Rotary Club of Santa Monica

"COLOR YOUR LIFE WITH ROTARY"

Rota-Monica

ISSUE NO. 39 MAY 4, 2001 OUR 80^th YEAR

http://RotaryClubofSantaMonica.org

GIVING PART OF OURSELVES

One or several parts of our bodies may go on living after we die. We arrange this through a transplant donor network, which has an up-to-the-minute list of people whose lives can be saved if someone else’s organ is donated to them. There is an organization that responds within an hour if someone with a terminal injury or illness wants to offer a life-saving transplant.

The phoning, visiting, paperwork and surgery needed to make the arrangements are complex. But volunteers tackle the job every day, because at any given moment in Southern California about five thousand people are waiting and hoping for life-saving transplants. The transfers are made through 49 hospitals hereabouts, part of a larger network of 225 hospitals in Southern California. This network calls itself OneLegacy, recently formed by the merger of two earlier organizations.

Our speaker this Friday, Delaney Lucas, is one of those two travels constantly for the network, serving as liaison between hospitals and prospective donor families in Los Angeles and four adjacent counties. She has been a registered nurse for more than twenty years, and now holds a certificate as a Procurement Transplant Coordinator. She’ll tell us how OneLegacy works and how people can make advance arrangements to help it.

COMING UP…

	Friday, May 11 – Public Servants are honored
	Friday, May 18 – Esther Johnson dinner tribute*
	Friday, May 25 – DARK FOR MEMORIAL DAY – NO MEETING
	Friday, June 1 – Plastic surgery – Dr. Anthony Sokol
	Friday, June 8 – The History of Santa Monica – Sid Reyes
	Friday, June 15 – To Be Announced
	Friday, June 22 – NO LUNCH MEETING – EVENING DETHRONING DINNER*
	Friday, June 29 – Speaker: Alonzo Hill. Topic to be announced

*NOTE: Although the location and/or time has been changed, this still counts as a regular meeting.

APRIL 20: A FINE RECOGNITION DAY

Dr. Jim Haljun was highly praised by President John for becoming a major donor to Rotary International, and was presented with a diamond Paul Harris pin. This gentleman is a major contributor to many enterprises. Congratulations, Jim.

President John also made a presentation to Barbara Hopper. It seems Barbara’s earring was found by Kay (John’s wife) in John’s car. According to Barbara a struggle ensued. Barbara won and John lost. John would not dare fine her. Case closed.

President John fined his own son $200 for buying a new commercial building in Culver City. Steve plans to operate his painting business (office and shop) from this new location, continuing to serve the entire West Side. This is good news, Steve, and we all send best wishes for your continuing success.

Gene Shank was fined for being a proud grandfather. His fifth grandchild arrived recently. John decided to fine him $50 apiece for each child. I didn’t know fines could be levied retroactively so far back. Well, we learn every day.

Karim Jaude was fined $100 for his name. In Arabic or Lebanese it means “quality and generosity.” Welcome to the club, Karim. You’ll find that your fellow Rotarians display the same traits as your name.

-- Lionel Ruhman

REGRETFUL FAREWELLS, HAPPY WELCOMES

Eight members, finding that other responsibilities prevented their regular attendance at Rotary, have resigned. They are Dr. Paul Bohn, Chet Hoover, Rev. Robert Ned, Dan Graham, Yale Keckin, John Hearne, Phil Smalec and Mark Olson.

Dr. Dave Rogers, who resigned earlier this year because of new professional commitments, now is able to rejoin the club and was reinstated.

At induction ceremonies during our April 6 meeting, six new members formally joined: Karim Jaude, Chris Lawson, Mike Nichols, Tulin Ozkaragoz, Radomir Samardzic and Rosemary Regalbuto. Three others who could not attend will be inducted later: Ted Chough, Cena Abergel, and Marvin Martinez.

On leaves of absence are: Roger Hager until May 15; Sam Muslin and Laura Bockoff until June 15; and Stephanie Droker continues on maternity leave but hopes to return July 1^st. Because of ill health, Clarence Davis and Dr. Al Quinn have been excused from attendance. Jim Butts, an active member since becoming police chief in 1992, has now been granted honorary membership.

HE ARRIVED ALONE

(one of a series on new members)

Even in this nation of self-made people, most of us get a boost from a few acquaintances on the way up. It’s rare to meet someone like our new member Christopher T. Lawson, whose five-year career story is one of totally unaided advancement.

Chris had to find part-time work to pay his expenses at University of Colorado. Lacking connections that could open doors for him, he sent applications to big companies. Invesco, a mutual fund company, called him in for an interview. His chances for advancement didn’t look alluring there, since its Denver headquarters employed 300 people (later increased to 800) but Invesco interviewed him four times and finally hired him in February 1996. Four years later he was an assistant vice president.

Invesco said, “We’d like you to represent us in Southern California.” Chris moved here alone in 2000, opened a one-person office, and began phoning financial officers of corporations. “Hi, I’m new here. Can I come and talk to you about mutual funds?”

Few said yes at first. Chris kept calling, and eventually began to acquire clients. But he failed fifteen times to get through to one prospect, a prominent financial executive. Finally Chris went to the executive’s office uninvited. He wouldn’t be available, the secretary said. “I’ll wait,” Chris said.

After three hours the man emerged from his office long enough to urge that Chris go away. Instead, knowing that he was a golfer, Chris produced a “golf pack” that was a tool in Invesco’s tested approach to golf-playing prospects. It contained an attractive shirt, golf balls, towels and other offerings. Thus seduced, the prospect lingered for a few more words. Today the man is an eleven-million-dollar client of Invesco.

By last June Chris was sufficiently esteemed to be a featured speaker at a conference of 2,050 financial people. It was his first talk. Invesco sent several executives to listen and appraise him.

Now he still runs a one-person office here but spends about half his time roaming Southern California, soliciting prospects and speaking at seminars.

This doesn’t leave him much time for community matters in Santa Monica. But he did join our club at the invitation of Bashir Kadri, imagining that the club had only a few service projects and he could pitch in on all of them. He still isn’t sure which of our 43 standing committees may find him most useful. Meanwhile he did volunteer for our “Read to Kids” project, enjoyed it, and expects to volunteer in several other capacities. We’re happy to have him in Rotary.