In the beginning:
President Cheree called Rotarians together for fellowship and service on a lovely autumn day. Michael Scar led the salute and Christine Golden recited a moving and dramatic invocation. Cheree thanked all those whose support made the meeting possible.
Upcoming Events:
Bill Gilbreth told us about upcoming events: next week Haadi Lashkari will give us an update on the Community Hospital; the following week Judy Norris will give us a behind the scenes look at the DC legal apparatus.
Announcements
- Tony Thacher and his wife Anne were honored after 35 years of his founding of the Ojai West Rotary.
- Leslie Bouche gave updated us on the events and accomplishments of International service committee. Leslie invited all who are interested to come to the meetings.
New Member: Cindy Frings
Cindy Frings was inducted as a new Rotarian under the proud eyes of her sponsor Janet Campbell and her mentor Judy Gabriel. Welcome Cindy! It is indeed gratifying to have so many accomplished women joining our club.
Program: Colonel Keith Nightingale on Afghanistan
Tony Thacher introduced today’s program by reading a short section of Colonel Nightingale's book: the section was a somber reflection on the unpleasant duty of a soldier and an apt introduction to the Colonel’s talk.
Colonel Nightingale started his talk by remarking that any discussion must start with the recognition of key facts. In the case of Afghanistan, here are a few of the key facts:
- 9 provinces led by independent warlords
- 8 ethnic groups
- 9 languages
- Islam serves as both a religion and as a quasi government
- The Taliban is dominant in 5 provinces
- Russia would gladly move into any vacuum created by a precipitous US withdrawal
Given this set of facts, it is difficult to formulate a successful plan for US withdrawal in the short term.
The Colonel has written a new book, Just Another Day in Viet Nam, which will soon be available for purchase.
Next Week: Haady Lashkari--Ojai Valley Community Hospital and Continuing Care Center
Closing Remarks
President Cheree asked those who served in our Military to stand, and asked the rest of us to honor all who have served.