Kiwanis Club of Historic St. Augustine

Newsletter – 28 June 2007

President’s Message:

According to his sponsor, Mark Shelley, new member Jim’s last name is spelled Mathisen. We’ll double check that and make sure we have all of his contact info too. Last week we inducted another new member. Our newer member, John Thompson, brought in a colleague, Troy Silhan. Great timing for us, in that our incoming Lt. Gov. was present and he was glad to see a new member as well. Welcome Troy, we expect great things.

                Because the holiday falls in the middle of the week, we WILL have a meeting next week on 5 July. Regular time and place, of course.

                Was good to see Barry Schweim back at the meeting. He has been out of pocket for some time.

 

Coming Events: [Advise the editor of events of interest at 797-4332]

30 June 2007: Uptown Saturday Night, check out the local galleries uptown on the last Saturday of each month, and taste their food and wine.

6 July 2007: First Friday Art Walk, check out the local galleries downtown and taste their food and wine.

22 September 2007: Our second annual Pancake Breakfast is scheduled. More details as they become available.

 

Guests: A couple of issues back we asked the burning question: Where’s Gary? School is out. He needs to appear more often. Well he did show up one time since then, but your editor discovered that Gary is also working at the McDonald’s on the beach in the morning, or at least some mornings. Clearly, Gary thinks that idle hands are the Devil’s workshop.

 

Programs: (Check the website for your speaker assignment date.)

LAST WEEK: We were fortunate to have our incoming Lt. Governor, Bert Wasmund, in attendance last week, and he gave us a brief overview of what he and the Governor are aiming for next year. As mentioned earlier, he was thrilled to be present for the induction of a new member, and he congratulated our club on the membership job we are doing. The theme for next year is Be A Super Model, and I gather that that means a model citizen and member, and not the photogenic type of model. (I don’t think any of us would meet that criteria!) He mentioned that Kiwanis Day at the ball park would be in April. This is to help little leaguers. There will be an emphasis on interclubing next year, and an overall attempt to improve our image in the community.

THIS WEEK: Jim Dale, our master money manager, has the program this week. According to him, he has a couple of derelicts he pulled off the street to help explain the insurance situation in our great state.

NEXT WEEK: Human and Spiritual Aims will be first next month, as too many officers will be absent and the Board meeting will be the following week.

 

⅓-⅓-⅓ DRAWING WINNERS: The winning tickets were drawn and the winners were Nick Panepinto & Barry Schweim. Congrats to both. Remember to mix those tickets well (put mine on top), and to buy your tickets early and often.

 

Late Breaking News:

Let us not forget that the Pancake Breakfast is coming up, and will be here before you know it. This is a powerful money maker for up, and a lot of fun. It will take some work, as nasty as that word is. We can’t afford to sit around until after Labor Day and then get on it. If the committee asks for your help, please say, “Yes,” to there request. Let’s have this be everyone doing a little bit, not a few people doing it all. In other words, not like other clubs.

                July 4th is next week, so make sure that you celebrate our nation’s birthday, and do so soberly that is sober. This country was formed by a special group of men and women. There was a lot of thought that went into how this country was born and the principles that keep it on the straight and narrow. We have always had the Naysayers and one will find that it is difficult to shield yourself from the negative people that surround us. But shield ourselves we must. I remember when Carter was in office and he had the most pessimistic view of this country and its place in the world. Along came that “dumb actor” and with him came the optimistic viewpoint that made us realize that things were not all bad, and that this is a great country.

                Well, the negative ones are gaining strength again, and everything bad in this world is America’s fault. We got hammered on September 11, because of what we did to “them.” Personally, I don’t believe that, and instead I think that we had better be ready to fight the Islamofascists in this world, and fight them as long as it takes to defeat them.

 

Quote(s) of the Week:

“Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual...but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country." —Samuel Adams

"Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force; like fire, a troublesome servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action." —George Washington

"In every person who comes near you look for what is good and strong; honor that; try to imitate it, and your faults will drop off like dead leaves when their time comes." —John Ruskin

"Nations crumble from within when the citizenry asks of government those things which the citizenry might better provide for itself... [I] hope we have once again reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts." —Ronald Reagan

“For this is the tragedy of man – circumstances change, but he does not” —Niccolo Machiavell

i
Happy Birday America