December 2015

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COMING EVENTS

There was great seasonal cheer as LEE REPOSA began our club song followed by God Bless America. The crowd sounded unusually on key thanks to eight members of the Pacific Empire Chorus in attendance.

President Elect Nominee CHRIS RANNEY gave the thought for the day about the gift of Rotary: Opportunity, Hope, Friendship and Camaraderie. As members of Rotary International, we can experience these gifts every day of the year.

SARAH CUMMINGS was assigned to introduce visiting Rotarians. She will soon be a visiting Rotarian when she takes her position as executive director of the Colorado State Fair. We will miss you Sarah and we wish you best of luck in Colorado! Sarah introduced Cassie Moyers for Petaluma Sunrise Rotary.

Rotarians with guests: JOANNE FERRIS introduced her guests: Thom Knudsen, Mary McCaffrey, and Jane Borr. ONITA PELLEGRINI introduced Linda Black from the Argus Courier. RENÉE HAYES introduced Maureen Rudder and JOHN DADO introduced his wife Sharon.

PRESIDENT GARY thanked everyone who joined in the Members Holiday Party and expressed a special thanks to everyone on the event committee.

PAUL LOUNIBOS was called to the podium to receive his 5th Paul Harris! Members gave Paul a standing ovation for his outstanding commitment to Rotary International. Paul noted that according to Forbes Magazine, Rotary International ranked high on its list of charities.

CHRIS RANNEY says we are on for February 19 Crab Feed. Tickets sales open on January 7! We are a go and we will serve dinner. The final menu will be announced in January.

Today is children’s holiday gift distribution day. JUDI ALLEWELT, co-chair was grateful to co-chair ELIAS HARRIS for all his work. This year we purchased warm clothes and toys for 178 children from 64 families. St Vincent Elementary and High School students along with members of our PHS Interact Club got all the wrapping done in two hours!

Now is the time to sell Super Raffle tickets. LEE REPOSA announced last year we sold $40k in raffle tickets. When you sell your tickets make sure to let folks know they support our club programs locally and abroad and it comes with a chance to win $8k.

JOHN DADO was the subject of a recent Argus Courier article. President Gary showed photos of John's childhood. He was the first water boy for the Petaluma Leghorns. His father was a member of the Petaluma Police Department. John was born at Petaluma General Hospital. He played basketball, baseball and was a sprinter. We saw a photo of John taken in 1939 at the Emporium in SF where John and his mother traveled from Petaluma by Greyhound Bus to see Santa. John met Sharon in 1955 on a blind date. He was a senior at USF she was a senior at St. Vincent High School. John and Sharon are renowned for their butterfly garden. In 1970 John was president of the Kiwanis Club because only one CPA could be a member of Rotary and John's partner was already a member!

Mr. Butterfly was so grateful for the article by Harlan Osborne that he made a contribution of $100.

PRESIDENT GARY took a moment to express his appreciation for work of all club members at this midterm point of his presidency.

WHIT HALL won the raffle and pulled the brown rock to win $175.

JOANNE introduced our program, The Eighth Notes, eight members of the Pacific Empire Chorus who sang a wonderful selection of Holiday carols in barbershop quartet style.

This week's Editor: Joanne Ferris

COMING EVENTS

Once again it was December and time for the annual Rotary Holiday Party. Rotarians, spouses, and friends convened at the festively decorated banquet room of Seared Steak and Seafood. For many, including your humble editor, it was the first chance to experience the wares of the former Graziano’s, a Petaluma institution.

Reviews were positive, the libations plentiful, the food delicious, and the evening delightful. But squeezed into the festivities was an honest-to-goodness Rotary meeting. PRESIDENT GARY BRODIE called the meeting to order and invited Past District Governor ED FULLERTON to deliver a Thought for the Day.

Ed recalled the efforts of our Club, and of Rotary International, to promote peace and understanding throughout the world and gave life to the thought that we Rotarians are not just party animals, we are do-gooders as well.

PRESIDENT GARY thanked KATHY O’CONNOR for her great job in organizing the party.

KATHY thanked all the members who assisted in the event with a special nod to TARA SMITH who insured that RSVPs actually happened.

ONITA PELLEGRINI and RICK MOSSI were up next to present three Paul Harris awards. The first award, a repeat, was presented in absentia to PAUL LOUNIBOS.

Then JOHN ZIMMERMAN came up for the presentation of his award.

The third award, a surprise, was presented to Heidi Brodie. We think our President had something to do with this.

Next, PRESIDENT BRODIE, nearly halfway through his term, called up President Elect LEE REPOSA.

LEE announced his nominations for the Club officers and directors for the 2016-2017 Rotary year. They are:

• Treasurer – MARLENE FREETLY
• Secretary – GAIL CARDAROPOLI
• Past President – MIKE BADDELEY
• Immediate Past President – GARY BRODIE
• President Elect – (read further)
• Directors: BRIAN BREEN, RICK GORMAN, ELIAS HUSARY, CHAD FILLINGER, SHARI RANNEY, DANNY FISH, KATHY O’CONNOR, and BILL GROVERMAN.

Then it was time for the big announcement. The Club bylaws prescribe that a nominating committee, comprised of the five immediate past presidents of the club who still retain membership in the club, shall place before the club their nomination for president. Past President JOANNE FERRIS, filling in for CLARK ROSEN, came forward to announce the committee’s choice.

A standing ovation accompanied the announcement that CHRIS RANNEY was their nominee to be our 2017-2018 President. The bylaws prescribe that An annual meeting of this club shall be held in December each year, at which time the election of officers and directors to serve for the ensuing year shall take place. Since we have only one more December meeting, be prepared to elect our 2016-2017 officers and our 2017-2018 president at the December 17 meeting!

PRESIDENT GARY thanked the nominating committee for a job well done and adjourned the meeting, encouraging everyone to continue the conviviality with dancing to the music of DJ Albert Minero.

Winner of the unannounced contest, Who can dress like the President Nominee? went to JIM BECKER. Good job, Jim!

This week's Editor: Al Cattalini

COMING EVENTS

HOLIDAY MAGIC: Magic is the only explanation that filled the meeting room as President GARY BRODIE led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Christmas carols were missing, but songleader BARNEY FAUSS followed the usual formula of the Club Song coupled with God Bless America.

MIKE BADDELEY delivered his brief thought for the day: service above self.

Visiting Rotarians included our District 5130 Governor, ERIN DUNN, making her holiday rounds.

VISIONS OF SUGAR PLUMS: Well, not exactly---but our visionary President GARY, looking forward to the end of his term, announced a Rotary Bocce Ball Tournament next June.

SHARI RANNEY gave a glowing report on the District 5130 project carried out in Ecuador. She also emphasized how membership in Rotary had changed her life.

JUDI ALLEWELT reported that $8,800 had been spent to purchase gifts for the children’s holiday gift-giving. She presented a $2,000 check to President GARY from the Petaluma Council of Realtors.

SPREADING GOODWILL: Veteran traveler JIM BECKER, just returned from spending 32 days in Thailand where he visited former member NIT ANDERSON, reported on our international activities.

President GARY announced birthdays for November and December, recognizing CHRIS RANNEY’s birthday was today!

Raffle chair LEE REPOSA announced that super-raffle tickets were distributed and encouraged member to sell them during the holidays to family and friends.

YULETIDE CHEER: KATHY O’CONNOR reminded all members that our annual Holiday Party is December 11 and President GARY promises a great time.

If you do not respond, then TARA SMITH will send the Grinch to your office or your home.

We will miss CARLI THOMAS who has accepted a new position with the University of San Francisco. We wish you continuing success, CARLI!

IS SANTA A STRAIGHT SHOOTER? DAN FISH reported an insidious plot that resulted in a missing badge. Investigations brought in Homeland Security, local law enforcement agencies, and confidential informants.

Finally, DAN put his handcuffs on the nefarious culprit, MIKE BADDELEY with his bail set at $150.

Despite President GARY’s attempts to raise money for MIKE’s defense fund, resulting in $20, the culprit was remanded to the custody of TARA SMITH and KATHY O’CONNOR . . .

. . . but only after DAN had retrieved his Rotary badge!

THE MILKY WAY: After WHIT HALL won the weekly raffle (wine, not cash), . . .

. . .JIM BECKER introduced our speaker, . . .

. . . MARCUS BENEDETTI, CEO of Clover and grandson of the late GENE BENEDETTI, who reportedly filled one milk silo with his favorite brand of gin.

Marcus had a surprise revelation for our group that TOM BAKER was a close friend of President Obama. Marcus kept our attention with the history of the dairy industry in Sonoma County and the Clover creation of the unique Clo the Cow with its various permutations and signage.

REMEMBER: We are dark next Thursday, so don’t miss the Holiday Party!!!

This week's Editor: Paul Lounibos