Vol. 65 No. 5 Notes from the Podium

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President's Time
Researchers claim to have solved the world's oldest riddle ... they have concluded that the chicken came before the egg. A protein in the chicken's ovary was found that is necessary for the egg. Probably a yolk.

DUES ARE STILL DUE and after tomorrow no more 15% discount on lunch. You know that you could use that savings to pay for your annual sustaining membership contribution (the voluntary one at the bottom of the invoice)to The Rotary Foundation, and still have money left over. REMEMBER - EVERY ROTARIAN EVERY YEAR for $2 every week. Pretty cheap when you think about what that money does....

SWEDISH GIRLS COMING TO CORAL GABLES NEED HOMES! Did that get your attention? October 25 the Inbound GSE (Group Study Exchange) Team arrives in our District. We need homes for the five of them for three days. The team leader is Ana Maria Niilson. Isn't that Ann Margaret's real name?? Could it be? If you are able to open your home to one or two girls or the guys, please contact Yoli Woodbridge.

TOMORROW IS JULY 30. That's our Club's first 5th Friday. Join us and bring your BFF, your SO, your BGF or your spouse. We're being hosted at the Hubbard Alvarez Bungalow by Kelly Sastre and Citizens for a Better South Florida from 6 until 8 p.m. Munchies and wine by Lovables. $10 per person. It's also a great way to introduce a prospective new member to our Club. The address is 138 NW 16th Street. It's right by the new Marlins Stadium (or the old Orange Bowl, depending on your frame of reference). See you tomorrow night? Last chance to RSVP is NOW.

HICKS MOVING AND STORAGE HAS BEEN BUSY collecting good stuff for the November Yard Sale. Thanks this week to Miki Spiejers (yes, again) and Ana Fournaris and Clark Ainsworth (who donated the stuff he's not taking to Santiago) and Dan Brandt who has advised us we will have an antique pool table to sell too! Thanks everyone. Keep it coming. We have lots of projects to fund this year.

KRISTIE HOUSE COLLECTION GOES UNTIL AUGUST 5. If you don't want to go to Office Depot and buy school supplies just drop a couple of $$ in the orange bucket on the registration table and the committee will do it for you.

NOBODY'S READING THIS BLOG...know how we know? Nobody identified the minister in last week's Notes. Come on people ... participate. The world's oldest blogger died yesterday at 104. You too could live forever.

DISTRICT DOLPHIN GAME AND TAILGATE PARTY is coming again this year. December 5 the Dolphins play Cleveland. We've got 50 great seats and a free bus and the tailgate party when we get there. Tickets are only $45. Dick Golden and his buddy Ed Morris (who says last year was really FUN) are coordinating so contact either one of them for more information.

Confident, generous, domineering and stubborn. That pretty much describes Leo native Lan Nghiem-Phu who celebrates his birthday on August 3. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAN!

CELEBRATING THEIR ROTARY ANNIVERSARY THIS WEEK, THE Donald Trombly - six years, J.B. Spence - 11 years and the vanishing Ron Shuffield - 26 years. Rotary's lucky to have you all!

HAPPY DOLLARS

Dr. Randy volunteered for J.B. Spence to take all four Swedish girls but let other who were marginally happy continue to Groh scholarships today including Deena Bell who is "thrilled" to have us come to Citizens tomorrow night to Party. She's on their Board. Bruce Kerestes wanted us to share in the anxiety of the pending birth of his second grandchild ... any minute. J.B. Spence says that the recession is absolutely over and he's rolling in $$. He got a check for $1.26 from the IRS, $1.15 from a royalty on his book and $6.00 from an investment. It's been a lucky week. PP Wiley Hicks is happy to be going to Park City with his son and trekking around the Midwest ending at a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. J Guarch had to borrow $5 so he could express his happiness at being married 27 years and celebrating that and his wife's 50th birthday all at the same time in Panama. Then he's taking his son to Auburn for the start of school. Ana Fournaris was grateful to Hicks Moving & Storage and to Clark Ainsworth and Wiley for picking up her junque for the yard sale. Walter Alvarez's son is happy because his gorgeous 6 ft. tall (with legs all the way up to here says dad) girlfriend has arrived from Virginia and it's the first time he's smiled for quite awhile. Yoli Woodbridge was questioning why the good Dr. Randy was being followed down the street by a bevy of young women. He claims they were all coming to Happy Dollars. Luis Boue just paid $5 to stand there. He was trying really hard to make it really hard for Dick Golden to tell one of his now infamous jokes. But Dick Golden finally got his chance to tell us about Chief Kibbitz who's wife is named Three Horses ... nag, nag, nag. Lotsa happiness pays for scholarships so keep on smiling!

Today's Program, "Alfalit Ecuador Grant at Work" was presented by our own Bill Quesenberry. Bill is the chair of the International projects committee this year and he was basically blowing our Club's collective horn while presenting information on the literacy programs that our club has sponsored with Alfalit through the District and Rotary International Matching Grants programs. The way the grants work is we put in $1. The District matches that with $1 and RI matches our club with $.50 and District with $1. So our dollar donation goes out into the world as $3.50. Pretty good return isn't it? Our Club has been involved in International Grants to the tune of $92,300 which has resulted in $270,000 in major projects funding around the world. Rotary Rocks! Coral Gables is awesome!!

NEXT WEEK'S SPEAKER is Robert Molleda from the National Hurricane Center. The subject, "Preparing for the Inevitable". You won't want to miss this one for sure!

WORKING ROTARIANS - JULY 29, 2010

Greeters - Rodney Langer & Rolf Frankfurter
Registration - Aaron Glasser
Collections - Carlos Bolado & Abe Horowitz
Head Table - John Wallace
Special Needs - Frank Sexton
Open the Meeting - Dick Golden
Invocation - Jack Witty
Pledge - Bruce Kerestes
Singers - Bill Quesenberry, Deena Bell, Abe Horowitz
DeWitt Law Silver Dollars - Mr. Bling Eddie Snow
Given to - Brent Nagel and Bil Quesenberry
Pin Drawing Gift - Deena Bell
Pin Drawing Winner - Abe Horowitz
50/50 Collections - Gloria Burns & Donald Trombly
50/50 Winner - Donald Trombly (!?!?!)


THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

by Donald Trombly

"Educate and inform the whole mass of the people ... they are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty." Thomas Jefferson





As you go through your week remember ... If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of the world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. Count your blessings.