On a lovely warm day, Ojai Rotarians gathered together in Kathy and Larry Yee’s back yard for fellowship and service.  President Wendy welcomed us to the last meeting of 2024.

 

 

 

 

This is the season when we remember a most unlikely series of events:  in an obscure corner of the Roman empire,  a  desperately frightened  Jewish girl, at the end of her pregnancy,  takes refuge in a squalid stinking barn and gives birth to a boy.  That boy  grows up to speak words that  inspire and comfort  two thousand years later:  

 

 

Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God”.  

 

We know the rest of the story:  after inspiring  the people of Palestine and infuriating the authorities,  he was arrested, tortured and executed.

 

Is it possible that today, in some squalid stinking refugee camp in Sudan, Eritrea, Gaza, or Ukraine, some desperate, frightened  girl is giving birth to a child whose words will inspire and comfort people thousands of years hence?   I hope so.

                                                                                                -Randy Roth

 

President Wendy welcomed our visitors:  Janet’s husband Terry; DeWayne’s wife Marilyn; Al’s wife Joyce; Kelley’s daughter Gianna.  Wendy then thanked all those who made the Christmas Party an outstanding success, especially the social committee:  Cindy, Sue and Kathy.

 

Wendy encouraged us to attend a new exhibit at the Museum on maps.  She also invited us to a New Year’s party at the Museum.  Wendy then expressed her affection for what she called her “Rotary Family”.  The crowd responded by giving Wendy a standing ovation.

 

 

 

 

Tony Thacher then presided over a clever and fun fundraising gambit:  Rotarians were given the opportunity to guess the combined weight of Carl Gross, DeWayne Bocalli and Tony T. Each guess costs a buck.  Judging by the reaction, it seems this nifty stratagem will gather some funds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DeWayne entertained us with a medley of songs and stories.  While DeWayne projects a happy-go-lucky affect, it is obvious when he sings that he is a man of considerable depth and poetry.  His rendering of these songs spoke to the audience:

President Wendy gave DeWayne a well deserved thanks!

 

 

 

 

We will be dark for the next two weeks.  Next meeting is January 10.