Meeting of 11/3/2016
Webster Rotary Club Newsletter
“The Spoke”
Meeting of November 3rd, 2016
Members present:
President Brian, Rich Comins, Herb Gauch, Donna Hepburn, Dolly Kujawa, Don Pegelow, Bill Ruoff, John Schuler, Tom Smock, Robyn Whittaker, Ross Willink, and yours truly, DZ.
Guests:
Steve McAlpin and his service pooch Reagan. Yours truly ran into Steve at the asparagus display in the produce department at Wegmans on October 30th. I noticed his service dog and engaged Steve in conversation about service dogs and Steve’s military background. He is a retired major and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. At age forty-one he entered airborne training. He now lives in Webster.
I told Steve about our Adopt-a-Platoon program in detail including the great boxes we pack and send every week and the big party we have for our platoon when they return home. He was very impressed and said he was considering attending one of our meetings because a friend of his, Rich Comins, had previously invited him. I told him that Rich was the pillar of our Adopt-a-Platoon program. Lo and behold, four days later he was at our meeting. Let’s hope Steve joins our club or at least attends meetings periodically as his input to us as a veteran would no doubt be helpful in our military projects.
50/50 Club Winners
Week 15
#149 Nancy DiBella
#165 Judy Zink
#189 Robyn Whittaker
Week 16
#13 Terry Comins
#39 Heather Stokes
#16 John Anderson
Grand 50/50 Winner was non other than yours truly, DZ, drawing ticket #222. I subsequently drew the 5 of diamonds so the pot increases once again.
Our 39th Annual Pancake Breakfast will take place this Sunday, November 13th, at the Firemen’s Exempt on Sanford Street, as usual.
We pretty much have this event down to a science, however, your participation is very important to fill the slots of labor requirements so please sign up for your time. Yours truly will not be in Mexico therefore I will assume my usual high tech position as grand master of cleaning pots, pans, and trays.
The Rotary Foundation Polio Plus program is seeking a donation of $26.50 from each Rotary club (that’s right, $26.50 from each club, not each Rotarian). The Gates Foundation will double that donation to help eradicate polio once and for all.
The unusual number , $26.50, comes from the first donation made to the newly formed Rotary Foundation founded by Arch Klumpf 100 years ago next year.
Past president Robyn told us of a potential fund raiser to support the Rotary Foundation, a 26.5 mile cycle ride (not race). She knows of a local route used by others and it can be modified to fit the 26.5 mile (or thereabouts) route for participants. The entry fee would be, you guessed it, $26.50, and the proceeds would be donated to the Rotary Foundation. A date next May is under consideration and we will hear more about it from Robyn. Thanks, Robyn, for your never-ending enthusiasm and energy.
Forty-nine happy dollars were raised for various happenings, however, most dollars were contributed in memory of our beloved friend, Shirley Isaac, who passed away October 28th.
The program for the Celebration of the Mass of Resurrection for Shirley contained a poem entitled “The Dash” by Linda Ellis. It was very emotionally moving and I have included it as an attachment to this newsletter.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jim at this very difficult time and we pledge our support to him.
Our meeting this Thursday, November 10th, will once again be held at Lillian’s restaurant.
Yours in Rotary,
Dennis