Before the Meeting

The District Governor’s Visit

Once a year the District Governor comes a visiting to “check up” on the club to make sure we are being run properly.  He meets with the Board a couple of hours before the regular meeting.  The President and each Officer gets an opportunity to suck up the the District Governor and he can then bless each of us and the club in General.  The District Governor Elect for this year had passed away and a prior District Governor stepped in and is is implementing the plan with the help of a few other past District Governors.  We got the chance to have Bill Bloomfield from the District to “audit” our group and he seemed very pleased.  We all were very pleased with him as well.  Good guy and has run for US Congress you will see by clicking above.  We all covered for Len as best we could.

The Meeting

Len did an outstanding job running a complex day and a few complex meetings in a very professional and timely way.  Meetings started and ended on time, everyone got a chance to have their say, awards were given and a great new member was inducted.  He fit it all in.  Great Job.  I don’t compliment Presidents much, but you deserve and atta-boy today and you make me proud to be a Rotarian.  Enough of that.

Tom Forsyth told the joke of the day at the Bulletin Editors expense.  It was a good joke, nice job.  It is getting tougher and tougher to tell jokes in that we want to keep them clean, not anger any particular ethnic group, and be mindful of the fact that we may have youngsters visiting.  In talking to Len and others it appears the joke “territory” is slim, but the “Irish” jokes seem to still be in vogue and in good taste.  Great!  So, I have a joke about these 2 Irish Lesbians that go into a bar and…. (Sorry, couldn’t resist).

Len earned his money during this meeting.  He worked with Engineering precision and dispatch.  Lots of things to juggle, cards to read, people to call upon, and keep it lively and fun.  He did with a little help from his friends.

Len went to the City Council and thanked them for their support of the Movie in the Park

Len went through a whole litany of dates to remember, which we will see in future emails from our President.  (What did we do before E-Mail)

Close to 1000 people attended the Movie in the Park.  Good turnout in today’s times.  We sold(drank) more beer and wine than ever before.  Good bar tending.  Most of our “vendors” were happy with the  sales as well.  We had about 35 members show up and volunteer…Great Job Rotarian's.

Brad Robinson (past District Governor) inducted our newest member, Tyrone Dawkins, (who is a Hypnotist) and we are very pleased to have him.  His motivation is to “give back to the town he lives in”.  Brad’s method if induction is to talk about the 4 Way Test, and Service Above Self. 

Melissa had come prepared and had Tyrone's pin all set to go, along with framed certificates and miscellaneous goods to share.  Tyrone was asked to speak briefly and did a great job…not too short and not too long.  He pretty much said he lives the motto service above self and that you “get when you give”.  In essence, he has been a Rotarian for a long time, but we made it official today.  He was originally brought to the club by Sammy, but since Sammy is no longer “officially” a member,  I volunteered to be his sponsor.   I am very proud to take that role and call him a fellow Rotarian -- and a friend.

Paul Harris Fellow’s were awarded to Clair Sinnett, Jack Weber, and Robin Fosselman.  We are all grateful for your contribution and you friendship.  Claire was/is Robin’s sponsor and she “Pinned” her with one hand.  That may require some explanation.

Sandy was given a few checks for students in Guymas to help them complete their education.  Sandy spends many hours helping these students either directly to visits to their city, and always getting donations of money and fire engines (yes that’s what I said, and thanks to you Kevin who also makes a a huge commitment of time and money to Guymas).

Len gave Jeami Duncan a check for $6000 for Mercy’s Village (A Project in Uganda that Jeami started) to be used to build a playground in the name of Phil White, our fallen Rotarian and  friend.  He’d be proud and definitely would tear up about now.    I feel his hand upon my shoulder as I write this. 

Dean, Julie, and Joe will be going with Jeami in the fall to go to Uganda and help her with the project.  Jeami is a budding “Humanitarian Rock Star” and we all look forward to her progress on Mercy’s Village and future Rotary projects.  She is humble too.  I'd say she is good looking too, but that would be inappropriate.  I wish someone would say that about me.  

The Program

The program today was given by past District Governor, Brad Robinson.  He is a very interesting fella, click here to find out why.

Brad Robinson and the International Trip

“Changing lives starts with Engagement”.  Think about it.  There are three types of engagement in Rotary.   Local Projects, International Projects (Club to Club) and District Trips.  This is a great way to see parts of the world, help others, and have a good time. That's a nice trifecta.   

Next years the trip is to Columbia. There will be 10 to 14 projects along with having dinners and lunches and fellowship activities with over one hundred local Rotarains who will become our international friends...forever.   It is in March and looks like a very worthwhile time and a way to meet other Rotarians in a casual way.  While there are plenty of opportunities to help local needs, there is also time to relax and enjoy.  Brad showed lots of pictures of last year’s trip where there was clef palette surgery, giving away wheel chairs, dictionaries, bio sand water filters, and more and more and more.  Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Panama, the Galapagos, and more were last year’s itinerary and Brad had pictures of each country doing good works and having good times. 

 

Rotary This Week

It looks like our own Frank Glynn is going to be our program this Thursday and I look forward to that.  Frank is that tall red head that comes in a little late to meetings and occasionally talks a bit, and you immediately know he is Irish.  His eyes always smile at you as if he knows something you don’t (and he does), or he has a leprechaun in his head, or at the very lease has a limerick going on that he can’t get rid of.  Those Irish Eyes really are smiling.  He is really a great guy and lots of fun -- come here him speak.