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WONDERLAND ISSUE DECEMBER 2, 2023
VOL. 4 NO.17
IS SARGE RECRUITING?
NEWS-NOTES-NONSENSE
We're back, there's a lot to cover, let's get going...
On Thursday Illinois Army National Guard Sgt. Peyton Douglas was in the house to explain the ASVAB test. Translation-Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. Sgt.Douglas is a Army National Guard recruiter with an office in Godfrey. The ASVAB test has nine sections, 135 questions and takes 198 minutes to administer. Four of the sections comprise the Armed Forces Qualifications Test which is used to determine if a potential recruit is qualified to serve. She observed that test results haver declined post-covid. Sgt. Douglas answered a variety of questions after her presentation. JohnP pushed back after the Sgt. observed that you are never too old to serve.
Happy birthday to TyB on the 12th.
Our Winter Wonderland date is this Tuesday. Plan to arrive at Grandpa's HQ trailer in Rock Spring Park no later than 5:45. A post-event review is planned. We encourage the elves to be on their best behavior. Direct any Q's to BillP.
Our Christmas party will be held the evening December 21st. See the email invite you received from Prez Rodney this past Thursday for the details.
Congrats to GeorgeM on his 25 years of Rotary service.
Condolences go out to MarkSm and AllenH as they mourn the recent loss of family members. Please keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers.
Here's a link to an interesting community event sponsored by the Park City, Utah Sunrise club
The slide right in crew included CoryG, PaulH, TylerL and JohnP.
Your generous support allowed us to make a $492 Turkey Fund contribution to Operation Blessing. Thanks to PaulH for takin' care of business in Rick's absence.
A new trend? MarkSp decided to have his salad at one table and his entree at another. Don't know where he ate dessert.
Opening duties were handled by MarkSp and JohnP.
Let's send birthday wishes to Alton-Godfrey member Art Williams who is celebrating his 100th tomorrow, WOW! And he is still an active club member.
MarkV announced that the Salvation Army bell ringing slots have all been claimed. Thanks to all who volunteered. We ring from noon-8 on the 9th @ the Wal Mart market door.
TylerL had a very marry Happy Fine. He announced that he recently asked his girl friend to marry him and was delighted when she said YES!
18 members were in the house to dine on a pasta bar, mexicorn, garlic bread, salad and cuppies.
JohnP was the last to arrive @ 12:14. Other post-nooner included TylerL, CoryG, PaulH and BradP.
AllenH introduced his guests, daughter Amy and her son.
A quick recap. A couple of weeks ago BillP tried to locate the joker with 3 cards in the deck. Nope. MarkA then had exactly a 50% chance of pulling the joker. Guess what? The jackpot rolled to a new deck. Guest Amy and TylerL tried to find the joker on Thursday. The jackpot rolls. RickH won the scratch-off. Related, watching CoryG shuffle the deck and spread the cards led one wag to wonder if he is moonlighting as a Black Jack dealer on the Belle.
IF YOU SEE THESE ELVES...RUN
FAMILY FUN THIS WEEKEND
ALL THINGS TRIVIAL
United Airlines is reviving an old-school boarding system-called what?
A-"Wilma"
B-"Betty"
C-"Fred"
D-"Barney"
(Answer is found near the end of the newsletter)
Today is National Fritters Day
The Darien Gap is the only break in what famously long highway?
Trans-Siberian Highway
Australia's Highway 1
Trans-Canada Highway
Pan-American Highway
Reaching from the tip of northern Alaska in Prudhoe Bay down to southern South America in Ushuaia, Argentina, the Pan-American Highway covers about 19,000 miles of roadway. It’s considered the world’s longest road, but it isn’t truly continuous. In the middle of the highway, on the border of Panama and Colombia, there is a break in the pavement caused by the Darién Gap — a 10,000-square-mile rectangle of swamp, mountains, and rainforest filled with deadly animals. The only ways to get to the other side are to take a boat around the jungle or to somehow trek through it by foot or in an off-roading vehicle, which makes it an impassable journey for most road trippers.
FROM OUR ARCHIVES
Sourced from the Make-Up and Banner newsletters
December 2018
Two RHS Junior Rotarians attended the WR confab-Abigail Shahlhut and Abigail Kurth.
MikeK paid a Happy Fine.
BradL gave a classification talk at the EA meeting.
MarkV announced that there were still a couple of slots available for the upcoming Salvation Army bell ringing while using his significant parenting skills to get his tablemates under control.
PaulG had the opportunity to claim the $448 WR jackpot, didn't happen. BillP and RickH had the same result with the $103 EA 50-50.
While BillP circulated the Winter Wonderland sign-up list, bad blood from the previous WW event surfaced between elves SherryT and SandyS and Santa ChrisH. Santa JoeS was advised to be prepared for rowdy kids and out of control elves.
The final Turkey Fund tally was $305.
Several WR members natal days were recognized (going back to July!)-DaveA, DonnaK, JohnP, MikeK, JeanK and CherylM.
EA Birthday greetings went out to PatB and BradP.
PattiA donated gift cards to the WR police department to be distributed to those in need.
GeorgeM announced that the recent Rotary Raffle may have been the best one ever.
Disco Bingo was set for March 23rd.
PHOTOS OF THE WEEK
DATELINE:RI
Canadian Club Provides Support Through Meals
By Peter Roaf, Rotary Club of Ladner, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
My first son was autistic. He was on the more severe end of the spectrum. His mother and I had to take ourselves from joy over our firstborn through denial and grief. We had to accept the harsh reality of raising a child with special needs.
John was a jolly little guy with a sense of humour, but he couldn’t talk, learn, or care for himself. As he was growing up, I wondered what he would be like – what we would be like – when he became an adult. How would we lead our lives when the time for his care as an adult arrived?
This was the same reality for other parents of young children with autism and other conditions in the Vancouver, Canada, suburb of Delta, British Columbia. To support themselves through this responsibility – one not understood by many other parents – they formed the Weekend Family and Peer Support Group more than 25 years ago.
As children in the group matured and the parents grew older, it became more difficult for the parents to organize the social events that are so important in overcoming the unavoidable isolation and loneliness. Cooking for the group of up to 50 young adults and parents became a real challenge for those already challenged.
Eighteen years ago, my Rotary Club of Ladner, in Delta, agreed to support the local Canadian Mental Health Association branch by cooking and serving Christmas dinner for the group.
Today I am one of the Rotary Club of Ladner members who, helped by family and friends, volunteer to produce the annual Christmas event. Some start by rounding up equipment, dishes, and cutlery and buying the turkeys, vegetables, desserts, and beverages.
On the day of the event, I join a team of volunteers in the kitchen of the Ladner Community Centre to peel, chop, and boil the carrots; boil and mash the potatoes; and cook the Brussels sprouts. Amid the hustle and bustle in the kitchen with fellow peelers and choppers, I look around and think about how I’m making Christmas a little happier for others less fortunate. To continue reading, link herehttps://rb.gy/vpsbnr
AND I QUOTE
"Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside."-Mark Twain
"Personally I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught."-Sir Winston Churchill
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."-J. K. Rowling,
"Too much of a good thing is wonderful."-Mae West
SMILE
Accidentally said “you too” when the waiter told me to enjoy my meal so he sat down with me and we had a very pleasant evening
The last layer of skin on the roof of my mouth finally grew back from that Hot Pocket I ate in 2009.
What if the brown ones are just clear M&M's
Airlines trust I can operate an emergency door and usher hundreds of passengers to safety but think I need step by step instructions on buckling a seatbelt.
When I get dressed in the morning I ask myself one question…do I mind spilling food on this?
Heavy is the head of the parent who tries to watch a movie
When I’m eating shared nachos I’m always thinking 3 nacho moves ahead of my opponent.
Sometimes it's hard to tell if I'm hungry or bored.
BY THE NUMBERS
The median drop in foot traffic across 52 major U.S. city centers since 2019 was 26%, according to an analysis of cellphone data by the University of Toronto’s School of Cities
In the past year the average price paid for a battery-powered vehicle has decreased from $65,000 to $50,683-Cox Automotive
60% of Americans say they have had to cut back on spending on live entertainment this year because of rising costs-Wall Street Journal/Credit Karma
About half the kids in the U.S. get their first smartphone by age 11-Common Sense Media
Catalytic converter theft has risen 1,215% since 2019-National Insurance Crime Bureau
More than 80% of all purchases were made by card or app in 2022, according to the San Francisco Fed
(Trivia answer A)
THE OBJECT OF ROTARY
The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
First-The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
Second-High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
Third-The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;
Fourth-The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
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