Aug 1, 2017-Rotary Forum

PROGRAM: August 1, 2017: Jim Lewis: “Cruise To Cuba”

Pres. Jeff King opened the meeting at 12:38 PM by auctioning off the fine-free badge to Joel Conn for $50.

Pres. Jeff fined Deenie Dotson and Michael Boyer $39 and $2, respectively for their birthdays. He was lenient in Michael’s case because of Michael’s recent accident. Greg Baker’s birthday was recognized with a $25 spin-the-wheel fine. No birthday fine was levied on Joel Conn for obvious reasons. He did levy a $39 birthday fine on Linda Osty in abstencia due to her being in Poland.

Pres. Jeff and Erik Mund come forward to accept his Rotarians of the month award from Dist. Gov. Weiss and recognition of his corporate sponsorship work. Paul Holden presented Paul Harris Fellows to Owen Schwaezeree and Peter Candela.  Scott Astrosky had his various Summer Sizzle (SS) captains report. Sharon Ellis reminded everybody that next week is the last day to hand in our ticket stubs and money. John Traversaro still needs volunteers for Friday evening from 4 to 6 PM, August 11 and Saturday morning, August 12. So far we only have 50 bottles of wine out of the 100 that is needed for the auction. Ashlea Boyer stated that were a little behind in auction items but she expects we will be fine by next our next meeting and to continue to bring these items to her office between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM. Erik Mund reported we have raised $12,500 in sponsorships with another $1500 in the works. Shannon Bowdey drew the raffle ticket of Dick Dannells, who proceeded to draw the black marble and win $301.

Next week’s program will include Steve Curry and Karen Zappia on their Uganda trip.

PROGRAM: Jim Lewis: “Cruise To Cuba”

Jim began by explaining he always wanted to go to Cuba, but he had no idea when he signed up for a cruise last year to Cozumel Mexico that the cruise line would substitute Cuba instead. Jim stated that Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean with 109,884 mi.² and 11 million inhabitants. The main export products are sugar tobacco and coffee. Castro took over and formed the communist government in 1959 and communism is still very much present. He then presented a slide show featuring the following aspects: Cars, Old Town Havana, Signs Of Communism, Social, Food and Art. He had heard and saw some evidence with his own eyes that 75% of all the cars in Cuba were built in the United States in the 1950s. There still running today for the most part with parts made by the Cubans. The tour guide drove him and his family in an elegantly retrofitted Oldsmobile Rocket with plastic seat covers and no child’s seat, which is son really enjoyed. With the last 4 years, entrepreneurs have been allowed to make private income. The 8 hour tour was only $100. This is compared to his former salary as a civil engineer of $40 a month. One of the first sections of Havana that they toured was old town Havana, which is the tourist part of town that has been maintained in pristine shape. This is in direct contrast to other parts of Havana, which are in very poor shape. They passed by Floridita restaurant and bar  made famous for its daiquiris and being one of the favourite Havana hangouts of Ernest Hemingway. They also passed 2 of the top hotels in Havana, the Gran Hotel Manzana and Hotel Nacional. One the influential signs of communism were when the cruise ship came into the harbor, they were followed by a destroyer. Presumably this was to make sure that they docketed in the proper port. They came upon a museum in revolution square. When he asked if he could visit the museum, he was told that this museum was only to show the locals how great was revolution. Despite the fact that Cuba is a communist country, religion still flourishes with 70% Catholics, 20% African spirituality and 10% Protestant.

PROGRAM: August 1, 2017: Jim Lewis: “Cruise To Cuba”

Pres. Jeff King opened the meeting at 12:38 PM by auctioning off the fine-free badge to Joel Conn for $50.

Pres. Jeff fined Deenie Dotson and Michael Boyer $39 and $2, respectively for their birthdays. He was lenient in Michael’s case because of Michael’s recent accident. Greg Baker’s birthday was recognized with a $25 spin-the-wheel fine. No birthday fine was levied on Joel Conn for obvious reasons. He did levy a $39 birthday fine on Linda Osty in abstencia due to her being in Poland.

Pres. Jeff and Erik Mund come forward to accept his Rotarians of the month award from Dist. Gov. Weiss and recognition of his corporate sponsorship work. Paul Holden presented Paul Harris Fellows to Owen Schwaezeree and Peter Candela.  Scott Astrosky had his various Summer Sizzle (SS) captains report. Sharon Ellis reminded everybody that next week is the last day to hand in our ticket stubs and money. John Traversaro still needs volunteers for Friday evening from 4 to 6 PM, August 11 and Saturday morning, August 12. So far we only have 50 bottles of wine out of the 100 that is needed for the auction. Ashlea Boyer stated that were a little behind in auction items but she expects we will be fine by next our next meeting and to continue to bring these items to her office between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM. Erik Mund reported we have raised $12,500 in sponsorships with another $1500 in the works. Shannon Bowdey drew the raffle ticket of Dick Dannells, who proceeded to draw the black marble and win $301.

Next week’s program will include Steve Curry and Karen Zappia on their Uganda trip.

PROGRAM: Jim Lewis: “Cruise To Cuba”

Jim began by explaining he always wanted to go to Cuba, but he had no idea when he signed up for a cruise last year to Cozumel Mexico that the cruise line would substitute Cuba instead. Jim stated that Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean with 109,884 mi.² and 11 million inhabitants. The main export products are sugar tobacco and coffee. Castro took over and formed the communist government in 1959 and communism is still very much present. He then presented a slide show featuring the following aspects: Cars, Old Town Havana, Signs Of Communism, Social, Food and Art. He had heard and saw some evidence with his own eyes that 75% of all the cars in Cuba were built in the United States in the 1950s. There still running today for the most part with parts made by the Cubans. The tour guide drove him and his family in an elegantly retrofitted Oldsmobile Rocket with plastic seat covers and no child’s seat, which is son really enjoyed. With the last 4 years, entrepreneurs have been allowed to make private income. The 8 hour tour was only $100. This is compared to his former salary as a civil engineer of $40 a month. One of the first sections of Havana that they toured was old town Havana, which is the tourist part of town that has been maintained in pristine shape. This is in direct contrast to other parts of Havana, which are in very poor shape. They passed by Floridita restaurant and bar  made famous for its daiquiris and being one of the favourite Havana hangouts of Ernest Hemingway. They also passed 2 of the top hotels in Havana, the Gran Hotel Manzana and Hotel Nacional. One the influential signs of communism were when the cruise ship came into the harbor, they were followed by a destroyer. Presumably this was to make sure that they docketed in the proper port. They came upon a museum in revolution square. When he asked if he could visit the museum, he was told that this museum was only to show the locals how great was revolution. Despite the fact that Cuba is a communist country, religion still flourishes with 70% Catholics, 20% African spirituality and 10% Protestant.