Rotary Club of Santa Monica

"2001/2002 - A Rotary Odyssey"

Rota-Monica

HIS HOBBY IS FAR AWAY

             As a boy, John Lehne saw a movie that changed his life.  It was “Four Feathers” – about the British Empire’s battles to hold onto outposts in the 3,000-year old nation of Afghanistan and other turbulent lands near the equator.  He hurried to the Santa Monica public library, found books about the Empire, and read them.  He has been reading about tropical corners of Great Britain ever since.

             In fact, for a time he was set on becoming a history teacher.  He joined the History Book Club.  During two years’ service aboard the USS Wasp, in 1954-55,he was said to be the sole person of the 350 aboard who received books in the mail.  Upon discharge from the Navy, he entered Loyola University, got a degree, and needed only a year or two of additional study to qualify for teaching credentials.  But times were hard, and John urgently needed money.  He went to work as a painter, and never found time to go back to college.

             But he has remained enthralled by reading about the British Empire, and by whatever glimpses of its past splendors he could arrange.  He is a member of the Victorian Military History Society.  In 1995 he and Katherine went to South Africa to tour famous battlefields where British troopers had put down Zulu warriors.  He was so struck by the noted move “Zulu” that he registered his E-mail address as zulujohn@aol.com and has kept it so.  Once he counted the books on British history he owns, and found 225 of them. 

            In recent years he has occasionally remarked to club program chairman, “Any time a speaker doesn’t show up, call on me.  I can ad lib without notes.”  This year George Collins put John on the schedule without waiting for a no-show.  So this Friday we’ll hear a bunch of colorful tales about Afghanistan and the “Northwest Frontier” as known since 1838 to “the thin red line” of Kipling and the like.

FROM DOCTORS TO DONORS

(One of a series on new members)

             A somewhat unpopular employee in the average hospital, if you ask its doctors, is likely to be the person entitled Director of Physician Services, or the equivalent.  That was Joey Perlmutter’s title at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center for 23 years.   

            Why are some doctors cool toward this office with the inoffensive-sounding name?  Because its real function is to study their performance and ensure they’re following myriad rules.  The normal “shelf life” for a person with such stressful duties is about five years, Joey says.  She lasted as long as she did, perhaps, because she is known for her pleasant personality and knack of criticizing without ruffling. 

            Joey is now the Executive Director of the Medical Center’s Office of Development, a fundraiser.  She thinks it is similar to her previous work because “they’re both about building relationships based upon trust.”  Her new position is just as critical to the Medical Center as it embarks on a multi-million dollar campaign to raise money for the complex.

             Joey has always seemed happy.  “ Married Jon Roti in 1985,” she recalls.  “He assumed full charge of the kitchen to cook up masterpieces every night.  I never boiled water.  He died in 1994 of kidney disease.  Upon arrival in heaven, John pulled his guardian angel strings and sent me another wonderful man to love.” 

            She continues, “On June 8, 1997, I married Joseph Perlmutter.  We’re Joey and Joey.  When I married Joey, he had two young sons.  I’m a fast learner.  A few years later the kids’ friends assessed one another’s parents, and I was voted “Best Cook.” 

             When Joey isn’t raising money for the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center or cooking exotic dishes, she’s tending to her lifelong love, cats.  In addition to her own indoor cats, she feeds feral wildlife outdoors via a “trap, neuter & return” approach.  That way she keeps four-legged friends close by without adding to the overpopulation of unwanted animals.

             Joey sums up her life by saying, “I’m the happiest woman I know.  I have a rewarding career and valuable friends.  My family members live nearby so we can all grow up and older together.  Add Rotary to the mix and it just doesn’t get any better.”

NO MEETING NEXT FRIDAY

             March 29, next Friday, is Good Friday.  So if you come expecting to have lunch with Rotarians as usual, you’ll have a trip for nothing.  Mark it clearly on your calendar:  No Rotary on Friday, March 29.

BRING MORE GUESTS

             Guest of members on March 8 were Edward Pratte (guest of visiting Rotarian Rich Cornwall) and Charles Follette (guest and brother of Dr. Carol Follette).

SIX PERFECTIONISTS; FIVE FINED

             President Hal decided to remind everyone that six of our members have managed to attend a Rotary meeting here or elsewhere each week for long unbroken periods of years.  Our member with the longest record of perfect attendance is Frank Blenkhorn.  Hal was so awed that he chose not to levy any fine on Frank.  The five others with long records of perfect attendance were assessed $75 each:

             Phil Whiting, Stan Shu, Stan Johnson, Schiller Colberg, Nat Charnley.  Fred Dutton, who has been in the club since 1964, was found to have been present at the club’s 80th birthday celebration.  This was adjudged to be worth an $80 fine.

             Bill Hunt was somehow connected with pictures of Buzz Aldrin, the second man on the moon and with the non-astronaut (his full name not divulged at our meeting) who paid $20 million for a ride into space.  These connections cost Bill $200.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

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