Logo for: Rotary Old Saybrook

OS Rotary Meeting of 7/21/10

Pledge:   President Joan       
Prayer:  Gerri
Song:  Bill Mclaughlin.  Sang a Rotary song from the Rotary songbook and we all
    repeated the 4-Way test.  With enough practice we should all learn it.
Brent's Flim/Flam:
    High hand won by Bob Anroniac with 3 aces!
Raffle Winners:
    Jason, Bill Beck and Marty
Happy $'s:  Brent for seeing an unusual lightning strike,  Many for our guests and 
    visiting Rotarian Jay White from VT, Many for Bill Suits coming home from
    Gladeview Friday, President Joan for good attendance today, Angus for being back
    and in good health, Many for Clement's going away party last week (He's heading 
    back to France after saying goodbye to his many friends.)
Announcements:
    Paul Moore covered the Treasurers report.  He announced we realized about $22K
    from our investments in the foundation and that the value of the investments are in
    excess of $400K.  There were few questions on the reports.
    President Joan said the District Gaovernor's Installation dinner was very nice and that
    DG Julie has donation containers that each club has for members extra change and 
    even better gifts.  Joan also stated we should try to get more publicity for our good
    works, through the Chamber or any other methods.  If you have any thoughts, contact
    Marty with them.
    We also received a thank you note from a World Affairs Council attendee and from the 
    Superintendant  of Schools in O.S. for our involvement with the youth of the town.
    Ass't DG Gerri indicated we need a few more people at the food booth on Sunday
    from 12 - 2:30 and from 2:30 to 4.
    Liberty  Bank sent a thank to the club for it's partication in the Thanksgiving Dinner
    program.  They're having a thank you breakfast for those organizations that helped.
    Paul Moore announced next week's program will be a talk on Charitable Giving
    given by someone from Essex Financial.
    Keith introduced his guest Alberte Cocomo, who we hope woulld like to join us.
Rotary Member Bio - a War Story:  Ron Scott
    Ron was in the Air Force during WWll, with the engineering group.  They built air strips
    on newly liberated islands.  He was a bulldozer driver.  When they finished the airstrip 
    on Okinawa, they were packing up to head back to the Phillipines.  They travelled in
    LST's (Landing Ship Tanks), which are large cargo carrying amphibious landing craft.
    Both the heavy equipment and the Air Force folks were all billoted in the cargo area,
    heavy equipment in the middle and people along the Port & Starboard sides of the
    space.  They were in 9 man compartments with a head (john) every few 
    compartments.  As luck would have it the little convoy headed right into Admiral 
    Halsey's typhoon.  For 3 days and 3 nights they pitched and rolled, sometimes into 
    90' waves.  The navy told the air force folks to stay in their bunks and don't leave the
    compartments.  They had little water, few rations, and weren't able to get to the 
    heads.  Many were sick and the smells were terrible.  When the typhoon finally 
    eased and they were allowed out of their compartments, of the 9 people in his
    compartment, only six came out.  Two had died and one had committed suicide.
    Several of the smaller ships in the fleet capsized and sank.  Ron's experience is 
    something no-one should go through.  A captivating, grim story!

asl

THE FOUR-WAY TEST
of the things we think, say or do
First...
    Is it the TRUTH ?
Second....
    Is it FAIR to all concerned?
Third....
    Will it build GOOD WILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
Fourth....
    Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?