How did we get into this mess?
How did we get into this mess? by Bart Binning. Ed. D. Charles Krauthammer, before his death in 2018, wrote “conservatives think liberals are stupid, liberals think conservatives are evil.” Neither respect the other. Stated another way, conservatives and liberals tend to speak different languages. To paraphrase John Gray’s 1992 book: Conservatives are from Mars, […]
Redemption
Redemption by Charlie Smith In The Kite Runner, a 2003 novel by Afghan-American author Kaled Hosseini, there is a phrase that stirs the heart and drives the plot – “There is a way to be good again.” The central character, Amir, betrays his boyhood friend, Hassan, in a way that leads to tragedy and suffering. […]
Bah! Humbug!
Bah! Humbug! by Charlie Smith Bah! Humbug! Who said it best? Why, of course, that classic figure from English literature, Ebenezer Scrooge, in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Dickens writes: “Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind stone, Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner! Hard and […]
Rotary Making An Impact In Our Community
Rotary Making An Impact In Our Community What is the reason for Rotary? Why does Rotary exist? by Jerrod Shouse After about a decade of membership in Rotary, I started pondering these questions, and what I believed the answer to be. And I have come to the conclusion that there is not just one singular […]
The Rotary Welcome
The Rotary Welcome by Jessica Sherrill On Tuesdays when I am leaving my office to go to Rotary, a nostalgic feeling washes over me that I can only describe as a calm anticipation and a joy of what’s to come. Although the speakers are top-notch, that’s not what it is. It’s you. I love Tuesdays, […]
Spring Thaw
Spring Thaw By Ron Page In past years I have written about my childhood in the 1950’s on our farm in northern Illinois, very near the Wisconsin border. What I never mentioned was our spring thaw, an issue in places where the ground remains frozen solid during the winter months. In our county, soil freezes […]
Beyond the Hype (again)
Beyond the Hype (again) by Pat Rooney While in San Francisco recently, I noticed billboards advertising generative-AI products. And while that information itself is not a bad thing, I couldn’t help but think back to the crypto craze and all the advertising schemes surrounding that nascent product. Generative-AI is indeed the next big thing. As […]
The Acorn and Oak of Rotary
The Acorn and Oak of Rotary Jim Priest As Autumn arrives we look amazed at the trees and the change in Fall foliage. Among those trees are oaks, each of which started as a tiny acorn. Season, after season, the growing tree stands tall. A brand new life, from an acorn grew, that mighty oak […]
For all seasons: Service above self, in word and deed
For all seasons: Service above self, in word and deed by Charlie Price Rotarians everywhere know the value of community service. Since joining Rotary, I have observed the power of words fulfilled through action. Civic principles are not philosophical concepts for Club 29; instead, we put theory into practice, and I suspect that is the […]
In pickleball or leadership, don’t forget to keep your eye on the ball
In pickleball or leadership, don’t forget to keep your eye on the ball by Julie Bisbee Pickleball is a curious sport. It’s a jumble of several sports with a set of unique rules. The origin of the sport dates back to the 1960s when the game was cobbled together using a badminton court, ping pong paddles […]
Join or Die
Join or Die by Byron Jackson The non-profit agency, Possibilities, Inc., and the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber recently partnered to show the documentary film, Join or Die at the Yale Event Center. Join or Die, one of Dead Center Film Festival’s 2023 featured documentaries, is a film about why you should join a club and why the fate […]
Will It Build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
Will It Build Goodwill and Better Friendships? by Paul Moore Several years ago, our meeting agendas included the recitation of The Four-Way Test. I have always appreciated this ethical guide and thought I’d share some thoughts on one of the four points. “Of the things we think, say, or do – Will it build […]