March 28, 2008

George Fleetwood and Phil Shore got the ball (and the world) rolling for us. Rebecca Redding introduced our guests: Victor Dau, with Owen George; Nikki Wingate with Elizabeth Mitchell; Esteban Delgado, of Peru, with PDG Bob Newton; and Ann Grey, with husband Sandy Grey (wearing identical red Davidson shirts, to support the home team in the NCAAs). From other clubs we welcomed PDG Bob Newton, with the Greensboro club; and Maggie Stevens, with the Randolph Club.

President HR expressed the club’s sympathy to Randolph and Asheboro Rotarians Ben Morgan, Ed Bunch, and Bob Wilhoit, three lawyer amigos, who have all lost their mothers over the past month.

Tar Wheel History: January 24, 1945, regarding the lemon drought in the aftermath of a musician who performed for the club and found a dollar bill in a lemon.

Richard Garkalns introduced our program, his wife Susan Garkalns. Richard says he met Susan in 1953, and they’ve been together mostly ever since. Susan has both a BS in Clothing and Textiles and an MBA from UNCG; she is a “Family and Consumer Science Agent” for the NC Cooperative Extension agency here. She arrives to speak to us on “Communication Etiquette.” No sooner does she stand than does Richard get a cell phone call, which we all decide is a setup to illustrate the point of her talk. “Etiquette,” a/k/a Common Courtesy or Good Manners, seemed to die off as a topic of actual education long about the 1970s, but is making a recent comeback. Emily Post’s Etiquette is now in its 17th edition, and has been completely revised by Emily’s Great-Grandson’s wife Peggy Post.

Etiquette is a code of behavior based on thoughtfulness, says Susan. Manners aren’t for the benefit of the person who has them, but for the people who don’t– so we don’t shoot the bus drivers who cut us off, or brawl in restaurants. Etiquette is the art of taking the unfamiliar and making it familiar, and there are different types for different professions and situations. There is Courtroom Etiquette, for example; and Golf Etiquette. Nowadays, we’re developing things like Email Etiquette, and Cell Phone and Voice Mail Etiquette.

For example, we forget that in email there is actually a real person on the other end. Begin and end your emails formally, like a real letter. Be sure and always add a subject line, and make it subject specific. If there is no subject identified, anyone should treat it like an unwanted virus. Don’t designate your email as urgent or high priority if it isn’t. Use that sparingly. DON’T TYPE IN ALL CAPS. That is rude- like shouting. And remember, email isn’t private- treat it like a public document. Don’t Reply All unless you really want everyone on the mailing list to see what you’ve written.

Voicemail: Briefly! outline the purpose of your call. Request a response if necessary. Provide call back information SLOWLY. Repeat it as a courtesy.

Cell Phone: The people you are WITH should take precedence over the one on the phone. Let voice mail take the call if you’re in meetings- church- ceremonies- dinners- movies- concerts. Set your phone to VIBRATE. Speak in a regular conversational tone, or use text messaging.

Susan ended by quoting Peggy Post: “Rudeness is the Number One issue facing this country.”

In question time, Kathy Homiller pointed out that we should recognize cultural differences in polite behavior: in Asian countries, for example, it is considered disrespectful to look someone in the eye.

President HR ended by asking the injured Jim Culberson if he had any valuable points on Skiing Etiquette to share. Nope!

March 21, 2008

Hey!  We didn’t have a meeting, so there’s nothing to write about!

Except, we did get a Letter to the Editor that I’d like to share.  It’s nice to have some positive feedback!

Elizabeth Mitchell forwarded this to me, from Naomi Kilpatrick  :

Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 7:17 PM
To: Elizabeth Mitchell
Subject: Re: The Tar Wheel

Thanks heaps.  It came through loud and clear and I have just sat here and almost felt I was reading a book, catching up on week after week.  Now we should be able to get it regularly.

It’s been neat–we watched Mimi Moore Cooper grow up (her sister was in our daughter’s Scout troop and we knew Anne well–Bill Batten is in our Sunday School class and comes up with sort of inventive teaching (which he does only occasionally since we are imbued with great teacher–including Dot and Bob Walker) and then today’s program was so neat.  I can still see Lib Cox in the reception room while the children were in the dental chairs and she was always reading–not trash but studying.  She is a star.

Just wanted to say we appreciate getting the weekly poop sheet.

Love,   Nomie

March 14, 2008

The Tar Wheel: March Madness Edition

There he was, Billy Packer, larger than life, present at an Asheboro Rotary meeting! Our speaker? A guest of the club? Not exactly: but we had him on TV, anyway. That’s 21st century technology bringing the ACC tournament to the Rotary meeting; when Chapel Hill plays Florida State starting at noon, we either have Mike Lee’s projection TV going, or half the club would be elsewhere! At least we were able to watch until our speaker needed the TV for his powerpoint show…

Not so many regular guests, probably for the obvious reason; Jim Campbell was visiting from the Wednesday club, and Jerry Haywood from the Sandhills club. Bill Batten brought along his business associates from Mexico, Andres Tostado and Hugo Matamoros. But we had double the usual student guests: Elizabeth Johnson, daughter of Duffy and Donna, is the editor of the Ash-High-Chat, plays for the varsity golf team (would we expect less in that family?), and will be attending Phifer this fall to play gold and study Public Relations and Journalism. Kathryn Lail, daughter of Dean and Kay Lail and grandaughter of Jack, is in the band, plays tennis and piano, and will be attending NC State to study “museum work,” or what they officially call in academic circles “Public History.” Julie Sheffield, guidance counselor at Southwest Randolph, was here to shepherd her students. Selection seems to have been based on (1) size and (2) last name: Elton Dale Cranford is the son of Scott and Kenna Cranford of Seagrove, is VP of the SWR FFA, plays baseball, likes fishing and NASCAR, and attends Trinity Wesleyan Church. He’ll be attending NC State to study engineering. Sam Cranford (no relation, but he has our sympathies for being burdened with the name of our PDG) is the son of Tony and Sheila, plays basketball and golf for the school and attends Oak Grove Methodist Church. He’ll be going to UNC-Chapel Hill in the fall.

President HR started us out with a moment of silence to honor the passing of our own Don Durham, a member of the club since May, 1960, when he was sponsored by Barron Mills. Don died March 13th, survived by his sons Carey (former president of this club) and Rick (still running the family business, Durham Printing, now in its 61st year in operation. See Don’s Courier-Tribune obituary here: http://www.courier-tribune.com/articles/2008/03/21/obituaries/293obits031408.txt

Richard Garkalns reminded us that the Human Race tomorrow will benefit the Volunteer Center. President HR reminded one and all that there will be NO ROTARY next week, Friday being Good Friday. He went on to read us Tar Wheel History from January 31, 1973, where former president John O.H. Toledano was presiding over an Honest Count of the votes for new officers, and someone stole his pencil.

Owen George (star of the District 7690 TV commercial now popping up at odd times on cable TV), introduced our guest Kevin Redding, executive director of the Piedmont Land Conservancy, based in Greensboro. (Us oldsters remember several years ago when Kevin came to talk, representing the competition: he was formerly in charge of the Asheboro/ Uwharrie office of the Land Trust for Central North Carolina, based in Salisbury. Kevin has a degree in Natural Resource Management, is married to Lori, has a son Boone aged 2 1/2, and a daughter on the way.

PNC does a lot of work in central North Carolina, such as preserving the 1,000-acre Saddle Mountain tract on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Mitchell River, cleanest stream in the Piedmont, both in Surry County. They’ve also been adding land to Hanging Rock State Park, and preserving Emily Allen’s wildflower garden in Winston Salem, where 7200 varieties of flower will be in bloom around April 12th (not coincidentally, the date of their open house, from 2-5PM : call 691-0008 for reservations).

In Randolph County Kevin and PNC have cooperated with the Zoo in the preservation of the Ridge’s Mountain tract (which, BTW, ought to have 2 or 3 times as much property included for real protection, but we’ll take what we can get since there’s no county parks department). Their primary focus in Randolph has been in the northeast corner of the county, where our so-called Agricultural Preservation District is located (so-called because it’s just a label on a map when developers want to situate a subdivision there- editorial comment). Former Olympian Col . Guy Troy was one of the first to convey an easement to PNC which preserves his family farm for agricultural uses. Since then, the Williams Dairy, the Goat Lady Dairy, and other farmers have donated or sold such easements to PNC. It’s part of the “slow-food” movement to protect family farms and promote the growing of local produce and livestock; it’s also, as Kevin points out, a national security issue, at a time when we should be concerned about food contamination in products being shipped from half a world away.

February 22, 2008

Joy Menius was doing double or triple duty today- providing not only our piano accompaniment, but hopping up to the head table and introducing our program by Tonya Hayes and Allison Dark, with the Children’s Home. Not only that, she brought her mother-in-law Henri Menius as a guest (something which actually got John to the meeting early and sitting beside her on the dias). Daughter Amanda was with Dad Dale Lambert. Jim Campbell, visiting from the Randolph club, was our only Rotarian guest.

Our student guests were both from Asheboro High: Elizabeth Blakely, daughter of Kelly and James Chriscoe, is in the band and on the tennis team, and plans to attend ASU and become a nurse. Joe Boyle, son of Michael and Gayle Boyle, is also on the tennis team, runs cross country, and is in the band. He plans to attend NCSU and study engineering.

Richard Garkalns was at the back table hawking the Human Race sponsored by the Volunteer Center. Register with Richard and win a a 19″ HDTV.

Condolences to James Gouty on the passing of his mother. Break a leg to Phil Shore, starring this week at the Sunset Theater in Harvey.

Carol Matney introduced new member Christy Smith, who lives with her husband Greg on an 80-acre produce farm near Ramseur. She is the daughter of Allen nad Brenda Flow ers, attended UNC-G, and runs Horizon Consulting Services. President HR welcomed her to the club and awarded her our usual bundle of paraphenalia.

Tar Wheels Past: Red wrote on September 23, 1965, about John Bunch’s four boys. Ed was leaving the scene, and Bill’s response to “Who Started the Fight?” was “the nearest one.”

Joy Menius rose to introduce our speaker Tonya Hayes of the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina, who lives in Level Cross with her family. Allison Dark, their Director of Development, ran the powerpoint show. Joy noted with emotion that both of the Meius children were adopted through the Children’s Home.

The Children’s Home is 105 years old. It was started by Greensboro businessmen (the same ones who founded the Chamber of Commerce) in order to keep orphans off the streets. Child Abuse and neglect is still a big problem in North Carolina, says Tonya, with children under age 4 the most vulnerable. A child dies every 9 days in North Carolina from abuse and maltreatment. The state has 100,000 children in foster care, with 3,000 of them having been permanently separated from the biological parents. Most of these kids are between the ages of 6 and 16, and most of them wait an average of 3 years for adoption. Of the kids older than 16 who age out of foster care on their 18th birthday, 70% end up homeless, and 76% end up in prison.

Since its founding in 1902 the Children’s Home has placed more than 13,500 children for adoption. In FY 2007 they served more than 6200 families and children, providing more than 40,000 total days of foster care. But even at that level, Children’s Home Society could find homes for just 36% of the children referred for foster care. Between 1940 and 1970, CHS placed an average of 350 kids per year with adoptive parents, but in 2007 they placed just 200 (46%) in adoptive homes. The reason for the decline in placements is that they receive fewer infants– most available children are “older”– more than 5 years old.

CHS spends about $15,000 per adoption in finding and preparing the families and counseling the children. Their annual budget is over $8 million, of which more than 85% goes to client services. They are a United Way agency, too!

[Editorial note: the good-looking couple who flashed past in the CHS video were Eric and Christy Luckenbach of Asheboro, who have adopted their two children through CHS. Your Scribe would point out that CHS (while top quality service) is not the only provider of foster care or adoption coordination in the Piedmont. I am actually now licensed as a foster parent through the Randolph County Department of Social Services, and there are other options even beyond that.]

February 15, 2008

[The Scribe apologizes for the quality of today's pictures, but he forgot the real camera.  This is what a cell phone camera can do...]

Joy welcomed the packed house at Asheboro Rotary today with poundy Broadway hits like Strike Up the Band . Guests decorated nearly every table, along with red balloons and candy hearts, courtesy of Jaci B, and tasty little chocolate bon-bons at each place, courtesy of our speaker. Quite Upscale! Phil Shore caught the theme by using the invocation to seek Divine intervention to make the world a sweeter place.

We were covered up with guests today, and Rebecca Redding introduced Kim Newsome, with Talmadge Baker; Mimi and Chris Cooper, parents of the speaker, with Linda Cranford; Dr. Christine Giarmo, with Jaci B; Christie Smith with Carol Matney; Darren Allen with partner Alan Pugh; Elizabeth Mason with husband Rodney; Emily Ledwell with Jerry Hill; and Jill Hayes, guidance counselor with Randleman High. Visiting Rotarians were Jim Campbell, from the Randolph Club; former District Governor Henry Brown, from Pinehurst, and Jeannine Thompson, from the Bakersfield, CA. club.

That brought us to our numerous student guests, introduced by Mini Singh. From AHS, we had Kori Chriscoe and Julia Apoian. Kori is the daughter of Keith and Julie Chriscoe (not our Keith, but doubtless distantly related). She’s in the National Honor society and volunteers with Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, and plans to attend UNC-W and become a physician’s assistant in dermatology. Julie is the daughter of Sue and Steve Poe Apoian. She plays saxaphone with the “Zero Period” (i.e., 7:30 AM) jazz band, flute in the marching band and wind ensemble, and plans to major in chemistry and spanish at ASU, then attend Emory for medical school.

Also today we were pleased to have Patricia Fiorelli and Matt Johnson, seniors at Randleman High. Patricia is a varsity cheerleader and the key club secretary. Her father Joe is Kyle Petty’s car chief at Petty Enterprises, and her mother is a Randolph County School dropout prevention counselor. She plans to attend ASU or Chapel Hill and become a physical therapist. Matt Johnson is the grandson of Richard Earl Johnson, past District Governor and former member of this club. He plays football and basketball and plans to attend ASU. But he came prepared for a talent show, as he proceeded to show off his senior project: a guitar that he built himself, over the course of 61 hours of work, under the guidance of his mentor Gerald Hampton. Just to show that it works, Matt played and sang the Kenny Chesney song, “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem.” And he wins this week’s compulsive overacheiver award, hands down!

Past President Prithi temporarily replaced President HR at the podium this week. There was no revived Vegetarian Time, but Prithi did point out that research has shown that passionate love-making was the aerobic equivalent of a four-mile walk. No shoes are required, piped up George Bain, in homage to Matt’s song. And if you can’t walk four miles, come see me professionally, says urologist Dr. Prithi. Hmm.

At last we came to the real program, sponsored by Linda Cranford and the Social Committee. Did You Know, asked Linda, that 300 years ago chocolate was thought to be an aphrodisiac, and was only served as a liquid, and only to men? [Hey, it hasn't even been 300 years, and people are already swallowing Viagra and Levitra like candy!]

Leslie Cooper, daughter of County Health Department Director Mimi Cooper (and grand-daughter of retired AHS typing teacher Anne Moore), is a 2000 graduate of Asheboro High, who majored in nutrition and restaurant management at UNC-G. She received a Grande Plume at the French Culinary Institute, worked in a number of restaurants, and finally returned to Randolph County to start her own business, Love Chocolate (www.eatlovechocolate.com), based in her grandmother’s kitchen outside Ramseur.

Leslie says that she is a custom maker of hand-made chocolate truffles and caramels, and can make about 500 pieces per day. The big chocolate gift times are Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Weddings, so she’s coming off one of her peak periods. She sells at Weaver Street Market in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and exhibits at Bridal Shows, such as one coming up soon at Castle McCulloch, near High Point. She started her own business so she could be a leader in something in the culinary field. Commercial chocolate has a one-year package life because of added vegetable fat; her chocolate only has a one month shelf life because she uses only the most natural ingredients.

She had a power point show about the making of chocolate. Cocoa pods come from South American trees in the “chocolate belt” around the equator; seeds ferment in the sun until “nibs” (the actual raw chocolate) are produced. The nibs are ground to separate out the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids; then “conking” adds sugar and vanilla and emulsifiers to make the smooth creamy chocolate first invented by the Swiss. (Dutch-processed chocolate is much darker; the original beverage chocolate was very bitter, as sugar wasn’t added until Europeans started drinking it).

Leslie brought some of her bon-bons for everyone, and told us how she’d made them. Chocolate is delicate to cook with, and must be tempered like steel to be stronger, harder and more durable. Well-tempered chocolate is shiny, hard, snaps when you break it, and should not melt at body termperature. She melts the raw chocolate at 120 degrees, then cools it to 80, then tempers it to about 90. She pours that into a mold, then shakes and beats and bangs it to get the air bubbles out. The she flips the mold upside down and pours the excess chocolate out, creating the outside shell in the mold. When that cools she call fill it with “ganoche,” a truffle filling. The tempered chocolate will gradually cool and shrink and pop right out of the mold.

Chocolate has caffeine in it, and a chemical called theobromide which is poisonous to dogs. It hits them like a mega-dose of caffeine, but a 60-pound dog (she accidently experimented on one of her greyhounds) must eat a whole pound of chocolate to have a heart attack.

White chocolate technically has no cocoa in it; it is made of cocoa butter, sugar, milk powder and vanilla. Cocoa butter is light colored; cocoa powder is dark, and chocolate is normally dark because the powder suspends in the fat. That’s why melted chocolate sometimes looks clear or yellow- because the fat is separating from the cocoa. Dutch-processed chocolate is much darker, and it’s dark chocolate that has the antioxidants that doctors now recommend. Drink red wine and eat chocolate every day, and live to be 100! Leslie says. (And it’s all vegetarian, says Prithi).

December 28, 2007

Since I was away on business yesterday, I couldn’t take pictures for the Tar Wheel.  So, lacking any other current photos, Your Editor is taking this opportunity to recycle one of his foreign exchange student Roman Bogdanov,  who is back in Russia, where as of today he tells me the temperature is 15 degrees below zero.   His school got out today for the New Year’s recess.  (Here’s his school photo- taken outside, in the park across the street from his school.  He’s wearing his school uniform).  New Year is the most important holiday in Russia– a combination of Christmas, New Year’s and our Thanksgiving.  Their Christmas isn’t until January 6- what we call Epiphany.  Happy New Year, Russian Friends!

Today’s Guest Scribe is non other than Past President Philip Shore,  who has penned many a Tar Wheel Back in the Day:

 

President H.R. called the meeting of not many Rotarians to order after Joy Menius fired Pachelbel’s Canon to glorious effect. Most people were probably still holiday-ing. Please note, though, that we will meet next Friday, January 4. Rotary Information Committee has the program which Chairwoman Elizabeth Mitchell said may be summarized as “Fabulousness” although she did not say what the program was to be. The program for January 11, 2008 will be presented by Dr. Larry Simpson who will give us another update about events in the Middle East.

No student guests today. Two “real” guests as Past President Clayton was wont to refer to non-Rotarian visitors: Gene Cox guest of Elizabeth Cox and Trent Thomas, son of Wayne Thomas.

When asked to say a word about the Rotary Foundation Bill Batten responded loudly, “SEX!” He was using the age old attention getter to call notice to the fact that he had a fistful of CHECKS in his hand. And he wants more. One more week, Rotarians, to make the annual contribution to the foundation or your contribution will have to count in the following year.

Gale Thomas, Chairman of the Food Committee, began the program with a health test. He asked those who had reasonably assured expectations of being able to stand up at their chairs and touch their toes without bending their knees to do so. Many did, although with a grunt and a groan. He asked for a show of hands of those who regularly take a pain medication, from aspirin on up. Many raised their hands. Gale went on to say that, among Americans, one of the healthiest segments of the population is the Amish, because by avoiding work saving equipment, they naturally do more.

All this to lead up to our speaker, Alison Edwards. Alison is a dedicated walker and was invited to present to us the benefits of walking as exercise. It was direct and simple and very entertaining. Alison was originally from Kinston but has lived in Asheboro for twenty-five years. She says that walking boosts her spirits, makes life better, and allows her to eat chocolate.

Alison is a part-time teacher at Northeast Randolph Middle School who walks 6-8 miles each day. Beyond the physical effects walking has improved her mental abilities and supported her emotionally. Her how to become a walker checklist follows:

Walk with a partner who will hold you to the discipline.

Plan when the walking fits best in the day. (For Alison it is in the early morning.)

Keep track of the time and distance walked.

Wear the correct footwear.

Walk in a place that makes you feel secure. (She said that after a bad experience with a dog in her neighborhood, she didn’t feel like walking there any longer.)

Challenge yourself with a goal.

Alison recommends beginning with by walking 20-30 minutes daily and when that is well-established, moving up to the 3-4 mile level. She stated that outdoor walking sites popular in Asheboro are the SAMS track and Oak Lawn Cemetery. Indoor walkers can walk measured distances at Randolph Mall. Alison mentioned that she was excited about Asheboro Parks and Recreation plans for walking tracks in the future.

Members asked Alison several questions about various walking matters. President H.R. brought the meeting to a closed by saying, “I’ve been told to take a walk many times.” And because H.R. follows the Four Way Test, we are sure this is true.

December 14, 2007

Our last program before Christmas was Mostly Music. Bob Walker started us off with an invocation; Tom White prompted the Pledge and the 4WT, and then Delores Crutchfield and the Asheboro High School choral music students sang (for their lunch) the Star Spangled Banner.

Guest Richard Hughes was visiting with Foster Hughes; Maggie Stevens and Harry Lane joined us from the Randolph Club. Charlene “Sherry” Holt was a guest of the Club, and was introduced by Jim Rich. She is the first winner of our new RCC scholarship, started by President Ed Clayton. Sherry is married and has four children, yet maintains a 4.0 GPA, and is a full time student.

Our AHS student guests were Saba Warraich and Alex Mabe. Saba is the daughter of Saida Begum and Muhammad Afzal; she has four brothers and is involved with the Key Club, the International Club, the National Honor Society, and Future Business Leaders of America. She plans to study Pharmacy at a four-year university. Alex is the son of David and Cindy Mabe, and many of us have seen him grow up from a tiny handful. He’s now president of the Latin Club, plays bass guitar, practices the Japanese marital art of Aikido, and enjoys muscle cars at car shows. He plans to attend UNC-G or ASU, get an MBA, and start his own business.

President HR presented our AVS hostess Jessica with a present from the club, and reminded us that there is NO MEETING next week (12-21). There WILL be a meeting Friday 12-28! He called our attention to the flyers on each table for the District Conference, April 24, 2008, at the “Chateau Elan Resort and Winery” in Braselton, Georgia. (Register early and get the special conference room rate). HR read from the Tar Wheel of December 5, 1951, where future club president Tommy Redding, then the small son of Henry Redding, immediately saw that the upside of losing a couple of fingers would be “no more piano lessons!”

Our musical program was provided by the Park Street Vocal Ensemble, under the direction of Delores Crutchfield. I regret I can’t tell you who they all were, but they regaled us with such a capella numbers as “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “The Haitian Noel” (sung in French or Creole). They finished up with “Christmas Is…” with Delores on the piano.

Have a Merry Christmas!

December 7, 2007

It’s certainly That Time Of Year, but some of us evidently didn’t get the Wear Red Memo this morning. Sporting red sweaters were Sam Cranford, Jamie Stitt, April Thornton, Phil Koonce, Jute Ramsey, Foster Hughes, Vee Knott, Kathy Homiller, Elizabeth Cox, and Maxton McDowell. Wearing red ties were Rodney Mason and President HR Gallimore. Mike Lee had AVS break out the red table napkins. Past President Prithi even proudly exhibited his red turban. Your Scribe at least was decked out in a seasonal, if unconventional, green.

A grizzled grey Alan Pugh introduced us to AHS student guests Kristina Voong and Ryan Hodgin. Kristina is a member of the band and color guard and intends to attend Campbell or UNC-CH to pursue a career in pharmacy. Ryan is a member of JROTC and Boy Scouts and likes rugby, camping and ‘longboarding,’ whatever that is. He plans to pursue a civil engineering degree at NCSU. Our only other guest was Harry Lane of the Randolph Club.

Phil Shore reminded the club of the Christmas Parade tonight at 7PM, and next Friday night: Christmas on Sunset.

President HR shared the Tar Wheel from February 18, 1948, where Bobby Donnell revealed that his Sunday School teacher’s most memorable moment was the time his chair tipped over and he busted his head on the windowsill. Who know how we make the most meaningful impact?

Today was Awards Day, mainly for “perfect” attendance, and what better way to start than to acknowledge the beginning of Carl Phillips’ 62nd year as a Rotarian? Maxton McDowell and the Attendance Committee were on hand to hand out certificates. Those with 10 years or more of perfect attendance include: Candi Rudzinski (10); HR Gallimore (12); Prithi Hanspal (12); Mary Joan Pugh (13); Jaci Betts (18); Talmadge Baker (24); Don Allred (25); Jim Finison (26); John Menius (29); Tom White (33); Wilbur Hancock (35); Ralph Kilpatrick (38); and John O.H. Toledano (40).

Candi Rudzinski and Lynn White shared their thoughts about membership. Candi was sponsored for membership by Peggy Morrison, and Lynn by Joe Bossong. Who have you sponsored for membership lately?

The Club has 22 people with 100% attendance, and 387 years of perfect attendance. That said, our percentage of weekly attendance is rather low compared to other clubs in the district. Up until about 12 years ago, it was pretty difficult to make up a missed meeting- it had to be done within a week, and had to be done at an official meeting of another club (not online, which is now a possibility). Many of us remember making up at a meeting of the Liberty, Randleman (now defunct) or Troy clubs.

REMEMBER: No meeting on December 21st, but we WILL meet on December 28th.

November 16, 2007

It was a voluable day at the Scribe Table; everyone seemed to have stories to share. From Phil Shore and Alan Pugh, a lengthy and eruidite discussion of 5/9 time, occasioned by Joy’s rendition of Dave Brubek on the piano. From Jamie Stitt, insight about the SAT and international students at HPU. From Lee Malpass and Your Scribe, back-and-forth on the GAL program, foster parenting, DSS and legal representation in juvenile court. Given all that, Rob Reese tried to add class to the table by seating his guest Shawn Mabe  (a veteran banker now the new city banking manager at RBC Centura) among us, but President HR interrupted that by calling Rob to the head table, and Shawn was entrusted to a less dangerous seat.

From their seats on high, Phil Koonce was called to lead the Four Way Test, and Rob spoke to God and the assembled masses from the Book of Common Prayer. Mini Singh introduced our guests: Shawn, of course; Christie Smith  (a software consultant), with Carol Matney; and Tom Barton and Ralph Hardison of the Randolph Club. Rodney Mason introduced our Asheboro High student guests Veronica Cordera, a member of the student council and junior ROTC, who hopes to major in architecture at NCSU or UNCC; and Katherine Williams,  daughter of Ann and David, a Yearbook editor, a photographer and member of the varsity soccer team, who intends to study marketing at Clemson.

There is NO ROTARY THIS FRIDAY, which is why your scribe is working on this before leaving for Thanksgiving at his sister’s at Morehead City.

President HR opened up an old can of worms (or more appropriately, beans) when he warned the club about the dangers of deep frying a turkey. Past-President Prithi then stood to warn the club about the dangers of turkey. Touche. HR went on to congratulate Leo Derrick on his 80th birthday, to little avail, since Leo is celebrating the same on a cruise.

HR read us part of the Tar Wheel from March 1, 1944, when Sunset Theatre manager J. Francis White had his bluff called on Sunday School by his son Alex. (“See there, it won’t do me any good either!” was the punch line.)

Our program was presented by the Rotary Foundation Committee, and Rob Reese began by extolling the multitudinous good works funded by the Foundation in our names. Last year Asheboro Rotary gave $21,994 to the Foundation, together with $7,000 restricted to Polio Plus, for a total contribution of $28,994. That was more than twice our goal, but even at that, only 65% of us (63 of 115 members) contributed.

The majority of the program was presented by our four past Group Study Exchange team leaders, Lib Cox (team leader to Chile), Jaci Betts (team leader to Brazil), Jim Culberson (team leader to Portugal), and Owen George (team leader to Taiwan). Just having those four seated together at the front table is a powerful demonstration of our club’s commitment to the GSE program: out of the 50 clubs in District 7690, Asheboro Rotary has provided the Team Leader for 4 of the last 12 trips.

Jim Culberson started off by reminiscing about his 1994 exchange with northern Portugal. I should say “our” exchange, for Your Scribe was a member of Jim’s team long before I took over Tom O’Briant’s seat at the Rotary table. Jim’s commitment to GSE began as early as 1979, when he hosted a member of the team from Austria; Jim maintained the connection and visited him and his family in Linz in 2003. For those of you new to the club, the trip to Portugal occured the year of District Governor Wilbert Hancock, and the exchange was powerfully successful on both sides of the Atlantic. Even though Portugal, where palm trees grow and it’s normally sunny and warm in May, was amazingly cold and rainy almost the entire month. But several varieties of wine and beer helped us acclimate, as well as amazement when we found that beer could be purchased from the same street vending machines Coke and Fanta came out of. We were treated like visiting heads of state, from visits with Olympic marathon runners to national tourism officials and the Mayors of just about every cuidad in Portugal, not to mention a tour of the deep bowels of a brand-new hydroelectric station that looked like the set for a James Bond movie. And after Your Scribe complained, they finally began slowing the car down long enough for me to snap a picture of the odd Roman ruin or Gothic cathedral or Napoleonic battlefield while we careened toward the next textile mill or brass foundry tour. Yes, that trip gave new meaning to the phrase, “We’ll sleep when we’re dead,” but it was an amazing and unforgettable 6 weeks.

Jaci’s trip to Brazil started out, in her grandmother’s words, “As hot as 3 kinds of Hell.” Asheboro’s Assistant Fire Chief Mike Jones was one of Jaci’s companions, and was received with acclaim, as both Brazilians and Portuguese love their “bombieros” (firemen). Jaci was a natural choice for leading the team to Brazil, as her parents were missionaries to Mozambique, a Portuguese colony in African, where she grew up.  Jaci shared some of her emotional memories of the trip, especially of Adrienne in Sete Lagoas, a single mother who gave Jaci the key to her house, saying “meinha casa es sua casa,” my house is your house.”

Owen George reminded us of his recent trip to Taiwan, and then shared his even more recent trip back there with the District’s “Fellowship Exchange.”  One big result of Owen’s trip is that businessman John Woo of Taiwan funded an Ambassadorial Scholarship between our districts, and North Carolina has a scholar in Taiwan even now.  In April another team from District 7690 will visit another part of Taiwan, further cementing the ties between our two countries.  And next year, under District Governor Charles Allen, we’ll be exchanging teams with India.

Owen reminded us that GSE “is the jewel in the crown of the Rotary Foundation.”  And Jaci put it all in context by saying that GSE fulfills the objects of Rotary by (1) giving the team the opportunity for service; (2) establishing and maintaining high ethical standards; (3)  Applying the service in a meaningful way; and (4) promoting the advancement of understanding, good will, and peace throughout the world.

When the next exchange comes our way next April, host a team member and share your America with them.  Neither of you will be the same again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Special Instructions for Our Next Meeting

Come Early!

That’s the word from President H.R.

Come eat before noon, because at noon our program will be the Chamber of Commerce’s “Lunch and Learn” mini-seminar on “The Impact of Mental Health Reform in North Carolina.”  [Your Scribe's opinion:  "reform" has been an unmitigated disaster. Just sayin'.] 

There are three speakers, one of whom is Chris Fitzsimons of N.C. Policy Watch.  I’ve heard Chris several times, and he is worth all the trouble.  Here’s their general website:  http://www.ncpolicywatch.com/ .  It’s a “progressive” political organization funded by Jim Goodman of the A.J. Fletcher Foundation, a life-long Republican.  [Only in North Carolina!]

Lunch will start at 11:3o and the three speakers will begin speaking at noon, so PLAN TO COME EARLY!