OCT 28, 2014 ROTARY IN REVIEW:
Laughing with Latimer

Posted by Joseph Beckman 
on Oct 28, 2014
 

President John Guthmann stood patiently at the podium as the clock ticked past 12:12, then 12:13 and 12:14.  He broke stride, however, and called the meeting to order at precisely 12:14:53, continuing to thumb his nose at former president Jim Kosmo’s reign of punctuality.  Your Scribe, who is likely to be late for his own funeral but was uncharacteristically on time for some reason on this grey Tuesday, duly noted this. 

 

Jerry Faletti opened the meeting by announcing all would sing, “With Gusto.”   Bill Kansas (piano) was drafted at the last minute to make a spot start for the day’s scheduled accompanist.  Bill ignored Jerry’s clear instruction, and pounded out something that sounded vaguely like “America.” 

Carol Bufton delivered an invocation, first channeling a famous writer other than your Scribe, then summoning a benediction that included a suitable autumn images.  It was well done, frankly.  ‘Nuff said.

President John thanked  Molly Bauer and Jon Cieslak  for their turn as door greeters.  Jon’s service seemed to echo a theme, as he was pinch hitting for another Rotarian.  (It quickly became clear that these missing miscreants were likely over at the Episcopal Home on University reserving spots on the waiting list so they could room on either side of the day’s speaker’s 12’x12’ new digs.)  President John introduced your “incomparable” Scribe (Christopher Moore).  “Incomparable” to what, he diplomatically left to the imagination of each Rotarian in attendance.        

Visitors were announced, including a fine fellow from the Roseville Club who apparently believes “Happy Dollar$” means a single bill bearing George Washington’s image.  [Insert your own politically incorrect slight regarding the parsimony of Rotary members from outside of Club 10 here.]

Reminders included:

  • Rotary Birthdays for October (month/year joined Rotary in parenthesis): Mary Britts (2/2013), Mindy Kastelic (2/2012), Dion Powers (8/2010) Sarah Kolar (3/2008), President John (11/1995) and Francis Luikart (3/1983). 
  • Jim Miller promoted next week’s program featuring Omar Jamal, a former secretary to the Somali mission, who will speak about the recruitment of Minnesota Somalis by ISIS/ISIL.
  • Blake Davis reported on the status of the dictionary project which is underway and will donate 3,200 dictionaries to 3rd graders; 1,600 of these are delivered personally.   So far 43 of the 46 needed volunteers have signed up to participate.  By the time this went to press, those spots were filled. Great job, Rotarians!
  • Ed Coleman promoted the Tuesday, February 24 Wild outing.  (No word on whether this will take place of the weekly meeting, or start on time.)  Tickets that ordinarily sell for $100 each are $75, with $20 of that going to the Rotary Foundation.  We need to sell 100 tickets to qualify, so check your calendars and open your checkbook. 
  • Jon Cieslak was emcee for “happy dollars.”  St. Paul Rotarians clearly understood this means multiple dollars, which made Jon happy! 

Jim Miller introduced our speaker, a fellow by the name of George Latimer.  Your Scribe did not move here until last month of the prior millennium, but knows who Latimer is.  If you are one of the six people in the metro who need his background, look here or here. 

Latimer, according to a well informed insider, carried with him a carefully written speech he intended to deliver.  Perhaps picking up on the energy in the room, or maybe simply upset that he was handed the podium a disappointing 8 minutes “late,” he cast it aside and spoke extemporaneously. 

Latimer began by noting his original speech was designed to fill 30 minutes with observations that were either thought provoking, profound, or funny.  Pointing out that others had (insensitively) eaten into his presentation time, he stated he was simply “going for funny.” 

As alluded to above, Latimer is a soon to be resident of Episcopal Homes on University Avenue.  Shelly Rucks was, for reasons not entirely clear (to exactly three people in the room), keenly aware of this.  Moreover, the audience soon learned that Latimer’s current neighbors have reportedly hailed the news of his new residence as heartily as Shelly. 

Latimer described himself as “not unduly modest,” modesty being a trait he said, “of which I am never accused.”  He did not disappoint, sharing anecdotes about celebrating the opening of a stop light, the Republican he employed at City Hall in a show of incredible bi-partisanship, and of the chutzpah of telling “God’s Understudy” (the then head of the McKnight Foundation) that he needed “not one dime less than $10,000,000” to get a project completed . . . and getting it!

Latimer perhaps best summed up his view of Saint Paul and its residents with the following assessment, “We plant a tree to give shade to those who are not yet born; shade that perhaps we may never ourselves see.”  The crowd’s warm laughter throughout the speech recognized the generous, if self-effacing, spirit that graced their presence and brightened this otherwise somewhat grey day.

Latimer ended PROMPTLY at 1:00, and received a rare standing ovation.  Whether this was a reflection on (a) the quality of his thought provoking, profound, or frequently very funny speech, or (b) that a meeting FINALLY ended on time, your Scribe leaves to the opinion of each individual Rotarian in attendance. 

After the speech ended, President John dragged it on for another couple of minutes with something about Read with ImageMe and a Four Way Test.  Yada.  Yada.  Yada.

Christopher Moore (aka Joe Beckman)
Guest Scribe