The skeptics woke on a rainy Thursday morning thinking...May 8, 2014

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin                                           May 8, 2014

 

The skeptics woke on a rainy Thursday morning thinking that Annual New Canaan Rotary Club Golf Outing founder John Engel had forsaken his mojo.  Not so fast my faithless little friends.  This year's event organizer, Brock T. Saxe, trained in the famously fickle weather of Kinsale, Ireland at the Old Head Golf Course, simply ignored the early liquid sunshine, sat down contentedly and dug into to a large steak sandwich , grilled veggies and fried onion rings.  Not a spud in sight.  As he rose and strode purposefully toward the practice green, Pastor Eric [not a Catholic mind you] was seen surreptitiously slinking into the pro shop clad in full vestments and the precipitation ceased!!  Resident Country Club of New Canaan pro Dan Phillipon issued his remarkably non-restrictive instructions to the golfers and the event was under way.  While the scramble format achieved its objective of keeping the golfers moving, it unfortunately, in spite of the Four Way Test, opened some opportunities for several unscrupulous foursomes to, shall we say, "edit" their scores.  Without putting too fine a point on it, Bad Timing was responsible for submitting a suspiciously low 48 net score.  Highly unlikely.  In any event the comraderie and sense of purpose, raising money for a critically important purpose, overcame the questionable ethics of the few and the tournament, by acclamation, was a huge success.

 

The daughter of Mrs. Senior Connecticut, the fair Carolyn Clark, having shamed the membership [at least a few of them] into begging, borrowing and stealing various raffle prizes and silent auction items, presided as hostess of the after-golf social hour.  The drinks flowed, the food was attractive, tasty and abundant, the non-golfers arrived and a festive atmosphere settled over the gathering.  The mellow vibe was unceremoniously shattered with the appearance of the auctioneer who had apparently binged on 5 Hour Energy drink.  With the aide of Vanna White wannabe John Engel, auctioneer Scott made short work of the obviously un-fluffed raffle ticket items and then, in an unprecedented move, used the silent auction final bids as the opening number for an aggressive live auction.  With Pastor Eric demonstrating symptoms of Spider Sovich Disease [an apparent inability to remain silent when given an opportunity to bid] Scott used a variety of strategies to drive prices ever higher.  Perhaps his most inventive move occurred when he caught an oblivious Tom Lewis gesticulating over some conversational point at his table and interpreted his flailing as an attempt to bid, resulting in Tom emerging as the proud owner of a $150 begonia!  It was all in good fun and without a doubt the benefit to the Rotary International Polio Plus disease eradication effort from the New Canaan, Stamford and Wilton Rotarians and their ringer guests was greatly enhanced by this audacious departure from form.  Good show all around.

 

For those members who do not regularly [or ever] peruse your monthly Rotarian Magazine, change your habit and at least skim it.  I predict you will find at least one article, as well as a number of interesting anecdotes, that will catch your fancy in every issue.  It is easy for cynics to claim the magazine contains only Rotary puff pieces and PR.  They are simply wrong.  Try it, you'll like it.  Something in every issue to educate, inspire and/or amuse the reader.

 

As we enter the final weeks of President Fred's tenure let us continue our efforts at increasing our membership, our commitment to service above self, and remember, only you can prevent forest fires!

 

Smokey