Meeting Notes, June 8, 2016
Posted by Tom McClellan
on Jun 11, 2016
It’s Curtains for You, Joyce.
Meeting notes went unrecorded,
but were nevertheless edited by Tom McClellan
The meeting was started as usual, except that there was no designated meeting recorder present, so once again your editor has taken license to cry havoc and loose the puns of war. Joyce Loveday’s final presiding meeting was commenced with the usual formalities and ceremonies.
Visiting Rotarians included Lorraine Hutchins, of Lake Placid, Florida, and our two guest speakers, Curtis Thiel of South Hill and Jamie Gregory of Puyallup.
This being Joyce’s final meeting presiding over the festivities, it was allegorically fitting that the Carr’s staff had installed an additional privacy curtain to separate our meeting from the regular lunch customers. Hence, the punnishing headline this week.
He wanted to marry her. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
Sunshine Report: Charlie Maxwell was in attendance, and brought good news of his wife Kathie making it through colon cancer surgery quite well. Thanks to the club for the flowers, and thanks to all who sent cards and emails. They are very much appreciated. Chemo is to start soon, and so the continued good wishes and support are needed. Send cards and emails, please.
No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery.
Sheri Hodson reported that the Installation Banquet is next week, June 15 at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club. 6 PM for social hour, 7 PM for meal and festivities. If you have not paid yet, you can pay Sheri at the door.
I thought I saw an eye doctor once on an Alaskan island, but he turned out to be an optical Aleutian.
Joyce thanked everyone for a great year, in this her last meeting presiding. She especially thanked the Carr’s staff for installing the new barrier curtain, separating our meeting from the other restaurant patrons. Yes, that’s right Joyce, it’s curtains for you.
Fred Willis shared that it was 80 years ago when he was a toddler in Dallas, TX, and President Roosevelt (FDR) came to town for the Texas centennial. FDR gave a 30 minute talk at the Cotton Bowl, then drove to Oaklawn Park in Dallas. Fred’s uncle drove Fred and his sister to see the president. Fred waved, and both FDR and Eleanor waved back. It was a special moment for Fred.
An optometrist backed up into the lens grinding machine, and made a spectacle of himself.
President Joyce read a letter from the Emergency Food Network, EFN, thanking us for our Break Bag Project. 61,000 students in Pierce County are on free or reduced lunch. Our $7,000 combined donation and grant provided 6,000 bags of supplementary food for during school vacations.
A dog gave birth to puppies near the highway, and was cited for littering.
Test Your Knowledge
The Rotary International Convention was just completed in Seoul. When was the first one? 1910, with 60 men. Seoul saw ~45K Rotarians, which could be a new record. Next one is in Atlanta, and Bryan Christensen plans to attend.
The butcher backed into the meat grinder, and got a little behind in his work.
Fun and Fines
by Heidi Wachter this time, even though General Ed was present.
Ed just got to sit and watch.
Joyce Oubre celebrated a birthday with a number greater than 25. Tom McClellan led the group in a rousing Happy Birthday [ed. note: first time it was in a key I could follow, and the glowing accolades of the club's performance in that number continue to pour in.]
General Ed Trobaugh and Pam celebrated anniversary #61, all good ones, except for a couple of years on Vietnam, one in Korea…. They were high school sweethearts, but they were not allowed to wed until Ed finished his studies at West Point. More on that below.
Two silk worms had a race. They both ended up in a tie.
Heidi allowed Tom Faubion to stand [and the crowd went wild!!!!] Tom’s daughter Jenny had another daughter, grandbaby #4 for Tom and Barbie. $50.
I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
David Cotant transited the Grand Canyon by motorized raft. Beats rowing. 8 nights @ $5/night equals $50.
A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, “No change yet.”
David Cotant also ratted on General Ed for getting ink about the opening of the “Nicklaus Nine”, an additional 9 holes at the American Lake Veteran’s Administration golf course. It is not just that the volunteer-run course has been expanded, but also that there was a big brochure created touting that event, with full-color pictures including one of Ed. The amount of the fine was not recorded.
Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll sit in a boat drinking beer all day, and complain about how he needs a better boat.
Alice Peeples then added that her high school boyfriend went on to attend West Point and was Ed Trobaugh’s roommate. In cadet slang, a roommate back then was referred to as a cadet’s “wife”, so Ed really did have a wife before Pam. And there was no payment offered for THAT anniversary.
A chicken crossing the road is poultry in motion.
Jim Hairston got called for jury duty, and was not eliminated. [Ed. Note: To escape jury duty, always criticize the defense attorney’s haircut, or ponytail, or nose ring, tattoo, etc. You'll come off as a hardass, and you'll get out every time.] So Jim had the opportunity to find that the defendant was GUILTY!! Jim also went to visit Walla Walla [the city so nice, they named it twice], not so much to see the prison where the recently convicted defendant might soon be staying, but rather to play some golf. No word on the scores, but for 4 nights, Jim paid $30.
When some cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
Teresa Nye and Sheri Hodson each just had a son named Mike graduate from Bellarmine. Teresa noted that tuition for her son at Central Washington U. will actually be less than at Bellarmine. Each of them paid $50.
Don’t join dangerous cults. Practice safe sects.
Heidi concluded her stint as finemistress (finexecutrix?), and was awarded an A+ by Ed Trobaugh for her performance.
A man who runs in front of a car gets tired, but a man who runs behind it gets exhausted.
Today’s Program:
Assistant District Governor Curtis Thiel came to give a talk about Rotary Fellowship, and brought along Jamie Gregory of the Puyallup Rotary Club.
President Joyce Loveday introduced them, and thanked Curtis for his service as ADG. Curtis owns his own computer consulting business. Jamie previously worked for Multicare, fundraising for its foundation, and now is at Wesley Homes, a full continuum of care facility located by Bradley Lake Park. Curtis was president of his Rotaract Club in college, a lifelong Rotarian.
Jamie auctioned off a Rotary coin, asking for a starting bid of $1000. Visiting Rotarian Lorraine Hutchins, just back from the RI conference in Seoul, offered up a 1000 won note and she “won” the auction. (Actual value $0.87).
Jamie and Curtis then led the club in a rousing round of Rotary Jeopardy, during which some members had trouble remembering to provide their answers in the form of a question. Not mentioning any names....
Guest Lorraine was asked about the RI convention. She took her daughter, who had not previously understood that Rotary was bigger than just her mom’s home club in Lake Placid, FL. During several breakout sessions, a consistent message arose: visit other clubs’ meetings to learn more about what they do, and get good ideas about what to bring back to your own club.
Most people they met in Korea spoke English, especially the young people, and there were also smart-phone apps to help with translation.
Weekly Raffle:
Jeannie Hill had the winning ticket, but alas no skill at drawing the ace. There were $1534 in the pot, 3 aces left, and fewer than 20 total cards in the deck, so the odds are getting pretty juicy. One more great reason to come to the weekly meeting.
And Finally:
America is unique as a country in terms of its charitable giving. We have the largest GDP of any country, and also the largest amount of charitable giving as a percentage of GDP.
Not surprisingly, America also has the largest number of Rotarians of any other country. The two facts, it would seem, are not a coincidence. Notice how many countries appear in the top of both rankings.
