The Scuttlebutt
East Chapel Hill Rotary e-Bulletin
Friday October 22, 2010

Bob Ward blessed our meal, and started the meeting off with a review of universities whose on-the-field mascots differ from their actual named mascots.  Some of the stand-outs were our own UNC Tar Heels who are represented on the field by a ram, the Stanford Cardinal represented by a tree, the Ole Miss Rebels who will from now on be represented by the black bear, and finally, the Delta State Statesmen who are represented by a fighting okra.

Bob continued with a tribute to Lewis Grizzard, by sharing a few of his tales on the subjects of pig breeding, swearing, and the Ten Commandments. 

President Lee graciously acknowledged our club’s commitment to the Polio Plus effort, and specifically recognized Carl Turnage and D.G. Martin for their involvement with this endeavor.  Polio Plus pins and pledge sheets were distributed as our club aims to achieve its goal of $100 per member, as a part of Rotary International’s total goal of $200 million.  Lee shared the impressive statistic that in this year approximately 2000 children will be infected with Polio worldwide, as compared to the approximately 350,000 children who were infected annually in 1985.  We should be proud of the strides Rotary has made toward eradicating this disease.

Our Member Minute was provided by Chapel Hill’s own, Dan Corley (aka “Skeletor,” “chicken leg,” “slow poke,” or, “one putt.”).

Art St. John expressed his gratitude to his wife for sponsoring him as a Paul Harris Fellow, and he shared his pride of being a Rotarian and being associated with an organization that does so much to help others.

Mark Zimmerman provided a reminder of the upcoming Halloween party to be held this coming Friday October 29 at the Legion hut.  The excellent seafood and sounds of Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts should make for an excellent evening, and costumes are optional.  Mark also let us know that he will be dressing up as another member of the “Bow-Tie Mafia,” Trey Doak.

Bob Page introduced our club’s own Don Heineman, who gave an excellent presentation on “World War II, 1942 in the Pacific, a Year of Uncertainty.”  Don’s knowledge of and interest in this period of history was obvious, as he provided an excellent summary of US military events (particularly naval involvement) in the Pacific theater of war during a time when allied victory was very much still in question.  Don noted three pivotal events that helped to turn the bleak tide in the direction leading to US victory against Japan. The three events were:  1) The Doolittle Raids, which served as a significant morale boost at home, and indirectly led to the cracking of Japanese code, 2) the pivotal Battle of Midway where the Japanese navy lost several of its prized aircraft carriers, and 3) the Battle of Guadalcanal.  1942 proved that our troops were as smart, tough, and courageous as any of our enemies, and put the US on the path to victory.

This program was another example of the diverse knowledge and talent of our club members, and thanks again to Don for stepping in to fill a cancellation with a terrific presentation.

There will be no regular meeting this Friday—I hope to see everyone at the Halloween Party instead.

Gavin Heymann reporting