Gettysburg, Guam and Sierra Leone
Meeting Minutes for April 29, 2009
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Despite what appeared to be a return to winter, Missoula Sunrise Rotarians gathered this morning in warm fellowship for our weekly meeting.
Brad Miller led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. The invocation was given by Shawn Rosscup, who asked that we be blessed to be filled with hopefulness and optimism and that we recognize the pluses in life, and BE the pluses. Thank you, Shawn, for a month of terrific invocations.
Chris Warden announced that Kelly Katz and husband Tom welcomed son Blake on Thursday, April 23rd. Blake checked in at 6.7 pounds and 18 ½ inches long. Congratulations to Kelly and Tom!
Steve Patrick filled in admirably as Sergeant at Arms and first told us that Donielle Engebretson is also very close welcoming her baby. Stay tuned! Steve then introduced several guests and visiting Rotarians. Our visiting Rotarians included Martha Ripley and John Talbot (both from the Missoula Noon Club). We also welcomed three guests: Yelena, who is teaching/finishing her Master's at UM (guest of Darko Butorac); Lou Bahin (guest of Bobby Clay); and Kara Morgan (guest of Anne Guest, which is "guest squared" as Steve pointed out.) Due to a busy meeting schedule Steve offered no humor, and in turn was offered a round of applause. So no humor gets applause and humor gets no applause. Hmmm.
Chris Warden said he was happy to see such a good crowd, and in fact our attendance for the past four months has averaged approximately 70%. Wow!
Martha Ripley from the Noon Club made a plea for help with the Youth Exchange program. Martha explained that both host families and counselors are needed. This year is the program's largest so far, so please consider helping. Contact Martha, or Chris Warden, Carl Prinzing or Kara McCarthy.
Chris Warden announced that the Polio Plus golf ball drop fundraiser luncheon/event will be today at noon at the Missoula Country Club. Chris thanked Brad Miller for his leadership on the project. Sunrise Rotarians sold approximately $5,000 worth of tickets and we're not yet sure of our "take," though Chris noted we likely will cover at least one-half (or perhaps all) our commitment to RI (which is $2,000 per year for the next three years). Martha Ripley noted that as of last week approximately $23,500 worth of tickets had been sold, meaning the overall net will be at least $13,500.
Greg Johnson then provided a first look at this year's Who's Who Revue, which will be Friday, October 23rd. Greg said it will be tough to follow up to last year's very successful event, but said we're up for the challenge. He mentioned that last year's proceeds helped to bring an excellent set designer to UM with a $4,000 scholarship. Greg explained that the Who's Who Revue helps to bring money to the club, provides an opportunity for fellowship and allows us to exploit our neighbors' talent. He said it is "healthy for society." The theatre holds 500 seats, and Greg said a sell out is this year's target. More details will follow - but mark your calendars now!
Steve Patrick announced that our next highway cleanup (semi-annual) is set for Saturday, May 30th. Twenty-four people are needed. We'll meet at the Press Box between 7am and 7:45am (come at 7 if you want to have breakfast) and will be finished by 10am. Wear long pants and bring gloves and a willingness to get dirty and help out!
Chris Warden announced that May's Board meeting has been moved from May 6th to May 13th, 6:15am. All incoming officers are invited to the next two Board meetings (as are all members).
Bobby Clay announced that the Montana Lyric Opera was presenting "Learn to Sing Italian in Five Beers or Less" at 7:30pm, Wednesday, April 29th at the Badlander. We can't wait for the report on that event!
Brett Felton reminded us that donations are welcome for his team's participation in the March of Dimes walk scheduled for May 9th. You can contact Brett, or make a donation online at www.marchforbabies.org/714634. Thanks for your support!
Al Jensen announced that the Youth Homes outing to the Burchenal Ranch is scheduled for June 20th. Mark your calendars now for a day of fishing, seeing the trumpeter swans, bbq, and FUN! Al also announced that the Noon club is sponsoring a concert to raise money to complete a section of the Milwaukee Trail to be dedicated in honor of Karen Kempel Jones. The concert is scheduled for 7pm, on Saturday, May 9. See Al for more details.
Bill St. John then provided the Rotary Minute (and as Chris Warden noted, it really is a minute, and sometimes a half a minute-perfect!). Bill told us about Hilary Allumaga from Nigeria who is now a graduate in art from Gallaudet University in Washington, DC thanks to a scholarship from a Rotary district of DC and Maryland. Hilary is one of 200 Gallaudet students who have received such scholarships since the Rotary district program was started in 1974. More details are found in a terrific story in the May 2009 issue of The Rotarian on page 12 (look for Bill Gates on the cover). Thank you, Bill!
The following portion of the minutes was written by Susan Cramer! This morning's Classification Talk was delivered by our Secretary, Adele Gibbs. Adele is a terrific member officer, and board member of Sunrise Rotary, with a gift for articulate, entertaining and thorough meeting minutes, speedily delivered. (Not like, for example, the days when I was writing them.) Adele joined Sunrise Rotary in part at the suggestion of her longtime friend and Noon Club member John Talbot, who was at our meeting to hear Adele reveal that John had encouraged her to join OUR club. Something about our club being a better fit for Adele than the Noon Club.in any event, lucky us! Adele is an agent with Prudential Montana; she described herself as being in the "empowerment business," helping people buy what for most of us is our largest asset: a home. She likes people, and likes helping people, and enjoys the opportunities to do that through Sunrise Rotary. Adele and her sons Dillon (13) and Westin (10) also volunteer regularly at Missoula Food Bank. Adele's parents were both from Butte, but Adele was born in Seattle. She and her family lived in Guam for a few years, returning to Butte in 1974. Adele came to Missoula in 1975 and has never left. She has been married to Matt for 19 years, and, in addition to Dillon and Westin, the family includes three dogs. Adele, who said her husband was too afraid to answer this question, described her strongest character traits as efficiency, and a willingness and ability to lead. Again: lucky us. Her hobbies include reading, travel, and watching sports - it sounds like she and her guys are ALL big sports fans. (Go Griz! Go Bosox!) When asked to reveal something few of us knew about her, Adele confessed that when she was 7 years old and living in Guam, she was sent to Palau to spend the summer with her nanny's family. She wrote her parents that she was enjoying going to the bakery every day and "already chewing betel nut." Her family must have been so proud!
Darko Butorac was then presented with his blue badge. Congratulations, Darko, and thank you for your contributions to our club.
Chris Warden then introduced our program and speaker Mitch Jones. Mitch Jones is Pastor at Atonement Lutheran Church in Missoula. He is a former Rotarian (both in Japan and the state of Washington). Pastor Jones also holds a degree in History and Asian Studies and is a passionate scholar of the Battle of Gettysburg and the Gettysburg Address.
Pastor Jones then explained there are three copies of the original address, one of which was given to John Hay (Lincoln's secretary and ancestor of Susan Hay Cramer!). This "greatest piece of English prose ever written" was delivered by President Lincoln on November 19, 1863 at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in the midst of the Civil War. Pastor Jones explained that Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is one of four important documents in U.S. History including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Pastor Jones then spoke in detail about the four-day Battle of Gettysburg. He has been to the site more than 30 times and has walked the grounds. He said the battle itself was an accident. The Confederates were on their way to Harrisburg and were two-thirds the way there but did not have enough shoes. Confederate General Henry Heth moved troops toward Gettysburg to capture a shoe factory and all its shoes. He was later engaged with Buford's Union troops and the "bloodiest event in American history" ensued. Pastor Jones explained that more men and women (approximately 1-3% of the Union soldiers were actually women disguised as men!) died at the Battle of Gettysburg than in Vietnam.
In amazing detail, Pastor Jones spoke about the chronology of the Battle of Gettsyburg: of Union leaders Buford, Reynolds, Chamberlain and Meade and Confederate leaders Heth, Armistead and Lee and of their engagements at Seminary Ridge, Little Round Top, Big Round Top, Devil's Den, Culp's Hill and others. He also spoke about Napoleonic and guerilla and trench warfare, along with cavalries, regiments, bayonets, rifles, carbines and canons. Pastor Jones explained that the third day of the battle, July 3, 1863, was the bloodiest day in American history.
The US Civil War ultimately created a unified nation, one no longer focused on states' rights. As Pastor Jones explained, it changed the sentence "The United States ARE diverse" to "The United States IS diverse." He explained that 80% of those wounded in the war died - more than 600,000. Those numbers are more than the casualties of all our wars totaled up, and 60 times the number who died in Vietnam.
Pastor Jones then closed by focusing on Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, explaining that it was delivered by President Lincoln that November 19th, following a three hour speech by Edward Everett (which is largely forgotten). Lincoln's address was 262 words, 10 sentences and 2 minutes and 40 seconds. Pastor Jones then read the Address:
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate... we can not consecrate... we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us-that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion-that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain-that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom-and that government: of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Prior to closing our meeting we had a special guest. Christian Kamara, CEO of the YMCA of Sierra Leone (and a Rotarian) joined our meeting following the completion of a radio interview earlier in the morning. Mr. Kamara spoke briefly, explaining that Sierra Leone is in West Africa and has a population of 5.7 million people, 65% of which are under the age of 25. He explained that his YMCA is working with young people to empower them with skills and employment through vocational training, though many still need help. Mr. Kamara and Chris Warden then exchanged banners from our clubs. It was very special to welcome Mr. Kamara as our guest!
As Chris Warden asked us to rise for a recitation of the Four Way Test, he mentioned that he believes that that second copy of the Gettysburg Address is under Susan Hay Cramer's mattress!