Rotary Club of Santa Monica

"2001/2002 - A Rotary Odyssey"

Rota-Monica

HIS FACE IS FAMILIAR

             Former college professor, former record-setting aviator, and then for 42 years a TV news reporter:  that’s Hal Fishman, our speaker this Friday.  Many of us watch him nightly at “News @ Ten” on Channel 5. 

            KTLA, his employer since 1965, skims ever so lightly over his earlier life.  It mentions that he taught political science (but doesn’t divulge where) and that he held 12 world records for speed and altitude flying (without further details) and hastens on to his broadcast career, which handily fills six solid paragraphs.

             It reveals that Fishman began telecasting in 1960 (but doesn’t reveal where).  It hits its stride in 1965, the year he joined KTLA.  He went out to Watts during the riots and covered it at close range.  He was on the scene after the earthquakes at Sylmar and Northridge.  In 1965 he became managing editor of News @ Ten and has held that position ever since.

             His news broadcasts have won him an armload of awards, including top ones from the Los Angeles Academy of TV Arts and Sciences and from the Society of Professional Journalists.  This year the Associated Press named him “Best News Anchor” for the third consecutive year.  KTLA has named its newsroom “The Hal Fishman Newsroom” in his honor.

             What will he talk about?  His experiences, no doubt

CHANGING THE PUBLIC’S MIND

             “He’s a fat-assed Rotarian gasbag,” one character said of another in an episode of The West Wing, one of the most-watched dramatic series on TV, last October.

             The sneer didn’t pass unnoticed by Rotarians and their sympathizers.  Letters of protest poured in.  The show’s producers realized they’d better say something more – and more favorable – about Rotary.  Their November 28th episode featured a scene in which several Rotary community service projects were talked about.  One character remarked that Rotarians “volunteer their time even though no one has enough of it.” 

            Rotary leaders themselves decided that the organization should get busy improving its public image.  Our monthly magazine, The Rotarian, complained in the February issue, “Rotary club meetings too often have been stereotyped by entertainment and news media as ‘backslapping lunches’ attended by businessmen bloated on their own self-importance – while the true work of Rotary, its humanitarian mission, is largely ignored.” 

            What should Rotary International do about this?  It immediately hired media-relations specialists for Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America.  It beefed up its 27 regional magazines published in 20 languages.  In this country it talked to editors of Fortune, the Chicago Tribune, USA Today and other news organizations.  They looked into Rotary’s huge service projects.  Fortune wrote in its November issue, “What has happened to the club that was once the Cadillac of business organizations?  Rotary forges on, but it’s struggling to redefine itself.”  The Tribune featured a long article that began, “A club known for backslapping lunches emerges as a key ally in the war on terror,” and went on to tell in detail about Rotary’s activities in Pakistan, where it has 84 active clubs and its district governor is a retired colonel in the Pakistan army.  Rotary has 5,000 immunization centers in Pakistan where children are immunized against polio.

             If you read and hear more about Rotary service projects in the months ahead, don’t think it’s just happenstance.  Rotary is planning it that way.

A TAXING EXPERIENCE WORTH $895.

Collected through March 1 = $23,379

            Karen and Bob Baker were honored ($75 apiece) for their vacation in Hawaii.  After 20-plus years with the Sutro stockbrokers, Kent Colberg decided to change when Sutro merged with another firm.  He is now with A.G. Edwards & Sons in Santa Monica.  His new business number is 320 453 0077.  His wallet is $120 lighted, by decree of President Hal.  New kinds of taxes, or at least new terms for them, are created at our rostrum almost every Friday.  On March 1 it was “in-law tax,” imposed on Robert Segal because, he says, he likes his new son-in-law very much.  The son-in-law, it might be added, has great parents-in-law.  Altogether a “fine” family.  For planning and managing the Cuban Arts and Cultural festival at Santa Monica College, Judy Neveau was taxed $100.  Iao Katagiri (Rand executive and new Rotarian) was adjudged to owe $100 for being on the selection committee of the National Conference for Community and Justice.  The committee chose our Piedad Robertson, SMC president, to receive the organization’s Humanitarian Award.  Piedad in turn was taxed $200 for accepting the award.  It’s better to give than to receive,” Bob Klein quotes as his motto when socializing with prospective donors to St. John’s Hospital, his employer.  When a gift to the hospital is forthcoming, then Bob feels that receiving is better.  This was set forth in an article about Bob in the Palisades Post, worth $125.  As Bob looks back on his career in collegiate and professional football, he presumably didn’t believe in giving at all.  Anyhow, we now give thanks for Bob’s community service.

                                                                                   -- Lioncel G. Ruhman

GUEST OF OUR MEMBERS

             Our March 1 our members brought the following friends as guests.  We hope they come back:  Rosesharon Hallgren, Ann Greenspun, Jan Rice, Oded Wolf, Pamela McClure, Jorge Casuso, Tom Larmore, Eric Johanssen and Greg Walden.

FOR YOUR ROLODEX 

            Some of Tom Loo’s mail and messages still go to him at an outdated address. Here are the ways to reach him nowadays: 

 Greenberg Traurig, LLP, 2450 Colorado Avenue, Suite 400-E, Santa Monica, CA 90404.  Phone (310) 586-7700 -Fax (310) 586-7890 – email loot@Gtlaw.com 

Home 3939 Villa Costera, Malibu, CA 90265 – Phone (310) 456-1651

FRIDAY MEETINGS COMING

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