What?  Only a Month and a Half to Go?

As meetings go, it wasn't a bad one... In fact, it was pretty interesting, with a special presentation and an interesting speaker on an interesting topic.  Patience, dear reader, we'll get to all that.  As is our tradition, we had a first team greeter today: none other than Past President Jerry Smuts, who apparently got everyone's badge correct.

 

 

 When President Sean started the meeting, it was Past President Steve Forseth who led us in a fine recital of the Pledge, and he was followed closely by "Songleader for Life" President Elect Brett Schreiner, who may have botched his lifetime appointment with today's rendition.

 

 

That was it for the prelims, except for the weekly quote which had something to do with either full frontal nudity or trying harder... I don't remember which.  

 

 

Lunch was a delicious pasta dish with chicken in a tasty sauce, with salad and dessert and fluids and Rotarians were observed consuming mass quantities.  Good grub.  Then there were.... wait for it... announcements.  

 

 

  They are posted on the accompanying pic, and when the discussion of demotion came up, PP Chapman told everyone that it was going to be a potluck, with the Club providing the barbecued tri-tip and chicken and members each bringing in either a vegetable, salad or dessert dish for the affair.  A signup will be circulated, but do note that it is a family affair at Clarence's and will run from about 1:00 P.M. to about 5:00 P.M. on June 24 .

 

 

 Once the Prez had run through the usual announcements, it fell to Past President Brud Dufficy to introduce the winners of the Club Foundation's Hometown Hero Challenge, which is a competitive grant sponsored by our foundation to a worthy local cause and this inaugural year, it was the Sacramento Valley Live Steamers who garnered top honors and the $2500 check that came with it.  Brud presented the check to WW II Air Corps veteran Ken Willes, who has been a mainstay in the Live Steamers.  Ken was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service and we were honored to have him among us for the day.  

 

 

 

 

Next came the weekly scam... I mean drawing... and our guest for the day, Ken Willes, drew Brett's ticket number from the pot, but Brett failed to pull the orange ball and so let the $84 slip through his fingers.  At Ray Wyatt's table, several members overheard Ray mumbling, "Still not big enough..."

 

With that, it was time for the world's tallest Sergeant at Arms of a Rotary Club in the Sacramento area, east of the capitol and adjacent to Highway 50.   Chapman got up and, aided by bagman Brett Schreiner,  right off the bat nailed Past President Pat Orelli for a pin infraction (easy money.)  Next Brud admitted to spending some time in Vegas attending a convention at the new Christian Science Reading Room there.  I didn't catch the back story, but Navin paid for his grandson getting lucky, but before we could embarrass him further, Steve Forseth crowed bout his daughter completing her Master's Degree in Mathematics!  Way to go.  The Sarge then unmercifully turned his attention to Past President Dr Merlin Mauk, who was almost on time for the meeting.  When questioned, Jerry Smuts admitted that his grandson is graduating from school down in..... in... California, yeah that's the ticket.  The Sarge himself chipped in a Jackson for a very minor faux pas, allowing his phone to ring and then conversing with this wife during the meeting.  There being no further volunteers, the Sarge then moved on to a quiz about the Titanic.  Luckily, Steve Forseth knew the exact date that she sunk and it must have been a miracle that Past President Gary Spainhower knew how many people died in the tragedy.  Sadly for Mike Passof, he was unable to list the names of the lost, so he got to contribute.

 

 

 Finally, Past President Neil Orchard was quizzed on the definition of 'sologamy', and when Neil had no clue, Gary revealed that sologamy is when a woman marries herself, a concept which may catch on, although a few minor issues may crop up.  Finally, President Sean paid for missing the new Clarksburg Rotary Charter Night last week, sending his personal assistant, Brett, in his place.  That was it.  Game over.

 

 

It was time for our guest speaker and it was Rotarian Chris Donhost from Vacaville who got up and presented a very engaging talk on the Live Steamers at Hagan Park.  

 

 

He gave some of their background and spoke of their events and the restoration they undertook in bringing back an old dilapidated railroad car.  It was very interesting and a number of Club members stayed afterward to chat with Chris and Ken about the organization, in spite of the Prez's warning that there was either a tornado or a woman of ill repute headed our way.  Good meeting.