Rooster Talk Little Hills Branch 147 February 2019 Vol. 34, #2 Branch 147 Web Site: sirinc2.org/branch/147 From BIG SIR Greg O brien Speaker, Brain Sobel, political analyst, started out the year with an excellent presentation of history and politics in today s changing times. This month, Petaluma Salute to American Graffiti, Director Scott Goddard of Cruising the Boulevard, will be our speaker. It was great to see past Big SIR Chuck Seebock, attend the January meeting before he moves to Utah. Sad news is that Secretary, Bill Copper passed away last month. He will be missed by his bowling friends and the entire SIR membership. I would like to give special thanks this month to Herb Mitschan and Nino Cerruti for the great job they do with attendance and membership records. The forms and records that we need to keep and send to the State SIR are always on time and accurate. Speaker of the Month for February Arranged by Big SIR Greg O'Brien Scott Goddard, who was involved with the movie American Graffiti, will speak about his experiences with the movie as well as the ongoing activities with the group putting on Petaluma California s Salute to American Graffiti (Cruisin The Boulevard) May 16 th, 17 th, and 18 th. Their Board Members are shown in the picture below. Finally, I would like to thank everyone that helped me through my first board meeting and luncheon. Several members said to me, this is now we do things and you need to follow the rules. I went home, read the SIR 147, rules and by-laws, and then took my nap! Greg IN MEMORIAM BILL COOPER (1936-2018) Scott is bringing the Police Car that has been used in Cruisin since 2008. This replica car is available to SIRS members for pictures. 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. FEBRUARY 28 th, THURSDAY MEETING (2:00 TO 3:30): The subject of the meeting will be Phone-managed Home Security and Automation. Systems for these applications are one of the hottest tech-based products today. There you are in Paris on vacation. Your phone rings. You pick it up, tap an icon and you see a live video feed of a burglar rifling through your possessions. Or you are at the office and remember that you forgot to open the shades in your bedroom. A couple of taps on your phone and the job gets done. These are just a couple of examples of what the technology can do. 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) Speaker of the Month for January Arranged by Big SIR Greg O'Brien Brian Sobel spoke at our January meeting in a non-partisan way about the California and U.S. political scene. He spoke a year ago about his book, The Fighting Pattons. 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 February 12 th 6:30PM the Sunday before the lunch. You can save the club Page 4 and yourself $16. Beef Stew Includes salad, bread, coffee and dessert February Anniversaries Names William & Peggy Allen 1961 Mark & Betty Cooper 1966 John & Elizabeth Finkbohner 1951 Walter & Kim Smith 1977 James & Charlotte Temple 1961 February Birthdays Name Year William Allen 1938 Nino Cerruti 1943 Andreas Christiansen 1936 Bill Marsh 1943 Michael Millan 1942 Courtland Pelton 1928 Anthony Piazza 1947 John Rapa 1937 Richard Thomsen 1944 Daniel Zimmerman 1947 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) 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. 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 (JANUARY NUMBERS) Membership 102 Members Attended 77 Guests, Visitors, & Speaker 3 Total Attendance 80 Excused 13 Unexcused 12 Inactive 1 Removed 3 Added 1 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 Jan 28 Foxtail No. (8:00am Shotgun Start) Feb 4 - Rooster Run (8:30am First Tee Time) Feb 11 Foxtail No. (8:00am Shotgun Start) Feb 21 (Thursday) Rooster Run (10:00am First Tee Time) Feb 25 Foxtail No. (8:00am Shotgun Start) Mar 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 Dec. 31st Low Gross Low Net Net Closest to Pin Free Golf No Game FIRST FLIGHT Scheduled Jan 7 th Rooster Run Low Gross Low Net Net Closest to Pin Free Golf FIRST FLIGHT Rain Out Jan 14th P.G.&C.C. Low Gross Low Net Net Closest to Pin Free Golf Rain Out Jan 21 st. Rooster Run Low Gross Low Net Net Closest to Pin Free Golf No FIRST FLIGHT Tournament 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 February 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 Tim Church 763 0669 Bill Johns 981 7363 Joe Ladely 763 7902 Mark Quam 775 220 8447 Mike Burwen (Past Big ) 658 2844 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 Ed Benson Region 3 Director Dennis Pangburn Area 8 Governor - Sandy Grieve Page 8