BRIARCLIFF MANOR ROTARY CLUB MEETING
July 17th, 2009
TODAY’S INTRIGUING FACT
It is estimated that Americans’ obesity costs the airlines a quarter of a million dollars’ worth of fuel annually. Also, revolving doors have had to be widened.
--The New Yorker magazine, July 20, 2009
DO YOU REALIZE THAT…
A hamburger is called a hamburger even though it contains no ham?………
It kind of destroys your faith in a God, doesn’t it?
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MEETING OPENING: Our newly-appointed president was not present (he called in, with his apologies), so Paul Rosen leaped into the breach, making certain that the meeting got off to a flying start.
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SALUTE TO OUR FLAG, PATRIOTIC ANTHEM, AND PRAYER: The indefatigable Sy Yuter led our tiny band of patriots in a salute to our flag. Sy, in turn, was followed by
a deep-bassed Paul Rosen (he was everywhere, today!) who belted out a rousing version of The Star-Spangled Banner.
PRESIDENT’S REMARKS: Inasmuch as there was no President of our chapter in attendance today, Paul Rosen, subbing for the absent Mark Seiden, made a startling announcement: At last! Diet celery tonic in now available!
Pandemonium broke out, as a result.
ANOUNCEMENTS AND HAPPY THOUGHTS: Dr. Yuter, in a return appearance, declared that 24 people have registered for the upcoming Jewish Banquet. But there sill remains room for one or two more gourmands. Hurry! Hurrry!
NEXT WEEK’S SPEAKER: Our speaker on July 31st will be Phelps Hospital CEO.
Keith Safian. Mr. Safian will bring us up-to-date on The Universal Health-Care Debate.
THIS WEEK’S SPEAKER: Our speaker today was Anna Syganowski, author of “How To Stay Alive On The Roads.”
Ms. Syganowski, a member of the Westchester Engineering Department (she explained why she found herself in that department rather than the Traffic Safety Department) was eloquent on the subject.
Highway accidents and fatalities have remained relatively constant in the past few years, Ms. Syganowski pointed out, with figures inching up slowly, as more cars fill the roads. And County roads are the safest.
The chief cause of automobile accidents is, according to experts, surprisingly enough, tailgating: cars simply speed along dangerously close to one another. Other causes of highway mayhem are speaking on a cellphone and breastfeeding (breastfeeding??) Killing insects plays a part in accidents, too, as does changing seats while driving. Texting in automobiles has become such a major problem that a law forbidding it has been enacted by the State Legislature. There are laws outlawing not stopping at a Stop Sign and going through a red light, but drivers still continue to ignore them.
If you want to be safe as a pedestrian, Ms. Syganowski warned, always walk against the traffic, not with it. And when you are driving, don’t speed! Speed kills!
As a driver and as a pedestrian, use your head and say alive!
It was a highly-informative and eye-opening talk. Thank you. Ms. Syganowski
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THE DRAWING: The winners of this week’s lottery was not Bishop John.
THE FINISH OF OUR MEETING: Our weekly meeting ended at precisely 1:32 pm.
An altercation by mail followed between Bishop John and Reverend Lee over who is the most religious.
Respectfully submitted by
Recording Secretary, Don Wilde
7/17 Attendance - Robert Amsterdam, Dean Dykeman, Zenith Eidel, Rodney Ertischek, Marie Fuesy, John Herzog, Shelley Lotter, Robert Maher, Ernest Pacchiana, Paul Rosen, Donald Wilde, Frances Wills, Elinor Yuter, Sy Yuter
