Vol. 12, No. 22, November 29, 1999

IN THIS ISSUE

  • BBRC Celebrates 14th
  • Anniversary
  • Meeting Reminder For Members
  • Board of Directors
  • Fun Zone
  • Summary of BBRC Anniversary Dinner,
    held Friday, November 19, 1999
    BBRC Celebrates
    14th Anniversary

    Nearly 120 Rotarians, spouses, and guests gathered at the Bear Creek Country Club in Woodinville Friday evening for fellowship, a delicious dinner, and entertainment, celebrating the beginning of the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary’s 14th year. Past President Sharon Edberg opened the gathering with the invocation and leading of the pledge to the flag.

    With Kim Shrader handling MC duties, a dialog of Husky-Cougar jokes preceded the annual Apple Cup game set for the next day. Warming up the crowd, DeWater then delivered his holiday message – a State of the Club. He cited the Club’s focus on long-range issues, with the formation of the Long-Range Planning Committee, Vision 2000, chaired by Sharon Edberg. “We have watched, with pleasure, the formation of our Past Presidents into a group who can act as a steering committee and give us the benefit of their wise counsel.” DeWater praised the quality of the programs presented each week … “the heartbeat of the Club. Fundraising becomes the breath, the fun we have, the soul. We have learned how to work harder and smarter.”

    The President closed his part by dedicating a clever poem to the assembled crowd, ’Twas the Night Before …”

    The Raffle was the big topic of conversation, as club members bathed in the hefty results of the record-breaking fundraiser. Norm Johnson, Raffle chairperson, reported that the final tally would show $110,000 raised during the 13-week campaign. At this point, Fundraising Manager Don Deasy took over to award the various individuals and teams who made history for the BBRC.

    Using the metaphor of baseball, the Fundraising managers deftly worked the symbol of the big league sport into the total fabric of the Raffle campaign. From the opening of the Cactus League, when the draft took place to the opening day of the season on July 30th, the teams and individual players knuckled down and produced nearly $30,000 more dollars for charity to be distributed next year.

    “Our golf tournament set the tone when we counted almost $40,000 at that event,” Deasy observed. “This effort paid for all the expenses of the raffle, so that each ticket sold became pure profit for Eastside charities. The grand total of funds raised rocketed to an estimated $144,300!”

    Forty-nine members were inducted into the exclusive “Sluggers Club,” representing a sales effort of at least $1,000. With the two-team leagues vying for superiority, a ferocious battle ensued during the campaign, the American Leaguers finally winning out with an average of $998 per member to the National League’s $932.

    As for teams, Terry Peterson’s Greenbacks of the American League were the World Series champs, with an average of $1,233 per team member, beating out Ted Szatrowski’s Black and Blue Sox of the National League, who averaged $1,179. “Considering that we expected our members to achieve something like $700 as an average effort, you can imagine how grateful we are that this figure was nearly $250 to $300 higher. A great achievement, team, and I thank you,” said The Deas.

    The Commissioners got into the act, with Jim Zidar taking all the marbles in spite of heavy competition from Jim Owens, Steve Lingenbrink, and Bob McKorkle.

    Other individual awards included the Rookie of the Year to Len Aspinwall for his $1,014 slugging. Free Agent award went to Brian Heimbigner, also a rookie for his $1,006 effort. The Last Draft Pick Award, #84, went to George Lovell, who raked in $1,320. Most improved performance came from veteran John Nees, who sold $1,385 worth of tickets, a 23-fold increase from his 1998 numbers! And Past President Jim Owens more than doubled his output with $1,650!

    So, as Deasy summarized, the American League beat the Nationals, but not by much. Overall average Regular Season ticket sales per BBRC member were $960, up from $781 last year. Forty-nine members joined the Slugger Club, compared with 25 in 1998.

    Ninety-two percent of the members sold $700 worth of tickets or more this year, compared to just 57% a year ago. And, Howard Johnson’s SPORTS team bought the first draft pick, won the Cactus League, and finished first in their division, but had to settle for a third place tie overall.

    Obviously, the teamwork generated by the Baseball Metaphor worked to perfection – like a squeeze play at home plate. Congratulations to all Club members and to the leadership of the Fundraising Committee for the hard work and commitment to achieve the wonderful results of the 1999 BBRC Raffle!!

    After entertainment by the ACappella-GO! Trio – Judge Jenny Andrews won a CD of songs by the group – members enjoyed each other’s company prior to adjournment. Kudos to Jim and Marlene Kindsvater and Peter Powell for their work in coordinating the Anniversary Dinner.

    Sea photos in last week's Reveille. TOP

    MEETING REMINDER
    FOR MEMBERS

    Remember, after the Thanksgiving Holiday, the Club returns to regular breakfast meetings for the next two Fridays (December 3 and December 10) at the Glendale Country Club. Then, at the same location, the BBRC will celebrate the holidays with a special breakfast on Friday, December 17, also at Glendale. The next two meetings, December 24 and 31, fall on Christmas and New Year’s Eve holidays. There will, of course, be no meetings those days.

    Looking into the New Year, the Glendale Country Club will undergo some heavy remodeling of their kitchen, which will preclude the BBRC meeting during January. The first two meetings of the new year have been scheduled off-site. More details will follow as that schedule is firmed up. TOP


    BOARD OF DIRECTORS

    Action of interest from the November Board of Director’s meeting include the announcement that the major grant check will be presented at the December 3, 1999 regular meeting. The recipient is the Kindering Center of Bellevue.

    Tom Smith, Club Service II Director, presented an updated requirement for new members to earn their Blue Badges. The specific proposal approved by the Board includes delivering the invocation and pledge twice; being a greeter four times, with the new member’s sponsor providing introductions to the new member at the door; attending a regular Board Meeting; giving a Classification Talk; serving on at least one committee, other than the New Member Committee; remaining a member in good standing for a minimum of six months; attending a minimum of three new member meetings, with the member’s sponsor attending one of these meetings; participating in one “hands-on project” (Rotary First Harvest counts as this type of project); and visiting at least one other Rotary Club, preferably with sponsor. This requirement is waived for new members with prior Rotary Club experience.

    International Director Brian Evison gave a two-page summary of work underway or planned by the BBRC’s International Committee. World Community Service counted contributions of $5,000 for Turkey earthquake relief; Donation of clothing and radios for Kosovo refugees; $3,200 donation for Rio de Janeiro cancer project; and bikes for Acapulco (delivery slated by March, perhaps sooner). Marina Petribu requires a host family for the spring of 2000. The Club plans to give her a Christmas gift next month. And, Megan Sweeter’s daughter has applied for the summer exchange program. International Peace Day is scheduled for February 23, 2000, and volunteers are still needed for the WTO meetings in Seattle, November 29 through December 3. TOP

     

     

    If lawyers are disbarred and clergymen defrocked, doesn’t it follow that:

    Electricians can be delighted
    Musicians denoted
    Cowboys deranged
    Models deposed
    Dry cleaners depressed
    Laundry workers depleted
    Bed makers will be debunked
    Baseball players will be debased
    Landscapers will be deflowered
    Bulldozer operators will be degraded
    Organ donors will be delivered
    Software engineers will detested
    The BVD company will be debriefed
    Musical composers will eventually decompose
    And, politicians will be devoted.
    TOP



    You Know It’s Time to Turn Your Computer Off and Get a Pet When ….

    1. You wake up at 3:00 a.m. to go to the bathroom and stop to check your email on the way back to bed.
    2. You name your children Eudora, AOL and Dotcom.
    3. You turn off your modem and get this awful empty feeling, as if you just pulled the plug on a loved one.
    4. You spend half of the plane trip with your laptop on your lap and your child in the overhead compartment.
    5. You decide to stay in college for an additional year or two, just for the free internet access.
    6. You laugh at people with 14.4K baud modems.
    7. You start using smileys in your snail mail.
    8. You find yourself typing “com” after every period when using a word processer.com.
    9. You can’t call your mother because she doesn’t have a modem.
    10. You check your mail. It says “no new messages.” So you check it again.
    11. You don’t know what gender three of your closest friends are, because they have neutral screen names and you never bothered to ask.
    12. You move into a new house and decide to Netscape before you landscape.
    13. You tell the cab driver you live at http://1000.edison.garden/house/brick.html
    14. You start tilting your head sideways to smile.
    15. After reading this message, you immediately email it to a friend!
    TOP

    Kids write the darndest things ….

    The future of “I give” is “I take.”

    The parts of speech are the lungs and air.

    The inhabitants of Moscow are called Mosquitoes.

    A census taker is a man who goes from house to house increasing the population.

    (Define H20 and CO2) H20 is hot water …and CO2 is cold water.

    A city purifies its water supply by filtering the water forcing it through an aviator.

    Most of the houses in France are made of plaster of Paris.

    One of the main causes of dust is janitors.

    A scout obeys all to whom obedience is due and respects all duly constipated authorities.

    One by-product of raising cattle is calves.

    To prevent head colds, use an agonizer to spray into the nose until it drips into the throat.

    The four seasons are salt, pepper, mustard, and vinegar.

    Syntax is all the money collected at the church from sinners. TOP

    The Reveille is published weekly by the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club for the enlightenment and enjoyment of its members. It is available through the website, by email, fax, and is sometimes even distributed in person. Typos do not occur; if you think you see one, tell John Mix -- although you are probably wrong. Members of the Publications Committee responsible for Reveille production include: Craig Groshart, Tom Helbling, Mark Hough, and John Mix. Layout by Cheep Graphics, Tacoma.


    Rotary graphics provided by Tord Elfwendahl, The Rotary Club of Stockholm Strand, RI Dist 2350. TOP