few months. A trio of Rotarians: BBRC member Sandy Foster (left) welcomes sister-in-law Marti Foster (right) into the club under the watchful eye of father-in-law and Rotarian Gordon Foster

4 Page 4 Going International: BBRC Member Pete Leveroni Combines a Passion for Travel with International Service Pete Leveroni loves to travel, and he s the first to tell you that it s his wife of 22 years, Michelle, that makes it possible for him to indulge his passion. (It may only be a matter of time before kids Bridgette (16), Dallas (13) and Ty (6) start wanting to tag along.) Thanks to Pete, the BBRC has gone international. Pete was in the 20/30 Club when he first came to Bakersfield in 1983 as the marketing manager for Cox Communication. When he aged out of his 30 s, he was sponsored into the BBRC by late member Stan Florence. Pete credits the Navy with giving him the travel bug. When he got into Rotary, he realized that this remarkable organization, found in nearly 160 countries, offered him a perfect outlet to combine travel and service. Pete took his first trip to South America (Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru) in In advance of his trip, he contacted the District Governor in each region he would be visiting, and was put in touch with Rotary Clubs in every major city. I decided I would visit a club and try to start a project in every country I visited, Pete explained. His last two trips have included involvement with GSE (Group Study Exchange) Teams. In 2005 he met a team from South Africa that came to the BBRC on a stateside visit. Pete connected with the team and ended up visiting Johannesburg. While there, he was able to assist in a project to put wheelchairs together and deliver them to paraplegic kids. He met the GSE Team from India in Bakersfield in October and India s always been on my [travel] list. Hence, Pete at the Taj Mahal and garnering the BBRC s help to set up a mobile dental lab in conjunction with the Jaipur Club of India. I visited six cities, including Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Bombay. Saw lots cool stuff like forts and palaces and, of course, the Taj Mahal. India is a very diverse country with lots of history, and as far away from Bakersfield as you can get. Pete has found a welcome everywhere he s gone. In Rotary, you have a friend in every part of the world you just haven t met them yet, Pete said. Every time I introduce myself as a Rotarian, I m offered a house to stay in. Pete s been involved in eight or nine international projects, but the one he remembers most is setting up a Blood Bank in a rural Mexican community not far across the border from San Diego. It s literally saving lives. The project started with raising money for the purchase and refurbishing of used equipment money that was doubled through Rotary Foundation grants. As long as Pete is in the BBRC, we ll have a chance to participate in international service, because the international aspect is the very best part of being in Rotary.

5 Page 5 Need a Make-up Meeting? Meeting Day Rotary Club Meeting Place Time Monday Bakersfield South Holiday Inn Select Noon Inyokern Bernardino s 6:30 pm Wasco Valley Rose Golf Course Noon 1 st & 3 rd Mondays Bakersfield College Rotaract BC Executive Board Room 6:00 pm Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Bakersfield North Holiday Inn Select Noon Foothill High Interact Club Foothill High 7:15 am Bakersfield West Stockdale Country Club Noon China Lake Victoria s at the Heritage Inn Noon Shafter Veteran s Hall 6:30 am Bakersfield Breakfast Petroleum Club 6:45 am Taft Jo s Restaurant Noon Bakersfield High Interact Bakersfield High School 2:40 pm Bakersfield Downtown Bakersfield Art Museum Noon Tehachapi Kelcy s Restaurant Noon Delano Kong s Dynasty Noon Frazier Mountain Communities Dream Caste Café (Frazier Park) 7:00 am Kern River Valley Kern Valley Golf Course 7:00 pm Friday Bakersfield East East Bakersfield Veteran s Hall Noon BBRC Past Presidents Larry Mueller Cecil Martin Michael O Doherty Neil Walker Harley Pinson Susan Eaton Don Trybul Mike Daniel Paul Cooper Mike Daniel Ray Geigle Bonnie Crawford Carl Leech John Tait Greg Smith John Vasinda Bill Jones Glen Ray Mike Kirkwood Howie Wass Howie Wass Craig Holland Anil Mehta Bob Bryant Sid Chapin Jerry Starr John McWhorter CLUB OFFICERS President... Ed Knudson Vice President...Larry Mueller President Elect... Jim Bell Secretary...Carol E. Smith Treasurer...Denise Knudson Sergeants-At-Arms...Denise Haynes Jeff Lemucchi Club Leadership DIRECTORS Club Service...Darin Blunt International Service...Sarah Baron Fund Raising...Cecil Martin New Generations...Laurie Price Membership...Bret Cross Vocational Service...Vince Fong Community Service...Marlene Heise Public Relations...Kay Pitts COMMITTEE CHAIRS Rotary Information...Howie Wass Beacon Editor... Dixie King Web Editor... Neil Walker Programs...Lynne Hall Family of Rotary...Sister Judy Morasci Foundation President... Jim Bell Paul Harris Fellows... Michael O Doherty President Elect Nominee... Karen Wass Weekly Duty Roster MONTH DATE GREETERS INVOCATION FLAG SALUTE INTRODUCTIONS January 30 C. Scott/K. Wass D. Scott Shayer Simmons February 6 DARK 13 Williamson/Zollar Spalinger B. Smith Stewart