July 20, 2007

It was a dark and rainy Harry Potter day as we straggled into Rotary this morning; the talk at the Scribe Table began by wondering whether it would be cheaper to buy our midnight copy of HP and the Deathly Hallows with the crowds at Books-A-Million or stealthily at Walmart. (The computer literati amongst you can magically download it via http://torrentfreak.com/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-leaked-to-bittorrent/ ).

When Past President Phil Shore arrived, shaking the rain off his pork-pie hat, the talk changed to The King and I, the cause of Phil’s new nearly-shaven ‘doo. Phil reports that Alan Pugh, starring as the King of Siam, is taking to the musical like he was born in a trunk. (That’s what type-casting will do for a role, I’d say!) Phil’s report about just HOW much Alan REALLY likes wearing the ear-rings and makeup prompted some at the table to suggest that maybe Alan’s next star turn could be the Edna Turnblatt role in Hairspray– come on, Alan, if John Travolta can do it, you can!

Understandably, the talk immediately took a turn toward less disturbing visuals as the table began comparing notes on our Children in Foreign Countries. This topic was initiated by Kathy Homiller, home at last from several weeks in Vietnam, where she and Philip collected their new daughter Li-Li (meaning “Lotus Blossom”) . Kathy promises to bring her to Rotate as soon as Daddy will let loose of her. I allowed that I’ve heard from Roman by email or MySpace about twice a week from Orenburg, and I’ve phoned Russia at least once a week myself. He’s doing well, but spending a lot of time in summer school catching up on classes so he can rejoin his grade in September. And not to be out-done, John Revell revealed that his daughter Kate Mills and her husband and daughter have taken up residence in Allahabad (I think) India, where she is teaching in a Muslim school. Kate has a degree in Islamic Studies from Duke (mightily pleasing to PP Shore and PDG Allred, who voiced their unqualified approval), and PP Prithi will be happy to know vegetarian Kate says the food is great (John says that Kate is from the left-leaning side of his family; even the baby is named to honor President Carter!)

 Lonesome-looking Prez HR eventually bonged and pledged us to order, and Tom White joined him onstage to lead the Four Way Test, with Bob Walker praying from stage right. Sergeant-at-Arms Rebecca Redding welcomed guests Kathy Clark, with Linda Cranford, and Davis Cranford,  son of Linda and Sam, with Sam. We were also privileged to have Tom Nickens, Ralph Hardison and Sheriff Maynard Reid making up from the Randolph Club.

HR bade us all sing Happy Birthday to honor newly-minted Nonagenarian Pat Kilpatrick (Note to Ed Clayton: that means someone whose age is in the 90s!) HR reminded us that Kate Bryan’s daughter would be on All My Children on ABC on next Friday August 3rd (add that to the News from Proud Parents, see above-). Owen George announced that it’s GSE Time Again– time to nominate team leaders and members for interviews, that is. Tim Albertson, leader of our team to Germany two years ago, is district GSE Coordinator. This year’s trip is once again to Taiwan (we’re bonding with them… they’ve put big bucks into that special scholarship that our club’s student is using). Contact Owen or see the District Website for more details.

Elizabeth Mitchell and Your Scribe were circulating the District Website email address print-out for corrections, so you can expect a timely Tar Wheel notice as soon as this is typed! And finally HR read us an excerpt from Red Underwood’s Tar Wheel of July 14, 1944, regarding Joel Whaley’s first day as Treasurer, and the general suspicion that new cars and a flood of products out of the Montgomery Ward catalog would soon be in evidence.

Today’s program was introduced by Tom White with the phrase, “Ladies, Take Your Position!” (Phil Shore, the only one at the Scribe Table whose mind is in need of laundering, muttered “Missionary, I’m sure! What a way to greet the church ladies, PS.)  The Grace Notes are a singing ensemble well-known around Asheboro, whether in churches or as part of the Asheboro Chorale or in other civic meetings. The group, done up in fire engine red shirts, consists of Bev Lawrence (in red stripes, maybe that makes her the Leader); Anne Shirk; Jeannie Swaney; and Kathy Shropshire. Kathy’s mother Kitty Upchurch provides their piano accompaniment. Bev is the office manager for a local recycling company and runs music and handbells both at Central Methodist and East Bend Methodist; Anne is the Randleman High School Chorale Director (we saw her and her people here last Christmas); Jeannie is a busy wife and mother; and Kathy works for the Randolph Cancer Center (more on that later).

Their first song was “Grandma’s Feather Bed,” which I remember Rose Patterson teaching us about 40 years ago, and I must admit that back then I had no idea what a phrase like (“a whole bolt of cloth for the tick” meant. As a textile historian, I’ve since figured it out.) Next was “St. Louis Blues,” then “Climbing Higher Mountains” (a duet between Jeannie and some gospel piano-playing). “The Midnight Cry” was next, and their last number was a patische of ’50’s Do-Wop ballads “Teenager in Love,” “Lollipop,” “Earth Angel,” and “Life Could Be A Dream.” Before they started they faked-out HR by laying their music books aside; then they set us all up with hand motions appropriate to each song: finger snap, wave, clap and champagne cork “pop”, all of which were used as needed. These ladies then showed that they had more energy than the rest of the club put together! Sha-Boom!

Any contributions made to honor the Grace Notes are donated to the Randolph Cancer Center, a program of Randolph Hospital. They help replenish the Patient Assistance Fund, originally started with a grant from the Hospital Foundation. The fund pays necessary expenses for any patient in need at the center, and all the money stays locally. For more information, see http://www.randolphhospital.org/svc_cancerCenter.htm .

President HR then doinked the meeting to a close. Really, he asked for a review. The collection of past presidents around the scribe table gave it a 4 on the 10 scale, at best. It’s all in the wris, HR- don’t worry if it sounds too loud to YOU- it’s half as loud by the time it gets to the first row. It’s not just me! The original Limp-Wristed Presidential Bell-Ringing Award was begun by Red Underwood back to when the mind of man runneth not.

Friday, July 13, 2007

With Friday the 13th being the first day of the Gallimore regime, the Scribe Table expressed the universal desire that only Good luck would ensue. Attendance ultimately turned out well, but at first it was coming in a trickle, to our dismay. The big topic of conversation, however, was the Return of Elizabeth Mitchell, who globe-trotted back home from Scotland on Wednesday. She had several tall tales, and promised to tell more. Since the presidential trip to the RI International Convention in Salt Lake City didn’t happen this year, we encouraged Elizabeth to share her stories and pictures with the club. If there’s no time for an actual slide show, Your Scribe offers the Tar Wheel as a forum for her to make it all public. We’ll post a Special Edition!

There was no greater augury of the change in presidential administrations than the Barbecue on the buffet line– alas, poor Prithi: no more Vegetarian Time! H.R. said he thought about giving Carnivores equal time, but instead will substitute a weekly reading from the “Best of Tar Wheel” book published in 1998 by Bill Underwood the Third, of Raleigh.  Bill actually came to the club and read from it when it was published, and today H.R. read part of the Introduction by Barron Mills. The book collects the Tar Wheels written and edited by W.A. (“Red”) Underwood, Jr., who edited the Tar Wheel from July 1939 to June 1976. Some of us (i.e., Barron and Your Scribe, since I inherited the Joe Ross collection of Tar Wheels), still have many of the original back issues, but it’s great to have them reprinted here. The book is still available from Bill Underwood, 100 E. Drewry Lane, Raleigh, NC 27609; 919-781-2372.

There have been a lot of Tar Wheels written and published since 1976, too, under editors Allen Holt, Phil Shore, Cooper Thornton and myself. To facilitate any trips down Memory Lane that members might want to take, I’ve begun uploading the email Tar Wheels I saved going back to the Phil Shore presidential years in 2001. I don’t appear to have any which date further back, so anyone who has saved them and could forward them to me, let me know!  You will also note that the most recent Tar Wheels are not yet available– the 2005-early 2007 Tar Wheels are all in .pdf format, which I’m not yet sure how to upload. But the tireless support staff and Tar Wheel. Com are working on it!

 With another nod to history, H.R. revived the old “Greet Your Neighbors” method of starting the day out. Then Talmadge Baker led us in the 4 Way Test and the Pledge, and Ed Clayton gave several different kinds of Thanks! SAA Mini Singh welcomed guests, which were totally fellow Rotarians making up from Wednesday: Derrick Grantham and Kathleen Riley.

H.R. began a new tradition by noting July Birthdays and Anniversaries. One of each: Last week was the 75th birthday/ anniversary of Randolph Hospital, which started up July 1, 1928. Our club was one of the founding partners of the hospital, so maybe that’s why we have about half a dozen hospital-connected members!

H.R. Gallimore himself is a July baby, born July 7th. Sharing the month as their natal anniversary is Sandy Grey, Jason Hughes, Pat Kilpatrick, Phil Koonce, Barron Mills, Alan Pugh, Ranbir Singh, Archie Smith, both Bonnie and David Renfro, and Larry Peraldo (who, sadly, has moved to Savannah to run a new business, and has resigned from the club). Two major club anniversaries: This July, Ed Clayton has been a member of Asheboro Rotary for 35 years, and Richard Pugh for 36 years: Congratulations!

Candi Rudzinski handed out flyers on the Randolph County Senior Adults Association “Medication Management and Prescription Assistance” program; their pharmacist can counsel seniors on the cost and effectiveness of their meds, as well as help them sign up for Medicare Part D. Call 336-625-3389 or email rcsaa@senioradults.org .

H.R. congratulated Kaye Bryan on her daughter’s acting carreer successes: she has a speaking part on All My Children this month, and she has had parts in Law and Order and the Sopranos. Right this minute she’s shooting a commercial for Whirlpool front-loading washers and dryers, and we’ll all be waiting for the premiere!

H.R. and Mary Joan Pugh announced that the Club will be cooperating wit the Randolph, Archdale and Liberty clubs to provide dictionaries to every one of the 2,000 Third Grades students in the Asheboro and Randolph County schools. Children at that age really appreciate having a book that belongs just to them, and for $2 a dictionary, we can provide one. Let MJP or HRG know if you want to be part of the crowd that hands them out. We’ll be responsible for the 5 Asheboro elementary schools, and 2 out in the county.

After all the announcements it was time for a program, and the program was US- our first club assembly of the Gallimore term. HR handed out committee assignment sheets, and the committees got together to plan programs and activities for the year. One result: Owen George agreed to join the Tar Wheel scribing team. Thanx and a tip O’the Hat to Owen! Other literary types are encouraged to apply to: macwhat@asheboro.com.

After a lengthy period of planning and socializing      , HR gonged the meeting to a close. (Or rather, dinged the meeting to a close. Gotta work on the wrist action, HR!)

June 29, 2007

Inauguration Day at Asheboro Rotary: Out with the Old, and In with the New.

At least, that’s what was advertised, but circumstances make one question. The first thing Your Scribe saw in the AVS parking lot was shiny new Robert Hinkle, with his grandparents Mazie and George Fleetwood; then the very next thing was old Allen Holt and his even older Holtmobile . In the Even Older Category, once we got inside Jaci Betts was sharing photos of her church group’s visit to Farmville, Virginia last weekend to visit Honorary Member and retired Pugh Funeral Home Honcho Lawrence Sours. He’ll be 93 on July 17th, and can still play the piano (some of us remember when he and Pearl Humble would play duets and sing for the club– in fact, for just about every club in Town. Lawrence joined Asheboro Rotary in February, 1968, after being recruited by Past District Governor, Club Archivist and Attendance Enforcer Joe Ross.

So the Old and the New actually appeared to be co-existing quite happily at Asheboro Rotary on the last Friday of June.

As usual, Phil Shore was playing ‘name that tune’ at the Scribe Table as Joy played the piano. We could guess, for example, that she offered us one of the “Trois Gymnopedies,” but we didn’t know which one. “What does “gymnopedie” mean?” asked Phil. Duh, replied the table. “Barefoot something or other,” Phil said. [Well, Maybe, but our friendly internet connection doesn't offer any definition for "gymnopedie."  It appears to be a word made up by Eric Satie, who composed the music beginning in 1887. Evidently Monsieur Satie hated being asked what he did for a living, and hated being called a musician. So sometimes he told people he worked as a "gymnopédiste" ( whatever a  gymnopedist might be), other times he described himself as a "phonometrician," meaning "someone who measures and writes down sounds." ] Maybe it was just Phil’s new smooth-shaven looks that had us so willing to buy his story. Out is Santa Claus, and In is the new Buddhist look required by The King and I. That, by the way, is the same reason Alan Pugh is sporting the Almost Bald Cut: he’s inching toward that Yul Brynner skinhead look that so befits the King of Siam. Congratulations on your elevation to royalty, Alan.

President Prithi rang his Goodbye Bell with authority, and incoming President H.R. Gallimore led the 4 way test; Prithi the Pledge and Phillip the Prayer. Mini Singh introduced our guests: the aforementioned Robert Hinkle; Bunny Hanspal, wife of President Prithi; Pat Allred, better half of PDG Don Allred; Rachel Hayes, guest of Elizabeth Cox; Jamie Robbins, guest of Linda Cranford; and Susan Milner and Vicki Gallimore (better half of our incoming president), both of the Randolph Club.

ATTENTION!!! THERE IS NO ROTARY MEETING FRIDAY JULY 6th!!! Take a Vacation!

Announcments: Bill Batten is taking contributions to the Rotary Foundation. President-elect Kathy Homiller and husband Phil left yesterday for Vietnam to pick up their new adopted daughter Li-Li. They’ll be back in a week or so. The Club Directory is on the web, available through the District website[ http://www.rotary7690.org ], but incomplete in that only 80% of the club had its photo taken. When Elizabeth Mitchell gets back from Scotland next week, you can email your photo to her; otherwise, you’ll be faceless.

To universal sadness, Prithi announced that there was no final chapter of Vegetarian Time, but there were veggie burgers available at the buffet line. (Along with the usual potato salad, slaw, tomatoes and other fixings of our Picnic Buffet. It was not immediately evident which burgers were the veggie burgers, however– some committed vegetarians found out only after the first bite.

The President’s Farewell Address and Installation of New Officers was our only program today. Don Allred was brought in to install and preside, but first Prithi listed his thank-yous and accomplishments for the year. We established a new scholarship, $1600 annually for an RCC student, that is in addition to the 3 we already give to area high schools. We collected and donated more than $10,000. We gave the Rotary Foundation more than $19,000. We bought a bench for the City. We volunteered for the Clean Sweep. We hosted the GSE team from Scotland. We provided grants to the Uganda Science Lab and the Saheeli Project in India. And last but not least, we won the District 7690 Gold Club Award, with help from Assistant District Governor Mary Joan Pugh.

To thank Joy for serenading us this year, Prithi and Don presented her with flowers and a framed portrait of herself (see how useful those Rotary photos can be?) First Spouse Bunny Hanspal also got some flowers, and a pin, and the heartfelt thanks of the club for being such a classy hostess and caterer for so many board meetings and official functions.

New Officers to be inaugurated were H.R. Gallimore, President; Prithi Hanspal, Vice President; Kathy Homiller, Secretary; Elizabeth Mitchell, Executive Secretary; Neal Griffin, Treasurer; Talmadge Baker, Assistant Treasurer;

Rebecca Redding, Sergeant-at-Arms; Mini Singh, Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms; and Directors Rodney Mason and Cooper Thornton. Five of them were actually present, and were sworn in. H.R. had copies of the club committee structure and meeting schedule ready and waiting, and the same will be posted on the Blog Site as permanently accessible documents as soon as somebody emails them to me.

Don Allred did a fine job swearing at, uh, IN our new officers. He has had some prior experience doing it, I believe. “Rotary brings out the best in people- and our club asks you to bring out the best in us this coming year.”

Afterwards, H.R. , Don and Bunny presented Prithi was all the Past President Paraphenalia ; then Ed Clayton was introduced to say a few short words (I know, an oxymoron). After asking if “H.R.” stood for “Honest Realtor,” Ed reminded the club of our sad recent loss of incoming President Carole Gilliam, and asked us to remember her with a moment of silence. H.R. at last got to speak and said that the Club would keep Carole’s memory alive. He also reminded the club that we could blame Wayne Thomas for inflicting both Don Allred and H.R. Gallimore on us– if that’s gonna be a problem, we’ll see for sure at H.R.’s first meeting– on Lucky Friday July 13th.

See you then!