Our Club’s annual Installation Dinner on June 26 was attended by 30 of our 63 members, seated around five tables in the Community House’s garden room along with many guests: Arthur Frank’s wife Mary Kay Dawson, President Eric’s daughter Julia Birkenstein, Ginny Hilton’s daughter Linda Hilton, Bob Baker’s wife Joanne, Alan Ramsey’s wife of 61 years Joan, Sam Badger’s wife Nancy Badger, Peter Skalski’s wife Betty Cannon-Skalski, Heather Higgins’ husband Geoff Higgins and their grandson Thomas Higgins, Joe Fell’s wife Karen Templeton and Keith Reed’s wife Beth Reed. April Dahlquist, a reporter from The Current attended briefly to interview outgoing President Eric.
Cold beer, wine and soft drinks were enjoyed before the meeting started with the thought of the day by David Birkenstein. David’s words drew our attention to the plight of many children in the world, including immigration problems at our country’s borders and Rotary’s ongoing battle against polio. While Julia displayed a banana, President Eric reported on the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s efforts to address vitamin A deficiencies worldwide. Every year 650,000-700,000 children worldwide are dying, and at least another 300,000 are going blind from lack of sufficient vitamin A. Bananas are a staple of the diet of Ugandans, and Australian researchers have developed a genetically modified banana that has five times the amount of vitamin A of regular bananas. The Gates Foundation is providing $10,000,000 for tests of the controversially GMO fruit, given its potential to dramatically reduce the consequences of vitamin A deficiencies.
President Eric then briefly summarized some of our Club’s accomplishments over the last year; over 100,000 meals provided to poor Nicaraguan children through Kids Against Hunger; over 3,300 new coats provided to grateful recipients though Operation Warm since our collaboration with them began; approximately $25,000 in Community grants given through our Club’s Foundation; fund raising at the WCH’s Last Blast of Summer; a hugely successful gala at Michigan Shores Club through the hard work of Bob Baker and Connie Berman and the stellar entertainment arranged for by Keith Reed; excellent speakers through the efforts of Arthur Frank; Two joint club meetings with two Wilmette Rotary Clubs through the efforts of Randy Reeves; creation of two new committees – Oversight (chaired by Maria Kuipers) and Community Service (chaired by Kristen Leahy and Barb Tubekis); and, a net increase of six new Club members (only 8 other clubs in District 6440 had any increase at all).
President Eric reported that our Club is on sound financial footing, and that a modest surplus of finds will be transferred to our Club Foundation. Our Club’s Board of Directors was recognized for their efforts this past Rotary year, and each presented with a set of Rotary glass tumblers. President Eric then swore in our new President Bob Baker for his second term, who then installed our new Board of Directors. President Bob presented Eric with his “Past President” badge and diamond Rotary pin, as well as personalized gavel to be proudly displayed on his office wall. Eric will now become an Assistant District Governor. Rodger and Tony presented President Bob with an oversized gavel, and Rodger (our Club’s only other two-term President) stated his sincere hope that Bob now does it right this time in his second term.
President Bob then spoke of new beginnings for his term, using the wedding saw:
Something old – a “Rotarian of the week” in our Club will be honored by having an old Rotary flask (empty) placed in front of them on their table, and they will lead us in reciting the 4-way test.
Something new – the theme chosen by RI President-elect Gary C.K. Huang “Light Up Rotary” for 2014-15. Huang was inspired by the teachings of Chinese philosopher Confucius who said: "It is better to light a single candle, than to sit and curse the darkness.
Something borrowed – the wisdom in the children’s book “The Crayon Box that Talked” in the form of a poem recited at the President Elect training conference, an anti-discrimination message based on the different colors of crayons in a crayon box: Every member can contribute and we will all work together.
Something blue – the blue in Rotary’s emblem and our Club’s banner.
Joe Nash won the End Polio Now raffle, but failed to cash in on the jackpot as he drew the King of Spades The meeting ended with the four way test as all of the Rotarians and guests bid a fond farewell to each other and went off duly inspired for another great Rotary year.
