President Larry Neal rang the bell precisely at 12:15 to begin our December 6 meeting.
Frank Bernabei led the Pledge of Allegiance; Steve Krankota, “The Four-Way Test”; and Tom Davies, the invocation. The national anthem sounded very good, thanks to the addition of our many guests.
The menu featured a change from Italian to Midwestern: sliced roast beef in gravy, white rice, broccoli, salad, rolls and cake for dessert.
GUESTS AND VISITORS WERE ANNOUNCED BY DON CARNAGHI
Your scribe didn't get the sign-in list for today's minutes but she remembers Jan Davies (Tom's wife), Lucia Marshall (Kris Howell's mom) and Linda and Larry May were part of the guests. President Larry decided we would sing one Rotary song, “Rotary, My Rotary,” which Sam D'Angelo selected, that goes coincidentally enough to the tune of “O Tannenbaum.”
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
Duties were handled by Ellen Lysik. Those present got a flower: Don Carnaghi for partner Laura's birthday and Amanda Oparka for her club anniversary. Ellen Lysik bought 
a flower for our Interactor, Lauren, Kris Howell for her mother Lucia and Julie Huttenlocher a flower for her mother to be charged on her dad's account. I couldn't hear the other flower requests but 
I'm sure they were duly recorded by our diligent secretary, Val Miller.
SUNSHINE REPORTS
Sarah Lee for her sister-in-law, Gail, wife of Bob Lee, who is in the hospital; and Mary Ann Hosey for her brother.
GOOD WILL
Just asking to be fined, Kris Howell let it be known she finally got to perform at Carnegie Hall, joining hundreds of other singers to sing the “Ode to Joy,” from the last movement of Beethoven's 9th Symphony.
PRESIDENT'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
- ·President Larry invited Lauren from our
Interact chapter to ask for our help with her sophomore project of collecting coloring books and crayons for Children's Hospital patients. We passed the basket.
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·Linda May was presented with a gift certificate for her work in turning the mess of minutes sent to her by scribes like me into our weekly Spokesperson.
- There is no noon meeting next week. Instead we will have our annual Christmas Party that evening.
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- The next noon meeting is December 20 which also our ANNUAL MEETING. We will elect our new board.
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- Last call was issued for those interested in running for president-nominee, secretary and two directors-at-large.
- The board will meet next Tuesday, December 11. Let Larry know if you have any business for the board to discuss.
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- A big thank-you to Mary Ann Hosey for inviting the Fraser Singers to serenade us today.
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- A group photo will be taken following the meeting.
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- We were presented with a crystal award as a silver sponsor of the Mount Clemens Santa Parade.
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- Christmas cards were passed around to be signed.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
· Ellen Lysik asked for donations to Bravo, foster youth scholarship program, at bravoprograms.org
· Julie Huttenlocher reminded us there were quite a few tags left on the Turning Point Christmas tree.
RECOGNITION
Eric Pierson, already warmed up from 
November's recognition duties, barreled his way through the club again. Those who would admit not having their Christmas decorations up were fined a dollar. And anyone who didn't take a tag from the Turning Point Christmas Tree also forked over a buck. Bill Furest opened his mouth to complain there wasn't a basket for fines. He got fined double: $2 which went up to $3 when he protested.
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Nancy Dedenbach got away with just a dollar fine for her annual snowbird departure. Val Miller was declared the most festively dressed of the crowd; her table paid a dollar each. We
all agreed Kris Howell had to cough up five big ones for that Carnegie Hall announcement.
Then Eric had cleverly put together a Christmas quiz for each table. To his glee, most of the tables failed. Rotarians didn't know during which war both sides ceased fighting to celebrate Christmas Eve (WWI); which store created Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as an advertising gimmick (Montgomery Ward); why all reindeer on Santa's sleigh are female (they don't lose their antlers) and which U.S. President pardoned offenders on Christmas Eve (George H.W. Bush #41).
My table guessed correctly the only two books of the Bible with the Christmas Story are Luke and Matthew; and “It's a Wonderful Life” movie was investigated for its Communism influences, guessed correctly by another table.
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PROGRAM
We heard the lovely voices of the Fraser Singers, directed by Nicholas Charland, Vocal Music Department for Fraser Public Schools, etc. The ladies wore long black gowns and the men, white tie and tails. They sang an African Christmas song, the usual “Carol of the Bells” and “The Little Drummer Boy.” Next was a duet of "I'll be Home for Christmas,” the choir favorite of “Ring Them Bells,” “Do you hear what I hear?”, “O Holy Night” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Sarah Welch beautifully sang "Softly the Stars Were Shining." The choir was presented with a check and a book plate.
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50/50
The pot of $47 was won by new member, Scott Chabot.
The meeting adjourned at 1:34 p.m. to the lobby where we posed for our group photo. Thank God we had Ellen Lysik to herd us into place.
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