Rotary Ramblings 3-4-08

[Ellie Lowery]

"Rambled by Ellie" 
  _____  


ROTARY RAMBLINGS

ROTARY CLUB OF DELRAY BEACH

March 4, 2008

 

President Kurt Godfrey is back, and feeling much better.  We thank
President-elect Steve Bates for doing a fine job in his absence last week.

 

Harvey Brown gave an awesome invocation.  Steve Rich led us through two
favorites, while Bruce Williams kept us tapping our toes, as he played his
renditions on piano.  We sang Happy Birthday to Jim Pignato, who generously
donated $82.00 to our club.  (Folks, he did hear from Uncle Luigi.)

 

Harvey Brown again stepped to the podium to greet our visiting Rotarians and
guests, amidst thunderous applause. Fred Bonardi presented our banner to a
visiting Rotarian from Ontario.  Make ups were done by Mike Campbell, Bill
Adams and Sylvia Pecaro.  Deb Ferrell has her mother visiting with her.
Steve Bates had Corbin Hankey as his guest; Roy Simon had Armando, from
Boca, as his guest.

 

It was good to see Bill Talen back with us today.  He proudly introduced his
daughter, Julie Talen, a screenwriter, in NY.  Bill generously donated
$1,000.00 to the scholarship fund, and $1,000.00 in memory of his wonderful
wife, Caroline, whom he had a deep love affair with for 25 ½ special years.
Bill, our thoughts are with you and your family.

 

Fred Bonardi gave us a “downer” stock market report.  At his time of
reporting, the DOW was down 60 points (down 9% YTD), NASDAQ down 25 points
(down 16 % YTD), and S&P down 16 points (down 10% YTD).  Oil and gold prices
are slightly down.

 

Fred did a much better job as Sergeant at Arms!  He received $82.00 from Jim
Pignato (birthday), $2,000.00 from Bill Talen, and a number of other
donations, for a total of $2,200.00.  Now, I think that is a record!!!!!!

 

President Godfrey asked for a safe trip for our officers, Governor-elect
Betsy Owen, Asst. Governor Leo Phillips and President-elect Steve Bates, as
they travel to the Rotary PETS Conference, studying to become
better-informed leaders for us. We thank each of you for your efforts.

 

Bob Teninga is diligently soliciting volunteers for help at the Delray
Affair, March 28, 29, 30.  (Same location; near Veteran’s Park.)  He thanked
a long list of people who helped to read and work with the children at the
Achievement Center this last Thursday.  Each month, on the last Thursday, he
will be seeking volunteers to help with this local project.  

 

Jess Sowards reports the Boy Scouts had a very successful reception at
Northern Trust Bank last Thursday.  They were able to raise $17,000.00 for
the organization.  He wishes to thank all the Rotarians that supported this
cause.

 

Nick and Anna Loeb are opening their home, at 1850 Lake Drive, Delray Beach,
for a fundraiser to benefit American Heart Association and The Palm Beach
International Film Festival.  The event will be on Friday, March 7, 2008,
7pm to midnight.  The party is entitled “Cabo Moon Bash.”  Please call
561-697-6652, or www.cabomoonbash.com <http://www.cabomoonbash.com/> . for
more information.

 

Bob Teninga introduced our Student of the Month, Nadine Cade.  She is a
vivacious young lady, who is graduating this year from Atlantic High School,
and will attend PBCC for two years before pursuing a four-year degree in
medicine.  She aspires to be an obstetrician.  Nadine has a long list of
work history (for such a young girl), and an even longer list of honors and
achievements, including being a youth leader in her church.  She introduced
her choice of Teacher of the Month, Patricia Brinkley, Counselor.  She has
been a teacher at Atlantic High School for twenty-one years.  She is a
graduate of William & Mary College.  In addition, with them was guidance
counselor Melanie Smith.  We are proud of students and teachers such as Ms.
Cade and Mrs. Brinkley.

 

President Kurt Godfrey announced the selection of officers and board members
for 2008-2009.  Their names will be published later.

 

Steve Bates had the pleasure of introducing our guest speaker, who is no
stranger to most of the people in the Delray Beach area, (especially Ernie
and Roy Simon; he is their “little brother,”) Alexander “Sandy” Simon, Jr.
Sandy has spoken to our club many times in the past.  He has such a
wonderful memory of the history of our area; we find him amazing.  He also
is so well versed on world history he keeps us intrigued. 

 

The Simon Family settled in Delray Beach in 1912, traveling from Lebanon.
Since that time, they have spread out all over the area!  The Simon
Brothers, Ernie, Roy, Charlie and Sandy were born, and grew up in Delray
Beach. They love their hometown, doing “service above self” throughout.
They, as a family, and as individuals, continue to be honored by the
community for their selfless acts of humanity.  

 

Mr. Simon received his B.S. from the School of Architecture at Georgia Tech
and an M.B.A in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of
Pennsylvania.  He enjoyed a 30-year career in large-scale real estate
development in Atlanta and Savannah, GA.  As President of the new town,
Shenandoah, he developed the largest building in the world heated and cooled
with solar energy.  He created and was first president of the Atlanta
Foreign Trade Zone.

 

After returning to his hometown, he developed Atlantic Plaza in Delray
Beach, and introduced the innovative concepts of outdoor dining, paver brick
sidewalks, fine arts, and saving trees in downtown Delray Beach.

 

He has served as Chairman of the Morikami Museum, the Steering Committee of
Delray Beach’s 2000, 2005 and 2010, and the Decade of Excellence Bond
Referendum., all of which led to the recent renaissance of Downtown Delray
Beach.  He supervised the restoration of the Crest Theater and the Old Gym.
He is a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray.

 

Mr. Simon and his brothers received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the
City of Delray Beach for their more than 120 years of service to Delray
Beach.  

 

Mr. Simon has served as a member of the Board of Governors of St. Jude
Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN, and currently serves on their National
Advisory and Investment Committees.  He is also a member of the America Task
Force for Lebanon.  He has been active in United States-Lebanese/Middle East
issues since 1973.  He served, along with three other Arab-Americans in
1978, meeting with the heads of state of Jordan, Kuwait, Iraq, Bahrain,
Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and the PLO, during the tense Camp David
negotiations.

 

Since his life-changing stroke in 1993, Sandy Simon has written and
published four books, including Remembering, A Stroke of Genius, The Amazing
Story of Delray Beach, Highland Beach and Boca Raton.  His latest book is
Beyond the Cedars, a romantic historical novel.

 

He spends much of his time as an advocate for stroke survivors. He has given
presentations nationally, for the American Stroke Association.  He is a
guest history enrichment lecturer on Norwegian Cruise Lines.

 

Today, Mr. Simon spoke on The U.S. as Compared to Latin America
  Why so
Different?...  And What Now?  He covered 500 years, and settlement of the
Western Hemisphere; how Europe transferred their societies to the Americas
through immigration.  In Latin America, 1% of the people hold ownership; in
America, we have private enterprise, with a nation of Laws, with church and
state separated.  We have Freedom; Latin America does not.  America, Land of
the Free!

 

Next week our speaker will be Robert Hill, Director of Bethesda Hospital.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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