Meeting Recap for October 31, 2011
A ghoulishly good time was had by all at this week’s Rotary Meeting, as there was so much going on that it could almost fill the 842 pound monstrosity of a pumpkin that our own Tim (Top Gun) Pinkney grew from a seed, before having it hauled in on a forklift by Dave Higdon’s crack moving team at California (Pumpkin) Moving Systems (Tim was offering free photos with the Buick-sized gourd during the wine reception, where a Rotarian or two was caught asking “does this pumpkin make my butt look big?”)
Once underway, the meeting was kicked off with Rick Osen’s thought of the day, a cadre of guests so numerous that they were acknowledged in mass by Robyn Delong (attired as the most elegant witch you’ll ever meet (and let us not leave here without acknowledging Katrina Salazar, who came as the cutest pirate you’ll ever meet on the high seas), and then Elfrena (my other car is a) Foord delivered a touching eulogy in honor of Amy Dean, one of the sweetest people ever to grace our club.
The tithing got off to an early start, as Past President “Goodtime Charlie” Gray’s phone went off inadvertently and lightened his wallet by a quick $250, then Big John Frisch gave a voluntary $300 smackers as the meeting sponsor, in which he spent a portion of his 3 minutes telling us a bit about Cornish & Carey, then the rest of his time acknowledging our speaker of the day, hizzoner Kevin Johnson. Also, you must put this on the calendar – in November the Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a charity basketball game. Now, our own Steve Fleming of River City Bank, (owner of the Sacramento Business Journal, I mean, how else does Steve get that much press in the SBJ each week?) will be on the court, posting down low and calling for the rock – but the real draw of the event will be Big John, who will also be there – as a Royal Court Dancer. Miss that and your life will not be complete.
President Ken lightened Banker Steve’s wallet for his latest appearance in print, which gave Mssr. Fleming the opportunity to advise the gathered Rotarian throng of the time that he played a pick-up basketball game with Mayor Johnson while they were both at UC Berkeley, and Steve graciously gave (so he claims) the young Kevin a few pointers about the game, no doubt instrumental in the Mayor’s slightly successful NBA career (if you call a 3-time NBA All-Star, 5-time All-NBA selection, and continued holder of several Phoenix Suns club records successful).
On the announcement front, Patty Monczewski (just say it like it’s spelled) advises that there are 6 seats left at Anne Ferguson’s Fireside on November 9th, and Patty is in the market for anyone who would like to host the January edition (all the work is done for you – you just need to hide the silver and let the Rotarians in). Diane Schachterle is running this year’s blood drive, and she advises – now listen up, this is important – that we are currently 12 pints ahead of those Point West scoundrels in this year’s blood drive, as we attempt to defend our crown (for those of you new to Rotary, it has taken us a LOOOOONG time to beat the Point West bleeders, so we need your help – make that your blood – to retain our title).
Likely a tad more responsible for all of the meeting guests than Top Gun Tim’s whale-sized jack-o-lantern, our speaker today (fortunately for us, a frequent visitor) was Mayor Kevin Johnson, who focused his remarks on “Sacramento Reads” -- his vision to have 80% of Sacramento 3rd graders reading at grade level by 2020. If you think that is an easy goal, consider the fact that only 37% of Sacramento 3rd graders read at grade level today – meaning (for our more innumerate Rotarians) that 63% of our 3rd graders do not. Compare this with California (where 24% of 3rd graders do not read at grade level), and nationally (where 33% do not read at grade level), and it borders on an educational tragedy. To lighten the mood, Kevin went on to advise that the U.S. ranks 21st in the world in math, and 25th in science, and that the young people of today are the first generation in our history to be less educated than their parents. Oh, and by the way, 70% of the inmates at Folsom Prison (California’s first gated community) are illiterate. To state the obvious, illiteracy is a societal problem, and the Mayor, with all of his contagious energy and ambition, aims to do something about it and would like our help. We’re Rotarians. It’s time to help.