CLUB MEETING,  March 7, 2024  

Past President Mitone Griffiths, who was going to fill in for President Liz Schuck, was out today with a cold; so Past President Kevin O’Brien took over. The meeting began with some chatter until Kevin rang the bell, wryly noting that it’s taking longer for us to stand up.​

Pledge of Allegiance  Nancy Wolfberg led the Pledge today.

Inspiration Thought 

Called on for words of inspiration, Barb Nielsen said she had something different today: Her second-grade teacher taught Robert Louis Stevenson; and, as a poetry lover herself, she read his poem “My Shadow:”

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, 

And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. 

He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; 

And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed. 

 The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow— 

Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow; 

For he sometimes shoots up taller than an india-rubber ball, 

And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all. 

 He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, 

And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way. 

He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see; 

I'd think a shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me! 

 One morning, very early, before the sun was up, 

I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup; 

But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, 

Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

Applause followed and Kevin commented, “That’s a classic!”

Barb noted that in his boyhood Stevenson had been sickly, so a lot of his poems talk about fantastical lands and soldiers. 

Announcements 

Kevin mentioned that Liz is in Cabo, Mexico now, with the group that’s heading to La Paz to volunteer in the medical clinic there with Dr. Nancy Harris. Mitone was to lead today’s meeting, but woke up with a cold and stayed home so as not to infect others. Renee Lewis was coming with a guest, but Renee also had to opt out; she’ll  be here next week with her guest. 

Kevin did a fun little quiz around the Academy Awards: what were the 10 films nominated for Best Picture? Guesses included Barbie, Oppenheimer, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Poor Things, Anatomy of a Fall, (Kevin warned us not to look on our phones for the movie names) American Fiction, Past Lives, The Holdovers, The Zone of Interest (a nominee for Best Picture.) Kevin added a few words about each and asked who’d seen them and if they liked them. He noted how the Oscars could change careers, and asked what was the Best Picture of 2023 (no one knew); it was Everything Everywhere and All at Once. Then he asked for Best Actor in 2023 (Brendan Frasier), Best Actress  (Michelle Yoh).

Member News

Ginger had passed out sheets titled “Proposing New Members” listing everything you needed to know about proposing a new member, information that is also on the district Website. She added that we all are on the membership committee:  we can talk to people about Rotary; share what we do; and why we like it. She also mentioned wearing our pins to start conversations about Rotary, and reiterated the importance of new members. 

Kevin asked for anything else anyone wanted to share. Irwin said he had attended the “best conference” this past weekend (PETS), where the necessity of getting new members was stressed, as the more members we have, the more we can do. 

The District Assembly is coming up March 23; it’s important for new members to come to “rub elbows” with other Rotarians outside our club. The conference is important for Rotarians to attend at least once since you learn about Avenues of Service and what other clubs are doing; go even if you’ve been to one before since it’s different every time. At the conference they introduce Presidents-Elect, which this year means Irwin, who is driving to the conference and has room for one more. We can go to the Website and sign up; it is free and Irwin encouraged us to support Mitone as incoming District Governor.

Next Week 

Good thoughts were asked for the Half Moon Bay Rotarians who have gone to help in the clinic in Mexico.

Marble Game -  

The marble drawing followed; Dave Dickson picked Kathy Wilson’s name, but sadly she got a green marble.