Wednesday June 8th & 15th, 2005

President’s Message:
My term as your president is coming to an end and I must admit it was an interesting experience. At first I was not sure if I should be honored by the selection or was I being set-up… Now that the end is near I know that I was set-up for a great experience and honored in serving as your President on our Centennial Year. I am looking forward to the RI Convention in Chicago 18-22nd. I’ll gladly report back upon my return. Meanwhile please treat Alex with kindness as he will step-up and lead our meeting on the 22nd.
Foundation News: Luis Chacon and Mark Tedesco attended a workshop for grants and other related foundation information June 3rd. Both were excited about the info provided. Our club is eligible to receive 50% of the money we donate to the foundation back from the foundation to use in our programs in our community. The bad news is, that we have not been donating to the foundation, and therefore have not been able to apply for any grant money from the foundation. Luis hopes to work on this area of our club as immediate past president.
Stepping up to the Challenge. The pancake baking went great. With the help of John Scheuplein, Don Morrin, Kathy & Greg Benton & my friends Carla Deal and Brandy Parslow, we baked ‘hundreds’ of pancakes, enough to feed all the walkers and workers, and the many other park visitors. We even feed several basketball players, among them Francisco Reneiro, who still plays in a basket ball league at the park every Saturday morning. He didn’t eat any pancakes though, too un-healthy I guess. Also thanks to Carolina for bringing Rotary information for our info table.
Community Day at the Fair: We will be participating in the West Covina Community Day at the LA County Fair on Sept 30th, 2005. Dave Harris is chair of this fun event, which includes free passes for the club members involved. Please contact Dave Harris if you are interested in participating.

Red Ribbon Rally. This year the rally will be held October 29th at West Covina High School. Alex Rodriquez is the chair from our club. The planning meetings are held at Denny’s Restaurant on Thursdays at 7:30 AM – however, not every Thursday, so make sure you check with Alex before going to the meetings.

Every Rotarian Every Year: Just a reminder to donate $100 to the RI Foundation so the club can meet its goal of 100% participation.


50/50 Raffle: A new raffle has started with the pot at $250.00 and only 51 cards to go…..

Our Website: Our website is constantly being updated with club information. Check out the many photos too. Some are quite interesting!

Member news: Congratulations to Carolina Chacon who has been named one of the most influential women in the San Gabriel Valley by the YMCA.

Police Golf Tournament: The West Covina Police department is holding is annual golf tournament on June 30th. We need to support the groups that support us, so if you can, please sign up for a fun day of golfing.

Fundraiser: Our new Sgt-at-Arms Mark Tedesco had a very successful day! He fined all members who were not wearing their pins, and raised $100. Great Job.

Program: The speaker June 8th was Chief Elliot with the West Covina Fire Department. He gave a very interesting presentation about the workings of the West Covina Fire department, and we even got a little inside scoop about our incoming president elect, Alex Rodriguez. We also learned that a fire truck is really One Big Red Tool Box that the firemen get to play with every day -- no wonder firemen always seem to be in a good mood!
However, all joking aside. The fire department provides a life saving service to the city and the surrounding areas. They get calls daily for all kinds of emergencies, from getting cats out of trees, auto accidents, medical emergencies to fires. So far in 2005 there have been 2 fire fatalities in West Covina. According to the chief, many fires are often preventable, an example being the fires caused by burning candles. With the increased popularity of candles, there has also been an increase in fires caused by candles. So be careful with those candles!


Calendar:
June 11- Support Don and Cheryl Morrin on their latest play "The Emperor's Nightingale" at the Grove Children's Theatre in Upland. The show plays every Saturday at 2:00 PM from Jun 11 through July 2nd
June 25 5:00 PM Club's Throughout Party ( Decorating at 3 PM)
June 29: Weekly meeting: Speaker Arvee Robinson. Arvee Robinson is a Persuasive Speech Coach and works with service professionals who want attract more clients by communicating more clearly about what they do. Her simple step-by-step systems have helped hundreds of professionals to eliminate nervousness, command audience’s attention and deliver sales-winning presentations. Arvee would like to help you learn the same persuasive speaking secrets that she uses so you can give explosive presentations that will skyrocket your sales
June 30: West Covina Police Department - Cops for Kids Golf Tournament
Sept 30: LA County Fair Community Day
Oct 29: Red Ribbon Rally, West Covina High School