Friday’s program was something of a “mélange” (pardon the French).  It consisted of three parts:  (a) an unrehearsed explanation of Hanukkah by Dan Bayer, (2) a report on next year’s changes in by-laws, officers, and directors by Frank Griffith, and (3) a discussion of college football rivalries led by Eric Barter.

First, to his apparent surprise, Dan Bayer was called upon to inform us about Hanukkah (also known as the Feast of Dedication or Festival of Lights).  We were already into the third day of this Festival.   Dan explained that in 167 BCE  the Hellenizing Syrian King Antiochus Epiphanes IV desecrated Israel’s Second Temple and ordered the erection of an altar to Zeus.   In 165 BCE, Judah Maccabee (Yehuda HaMakabi) led a victorious Jewish revolt against the Seleucid monarchy.  The Temple was liberated and rededicated.  As a sign of divine intervention, with only a one day’s supply of oil, the Temple’s menorah miraculously burned for eight days.  Accordingly, an eight day festival was decreed to commemorate the event.   (See I Mac. 4:36–51;  II Mac. 2: 19-23;  and II Mac. 10: 1-9 [Apocrypha].)   Hanukkah also has New Testament significance.  During the winter of AD 29 Jesus was in the Temple area observing the festival of its rededication.  Having brought sight to one who is blind, and while walking in Solomon’s Colonnade, Jesus explained the consecration of His own divine mission. (John 10:22-39.) .

Second, Frank Griffith reported on Arcadia Rotary’s proposed consecration of new rules and leadership dedicated to fulfillment of Rotary’s purpose.  By-laws include several changes in official nomenclature for Youth Service (now “New Generation” service) and Publicity (now “Public Image”).  With regard to personnel, the Arcadia Rotary Nominating Committee (consisting of Imy Dulake, Bruce McCallum, Rich Hutton, Dick Martinez and Frank Griffith) nominated the proposed officers and directors for the coming Rotary year (2011-2012) .  A.  Proposed Officers are as follows:  1. President (2011-2012): Brad Miller; 2. President-Elect (2012-2013): Eric Barter;  3. Future President-Elect (2013-2014):  Mimi Hennessy; 4.  Past President (2010-2011): Matt Weaver; 5. Secretary: Jack Lamb; 6. Treasurer: Roger Grant..   B.  Proposed Directors are as follows:  1. Geoff Tookey; 2. Ralph Orr; 3. Michael Ojeda; 4. Bill Gleason; 5. Rosie Mares; 6. Mary J. Salcedo; 7. Jay Harvill; 8. Steve Pelletier.  These nominations will be voted on (i.e., consecrated) by the membership next week.

Third, Eric Barter presided over a discussion of college football rivalries in which opposing teams annually dedicate themselves to their arch-rival’s defeat.  He began by recounting anecdotes from the rivalry of Oregon and Oregon State.  Mike Real proposed an award for the winner of that contest:  the “Platypus award” (representing an animal half duck and half beaver).   Afterwards there was an exchange of verbal jabs between partisans of USC and UCLA.  This aspect of the cross-town rivalry even divided last year’s fine-masters (Geoff Tookey and Dave McMonigle), with one politely offering to polish the other’s scalp.  Nevertheless, the greatest rivalry of all went unmentioned.  I speak of the historic rivalry between UCLA’s elder brother, the University of California (founded in Berkeley in 1868) and its cross-Bay rival Leland Stanford University (founded in Palo Alto in 1885), with the first Big Game being held in San Francisco in 1892.  Since 1933, the winner of that contest has been awarded custody of the Stanford Axe.  To this rivalry belongs the most famous play in college football (known simply as “The Play”), which occurred exactly ninety years after the rivalry began.  On November 20, 1982, Stanford had a 20 to 19 lead with but 4 seconds left in the game.  The Stanford team kicked off to Cal, as the Stanford marching band rushed into its team’s end-zone to celebrate.  Finding himself about to be tackled, the Cal player receiving the kick-off lateraled the ball to a team-mate, starting a series of laterals which ended with a Cal player crossing the Stanford goal-line and running over a member of the Stanford band.  This touchdown gave Cal a 25 to 20 victory.  In addition to the color of their uniforms, the Stanford “Cardinals” were left with red on their faces.