Rooster Talk Little Hills Branch 147 January 2019 Vol. 34, #1 Branch 147 Web Site: sirinc2.org/branch/147 From BIG SIR Greg O brien Happy New Year, I am honored to be your Big SIR for the 2019 year. There are four key things that need to happen to have a great year. Mike Burwen, just finished a great year so this is what I learned. Good food and variety of selections for lunch is a must. Sonoma Caterer will continue with the food service. Several people have commented on the superb food at the Christmas Lunch. Please see the picture in this newsletter. Excellent speakers are needed to get members interest. If you have a speaker for the luncheon please let me know. Hall of Fame 49er, Jimmy Johnson was a big hit last year. Al McLaughlin s newsletter is outstanding each month. Activity groups and outings need to be fun and informative for members to attend. We had a wonderful Christmas Lunch with 72 people attending. Mark Quam, received an award for the SIR Of The Year! Mark as the membership chair did a great job by adding 12 new members. We also had a special DJ provide the Christmas music. The special DJ was one of our new members, Herbert Genelly III. Please, get me feedback good or bad, it s the only way that the SIR Board can serve and retain members. Let s have a fun year and make some new friends. Greg Speaker of the Month for January Arranged by Big SIR Greg O'Brien Brian Sobel will be our speaker in January. Brian is a nationally recognized political analyst and will cover that subject in a non-partisan way at our meeting. He spoke a year ago about his book, The Fighting Pattons. Speaker of the Month for November Arranged by Little SIR Greg O'Brien Chris Alberson spoke to our group for a second time in November. He recapped what he had covered in the earlier meeting and then went on to review his six priorities for the City Council. From there he took questions from the audience. IN MEMORIAM BOB SCHULTE (1922-2018) CHESTER CURRIER (1950-2018) Page 1
Computer & Smartphone Group from the Magic Keyboard by SIR Mike Burwen This group meets on the last Thursday of every month from 2:00 to 3:30 @ the Petaluma Senior Center JANUARY 31 ST, THURSDAY MEETING (2:00 TO 3:30): The subject of the meeting will be Smartphones: Restoring Performance and Battery Life and Improving Ease-of-use. With time the performance of smartphones degrades and the battery doesn't last as long as it did when the phone was new. We will address how to fix these problems for both Android and Apple phones. In addition we will discuss ways to customize your phone to make it easier and more convenient to use. 2018 SIR OF THE YEAR MARK QUAM Mike Burwen presenting the 2018 SIR of the Year award to Mark Quam at the Holiday Luncheon. (Picture by Herb Mitschan) November s Speaker Chris Alberson pictured with Big SIR Mike Burwen and Greg O Brien the Big SIR for 2019. (Picture taken by Herb Mitschan) NON-RESPONSIBILITY DECLARATION: All activities arranged for or by, or sponsored by, Sons in Retirement, Incorporated, and its Branches, are for the convenience and pleasure of the members and their guests who desire participate. Sons in Retirement, and its Branches do not assume any responsibility for well being or safety of the participants or their property, in any matters pertaining to said activities. Page 2
DON T FORGET!!! DON T FORGET!!! JUNE 21st and 22nd SONOMA / MARIN FAIR If you are NOT going to The MENU make this lunch, then Volunteers are still needed for three hour shifts (same as last year) call Herb Mitschan at 707-763-9225 by 6:30PM the Sunday before the lunch. You can save the club Page 4 and yourself $16. January 8 th Chicken Cacciatore with Polenta Includes salad, bread, coffee and dessert January Anniversaries Name Year Joe & Diane Arenson 1968 Andreas & Helga Christiansen 1959 Thomas & Kathleen Higbee 1970 Mark & Deborall Quam 1975 Charles & Evelyn Severson 2003 January Birthdays Name Year Donald Broadbent 1931 Richard Clapp 1942 Timothy Kelleher 1944 William McNamara 1948 Ken Rennier 1936 Bill Van Valkenburg 1947 (If you are 90 or older you get a free lunch on your birthday month) Regular members missing three (3) consecutive meetings without notifying the Attendance Chairman with a valid reason, or, attending fewer than six (6) meetings within the last twelve (12) months, shall be notified of membership termination. Please call at least two (2) days in advance when you cannot attend a luncheon (Sunday by 6:30pm). Calling later than that does not give time to cancel meals. Call Herb Mitschan at 763 9225 Parent - Sorensen Mortuary & Crematory James M. Smith - President 850 Keokuk Street Petaluma, CA 94952 707 763 4131 Page 3
Table 3 November SIRS Luncheon (Picture taken by Herb Mitschan) 2018 Holiday Party December 11 th (Picture taken by Herb Mitschan) Page 4
TRAVEL Arranged by SIR Ed Molinari 2019 TRIPS: (SIRS BRANCH 147 & 58) Oct 20-27: Princess Cruise Pacific Northwest: 7 Day R/T San Francisco Ports of call, Astoria, Seattle, Vancouver, and Victoria, BC. This is a SIP and SAIL cruise package. Veterans received $100 shipboard credit. Price ranges from $1,299 Interior to $2,169 Mini Suite. Contact Tom Molinari 707-762-1880 or stmolinari@sbcglobal.net. TRIPS FROM OTHER BRANCHES 2019 TRIPS: (NON-BRANCH 147 & 58) Jan 27 Feb 11: Princess Hawaiian Cruise: (New) 15 Days round trip from San Francisco.Includes Home Pick up, port taxes & government Fees,. Visit the islands of Hawaii, Oahu, Kauai and Maui. Plus Ensenada, Mexico. Price Inside cabin $2443. Roy Newman 530 755-3713. Jan 30-Feb 15: Princess Panama Canal Cruise: Ft. Lauderdale to San Francisco. 15 nights aboard the Coral Princess. 9 Ports of Call. Price includes Air Fare, R/T bus to Airport and return Pier. Price range from $3525 to 4975 Double Occupancy. Contact: Bill Stires 209-544-2684. Feb 2-7: Yellowstone in the Winter: Destinations Salt Lake City, Yellowstone National Park, Jackson Hole, WY. Includes Super Shuttle, Air, Motor coach, and Slow Coach, plus 5 Breakfasts and 4 Dinners. Cost $2,195 DO, $2,595 SO. Contact Paul Peters at 510-724-8345. Feb 15-Mar 2, 2019: Cruise from San Francisco to Ft Lauderdale: Cruise with port stops at Cabo San Lucas, San Juan Del Sur, Puntarenas, Fuerte Amador, through the Panama Canal, Cartagena, and Ft Lauderdale. Cost ranges from $3390 to $4190. Arkady Belogolovsky 408-253-3956. April 6-21, 2019: Princess Hawaii Cruise R/T San Francisco: Ports of Call: Hilo, Oahu, Kauai, Maui and Ensenada.. From $2290 to $7395. Veterans get an additional $250 shipboard credit. Contact Brian Serpa 408 227-7658 bserpa@sbcglobal.net April 24-28, 2019: San Antonio Spring Fiesta: 5 day tour includes Fiesta Flambeau Parade, City Tour, Tower of Americas, River Walk, The Alamo, also Home Pick up, R/T Airfare, and Deluxe Motor Coach with Rest Room. 4 Nights, 8 meals. Contact Roy Newman 530 755-3713, May 2-13: (New) Crystal Mediterranean Cruise with 3 Night Land Package. 13 Ports of Call in Italy and Greece: Price $5350, Includes Air and Ship and 16 Breakfast, Lunch and Dinners. Contact Milt Smith Br#146 925 280-0328 miltsmith549@gmail.com May 8-12: (New) Golden Spike 150 th Anniversary. Destination Salt Lake City. Includes, Super Shuttle, Air & Motor coach. 4 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches and 2 Dinners. Price $2065 DO - $2445 SO. Contact John Pletsch Br#32 408 274-2992 jeplet@sbcglobal.net May 10-16, 2019 Music Cities Tour: 6 nights 1st class hotel accommodations, deluxe motor coach with wifi. Roundtrip airport transfers, airfare to Nashville, returning from Memphis City tour in Memphis and Nashville.Larry Yarberry 925 890-9245. May 19-26, 2019: American Music Cities: Travel to Country Music Hall of Fame, Grand Ole Opry, Graceland and New Orleans. Price TBD. Contact: Alan Patmore 408-274-4521. May 21-June 1, 2019: Princess Alaska Cruise Tour: 8 day cruise. Fairbanks, Denali National Park, Mt. McKinley Lodge. Includes R/T Air. Roy Newman 530 755-3713. May 24 June17: (New) Machu Picchu, Galapagos, Peru Amazon Jungle. Includes Air, Auto & Ship 11 Breakfast, Lunches and 10 Dinners. Milt Smith 925 280-0328. June 3-18: Great Rivers of Europe: Grand Circle Cruise Vienna to Amsterdam. Price $5875-7275 includes R/T Air, 15 meals. Contact: Jim Hohonshelt 408-394-7226. June 25-29, 2019: Ashland, Oregon & Oregon Shakespeare Festival - 5 Day Tour, including 2 Shakespeare Plays, 1 Cabaret Show (Mamma Mia) Rogue River, Harry & David s plus Hairspray in Jacksonville. Contact Arkady Belogolovsky 408 253-3956 July 25-Aug 3: Alpine Swiss Villages: Bernese Oberland, Plus Swiss Confederation (National Day) Celebration!!! 7 night in Wengen Price includes R/T Air, 15 meals DO $5375 Single $5995. Contact: Roy Newman 530 755-3713. August 8-16: (New) U.S. and Canadian National Parks. Explore 7 US and Canadian National Parks visiting Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, Montana and Idaho. Motor coach tour includes home pick up transfer, TR air to Spokane, Contact John Pletsch 408 274-2992 Aug 23-Sept 3: (New) Crystal Alaska Cruise and Land Tour: Ports of call Seward, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Tracy Arms and Vancouver. Land Anchorage, Denali Park and Talkeetna. Includes Air, Train and Cruise. From $5350 to $6500 DO. Bill Spires Br#143 209 544-2684 wsmp101130@sbcglobal.net.
Aug 23-Sept 9, 2019: Princess Cruise Iceland and Norway on the Pacific Princess: R/T London (Dover) includes home pickup, R/T Air, 1 Pre-night London, 14 day cruise, transfers. Prices between $6,032 - $12,732. Contact: Archie Belogolovsky 408 253-3956. Sep 3-13, 2019: Princess Cruise Alaska Grand Princess: R/T San Francisco, Ports of Call: Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, Sitka, and Victoria. Price ranges from $2,155 Interior to $3440 mini- Suite per person. Contact: Werner Schlapfer 925-443-8291. Sept 3-10, 2019. 7 day Crystal Alaskan Cruise; Round trip cruise from Vancouver, BC, Canada aboard The CRYSTAL SYMPHONY. Contact - Larry Yarberry 925 890-9245. Bocce Ball: Bocce Ball is going to take a recess over the winter and will return in the spring. Watch this space..rich Zanotti Sept 5-18, 2019 Tuscany & Rome Italy: Visit Montecatini, Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Siena, San Gimigano and Rome. Contact: Bill Britton 925 443-9913 bill.britton@comcast.net Sep 7-22: Taste of Bordeaux: AMA Waterways Cruise on Almadolce, 4 night Pre-Cruise-Spain 3 Night Post Cruise Lorie Valley/Paris. Prices $7995 Fixed Window to Suite with French Balcony $9,930. Includes transfers and Air. Contact Jim Stoner 408-238-8458. Oct 11-18, 2019: Niagara Falls and the Grand Hotel: Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island and Magical Niagara Falls. (Passport Required). Roy Newman 530 775-3713. Oct 13-20, 2019: Princess Cruise Pacific Northwest: 7 Day R/T San Francisco, ports of call, Astoria, Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria, BC. Contact: Bill Rodman 408 274-4521. Oct 18-25, 2019 Niagara Falls & Grand Hotel: Includes home pick up, round trip airfare to Detroit, 7 nights. Contact - Larry Yarberry 925 890-9245 Nov 4-23, 2019: Inside Vietnam: Grand Circle Cruise: Visit Hanoi, Danag and Saigon. Travel by Air, Bus, and Boat. Contact: Jim Hohonshelt 408 394-7226. May 9-21, 2020: The Passion Play In Oberammergau : A once in a lifetime experience! This portrayal of the passion of Christ is only played out every ten years. Tour highlights include Munich, Prague, Bratislava, Budapest, Vienna, Danube Cruise, Salzburg and the Oberammergau Passion Play. Contact: Lee Suess 209 296-2235. Aug 29-Sept 9, 2020 Top of Switzerland with Oberammergau: 11 day tour..visits Zurich, Affoltern, Interlanken, Brienz, Ballenberg, Lucerne, Innsbruck OBERAMMERGAU (PASSION PLAY) and Munich. Contact Bill Stires 209 544-2684. Send your brief trip information to Tom Molinari at stmolinari@sbcglobal.net by the 22nd of the month. Only trips of at least 4 days or more in length will be listed Tom Molinari State Travel Chairman stmolinari@sbcglobal.net or 707 762-1880 Golfers - I have heard some comments (complaints) from some of our golfers about the way some of us are stretching, if not totally ignoring the rules of golf. We SIRS have liberal rules as to bumping six inches and gimmies. I ask you to wait for someone in your group to give you the gimme. It s OK to ask, but wait for the OK otherwise putt out. Please be accurate in counting all your strokes and entering them on your score card. Finish each hole no matter how many strokes it takes and enter that number on the scores card. We pay $39.00 per person per year to have our scores, when posted, calculated and converted to our index so that I can establish your handicap for each course we play. You must post for this to happen. Doing so makes it a fair tournament for all. For posting large scores on any hole the most you can post for each hole is - Handicap of 9 or less is double bogie Handicap of 10 thru 19 is 7 Handicap of 20 thru 29 is 8 Handicap of 30 thru 39 is 9 Handicap of 40 or more is 10 Questions, comments, rebuttals? Talk to me...mark Tracking Our Numbers SIR Herb Mitschan HLM (NOVEMBER NUMBERS) Membership 106 Members Attended 82 Guests, Visitors, & Speaker 2 Total Attendance 84 Excused 10 Unexcused 10 Inactive 1 Removed 0 Added 0 The Greeter will be SIR Keith Heiden POKER CLUB SIRs has a Poker Club. If you have an interest then contact Al McLaughlin (al_mc@sbcglobal.net) 707-999-8550 Page 6
GOLF NEWS - from SIR Mark Cooper Tournament Schedule Dec 24 - No Golf Dec 31 - No Golf Jan 7 Rooster Run (8:30am First Tee Time) Jan 14 Foxtail No. (8:00am Shotgun Start) Jan 21 Rooster Run (8:30am First Tee Time) Jan 28 Foxtail No. (8:00am Shotgun Start) Feb 4 - Rooster Run (8:30am First Tee Time) All Monday games that fall on a Holiday during 2019 will be played at Rooster Run with a later First Tee Time. Thanks to all for your timely payments for the 2019 N.C.G.A dues. There are still a few members that have not yet paid. If you plan on playing with us next year please get your check to me before the end of the year. Make checks payable for $39.00 to SIR 147 GOLF. My address is 2012 Willow Dr. Petaluma, Ca. 94954. Regretfully Sir Bill Johns will not be golfing with us next year. We will miss you Bill. Happy Holidays to all. Mark Nov. 26th. Rooster Run Low Gross Low Net Net Closest to Pin Free Golf FIRST FLIGHT Dan Busch 86 Roy Dorn 75 Greg o Brien 18 11 SECOND FLIGHT Bob Hartley 103 Wayne Cleland (Tie) 74 Martin Hymowitz (Tie) 74 John Nelson 16 7 Dec. 3rd Foxtail No. Low Gross Low Net Net Closest to Pin Free Golf FIRST FLIGHT Joe Ladley 95 Walt Smith 75 Dave Einers 6 1 SECOND FLIGHT Bob Hartley 100 Jack Schipper Br. 58 72 John Nelson 13 2 Dec. 10th P.G.&C.C. Low Gross Low Net Net Closest to Pin Free Golf No Tournament Dec. 17th. Rooster Run Low Gross Low Net Net Closest to Pin Free Golf FIRST FLIGHT Rain Out Page 7
SIR Nino Cerruti, HLM 313 Ridgeview Drive Petaluma, CA 94952 Place Stamp Here address label here Rooster Talk Little Hills Branch 147 Incorporated An Organization for Retired Men Find all kinds of info about our organization at sirinc.org DATED MATERIAL January 2019 SIR Branch 147 Executive Committee BIG SIR Greg O Brien 774 6342 Little SIR Greg O'Brien (acting) 774 6342 Secretary Jim Inden 763 6422 Assistant Unfilled Treasurer Nino Cerruti, HLM 762 5187 Assistant Mark Cooper 763 6183 DIRECTORS Bill Allen 763 3332 Bill Johns 981 7363 Mike Burwen (Past Big ) 658 2844 Mark Quam 775 220 8447 OUR WILLING WORKERS Attendance Herb Mitschan HLM 763 9225 Jim Bauer 763 3276 Bocce Ball Rich Zanotti 763 0553 Chaplain Richard Bergeron 762 8589 Assistant Jim Bauer 763 3276 Computer Mike Burwen 658 2844 Editor Al McLaughlin 762 8456 Golf Mark Cooper 763 6183 Golf Handicap Chairman Dan Curtin III 763 5374 Historian Jim Inden 763 6422 Membership Mark Quam 775 220 8447 Membership Records Nino Cerruti, HLM 762 5187 Name Tags & Seating Doug Robinson 795-0757 Nominating Committee Tom Molinari 762 1880 Photographer Herb Mitschan HLM 763 9225 Picnic Tom Molinari 762 1880 Poker Club Al McLaughlin 762 8456 RAMP (Recruitment, Activities, Member Relations, & Publicity) Mike Burwen 658 2844 Travel & Other Activities Tom Molinari 762 1880 Contact Information for individuals wanting more info. about SIRS: Phone: 707-780-2086 sir147@sirinc2.org REGULAR MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS are held on the Second Tuesday of Each Month The Executive Committee meets at 10:00 A.M., Social Hour at 11:00 and Lunch begins at 12:00. A Speaker is normally up after lunch. Meetings are held at the Elks Lodge 2105 S McDowel Blvd Petaluma, CA 94954 State President - Derek Southern Region 3 Director Dean R. Faris Area 8 Governor - Sandy Grieve Page 8