Soundings (8/21/07)

Taking the floor, our Number One President, Orphalee stated that our District 5050 requested a vote to accept the recent Council of Legislation (RI) recommendation that the RI Board be increased from its present 17 members to some 35 members. The increase in expenses for this doubling of the RI Board would be about $500,000 per year---going from (approx.) $87,000 to about $590,000. Our District is opposed to this increase, and after a short discussion from our membership, it was voted (unanimously) that we vote against the RI request for increasing the membership of the RI Board. And that decision will be forwarded to the District 5050 Offices. Also noted that there was a quorum present at our meeting.

New Member Installed: Past President, Curt Smith, with his usual humor, spent about two or three minutes for the installation of Lesa Boxx. Lesa was sponsored by Kathy Cheldelin, and it does appear that we have another top-notch member to add to our Club. It might be important for all of us to welcome Lesa as individual members, and learn something about her. Nothing like getting acquainted with our new members---try it, you will like it!!!

Bucks in the Bay:
...Orphalee Smith, a few dollars to celebrate the recent evaluation of her office and the practice of being a CPA---and she came out with a score of 100 out of 100!! (Of course!!);
...Phil (the Big Guy) Hageman, for his recent jaunt down to San Francisco, and the fun that he and his wife had while there, checking on the many top notch restaurants (and other spots) and gaining a pound or two (or was that 7?)
...Patti Imhof for her ride to Portland and the celebration of her 40th reunion (or was that a birthday celebration?);
...Bob Moles announcing that he won the raffle last week (the first time during his extensive membership in our Club!), and on top of that, he found that certain chest pains he had were not of the serious type at all, and we all give a big THANKS for that announcement;
...Stephanie Saddler put a few bucks in the pot to announce that she just celebrated her 50 Anniversary, and obviously she called out the wrong number or she was married during her first teen year---tell us Stephanie, what was it??!
...The Fun Guy (of course, that would be Eddie Hansen), announced something or another that was of utmost importance, and I cannot recall what that was!! Heck, who said that I was a Bulletin Reporter of note?!;
...Mike Kirkland, stood right there in front of us and announced that he had a birthday, and that cost him a pretty penny or two.

Sergeant at Arms (with Denise Bosman as the mean old Sergeant!!)
...A number of items were mentioned during this traumatic portion of the meeting, and that would include such things as who went to some of the local schools, and the fact that they were not rated by any football poll---such schools as USC (aka, University of Spoiled Children) who has been rated as the best in the U. S. of A.  Also, Denise asked who had attended five named schools, and since no one had, we were all fined a buck (oh yes, the five schools identified were voted as the 'BIG' Party Schools in the Country;
...G. Plume was assessed a few dollars because he talked to Rick Bosman, about finding a job and stop being retired (of all the nerve, Gordon);
...Lance C. was asked to set a few dollars on the table because some of his soccer players were practicing on the tennis courts, and that of course that denies any good tennis player from using those courts for their intended use ---Lance said (in rebuttal) that those wayward soccer players were from the college, and he would never approve of that kind of activity!!;
...Anyone who has ever had to take an out of state drive with their college age child, to look for a college, had to put up a nickel or two, and that turned out to be a number of nickels collected with that admission ((What a great tool is that 'Rotary Four Way Test'---one just cannot avoid that motto);
...and, there were other items of malfeasance noted by Denise, but I just plain old missed them---next time I will not eat lunch during the frivolities of the meeting, especially if I am the scribe who has the duty!

And then there was The Program.

Karen Ssebanakitta (No, there is no mistake in the spelling of Karen's last name) from the local Hospital spoke on the many things all of us should consider during our early years, and some of those items should be Instructions to our Health Care Agent as to what our desire is when we grow too old to give adequate instructions. A number of hand-outs were placed on the tables for our edification; and it is important that we address these issues before it is too late. And, if you did miss that excellent presentation, then be alerted to the fact that the St. Joseph's Hospital offers monthly programs that will assist you in being able to make good and sound decisions about a Living Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney for Health Care and other important matters that should be taken care of prior to any health problems that could arise.

Important RI Items

Our new RI President, Wilfrid J. Wilkinson has chosen as his theme, ROTARY SHARES, and he gives many thoughts as to why his theme was chosen. Just think that if each and every one of us shared what Rotary means to us, we would be able to have a more vibrant Club; one that would bring in new members who have many talents, and those who would be able to do more for our Club. All in all, our Club does a commendable job, and that means we should share our Club with others so that we may continue to improve.

Also, only 1,200 miles to the south of us, there is a city called Los Angeles, and that is where the next Rotary International Convention will be held in May of next year. Why not pack up your duds, and head for that City---you will have memorable moments in your life, and you can ask such notables as Orphalee, Barry, Ron, Denise, Phil, Tull and many others who have attended RI Conventions in the past.

Next Week, our program will be none other than Nick Kaiser, who is the dad of our new member, Jane Carten. His subject will be "Principles of Islamic Investing", and that will be a very interesting subject.

See you on the 28th at Northwood Hall.

Respectfully Submitted,
Stan Dyer