Meeting Notes, Oct. 5, 2016
Posted by Tom McClellan on Oct 07, 2016
Our president's back, and there's going to be trouble, hey-la, hey-la, the pres is back.
Meeting notes both recorded and edited by Tom McClellan (which is an obvious conflict of interest)
President James Hairston made it back safe to us, after a week of wandering in the wilderness. He started off the meeting promptly as usual, right at 1230. Fred Willis asked the deity to bless our meeting, and then someone who went unrecorded by your “scribe du semaine” led us in the pledge to our flag.
Also serving this week were conscripted substitute greeters Tom Faubion and Joy Taylor, who filled in for Jeannie Hill who was out due to a sore throat. We love you, Jeannie, and we also thank you for keeping your germs at home.
Visitors included Tracy Peacock of Tacoma 8 Rotary, our guest speaker. And Jenny Goodin was accompanied by son Aaron.
Future Programs
No Wednesday meeting next week. Instead, we will have a combined meeting with Lakewood Rotary on Friday, Oct. 14, at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club, 1200-1330. Please note that the TCGC has a dress code: Men need collared shirts, coat and tie are optional, and no hats indoors. Women: slacks, skirts, dresses are appropriate. No denim, t-shirts, sweat pants, nor tennis shorts.
Board members of our club should arrive no later than 1130 to meet with the District Governor before the main meeting.
Oct. 19, Becky Newton, Lakewood Economic Development (back at Carr’s Restaurant)
Oct. 26, Alan Billingsley, et. al. Guatemala Stove Project
Announcements
Joyce Oubre noted that our club will again be partnering with West Pierce Fire and Rescue for Christmas gifts to needy kids at Tyee Park (and elsewhere). Look for more details soon.
Bryan Christensen thanked all who helped to support the recent Theater Benefit event at the Lakewood Playhouse. Final tallies of money raised are still forthcoming, but it was by all accounts a fun and successful evening. John Munn added that it was the largest crowd yet for that particular show, and our group was lauded by the cast for “getting” the comedy of the rushed repeat of Act 1 which constituted the opening of Act 2. The cast also opined that we were the best crowd that they had played for.
President James Hairston reminded everyone about the Oct. 21 mini-golf fundraiser event for Tacoma South Rotary at Harkness Furniture on Oct. 21. We’d like to field at least 2 teams, and so if you can participate, please email James.
There was no Flat Paul Report this week. Several Flat Paul pictures are out circulating, so please contact James about presenting your experiences with Paul at a future meeting.
Fun And Fines
General Ed was assisted this week by Sheri Hodson, and got off to a fast start by first thanking Marie Barth for doing such a great job in his place the prior week. He did acknowledge that Marie’s experience in this area is indeed vast.
Tom Faubion was congratulated for being married to Barbie for 44 years. Tom was not questioned about whether they were all happy ones, but there was an in-depth discussion about beans in a jar. [redacted here due to either parental advisory, national security, or executive privilege, the editor is not sure which.]
Heidi Wachter offered up a $50 fine due to her oldest daughter being cast in the character of Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street in the Tacoma Little Theater. That’s the little girl who does not believe in Santa. The play runs from Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve.
Heidi also confessed to making a trip to Kansas City for a municipal employees’ convention. $10 more.
Rick Ring was called upon to answer for 2 seemingly contradictory stories. In one, a Lakewood Student Council has recommended a “no confidence” finding for the superintendent and the school board, over recent events at Lakes High School. But on the other hand, 7 of our district’s schools were among the 94 schools statewide named as “Schools Of Distinction”, including our own Tyee Park Elementary. Rick said that he was gone during both events, attending his granddaughter’s birthday party, a trip for which he offered up $50.
[ed. note: In the Army, we used to have a rule that 1 “awshucks” can wipe out 10 “attaboys”. And to be clear, the word was not actually “awshucks”. Evidently at the school district level, it is a 7-to-1 exchange rate.]
John Munn recounted a “long ago” trip to Puerta Vallarta, courtesy of a raffle prize winning. He then promoted his next play, and thanked the club again for the great turnout at “Hound Of The Baskervilles”. Tom McClellan then tried to rope in General Ed for serving as an ad hoc cast member of that play, a discussion point which got no traction at all and then degenerated into inaudible mutterings about low-quality popcorn. John rounded up his fine to $100.
Paul Webb won the raffle 2 weeks ago, and said he had brought a check last week for his tithe, but that check failed to account for Ed math. The resolution of this point was not clear.
President James Hairston and wife Barbara returned safely from a trip to Virginia for some family business, and also a side trip up to Boston. 9 nights à $50.
Karl Roth and his wife Stephanie bought a house in Arizona, to be used as a vacation getaway and potential future home. It is NOT on a golf course, Karl emphasized. Ed Trobaugh inquired about renting it for lodgings when the weather gets cold. $50 to the club, $50 to the Rotary Foundation.
This Week’s Program
Tracy Peacock is Executive Director of The First Tee of South Puget Sound since Dec. 2015. She previously had been ED of the local Red Cross chapter, and joined First Tee to help with outreach. Tracy is a member of the Tacoma 8 Rotary Club, the same club at which her father was a member.
This chapter is one of 196 nationwide, partnering with the PGA and LPGA. President George W. Bush is the honorary chairman, succeeding his father #41 in that role. The organization serves kids 5-17, many of them at-risk youth, using golf to teach character, values, and healthy habits and choices. The local chapter employs 30 certified coaches and more than 100 volunteers.
They push into after-school programs with SNAG – Students New At Golf, employing specialized equipment to make golf skills easier for beginners with small hands.
First Tee also transports kids from after school programs to the golf sites for driving range practice and actual time on the course. 67% of the kids are on scholarship (i.e. do not pay anything). They get funding from individual donors, corporations, foundation grants.
84% of kids say that the program has made them better students. Parents are more interested now in having their children pursue golf, due to injuries in soccer and football. There are multiple levels to progress within the program.
Find out more at www.TheFirstTee.org
Weekly Raffle
John Munn had the winning ticket, but not the magic touch this time. $5
And finally, Timing Is Everything:
