President Fred called us to order and led the Pledge before...June 5, 2014

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin                                     June 5, 2014

 

President Fred called us to order and led the Pledge before calling on Guest Blessor Dr. John Kerchoff to remind us of the 70^th anniversary of the Allied invasion of France on D-Day on June 6, 1944 and the service and sacrifice involved by so many individuals who did their duty to free the world from the oppression which had been forced upon it.  Those who don't study history are doomed to repeat it.

 

Fred announced that we would have only one more meeting and his Abdication Dinner to torment him as he will be absent next week.  We had no Visiting Rotarians or guests.  Valerie reminded the membership that the first annual Art, Wine and Cheese event on Saturday, June 14 at the Carriage Barn is undersubscribed at the moment and requested that all members visit carriagebarn.org to reserve and pay for tickets.  Guests are welcome and encouraged.  Eating and drinking is one of the more congenial ways to raise funds.  Let's encourage this.  Some volunteers to help set up and clean up would also be welcome.

 

John Bemis hectored each member to get a check for $100 to the R.I. Foundation to him  by next week's meeting in an effort to attain Every Rotarian Every Year status for our Club.  Any contributions later than next week will be credited to the following year.  Your philanthropic dollars are well and wisely used by the Foundation.  Speaking for Treasurer Tom President Fred entreated all delinquent dues payers to bring their accounts current.  A reasonable request.  At that point Carolyn revealed that some members had not yet paid for the auction items they purchased at the Golf Outing cocktail reception.  Shocking!  Don't stiff Carolyn!

 

There will be no noon meeting on June 26.  Following the lead of King Juan Carlos of Spain, President Fred will officially abdicate in favor of his much younger and more vital successor, Pastor Eric at an evening meal on that date at the Roger.  Spouses and significant others are expected.  Fred alluded to an email he had forwarded to all members from Rotarian Paul Speakerman regarding the progress of the Dengue Fever initiative of which we are a part.  Very interesting and encouraging.

 

At that moment in the meeting Fred called Carolyn to the podium where he presented her with some new Rotary bling – a sponsor pin - for having brought in a new member.  It had been so long since Lisa Oldham, Carolyn's sponsee, had been inducted that it took some time for Carolyn to recollect who she had sponsored.  Everyone is sufficiently envious of Carolyn that one can only anticipate a surge in applications in the coming months.

 

Sergeant Scott then took us through a quick anatomy lesson before moving among us as a supplicant.  Several fines were paid for birthdays [Valerie], Rangers [Leo] and D-Day [Scott].

 

Program Chair Ken then introduced Fred Chang as our speaker who enlightened us on the subject of Samurais - Japanese Fear No Death Warriors.  Japan is a country about the size of California with a population of about 120,000,000…and shrinking.  Samurai occupied most of the country with the exception of the north island of Hokaido, which is quite cold.  Apparently the Samurai did not fear death, but frostbite was quite another matter.  The medieval Japanese social structure had the emperor at the top, the extended royal family next, followed by the military governor and his Samurai, then the farmers and peasants, artisans, merchants and outcasts.  There were some 300 clans throughout the country, each with its own Samurai, which was an inherited honorific title.  They trained as warriors with many weapons as well as hand-to-hand combat, but were also proficient in cultural, philosophical and religious pursuits such as the tea ceremony which involved over 70 steps before you got to down your Lipton.  Should the subject come up in conversation, Fred warned against commenting on a suicide as "hara kiri" in favor of the more refined "seppuku."  Useful information.  Fred's presentation and display of Samurai armor were excellent as was his opening topical joke which is not easy when your topic is Samurai.

 

Yamamoto