Charles Gund and Clark Merritt welcomed Rotarians as Susan O’Connor and William Noonan sold raffle tickets.
President Jerry welcomed all with the Four Way Test followed by Shawn Brantley with the Prayer and Pledge.
Announcements:
-Sam Goldenberg reports that Manna Food Bank is in desperate need of donations. All Rotarians attending the May 5th Ethics in Business Awards Luncheon are asked to bring a jar of peanut butter for Manna. Manna also needs canned goods and powdered milk.
-Call for participants in the Rotary Youth Exchange for the State of Florida. Need three host families for one month each.
-The June 22 Family of Rotary event has been cancelled. It will be moved to the fall.
-The Annual Meeting is June 10th at the Pensacola Country Club.
-A committee has been approved to review nominations for the Sandra and Grover Robinson award, Jim Stolhanske is chairing.
-The Honor Flight left Wednesday, April 30, 2008, with 100 Veterans flying to see the WWII Memorial in DC.
- Visiting Rotarians from France were introduced.
The Raffle went off without a hitch and $70 was awarded to the lucky winner.
Vince Currie deftly spread a little Sunshine by introducing guests of Rotarians, Visiting Rotarians and Happy Birthday You All. Jokes were in fact very funny; ask Vince to tell you how you keep from getting worms.
David Stafford introduced the program, Secretary of State Kurt Browning. Secretary Browning is the 29th Secretary of State. He has been on the job for 16 months. In those 16 months he has been dealing with budget issues, eight special elections, numerous special sessions and lawsuits. The Secretary of State has no direct authority over local Supervisor of Elections; they work together. The Department of State is the umbrella department over the: Division of Elections, Division of Corporations, Division of Libraries, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Division of Historical Resources.
Not well known facts about the Department of State:
-Florida is the largest corporate filer in the nation.
-The Department generates over $225 million in general revenue each year.
-Responsible for funding museums and other cultural amenities. The ROI is $8 on every $1 the Department invests in cultural activities.
-Responsible for land and underwater archeology sites. Recently has transferred all the historical buildings of Pensacola to the City of Pensacola.
They are currently transforming 15 counties for touch screen to optical scan ballots for elections. It will cost $30 million to make those changes and by the 2010 elections no touch screens will remain.
David Stafford thanked Secretary Browning and gave him some of our “fine china”.
President Jerry adjourned the meeting with “Rotary Shares”.
Last week local home builders concluded their annual Parade of Homes. How many remember that Handsell Butts was one of the originators of the plan locally, and was for many years a participant?
As Wheels began turning this week, Coy Irwin was airborne as the medical authority on the Honor Flight to Washington. Not an easy job, when several of the 100 vets were wheelchair bound, and others had oxygen bottles and other health aids.
Tom Owens was one of the earth turners when ground was broken at PJC for the Chadbourne Library.
Didjaknow that Tommy Tait’s to become a grandfather next month?
If we had only gotten John Cavenaugh into the Rooters he probably would find this area totally magnetic!
Oh…and the Rooters are working on a very special music classic…to be presented soon…complete with string bass, musical saw, guitar and harmonica.
David Bear and his family foundation are among the sponsors for the May 16th Children’s Chorus reception, being hosted at Gerry Hoewing’s Naval Aviation Museum.
Didjasee Teri Levin’s modeling pose in a local magazine? Too bad the copy didn’t note her as a Rotarian; our image would have soared.
Collier Merrill’s found a new way to sell hard goods! His condo auction made national news headlines.
Susan O’Connor and husband John (the Ethics Award winner) hosted a party where PJC supporters said farewell to PJC outgoing president Delaino. Meanwhile, Jim Martin will be one of the hosts at a May 15th welcoming gathering for the new college head, Dr. Ed Meadows. (Pres. Jerry’s already trying to get
Dr. Meadows as a member of our club.)
Marvin Kaiman and wife have bought a Gainesville condo; they’ll be leaving soon.
W. Bob Hart’s Wal-Mart store provided free processing for film shot by WWII vets in Washington. Paul Young says he wouldn’t have missed his role as a “Guardian” that day; and Brooks Champlin’s wife was a special Guardian. One of her charges was her 91-year-old dad.
John Soule – May 6 – Pensacola, FL - 23 years
Keith Bullock – May 10 – Pensacola, FL – 19 years
Carol Powell – May 11 – Boston, MA – 16 years
Earl Hutto – May 12 – Dale County, AL – 13 years
Jack Gray – May 12 – Logansport, IN – 11 years
Gene Elebash – May 13 – Pensacola, FL – 61 years
Evon Emerson – May 14 – Houston, MS – 6 years
John Monroe – May 15 – Pensacola, FL – 20 years
Ed Nickinson III – May 17 – Jacksonville, FL – 30 years
David Bear – May 17 – Pensacola, FL – 7 years
Hank Bell – May 19 – Pensacola, FL – 24 years
MEMBERSHIP PROPOSAL:
Mary Randolph (Sally) Cary attended Catholic Schools here in Pensacola. Colleges she attended were St. Mary’s Dominican in New Orleans and The University of West Florida.
Her business experience began at the Citizens and Peoples National Bank and continued in Orlando with thirty years of diversified banking software technology. Also during this time she developed a real interest in the work of The Immune Deficiency Foundation.
Upon returning to Pensacola, she joined Covenant Hospice’s Milton Branch as a Volunteer Services Manager.