Sunrise bulletin for the week of March 7, 2012
Posted by Rob Goodell
on Mar 8, 2012
This week's Rotary meeting started with the 4-Way Test done in stereo with a pronounced San Diego accent. Guess where those 2 members have been. It was noted by several that the following day would be the 101st International Women's Day but I'm not sure just what type of politically-correct celebration would be appropriate. Maybe beer and bowling? Anyway, we had 20 members in the room (is that a new record?) plus our frequent-visiting-Rotarian Shail Mahanti from the Vancouver Arbutus club. It was good to see Alfredo Carrete feeling better after his back problems. And it was congratulations all around over Banu Tulumen's upcoming wedding. Was there some buzz about maybe a club party to celebrate with Banu?
Rotary moment
John Haley stumped us all with a Rotary history quiz. Questions like Paul Harris's shoe size and the kind of wine he drank when he was inaugurated as the first president of RI. Only John knew the answers, as he was there on that occasion.
Club and RI news
President-Elect Julie Mantle was busy sharpening pencils so she can take lots of notes this weekend at PETS (Presidents-Elect Training Seminar) in Seattle.
Also observed was last week's milestone announcement that India has not had a new case of polio in over a year, marking another success for RI's polio eradication program. India won't be officially declared polio-free until 3 years after the last case but it's good news just the same.
Today's program
As usual, the club spared no expense to bring in a great speaker, this one with first-hand stories about Fiji, Dubai and Qatar. And, as usual, one of our own members gave a particularly interesting presentation entitled "The Life and Times of Larry Belsito."
Larry was born in Sault Ste. Marie, although his father was born in Italy. Larry attended Carleton University but left before graduating and completed his degree some years later, during his 45-year career in the hotel industry. His first job in the business was at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa in 1964. Then, if I followed his many moves correctly, he worked in hotels in Saskatoon, Jasper, Ottawa again, Toronto, Vancouver, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Vancouver again, Fiji, Dubai, Vancouver again, Qatar, Seattle, Nashua New Hampshire, Toronto again, and back to Vancouver to stay. That's a total of 17 locations in 7 countries. He showed photos of all the hotels in their varied settings, with Fiji and Dubai being the most spectacular, in my opinion. Larry commented that he didn't seem to hold a job for very long, although he proudly told us he has never been fired.
Larry married Tania in 1972 and she's moved around with him for 40 years now. She should get a medal or something. Larry's 5 kids have also lived lots of places, including a son who went to a Brazilian school and learned fluent Portuguese.
Larry joined Rotary in the Vancouver Chinatown club and later was a member in Nashua, Mississauga, and then Vancouver Sunrise. He's been club president several times and is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.
After living all over the world for all those years, Larry and Tania finally decided to settle in North Vancouver, where they had owned a house for years but never lived in it . Larry retired in 2009 and has done part-time consulting with local hotels since then.
What an odyssey! Thanks for the world tour, Larry, and we all hope you're enjoying your retirement. Don't forget that Tania has a birthday this week.
Rotary moment
John Haley stumped us all with a Rotary history quiz. Questions like Paul Harris's shoe size and the kind of wine he drank when he was inaugurated as the first president of RI. Only John knew the answers, as he was there on that occasion.
Club and RI news
President-Elect Julie Mantle was busy sharpening pencils so she can take lots of notes this weekend at PETS (Presidents-Elect Training Seminar) in Seattle.
Also observed was last week's milestone announcement that India has not had a new case of polio in over a year, marking another success for RI's polio eradication program. India won't be officially declared polio-free until 3 years after the last case but it's good news just the same.
Today's program
As usual, the club spared no expense to bring in a great speaker, this one with first-hand stories about Fiji, Dubai and Qatar. And, as usual, one of our own members gave a particularly interesting presentation entitled "The Life and Times of Larry Belsito."
Larry was born in Sault Ste. Marie, although his father was born in Italy. Larry attended Carleton University but left before graduating and completed his degree some years later, during his 45-year career in the hotel industry. His first job in the business was at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa in 1964. Then, if I followed his many moves correctly, he worked in hotels in Saskatoon, Jasper, Ottawa again, Toronto, Vancouver, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Vancouver again, Fiji, Dubai, Vancouver again, Qatar, Seattle, Nashua New Hampshire, Toronto again, and back to Vancouver to stay. That's a total of 17 locations in 7 countries. He showed photos of all the hotels in their varied settings, with Fiji and Dubai being the most spectacular, in my opinion. Larry commented that he didn't seem to hold a job for very long, although he proudly told us he has never been fired.
Larry married Tania in 1972 and she's moved around with him for 40 years now. She should get a medal or something. Larry's 5 kids have also lived lots of places, including a son who went to a Brazilian school and learned fluent Portuguese.
Larry joined Rotary in the Vancouver Chinatown club and later was a member in Nashua, Mississauga, and then Vancouver Sunrise. He's been club president several times and is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow.
After living all over the world for all those years, Larry and Tania finally decided to settle in North Vancouver, where they had owned a house for years but never lived in it . Larry retired in 2009 and has done part-time consulting with local hotels since then.
What an odyssey! Thanks for the world tour, Larry, and we all hope you're enjoying your retirement. Don't forget that Tania has a birthday this week.