Rotary Reporter - Aug 30 meeting

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2011-12
Club Leadership

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September 6

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From the Desk of Rotary Reporter Larry Leonardson

August 30th Meeting

Guest Has Been President Al Marsh opened the meeting with prayer from Riggs and then Boland tried to remind us of the six-year anniversary of Katrina but no one could recognize the song we sang. Guests included Bob Platte (like the river), Tom Quigley, and Karen McDonald. Ooops; that last one is a virtual member who helps with Operation Warm but never gets to eat with us.

New exchange student Pauline Robin made her first appearance and was welcomed by all. She said she had been here 10 days and was looking forward to a wonderful year. No doubt!

President Hughes then noted the opening of 21 Acres and the $1,200 donation from WRC for their education program. The funds come from a semi-endowment so the give will keep on giving every year. The Pres further noted that through matching grants, WRC will be able to turn $16,000 of fund raising into $82,000 of project funds for homelessness, community parks, a Nepal health center and Pasitos-Push International in Mexico as well as summer reading programs and scholarships. All together, WRC will have given $127,450 to service projects this year. Nice job people!

Guest speaker Johnny Hughes, assisted by Eric Greenwood, cautioned that the auction was upon us and we are behind in procurement and audience development but other wise things looked just fine. He warned that if we do not get our collective programs together in the short term, we will have to consider canceling the event. Rorry lightened the mood with his announcement that 32 separate procurement forms had been submitted this very morning and the usual late arriving crowd was beginning to show. However, Rorry, Greg, Becky and other committee chairmen who are working diligently to make this the most enjoyable evening of charity giving, all expressed concern that the push is on to make this event what we all want it to be. Three weeks until procurement closes (for the catalog anyway).

Jay offered another view hat cancellation of the event is not an option since we would lose the funds, tell everyone essentially that we do not need their money and create a situation from which it would take us 5 years to recover to where we are today. Assistant Governor Boland reiterated the need to just get in and do it; people respond and it is not that hard to get people to come sit at your table.

Rorry then passed out assignments (for which our members actually volunteered) to get particular auction items. Lots of enthusiasm. Hughes asked for a show of hands of anyone who did not think we had built some momentum up this morning. Everyone had already rushed the doors to go procure items so no hands went up.

Jay Fiske took out vengeance out and fired everyone who failed to attend the great crab feed at Ecklands and everyone who failed to help with Tim and Susan and Tom with the deck cleaning at the Rotary Community Park. (Tana led a standing "O" for Daryl and all those who helped with the crab feast). Happy dollars from John Creason who did another death defying vacation tumbling down the Snake River white water in Hell's Canyon. Tim House had trouble pronouncing "machinery".

Has Been Marsh could not turn the winning raffle ticket into a white marble.

And there was some other stuff but I did not remember it all.

Be sure to register yourself and your guests for the auction. The website is http://wrc.maestroweb.com. Call Becky and she will register them if they came last year.

--- L.C.L.