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President Mark opened today’s meeting with a gentle reminder to silence our phones. He also emphasized our club’s full name, The Rotary Club of Westwood Village, and highlighted this year’s Rotary theme: Unite for Good.
Chuck McCreary then led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by PP Ed Gauld—sporting a jaunty hiking hat—who guided us through a spirited rendition of The Happy Wanderer. President Mark encouraged members to proudly wear Rotary pins and clothing; when one member was caught without, a light‑hearted $5 fine was assessed.
PP Chris Gaynor offered the Thought of the Day, a heartfelt prayer of gratitude for blessings, food, and family. Our Zoom participants included PP Michael Newman, PP Chris Bradford, Carol Rosenstein, PP Steve Scherer and PP Marsha Hunt joining from Arkansas. Special thanks went out to Janet Schwartz for greeting, PP Steve Day for Windmill writing, PP Chris Gaynor for the Thought, Chuck McCreary for the pledge, and PP Ed Gauld for leading the song.
We were delighted to welcome visiting Rotarian Curt Smith from Incline Village—once a member of our own club. Curt and Gail will be in Los Angeles for several months, and we look forward to seeing them often. Other guests included Eleanor Meyer, who joined us to celebrate a very special milestone, Lisa Chapman (wife of Phil Gabriel), and three potential members: Lucy Tseng, Gary Reuben, and Vanessa Zamarripa. President Mark also introduced his friend and guest, Keyvan Zavarei.
PE Bob Simon shared a thoughtful quote from the Dalai Lama along with humorous tidbits from the latest Rotary magazine. The highlight of the day was celebrating Jim Meyer’s 90th birthday with a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday and delicious cake. Congratulations, Jim, on this remarkable milestone!
President Mark reminded us of our club’s proud history: The Rotary Club of Westwood Village has consistently raised more funds for the Rotary Foundation than any other club in District 5280. In recognition, he presented the Rotarian of the Month pin to our Foundation Chair.
PP Steve Day announced that we are supporting two toy drives this holiday season—the CHP’s Toys for Kids and LAPD Toy Drive. Many members have already contributed, and those who haven’t are encouraged to bring toys to one of the next two meetings.
President Mark next introduced today’s speaker, Dr. Matthew A. Malkan, UCLA Astronomy. Dr. Malkin spoke on what’s new from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the “The Birth of Galaxies”.
Dr. Malkan captivated the Rotary audience with a journey through the cosmos, highlighting the revolutionary discoveries made possible by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Built in Redondo Beach, JWST is seven times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope. To function properly, it must remain extremely cold and shielded from the sun. Operating nearly a million miles from Earth, the telescope has exceeded expectations and works flawlessly.
Dr. Malkan described JWST as a time machine, allowing us to see galaxies as they appeared billions of years ago. Its observations challenge long‑held assumptions about the early universe, showing that galaxies and stars formed much earlier than scientists predicted and in compacted regions.
He explained that at the moment of the Big Bang, the universe was hot, dense, and governed by gravity and quantum mechanics. Dark matter played a crucial role in slowing expansion, enabling galaxies to collapse and form. Stars ignited through hydrogen fusion, giving birth to suns and solar systems.
The first stars eventually ended in supernova explosions, producing carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, the essential ingredients for life. JWST’s spectroscopy, which reads the light fingerprints of atoms, allows scientists to trace these processes across cosmic history.
Dr. Malkan emphasized that the telescope continues to uncover unexpected discoveries, reshaping our knowledge of galaxy formation and the origins of life. He encouraged members to explore astronomy further through UCLA’s YouTube courses on the Big Bang and other astronomical topics.
The program concluded with Mark thanking Dr. Malkan and presenting him with a gift.
HAPPY HANUKKAH & MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAVE A HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR!!!!
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