Our own Frank Hall inspired us all when he approached the podium and took us on a tour of his life as a Rotarian.  Frank joined Rotary in 1965 after he had been transferred as an assistant manager of a bank in Alhambra.  Frank had been in the banking business since 1957 and tried to join other clubs but back then the RI bylaws stipulated there was to be only one classification in each club, i.e., real estate, lawyer, banker, etc.  Attendance was mandatory, make-ups were permitted but if you missed four straight meetings you were out.  One time Frank was on vacation in Napa, California and attended a make-up meeting in nearby St. Helena, he shared with us that there were so many vineyard owners that membership had to classify them as Winemaster Chardonnay, Winemaster Merlot, Winemaster Cabernet. He noted that Robert Mondavi, owner of Charles Krug Winery, was a member of the club and during a two year period when his winery was not producing wine the club reclassified him “Vinegar Manufacturer”.  Rotarians having fun!

Frank spent a brief time in San Bernardino where he joined Rotary and then moved to Palm Springs where he opened a branch of Crocker Bank.  Once there he joined the Rotary Club of Palm Springs, about one hundred members strong.  In 1971 the President Elect passed away four months before taking office as President and the club asked Frank to take over as President.  Frank remembers the members and celebrities who made up there were the likes of J.C. Penney (yes, that one) and Liberache’s brother George all the way from South Lake Tahoe as well as Don Wilson, the master of ceremonies for comedian Jack Benny.

Frank spent ten years (1976-86) at the Rotary Club of Newport Beach before moving on to the L.A.5 with its six hundred members. He recalled his involvement with the first Polio-Plus Fundraiser, which raised over $100,000 and the landmark Supreme Court decision that ruled Rotary International could not exclude women from membership to Rotary.  Frank then joined the South Fullerton Rotary for a time but joined the Sierra Madre Club since he lives there.  He was in Sierra Madre Rotary for a total of nine years before joining the Greatest Rotary Club in the World, Arcadia Rotary.  For the last ten years he has enjoyed our club, made numerous close friends, and is currently the President of the Arcadia Rotary Foundation.  We extend our sincere gratitude to Frank for sharing his experiences and service over 50 years in Rotary.

(Pat Dolphin)