We're Dark Next Week!

It was a full house, as they say.  Overwhelmed by the influx of Rotarians, the Spaghetti Factory set up extra tables and our final count was 23 folks in the room, including some folks you're about to meet.  'Twas a good meeting.  Our greeter (for life?) was none other than PDG Clarence...

 

 

...and when we got to the 4 Way Test, it was PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP Ross Johnson who picked up the ball and rammed it into the end zone.  (For the uninitiated, all those 'P's refer to how many 'Pasts' there are in Club Presidents since Ross was Club President... "Yessir, he's our past-past-past-past-past... etc - President.")  Chase Armer was on the schedule to lead the Pledge, but in his absence, Jerry Smuts did a fine job of it on such short notice.  Our song was led in exemplary fashion by Doc Dufficy's son, Brud.  There was a quote for the day and we sat down to eat mass quantities.

 

 

 

In the course of sitting down, the President noted that former member Pat Murphy was with us, as well as Rotarian-in-waiting Tom Blinn.  More on Tom in a minute.  After what seemed like only a few minutes of pleasant conversation, PDG Clarence got up to pass on some sad news: one of our past Presidents and former Club Secretary, Jerry Foote passed away over the weekend somewhat unexpectedly from some form of pulmonary problem.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jerry's wife, Vicki and the Foote family.

 

 

 

When it was time for announcements, President Brett did not disappoint:

 

  1. This Saturday at 11:00 A.M. the Life Steamers have invited us to Hagan Park to see the work they've done with our grant award and have pictures taken and lunch.  Go if you can and take your kids/grandkids if they'd like to take a train ride.

 

  2. November 20 is our Thanksgiving Food Distribution project over at the Cordova Food Locker.  Please go if you can.

 

  3. December 1 we're bartending at the city's holiday party.  If you didn't sign up for it, see President Brett.

 

  4. December 10 is Rotary Night at the Kings... I'm sure more details will follow

 

  5. Next week being Thanksgiving and all, we're going to be dark.  You'll get a reminder when you show up and none of your friends are in attendance.

 

I think there was more, but my pencil lead and interest broke down about the same time, so...

 

 

 

Next was the traditional weekly drawing and this time it was Paul Schubert's number that got called, but with more than 10 balls in the can, we all knew it was long odds.  Bowing to mathematical improbability, Paul managed to score a lonely white ball and the $147 pot went wanting for yet another week (or two).  We feel your pain, Paul...

 

 

The Sarge for the Day was our old friend PDG Clarence and he did right by the Club, hoisting cash from just about everyone in the room.  I'm almost surprised he didn't go for our delightful server, Mo.  Before beginning his pillage, he thanked President Brett and Secretary Sharon for putting up the banner over the window.  Once we get the height right, the room should darken enough that we won't be able to see our food, but the slide shows should be magnificent.  First on the Sarge's hit list were PPPP Paul Schubert (pin infraction - an easy one) and then Ross Johnson paid a pin fine for apparently picking up his mail at the post office in his bathrobe sans pin... or something to that effect.  Ray Wyatt fessed up to taking his badge home the previous week to have it polished, and man did it ever glow...  We celebrated Secretary Sharon Ewing's 39th birthday with a song led by Jerry Smuts... I believe it was 'Happy Birthday', but you couldn't tell from either the lyrics or the melody.   PPPP Paul paid for winning that fine white golf ball and for being in Sand Point, Idaho, the previous week (apparently on purpose) and that seemed to motivate Neil Orchard to pay up for last week's trip to Hawaii.  Marvelene made the list by fessing up to being in Bakersfield, fer cryin' out loud and then Mike Passof mentioned that he had spent some quality time in the mountains of Nevada recently and we seemed to be raking it in faster than the Sarge could count. 

 

 

Ross Johnson admitted to getting most of the notes correct at the recent orchestra outing and suddenly the Sarge turned his attention to his archenemy, the Illinois grad, and asked how their football team had fared.  The big guy paid up, but not before exacting a matching pledge from the Sarge, which resulted in the Club's coffers being enriched by an additional two Takehara's (NOTE TO THE UNINITIATED: A 'Takehara' is a $20 bill, so named for a former Rotarian who famously called for them during fining sessions.)   Tom Blinn chipped in for being happy to be able to join the Club (no refunds, Tom).  Finally, Ray Wyatt paid an additional fine for some transgression I didn't catch and fast as a whip, the bloodletting was over.

 

 

This meant that it was time for our guest speaker, who was introduced by Bob Adam as Laura Drath, who works at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.  Laura gave a very interesting and insightful presentation on the hatchery, as well as the surrounding environs and described the processes used in managing salmon and steelhead populations in the river.  Who knew how important water temperature is to successfully raising fish?  Her talk engendered many questions, a sure sign of an engaging speaker.  Very well done.

 

 

  At the end, President Brett gave her the book and the room cleared as if Attila the Hun had just entered the establishment.   Good meeting.