President Fliehman called our meeting to order at 12:24 and promptly turned the meeting over to Jack Davis for the invocation followed by a hearty rendition of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee”. Lisa Smith handled the microphone for the introduction of visitors. Darwin Brewster handled our Remembrance Report, filling us in on the progress Dick Ammons had made since suffering a stroke the previous Saturday. He has been moved to Mary Free Bed for rehabilitation and is in room 608.
President Fliehman commented that, judging by the number of people in attendance, Spartan fans must be very confident in a victory, a prediction that proved to be quite accurate. He also reminded us that the deadline for Foundation grant applications is March 29th.
Red badges were presented to Nancy Eyde from The Eyde Company and Jay Moore, Admission Rep for National Heritage Academics. Both new members were sponsored by Jack Davis.
Next Orlando Gillespie gave his new member presentation and received his blue badge. Orlando was born and raised in the Lansing area, attending East Lansing High School and MSU. His name means ‘young warrior’ and he is named after his grandfather, Orlando Spagnuolo, a Rotarian who was involved in real estate. Orlando lives in his grandfather’s house, which still contains some of his Rotary memorabilia. Orlando is founder and CEO of SC4 Consulting, assisting companies with Supply Chain Management with a focus on the Aerospace and Agricultural industries.
Our special music featured an ensemble from East Lansing High School with selections from The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which will be their spring production. Their first song was “The I Love You Song” beautifully performed by three members of the group. That was followed by a bit of audience participation involving Dave O’Leary who proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he cannot spell. (Although, quite honestly, I don’t think any of us could have spelled the word he was given.) That gave the ensemble the opportunity to say good bye to a departed speller through one of the Goodbye songs. The experience prompted Dave to pronounce that the group was full of “rotten kids”.
President Fliehman recognized our Chair of the Month, Al Yambor, and the introduced Sue Mills as Chair of the Day. Sue, a former tennis player, explained that she was first introduced to pickleball about four years ago and began playing after observing play at the Hannah Center. She loves playing it and was eager to introduce two people who have been instrumental in the growth of the sport in the Lansing area. Berniece (Bernie) Peltier maintains an email list of players in the area and communicates to the group regularly. Gary Beaudoin was instrumental in getting courts in the area and teaches new players.
Bernie showed part of a video to give us a quick idea of how the game is played. It can best be described as a cross between tennis and ping pong. The court is the size of a badminton court, with a net at ground level. It is played with a paddle and a ball that is based on the whiffle ball.
Gary explained that the sport began in Bainbridge Island Washington, devised by a family that wanted a game that the entire family could play on vacations. Supposedly, it was named after the family dog, Pickles, who kept running off with the ball. Today, it is the fastest growing sport in the United States. Locally, it began at the MAC about 10 years ago. Courts were developed at the Hannah Center about four years ago, followed by additional courts at Patriarch Park and in Delta Township. Its popularity has grown from there.
Bernie enjoys the social aspect of the game, playing 5 or 6 days a week. She says this is not an addiction, but rather a committed relationship. Pickleball is a great game for all ages. Tournaments have age groups as young as 10 and as old as 85 or 90.
Gary indicated that there are many classes in the area and clinics that last 2 or 3 days are also offered. The sport is beginning to be broadcast on both ESPN and CBS. There are national tournaments in Naples, Florida and California. The sport is easy on joints and can be played after knee, hip and shoulder replacement surgery. Most play doubles.
The last 20 minutes of the meeting featured a demonstration on the court that had been set up at the back of the room. Bernie was joined by Sue Mills, Ed Castellani and Kathy (a pickleball ambassador who was a guest at our meeting) in a game with Gary providing play by play. Rotarians had the opportunity to step in for a few volleys as well, including Duane Vernon.
President Fliehman adjourned the meeting a few minutes early with an announcement that our next meeting would be back at the Lansing Center.
Linda Lynch's email is: linda.j.lynch@gmail.com
At the very bottom of the Rotogram beneath DOWNLOAD FILES is an Indoor Open Play Schedule for Pickleball in the area.