Friday Potpourri

President Kim Shrader opened the meeting in near darkness.

Vicky Sanko

Tom Purdy gave the invocation, Vicky Sanko, greeted eight visiting Rotarians. Also on hand were Joan Swanson and Katy Owens, who like getting up early to hear melodious harmony from the Barbershoppers.

Zul Alibhai, the father, and Karim Alibhai, the son, were introduced as guests. Zul is a past president of his Rotary Club in Nairobi, Kenya, and his son practices dentistry in Bellevue.

President Shrader, in an expansive mood after cutting his first record, praised the work of several Rotarians who themselves were praised at recent gatherings. Peter Powell, Fellowship Chairperson and Suzanne Goff, Anniversary Dinner Chairperson, were cited for their efficient handling of the annual dinner. Chuck Barnes was saluted again for winning the Mike Shanahan Award, given by Rotary First Harvest, and Norm Johnson was praised for being an “unsung hero” when he received District Governor Rosemary’s Service Above Self Award. Actually, Norm is our “sung hero,” because we’ve been singing the praises of Norm Johnson for years. And, in 2004-2005, he will lead the BBRC.

Scott Sadler, Thanksgiving Basket Program Chairperson, reported that “more food and money have been collected than we’ve ever had in holidays past. For Thanksgiving, we’ll be able to help 60 families by your generosity.” Members brought donations of food or checks to help support this program.

Very fine fettle, Dale & Hellen Hemphill at the Anniversary Dinner.

Getting up and arriving early at Rotary on a Friday morning is always invigorating, especially when you know you’ll have some time with our venerable Dale Hemphill. Dale’s always up and at ‘em, checking on the First Harvest and Scooter badges and making sure the overhead projector works. He also has multiple words of wisdom.

When told that the picture of he and his wife, Hellen, at the Anniversary Dinner showed them both to be in fine fettle, he said, “Yes, the Fettle was particularly good this year!” Then, the story was related that a journalist acquaintance had been called on the carpet by his editor, demanding to know “where on the anatomy was the fracas,” when the reporter had written the “victim was shot in the fracas.” Dale immediately responded, “That’s just like reporting the bullet is in her yet!” Later, Mark Hough got into the act, relating the time he’d prepared a fancy brief for the judge and the computer addressed her as “Her Honor ‘Upper Case.’’ Mark didn’t say how the case came out or whether the bullet was in her yet!