November 2002
Page 3
Rotary Club of Santa Monica Update
By Joey Perlmutter
The good deeds of Rotarians serve a wide range of needs. In addition to attending to the human condition, Rotarians also participated in the recent Coastal Cleanup Day to improve the plight of our aquatic friends and the environment shared by all. Tim Shannon was the drive behind the effort, joined by Eric Schmitter, Dick & Char Lawrence, Paul & Marilyn Leoni and Steve Alexis. Brian West had the van and provided coffee & donuts to keep energy up while collecting literally tons of trash from our beaches.
Farther away, thanks to Rotarians worldwide, Europe has become the third World Health Organization region of the world where the transmission of the poliovirus has been interrupted. It's been the goal of Rotary International to eradicate the poliovirus entirely.
Santa Monica Rotary Club speakers tend to be on the academic side lately. Harvey Stromberg, popular host of a KCRW talk show and Emeritys College instructor, addressed the group on how the rest of the world looks at America.
Former Mayor Richard Riordan discussed all things political and James Gottfurcht, Ph.D. shared his expertise on how we deal with money. he says it was once considered a sign of our inevitable maturity when we hear our parents' life lessons coming out of our own mouths, but that is precisely why we have irrational behavior about money. His theory is that regardless of how savvy we are about it, we react to having and spending money the same way our parents treated it at home when we were children. The admonitions and cautious behavior is associated with negativity and never having enough money. He refers to that as 'poverty thinking.' An attitude of beliefs and goals associated with optimism is know as 'prosperity thinking.' Gottfurcht taught us to be aware of those internal voices from the past and hear them for what they were, not for what they necessarily are to us now as adults.
The Rotary Club has an Internet guide on mental and emotional health, substance abuse, healthy aging and more. Check it out at www.Helpguide.org.
One of the Club's most memorable meetings is when Veteran's Day is commemorated. Members who can still get into their service uniforms wear them. Those who have been in the armed forces share their experiences. it gives those who were never in the service a real opportunity to understand what it was like. And it is always touching to hear what your fellow Rotarians have gone through.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Additional material from Joey in the same issue:
Good news abounds at The Rotary Club of Santa Monica, and especially at this time of year. Rotarians who become Paul Harris Fellows earn a great distinction: they fund scholarships so that deserving students have an opportunity to expand and develop their academic and social skills. Rotary Club of Santa Monica can be proud of its recent donation of almost $8,000 to the Paul Harris Fellowship fund to further this worthy endeavor. In keeping with its mission of Service Above Self, the Community and Youth Grants Committee, headed by Nancy Freedman and Kent Colberg, is looking for worthy capital items to fund in the name of Rotary. This is the time of year for ever more volunteerism. Spyros Dellaportas is recruiting volunteers to cook, serve, and clean for our Santa Monica Police Department personnel on Thanksgiving Day, and Frank Lavac, Jr., DVM, is recruiting for Salvation Army Red Kettle Day bell ringers. The Social Service Administration gave its nod of approval to Robert Segal for his new website named HelpGuide. That agency said it is breezy and easy to read and provides the best non-profit non-commercial links on the web focusing on mental health and aging well. Helpguide is a joint project of the Rotary Club of Santa Monica and Center for Healthy Aging. Have a most Thankful holiday.