President Arnold Oliver rang the bell and started the meeting at 11:59 am. David Hartman led the invocation with another outstanding, heartfelt prayer. Stacie Cook led the club in singing Row, Row, Row Your Boat. After the fabulous singing, we greeted each other as only Rotarians can.
David Spencer introduced two of his golfing buddies, Don Badgwell, and Glen Thorman. Carol Murray introduced her guest Kim Weideman.
There were no birthdays this week and next week we will make up for Marvin Groves being gone last week and thinking he might avoid celebrating his birthday with us.
Shirley Craft’s CATSCAN came back clear and Stacie Cook and her family are well. Please remember Cara Sauceda’s husband, Dallas, as he continues to battle for better health. Keep them in your thoughts.
Benay Ayers presented a $2,000 check to the Boy Scouts and Greg Brownfield. This is an example of where the money raised by our flag program goes.
For our brag bucket we had more than I could keep up with. Andy Kocher’s Star Brite Cleaners won Partners in Education’s Partner of the Year award during the PIE Appreciation Dinner on Tuesday. Kenny Weeks spoke of an employee who delivered a premature baby in March and now, both mom and baby are home. Lance Spruiell’s brother was honored, and Lance said he taught his brother all he knows. Carla’s nephew scored two soccer goals.
Dave Hartman introduced our own David Spencer with his presentation of The Photography of Water. In writing this, there are a couple ways to go. I can describe the photographs, but I can’t, I can only enjoy seeing them. I can describe how David took the pictures and talk about exposure, time of day and the environment when he took the pictures, but again, I can’t. I can only enjoy the photographs. I can only relate what I learned and felt during David’s presentation and talk about his travels. David started out with a Kodak Brownie Box camera. He graduated to Nikon cameras and then to Canon cameras. David said something that will stay with me. David said the phrase “How to make a photograph special”. David strives to make a photograph special, not like everyone else taking photographs from the same spot. And speaking of the same spot, David has been to more spots than I could even imagine. From Uncertain, Texas, population 85, on Caddo Lake, to photograph hanging moss to Page, Arizona to photograph Horseshoe Bend. David has traveled to the Pacific coast at Newport, Oregon to photograph where sand and water meet on the beaches, to Stoney Creek Bridge in British Columbia, Canada because David loves trains. To complete locations in the Western Hemisphere, David has traveled to Southern Patagonia at the tip of South America to photograph not only the ice field and the Amalia Glacier, but other forests and natural treasures.
When David starts talking about Iceland, he beams, because he has spent time in Iceland traveling to its furthest boundaries to photograph the water and ice in this country which has volcanoes, geysers, hot springs, and lava fields. David showed pictures throughout his presentation. From Western New Zealand to Viet Nam to Majorca, Spain and Sweden and Norway in Europe to Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River in Africa.
One thing David did for me was bring back memories when he said that he and Raoul Ashby traveled by train in Canada. Raoul’s son Frank and I were friends along with Larry Iverson. We all watched Superbowl III on January 12, 1969, together when Joe Namath and the New York Jets beat the Baltimore Colts, Raoul was rooting for the Baltimore Colts. Larry, Frank and I were Jets fans.
David’s presentation is different for everyone seeing it. The one picture that I will remember for a long time is of a black and white picture of a famous tree in Iceland. Thanks, David.
The speaker’s gift to David Spencer will be a book donated to Barwise Middle School.
After the Rotary 4 Way Test, President Arnold adjourned the meeting at 12:59 pm.