PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Red Badge Alert! Some of our most active Club members are new Red Badgers, and what an energetic group they have proved themselves to be, based on their Hurricane Relief Auction scheduled for 23 March. Organizing such an event takes Herculean effort: first, they had to find stable contacts in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, then locate affected groups with defined needs. And next, they had to motivate new LARC members to approach longtime club members and companies for donations, plus put together a new collection system using credit cards, and the series of challenges goes on and on. So next Thursday, when we come to share fellowship and hopefully maintain Hundred Percent Attendance in March, let’s all contribute our part to the success of their project. Invite a friend to join you for lunch, bid often, and see the results of the Red Badgers’ hard work.
After the bell and the Pledge, Irish songster SETH MANNING led the choir in a fine rendition of “I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover.”
The Thought for the Day was delivered by PAT MILLAR. Pat shared the eight points that Thomas Jefferson, that well-known Irishman, lived by and might be a good model for the rest of us:
Be just; justice comes from virtue which comes from the heart.
Treat people the way we want them to treat us.
Always work for peaceful resolutions, even to recurring violence, with compassion.
Consider valuable the things of no material value.
Do not judge others.
Do not bear grudges.
Be modest and unpretentious.
Give out of your generosity, not because you expect to be repaid.
PRESIDENT-ELECT, SAM PESNER, introduced visiting Rotarians, Judy Hanneman from Mountain View, and George Fitzgerald from Palo Alto, and then called upon our members to introduce their guests.
Then, to the surprise of us all, PRESIDENT MARLENE announced that instead of “Fellowship Time” we would be treated to some traditional Irish Step Dancing by Miss Ariel Ross, daughter of our own GARY ROSS, with the music handled by proud Mom, Tracy Ross. The young Miss Ross, currently a student at Blach Jr. High, presented two dances that generated the greatest applause, by far, for anything that day (and even a few whistles). I’m sure you sharp-eyed aficionados in the audience noticed the dress worn by Miss Ross to be the custom work of Gavin Doherty of Dublin, Ireland, the world famous dress designer for National Champion Irish Step Dancers. Oh, did I mention that Miss Ariel Ross IS the National Champion Irish Step Dancer. We were quite honored to have this future MVHS student perform for us on this fine day.