BULLETIN

Monday, August 4, 1997

President Jim with "Dutch Kids"

First Things First

President Jim Valinoti called the meeting to order at 12:28. After the Pledge, Bill Gittins gave an invocation appreciating the warmth of the sun and the fellowship of Rotary.

Visiting Rotarians, Guests of Rotarians

Ann Abrams introduced visiting Rotarians. Jim remembered the guests of Rotarians this week, and they included: Yves Marinet from Southwest France (right), Jim Valinoti's daughter, her friend and the Valinoti's guest, Christina Stelland, one of the visiting "Dutch Kids."

Announcements

The Dutch Kids Barbeque Peter Lamonica was recognized for getting the Wikiup Swim and Tennis Club for the Dutch Kids Barbeque on Saturday, August 2. The Barbeque delighted all sixty plus attendees.

Visitor Yves Marinet

Wonderful food, diving and acrobatic exhibitions made the afternoon memorable.Most of all we got to know the charming Dutch youth who are our guests. These seven honored Dutch teens were at our meeting today (above and right). Jim brought them to the podium, and they told us what they liked about their stay. Christina Stelland liked to buy clothes in San Francisco. Ilse Mammen also enjoyed the shops of SF and was fascinated by Alcatraz. Carolien Groot got a kick out of Marine World/Africa USA and American boys.

Mieke Vanderben loved her host family. Gerthan Halkes was pleased by the weather and the fact that "you all speak English over here." Jaap Van Wezenbeek could not get over drinking a Slurpee. Sjoerd Haverkamp liked the whole trip.

Scott Bartley gave quite a gourmet dinner this past weekend, showcasing the culinary skills he will display in the Crab Feed.

Jeff Ray announced that we all should have received flyers in the mail with all the details on our upcoming Golf Tournament. Coming up this September 12, all wishing a golf cart need to sign up a month ahead. Run as a two-person scramble, the tournament requires no golfing skill.

Dennis Crandall (right), our Coordinator of Fundraising, filled us in our current fund raiser, Pick Your Dream Raffle . The lucky winner of the raffle will win a seven-day cruise with:

	Windstar Cruise Lines The Cruises that are 180° From Ordinary
We saw a very alluring video on Windstar, rated the number one cruise line in the world, Windstar makes a fabulous prize worth up to $12,000. Dennis related that Bob Marigo has already sold all ten of his *Pick Your Dream* raffle tickets. Dennis displayed a thermometer to track our raffle ticket fever, and pumped us up about selling tickets.

President Jim, vamping for time, as he awaited the arrival of our guest speaker, called upon Mark Decker, asking about the Decker Family get-together this past weekend. The extended Decker clan from St. Helena, Roseville and Yuba City congregated at the Silverado Country Club this past weekend.

Valerie Mazzoni was recognized by an increasingly desperate President Jim for her commute. Valerie drives all the way to Calistoga for her new job assignment. Although she has been recruited by the Calistoga Rotary Club, Valerie has remained loyal to Santa Rosa West.

Raffle

George Mickelsen won the chance to draw the wrong marble, and John Withers, for the second week in a row won $25 and donated it to the Multi-Cultural Pre-School

Attempted Fine

Christina Halkes, with the aid and connivance of John Withers, attempted to fine her host family head of household, our President, Jim Valinoti, for keeping outside for two hours when she came home seconds after the stroke of midnight one night this past week. Jim pleaded that a rule (house gets locked at Midnight) is a rule, and no Sergeant-At-Arms could be enlisted to make fine stick.

Program

Michael B. Sullivan of Flex Products arrived in the nick of time and gave us a fascinating glimpse into the world of counterfeiting. He started by passing around "examplars" of Bermuda and US hundred dollar bills and car paint finishes. Both bills and paint had the reflective two-tone mirror finish that makes the bills difficult to counterfeit and the cars more alluring. Paper money, unlike many other things, can be replaced if damaged or worn. Its value is symbolic, not intrinsic. 1,000 years ago paper money began in China. Beheading was the punishment for counterfeiting, and even paper-making was a state secret. Marco Polo brought back the idea of paper money to Europe. In the 1860's following widespread counterfeiting in the wake of the Civil War, the US centralized and standardized the issuance of paper currency. Until the 1980's most counterfeiters were engravers and were fairly easily tracked and caught. With the advent of color copiers and computer-aided printing, counterfeiting entered a whole new era. Newer technology was needed to keep the money supply safe. Responding to that need, Flex Products in Santa Rosa perfected and makes the technology that makes part of the hundred dollar bill change from green to black when viewed at different angles. There are neither inks nor pigments in the that part of the bills, but tiny reflective mirrors that reflect differently from different angles.

This bulletin was written by Bo Simons.

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