February 9, 2001 Issue

ISSUE NO. 29 FEBRUARY 9, 2001 OUR 79^th YEAR

http://RotaryClubofSantaMonica.org

HOW WE CAME TO KNOW OUR ESTHER

In 1951 our club had a problem. Our song leader for the year, Sam V. Carlisle (owner of the town’s biggest stationery store) pointed out that we needed a pianist who knew the tunes of our songs and could play confidently to strengthen our singing.

“I know just the young lady,” said Howard Baker, owner of a pharmacy. “Mrs. Esther M. Johnson.” Other members knew her too, as it happened, because she kept books for about eight local firms. She was invited to come one Friday.

No sooner did Sam start the first song than she stopped him. “That’s too high a key,” she said. “We should sing lower.” Sam started again, lower. It went well. Ewing Konold, Samohi principal who was president that year, invited Esther to attend as pianist every Friday. She has, now, for fifty years!

Then another problem arose. Walton A. Cheney, longtime executive for Union Pacific Railroad (and our president in 1949-50) had been handling office work for the club since retiring from the railroad. In 1977 he found this toil becoming too burdensome. We had to find a successor.

Jim Cayton, our president that year, promptly recruited Esther as Executive Director. Her home (and Ole’s, who became an honorary member) at 22^nd and Washington became the office, where she answered the listed Rotary phone night and day. She also kept playing the piano, not only for our meetings but also for district meetings.

In 1986 Rotary International overthrew a traditional taboo and opened membership to women. Dr. Bob Fredricks, our president then, nudged the club to act immediately. It did, electing Esther to membership, and she became officially “First Lady of Rotary”. In 1996 our district voted her Rotarian of the Year, and installed her in its hall of fame.

Our club moved to honor her by establishing Esther M. Johnson Music Awards, winners to be chosen after competition at our annual Valentine’s Day luncheon meeting. The competition will take place this Friday for the fourth year. Six high schools will each send their best student musician to play. Judges will choose a winner, who will then represent our club in a competition

at the Colburn School on April 7^th. The three top finalists from the Colburn performance will play again at Rotary’s district conference April 28^th. Meanwhile Esther, after a half-century at our meetings, has become Executive Director Emeritus.

Nathaniel Trives, chair of the Johnson Awards, reminds us: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Valentine’s Day and honor Esther by treating a guest to lunch and fine music.”

At our January 26^th meeting Ed Moosbrugger was fined $450 in honor of his role in recent ceremonies decommissioning the USS Moosbrugger, a destroyer named in honor of the admiral by that name, Ed’s father. Newer members may not know that Ed was business and financial editor for the late-lamented Santa Monica Evening Outlook. Our whole community keenly misses the newspaper. Ed continues to serve the community in various ways including tutoring in our public school system.

Congratulations to Prof. Bill Crookston on the marriage of his son Duncan. However, it’s surprising that the wedding wasn’t held at the Pico Palms, in the spirit of free enterprise, instead of at the Casa del Mar Hotel. Maybe next time, Spyros. We thank you, Bill, for your $150. We enjoyed your craft talk and look forward eagerly to your presidency.

“Old accountants never die, they just lose their balance.” But neither fate has befallen our Jim Westbrook, head of his own certified auditing company since 1977. Jim was recently dethroned as president of a local Toastmaster International club. It’s another example of a Rotarian seeking ways to improve himself. Jim, we appreciate your warm smile and infectious laughter. We thank you for the $250. Since this is a legal tax-deductible item, the more you pay the more you save. At least that’s what your confrere Hal Quigley keeps telling me.

February 23^rd: Joint meeting with Pacific Palisades Rotary Club, at Camp Josepho.

More or less unofficially, our 2001-02 Board of Directors held its first meeting January 23^rd. President-elect Hal Quigley presided in his usual friendly business-like manner, receiving comprehensive reports from vice-presidents Hugh Travis (committees) and George Collins (programs).

Naturally the board-to-be didn’t try to set any policies or conduct business. Such actions aren’t in their purview until they take office next July. From now until then, the group will be meeting monthly to familiarize itself with board procedures and set up the rest of the club’s organizational structure.

The key parts of this structure, as most Rotarians realize, are the 43 operating committees. The directors are now recruiting chairmen of those committees. They hope that many members will volunteer as chairmen or at least committee members, by so indicating on the sign-up sheet sent recently to all of us by Hal Quigley.

Here is the list of next year’s directors and the committees they need to fill:

Meetings, Rick Kennedy: Attendance, Birthdays, Greetings, Guest Introductions, Music, Invocations, Sound System, Tracking Fines.

Member Services, Erik Jorgensborg: Rota-Monica, Entertainment, Sick Visitation, Roster, Golf & Fun Day, Volleyball, Hikes.

Community & Youth Service, Nancy Freedman: Environment, Organ Donation, Mental Health, Salvation Army Kettle Day, Community & Youth Grants, Scholarships, Immunization Clinic, Red Cross Percent Day (new committee).

Membership Development, Michael O’Hara: Recruitment, Classification, First Year Activities, Fireside Meetings, Publicity, Interact, Rotaract.

Vocational Service, Jim Menzies: Business & Professional Activities, Four-Way Test Speech, Public Service Recognition Day, Craft Talks, Reading to Children, Host/Hostess Dinners, Secretary’s/Administrative Assistant’s Day.

International Service, Tom Loo: Group Study Exchange, Rotary International Convention, Rotary International Foundation, Student Exchange, World Community Service, Foundation Scholarships.

The next meeting of the 2001-02 Board of Directors will be held at 5:15 p.m. on Wednesday, February 21^st, in Tom Loo’s office at 120 Broadway.

Rotary Club of Santa Monica

"COLOR YOUR LIFE WITH ROTARY"

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