If you missed the August 11 meeting you missed a good one. President Sally opened the meeting with the sad news that long-time member, Gerry Halley, passed away and offered a moment of silence in his memory. Services for Gerry are scheduled for Wednesday, August 12. Sally then led the club in the pledge of allegiance and called upon Capt. Pam Tubbs for the invocation which began “life is the greatest event to which we will be invited.” Lynne Berg, accompanied by Frank Whitman, led us in song “Sing Rotarians,” and “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Jean Owens read the list of folks on the visitation list. Among them are Pam Tubbs’ husband and Irv Wells’ wife, and Admiral Rick Ruehe is moving to New England to live near his children.
The Program: Nancy Joslin, area governor, introduced our speaker Rotary District Governor Gary Chenault, to a thunderous standing ovation. Chenault gave a brief history of the Pledge of Allegiance and the American flag. He then explained the Rotary organizational flow chart for our area and the world, the virtues of the Rotary Foundation; of which our district’s philanthropy is in the top five percent of districts in the world, ranked 25th.
Rotary Membership – 1.2 million throughout the world which has remained the same since 1997. Membership last year increased for the first time in 10 years.
Chenault shared that Rotary Youth Services is devised of four parts – Interact, Rotaract, Youth Exchange and RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award).
He concluded his talk announcing the theme for the Rotary year “Be A Gift To The World” whereby he received another thunderous applause and standing ovation. Anne Baldwin asked a question from the floor “wasn’t the program designated polio and other childhood diseases; to which the answer was “No, it was only polio.” President Sally then presented Chenault with a book to be placed in a local elementary school. The book is called “This Moose Belongs To Me.”
Presentation of District Grant: SuAnne Bryant, a Chesapeake Rotarian in charge of district grants, made a presentation to Marjorie Mayfield Jackson, head of the Elizabeth River Project. All totaled, the grant from the Rotary Club of Norfolk represented by Sally Hartman, the Rotary Club of Portsmouth represented by Skip Fremd, and District 7600 represented by Bryant totaled $12,500. That included $10,000 from the district plus an additional $2,00 from our club and $500 from the Portsmouth club. The grant will provide for environmental education programs run by the Elizabeth River Project, including the September 12 RiverFest where our club members are asked to volunteer in support of our grant.
Doing good in the World: Our club is co-sponsoring a program “The Right Stuff,” with the Salvation Army for school supplies to disadvantaged children.
Introduction of Guests by Ann Baldwin:
Buddy Early
SuAnen Bryant
Henry Thrasher
Skip Fremd
Marjorie Jackson
Cecil Smithson
Nicole Kent
Perfect attendance awards are as follows:
1 Year - Walt Sobczyk (new member), Jerry Friedman, Alan Nelson
2 Years - Pres. Sally Hartman
3 Years – Gary Boswick
4 Years – Bernie Cohen
5 Years – Will King
6 Years – Greg Sutton
7 Years - (Past Pres.) Sigur Whitaker
16 Years – John McLemore
22 Years – Steve M. Jones, CPA
23 Years – Col. Bill McInnis, Ray Pentecost
33 Years – Barry Kesser, Bob Powell
38 Years – Chip Vogan
Jim Kitz went from red badge to blue badge having completed the punch list.
Ray Norton was awarded a Paul Harris Fellow plus 3.
Fines: Chip Finch $20 on his daughter’s engagement and picture in the newspaper
Irv Wells (recognized but not fined) for his brother Rat, Jonathan Daniels, Valedictorian (Class of ’61), VMI grad, civil rights activist who was killed.
Linwood Beckner featured in Rotations made a correction – having lived in Ghent for 44 years.
Past Pres. Sigur Whitaker announced that due to the efforts of Polio Plus the continent of Africa has been polio free for one year.
Paul Harris Fellow Plus 3 won the weekly raffle of $15 leaving $498 for another day.
Next weeks’ program is called “Saving Sweetbrier College”
Transcribed to the best of my ability, your humble scribe.
Barry Kesser
