50-50 RAFFLE
Pot Size: $761.00
Winners: Tim Clarke and Kathi Strout (no winners)
CALENDAR RAFFLE
Sold By: Dick Moore
Sold To: John Wilk
#0569
Sold By: Trip Mason
Sold To: Karen Gendall
#0529
VISTING ROTARIANS AND GUESTS
Kang Yu, Assistant District Governor from Saugus was a guest.
Jim Hurley was a guest of Joanne Scott.
Michael Harrington was a guest of Jake Segal.
FINES AND RECOGNITIONS
Juli Lederhaus said the Hawthorne Hotel had not been mentioned in the paper in 4 weeks.
Tim Clarke and his wife, Alice, went to Miami, and missed the recent storms.
Dick Lutts told another blonde joke.
Rinus Oosthoek was bragging about the Netherlands victory in speed skating.
Mark Leavitt said it was nice to have Maryann Curtin here, and that her granddaughter was getting better. Mark's wife's birthday was on 2/14/14!
Nick Helides went on a trip to NYC.
Maryann thanked everyone for their support. Her granddaughter will have a titanium eye socket. She is going to Spaulding and New England Rehabilition centers for her arm and leg. She is recovering, and learning basic skills.
Betsye's 2nd grandchild (girl) was born on 2/17/14.
Brenda spent the weekend in Hartford, Conn., and is leaving for the Bahamas next weekend.
BIRTHDAYS
Happy birthday to Jeff Shribman on February 19th!
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS
Rocky Pelletier is at Spaulding Rehab recovering, and would enjoy visitors.
Next week's meeting is offsite at the PEM, and the speaker is Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett. Please attend and bring guests!
This year's Auction which will be held on March 21st. It is the club's largest fundraiser. Tickets will be $60 per person or $450 per table. Chris and Claudia hope all Rotarians will be involved by securing one donation to the auction, by obtaining an ad for the booklet, by donating a bottle of wine, and by coming to the event with others. The Hawthorne Hotel will donate 2 drink tickets per person as well as the 2 bottles of wine per table. This year will have a tighter schedule than last year, and will will include a live auction item of 12 bottles of single malt scotch.
A big thank you to those that took the plunge! Brenda, Joanne, David, Jeff and Patrick!
THIS WEEK'S SPEAKER
Jake Segal introduced this week's speaker.
Michael Harrington, owner of the Hawthorne Hotel was this week's speaker. He began with a quote from Rick Atkinson about the advantage the US had after WWII. The US became a major power because of gold, cheap energy, a viable Navy and Air Force, marking the end of the period of European leadership. America, "Power always thinks it has a great soul." ~John Adams.
Michael was elected to Congress in 1969, and that was the last time the US had no budget deficit. President Clinton and Alan Greenspan worked to have a period of relative prosperity. In 2002 and 2003, Greenspan lost arguments with Congress, and we had two tax cuts.
President Bush invaded Iran after 9/11 without an additional tax to Americans. He added Medicare D and these issues caused the deficit to grow.
Today, the national debt is $17 trillion, and 1/2 trillion is deficit.
The country faces a thought process where we want what we want without concern for payment. Congress is unwilling to face the Bowles Simpson Plan dealing with entitlements with no willingness to change until at least after the election.
He believes we should limit terms in Congress and have a review of the Constitution and is looking towards a parliamentary system of government.
Michael ran for mayor when he was 26 years old, and lost the election. The average voter turnout was 80%. The last Salem election was 26%, and statewide it was 27%.
He talked about the "You're Not So Special" commencement speech given by David McCullough Jr. at the Wellesley High School graduation.
Michael said the US is in the middle range of infant mortality, and is average in healthcare, which is not the best.
He said the country is in need of an overdue civics lesson - we need to call a "Constitutional Convention". Locally, municipalities need to work together to save resources. Why should some small communities' cash pay for a high school and other municipal resources which could be shared. The state government is too big. The legislative branch is isolated and concerned with their positions, combined with apathy of the public. This leads to the current state of the economy we have today. The US is in a multi-polar world. We can no longer say "this is how it will be", we must cooperate and work together. No hero or heroine will come to resolve our issues as President.
HERO QUOTE
Today, in honor of President's Day, here are a few quote from Presidents Washington and Lincoln:
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." ~Abraham Lincoln
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." ~Abraham Lincoln
"My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read." ~Abraham Lincoln
"It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one." ~George Washington
"Human happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected." ~George Washington
