Club Business
Brian Dement, our most recent past president, filled in for President Jim Cartner, who is on special assignment. Brian also led the invocation and the pledge of allegiance to the US flag. He announced that Cathryn Hartwell, a broker with Real Estate Experts, is now an official member of the club. She was sponsored by Dick O’Donnell.
Anyone who wishes to attend the District Conference should contact Katie Dukeshire. We are also encouraged to make our annual contribution to the RI foundation, if we have not previously done so this year.
Mary Thomas announced that forms were on each table for interested club members to sign up for advertising or to become a benefactor at the upcoming BCA fund raiser. Next week Philip Smith has the program.
Click here to see all scheduled program dates and responsibilities.
March Birthdays and Anniversaries
11 | Matt Patel | 8 | Francois and Andrea Masuka |
20 | Ben Wooten | 27 | Joseph and Susannah Williams |
30 | Susan Watson |
Happy Dollar Announcements
- David Moore and Mikey Morrison traded barbs regarding Duke’s recent tournament victory over UNC. Mike claims that UNC was down a man, which ruined their chances. Duke was also down a starter, however. Amazing how we see through a set of blue colored lenses of a unique color. Perhaps the teams will meet again this year to settle things once and for all.
- Brian Dement let us know that his wife is recovering from rotator cuff surgery.
Program: Stuart Sioussat – Navy Reserves
Stuart opened his remarks by telling us that blame for his being the program belongs to David Moore, who encouraged him to share his experiences in Bahrain. Stuart has been a member of our club since 2010, and was previously a member of the Rotary club in Kill Devil Hills, NC. He is a vice president and relationship manager at American National Bank, has been married to Betsy for 27 years, and serves as a Commander in the Navy Reserves, where he has been engaged for 24 years. He is also a Paul Harris Fellow.
Stuart just returned for four weeks duty in Bahrain as part of the US 5th Fleet. He worked in the Fleet Logistics Center as the XO. He said it was both a difficult and fun experience.
Bahrain is an island nation in the Arabian or Persian Gulf with Saudi Arabia to the west, Iran to the northeast, and Qatar to the southeast. It area is 277 square miles, which is home to some 1.4 million people. Of those 660 K are foreign nationals, who are needed to provide a workforce. It’s a majority Muslim nation, mostly Shia. The Royal family is Sunni. English is commonly spoken, since it was a British protectorate until 1913. It is the first Arab nation to have a post-oil economy. Before oil, pearl harvesting was big.
Sam Powell asked if Sharia law was in place. Stuart was not sure, but said you can be ticketed for drinking water during Ramadan. He said the Sunni’s being in power prevents the more radical Shias from dominating politically. The king was educated in Great Britain, and the prince primarily in the US, giving the leadership a decidedly Western bias. Shia neighborhoods fly back flags, which serve as a warning for infidels to keep out.
Conclusion
Brian presented our speaker with a book to donate to an individual or institution of his choice in support of literacy. We did not have a drawing today; so, the Queen of Diamonds is safe. Only 51 cards left! Brian adjourned the meeting by leading us in a recitation of Rotary’s four-way test.