Written by Patrick Hart

 

President Rich Schoeneman led this morning’s meeting, and we started off with a pledge and a prayer, but no song.

 

Scott Hezner was very pleased to inform everyone that over the holidays his daughter became engaged.

 

Larry Neal became a grandfather with the birth of Benjamin Blake just a few minutes before Larry zoomed in to join us at the meeting.  Larry was all smiles over this blessed event, and he did not even complain that it would have been better tax planning to have had the child by December 31.

 

Tucker Olson bragged on behalf of Lyle Staab having become part of the family, when no one felt it was necessary to introduce him as a guest this week, and Lyle agreed that this was a cause for rejoicing.

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

In the Rotary Minute we heard about clubs in Pennsylvania and Honduras partnering to provide eyeglasses for the visually challenged in Honduras.

 

Greg Hill is organizing a volunteer evening at the Northern Illinois Food Bank on January 19, and could use about ten more cheerful helpers.  Contact Greg if you would like to participate.

 

Lyle Staab our former district governor informed us that a Rotary club in India is organizing a world wide golf outing to raise money for our end polio campaign.  The event will take place in February, which makes it difficult to have any actual outdoor golf in our district.  However, he wants to organize inside events in our area, and he would be grateful to anyone who would like to help him with this project.

 

The major portion of our announcements session this week was taken up with news on our upcoming fundraiser, which will be a virtual event taking place on Saturday February 26, at 6:00 p.m.  As in the past it will include a silent auction(get your donations of items to Steve Risley) and a fifty/fifty raffle.  There will also be dinner delivered to your door and virtual live entertainment, including a presentation by some talented young students at Libertyville High School and a lecture from Mickey Finn’s on beer, something I am sure we all would like to know more about. See Facebook or Rich Schoeneman’s email for more details.

 

Right before Fun & Frolics President Rich Schoeneman announced that in June we will vote on the best Fun & Frolics for 2022.

 

Scott Hezner then led us in a guessing game on whether cards drawn from a deck would be high or low. You can say what you want about how fun it was, but as of now Scott is definitely in the lead for the June vote.

 

In a moment, which as far as I can remember has never happened in our club before, we toasted in the New Year, at the conclusion of our breakfast this week with a choice of alcoholic or nonalcoholic bubbly fruit juices.  Best of luck to everyone in 2022.

 

This week we held a club assembly where small groups discussed their new year resolutions and ideas for auction items in our upcoming fundraiser. Ron Lapin has resolved not to die in 2022.  Someone suggested that a good auction item would be a ride in a small airplane, if we could find a pilot to provide this service.  People also thought rounds of golf were a good idea.

 

Our progressive raffle shot up again this Wednesday reaching $1,566.00 with only six cards left, while the weekly drawing made it to $61.00.  David Potts went for the big bucks, but lost his chance when he drew the Queen of Diamonds. Rick Mittelman then won the weekly prize, which admittedly was not a fortune, but was probably enough to keep him from having to go to work that day.

 

Greeter and Prayer:  Jeff Harger

 

Fun and Frolics and Bingo:  Greg Hill

 

QUOTE FOR THE DAY:

“Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to.” —Bill Vaughan