The Rotary Club of Ambler

www.rotary.org – rotary international web site

www.amblerrotary.org – our web site

www.rotarydistrict7430.org  – district web site

President, Patrick A. McGee

 Publisher – Eric Faddis

Publisher – Steve Pribis

DECEMBER 26 MEETING:  

President Pat opened today’s sparsely attended meeting (29 people including speaker and guests) by asking us to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag (we used Pat’s Flag lapel pin as the flag was missing) and sing “God Bless America.” President Pat offered the invocation (substituting for Bruce Braunewell) by giving “Thanks for this special time of the year where we share good will and fellowship…”

Thanks were offered to today’s workers: Phil Albright (set-up), Pat McGee (invocation), Elsie Casimir (50/50), Ken Cestari (greeter), Walt West (ticket master) and Jim Caldwell (attendance).

President Pat mentioned that he received a letter from Bill Strasburg, but decided not to read it to us this week with our small turn out.

VISITORS:

• Melissa Fleck, Joan Coleman’s niece who recently returned from teaching in Columbia
• Phyllis Kline, Jim’s better half
• Kay Waltz, Mark’s better half and
• Mary Lou Miller, Ray ‘s better half

COMMUNITY IN CELEBRATION:

• Joan Coleman was celebrating that her niece, Melissa and her daughter are home for the holidays
• Pat McGee had all 13 grandchildren home for Christmas

PROGRAM:

Claire Wunderlich, AVP with Ambler Savings, accompanied by Donna Buckley presented a wonderful Christmas music program.  Those that missed today’s meeting missed an exceptionally talented singer.  Rumor has it that Claire will be invited back later in the year to show her talents again.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Charlie Walter, Summer Youth Exchange Chair reminds us to seek out students for this summer’s Short-term Exchange.    Interested students and their parents can find information on our own District 7430 website, or go directly to www.exchangestudent.org .  All applications and insurance forms should be sent to Charlie no later than 28 Feb, to insure a successful exchange.  Should you have questions that can’t be answered by the website, contact Steve Pribis for further information. 

• Plan now to attend the District Conference in the Pocono’s, the last weekend in April, with the Bethlehem Club as the host club.  Start saving now as this looks to be an extremely exciting conference.  This will be a combined District Conference with Districts 7430 and 7450.  It is anticipated that the cost to Rotarians will be somewhere between $650-700 per couple.  The District will be subsidizing a portion of the actual cost.

50/50:

Joan Coleman was the winner of $12 as she drew a white tee.  Had she defied the odds and drew a red tee she would have won $14. 

UP-COMING PROGRAMS:  (Chair, Joan Coleman)  

1-2 - Michael Lucca, NuLook Laser & Aesthetics, who will speak on travel health, skin care, skin therapy

1-9 - Bruce Dearnley, (Blue Bell Club) and will present his program on ShelterBoxes and his experiences in Peru, after the devastating earthquake

1-16 - Margaret Ulrich, Executive Director/co-Founder of TrueUDiscovery

1-23 - Steve Bass, RE:  “Wordsworth Works”

1-30 - Tony Stranges, Classification talk

ASSIGNMENTS: (Chair, Elaine Hubing)

Remember that if you can't fulfill your service obligation, please provide a suitable substitute and call Elaine Hubing at 215-643-2294 to let her know or deal with…

ROTARY MINUTE ASSIGNMENTS: (Chair, Elaine Hubing)

AFTERTHOUGHT:  (Contributed by George B. Ditter, Esq.)

It is with sadness that your correspondent reflects upon the fact he will no longer received any e-mails from Dave Roberts commenting on or commending any of these essays, so in keeping with the holiday season we offer up a rerun one of Dave’s favorites from December 8, 2004:

It's the season for re-running the classic Christmas TV specials such as "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" so it might be nice to take a walk down memory lane to look at some of the Holiday Specials of yesteryear that for some reason never quite made it into being a timeless favorite.  Here are the top five:

1.  A Petticoat Junction Christmas (1965)  Uncle Joe "forgets" that he has to act as Santa in Hooterville and misses the Cannonball while he is making a batch of 'shine in the basement of the Shady Rest.  Meanwhile Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo and Betty Jo are treated for hypothermia after they take their customary dip in the old water tower on Christmas Eve.  Perry Como, Anne Murray and the Ray Coniff Singers arrive at the Shady Rest to perform old favorite Christmas songs.

2. Ike and Tina Turner's Downhome Christmas. (1969)  Ike and Tina Turner decorate their home for the Holidays with Ike laying down the law on Tina for hanging garlands on the stair-rail.  Perry Como, Anne Murray, the Jackson Five and Grand Funk Railroad are special guests to perform old favorite Christmas songs.

3.  The Young and the Restless Christmas Special (1977) Margaret suspects that Steve is still seeing Amy and confides her fears to Donald at the company Christmas party.  Secretly, Donald hopes to sabotage Margaret and Steve's reconciliation before Perry Como, Anne Murray and the Bee Gees arrive at the party to perform old favorite Christmas songs.

4. IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME - HARDBALL STYLE!.  (2000)  In the wake of the hotly contested 2000 election, this special was an ill-fated attempt to combine political commentary with the Holiday spirit.  Host Chris Matthews, however, could not stop blabbing and talked over the attempts of guests Perry Como (in his last TV appearance) and Anne Murray to perform the old favorite Christmas songs.  Senator Robert Bryd (D. W. Va.) sang his favorite Christmas song from his early political career "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" and Senator Tom Dascle (D. S.D.) did a dramatic reading of "The Night Before Christmas" that had the audience of his Senate colleagues dreaming of sugarplum price support legislation before he was halfway finished.  

5.  GIRLS GONE WILD CHRISTMAS SPECIAL WITH SNOOP DOG.  (2002)

It was on Flasher, on Dancer, on Prancer and Vixens as Snoop Dog and the "Girls Gone Wild" camera crew visited the wildest Holiday Parties in South Beach and New Orleans.  When Snoop Dog, in a Santa suit, said "Ho, Ho, Ho!" he wasn't imitating Santa's trademark laugh, he was giving his personal assessment of three of the girls.  Highlights of the program included Snoop Dog and Dr. Dre combining to perform the hip-hop versions of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" and "Little Drummer Boy" and special guests O.D.B. and Anne Murray doing a rollicking rendition of "(Crack) Rocking Around the Christmas Tree."