Rotary Log: March 27, 2013 (annual poetry hoot)

Judy Ringer’s song choices, “HERE COMES THE SUN” and “GOD BLESS AMERICA” were absolutely perfect. Thanks, Judy!  The sun is, thankfully, sitting just a bit higher and shining just a bit brighter these days.  WELCOME, SPRING!

President Nancy Notis brought the meeting to order with fond words in memory of Catherine Jarvis, a dear friend to Rotary and the community.   Catherine will be missed—and fondly remembered.   Father Allen followed with a simple and elegant memorial prayer.  

Announcements and Fines: 

Past President Neil Ouellette fined Jamie Thompson $ 2 for being promoted to Vice President. 

So much for that salary increase!  And Walter Liff was fined $1 for having his mug on the cover of New Castle’s The Islander, along with all Rotarians who happen to live in New Castle (yeah, well, why not? Guilt by Association?!)

Dave Underhill reminded everyone that DISTRICT ASSEMBLY is April 6.  There are now, said Dave, five or six people going, more are WELCOME.  The group will car pool.

Janice Wood announced that counts and meal choices for the Saturday, March 30, 90^th Anniversary  

ARE DUE NOW. 

Prior to the Poetry Hoot, we were treated to a 2 minute stand-up routine I’ll call “Fluid Transitions” by Neil O. and Ted Alex.   It was all about the transition from Ted’s to Neil’s presidencies as follows:  Ted had a successful auction; Neil’s auction was CANCELLED, leaving him with a big old financial hole to fill. 

Ted’s presidency was the Club’s final year at Yoken’s, Neil began his reign homeless (but ending up at Red Hook.)  Ted raised dues (apparently his term was about the $$); Neil started the Annual Joke Show (and Neil’s was about--- hmmm--- being unsettled?!).   In any event, on to the ANNUAL POETRY HOOT, thanks to and emceed by DAVE HOLDEN. 

Thanks, Dave.  The Poetry Hoot is always a lot of fun!!

Donna Llewellyn led off with one of my favorite childhood poems, nonsense rhyme “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass.  Followed by Ted Alex and the absolutely appropriate “The Captain’s Daughter.”  Reverend Allen, with the perfect cadence he is known for, read Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.”  Basil Richardson’s dedication to City Hall was true Basil- hilarious.  “What a wonderful world this would be if everyone was just like me…” J  Nancy Notis followed the unfollow-able Mr. Richardson (forgive me—every now and again I make up words) with a little ditty comparing terms of the past to those of the present.  My favorite line: “If you had a 3-inch floppy (back in the day), you hoped nobody found out!”  Can Nancy SAY that!?  Neil, I’m thinking a retroactive fine just might be called for here…

And on to Ben Wheeler with his very funny poem on taxes, Jay Gibson’s good-natured “An Ode to Husbands” by Ogden Nash, John Rice’s poignant “Is the Peace Broken,” Fred Pettigrew’s absolutely touching “Beech Tree” poem. I especially liked Fred’s description of the tree’s width as “the span of three hugs, fingertip to fingertip”.; “Mending Wall” from Pat Barbour, about growing up in Minnesota,  Larry Gray with “The Crocodile’s Toothache” by children’s poet Shel  Silverstein (nice choice, Larry- it’s refreshing when folks laugh at themselves);  an inspirational  choice from Sandy Tucker (how did you know I needed that, Sandy?)

WELL DONE, EVERYONE!