Today's meeting started at 12:15. President Jeff Furest presided. Ryan Murphy led us in the Pledge of Allegiance; this was followed by me leading “The Four-Way Test” and Nancy Dedenbach with the benediction. Also noteworthy was the lack of our pianist and thus our leader led us in an a cappella American anthem.  

 

Lunch was great, the IACC has been killing it. Today we had pork tenderloin with mushrooms and an incredibly “mushroomey” sauce. The mushroom theme carried over to the rice which was strewn with the delicious fungus.  Then there were green beans and a heavily dressed salad followed by a mélange of cookies.

 

 

President Jeff informed us that the new regular member initiation fee will increase from $75 to $100, then nothing thereafter, since dues are paid monthly by the regular member.  Regular membership entitles the member to both voting and running for office.

Corporation memberships will now incur $75 annual dues (where currently there is none.)  The new $75 annual dues will allow for any single representative/employee of the corporation to attend a meeting/function, not just one of four as currently specified. This is an opportunity for increased exposure to the corporations’ employees for joining Rotary as a regular member. There is no voting or ability to run for office as a corporate member.

 

 

Ed Mastry announced the guests this week and they were: State Senator Michael McDonald – speaker and guest of club, Phil Rode, guest of the club and the speaker, Kerry Jantz guest of Steve Krankota, Dana Camphouse-Peterson, Jeri Humley, guest of Valerie Miller and Rita Brown, guest of MaShell Carissimi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FLOWERS

Flower duty was handled by Scott Chabot and I did a terrible job getting much of a detailed report of said proceedings as a greeting card was plopped in front of me to sign. Simple task you say? Not when you are the last person at your table to sign it. After signing, I was forced upon a quest to find where next the card should go. I was shot down by all tables and it became clear to me that I was the end of the line. This really threw me. Now I had to find the person who started the card going around. Luckily, I have amazing powers of deductive reasoning and my first guess turned out to be right. It was Valerie Miller who was in the middle, I believe, of buying a flower for Jeff Furest for all the work he put into the successful fundraiser. I only had to wait 3 or 4 minutes for her to finish the explanation of the same, but the card was returned in time for me to write down that Ed Mastry bought the last flower for Val.

 

 

 

 

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Mary Ann Hosey led us in a cappella songs. First up was “God Bless America” followed by “Sing a Song to Rotary.” 

 

 

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It is with great sadness, that we share the news of the passing of Don Oldham on August 9, 2021 at the age of 97 at his home in South Carolina. Don joined FPC Mount Clemens in 1998.    He is survived by his children, Sally Buss (Greg) of Clinton Township, MI and Bill Oldham (Susan) of Spartanburg, SC; his grandchildren, Brad Buss, Stacy Buss, Nick (Tekla) Buss, Andrew (Ashlee) Buss, Chris (Orran) Brown, Will (Chelsey) Oldham, and Tanner (Millie) Oldham; and his great grandchildren, Beau Buss Valles and Sally Genevieve Buss Valles (children of Stacy Buss), Anne Ryland Brown, Orran Lee Brown, III, and Beatrice Hall Brown (children of Chris and Orran Brown), and Annabel Bailey Buss (daughter of Nick and Tekla Buss).   Don graduated from Iowa State University as a mechanical engineer after serving in World War II in the Army Airforce as a B24 pilot. He completed 35 bombing missions and was awarded several medals including the Distinguished Flying Cross.   Don enjoyed his 40 plus year career with Firestone Steel Products (now Spartanburg Steel), retiring as plant manager. He cherished the many friends he made through work, church and community involvement. Always the learner, his many interests included master gardening, woodworking, and history.   In his later years, Don was proud to call both Michigan and South Carolina home, splitting his time to enjoy both of his children’s families. He was an active member at First Presbyterian Church Mt. Clemens and First Presbyterian Church Spartanburg. He was also involved in Rotary Club in both locations.   In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 393 East Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29302 or First Presbyterian Church Mt. Clemens, 168 Cass Avenue, Mt. Clemens, MI 48043.     Funeral services were held at First Presbyterian Church Spartanburg on Friday, August 13, 2021 conducted by Dr. Lewis Galloway and Reverend Ansley Page.

 

 

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Kathleen Best fined Ed Mastry for something. Then fined everyone who was at the gala $1 for all the fun they had. She then fined me because my mother drove me home. This penalty paled in comparison to the terror I faced sitting in the passenger seat knowing that I could drive better plastered than my mom was driving sober. Bill Furest was fined for calling Nancy Dedenbach old.  Ellen Lysik was fined for not singing during the songs. Ted DeVantier and Larry Neal were fined $1 each for arriving late.

 

 

 

 

 

President Jeff introduced our speaker today. He is State Senator Mike McDonald. Mike sits on many committees; far too many for this scribe to have caught as they were rattled off. I know one had to do with roads and another was LARA, the latter I am familiar with as they regulate my builder’s license.

Mike grew up in Mount Clemens and attended De La Salle High School. He went to college with the hope of one day running a hospital. His education was geared to health and fitness and he took it all the way to a doctoral degree. Like the smartest people in our club, he received his undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University.  

His ambitions to run a hospital were replaced by new ambitions to make a bigger impact on the world by getting involved in policy making. He credits Pete Lucido for helping find this change and looks up to Pete as a mentor. He presently represents Clinton Township, Macomb Township and Sterling Heights.

The meeting was finished with Nancy Dedenbach winning the 50/50.