Meeting Recap for June 13, 2011
The meeting was opened at 12:15 by President Scot. Brian Kidney gave the Thought for the Day and at the end invited everyone in the room to greet each other, which they happily did.
Our club was honored to hear key note speaker Richard “Rick” Jennings, II, update us on the status of his excellent community service efforts of late. Many in attendance recalled Mr. Jennings’ prior success as an outstanding high school, college, and professional football player and champion. He attended Coolidge High School in Washington, D. C., was a college football stand-out at the University of Maryland (College Park), and a professional football player for the Oakland Raiders (three times), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (two times), and the San Francisco 49ers. In 1976, he was drafted by the Raiders, but was claimed by the Buccaneers off waivers. (As a side note, he was claimed by the Bucs on a Tuesday and waived again that Thursday! His two days set the record for the shortest time spent with the club.) He then returned to the Raiders, and averaged 26.1 yards on 16 kick returns for the eventual Super Bowl XI champions (for which he received his awesome ring) before suffering a knee injury that required season-ending surgery. In 1977, Jennings played with the 49ers and with the Raiders for a third stint. After the NFL, Jennings served as an active Sacramento School Board Superintendent, and since 1997 has been the CEO of the Center for Fathers and Families, an organization that assists fatherless families. (He has also reportedly counseled troubled NBA and former King’s player Ron Artest.)
Rick was happy and proud to report that his non-profit organization is alive and well, and is assisting and counseling approximately 1,500 area youth on a daily basis with after-school programs, and week-end seminars. Because Rick underwent the pain of growing up without his father around, Rick knows firsthand the importance of a strong father figure. Rick recalled that a close family friend (“Uncle Tommy”) stepped in to provide crucial support and guidance to Rick and others, and it is in his spirit that Rick guides hundreds of young men in our community every day. Rick proudly introduced us to one of his former students, Robert Baldwin, III, who addressed the club about the guidance and mentoring he received from Rick’s organization. Mr. Baldwin, now a thriving and eloquent college graduate, is living proof of the power of Rick’s efforts and a shining example of the excellence that can come from strong male (and female) role models in our communities. We thank Rick and Robert for their excellent presentations and wish them well in their future efforts in our area.