We Know Who's Naughty and Nice...
Posted by John Chapman
Well, lightly attended, but a good meeting with a very engaging speaker. More on that later. The Big Guy got us off to a slightly late start (maybe 15 seconds, but nevertheless...) and he opened by almost thanking Red Team Captain Ray Wyatt who almost showed up on time to perform greeter duties. It was then on to the pledge, which was admirably led by our own Dr. Merlin Mauk, and then Ray took the bit in this teeth and led us in the song... Well done, all. The quote for the day had something to do with Christmas and the spirit of charity we all feel in our hearts at this time of year. The Prez offered his raffle tickets to anyone who could guess that the author of the quote was none other than our old friend, Washington Irving. No one successfully claimed the prize...
Mastication then broke out and was only momentarily interrupted by Clarence Parkins' guest, Linda Sweet, being introduced by Clarence. Linda is the past-Prez of the Big Valley Credit Union, and we forgave her for being a friend of Clarence's. There were the usual announcements, but a few are worth repeating:
1. The dictionaries have been delayed apparently, so we are currently planning to hold the labeling party at B&J on Friday, the 11th at 2:00 P.M. in the same place as last year. Team captains may need to adjust their delivery schedules to allow some extra time to get the books to their schools.
2. The Club Christmas party is on for Frasinetti's on the 16th, with a complimentary wine tasting beginning at 5:30 and then a fine buffet dinner at 6:30. This will be our regular meeting for next week,so don't come to City Hall on Tuesday. Contact Pat Braziel to be sure you're signed up and bring a wrapped Christmas present (Spending limit: $10) for a gift exchange that night.
3. On Monday, the 21st, we'll be at the Food Locker again at 8:00 A.M., this time helping hand out Christmas food to the people who need it in Rancho Cordova. If you feel like Christmas is that time of year when you look out for your fellow man and lend a hand, this event is for you. Please make an effort to come help us make the holidays happier for the less fortunate in our community.
4. We're dark for the rest of December ('cept for the dinner at Frasinetti's), so mark your calendars to return to City Hall on Tuesday, January 5, for our next 'regular' meeting.
Following the announcements, we found out that we had collected enough money in the change can to pull another Sustaining Paul Harris out of the hat and everyone was just delighted when Clarence's name was pulled. Perhaps 'delighted' is overstating things a bit; perhaps 'aghast' would be a better word, but it's too late for tears. Congratulations, Clarence.
It then came time for the Sergeant(ess) Pat Braziel to step forward and wreak her unique brand of havoc on everyone's wallet/purse. A few birthdays (Thank goodness Navin demurred on singing the birthday song) and a few anniversaries later, the Club was back in the chips. A number of folks voluntarily threw in money for one imagined transgression or another, and before long, after a short Christmas quiz, we had collected a whole shirtful of moolah. Well done, you charitable donors...:-)
With that, the Prez got up to introduce Ray Wyatt, who got up to introduce our guest speaker, Carolynn Washington from HICAP, who gave a very interesting talk on Medicare. Since over half the room was already enrolled, she kept everyone's attention and talked about how it's very important for us to review our Medicare coverage every year, to assess the changes that have been made to this important benefit. Apparently, changes to Medicare happen every day, so if your benefits subsequently change, you may need to change your supplementary coverage. Carolynn handed out a card with her office's information on it in the event we need either counseling or advocacy in Medicare matters. Important stuff. Once Carolynn finished, the Prez sprinted to the podium, gave her the book and the cup, and called it quits. Good meeting.