Broadcaster: March 18, 2022
There were about 25 Rotarians in attendance at the Cultural Center when President Dale Yagiela rang the Rotary Bell, calling our meeting to order. Another 6 Rotarians joined us via Zoom. President Dale led the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation.
It was great to see the newly retired Dale Knab with us! We will miss visiting Dale and wife Andrea at Wiltse’s Pharmacy—a downtown institution they have owned since 1990. We hope to see more of Dale at club events in the future. (Ask me about the time my father took me to Wiltse’s when I was very young and he was a newly inducted Rotarian….)
Dale, as meritorious Sergeant in Arms, managed to wrangle a $10 fine out of Bill Weber—something relating to Bill’s poor golfing prowess over the years. Sorry Bill… but the Club thanks you for your contribution!
When Dale signed the legal docs for the ownership of the pharmacy back in 1990, he did so at the table of the law offices where John Thomas was a partner. And a friendship was born. Dale introduced his good friend, John Thomas, as our program speaker.
John is well known for his passion for American history. Combined with his prowess as an elocutionist, John’s program was informative and insightful. The program began with a recap of George Washington’s farewell address (in the form of a letter, not a speech) in which the outgoing president warned against close international alliances and geo-factionalism. The program dove into the impact of political parties and Gerrymandering, especially relating to presidential elections. John pointed out that “Gerrymandering” is often mispronounced. The proper pronunciation is “Gary-mandering” like Gary Davis. Not “Jerry-mandering like Jerry Ostein. The program also touched on the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union, which established the Ukraine and 14 other independent republics. In John’s opinion not providing financial support to these republics was a missed opportunity for the United States. In comparison, the U.S. provided economic recovery to Western Europe after World War II through the 1948 Marshall Plan. In closing, our esteemed speaker remained optimistic about our democracy, noting that in a democracy there are avenues to bring about change (elections, courts, etc.). Scant opportunities for change exist under communism.
“Announcements”
• Thursday, March 24. 7-9pm at PARC. Our club is co-hosting the School Safety Forum along with the Kiwanis Club. Although many of us have “seen” this forum already, we are HOSTING the event to stakeholders within our community. To be effective HOSTS we must be present. Please plan to attend, bring your spouse or significant other and wear your Rotary pin, etc. We don’t want the public to think the Kiwanians are the event’s sole hosts.
• Four-Way Test Essay Contest Volunteers Needed. Our club is sponsoring an essay contest for local middle school students. Students submit a short essay showing how they can apply Rotary’s Four Way Test to help solve a problem. Volunteer readers are need. You will be provided with resources to grade a small number of essays in late March and April. We are counting on club members to help out! Please reach out to Carol or Tony for more details:
Carol Souchock 248-245-5057 or carolsouchock@gmail.com
Tony Bruscato 734-751-1367 or tb53@wowway.com
• Photographs Needed. Pictures tell a thousand words, so we need your help in sharing our story through photos. Photos will be used on the soon-to-launch new club website, social media posts, banners, etc. These communications tools are targeted to potential new members, volunteers and donors. Do you have photos of you and your fellow Rotarians and Rotary volunteers? We are specifically looking for photos showing Rotarians as People of Action at our club’s events and activities. Please email your favorite pics to Carol by March 20. She can also drop off a portal drive for you to download them on to. Carol Souchock 248-245-5057 carolsouchock@gmail.com
Yours in Service
June Kirchgatter, Broadcaster Rep.