Club somnambulist Jamie Lyman took up the collection. The nail that sticks up gets hammered down and the honor of getting hammered first fell to this writer (for his pathetic attempt at humor). Jamie primed the pump by announcing that he had done a make-up and then exacted retribution on those who have not over the course of a year. Falling back on the tried-and-true he then punished those without pins.
Paul Evans triumphantly proclaimed that all 65 kids on the club's Santa list will see their list come true. She is also about to be a grandmother yet again. Paula's toy collection should pair nicely with the coats that Cheryl Callahan is exhorting members to fetch. Ed McBride updated us on Ambassadorial Scholar from Italy, Francesco Liberatore, who passed the Italian Bar and has his sights set on our fair shores. Practice, practice, practice must have done the trick for Marie Stultz for she is booked for a conducting gig at Carnegie Hall. Bill Buck celebrated Caroline's reading aloud to her class and for the recent bountiful Thanksgiving food drive. Jim Sutton and Vicki are celebrating four decades of marital bliss.
Ever the loose cannon, Dave Sollars proposed a toast to the 75th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. He next saluted the cash haul to the tune of $200,000 from last week's Ironstone Farm Auction. Rick Downey played foil to Dave's free spirit by relating a friend's suicide and reminding us to to have a positive impact on those around us. Joan hitched her wagon to that train and beseeched members to call those who have dropped from our midsts on Friday mornings. Ray Cannon reports that the Salem-Methuen club has adopted our award-winning STOP program and that our club, in turn, is learning from other clubs who have already launched their own Educator of the Year recognition.
