Regular meeting - Jan. 3

On a rare morning without rain, we welcomed Tom Brown from the Hilo Club and Ruth Larkin from Hilo Bay. Tom has agreed to become our newest Assistant District Governor, although he confesses to being a retread! We also were happy to have Pam Scheffler, daughter of Jack Lockwood, at our meeting. Pam came to update us on the playground at Cooper Center.

President Don Hughes got us started with the following quote: "You can tell how big a man is by what it takes to discourage him."

Former Volcano Rotarian David Moore sent a note to the club thanking Charlene Meyers for hosting his boss and enclosing a $100 check for "Happy Dollars." We sure miss that young man!

Next we had some words on the Golf Tournament. (There is a meeting set up at Pete Walburn's house on Saturday, January 12th at 2 p.m. for anyone who wants to help get this tourney organized and running well. BYOB!)

Brent Macabio turned out to be a very expensive bachelor at a fundraiser this past weekend. (Maybe that's why he missed today's meeting!) Congratulations, Marie!

We have birthdays this month! John Linneman will celebrate tomorrow, January 4, and Gwendolyn O'Connor will blow out candles on January 8th.

Deadline for submitting names for RYLA camp is January 30! Please let Mili Hughes know if you know of a student who could benefit from leadership training.

President Don did a "Rotary Moment" on our community service project, Keiki Vision. Even if only a few children are found to need the services of an optometrist, the project is invaluable to that child and his or her family. Please keep some time put aside for this event.

Tom Brown came to visit us regarding the expansion of the bus routes from Volcano to Hilo. He passed out the new schedules to everyone and urged us to use this free method of trasport. The Hele On bus will go to the airport next year. The service is going to remain free until at least the end of 2009.

Our speaker today was David Uhlmann who is on a crusade to teach children about money and finance. It's training that they may not receive at home. He has a presentation that can be given to 6 to 12 year olds that teaches the importance of setting financial goals for the short and long term with words and concepts that children can understand. The concept is to instill self-discipline through delayed gratification. (Some adults could use that training, too!) One of the best ideas was to teach children to SAVE - SPEND - DONATE - INVEST. He had a really great tool, a piggy bank that Pete Walburn was happy to hold up. Let David know if you have a group of children and parents who could benefit from something like this.
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ATTENTION: There will be a board meeting after the regular meeting next week!

Happy Dollars!

Hey, does this kids look happy, or what? Tom Brown gave dollars because even though his hearing is going, next to Walburn, he's OK! Ruth Larkin was happy that her choral group is going to perform at Carnegie Hall on Martin Luther King Day! John Tyler said "Happy New Year!" Kevin LeBourdais was happy to spend the New Year with step-kids and grandkids and that they are leaving on Friday! Linda Jane Irwin was happy to be back from Africa and asked us to say a prayer for Kenya. Alana McKinney was happy that her granddaughter was born and weighed in at 9 lb. 6 oz.! Paul Ducasse was happy for Tom Brown's mass transit, for David Uhlmann's presentation and as the Christmas carol says: "And Mom & Dad can hardly wait for school to start again!" Tal Magno was happy that he had an "event free" holiday season! Jack Lockwood was happy for the rainbow over our crater. Dick Behenna was happy for anything that gets parents to educate kids and for the new bus routes. Kathy English was happy to be back from the mainland. Helene Buntman was happy for free transportation. Frank Box and Dianne Morgado were just plain happy.