4-Club Joint Noon Meeting (Rolling Hills Country Club)
Posted by Wes Bradford
on Nov 21, 2014
Pres Jim Hartman of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Club opened the meeting. After the invocation, PV Peninsula new member Megan Lyne led the attendees in singing the “Star-Spangled Banner” in her beautiful soprano voice. After a review of the Harmony Concert Joint Project of the 4 Clubs, he introduced each of the 4 Club presidents in turn, to present overviews of their Clubs’ activities and service projects.
The Harmony Concert by students of the Palos Verdes Peninsula High School and Palos Verdes High School, sponsored by the four Service Clubs in attendance here, will take place on March 17 at 7 PM at the Norris Pavilion. In 2013, the Harmony Concert raised $2100 for each high school and $1800 for the Peninsula Symphony.
Alex Macksoud, president of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Lions Club, has been in law practice for 41 years. His club has 26 members and meets first and third Wednesdays at 7 PM. It sponsors eye clinics in Mexico, and collects and recycles eyeglass frames. It has supported Thanksgiving Food Baskets, Help the Homeless Help Themselves, Community Help Line, and scholarships for Palos Verdes high school seniors. Its fundraisers have included an annual charity golf tourney, and winetasting.
Roger Schamp, president of the Palos Verdes Sunset Rotary Club, listed Club projects and accomplishments, including 100% Paul Harris contributors and 2 Past District Governors. A grant to the 4-H Club enabled a rocketry project that entered national competition. Project EGO helps to mentor high school students in danger of not graduating because of home or personal problems. Club-sponsored entrants in the 64-Club District student talent awards this year resulted in 2 First Places and 1 Second Place. The Club-sponsored Rotaract Club at Marymount California University achieved recognition as the best club on campus this year for its activities and service projects. The “Chairs for Charity” fundraiser provided support for Project Amigo (educational support for migrant farmworkers’ children in Mexico, some of whom are now attending college), Wounded Warriors (veterans services), and the Roslin Orphanage in Timor, Indonesia (for children left homeless by the recent Civil War there).
Derek Gable, president of the Rolling Hills Kiwanis Club, is a creative inventor and has spoken to our Palos Verdes Sunset Rotary Club. His Club meets Thursday noon at the Red Onion Restaurant and has 26 members. Its programs help to change the world one child at a time by helping them become independent contributing citizens. Its main fundraiser is the Palos Verdes Marathon (Half Marathon in the last 3 years, including 5K and 10K runs), which raised $50,000 this year. Other Kiwanis programs include Project Shoe at the local Torrance Payless Shoe Store (for 91 needy children), Kiwanis scholarships, Christmas party for the Boys and Girls Club, Counseling4Kids (foster care services), Freedom4U (teen outreach), H.E.L.P. (senior services), and Rainbow Services Inc (domestic violence services).
Jim Hartman, president of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Club, reviewed his Club’s programs, including scholarships to high school seniors, to Los Angeles Harbor Area Boys and Girls Club, and to Marymount California University students. It also sponsors an Educator of the Year Program. It reactivated the Interact Club at Rolling Hills Prep School and supports Interact Clubs at the Chadwick School, a new Interactive Club at Chadwick International School in Songdo, South Korea, and at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School. Its major fund raiser is co-sponsorship of the annual Concours d’Elegance classic car show at Trump National Golf Course.