Meeting Recap for Monday, May 5, 2014
Usually it’s the guest speaker who gets the gifts, but comedian-turned-consultant Jim Pelley turned the tables on Rotary Club of Sacramento Monday at the Hilton, presenting President Thom Gilbert with a couple of gifts in recognition of our club’s 100th anniversary.
“Over the past 20 years, I’ve spoken to your club five or six times, but never twice in the same room,” teased Pelley, the owner of a Folsom-based consulting firm called LaughterWorks. “It was really neat drinking wine with you before lunch in the church basement."
“Somehow I feel the presence of books that will be given to kids and a wheelchair that will improve the mobility of someone in a foreign land, but I’ve got a book for you—and a check,” said Pelley, who was pressed into service as guest speaker only a few days earlier.
And with that Pelley, himself a Rotarian and Past-President of the Historic Folsom Club, presented President Thom with a check for $100 and a copy of Rotary Club of San Francisco’s 100th anniversary commemorative book (published in 2008).
“I’ve spoken to a lot of Rotary gatherings,” said Pelley, a former stand-up comic and TV show writer who charges five-figure fees to speak to corporate gatherings about the value of humor in the workplace.
“Those (Rotary) presentations were all unpaid, but thanks to (Past-President) Rob Scherer, I recently actually had my first paid Rotary engagement—so the least I could do is pay a little of it back.”
Introduced by Chair of the Day Judy Daru, Pelley told Rotarians the key to a sense of humor is the ability to as the question, “What if…?” For example, “What if a group of coneheads landed on Planet Earth,” he said, referring to one of the skits popular when he was a Saturday Night Live writer.
How can you use humor to help defuse the tensions of everyday life? Pelley offers three key ideas: 1) Ask yourself how the situation could be even worse, 2) Have fun now, and 3) Live every day as if it were your last—because it might be.
I know… it isn’t all that funny in the re-telling. You had to be there.
---
Aaron French was inducted by President Thom as the newest member of Rotary Club of Sacramento. French was sponsored for membership by Todd Andrews and Rick Osen.
Bruce Hester reminded the club of the current membership drive and announced that Julia Ciano had won a gift certificate to Mulvaney’s B&L in the drawing open to members who had brought potential members to meetings between March 15 and April 18.
---
President Thom announced that RCOS won a number of awards at last weekend’s District 5180 Conference in Reno, including the Zone 25 Literacy Award for projects involving youth literacy.
And speaking of awards, President-Elect Susan Sheridan received her eighth Eddie Mulligan award and Diane Woodruff and Amin Elmallah each received their second Paul Harris awards.
---
Eric Solis gave a report on the Youth Incentive Program—thanking committee members Elba Rivas de White, Heidi Hershenhouse, Barbara Thompson and Joshua Martin along with mentors Isela Nava and Diane Woodruff and program founder Frank Poelman.
Also present were YIP participating students Samone Ervin, Shannon Paige, Doran, Maria Cazares Hernandez, Cesar Ramirez and Christian Ivan Rodriguez-Lucero. An orientation for the students and their parents is scheduled for Wednesday night (May 7) at the Rotary office.
---
Shirlee Tully of Sacramento Region Community Foundation was the Meeting Sponsor, reminding attendees of the May 6 Big Day of Giving event, a 24-hour giving marathon benefitting dozens of local nonprofits.
---
Past-President Jon Snyder and John Lemmon reminded everyone of the upcoming 100th Anniversary Gala (May 17) and asked for volunteers to help build and assemble the decorations. Volunteers are needed this coming weekend to help finish construction and then during the following week to help move items to the McClellan Conference Center for setup. Contact the Rotary office for details if you’re willing to help out.
---
President Thom announced that Mark Huffman and Jon Snyder have completed work on the update of the late F. Melvyn Lawson’s A Saga Of Service and that the new book, A Saga Of 100 Years Of Service, is now on sale. Pick up your copy at our next meeting for just $20.
---
Ken Cross invited fellow Rotarians to consider joining one of two Habitat for Humanity service missions to Nicaragua later this year. Contact Cross for details.
---
President Thom also announced that long-time club member Jack Higdon recently suffered a stroke and is being cared for at Mercy General Hospital. Another long-time member, Maynard Nelson, is recovering from back surgery.
---
Dave Higdon sponsored Monday’s wine reception, during which Elfrena Foord played the piano. Ilene Block and Gregory Walaitis were the greeters, and Jim Craig again provided the Final Thought.
---
RCOS returns to the Red Lion Woodlake Hotel next week. It will be Armed Forces Day, bring a guest/veteran.
###