Welcome and Opening of Meeting - President Pam Cohen
As members and guests arrived, it was clear this would be no ordinary meeting. Son Hee Williamson arrived early and was enlisted to help arrange some baskets of holiday surprises, and the Dickens Carolers arrived early to set a festive holiday atmosphere.
- Dick Myren offered the invocation.
- Warren Williamson led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Introduction of Guests
- Sean Green introduced his better half - Barbara Des Mooulins.
- Anita Kegler was introduced by President Pam.
- Warren Williamson introduced four of his five guests: Jennifer Steele who works in Warren's office, her husband, Brady Steele, and their boys - Luca and Royce Haavig. Warren failed to introduce Son Hee Williamson until he was reminded.
- Dickens Carolers were briefly introduced by Pam.
- Carla Krcmarik introduced her parents: Cindy and Allen Baier.
- Shelly Romine introduced Liz and Tom Yuzer.
- Colleen Coons introduced our inbound Rotary Youth Exchange student, Fanny Lienard.
- Bob Zarling introduced Laurene Van Engelen who also resides at Trilogy.
- Pam introduced and welcomed Brian Harvey, a member who has been unable to attend meetings for far too long.
Auction - To Benefit Salvation Army
Bob Zarling said he had one of the reindeer-design oven push/pull tools that he and Ed Koeneman made in Keeper's Workshop to auction. After the bid got up to $35, he asked if both of the active final bidders were willing to pay that price, because he actually had two of them. Ron Thompson and Steve Ross were the lucky bidders.
Recognition of Doubletree StaffPam presented ThankYou cards containing gift cards to
Service Captain, Martha
Server, Dolce
Catering Sales Manager, Jan Cramer
Ace of Clubs Raffle - Dick Myren
Dick explained that the holder of the stub to the ticket drawn would win $55 plus the chance to try to draw the Ace of Clubs from the deck (which would result in their winning the big put which has grown to $155). He then asked President Pam to draw the winning ticket. She drew Dick's ticket. Dick's luck stopped there, though - the card he drew was the Nine of Clubs.
Cookie Decorating Contest AnnouncedCookies shaped like holiday sweaters and decorating supplies were distributed to members and guests present at the meeting. The activity was to add something fun to do while Happy Bucks were collected and then enjoying hearing the Dickens Carolers perform.
It was quickly apparent that Allan Cady wasn't going to decorate no stinking cookie, believing cookies are for eating...
Happy Bucks for Salvation Army - Don LaBarge
- President Pam contributed. She had enjoyed helping her daughter host a potato latke party at her daughter's home in Flagstaff Wednesday night. She was happy to have made the trip back down from the mountains to arrive in time for our Mesa West meeting
- Photographer Lola McClane captured more evidence of Allan's refusal to decorate his sweater cookie.
- Dick Myren was $10 worth of happy for he and Rod Daniels being part of Mesa West Rotary after winning the raffle.
- Steve Ross contributed. He and Luin are happy their son has accepted a position as an Anthropology professor at a university in St. Louis, Missouri.
- Ron Thompson pledged $100 toward his Paul Harris Fellow recognition.
- Brian Harvey was happy to be at our Mesa West meeting. He lives half of the year in Baltimore. He tried to join a Rotary club there, but it folded.
- Polly Cady contributed $5. She was happy they had recently enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with their New Zealand family and friends. She was also happy to have enjoyed Cinderella with Fanny and her host sister. She was also happy that she was married to a man who is handsome, smart, caring, and giving, and she let Allan tell the rest of the story.
- Allan Cady said that they opened a card containing a very special gift from his son and daughter-in-law who live in Charlotte North Carolina. The card said they wanted to do something truly memorable for Allan and Polly this year. They sent a $50,000 check to Mesa West Rotary. (At the Mesa West Rotary Club Board of Directors Meeting December 27, it was decided that $10,000 would be sent to The Rotary Foundation for the End Polio Now campaign, $10,000 would be donated to The Rotary Vocational Fund of Arizona, and the remaining $30,000 would be donated as an unrestricted donation to Mesa West Rotary Foundation)
- Shelly Romine contributed $200 for Salvation Army. She was happy their sone was coming for Christmas. She was also happy her husband helped her with bell ringing this year.
- Colleen Coons contributed $4 to recognize Fanny for her 4.0 GPA this semester.
- Warren Williamson contributed, and did express his appreciation of having Son Hee attending the meeting as his guest.
- Tom Yuzer contributed. He was grateful to be in Arizona as opposed to Minnesota.
- Ed Koeneman was thankful for the loaned equipment from the hotel when it was discovered the power supply for the club's mic was missing.
- Polly Cady was happy to present Fanny with a Christmas Card signed by the members present. The envelope contained some spendable Christmas cheer as well.
- Don LaBarge was happy that a neighboring business who paid their employees while they filled many of the vacant bell ringing shifts for Don this year had also written a check to Salvation Army for $2,500.
- Deb Koeneman, who was attending via Zoom said she would be putting $100 in the kettle on her next bell-ringing shift.
Announcements
- Shelly Romine reminded members we would not have a regular meeting at noon on Thursday, December 29. We would instead meet at 5:00 PM at 12 West Brewery, 12 West Main in downtown Mesa for a happy hour holiday celebration.
- Shelly also announced that our annual Post Holiday Celebration would be January 21 at 4:00 PM at the home of Ron and Toni Thompson.
Program - Dickens Carolers
Among the songs performed by the Dickens Carolers were:
Jingle Bells
Feliz Navidad
Silver Bells
Christmas in Kilarney
Frosty the Snowman
Hanukkah
Joy To The World
Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian Christmas Song)
Deck the Halls
White Christmas
Silent Night
O Holy Night
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Top Cookies on Display
After the top cookies were displayed using the camera so others in the room and anyone on Zoom could get a good look, President Pam presented a token prize to each of those producing the prize-winning cookies. She is shown in the photo presenting one of the prizes.
