Members and their guests were greeted by Handsel Butts while Bo Carter and Brooks Champlin handled raffle ticket sales.
President Keith called the meeting to order and led the club in the 4 Way Test.
Betty Gail Peters was called to the podium to lead the club in prayer and pledge.
President Keith reminded members to complete the club survey which would be used in continuing efforts to refine the operations of the club. Debbie Ford was then called to the podium to introduce our newest member, Dr. Judy Bense. Dr. Bense currently serves as President of the University of West Florida where she has served as head of the Archeology Department for over 28 years and is credited with elevating her field of study via aggressive promotion of the incredible historic assets in our community. Dr. Bense is no stranger to the Club having presented to Downtown Rotary on numerous occasions over the years. President Keith announced the upcoming District Conference to be held at the Bay Point Resort in Panama City April 24-26. He encouraged members to attend and support District Governor Ron Richards.
Next up were our beloved Rotary Rooters who prepared a unique combination of a President’s Day and Valentine’s medley. The group worked through 2 songs before the finale of “Let me call you sweetheart” from their greatest hits album which served to work the crowd into a frenzy. Barrister Bob Hart was then called upon for Sunshine and he acknowledged club members who were assisting with arrangements for the visit by the Spanish Royals later in the week. Bob called upon 1 military guest and recognized guests of the club and visiting Rotarians. Next was a joke about 3 fishermen and an angel that included a great punch line – cheers to Bob for soliciting laughs and offending no one (take note Alan Bookman). Bob then led the club – with organ accompaniment by John Appleyard – to Happy Birthday You All to the birthday boys and gals.
Margaret Stopp was called to the podium to introduce our program which was presented by our very newest member – Dr. Judy Bense. Dr. Bense presented an overview of the vision for UWF and the historic significance of the Royal Visit. Dr. Bense has succeeded in her efforts to raise awareness in the study of Archaeology by making it relevant and being passionate in her efforts to share her knowledge with the public. She explained how archeology adds another dimension to our history and has succeeded in building it into a nationally recognized program at UWF. She recounted her excitement at being selected to serve in the capacity of UWF President upon the departure of Dr. John Cavanaugh. Judy mentioned the challenge of increasing enrollment at UWF as it is the smallest unit of the Florida university system. She also discussed her efforts to increase campus life so as to make the university more appealing to potential students. In an effort to meet the challenges presented by current economic conditions Bense is leading an effort to apply a business model to academic programming via analysis of supply and demand for talent and workforce study and job market assessment. This will lead to rational decision making for the long term good of the university. Dr. Bense then told us that the Royals are coming to Pensacola due to the diligence in sharing our Spanish archeological findings with them and asking their permission to pursue the exploration of Spanish shipwrecks as a courtesy and that is greatly appreciated. The visit is the payoff for our local archeology efforts and you can bet that the folks in St. Augustine are jealous!
There being no further business the meeting was adjourned.
Hats off to Britt Landrum for hosting a great meeting where an economist from the Fed Reserve gave insight into today’s economy. It would have been even better had the prospects presented been sunnier.
Earle Bowden appeared in the press recently planning the visit of the Spanish king. Maybe he’ll report on the event to the club.
Dale Knee and Nigel Allen were part of a large gathering recently where folks gained info on what’s being done to aid families where Alzheimer’s disease is present.
Wish Wheels had some new info on good member Bill Noonan, who hasn’t been with us for some time.
February 28: Scott Sallis, Springdale, AZ, Less than 1 year
March 1: Bill Dollarhide, Greenwood, MS, 1 year
March 1: Bob Fargo, Springfield, IL, 31 years
March 3: Lou Ray, St. Louis, MO, 31 years
John Shaffer is asking for help for funding to raise $2,000 for a Big Brothers and Big Sisters Bowling Event in April. Those who can are asked to donate $10, $20 or whatever to helping this organization. These young people are a critical times in their lives and the organization makes a big difference to them. Call John at 433.4343 or 554.4338 for further information.
The EscaRosa Independence Weekend (EIW) Committee is rallying the public to support severely injured veterans from the Gulf War on Terror at the EscaRosa Independence Weekend from May 14-17 in the Pensacola Bay Area (Escambia and Santa Rosa counties). A kickoff fundraising social and silent auction from 6:30–9 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2009 at Will Call Sports Grille will raise money to bring disabled veterans to Pensacola for a weekend in their honor and to support the unmet needs of these brave heroes. Guests planning to attend the kickoff fundraising social and silent auction are asked to RSVP to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and to print the invitation to present at the door at Will Call along with a minimum $100 tax-deductible donation to the Independence Fund. The invitation is available under “Join Our Heroes” at http://www.EscaRosaIndependenceWeekend.com.