Rotations July 1, 2014
“All The News That’s Fit to Print and Some That Isn’t”©
The bowels of SCOPE were filled with the anticipation and excitement one normally expects on Inauguration Day. As Mae West famously said in describing happiness: “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.” The smile of “President Giggles” Donn turned to absolute bliss as she realized she would soon be “Past President Giggles.” Like Clare Booth Luce she was thinking to herself: “Money can’t buy happiness, but it can make you awfully comfortable while you’re being miserable.”
In any event all those assembled were truly happy realizing what a great year Giggles had provided. Antoine De Saint-Exupery once said: “True happiness comes from the joy of deeds well done, the zest of creating things new.” A description of Rotary in action.
Giggles called the assembly to order, gave her usual warning that cell phones should be turned off lest Rotary coffers be swelled, and called on “Cherubic Chuck” Spence to get us going with appropriate songs. In celebration of Canada’s 147th birthday we sang “O Canada!” To get the new administration started on the correct footing we followed with “The 4-Way Test.” With the 4th of July fast approaching, we concluded with a rousing rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner.”
Barry “The Baron of Keystone Realty” Kesser, provided a prayer after asking that we remember the 3 slaughtered Israeli teenagers and that we say a prayer for the US soccer team to do their best in their battle that very afternoon with the Belgians. He pointed out that even I-Hop was calling for a ban on Belgian Waffles. Go USA!!
“Doc Bill” Gough provided a visitation report. Ken “Mr. Attendance” Weeks could not be located and Morgan “I Insure Bankers at Bankers Insurance” Trimyer was observed heading off to work. Way to go Morgan!!
Dick “I’d Rather Be on the Golf Course” Lammers came forth to introduce guests and visiting Rotarians. There were no visiting Rotarians so he took the easy way out and asked Rotarians with guests to introduce their guests. Alan “X G-Man” Nelson introduced his wife, Linda; “Giggles” introduced her husband, Allan, and her son, Adam, who is frequently seen helping out at Rotary projects; Al “I Can Sell It” Carmichael, introduced his much younger wife, Ann; and Sally “Give Until It Hurts” Hartman, introduced her son, Luke.
Announcements and Club Business followed with happy birthday wishes being extended to our July birthday celebrants. They included the following:
Linwood Beckner, Bill Burnette, Dalton Dunbar, Bill Jonak, Barry Kesser, Ben Mason, Harry McCoy, John Padgett, Ray Pentecost, Henry Saenz, Glenn Scott, Bill Sherman, Harry Taylor, Dean Thomasson, Diane Wallach.
They all received a Rotary version of Happy Birthday and were ordered to fork over $2 for the privilege of hearing it sung just for them.
Fines and Happy Bucks (“HB”) were scarce but “Cherubic Chuck” did cough up $10 in honor of UVA’s having played in the NCAA baseball finals. Lorna “O Canada” Cochran, now a naturalized US citizen, paid some HB to celebrate Canada’s Birthday.
Before leaving the National Security Agency for Russia, Edward Snowden came to Norfolk and with the help of Julian Assange at WikiLeaks, was able to pierce the tight security of Giggles’ computer. What was found was amazing and was turned over to the editors here at Rotations for publication at the appropriate time. Now is that time for full disclosure since she has served her term as President. We have obtained her final comments as President. For the few who missed her remarks, they are in the addendum below without editorial revision.
With her conclusion, all assembled stood and gave Giggles a resounding round of applause for having guided Norfolk Rotary through its 100th year and having set it on a path for continued greatest during the next century.
Harry “Never Lost For Words” McCoy was next called on for the purpose of installing our new slate of officers and directors. He started by reminding us that this had been an enjoyable and fun year that brought about a degree of cohesiveness that will carry the Club through the next 100 years. He explained how Sigur “Rotary Writer In Residence” Whitaker had, with her bright smile and shining eyes, asked him for a favor while he was in church – he said “Yes” without knowing what the favor might be. It turned out that he was to install the officers and board members.
“Never Lost For Words” then shared a few of his words with us. He reminded us that the members of our Club have a sense of character and integrity that cause us to want to associate with like-minded people. We are, he continued, grateful for our history and background. As Rotarians we need to foresee future needs and responsibilities and then to solve those needs and challenges. He then asked all to stand and take a pledge to support Rotary and the new Board in a way that binds us not only individually but as a Club. In unison we said: “We will!”
We saw, “Rotary Writer In Residence” was inducted as President and the other officers and directors were then inducted. The new Board consists of the following:
President - Sigur “Rotary Writer In Residence” Whitaker
Pres. Elect - Sally ““Give Until It Hurts” Hartman
VP Programs - Bryce “Little Lumber” Burton
Sec./Treas. - Gary “High Return” Boswick
Sgt-at-Arms - Sharon “The Komen Kid” Laderberg
Immediate P. Pres.- Susan “Giggles” Donn
Dir. International - Al “I Can Sell It” Carmichael
Dir. Pub. Relations - Ben “Butterfly” Miles
Dir. Membership - Alan “Ex G-Man” Nelson
Dir. Vocational Serv. - John “I Herded Cats” Lynn
Dir. Fellowship - Mark “Full of Pep” Johnson
Dir. Fund Raising - Dean “EREY” Thomasson
Dir. Community Ser. - Joey “I Want Your Blood” Rothgery
Parliamentarian - Lindsay “Don’t Tax the Railroad” Russell
The usual formalities followed with the President’s pin going to “Rotary Writer in Residence” Whitaker, the Past President’s pin going to “Giggles” along with the treasured “Latimer Clock” from the “Clock Man” himself Bob “Hotdog” Latimer. Giggles had obtained and distributed to her Board members and to select others very attractive flower vases made at the Chrysler Museum glass blowing studio. Allan Donn had a special pin he had obtained for his wife that read” “I’m Not Bossy. I Just Have Better Ideas.”
This year’s RI President, Gary C. K. Huang, has as his theme “Light Up Rotary Together.” Newly installed Norfolk Rotary President, Sigur, in her remarks to start off the new year, said that just a few ways we can Light Up Rotary are by
- Inviting others to join Rotary
- Inviting others to attend our meetings
- Participating in service projects
- Participating in “Rotary Day” with 15 other Southside Clubs
- Supporting our Rotary Endowment Fund with your contributions
- Support The Rotary Foundation (international) with your contributions
In honor of Giggles’s year as President, our newly installed leader and “Rotary Writer In Residence” presented a book entitled “All My Noble Dreams and Then What Happens” by Gloria Whelan that will be given to our School of the Week, Fairlawn Elementary School.
Two raffles closed out the meeting. “Curious George” Compo won the 50/50 raffle and took home the daily pot of $18 which will be reported on a 1099 duly filed with the IRS. The 10 of clubs having been drawn by him, the Big Pot remains for another day. “J. Edgar” Beckner’s ticket was drawn for the overnight stay at the Marriott with spouse or girlfriend. He made no disclosure as to which it would be!
As the curtain was closing on today’s meeting, “Rotary Writer in Residence” reminded the assembled throng that we will be having a Rotary PolioPlus Fund Raiser at the Tides baseball game on Wednesday, July 23rd (Sign up now to attend; $12/ticket and $2 of that goes to PolioPlus.) and that next week’s speaker will be Vivian Paige, Political Blogger, The Virginian-Pilot columnist, and ODU accounting instructor. Her topic - “Why All Politics Are Local.”
And with that, the show ended and the meeting adjourned.
“Scoops” Powell