President Tim Cahill played hooky and called on Past Past President Tommy Goode to reprise his role as presider over the club meeting.   PP Tommy opened the meeting at 12:02 P.M. He welcomed everyone to the June 1^st meeting of the Arden Arcade Rotary Club. (This is the 42^nd meeting of the Rotary year, and the 20^th for 2021.)    He asked Mike Grace to lead the pledge of allegiance to the flag, which he did.  PP Tommy then called on President Elect Patrick O’Neil to impart some words of wisdom.  Patrick appreciated the advanced warning that was not given him and came up with suitable words for the meeting.  The editor of the newsletter forgot to turn on his recorder until right after Patrick spoke.  (Take it from the editor… Patrick’s words were memorable even though the editor can’t remember them.)

 

Emily Ballus brought a guest, Michael Seaman, Chairperson for Fulton-El Camino Recreation and Park District Bard of Directors.

 

PP Tommy thanked Prez Cahill for scheduling him to preside over the meeting right after a three-day holiday ensuring that he would have to attempt to keep the club members inline while nursing a three-day hangover.  And, by-the-way, there is no guest speaker.  He announced that he has good news and invited Gary Johnson up to induct our newest club member, Johnathan Barker.

 

Gary thanked PP Tommy for inviting him last week to come do this right before he left for Pebble Beach.  He always loves inducting new members.  One of his goals is to write custom induction speeches and not use the canned ones that Rotary provides.  He asked Bonnie if he could stay home to write his speech and practice it for the induction and not go to Pebble Beach with her and his son to celebrate their 30^th wedding anniversary…  that did not go so well.  It is Bonnie’s fault that you are now getting the canned speech read to you.  Anyone having a problem with this will be given Bonnie’s phone number to discuss the matter with her. 

 

Gary invited Jonathan up to be inducted, only to find that he was already there standing at his side.  Gary mentioned that he liked Jonathan already, as he appears to be a self-starter.  Al Cady noted that Jonathan was just following the directions given him by PP Tommy.  

 

Gary commenced his induction saying “I have known Jonathan for quite some time, since the beginning of this meeting. I am very happy to say that I have learned some very interesting things about him.  His dad was in Rotary for forty years. I am sure that when I tell my son that he needs to join Rotary after I have been in Rotary for forty years my son will decline the offer…you, Jonathan, are a very good son.  Jonathan is a Donald Adams Outstanding Recipient Award; he is a Paul Harris Fellow already.   He is not new to service and is not new to being part of the Foundation.  The best thing about him is that he is a liquor distributor.” The induction ceremony was interrupted by the raucous applause and cheers from the members in the room and on line.  The meeting recommenced five minutes later once the crowd calmed down.  Gary went on to say “I am very excited about this and now understand why Tom is his friend.”  Gary noted that he needs to take up distributing liquor because he never gets that kind of response from people when he tells them he is a copier salesman.

 

“Fellow Rotarians and Honored Guests, on behalf of the Rotary Club of Arden Arcade, it is my privilege to induct a new member today.  Please allow me to introduce Jonathan Barker and his sponsor Tom Goode.”  Al Cady held up the applause sign and the club went wild.  “Johnathan, you are about to begin a great adventure in leadership, friendship and service to your community, fellow man and woman.  You are invited to join and become a member of the Rotary Club of Arden Arcade.  They have accepted you as a person of good character and high ethical standards… we are taking Tom’s word on that.  (Tom interjected that he has very loose standards.)  Jonathan has also demonstrated that he has a heart for service as previously demonstrated and will be classified as Liquor Distribution (Editor’s note, Spirit Guide would be more appropriate.)  Your sponsor, Tom, has already extended the hand of friendship and invited you to become a member and part of a world-wide organization dedicated to encouraging and fostering the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise.  Tom has put you forward with the expressed desire to have you as a member of this group.  Jonathan, (not John, as he prefers to be called Jonathan)  you have been invited to join Rotary but it will be through your own actions that you become a Rotarian.  We encourage you to learn all about Rotary and to strengthen your own leadership and communication skills by actively participating in activities of the club, including attending weekly meetings, social events, and service projects.  You will be provided many opportunities to through Rotary to enhance your professional and personal skills and those opportunities become a great value to you.  You will also be provided an opportunity to provide service to others through club service, vocational service, community service, new generation service, and international service, known as the five avenues of service.   The Rotary Club of Arden Arcade is known for its great work in the community.  We focus on local children’s charities and internationally we are well known for supporting Rotary International through the Paul Harris Foundation.  We welcome your strong arm and strong heart for service in joining the club to engage Rotary in changing lives.  Through your membership you will enjoy a network of business leaders and professionals and we commit ourselves to do our part to make you feel welcome in the club.  When we join Rotary, we become a part of something that is bigger than ourselves, beyond enriching our own lives and the lives of our members, relationships we build that foster better understanding across communities and cultures around the globe.  I am proud to be a Rotarian and it is my pleasure to give this pin (he hands the pin to PP Tommy to place on Johnathan) by which your fellow Rotarians and community at large recognize you as a Rotarian.  We ask that you wear it proudly every day.” It was at this point that Johnathan’s father and Rotarian joined the meeting on Zoom.  Gary issued a challenge to Johnathan, “to share the gift that has been given to you by your sponsor and invite another person of your same qualities of character, reputation and commitment to join our club within the next three months.  The honor of becoming a Rotarian is only surpassed by sponsoring a new member. Do you accept that challenge?”  “I do,” said Johnathan. “With that, I declare you duly inducted into the Rotary Club of Arden Arcade.  When you shake the hand of one Rotarian you are in reach of 1.2 million more and together, we are working to enrich youth, ensure health, develop communities and promote peace.  Please rise and help me welcome our newest member, Johnathan Barker.”  The club all stood and gave a rousing heartfelt welcome applause.

Jonathan was informed that he now is to help Al Cady at the entrance to the restaurant to help greet the members as they come to the meeting. 

 

Jonathan was given the opportunity to be the guest speaker for the day and tell a little, or a lot, about himself. 

 

Johnathan Barker has wanted to join Rotary for many years.  He moved around California quite a bit.  Now that he was bought a place in Sacramento, he felt it was time to find a Rotary Club. He grew up going to Rotary meetings with his dad. He knew that he was going to join Rotary at some point in his life.  He knows that our club is active in many humanitarian efforts, helping water projects around the world.  He helped with a school in Uganda several years ago with their water project helping raise about $10,000 for that project.  He is really excited to be able to volunteer in this community and give back to the community.  He is looking forward to learning about everyone in the club.  He has been in liquor and wine sales for about ten years it took him living over in Spain, working a harvest at a winery before he moved to Napa ten years ago after living all over California. He is originally from Connecticut.  He is happy to have settled down and putting some roots here in Sacramento.  He thinks it is a great city with a lot of great people.  After doing some due diligence he was happy to find our club.  He is excited to join our club.    The club responded with a hearty round of applause.

 

PP Tommy encouraged the club to welcome Jonathan’s father, Michael Barker, to the meeting.  Michael noted that this is second Rotary meeting for the day and he will not need a make-up card.  He joined in 1980 and had perfect attendance until two years ago when a medical need derailed it.  Traveling on vacation always made it interesting attending a new club.  Jonathan has been fully indoctrinated into the Rotary way of life.  He sent Jonathan a couple of Rotary pins and a Paul Harris pin to get him started.  He has liked our Facebook page so he can now keep up with our club and his son.

 

Happy Bucks for the cheap seats in the room

PP Tommy caught a couple of members not wearing their pins and or badges and a few extra dollars were happily collected by Al, The Enforcer, Cady.

 

President Tim always has something to add to the meeting regarding events that have taken place in the past.  PP Tommy, wanting to honor Prez C. him by completely skipping it… just kidding.

 

 

 

Michael Seaman, Board Cahir for Fulton-El Camino RPD, has been on the FEC board for over 25 years.  Because of this he knows how much good the Rotary Club of Arden Arcade has done for the residents of his park district, making amazing donations over the years, including a 15 passenger van, theater lights for the Howe Avenue Theater and the donation of time and money for the Cottage Park clean-up.   He did apologize for blessing the club with the membership of Mike Grace and Roy Imai over the past several years.  He was pleased to announce that “FEC nominated the club for the California Association of Recreation and Park District’s Outstanding Community Organization Award, and you won!”  This is going to be announced at the CARPD Conference in Monterey later this month.  The specific project we were nominated for was the Cottage Park Clean-up and repairs, painting all of the picnic tables, removed hazardous tree debris and debris from Strong Ranch Slough and paint one of the bridges.   The district is so grateful to the Club for all past support and service above self.  Congratulations for your well-deserved award.  PP Tommy reveled in bringing home the hardware on his first day back with the club. 

 

PP Tommy organized the room into three table teams to answer Rotary Trivia, the loser table members were to pay the club $5 each.                                               

 

Table #1 Q: On what date was Rotary International Founded?                         Points

              A: February 22, 1905   

                  Correct Answer: February 23, 1905                                              0

Table #2 Q: Name the two countries where Polio is still endemic?

              A: Pakistan and Afghanistan                                                             1

Table #3 Q: Who is your District Governor Elect?

              A: Desire Wilson                                                                              1

 

The names of the Rotarians participating in the Table trivia were left off the record in keeping with the 4-Way test… as it would not be beneficial to all.  However, the people seated at table 2 had to pay $5 each.

 

PP Tommy showed the video of the Rotary Pinewood Derby.  It was fun to see the different entries.

 

Past Past Prez Tommy Goode closed the meeting by ringing the bell at 12:54 P.M.

 

Respectfully (more or less) submitted by,

 

Mike Grace