Meeting number two of 2024 was held Friday and we lost 10 of our 27 with perfect attendance for the year, we are now at 17. We did have a quorum present for our elections and had an informative presentation from our current inbound exchange student Alex.
President Wells got things started with the ringing of the bell, followed by the pledge, a thought provoking prayer from Darrell Mount, and then Steve Shute leading us in "Let it Snow". While God may not have answered prayers the way "we" want in Darrell's prayer, I think he heard our song.
I asked for strength
and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for wisdom
and God gave me problems to learn to solve.
I asked for prosperity
and God gave me a brain and brawn to work.
I asked for courage
and God gave me dangers to overcome.
I asked for love
and God gave me people to help.
I asked for favors
and God gave me opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted.
I received everything I needed.
and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for wisdom
and God gave me problems to learn to solve.
I asked for prosperity
and God gave me a brain and brawn to work.
I asked for courage
and God gave me dangers to overcome.
I asked for love
and God gave me people to help.
I asked for favors
and God gave me opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted.
I received everything I needed.
After our ritualistic opening, we had our meal and fellowship before our pinch hitter stepped in for Happy Bucks. Faster than last week, maybe he will have it dialed by the time PJ or Jim return. We did have some announcements as well as our elections. February 4 will be the Sunday Brunch at the Redstone Inn at 11AM. Friday, February 23, we will be moving our meeting to Sunlight Mountain for our annual ski day. Once we completed the pomp and circumstances, Jackie Skramstad introduced our speaker, Alex (Oleksandr) Protsenko.
Alex is our current inbound student from the Ukraine. As is customary for inbound students, this was Alex's time to tell us about himself and his country. During his presentation we learned a lot about the history of the Ukraine and were also provided an emotional update on the current events in Ukraine. While he program committee can't take credit for this one, hats off to Jackie for her continued hard work with Rotary Youth Exchange.
We concluded the meeting with Alex being presented a Rotary Four Way Test Coin and the drawing of the luck blue ticket. Pat Peel was the lucky possessor and will be at the front door next week selling tickets.