James Mitchell filled in today for President Paula Brahan.
Thanks to Mike Ratliff who gave the invocation and to Ben Donald who led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Our door greeter today was James Mitchell.
Mike Ratliff noted that we have no visiting Rotarians and no guests today. He also congratulated the following Red Badge members who completed the Kollege of Knowledge today and will receive their new blue badges as soon as possible: Leanne Cross, Mary Ariail, Phillip Pitts, Joey Johnson, Bill Dabney and Mike McPhail.
Mike reminded members that volunteers are needed for the Meals on Wheels program. Visit the website if you can help. Shane also is passing around a sign-up sheet during today’s meeting. If you can help, please do.
Ryan Kelly then introduced MacKenzie Hutto, our 2018 Miss Deep South winner. MacKenzie is from Waynesboro. The Miss Deep South Pageant is a part of the Miss America Organization which was founded in 1921 as the Most Beautiful Bathing Beauty in America. Over the years the organization and the pageants have changed including a 1990 change that requires contestants to have a platform. MacKenzie’s platform is known as Lilly’s Lifeline. She knew this would be her platform after the death of her best friend in 2013, Lilly. Lilly died of acute leukemia at the age of 15. MacKenzie wants to be a voice for children with cancer and is raising money to help patients and their families as well as creating more awareness of childhood cancer. Childhood Cancer is the second leading cause of children deaths in America. If you want to help or would like more information, contact MacKenzie by visiting lillyslifeline.com, by email at lillyslifeline@gmail.com or by texting her at 601.381.2471.
Our featured speaker of the day is Eric Golub who is a national Jewish columnist, author, speaker and comedian. He just drove in from New Orleans where he spent the last two days entertaining in the midst of Mardi Gras. He is the son of a Holocaust survivor and says he never got sympathy for any reason while growing up. If he complained about something his father would remind him that he had never been shot at before and therefore should stop whining.
Eric’s solution to America’s immigration issue is to exchange one illegal alien for an elected official and send the official to Mexico. He says Mexico would want to build a border wall and charge us for it.
About education, he says we’ve got to get to the children early. At an early age a child can be taught to either hate or love and we should focus on teaching and showing love to them.
Race and gender are two issues that are being used to spread hate throughout America. He says we should focus on a way to use these two issues to generate love.
While at a recent rally Eric was told that Jewish people are not good in business. He asked for more information and was told that nothing exists unless it is on a t-shirt. So, he developed a “Backsides Matter” t-shirt and says he uses it to calm opposing political and social conflicts. How could anyone argue that backsides don’t matter?
Unfortunately Eric was unable to sell his books and t-shirts after his presentation.
With no other business or announcement James adjourned the meeting with our motto, “Service Above Self."