. . . to our Rotary Club! 

The Rotary Club of Northridge/Chatsworth
is hosting a
Wine Tasting Fundraiser

Come and sample wines from around the world
and delicious Hors D'oeuvers.

Space is limited to the first 120 Guests.

WHEN:   Saturday, June 8, 2013

TIME:   2 pm to 5 pm

WHERE?

Mandel Residence
22560 La Quilla Drive
Chatsworth, CA 91311

TICKET PRICES:

$45 Online
http://rotarywinetasting2013.eventbrite.com

$50 at door

Stan Durban was a highly respected member of the Northridge/Chatsworth Rotary Club for over forty years and served as President in 1986-87.  For 20-plus years he was the club’s International Service Chair; most of the projects he oversaw benefited youth, such as providing supplies and financial aid for orphanages and schools. He is remembered as one who truly lived out the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.”

This is a highly rewarding event as we honor students who are striving for excellence! 
(Pictured above is Stan Durban, MC at last year’s event, presenting an award to a student.)

We were privileged to have
Carmen Trutanich,
LA City Attorney
as our guest speaker on Tuesday, March 12

Mr.Trutanich explained that the City Attorney is “The Independent Legal Voice of the City of Los Angeles, only beholden to doing the right thing for the right reasons, all the time.” During his tenure, Mr. Trutanich has compiled an impressive record of winning for Los Angeles.  He shared how under his leadership, tax payers have been protected—how his office has saved taxpayers $284 million by winning 134 of 147 civil liability cases brought against the city.

The American Association of Prosecuting Attorneys awarded LA City Attorney Trutanich the “Most Innovative Prosecutor in the Nation” award. The people of Los Angeles are honored to have Mr. Trutanich serving as our City Attorney!

CSUN’s new President, Dr. Dianne F. Harrison
Encourages Rotarians to

Help CSUN Shine in our Valley

On February 28^th Northridge/Chatsworth Rotary Club met with Granada Hills Rotary to hear special speaker, Dianne Harrison, CSUN’s 5^th President. CSUN is one of the largest public master’s universities in the country with an enrollment of 36,000 plus another 12,000 in expanded education. CSUN has a $600 million local-economy impact, with about 85% of the 10,000 graduates each year staying in the Los Angeles area.

Dr. Harrison’s primary focus has been on student success—helping students to be successful from enrollment to graduation.  Another of her goals is to advance the visibility of CSUN in the community, “Our University in the San Fernando Valley.”  She encouraged Rotarians to become more involved with CSUN through athletics, speakers, performances, and events. 

Pictured: Kerry Nelson, G.H. Rotary President; Dianne F. Harrison, President CSUN; Chuck Cameron, N/C Rotary Past Pres.

Forget the sleigh and reindeer . . .
Santa arrives by helicopter!

Children and their families got an extra treat this holiday season as Santa arrived at MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity) in a helicopter. 

While the children visited Santa and got their photos taken, parents visited the second floor of the building, which had been converted into a holiday wonderland full of toys, books and other items.   Each family also received a food basket and blankets. "The need is huge. In the past two years, our food basket need has grown 200 percent. So many people have lost their jobs. They're looking, but can't find them. It's a struggle for many families,” said MEND President Marianne Haver-Hill.

Club Member Lou Marino was Santa Claus while others aided in distribution of toys, food boxes, and blankets. There is no greater joy than to serve others during this season of giving. See: http://www.mendpoverty.org

Special Speaker on Dec 11 ... Ida Shessel

Ida Shessel, B.Sc., M.Ed. can triple the memory of everyone in a meeting in less than 30 minutes! So says her bio....

Indeed, those who attended this first of our special speaker series were astounded at what they remembered by the end of the session.  The meeting was interactive and fun.  The technique really works!

Rotary's Rose Parade Float . . .

Yesterday Beth Anderson from the Rotary Rose Parade Float Committee spoke about Rotary’s “Oh the Places We Go” 2013 float entry.  The float celebrates Rotary’s commitment to “Service above Self,” especially Rotarians who travel around the world promoting peace and participating in humanitarian service.

When Rotary International's directors approved the first entry in the parade over 34 years ago, they saw in it an unrivaled opportunity to bring Rotary's name into public view―as an opportunity to inform the public of Rotary’s good work, i.e. Rotary’s nearly competed effort to eliminate polio world-wide.   Last year’s parade captured a viewing audience of over 47 million in the United States and another 300 million around the world in more than 220 countries! 

Individual Rotarians, Clubs and Districts in the United States and Canada donate all of the money to pay for the float (none of the money raised for float construction is spent on professional staff or committee perks).  If you would like to help support this important public relations project, go to www.rotaryfloat.org now and click the “donate” button. Let’s keep this PR project going for another 34 years!

Photo:  Beth Anderson and Club President Gene Urcan

Welcome to the club, Syed Hussaini!

On November 20, 2012, Northridge/ Chatsworth inducted Syed Hussaini as a new member.  Syed, a resident of North Hills, is a certified mobile signing agent and notary.  He is excited about joining Rotary–about opportunities for service in our community and beyond.   

Syed is a great addition to our team!

President Gene Urcan
and Syed Hussaini

YOUTH EXCHANGE OFFICER
     explains program . . .

We were pleased to have Warren Bobrow, Rotary District 5280s Co-YEO (youth exchange officer) speak to us Tuesday about Rotary’s Youth Exchange Program.  This year almost 7,000 students from more than 71 countries will enrich their lives. They will see the world the way it is best seen – from the inside out.  For more information see: http://www.scanex.org/?page_id=2

Pictured:  French Exchange Student Cesar Fontanel, Past President Dan Elias, and 5280 Youth Exchange Officer, Warren Bobrow

Lew Bertrand, District 5280 Governor, was our honored guest on Tuesday, October 30. 

Governor Bertrand brought news of the district and Rotary worldwide.  Of special interest was his report regarding Rotary’s mission to end polio throughout the world.  We are now about 1% away from a polio-free world!  (see www.endpolionow.org) 

A highlight for the day was the honoring of Dr. Knud Flygenring for his twenty-plus years of service as an Interact Advisor (see article below).  Congratulations Knud!  We are proud of you!

Pictured in the photo to the right are Governor Lew Bertrand and our President Gene Urcan showing Governor Bertrand a book that will be donated to Reach Out & Read.

(Each week our club donates a book in honor of our speakers.  Reach Out & Read promotes early literacy and school readiness in pediatric exam rooms nationwide by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud to their children.)

Dr. Knud Flygenring Honored

At our October 30^th meeting, District 5280 Governor Lew Bertrand, presented Dr. Flygenring with District 5280s Visionary Award. The honor was bestowed on Dr. Flygenring for his dedication and service as an Advisor to Granada Hills Charter H.S. Interact Clubs for over 20 years. 

Through the years, Dr. Flygenring has encouraged Interact members by leadership and example, encouraging good character, a commitment to ethics, and especially to service in our community and beyond. People like Dr. Flygenring make Rotary membership matter.

A Word from our President, Gene Urcan . . .

Dear fellow Northridge/Chatsworth Rotarians:

I am now into my 4^th month as your president, and I consider it an honor that you have chosen me for this task. As each day passes, I increase my knowledge of Rotary, which quite honestly I knew very little about when I joined the Northridge/Chatsworth Rotary Club. All I knew when I joined is that I wanted to help make a difference in our community.  That, I believe our Cub has done and continues to do, which is very gratifying to me.

Also, I am very excited about two upcoming events that our Club has planned for the Spring of 2013―our annual Blood Drive at the Northridge Little League Park, which I will chair, and a first for our Club, a Wine Tasting Fundraiser, which is chaired and hosted by David Mandel.

 I have watched with great enthusiasm the growth of our newer members and how they have embraced the Rotary “Service Above Self” motto.  Speaking of “Service Above Self,” I believe we all owe a great deal of gratitude to Chuck and Judy Cameron for presenting an amazing line up of guest speakers week after week, and for their tireless work in doing all of the necessary preparations for every weekly meeting. Thanks guys, for making me look like I know what I am doing.

I look forward to seeing all of you at every weekly meeting, 
Gene

Kevin Malone — from The Dodgers to The Dream Center
     Former General Manager, Los Angeles Dodgers
    Co-owner, Mercedes-Benz of Valencia

Kevin Malone, speaker for the club’s October 9, 2012 meeting, enjoyed a 17-year career in Major League Baseball. He led the Montreal Expos and the Baltimore Orioles. Kevin says, "Winning Major League Baseball's World Championship with the Minnesota Twins in 1991 was an extreme surreal experience."  Sporting News’ Baseball Weekly honored Kevin as best General Manager in the Majors in 1995 while leading the Montreal Expo.  He says that experience was indeed a professional highlight—one that subsequently helped catapult him to head up baseball's most storied franchise...The Los Angeles Dodgers.  Kevin has since moved on, but says, “…it was a great experience and that he feels very blessed to have had that opportunity." 

After Baseball, Kevin became co-owner, Mercedes-Benz of Valencia and Matthew Barnett, founder of The Dream Center and an avid sports fan, recruited Kevin to join his Dream Center team as a board member. The Dream Center campus—14 buildings on nine acres—used to be known as the Queen of Angels Hospital.  Now it's a haven for those who are desperate, operating under the motto: "Find a need and fill it; find a hurt and heal it."  Kevin encouraged club members in their service to the community and beyond, commending Rotary’s motto: “Service Above Self.”

A word from our Program Chair about our Weekly Programs . . .

The Rotary Club of Northridge/Chatsworth has a rich history of service. Rotary’s motto is “Service Above Self,” and Rotarians individually and in groups do service projects in our community and throughout the world.  Weekly programs are to inform, inspire, teach and present opportunities for service.  As program  chair, I am always looking for speakers who will present interesting programs.  Some of our speakers will be from nonprofit organizations because they have a story to tell and offer opportunities for community service.  When we help strengthen our community, we help build a stronger community and help ourselves in the process.

Chuck Cameron

Dwight Hicks
NFL Super Bowl Champion (XVI & XIX)

    . . . was our club’s speaker on June 26, 2012.  His talk was inspirational and showed the great power of the concept of paying-it-forward, of helping our youth be inspired to dream.  All goals that are well aligned with Rotary.

DEMOTION-INSTALLATION PARTY

David & Sandy Mandel hosted our club’s Demotion/Installation Party at their beautiful home, better known as the LaQuilla Resort, on June 16, 2012. President Dan Elias was appropriately demoted with much appreciation, and incoming President Gene Urcan pinned.  A great time was had by all!  Our thanks to Dave and Sandy!

Photo:  Our Leaders…Past, Present & Future
Chuck Cameron, Gene Urcan, Dan Elias & David Mandel.

Congratulation to the deserving students!  The event was the best ever according to members who have attended Northridge/Chatsworth Rotary Club’s longest running community service project over the past 25 years!    Hats off to Stan Durban for serving as Master of Ceremonies and coordinating this successful event.

Photo:  Lourdes & Stan Durban and Pres. Dan Elias

Community Blood Drive on April 21, 2012 . . .            a success!

President Dan Elias smiles at the end of the day, which was a success in spite of the heat!  Our thanks to Blood Drive Chair, Gene Urcan, and to all the other members of the club who worked on this event.  Thank you also to the leadership of the Northridge Softball and Little League Fields, the players and their parents . . . and especially to the blood mobile personnel of Cedars-Sinai, Kaiser Permanente and Providence Health & Services.

On January 10, 2012 Northridge/Chatsworth inducted Esfand Azad, Realtor/Mortgage Broker, as a new member.  Esfand is a resident of Chatsworth.  He has been a Rotarian since 1996, previously having been affiliated with other clubs further from his home. He is a great addition to our team.

Welcome to the Club Esfand!

On Saturday, December 17, Club and Chatsworth High School Interact Members volunteered at M.E.N.D. (Meet Each Need with Dignity) for their annual “Make a Merry MEND Christmas” for needy families. Club Member Lou Marino was Santa Claus while others aided in distribution of toys, food boxes, and blankets. There is no greater joy than to serve others during this season of giving. See: http://www.mendpoverty.org

Dr. Ying Nian Wu spoke to our club on December 13th and gave an excellent presentation regarding Chinese Culture.  He shared that Shen Yun, the World's premier classical Chinese dance company, is performing in Costa Mesa on Jan 11-12, 2012 and at the Chandler Pavilion in LA on Jan 13-14, 2012.        

Go to: http://www.LAspectacular.com  for more information and to purchase tickets online or call the hotline number 1-800-880-0188. At checkout, please give the promo code:  Rotary-Northridge for our club to get special credit.

Excellent meeting Today! 

Alan Jackson, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney... 

was our guest speaker.  He spoke about  the rule of law and how important it is in maintaining our way of life.  It’s something that none of us should take for granted!

You won't want to miss a single meeting! 

Frank Burns, Program Chair and Past President (2002-03)

named Rotarian of the Year . . .

for his outstanding contributions and dedicated service. Not only does Frank line up excellent speakers for our meetings, he faithfully participates in all service activities and fundraisers. In addition, he volunteers many hours at the Brail Institute.

Pictured: Frank with President Dan Elias