President Robert Olmstead III started the meeting at 12:00. He welcomed everyone to the best damn Rotary Club in Arden Arcade. He noted that this was his 30th meeting and it gets better and better as the end gets closer. Ben Fox walked through the door just in time to hear the Prez ask Richard Goore to lead the pledge. Unfortunately, Richard was visiting the room of great relief when his name was called. Fortunately, he reappeared in time to ask the members to follow him in the pledge. Joe Green was asked to provide words of wisdom.
Secret Word
The Prez asked for the secret word and Bruce Stimson was quick to respond. The Prez went on to explain that he not only wanted to know the word but to be told the background of the word in context to the meeting. Bruce decided that he would pass on the opportunity to win nothing, as he felt reluctant to share the intimate details of the word. Lisa Asperger was then the de facto Secret Word explainer. She not only knew the word was "touching," but knew that it was in reference to the "touching" song that Big Al sang for Lisa Keller.
Introduction of Visiting Rotarians and Guests
Joe Green introduced Dean Henricks, a visiting Rotarian from the Citrus Heights Rotary Club.
Announcements and Other Fun Stuff
Poker Tournament
Richard Goore reported everything is on schedule and the committee has done a great job this year. However, we only have 12 registered players for the tournament. The goal is 175. Many of the players come from the sponsors. Walmart stepped up to be a larger sponsor than last year from $12,000 to $14,000. We are doing a good job posting things on social media but we need to do follow-up phone calls. People will see it on Facebook and instantly forget about it. You need to call your friends and get them to
Past, Past, Past President, Michael Caplan Arrived
Just in time to hand out the 50/50 Drawing Tickets
Michael, aware that he arrived 14 minutes late, complemented the Prez on the fine job he is doing this year. He announced that every member of the club is being given 5 tickets to sell or buy. They are $25 each or 5 for $100. Visiting Rotarian, Dean Henricks was the first to purchase five tickets as seen in the picture to the left.
commit. It will take another 25 players to make up for the reduction in sponsor this year. We are also going to be selling tickets for a 50/50 drawing. Last year's winner took home about $3,300. Please make sure all sponsors sign up their players as soon as possible. Spectators are welcome. Volunteers are needed. Registration for the event will be closed 24 hours prior to the event. This is an all-hands-on-deck event. Club members are either playing poker or volunteering with the event. You can get a note from the President excusing yourself from participating in the event, for a modest donation equal to the value of an entry fee.
Off-site Lunch, CA State Library
Our next off-site lunch at the State Library for April 11. The exact time and duration of the lunch has not been finalized. A sign up sheet will be passed around towards the end of this month. You will not want to miss this opportunity to see the rare documents that few people ever get to see. Lunch will be provided in library cafeteria. Guests are welcome to attend.
Dictionary Delivery Update
Bill Hambrick reported that dictionaries will be delivered to Thomas Edison Elementary School on Thursday at 10:30 and Aspire School on Friday at 9:00. He shared a sample of the dictionary with the members. It is noticeably thinner than the previous dictionary. This book has been approved by the Chiropractic Association of America as its weight reduces the chance of permanent damage to developing backs of 3rd graders. Thankkkks to all that helped stamp and deliver the books
Dictionary Delivery Crew
Thank you poster
Thomas Edison Elementary School
Thank you card
Shelter Box
A request was recently sent out to provide more funds for the Shelter Box program to help with the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Our club board approved the purchase of two shelter boxes from Shelter Box USA to be sent to the impacted region. We will be scheduling a presentation from Shelter Box for the club. This will be particularly helpful for our new members. It is an impressive disaster relief kit in one box.
Scholarship Lunch
The Prez noted we will be returning to Del Paso Country Club for the Scholarship Lunch this year. This is an impressive lunch that all Rotarians need to attend. It is a time to reflect on your misspent youth and be amazed at all the things these students are doing that you never ever thought of doing. It will be held on Tuesday, May 9th. The hat will be passed in early April and weekly thereafter to help defray the cost of the lunches for about 35 guests;
students, parents and educators. This is a great meeting, a fun time. We need a good turnout to show the students our support. We would like club members at every table. Please plan to attend.
Bell Ringers
Happy Bucks
Sad Bucks
Richard Goore, Bell Ringer
Richard Goore was pleased to ring the bell for two reasons, 1st, his vacation in Iceland was one of the most fascinating trips he has ever been on. He highly recommends it to everyone. 2nd, his daughter moved yesterday to New
Jersey for her first post graduate job. This removes herfrom his payroll... at least for a while. His whole family is very excited. Who gets to claim the newly vacated bedroom is still undecided.
Matt Ross, Happy Bucks
Matt was happy that we had a good turnout for Charter Night. It looked like everyone had a good time. The speaker was great. Some members left "early" while others stayed around after the event and listened to war stories shared by District Attorney, Thien Ho. Matt kicked everyone out of the building at 10:30 or they would have stayed all night.
Tom King, Induction Time
Steve Turner was honored to call Tom King up to the front of the room to be inducted to the club. Tom is a former Rotarian out of Hollister, California. His father, Paul King, was also a Hollister Rotary Club member and was a past president of our club. Steve did an excellent George Prather impersonation, presenting the much appreciated and time honored induction talk and ceremony. The Prez had only one part to play, presenting the Rotary Pin to Tom. While this may seem an easy task, attempting to
liberate the new pin from a plastic card can become a daunting task, especially when the whole club is watching and taunting you. Aware that time was not on his side, Rob opted to present the pin to Tom with a portion of the card still attached. We are very pleased to have Paul as our newest member.
Tom shared that he grew up in Missouri and moved to Hollister in his senior year in high school. There was a bit of a culture shock. He was in the Hollister Rotary Club for ten years. He was a broad member and participated in many of the activities and fund raisers including the duck races and beer garden booth at the 4th of July event. He moved to Sacramento about ten years ago. He was a truck driver before becoming a train operator four years ago. He is excited to know that Regional Transit recently received its first new train in 35 years. It is made by the local Seamans company. This is the new, futuristic model that will take the place of the older trains. It will be a year before they are ready for service. They should be very nice.
It was at this point in the presentation that Steve Turner took the Rotary pin and attempted to liberate it from the grips of the plastic card. The Prez was delighted to see that Steve too had great dificulty in liberating the pin from its plastic confines. Liberate is the secret word.
Nimble-fingers Olmstead III
Here's your pin! Good luck at removing the paper.
Tom King
Logistical Train Operator
Guest Speakers
Frank LaRosa & Scott Marsh
Scott Marsh, former president of the 20/30 club, took the opportunity to seize the club's bell and hold it for a ransom from the Prez who unwittingly left it unattended. Evidently, this is a crime against humanity in the 20/30 club. The Prez didn't have the heart to tell Scott that in our club it applied primarily to the gavel as the bell is just too damn heavy to cart around. Never-the-less, the Prez, the good sport he is famously known to be, paid the bell-ringing-ransom set by Bruce Stimson at $100 to get it back.
Scott holding the club's bell for ransome.
Frank LaRosa
Scott Marsh
Frank started off his talk by thanking Rotary for all we do for the community. He was impressed when he heard the list of projects and services listed during the induction ceremony. Scott shared how he and Jason Ross, the better looking of the two Ross brothers despite having less hair, got started in sports broadcasting. Both were aspiring broadcasters while going to U. C. Davis. They volunteered at the campus radio station, KDVS. They were aspiring sports broadcasters and they worked a lot of games together. All the sports all the time all over the place. Jason graduated a year before Scott and took a job at a country station KHTK Country Hits 1140. The soon changed to a sports format when they bought the rights to broadcast the Kings games from KFBK. Scott joined the station a year later. Grant Napier joined the team along with NFL hall of famer, Jack Youngblood. Tim Roye, now the voice for the Golden State Warriors, also worked there. They had a very talented team of announcers.
Fran shared a story about his friend that was going to Hawaii to write a story for Sunset magazine about the golf courses there. he asked Frank if he would like to go along and be his photographer. Frank accepted. They spent two weeks on three islands in four-star hotels, gourmet meals, 13 days of golf over the 14 days they were there. He took that experience and contacted a newspaper and told him he was a golf writer and they invited him down. He ended up visiting golf courses and writing one story per month. He still plays golf but his work gets in the way most often. he does a podcast with Scott and shows for public television, channel 6. He also runs an ad agency handling all things golf and works with the PGA. He is an honorary member of the PGA and a member of the Sacramento Golf Hall of Fame.
Frank noted that Sacramento is known for its sports professionals, Gary Gerould being first and foremost. Our golf courses are fortunate to have great management. Haggen Oaks opened in 1932. It was designed by the same person who designed Augusta National. Over the 90 years there have only been three head golf professionals with Tyler Brown being the current professional.
Many years ago, the city of Sacramento decided to eliminate funding for the youth golf classes. Tim Morton decided that that was not to be and the organization SAY Golf, Sacramento Area Youth Golf. They kept golf in the school. That program became the pilot program for First Tee. First Tee is now a world-wide organization and it started because of Tim and Sacramento. The Morten family is revered in the world of golf for all of the innovations and programs they have been a part of.
Scott didn't realize the depth of Franks show and just how many famous people he is able to get to participate just by picking up the phone and calling them. Frank has won the Media Person of the Year award four times. You do not have to be a golf person to enjoy Golf to Go with Frank LaRosa. Check it out.
The Prez thanked Frank and Scott for a fun presentation.
Future Events
March 7th, 2023: Gem Munro, Amarok Society Co-Founder
March 14th, 2023: Clay Nutting, Owner Canon East & Franquette Restaurants
***We have held several Off-Site Lunches at Canon.***
March 21st, 2023: Kelli Sequest & Alex Byrne, Sacramento County-Department of Waste Management & Recycling
March 25th, 2023: Poler Tournament, Niello BMW
March 28th, 2023: DARK, Week after the Poker Tournament
April 11th, 2023: ***OFF SITE LUNCH***, CA State Library/Historical Documents Tour
May 9th, 2023: Annual Rotary Scholarship Lunch, Del Paso Country Club
President Robert Olmstead III thanked everyone for coming and rang the club bell closing the meeting at 1:13 p.m.
Respectfully (more or less) submitted by,
Mike Grace
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