Note from President Sigur:

Our club is so fortunate to have many qualified members who are willing to serve the club as a member of the Board of Directors.  Many thanks to all who agreed to run.

We have a tie for the Board of Directors between Jim Clary and Stephen M. Jones (the CPA).  According to the By-Laws, we need to have a run-off election which will be held next week (January 13). 

The others elected to the Board of Directors are Ted Baker, Lois Kercher, Barbara Lipskis, Colin McKinnon, Ann Sullivan and Dr. Stephen C. Jones.

Our president rang the bell and the first meeting of 2015 was underway. 

Perhaps in keeping with the times the singing opened with “Auld Land Syne”.  The “R-o-t-a-r-y Song” was next and we concluded with “You’re a Grand Old Flag”.  After the pledge Chief Rotation Editor, Bob Powell, rose to offer an appropriate invocation.  School of the week was Tidewater Park Elementary School. 

January Birthdays were acknowledged with a piece of cake for all, a singing of the traditional song, and a fine.  Those who were specifically honored, with their date, included:  
Ann Baldwin  18,  Collins Gooch   2,  Norm Maas  22, Ray Norton  10,
Jennifer Palestrant   24, Dan Peterson    27,  L.H. Puckett   6, Ann Sullivan 3,
Greg Sutton  2, Paul Sykes  19,  Jane Dembert   6

The visitation report had to be omitted because Jean Owens had fallen and was unable to attend.  President Sigur did make a point of recognizing Bob Latimer who was able to join us today.  Bob has high praise for the Sentara Heart Hospital in Norfolk. Bob was also  thanked for providing the annual hot dog lunch before Christmas. 

Notices about the Golf Social were on each table, the event will be Saturday, May 30, at Bay Creek Resort and Club.  Carpools may assemble at the free parking lot on the VB side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge at 8:00 AM. 

John Searing introduced one guest, Dick Turretts from the Norfolk Sunrise club, and Rotarian Dean Thomasson introduced his guest, Joe Bucci. 

Under fines and happy bucks, Marty Raiss was quick to rise and share an account of their good friend who returned to Iraq only to be told that ISIS was in the area and each home was given an AK45 and told to shoot if they came down the street.  Her guest promptly came back to America.    Linwood Beckner was happy to have sold his house in West Ghent and managed to tie Lisa Chandler into the deal.  Sally Hartman let us know that now was the time for any non-profit organizations that might be seeking a grant from our Rotary Club to file an application. 

Bill Burnette was the Rotarian of the Day and introduced our speaker, Bill Hull.    Bill Hull is a longtime coin collector, started in 1942 when his grandfather gave him some coins.  He went through Granby HS and on to Annapolis for a career in the Navy.  Since then he has been active in different civic and professional organizations.  His interest is in coins and currencies. 

Bill Hull told us he had some good experiences with Rotary, he mentioned that his coin dealer in New York had been given the responsibility of distributing the contributions to the fire and police that were received from Rotarians in 9/11.  His wife requires a caregiver who happens to be from Ghana and her attendant noted that in Ghana she had heard about Rotary and its emphasis on citizenship in school.     The coin talk was a “Show and Tell” event.  He had placed sample coins on our tables, including a ‘treasure box’ with a few rather valuable items.  We had each had an enlarged dollar bill and he started by explaining the back, showing the pyramid, uncapped because when first printed the nation was not finished.  Our speaker noted the eye in the cap and the “In God We Trust” over the ONE.  The bald eagle was chosen over a turkey, partly because its command for respect, without a crown, and spread wings as a raptor does to protect its prey.  Many parts of the currency are groups of 13, which may be considered unlucky in many places, but not the 13 original colonies.  The symbolism is continued on coins.  Some rare coins that he owns include a 1909 VDB Lincoln penny, it was the first with a real person.  The wheat penny existed long after we were an agrarian country, symbolic of our agriculture which feeds the world.  He told us that the Indian Head penny collection he had was complete, and that the 1877 was a rare item.  This happens when metal may become expensive.  Morgan silver dollars were common from 1878 until 1904, and then again in 1921, although the 1895 original is worth $20,000, a coin marked “copy” worth much less is made.  Bullion value versus the market value occurs, and when bullion goes up, coins may be recalled.  The copper penny is worth 3 ½ cents in copper, so pennies today are made of zinc and coated.  He referred to a new Kennedy 50 cent piece that is 20% gold and 10% copper.   Bill commented that today many coin dealers have diversified into selling jewelry.   Some specialty coins he has include a couple “widow’s mites” as referred to in the Bible, and a Constantine coin from 25 AD.   Commemorative coins are also in demand, he has a “coin of the year”, a gold one from South Africa minted in 1996.  Proof coins are often encapsulated in plastic and business coins are in plastic cases.  Samples of Kennedy and silver eagles were on our tables.  Other commemorative coins celebrate the 7 wonders of the world. 

If you get a coin collection, check the dates first.  If it is a family collection the dates may coincide with significant family events.  Not many coins were used prior to the 20^th century, but even reproductions have some value.   Bill picked up a collection of the last guilders minted before the Dutch switched to the Euro.  He got these somewhat accidentally while on a cruise.  Coins are professionally graded, and a microscopically perfect one is rated a 70.  During Q&A he noted there is no law against melting coins and selling the bullion, actually the government does it when it recalls coins.  Collecting coins is in a state of “flux” now because of the drop in the price of gold in recent years. 

The book in dedicated to Bill Hull and given to Tidewater Park Elementary was shown.  Norm Maas won the daily raffle, $16, and left $973 for a future winner.