Cogitator 10/1/13

The best version of Happy Birthday ever.  The Club sang to Judy Pratt and Florence Clement, each of whom is now one year older. 

This picture has no particular relevance...I just enjoy writing Robert the Red Nosed Rotarian.






Janet Essex is recovering at Kent Hospital after surgery to repair a broken arm.   Janet was weight lifting and tried to bench press 345 pounds and it didn't work.  Actually she suffered a fall on the front steps and broke her arm in several places.   Members signed a card urging her to get back to Rotary quickly.

The new Kevin Inkley.   Jane Boynton is making her move to replace Kevin as our most enthusiastic project director.   Jane is full steam ahead for our Second Annual Wine tasting event, scheduled for May 20^th, and has announced that you will have fun.  Gill Thorpe is lending his expertise again this year and has lined up our Somalier.  We will have a selection of wines and gourmet beers to tempt your palate, plus a flowing fountain with some sort of non-alcoholic beverage for people who don't drink, but like to hang out with people who do.   Jane already has a number of items for the silent and live auctions and is looking for donations.  She will take tickets to sports events, use of vacation homes, boat rides, ski trips, etc.   If you own a vacation home in the South of France and would be willing to contribute a week of time there as an auction item please contact Jane.  The goal is that every club member invite four of their friends to attend.   That should get the crowd we need.   This event is being held at Crestar Mfg. The Frame factory at 51 Liberty Street, right behind Centreville Bank, owned by Cathy Buchanan and former Rotarian Jason Dittelman.  This site was selected on recommendation of several of us who have attended similar events there, which were outstanding.   It is a very large, sparkling clean space, with lots of art work on display.

By the Way, Jane also chairs our International Service committee.   At the Thursday Board meeting she announced that $3,000 of the money allocated to that Avenue of Service will be sent to Shelterbox USA to help with the disaster in Haiti.  Shelterbox was conceived by British Rotarian Tom Henderson.  The box, designed for just such disasters, contains a tent that will accommodate up to 10 people and various supplies for them.  For all the detail you could ever want, go to www.shelterboxusa.org
 

They couldn't be more perfect.  George Cooper, the keeper of all membership records of any importance, announced that Ed Neff has been perfect for 7 years and Pat Lenihan has been perfect for 9 years.   That announcement was coupled with word that our club attendance was report in the last District Newsletter as 93.8%.   Secretary Mike Gemma attributes this stellar accomplishment to creative bookkeeping.  

Amy Levin has a new dog, smuggled into the state by a group from Tennessee.  The group loaded dogs into a van and drove through the dark of night to each Rhode Island, where they met the recipients at an un-disclosed location.  Amy said she had been promised a top notch, purebred animal, but the dog is just a mutt.   She is going to keep it anyway as she had already bought a dog collar and didn't want to take it back.

From the Board Meeting.   Our club essentially has two or more budgets, including our operating budget, charitable projects and scholarship funds.   Under the money we raise for charity, the phone book has $5,465 in receivables, which we believe we can collect.  If all those funds come in the phone book would net $41,676, exceeding the budget number of $40,000.     At this point Citrus looks to net $8,224, slightly exceeding our $7,750 Goal.    Our operating budget, which is funded only by our dues, is currently looking at income for the fiscal year of $10,400 and expenses of $11,750.  The board is discussing various ideas of how to close that budget gap.   Five new members would help, although we pro-rate dues so it wouldn't all come in this year.  You can also help by attending meetings.  We guarantee the Post Office 30 meals at our meetings, and must pay even when attendance falls short.   Not a big budget problem, but one to be dealt with.



Judy Pratt is putting the finishing touches on the ALS race, where every member will help.   Judy, with the help of some club members, has lined up some new sponsors with big money.  She will be doing a kick-off at an upcoming meeting when you get your marching orders.  

In search of their roots.  Our program came from Bob Sloan, who along with Kathy recently traveled to China in search of their family history.  On arrival the realization dawned on them that they aren't Chinese and  a search of family records probably wouldn't turn up much.   They decided to make the best of it and just enjoyed the trip.  Bob says the people are very friendly to the USA, many speak English, and they were excited to talk to Americans and wanted their opinions on various topics.   At one stop they encountered some Chinese tourists from a remote region of the country who had never seen white people.  Bob said the trip was very enjoyable, but they did get tired of sending out for Chinese food all the time.  They also wanted to drive into a bordering country, but the border was blocked by a big wall.  By the way, the shortest route to China is over the North Pole.   No wonder Columbus had so many problems.