Our speaker this week, Donna Marshall, was a high school social studies teacher for 41 years in the San Juan Unified School District. She served as Department Chairperson, and as Leadership Team and Site Council member at her school site, and on a variety of committees at the district level. She is in her sixth year of Master Gardening with a gold badge (over 1,000 hours volunteered). She currently serves on the Advisory Board as Secretary, is an office and trainee mentor, works on the plant sale and county fair committees, and volunteers in the rose garden at the Sherwood Demonstration Garden.
In keeping with their decades-long reputation of absconding with other clubs’ bells, banners , etc. for ransom, members of the Georgetown lifted a Rotary sign from the country club during the Foundation dinner on March 7. Gary Clarke and Don Fuller visited the Georgetown club for their Wednesday dinner meeting and traded some booze for the sign. The Georgetown perpetrators were gracious enough to visit our luncheon on March 28 and reinstall the sign.
Our speaker last week was Captain John Poimiroo, US Navy-retired and Director Emeritus of the El Dorado County Veterans Monument. He has lived in El Dorado County since 1992. John is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, Outdoor Writers Association of California, and a member of the Circle of Chiefs selecting inductees to the California Outdoors Hall of Fame. He retired at the rank of Captain in 1996, following 30 years active and reserve service as a Navy Cryptologist.
The topic his presentation was the El Dorado County Veterans Monument. He emphasized "Welcome Home" an effort to memorialize the welcome home that every veteran deserves, but that many have never received. He began by describing the monument, where it's located, how it came to be, and how it honors over 2,000 veterans. John's presentation showed us how beautiful the monument now looks, with many types of flowers. There are two significant ceremonies at the monument each year on Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, and slides from John's presentation gave us an idea of the pageantry that happens at those.
John described several of the over 2,000 memorials scattered around the Veterans Monument, including a brick dedicated to himself, and others for others in his family who have served. John was instrumental in making a rules change so that Captain Paul Jacobs could have a memorial dedicated to his exploits. He was instrumental in saving over 30,000 Vietnamese refugees. That story is here. There is a memorial for the crew of a Army Air Force B25D bomber that iced up and crashed in El Dorado County in 1943.
John's final few slides were about the concept of "Welcome Home." In the plans are statues of two service members, who are meant to represent any service members, and a dog who is running towards them to welcome them home. The dog is meant to symbolize all of us, who should similarly wolcome home returning service members, or for those who never made it back alive. Those who want more information about the Veterans Monument or to donate, please visit this website.
Anne Eckert announced and presented new member Stuart Warner with his Red Badge and other Rotary materials. Shown here with Stuart is his sponsor Doug Bisbee, Membership Chair Anne, and Prez Cathy Dugan.
Cathy Dugan: The Placerville Rotary Club will be celebrating their 80th year with a gala event at the Sequoia Mansion in Placerville. The gala takes place on Saturday, April 20th at 6pm. A sheet was circulated for signing up for this event.
Tom Elken: Our Rotary Club of Cameron Park polo shirts have been delivered. If you signed up for one, please visit the table in the back after the meeting.
Anne Eckert: The committee for the Fireside Chat & Social event will meet after the meeting.
Guests:
Jimmy Miller and Carleton visiting from Georgetown Rotary. See story above.
Happy (or Not) Bucks
Gary Clarke, $25 Happy for his birthday celebration at Boring Rose brewery.
Marlyn Pino-Jones is $25 happy to be back from her fun South American cruise.
Mike Dugan: $100 Happy: to be back from his foot & leg problems and able to come to a meeting.
Stuart Warner: $25 Happy to be in the Club!
Steve Long: $10 Happy to receive bike donations from a couple who were so impressed after hearing more about the program, they donated $100 to our Bike Project.
Birthdays in April
Doug Bisbee
Shiva Frentzen
Terry Wilson
-----Spouses-----
Jeff Frentzen
Pam Johnson
Carol Sargent
Anniversaries in April
Tom and Sandy Elken
Upcoming Words of Wisdom/Greeter/Front Desk Assignments
Our speaker this week, Donna Marshall, was a high school social studies teacher for 41 years in the San Juan Unified School District. She served as Department Chairperson, and as Leadership Team and Site Council member at her school site, and on a variety of committees at the district level. She is in her sixth year of Master Gardening with a gold badge (over 1,000 hours volunteered). She currently serves on the Advisory Board as Secretary, is an office and trainee mentor, works on the plant sale and county fair committees, and volunteers in the rose garden at the Sherwood Demonstration Garden.
In keeping with their decades-long reputation of absconding with other clubs’ bells, banners , etc. for ransom, members of the Georgetown lifted a Rotary sign from the country club during the Foundation dinner on March 7. Gary Clarke and Don Fuller visited the Georgetown club for their Wednesday dinner meeting and traded some booze for the sign. The Georgetown perpetrators were gracious enough to visit our luncheon on March 28 and reinstall the sign. 
Our speaker last week was Captain John Poimiroo, US Navy-retired and Director Emeritus of the El Dorado County Veterans Monument. He has lived in El Dorado County since 1992. John is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers, Outdoor Writers Association of California, and a member of the Circle of Chiefs selecting inductees to the .png)
Anne Eckert announced and presented new member Stuart Warner with his Red Badge and other Rotary materials. Shown here with Stuart is his sponsor Doug Bisbee, Membership Chair Anne, and Prez Cathy Dugan.