Newsletter for Meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Posted

on May 19, 2014

Newsletter for Meeting on Tuesday, May 13, 2014, at the Needham Sheraton Hotel

Wayne Braverman, Managing Editor, Gatehouse Media, presented our program on "ethics and the print media." Located in Needham, Wayne oversees the staffs of 16 weekly newspapers and their "Wicked" (local town) websites. In public life for more than 35 years, Wayne's been a journalist, life coach, toastmaster, event planner, actor (Ebeneezer Scrooge to Jesus Christ: now that's a wide range!), writer, photographer, and Congregational pastor.

He skillfully presented Needham Rotarians with two case studies and invited us to "be the editor" and make decisions on what story details should be printed and what should be ignored. Would you tell the public just before the big Thanksgiving day game that the star player wouldn't be playing because he had flunked shop because he didn't go to class? Would you tell the public that in a polarized dispute between playground advocates versus dog park supporters, the head of the dog park group was making unsupported allegations that one of the playground group's supoorters had been charged as a youth as a class 3 sex offender?

One of the great things about being in Rotary is that weekly meetings and speakers give one a chance to turn one's brain on to things you don't usually think about! Sometimes "all the news that's fit to print" has to be weighed against "what's the 'right' thing for a moral person to do?

Weekly Club News

Ex-President Charles ably substituted for President Glen, Darrell prayed inspirationally, we sang beautifully, and (most) tunefully honored Ted's birthday.

Lois changed it up. No "Presidental Minute" and she tried to stump us with a mystery sports figure. But, we got it easily! It was none other than Joe Lewis, whose most memorable moment was his 1938 rematch defeat of German Max Schmeling, a hero of the Nazi party and Adolph Hitler. This symbolic defeat of racist Nazism on the eve of WWII took place in front of 70,000 people in Yankee Stadium and a world-wide radio audience of millions. Did you know that Max and Joe later became friends and Max was a pallbearer at Joe's 1981 Arlington National Cemetery burial, after which he helped pay for Joe's funeral expenses?

Happy Bucks time revealed that Scott liked his weekend taking care of his grandson when his son took his daughter-in-law to Italy for a quick trip. Lois honored her grandson who is President of Westboro Interact Club; Ted had a great trip with Marilyn to the China (and the great wall); Rich's daughter returned home after a successful year at college; Bill got to see Katie over the weekend; Marty reported on being at his 50th H.S. reunion (who are all these old people?) and his father's 101st birthday celebration; and member-to-be Steve Schauer led cheers for the Bruins (condolences Steve).

Needham Rotary Biography

Karen Wetmore treated us to some insights into her life. She was born in Needham, graduated from Needham H.S., trained as an executive secretary at Baypath J.C., and went on to get her BA (accounting) and MBA from Babson. She worked for a decade for an engineering company that made safe underground lighting for coal mines (no explosions please!). Karen switched to non-profit accounting at Reverend Ike's Organization, then founded her own accounting firm, Falcon Accounting, where she has worked for 25 years. She sees her future focus and passion being on helping seniors and their caregivers.

She got her public service outlook from her father who was a Needham Rotarian. She loves quilting, traveling and horses.

Humor?

Doug offered the following:

Barbara Walters had done a story on gender roles in Kuwait several years before the Gulf War and she noted that Kuwaiti women customarily walked about 10 feet behind their husbands. When she returned after the war, she observed that the men now walked 10 feet behind the women.

She approached one of the women for an explanation. "This is great progress," Barbara said. "What enabled women here to achieve this wonderful reversal of roles?"

The woman replied, "Land mines!"

Needham Rotarians in Action This Past Week

Congratulations to Rich Forte for leading our club's sponsorship of the Needham H.S. "Reality Fair" on Friday, May 16th. More than 350 students participated in the simulation of life (called reality vs. life as a high school student) as they learned in detail how tough it is after high school and college to match income with expenses. Thanks to all Needham Rotarians (and their friends and associates) who participated so enthusiastically and helped make the morning both fun and informative. Here's some pictures: