It's Tuesday! Must be Las Vegas Fremont Rotary meeting day. The BEST Club in the ________! If you need help completing that sentence then you haven't attended for a while - probably a couple of years. Come, join us and find out who we are and why we are the best. August is membership month and the perfect time to visit, or if you are a current member, bring a guest. And now on to our meeting recap.
President Robin Smith brought the meeting to order, thanking Kevin Hejmanowski for his superb duties as meeting Captain, then moved on to inspirational moment, pledge and a perfect club song that your Editor forgot to bring back and publish. Something about being the best and humility - our new Club song thanks to Steve Gibson & Staff. Guests included:
Demi Wasden, future Rotarian and granddaughter of Marilene Nevins
Greg Clemens, Rotarian on leave (we hope not for much longer)
Jim Ozarowicz, guest of Larry Goldstein
Joe Parnello & Drizzle Gibson, guests of Steve Gibson
Pres. Robin presented a banner she received, as the story goes, from a man named Sonny whom she met in Lisbon at International Conference, who owns a limo named "Vegas" and sent her banners from Africa. True story! Speaking of International Conference, RI's next one is June 1 - 4, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. Pres. Robin has done her research and located a great deal for airfare and rooms. Approximately $2,300 - $2,500 will cover everything except for the Conference registration. Contact expert shopper Pres. Robin for more information. So far, Pres. Robin, Asst. Gov. /Past Pres. Linda Bertuzzi and Past Pres. Allen Puliz have committed to attending.
Membership Chair Michael Woodfield gave a recap of the Summer Theatre night to watch Legally Blonde-see Committee Reports below for details. Michael, Past Presidents Lane Kay and Allen Puliz will arrive early to reserve our private viewing area. Fundraising Chair Carla Smith asked everyone to start considering possible sponsors to solicit in August when we have our material for distribution. Special thanks to Marilene Nevins and Secretary Teresa Sowers for taking the table decor sponsorship and Pres. Robin for being our first Bronze Sponsor and Beverage Sponsor.
Some very hefty Presidential Recognitions went to Past Pres. Drew Levy for his many photos posted on Facebook during his vacation (he was thrown under the bus with the exact photo count from Past Pres. Roger Tabor) and to Past Pres. Jim Main for missing the first 3 meetings of the Rotary year. Greg Clemens presented the Club with a banner from Maui, which didn't garner Recognition from the President for his vacation travels - watch out Greg!
Cross-fines - a little bit of levity that can rack up a lot of dollars for the club's kitty. And, this week was no exception. To Steve & Drizzle Gibson (aka Gibson & Staff or Sizzle & Drizzle), multiple fines for the outstanding Karaoke party at their home, featuring multiple bathrooms with elegant facilities and reading material, as well as enough delicious food to host 3 club meetings; to Roger Bishop for not recognizing Carla at a recent event; to Bernice Davidson for coercing Carla to a meeting that ended up being great; to MICHAEL Woodfield for not showing up for Karaoke and for preferring not to be called Mike; to Past Pres. Jim Main for calling Past Pres. Geoff Holmes "Greg"; to Past Pres. Drew Levy for sporting a sharp-looking new Goatee and to Greg Clemens for securing a parking spot for PP Roger Tabor's wife on the beach in California.
Our featured speaker was Pat Getter, renowned author of "Find Your Inner Popeye, Work Advice for the Square Pegs in the Round Holes of Life". Pat, after reflecting on her own square peg moments in life, asked us to reflect on this question - "When thinking about someone you really want to like you.....is it really that or is it that you want them to accept you?" "I yam what I yam." And no one knows better than Popeye, the iconic sailor man, that to succeed you must remain true to yourself. "Find Your Inner 'Popeye'" is advice on leveraging your individualism - not compromising or sacrificing it - so you can still succeed even when you feel like the square peg in the round hole of life. Getter has compiled some advice learned the hard way to help you get through it all without losing your identify. At the end of the day, will you be able to look at yourself and be satisfied that you still have your integrity and self-worth? Just like Popeye, you may be beaten along the way but you will persevere and overcome your obstacles if you believe in who you are.