West U Rotary Happenings for the week of May 29th

Posted by Greg Faldyn 
on May 31, 2016
 
Memorial Day - may we never forget!
 
Golf Tournament is next week - come out and support Emergency Aid Coalition
 
This week's speaker is Bill Boyce - discussing his father's tour in World War II
 
West U Rotary Happenings for the week of May 29, 2016 ….
 
I hope everyone enjoyed the long holiday weekend. I also hope that each person took some time this weekend to reflect on the significance of this holiday. Every one of us has a friend or family member who served and defended our country. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service of the United States of America. While Waterloo N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day.
Regardless of the exact date or location of its origins, one thing is clear – Memorial Day was borne out of the Civil War and a desire to honor our dead. It was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there.
The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890 it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War I (when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war).
 
May we never forget the men and women who have given their lives fighting for our freedoms and our country.
 
 
This week our guest speaker is William “Bill” Boyce and he will discuss his father’s WWII tour on the B-24 Liberator bomber. For many years, Bill never really knew the details of father’s missions. However after ongoing research Bill now has a better understanding of his father’s service. Please join us for an intriguing discussion about WWII.   
 
Where’s Carol – well she is enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of South Korea. She appears to be really enjoying herself. After the conference, she will then head out to Japan to continue her vacation.  
 
 
For June, we still have several events coming up:
  • June 6th – our annual golf tournament at Riverbend Country Club. This is still plenty of space for hole sponsorships and foursomes. So, come on out and help support the West U Rotary Club Foundation and the Emergency Aid Coalition.
  • June 11th – Books for the World book Sorting
  • June 14th – Club Board meeting at The Merrill House – 7 AM
  • June 17th – District Governor Elect Eric Liu’s Installation Banquet – Hilton of the Americas. We have several members and spouses attending. Please get with me if you would like to sit with the club.
  • June 28th – West U Rotary 2016 – 2017 Officer Installation – Maggianos. Come on out! Bring your spouse, significant other or family for this special evening.
Did everyone figure out the plates from last week? The answers to last week and this week’s selections are provided below.
Last week:
  • UEEEEA - Euphoria
  • HIHOAG – Hi Ho Silver
  • H8PEPZ – Hate Pepsi
This week:
  • IXFE (in honor of our golf tournament)
  • IDH82BU
  • TI3VOM (one of my favorite phrases in traffic)
Have a great week. Peace!
 
Greg Faldyn
West U Rotary Prez