Meeting Recap 06/24/2010

by lou on 12/07/10 at 5:52 pm

 

11:30 Club

A great turnout for the 11:30 Club. By 12:00 noon, groups in excess of 30 individuals were enjoying good libation and conversation. No big world problems were probably solved, but a large group of Rotarians got to know each other a little better.

 

The Meeting

Upon entering the meeting room it was obvious that this meeting was going to be different. The majority of the tables were arranged in a large rectangular with a “passageway opening” located on the north line of the rectangular. Two additional tables were located in the center of the rectangular opening, facing each other a few feet apart.

Approximately 60 NF Rotarians, Visiting Rotarians, and Guests of Rotarians were in attendance.

Immediate Past President Steve Varvis rang the bell promptly at 12:30 to open the weekly meeting of the North Fresno Rotary Club. PP Steve welcomed all to the meeting, the final meeting of the presidential year for President Lou Smaldino. The applause and hoots were almost deafening. Ed Kaczmarek offered an appropriate invocation and Jim Snell did a good job of leading the group in the salute to our nations flag. The five Visiting Rotarians and the two guests of Rotarians, and Yolanda Smaldino, the Honored Guest (President Lou’s wife) were introduced.

PP Steve announced that this was the “Demotion Meeting” for President Lou Smaldino and that any of Visiting Rotarians could remain through the entire meeting or were welcome to leave after lunch. PP Steve invited President Lou come to the podium and presented him with the multi-pointed English-style hat the President Lou had previously obtained at the Rotary International Conference in Birmingham England the prior year. It is amazing how dignified and somewhat royal that President Lou looked while wearing the English-Style multi-pointed hat.

 

Traveling Rotarians

Several NF Rotarians admitted to PP Steve that they had recently traveled. Roger Anderson and his wife Phyllis recently returned from a trip to Turkey. Roger presented President Lou with an attractive, very spiffy multi colored embroidered Turkish style hat

Bernadette Hansen and her husband Ken had recently returned from an annual trip to Oklahoma City. They were there for the ten-day National Women’s Softball Tournament. Bernadette gave PP Steve a souvenir program of the Tournament and a souvenir scarf.

Ashraf Osman and members of his family recently attended the Pebble Beach U.S. Open and presented President Lou with a souvenir U.S. Open Pebble Beach Golf Towel.

 

Announcements

Scott Lowe reminded the members that the Fig Garden Village Pancake Breakfast fund-raiser was a little over two weeks away on Saturday July 10^th. The silverware (plastic-ware) wrapping would be next week on June 29^th.. The Villager Fig Garden newspaper recently had a nice article about the North Fresno Rotary Pancake Breakfast.

Chip Putnam reminded the members that Storyland & Jazz is coming fast and will be on Saturday August 28^th . Sell those tickets!!!

Steve Varvis reminded all that the NF Rotary Demotion Party would be tomorrow night (Friday June 25^th ) beginning at 6:00 PM. Due to cancellations, two spaces remain.

 

Trial for President Lou Smaldino

PP Steve said that many have questioned whether President Lou is worthy of membership in the NF Rotary Past Presidents Club. The Club leaders (who remained nameless) decided that a “Trial” for President Lou would be necessary to determine his worthiness.

Steve McClean was appointed as the acting Judge, Eric Mayu appointed as the Prosecuting Attorney and Steve Varvis as the Defense Attorney. The remainder of the Club membership was the jury.

President Lou was required to put-on a Dodgers Shirt, wear the multi-pointed Birmingham England hat, very stylish “rock-star” sunglasses and sit with Steve Varvis, his Defense Attorney, at the northerly table in the center of the large table rectangle. Prosecuting Attorney Eric Mayu sat at the south table in the center of the large table rectangle. Prior to the following “Trial” proceedings it was explained that the “Four Way Test’ would not be in effect. All present were sworn not to tell the truth.

President Lou was criticized for wearing a stupid hat in public, wearing a Dodgers shirt, and impersonating a President and for giving away cheap wine as raffle gifts. Attorney Eric Mayu called Bernadette Hansen, a 20 year Rotarian, as a prosecuting witness and ask Bernadette if she was given “meeting credits” by President Lou in exchange for booking his private travel. Under more questing by Eric, Bernadette said that she was the Chairwoman of Vocational Services, but didn’t know what Vocational Service was. Judge McClean reminded Eric that attempting to intimidate a witness was not allowed and President Lou was being tried, not Bernadette.

Other witnesses called by Attorney Eric Mayu were: Steve Bezzerides, and Bob Kittredge. Bob Kittredge said that when he was seriously ill in the I.C.U. unit at the hospital he ask President Lou for a Medical Leave of Absence. President Lou denied the leave.

Others on the list of witnesses were Jim Clark, Genevie Puente and Ralph Boyajian, none of the three could be found and the possibility of the involvement of the Italian Mafia was raised.

Eric Mayu ask Doyle Daniels how the Club budget went this year, and he responded: What Budget?

Dick Ellsworth testified that when the Giants guest speaker spoke at North Fresno Rotary, President Lou said: “Go Dodgers”. At the end of the day Dick received an e-mail that said that the Giants might pull the Fresno Grizzlies franchise.

Ted Marsella testified that during his presidency President Lou collected a lot of gifts from travelers. Dave Reuland testified that when President Lou recently lost his name badge he told Dave to give him his Past Presidents Badge. Katie Siemens testified that our recent Australian Exchange Student gained 15 pounds while living with Lou & Yolanda Smaldino and although now back in Australia, she still hasn’t been able to loose all of the extra weight.

Scott Lowe also testified, but it was difficult to tell if he was on the side of the prosecution or the defense.

Defense Attorney Steve Varvis told Judge McClean that he didn’t need to call any witnesses because of the interesting interrogation actions of the Prosecuting Attorney Eric Mayu.

The jury voted “No” to all questions relating to President Lou’s worthiness to join the Past Presidents Club. Judge McClean thanked Steve Vaervis, Eric Mayu and Lou Smaldino for their participation.

 

Reading these words do not do this “Demotion Meeting” justice. You should have been there to experience it in person.

 

-Cliff Speight-