The Dewey Decimal System Strikes Again!

Dear reader, your humble journalist takes this opportunity to apologize for leaving you bulletin-less for the past two weeks as he has been out of pocket... abroad if you will, but has now returned to the comforting embrace of our fine Rotary Club.  Thank you for your forbearance.  Today's meeting started off as many do, with Jerry Smuts standing in for the real greeter, Paul Schubert, yet no one was disturbed by the fact, because at least Jerry actually knows the names of all the Club members.

 

 

 

 

 We had 18 in attendance today, a fine showing for a Club of 27 members.  As the crowd began gathering foodstuffs from the serving table, President Sean introduced Paul Schubert to lead the Pledge (well done, Paul) and then Bob Adam led a somewhat eclectic version of God Bless America.  A few awkward moments later (no PowerPoint) after mentioning Mother Teresa in some context, the Prez let everyone sit down, and soon the attendees were consuming a nice chicken and fettuccine entree with trimmings prepared by our master chef Dave Maestas.  Again, nicely done.

 

 

We all know that our President never met an announcement he didn't like, so he threw a boatload at us before too long and a few of the more pertinent ones are listed here:

 

1.  We're dark on November 22 as we prepare for Thanksgiving

 

2. Nov 27 - Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Village Green Park from 5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M., accompanied by the Ross Johnson sextet

 

3. February 18 - Crab Feed at St John Vianney

 

4. January 28 - Charter Night at a locale to be determined 

 

5. December 16 - Club Christmas Party at a locale to be determined

 

6. November 21 - Thanksgiving Food Basket Program at the Cordova Food Locker

 

 

Even the casual reader will notice that the events enumerated above are not in the logical chronological order, but that's the way they came off the slide, so remember the Club motto, "When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping..."  In any event, that more or less wrapped up the announcing,  so it was on to the weekly disappointment.  Today it was PDG Clarence's turn to have his ticket drawn, and the senior gentleman still managed to pull a white ball from the can.

 

 

 After the ball drawing, Treasurer Pat Orelli then conducted a drawing for a Sustaining Paul Harris Fellow contribution to the Rotary Foundation, funded by the money collected in our change can and it was Dr. Merlin Mauk whose name got picked.

 

 I ask you, kind reader, where is the justice?

 

Next on the agenda was, as usual, the Sergeant at Arms portion, normally conducted by Sgt Beth Walter, but Beth demurred (apparently) and 'twas Ross Johnson who moved purposely and forthrightly to the podium to extract his pound of flesh, so to speak.

 

 

 I didn't get all the fines, but I did see Clarence pay for the dismal record of his Marshall U. football team, followed by Brud Dufficy being fined for a t-shirt he apparently wore at a food locker event.  Neil soon followed with a contribution for a trip to SoCal and his cataract surgery.  The big guy got nicked for a trip to Kansas City and the recent victory of his beloved Chicago Cubs.  President Elect Brett Shreiner paid for the recent win of his Oakland Raiders and then he did the most extraordinary thing: he donated all of his $500 winnings from our recent Texas Hold'em tournament to the Club's coffers.  This writer cannot remember a donation of this size from any member in recent (30 years) history.

 

 

 With a generous heart like his, I think our Club is going to be in good hands.  Thank you, Brett.  Hard act to follow, but Ross MacCarty made a stab at it by throwing $1.87 into the pot for missing a Rotary Community Corps meeting and that pretty much was the end of it.

 

Once the Sarge had taken his seat, the President got up and introduced our two guest speakers from the Rancho Cordova Public Library, Jill Stockinger and Daphne Gill.  

 

 

Jill began by describing how the library is funded (property taxes) and how it fits into the Sacramento Public Library system (it's one of 28.)  She did a fine job of describing the "Read for the Win" summer reading program for kids, an outreach that includes a number of activities.  "Discover and Go" is another library-based program that allows members to sign up for tickets to cultural events and museum visits.  "Read and Feed" is a program that has children tending a garden at the library, growing food and learning horticulture.  In addition, a number of the audience were surprised to learn that you can also check out audio books at the library as well as eBooks.  A very informative presentation by two very nice ladies.

 

 

 At the end, the President gave each of them a Club coffee mug and then presented them with a Club check for $250 as a donation to the library.  As the Pres was about to shut the whole thing down, PP Ross Johnson sprang to his feet to enlighten the Club on the $2750 the Club raised for Polio Plus on the day that DG Barbara Tracy visited the Club several meetings ago.

 

With that, the room cleared as if the County Flatulence Fair has just opened in the next room.  Good meeting.  Game over.