Rotary Spoke 02/24/15

Posted by Bill Cassell

on Feb 24, 2015

Lexington Lions and Rotary Club of Lexington Meet for Annual Get Together

Dear Mum, Dad, and Lexington Rotarians,

I miss you and the warmth of our homeland. It’s tough being a monkey in Lexington. It’s really cold! And tonight PP Bill C. took me to dinner at the Knights of Columbus. Oh, Lord! It was with a pride of Lions. Lots of them! I kept thinking of the time that Cousin Ralph was dismembered and eaten by lions.

Thank goodness, monkey meat wasn’t on the menu. Rotarians and the Lions started with cheese and crackers, washed down with coffee and tea. The dinner was Caesar salad, roasted potatoes, artichoke chicken, mixed veggies, roll and butter. Oh, yes, there was something called “steak tips,” which looked really good but smelled like Cousin Elmo after he fell into the humans’ fire last New Year’s Eve.

Having about 20 or so Rotarians around made me feel more secure. I really didn’t mind when I was sent flying and screaming across the room a few times. Those demonstrations probably showed those Lions that I wasn’t a monkey to mess with.

Those darned Lions seemed to dominate the meeting, as lions often do when they get together on the Serengeti back home. They led the Pledge and the first verse of America. One Lion gave the invocation, and another gave a toast. And they are awfully formal: Rotarians without coats and ties were fined $2.00! I guess they couldn’t figure out whether my black cape was a coat or a tie, so I wasn’t fined.

I was honored that Lion President Paula Rizzo-Riley used my melodious voice to call the meeting to order, even though she used me like a gavel. Everyone took turns introducing themselves and saying whether they were Lions or Rotarians, which helped me figure out where the predators were sitting.

PP Dan B. explained the Rotarian tradition of “Happy Dollars” and gave $10 for the rapture that he felt when he heard his furnace turn off (ever so briefly) during a recent warm spell. PP Don S. joined in with a happy story: An alarm sensor installed by Lexington Alarm had alerted him to what would have been a very serious water leak in his home. Upon hearing the name of his business, PP Don M. stood up and paid for the advertising.

Acting Rotarian President Dominic S., who was wearing a nice coat and bright blue tie (no dress fine), thanked the Lions for sharing their meeting with the Rotarians. He informed the attendees that Leon Burke had passed away and that there would be a memorial service at Douglass Funeral Home on March 28. The Rotarians’ Comedy Night is scheduled for Friday, May 8, at 6:30 PM at the Hilton Garden Inn in Burlington. Finally, he noted that there would be a Board of Directors meeting at 11:00 AM next Monday.

The speaker was Jodi Willinsky Hill, the Executive Director and a co-founder of COMPASS for kids, a marvelous program that prepares and connects homeless and at risk parents with jobs. She specifically thanked PP Dave E. and PP David B for their enormous support over the years.

The program has been located in Lexington for twenty-plus years and has been a non-profit organizations since 1994. It provides job training and placement for homeless family adults through a four pillar approach: Coaching, Accessing resources for families, Soft Skills Education for Success at Work, and Employer Partners with paid internships. The program has a 75% graduation rate and an 81% internship completion rate. Wow!

Treasurer Donna L. won the Lions’ 50/50 raffle. As the Rotary Club’s special raffle prize, I was won by a Lion (who actually looked pretty gentle and benign), so I am off to new adventures, flying and screaming among Lions. At the end of the meeting a Lion approached me and asked if I knew anyone doing missions where the availability of eyeglasses would be useful. Apparently, the Lions have lots of recycled eyeglasses. I don’t know of any; but, if you do, please contact a Lion.

Monty (the flying, screaming monkey)
(As dictated to PP Bill C.)