TODAY'S SPEAKER: Gerry Hickman
ROTO 
: Carolyn Dibbert did not pick the queen of Hearts. Let it Ride!
GUESTS: Gerry's wife Kathy Hickman
VISITING ROTARIANS:
HAPPY BUCKS: None
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Senior Luncheon is June 12th at Town Tavern at 11:45
Installation Night for New Rotary officers is 6/13 at the Sweet House. PLEASE RSVP
6/19 there is no luncheon in observance of Juneteenth
ALERT! We are missing some of the Library books we donate on behalf of speakers are missing.
As Rotary members, we rely on Gerry for his ability to hold a note and sing while we do our weekly rendition of " God Bless America". Gerry gave us the origin story of his talent and love of singing. Growing up in Queens, NY, a half mile from the fictitious home of Archie Bunker, Gerry's Dad was passionate about Barbershop Quartet and he and Gerry's 2 brothers were in a quartet and singing at family gatherings was a Hickman tradition.
"Those were the days...."
In High School, he was a member of the Glee club and sang a solo his senior year from HMS Pinafore. His first stage Musical was "The Mikado". Two words, Yum-Yum.
In College, he sang for four years in the University Chorale. His Senior year he met Kathy at the Nursing Library where they both worked and they sang together in the Chorus of "Stop the World, I want to get off".
Grad school and building a new like with Kathy put music on hold until Gerry returned to Attleboro to work for TI. He reconnected with Dr Peloquin , director of the University Chorale of his college days and he sang with the Peloquin Chorale. He would move from Attleboro and refrain from singing for 24 years. (See what I did there?)
After retirement, Gerry returned to the Attleboro Community, joined the Board of the Attleboro Arts Museum and Louise Pettit's Chaminade Opera Group. Gerry found a calling in Cabaret, with many parts more appropriate for older singers. Gerry made his mark as Snoopy (See Photo above) in "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown." With over 30 performances in Cabaret, Gerry expanded his repertoire to include acting and was cast as the Captain in "Anything Goes".
His big break came when he was cast as Abel Frank, the Lead in "State Fair"
This part allowed him to open the show, sing with his wife and serenade his Pig Blue Boy's Victory at the fair. If that is not evidence of Gerry's range as a performer, I don't know what is!
Parts in the Norton Singers "Camelot" and the "Pajama Game" followed until his final Norton Singers production, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". Gerry played the Pharaoh who asked Joseph to interpret his troubling dreams. In the singing and dancing style of Elvis, Gerry sang to Joseph asking for his help. To our delight, Gerry sang his rendition to the club, but dancing would not be in the cards. Although Gerry has always had a love of music, what he found most gratifying was the process of performance. You start with an inanimate script and you and the players bring it to life. No one knows how it will work out, "it's a mystery." Thank you Gerry, thank you very much!
Rotary Minute: There was a time when the club sang "The Star Bangled Banner" at the beginning of each meeting. The Club was larger and the range of singing talent was diverse. As the club got smaller, the singing suffered. Gerry, like a Sommelier watching someone drink a White Zin out of a solo cup with a straw, came to the rescue. He suggested we sing "God Bless America", and the rest is history.
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