Another Almost Perfect Meeting

Brevity is the soul of wit, so I'll be brief:

 

 

Greeter: PDG Clarence Parkins (standing in for Mike Passof)

Pledge Leader: PPP Chapman (barely adequate)

God Bless America: Bob McBee (in spite of claiming a sore throat) - nice job

Reading of the 4-Way Test: Dr. Bob Adam (literacy is so important)

Thought for the Day: Something (again) by Aristotle about teaching...

 

... and the highlight of the day: stand-in Prez for the Day: PPP Chapman (you think you were disappointed?)

 

 

In any event, the meeting got off to a more or less normal start with the introduction of Scott Lillibridge, a visiting Rotarian from the new blended Rotary Club of Rocklin Roseville Loomis Sunrise (and there might be a 'Basin' in there somewhere as well) or somesuch.  Good guy.

 

 

The meal, as always, was excellent, with pasta and chicken with salad and trimmings and was attended by the fabulous duo of Dave & Jan.

 

 

After a suitable interval, the has-been got up and introduced the announcements, the highlights being a reminder about the Foundation Dinner coming up (we have a few seats left.... get your bid in sooner rather than later) and the one not appearing on the PowerPoint: we are having lunch next week at the Spaghetti Factory on Hazel in the Nimbus Winery complex.  DO NOT COME TO CITY HALL NEXT WEEK UNLESS YOU'RE APPLYING FOR A PASSPORT!  If you can make it to the meeting next week, do try to, since we'll be evaluating the restaurant as a potential venue for our Club going forward and we want and need your input on the decision to move or not.

 

 

With that, it was time for the weekly drawing and this time Bob McBee's number was called by our guest Scott.  Strange that they were sitting next to each other.... hmmmm...  In any event, 'twas all for naught as Bob managed to pull one of those damned white balls from the can, thereby losing his chance to score a $147 payday.  There wasn't a member who didn't feel bad for Bob.... wait, I meant there wasn't member who didn't appreciate Bob taking one for the team.  

 

 

With that, the has-been turned over control of the meeting temporarily to the Sarge for the Day, PDG Clarence, who got to his feet and started some fundraising.   In cahoots with Treasurer Tracy, he began by lambasting an anonymous Rotarian for leaving his drawing ticket at the sign-in table.  When he discovered it was Brud, the Sarge confessed to being about to claim that ticket as the winner if it had been drawn, so no fine was imposed.  There being no pin infractions during the week, the Sarge turned to Happy Dollars and he got a bunch: Chapman threw in a Takehara for 1. his Chicago Bears losing last weekend, 2. his Fighting Illini losing last weekend, and finally 3. Marshall winning last weekend.  Neil Orchard threw in for a nice trip to Lake Almenor,which included a drunken party aboard a party boat on the lake.  Our visitor, Scott Lillibridge, chipped in for his San Diego State Aztecs whomping the Stanford Cardinal over the weekend and then Brud leaped into the fray and commented on the quality of the Club bulletin.  Thank you, Brud.  I could never figure out which member was actually reading it.... it's Brud.

 

 

 Ross MacCarty reveled in the fact that he had been invited to Marvelene Weier's place for Oktoberfest and chipped in.  Ross Johnson then paid for his recent Maui trip.  Suddenly, Mike Passof pissed off just about everyone in the Club by noting that he finally got to sit with one of his real friends, our guest speaker.  He was followed by Clarence who mentioned his alma mater's recent football win over a small orphanage in central Georgia.  About this time, Bob McBee, no doubt feeling the guilt, paid for the fine white golf ball he had scored in the drawing.  Jerry Smuts, not to be denied, threw in for his Hoosiers recent athletic success.  This strains credibility, but Clarence then asked Treasurer Sharon Ewing the whereabouts of Marvelene's new badge and apparently wasn't satisfied with the answer (it's in the mail) so there was more $ for the treasury.  Tracy McLinn paid for her daughter Kim's recent out of the park home run in a recent game, followed by Merlin Mauk pondering the wisdom of going into medicine, when his granddaughter just got hired by Facebook to the tune of $188K per year.  Sorry about your crappy life choices, Merlin.  Finally, the Sarge embarrassed our guest, Scott, by asking the time-honored question about the best Club in the District.  To his credit, Scott gave one of the best answers to this question that this reporter has ever heard, but he paid anyway, and suddenly the hemorrhaging stopped.

 

 

Finally, we got to hear our guest speaker and if you were wondering about the propriety of his topic, I can only report that Don Neufeld has a woodie and he even talked about it.  He was introduced by friend and co-conspirator, Mike Passof.  His 1946 Chevrolet woodie was in sad shape when he purchased it from his brother some years ago and decided to restore it.  

 

 

 

His talk, illustrated by a PowerPoint showing the work he undertook, followed the restoration from start to finish.  This is clearly not a project for the faint of heart as it was expensive and time-consuming.  At the conclusion, he invited the Club out to the parking lot where he unveiled a most remarkable vehicle.  It was obviously a testimony to a lot of grit and determination, particularly given that the vehicle fell on his head at one point in the restoration.  

 

Nicely done.  Don got to sign the book and the room cleared as if the room was on fire.  In spite of the replacement Prez, 'twas a good meeting.