Date: December 20, 2011
Editor: Gary MacGregor |
Vol. 61– 25 |
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Club Program
Past, Present & Future |
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| Last Week: |
Christmas Buffet and Blind Auction
– Evening Meeting |
| This Week: |
Christmas Fellowship
and Surprise Speaker |
| Dec 20 |
No Meeting |
| Jan 3 |
Tony Mayler –
Guild Theatre Group |
Christmas Buffet and Blind Auction
Once again Scarboro Golf and Country Club outdid themselves
with their fabulous Christmas Buffet. The roast beef
was beyond belief. It was so tender you didn’t
even need to chew it; it just melted in your mouth.
There were 50 in attendance and they all enjoyed a marvelous
evening of Fine Food and Christmas Cheer.
We were able to celebrate the season with some former
club members, Rebecca and Kim Hunter, Lina Demirjian
and Jeff Mittman.
Our Salt and Pepper Santa’s, Mike C and Sydney
were at their seasonal best ably assisted by their collection
elf Don. The spirited Christmas blind auction they conducted
raised over $800 for the Club.
For those of you who were unable to attend you missed
out on a wonderful evening.
Attendance
As stated above there were 50 Rotarians and guests
in attendance.
Rotary Quiz
No quiz this week.
Announcements:
No announcements this week.
Woods/Cunningham Wheel
No wheel this week.
Sergeant-at-Arms
No Sergeant this week.
A Christmas Poem
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHTS CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'
This poem was written by a Marine.
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