Beamer 9.19.12
Announcements
NEXT WEEKS MEETING IS AT WELSHFIELD.
Guests: Jim Pascoe.
A BMR golf outing is scheduled for this Sunday, September 22nd at Grandview. Tee times start at 12:30 PM. A breakfast brunch is available at the Grandview restaurant prior to golf. There are plenty of spots so please plan on being there if you can.
Chuck White and Bob Varga said BMR is starting a "fun committee" that will look into trips, functions, events, etc. that BMR members (and their spouses) can do to have a good time as a group. Please use this week as your brainstorming week and come to the next meeting with some ideas.
Thank-you's were received from the Middlefield Post for allowing them to speak to the club a few weeks ago and from Geauga County Job and Family Services for our contributions to their Help Me Learn program.
BMR is going to be working the beer concession stand at Geauga County Tourism's Hometown Hoe Down on September 29th at the Middlefield Market Pavilion (Nauvoo Road).
The Cluster Clambake has been scheduled for October 17th.
President Bob Varga's interview with Larry Cashion: Larry has been a Rotarian for over 40 years. Originally from New York, Larry moved to the Cleveland area years ago to be closer to world class cardiac healthcare. John Gander was Larry's sponsor. In the past, Larry served the club as secretary and notes the Rookery bridge project and the dictionary project as a couple of his favorites. Larry is a Navy veteran. After leaving the Navy, Larry worked as an engineer and eventually started his own business as an Apple Computer dealer. Larry said the conversation (especially with old vets in the club) and the friendships are what he likes most about Rotary.
Heads & Tails winner: Jim Ebert
PROGRAM: Bob Himmelein. Tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Bob is a former Burton Police Chief and a retired employee of the social security office. Bob recently served in Afghanistan providing support to Afghan police. He was assigned an interpreter who helped him communicate with the police and the locals. He said at first the Afgan police gave him a lot of lip service, but the more he got to know them the more the truth came out. He said that what we see as corruption, they see as how they do business. Besides a suicide bomber who attacked the front gate of their barracks, he felt safe while he was there. Bob said over time he really grew to like the Afghan people.
He said the Afghans live at a level of poverty that we wouldn't understand. Many people survive as subsistence farmers living in an extended family unit. Most Afghans live in primitive houses made of brick and mud, have poor healthcare, not much good driniking water, almost no technology like TV or internet, and electricity that might work a few hours a day. Bob commented how travel is difficult and recalled a time that it took him 19 hours to travel 100 miles by car.
He commented that most Afghans don't have a "worldview" and really have very little knowledge about the world around them. For instance, Bob said they may know that WWII happened but they couldn't tell you if the Japanese were on the American's side or not. They are also not up on current events. He believes that when the American's ultimately leave the Afghans will eventually get sick of fighting each other and things will calm down.