Meeting Recap for December 16, 2013

One of the club’s finest (and most well attended) traditions was continued this week, as Rotary welcomed its fairer sex back for the 81st annual Daughter’s Day celebration.
After starting the meeting, President Thom was temporarily decommissioned, replaced by the much prettier President for the Day, Kristina Klutz (daughter of Julie Adams), who advised that Daughter’s Day has been a tradition in the club since 1933, when Past President Michael Brickley founded it (rumors that Carolyn Carr attended that first Daughter’s Day meeting were proven unfounded, although she and her sister have attended over 60 of them!).
Assisting President Kristina were 14-year old Sierra Lowden (daughter of Jay Lowden), who provided the opening thought of the meeting; 7-year old Samantha Barrett (granddaughter of Denise Mazzucca Barrett) who led us in the Pledge; 13 year-old Jamie Portillo (granddaughter of one of the club’s power couples – Elfrena Foord and Bruce Hester), who led us in singing Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree; and the Sergeant-at-Arms Madeline Heintz (daughter of Laura Heintz), Courtney Gilbert (daughter of President Thom), and Audrey and Isabella Solis (daughters of Eric Solis).
After some conversation time, Prez Kristina covered some usual DD ground, such as recognizing the daughter who traveled from furthest away to attend the meeting (a landslide victory for Amin Elmallah’s daughter, Amira, who traveled from Cairo, Egypt), the daughter who has attended the most daughter’s day meetings (the aforementioned Carolyn and her sister), and the youngest daughter to attend (Mik Miklaus’s 4-month old granddaughter, Avery – although it could be argued that the real winner was Jim Leet’s soon-to-be granddaughter, who came via the tummy of Jim’s expecting daughter [Jim’s slightly older granddaughter advised that sis will be named Blueberry when she arrives]).
Now, if there is one thing that the daughters and granddaughters of Rotary can do, that is raise money for the club, and this year was no exception. Few were the Rotarians who escaped ponying up some funds, courtesy of being called out by their beloved offspring, with too many contributions to list here. However, a couple notables included Susan Sheridan being fined by her daughter for accepting the President Elect position; Eric Solis being fined (in absentia) by his daughters for not being at daughter’s day; Courtney Gilbert fining Prez Thom for telling too often the story of how, when she was 3 years old and attending her first Daughter’s Day, she stood on the table and pulled her dress over her head; Tim Pinkney, fined by his daughter for a childhood of having to apply the 4-way test to challenges that came her way; and many, many more. Ladies -- President Thom and PP Ken Noack, Jr., of the Rotary Foundation, thank you.
After the financial bloodletting, President Kristina introduced the Polar Express dancers who made a brief appearance, and then it was time for Jolly ‘Ol St. Nick (who bore a remarkable resemblance to Burnie Lenau) to make his appearance, delighting the many little ones in attendance.
President Kristina’s work done here, she restored President Thom to his Presidential stature, who then thanked Jerry Smith for his annual generosity of taking family pictures before and after the meeting.
The club is off for two weeks (it will take Thom and Ken that long to count all of the money that was raised), and will see you in 2014! 

On a more solemn note, member Jerry Kinlock, who joined the club in 1988, suffered a stroke and is in the hospital. His wife Carol says they are hopeful he will be home for Christmas. Cards would be appreciated and can be sent to his home address of 6171 Holstein Way, Sacramento, CA 95831.