Call to Order
President Paul Johnson called the meeting to order at 12:30 in a chilly, but somewhat warmer Shir Hadash. The pledge of allegiance was led by Jean Marc Blanchard. Everyone was happy to see Paul present and healthy, and welcomed him back with a big round of applause.

Guests
There were no visiting Rotarians. John Walker introduced his guest Jim Childers who was visiting the club for a second time, and is considering membership.
Kristina Strand also introduced her son, Liam Strand.

Inspiration
Ryan Rosenburg shared the inspiration.

Ryan had a super interesting story about John Metcalf, a civil engineer (among many other things) during the Regency era in England, in the mid-18th century. This was the beginning of the industrial revolution with life changing technology innovations like railroads and gas lighting just beginning. John Metcalf, who came from humble origins, focused on building modern roads. He designed and oversaw the construction of more than 180 miles of roads. He was ready for any challenge, all the more amazing because he accomplished all of this even though he was blind. He was in the army, and employed as a guide — yes, a guide. He attributed his success in road building to the attention required to all details, in part because he couldn’t just see them. Ryan urged us to reflect on this as we encounter our own daily challenges.

Thanks
Paul thanked Randy and Kathy for the always beautiful and creative St. Lukes eggs!

 

Red Badge Presentation
Kristina Strand, sponsored by Tom Boyce, received her Red Badge. Tom noted that he originally invited Kristina to join Rotary 15 years ago; sometimes, the seeds we plant need a little time to grow ;-)