Meeting Recap 08/20/09
by lou on 22/08/09 at 9:13 pm
It was going to be a day, just like every other day, filled with hope and happiness but then large limb from a tree fell on my car on the way to Rotary. I stopped to remove the limb from the hole in my window, caused by the limb, and upon pulling it out I wrenched my left shoulder, causing me to drop the limb on the hood. With my good right arm, I was finally able to pull the limb off the hood. I opened the hood to see the damage. I put the brace in place to support the hood. As I looked, I noticed the dropped limb bucked the hood, cracking the top of the fan cage, pushing the cage into the fan. Trying to free the bound fan, my hand was struck. I flinched and hit the brace with my wrenched left shoulder. I was then hit on the back of my head by the hood when the brace slipped from its place. This downward motion, caused by the hood falling, forced my face into the cracked cage further binding the fan. Being able to see the crack in the cage and fan up closely, but with blurred eyes, I surmised, that with the hood on my head, holding it in place on the cracked cage with a bound fan, I was going to be late to the meeting. I needed to call someone to do the Reporting job. I reached for my phone to call Dave McGlasson and ask him to do me a favor and cover the meeting. To no avail, I was unable to get the phone to my right ear because of the placement of my face on the cracked cage. My wretched left arm could not raise the hood off my head. Being an intelligent person with a sound mind, I reached for the horn connection. With some bailing wire and duct tape that I always carry in my right rear pocket, I connected the horn to the battery and let it go. I am still a little hard of hearing, but it worked. A kind sole stopped and removed the hood. Because of that kind sole, I was able to make the meeting. If the report seems a little short and mumbled, I am sorry. My left shoulder and right eye are now back in place and functioning. Life goes on.
Reporters, please see the rooster at the end of this fiasco. To help eliminate non-reported meetings, please be ready to report for duty a week ahead if necessary.
THE MEETING:
Sergeant at Arms; DON HENDERSON
Invocationor; BILL McGLASSON
Pledgor; DICK ELLSWORTH
EMILY O’ did a fantastic job of announcing the visiting Rotarians and Guests. An Aussy can read names as no one else can. Good people.
TOM FRANSON proved that it is possible to escape from Alcatraz. The mighty man that he is, he swam from the island to the marina. And that is a feather in his cap. No ringa-da-bell.
TERRY HUNTSMAN was old business but I could not hear how old.
PREZZZ. L2 is doing a great job of sub-doing his aggressive leadership potential. He is Good people.
Birthdays; they happen once a year.
TERRY HUNTSMAN; now I know why he was old business. He was born in Ventura and fate brought him to Fresno, and us.
CHARLIE WADHAMS; stated that his parents must have celebrated well the New Years Eve before his birth. Work brought him to Fresno.
FRED BIGLIONE; was born in Clovis as were his parents.
TOM GRANADOS; was born in Fresburg and turned 50 on Thursday.
PLATO STERIOS; is another fresnian and only left to fly during the war.
THE DALES; were not sitting together at the birthday table. The self proclaimed ‘good looking one’, JEFF, was present, but JERRY, who is not hairy, came up for the Q & A time.
ROD GIBSON and DEBORAH McHENRY were making the best of free cake and ice cream. DEBORAH just wanted to sit with TERRY and console him on his plight of becoming older.
DA JUDGE, KALEMKARIAN, as in DAVID, refused to sit with the cake and ice cream eaters. He was born when I was a sophomore in high school. Age me will he. Lap dancing was suggested in some manor by someone at sometime, but my right eye was twitching and the horn was still blaring in my head, so I missed the poke.
JASON WEBER is now open game for the chiding. He is a member now, with his information on the database, rotary5230.org. His e-mail is jbw@stoughtoncpa.com .
SHANNON STINER won the $25 raffle. That almost pays for two lunches.
SCOTTY SHOE-IN ramrodded the vote to amend the Endowment Bylaws. Something about voting for them and often.
PATTI O’, sitting at the head table with ‘Friend’ RICH COLBY, rose and opened the main show by pedaling this information about our speaker. Corny, I know. I need some fun in my life. Poor Bill.
Lieutenant Colonel Rob Swertfager and the 144th Fighter Wing were the first in action during 9/11. All the information you would want about the Fighter Wing is located on the two sites listed below. Go on line and be proud.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/144th_Fighter_Wing
We need to be aware that right here in Fresno, we have the air deterrent for terrorist air attacks on the West Coast, from San Diego to Portland OR. Rob and the squadron were the first on line in the US after the attacks. Rob and his wing man intercepted a Tailand Air 747 that was not diverting to Canada or Mexico. It was low on fuel and could not divert. They escorted the plane to San Francisco with orders to shoot down if necessary. The crew, who were up front in the 747, was dressed properly and obeyed all the rules. The complete time frame from Fresno to escort to Fresno took less than an hour.
Rob is a Clovis West grad of 85, received a Business Marketing degree from FSU in 91 and became a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force in May of 91. During the time he was stationed on active duty in Florida, he picked up a MBA from the other FSU. Other posts were Saudi Arabia, Texas, Arizona and Mississippi. He has over 1100 hours logged in the F-16. He served in Desert Storm in 92 and left the Air Force in 99 to join the California Air National Guard in Fresno. Rob hopes the F-15 will take the place of the aging F-16 currently flown. The F-15 is older but the air frame is built to last longer than the F-16. The F-15 has two tails and is also a less expensive jet to maintain and fits the mission for this area better. The F-35 Lighting II Strike Fighter could come to Fresno some day. Rob is married to Lisa and has three daughters ages 7, 9 and 12.
Good night and God bless
Reporter Rooster
August 27th Chris Wong
September 3rd Cliff Speight
September 10th Peter Bradley
September 17th All Reporters-Sports Day
September 24th Who ever can take the tour
of the Juvenile Hall
October 1st Dave McGlasson
October 8th Bill Stevens
October 13th Peter Bradley
Recent Comments