Meeting Recap Sept 10, 2020

 

Fellow Rotarians,

 

Mike Sellers, President, Zoomer in Chief

Bob Ricks, Always Humble Scribe

John Mlnarik, Zoom Chat Master

 

Zoomer in attendance:   We had 38 Zoomers on board for today’s session. Among them was Lou Mariani! Great to see Lou tuned in today. Rumor has it Lou was sitting in Ted Keech’s private chair recently removed from secure storage at Mariani’s Restaurant to update the custom vibrating back, padded armrests, USB port and embedded speakers.

 

The Pledge:  Larry Kaiser got it done today. All tried to stand. Most of us made it.

 

The Greeting and Inspiration:  Jimmy Fallon (aka Ken Rowell) handled the greeting as only Jimmy can do as well as our inspiration. This humble scribe recommends you go to the tape to listen to Jimmy’s 12 Rules for Life. You will enjoy them. A classic. Jimmy also mentioned Thomas Alva Edison when quoting, “I have not failed. I just found 10,000 things that do not work.”

 

Guests:  Welcome back Jenny Flores. We will welcome you in person Post Zoom days. We also had PP Colleen Noll’s parents, Cheryl and Richard Potts, signed on as they knew today’s speaker. Welcome!

 

Watana and Ivana Heang are celebrating anniversary #9 today, September 10.  Bob and Carol Buchser are celebrating #13 on September 15. You will find the Buchser’s in Half Moon Bay on the big day. Congratulations to both couples.

 

Betty Carmody, wife of PP Terry Carmody, is celebrating two years club membership on September 12. Kelly Yamanishi is celebrating eight years. Thanks to both for being a member of TGRCITW.

 

EZ Perez informed us that his wife Cathy is home and doing well. Fortunately she did not need heart surgery and escaped with a stint.

 

Steps: Date is still October 31. Dan Winter is the lead director. PP Colleen Noll is handling the member costumes for this Halloween effort. The shoes will be distributed by a drive by but we want members to wear costumes in lieu of Halloween.

 

Parade: The board voted to donate $500 to PofC this year and has started work on our virtual parade video. Hopefully you were in the club photo taken by Tressa Williams today.

 

Fortino: The email to sign up for the Fortino Winery Club social has been sent. If you want to go, please enroll soon. There will be social distancing. President Mike has even noted there may be an after party at his home. If you ask politely he may show you his underground wine cellar…...known locally as the Seller Cellar.

 

Wreaths: Patti Smith is the lead on this one. We are going to coordinate placing special wreaths on the graves of veterans in two local cemeteries.  See Patti for how you can help. Andy Ratermann is also on board to assist Patti.

 

Mario Samora will be leaving our club due to a job transfer. Be sure to wish Mario well.

 

Rebuilding: President Elect Bill Kelly is the lead on this. We will be assisting a Santa Clara resident paint and repair her home on October 24. We need volunteers to help on this date. You just need to show up and be ready to paint. No tools necessary. Hopefully our professional painters, Walt Marwitz and Phil Auger are already enrolled. It is a thing of beauty to see if these guys get more paint on the house or on their shirts. Some betting is allowed.

 

Disaster: District 5170 has set up a relief fund to help 5170 clubs/members that were affected by the recent fires. President Mike has the details if you wish to contribute.

 

Not bad Tressa! Congratulations. Your 12 Acts of Kindness were well received.

 

If you see this mask in public you are probably looking at Andy Ratermann. Thanks for sending this Andy. If anyone else has a unique mask email a picture to me at rwricks@aol.com. We have to wear the things, we might as well have fun with it.

 

Don was introduced by EZ Perez. Our speaker was in Vietnam (did not know Walt Marwitz or Ted Keech) in 1967-68. He has published a fiction book, SOMETIMES A SERGEANT,  about his time in the Army and in the Signal Corps in Vietnam. I have started the book and it is mostly a fun read about Army life mixed with some real combat experiences.  As a veteran of the same Army Signal Corps that instead served in Germany I do have to dispute one item from the book…..the dummies DID not all go to Germany. Life in Stuttgart was somewhat more invigorating than Danang…...

 

One small item that Don mentioned in his novel was the infamous P38. The first time I saw one of these things it was in a box of C Rations that were thrown to me in the dark while camping out in 20 degree weather with 100 of my closest Army comrades at Ft Lewis, Washington. I found a can in the box and started to stab the top of it with my bayonet to get to the great food inside. I was hungry. That is when the Drill Sergeant told me to “USE YOUR P38, IDIOT!”  Inside I only found this small piece of metal:

The Army calls it a can opener. If you ever become expert on making a P38 work you have been in the Army too long. (I still have mine). Walt Marwitz can probably open 22 cans in 22 seconds unless he allowed his enlisted men slaves to do it for him.

 

Bottom Line: Go to Kindle and buy Don’s book. A fun read about Army life.

 

See you next week at Zoom HQ. Show up early and you can go to a chat room of 4 to 5 members prior to the main meeting. REMEMBER: Email me a photo of your favorite Covid Mask…..advertising and all.