Meeting of the Rotary Club of Eureka
Day 1 of President Pierson’s Reign of Terror: Hard Hat Monday
(All errors, misspellings, jokes poorly rendered, and inaccuracies are
mine -john)
Lunch: Salad, Pasta, Mushroom chicken, and Lacey cookies
Weather: 59 degrees and partially sunny
S&P: 1319.47
Past President Steve Justus calls the meeting to order. Will Kay led the Pledge and Greg Williston gave the invocation.
PP Justus pinned PP Nielsen with a diamond rotary pin, and gave him a district award for his distinguished year of servitude service.
PP Justus pinned current President Greg Pierson and turned the meeting over to him. Let the beatings commence!
President Pierson, looking rakish in a gray, pinstriped suit with an American flag tie, thanked his family, including his wife Sharon, son Garrett, aunt Anne, mother Donna, and her husband Daryl.
Assistant DG (and PP) Bert Campton was recognized, along with Southwest Rotary President Steve Broadhag & Rotaract President Jennifer Kinikin.
There were no other visiting Rotarians, no student guests, and no exchange student.
Past President Nielsen pinned incoming President Nancy Dean and Secretary Dan Heinen.
President Pierson called for club directors to stand. Confusion ensued, new directors eventually made it up front, and Gary Todoroff, Ron Pierre, Eric Bergel, and Anthony Antoville were met with reasonable applause.
Nancy Dean reintroduced Jennifer Kinikin, who has the distinction of being both the Lost Coast Rotaract chair and also the newly minted District Governor. Jennifer thanked Eureka Rotary for our support. Applause.
PDG Dave Dillon spoke on the history of the Paul Harris Fellowship.
FUN FACT The original Rotary Endowment was set up in 1918 and was a measly $26.17. Since this information came from PDG Dillon, I assume this is accurate and not a joke.
PDG Dillon introduced the newest Paul Harris Fellow, Sharon Pierson. Rousing standing ovation.
New Rotary Theme for 2011: “Reach within to embrace humanity.” This was followed by some modest calisthenics, and the first short joke of President Pierson’s term. It took a mere 24 minutes.
These will be compulsory going forward. The calisthenics, not the short jokes.
President Pierson’s Theme for 2011: “Building a Better Future.” I see what he did there.
The District Governor will be in town on the 25th.
Ziggy is going on vacation, and a request for raffle volunteers went largely unheeded. I’ll send a follow up email to the 1923 committee.
Birthdays and Anniversaries are in the book, congrats to all.
RECOGNITIONS
A sharp young man with a suit brought in the recognition binder under severe lock and key. That binder must have been 8” thick—I expect a record year for fines.
Anthony Antoville: Your daughter graduated from Reed College? That’s $100.
Sue Bosch: Vacation at Point Arena Lighthouse? $50.
PP Bill McAuley: Vacation in New Mexico? $50.
Mary Johnson: Your vacation got cancelled? $0. But Gregg Gardiner helpfully pointed out that she made the front page of the newspaper(FUN FACT: a newspaper is the internet for really old people). $50.
Alicia Cox: You got President Pierson in the paper? Apparently that’s free!
PROGRAM: Our New President
Rotary is going well, so no major changes are planned.
Please get to know the new members, there may be a test.
President Pierson would like to do care packages for front line military this year.
We have 3 major projects that will continue. They are:
- Backpacks for Kids
- Honor Flight
- Safe Blood Africa
The membership goal for this year is 2 new members a month.
Next week: Rotary website tutorial. First lesson topics: “What is the internet?” and “The power button-it’s the round one.”
It’s time for a craft talk! By none other than……new President Greg Pierson.
Greg was born in 1963, went to Winship & Eureka High Schools. Attended Oral Roberts University in the early 1980s, studying management and accounting. There he met his lovely wife Sharon and at this point in the talk he made a “deer” pun. Ouch.
Greg worked for Deloitte in Tulsa, moved to the Boston office, and then did projects for several large corporations.
1:20 pm: Second short joke of President Pierson’s term, this one self-imposed.
Greg’s twin children were born in 1993. He came back to Eureka and worked for the family company, eventually buying it. He now builds large portions of our charming community.
Greg loves Formula 1 racing, sailing, his family, and camping with guns.
GAMBLING INTERLUDE
A.C. $10, D.L. $10
President Pierson elected to use a hammer to ring the bell and ended the meeting….3 minutes early.
Respectfully Submitted,
John Harper
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