Rotary Log: May 12, 2011 (Dwight Davis)

Rotary Log

May 12, 2011

A beautiful sunny Thursday at Rotary started off with the usual rituals – though I must say our singing voices need a little boost and I think we all need to be prepared with an invocation……just in case!!!!!  Good job Sheri!  I had the pleasure of sitting at Rev. Allen’s usual table only to find out that he is under the weather and was not there.  I know we collectively send our thoughts and prayers to one of my favorite Rotarians!  God’s blessings and well wishes to him!

Ted Alex shared a vocational moment with us, which was both educational and inspiring.  Among a few of his Rotary achievements, Ted has been a member since 1992, is a Senior Director, manages the Hands On Committee, and started the Jeremy Alex fund in 2004 in honor and memory of his son.  He shared a slide show of many of our Club’s Hands On projects going back to 1992 and peaked our curiosity about an upcoming project.  Stay tuned…    Personally, Ted is involved with condo management through his company True North Property Management  and on weekends runs South End Charters, boasting fishing charters and scenic tours.  A busy man of many talents!  Thank you Ted.

Diane welcomed three new Rotarians – Stuart Simon with Great Bay Services, which provides services to adults with developmental disabilities.  Stuart has also been a speaker at one of our meetings.  He was born in Brooklyn and grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC.  Ann Kelly has worked in computer software for 18 years doing marketing and PR.  She has been affiliated with Friends Forever and on the Board of Directors.  She resides in Dover.  Janice Reams is originally from Minnesota and is now a resident of Hampton.  She has spent most of her career in banking and most recently joined Centrix Bank.  Her claim to fame is the unusual names of her grandsons – Wolf and Deezel (forgive any incorrect spelling).  They have some stories to share no doubt!

President Diane announced a few changes from the Visioning Committee:  effective August 1^st, our weekly meeting will take place at the Portsmouth Country Club – thank you Neal Ouellett for spearheading that committee; ClubRunner, our new integrated system will be able to send and receive dues online and you will have the option of paying with a credit card; and Deb Grabowski is taking over as Assistant Secretary for the rest of this term and next.  Thank you Deb.

Reminders that there will be a truck onsite at the meetings to collect items for our Funky Junk Yard Sale on June 4^th from 8 – 2 at the Community Campus.  Scour the house and bring in all that stuff you’ve been meaning to get rid off – spring cleaning has arrived.  Also, we’re only 6 weeks away from our golf tournament and we’re way ahead of last year, which was a record year!  We still need sponsors and auction items.  Please see John Pratt or David Splaine if you can help.

Our guest speaker today was Dwight E. Davis, a local Seacoast Rotarian and retired professional basketball player.  Nicknamed Double D, all 6 ft 8 inches of him is vibrant and entertaining.  Self proclaimed a nervous speaker, Dwight was told to picture his audience naked, but joked as he put on his glasses, that at his age, he just couldn’t see the audience anymore!!!  That got a good laugh out of all of us since I think many of us feel that way too.  Unfortunately, due to a stubborn computer, we were not able to see Dwight’s slide show of his basketball days and “short shorts.”  Maybe next time????

Dwight’s story today was not one of his basketball feats, which are many, but of his tremendous addiction and how he overcame it to change his life around.  Dwight grew up in the segregated South and up until the age of 10 or 11 was not allowed in any integrated situations.  His father was his hero and he passed away 5 years ago.  Both of his parents worked 2 and 3 jobs to support 5 children and he feels his life has been about living up to what his parents demonstrated.  He was driven to sports success and achievement and recalls going to the library and reading books by Red Auerbach and Bill Russell and then going out and practicing and practicing and practicing.  He was driven in his sports endeavors so that his dream of a college scholarship would come true and he could help out his family financially.  Dwight played at the University of Houston from 1969 to 1972 and was selected as the third overall pick of the 1972 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers; he also played for the Golden State Warriors.  At some point during a very successful sports career, his moral compass changed and a tremendous addiction reared its ugly head for the next ten years of his life.  He says every day was a bad day and he had a ten year run of bad days.  After his sports career ended, he found himself homeless and hopeless.  What pulled him out of it?  Faith, family and friends – who never gave up on him.  Great strength and great courage – the need to refocus that moral compass and be the person he knew he should be and was.  With the help of Rotarians and that endless supply of giving,  today he is a successful man whose life has changed – living in the beautiful Seacoast with his wife.

In 2007, Davis was appointed by Governor John Lynch to the N.H. Workforce Youth Council and in 2008 he became the Chairperson.   He is also a Board member of the Greater Seacoast United Way and will be chairing the 2011 – 2012 campaign.  He was inducted into the “Hall of Honor” at the University of Houston in November of 2006, some 34 years after leaving.  He still holds many records for his rebounding, blocked shots and scoring.  Dwight spends much of his free time working with at risk teens and teaching lessons on and off the court.

Thank you Dwight for your inspiration and courage.  You exemplify the very spirit of Rotary.