On December 20th, we will have our annual Christmas Party with the children.  This will be our first party with the children at 2nd Presbyterian Church.  The party will run from 10:30AM to approximately 1:00 PM.  We are expecting 35 kids plus families.  Lunch will be served to our guests at 11:30 AM followed by a visit from Santa.

This event is an amazing gift to these children.  Seeing the sparkle in their eyes will make you proud to be a Rotarian.  The planning for this project has already started by Santa’s helpers (aka THE Service Committee).  If you are interested in helping out with this event, put the date on your calendar and look for the sign up sheets to be circulating soon.

All Rotarians and their families are welcomed to attend and help out.  There is the BIG ONE that we fund from the pork chop bar-b-q and other activities throughout the year. 

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by Tom O’Connor

History can be what happened yesterday, last week, or 50 years ago.  Today, let’s talk about something in our history that is a little more current. How many members joined the club after June, 2001?   You folks missed our inaugural Pork Chop Event!

In 2000, Club President, Bill Crutcher, asked me to organize a cookout during one of our regular meetings.  Bill wanted to have some fun and socialize during a meeting.  He suggested that we cook hamburgers and hot dogs in the parking lot behind the Elks Club.  I know, I know that sounds like great fun!

I refused Bill’s request.  He, however, would not quit.  For those of you who know Bill, you know how persistent he can be.  Finally, in order to get him to shut up, I said, “OK, OK, I’ll do it.  On two conditions: 1) You shut up about it. 2) We open it up to the public and we sell the burgers and dogs.  Bill immediately agreed, but he just as immediately reneged on condition 1…he never shut up!

As I began to plan this great event in the parking lot, I happened to mention the plan to Gaye Beck.  Gaye, never one to mince words, said something like, “You two are absolutely out of your minds.”  I immediately turned to Bill and said, “SEE, SEE I told you so.”  Gaye said, “Wait, if you want to do something like that, cook pork chops and do it on the square.”  I thought, “Oh my gosh, now she likes the idea!”

Eventually, Bill’s idea, with Gaye’s improvement, became our annual Pork Chop event.  At the first cookout, we sold over 1,000 sandwiches.  Oh, we made mistakes.  For example, we did not have enough grills the first year and we had a line of customers stretching all the way around the courthouse.  We were running raw pork down the street to the Elks and cooking it and running it back. We learned a lot about how to run the event.  We put together a Pork Chop Management Book that detailed all the necessary steps to make the event a success.

In addition, new ideas are added.  For example, this year Gaye Beck suggested cooking some chicken for those who don’t like pork.  The committee agreed.  That book is still passed from Chair to Chair each year.  We make every effort to have a new Chair for the event, in order to get new ideas and not burn people out.  Our sales have doubled over the years and we have raised over $35,000 for scholarships and community service in McLean County.  The event still satisfies Bill Crutcher’s initial request, Let’s have an event where we can socialize and have some fun.  If you are new to the club, be at the cookout in June and watch history unfold.

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Bloomington Rotary Clubs next service project will be held on Saturday, May 31st, at the McLean County Nursing Home.  We will be joining the residents for an afternoon of Bingo, ice cream, and lots of fun.  This event will run from 12pm to 3:30pm. 

Pam Alexander and her committee have done a wonderful job organizing the details of this project from top to bottom.    Pam has had a wonderful response from our members and hopes anyone who is available will help.  Family helpers will be welcome as well.   We are expecting up to 90 residents for ice cream and up to 50 residents for Bingo.  Besides the ice cream and bingo - we will also be providing entertainment, gift bags, and planters to most of the residents who attend. 

Mark your calendar and let Pam Alexander or Gigi Fansler know if you are available on May 31st to help with this very special project.  Note, this is the Saturday after Memorial Day weekend.

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