We arrived early, but the room at Luskin was already half full-must be
Irish enthusiasm! By the time we’d greeted everyone, the buffet line was
looong, so we fell in and continued chatting. Once everyone had a full plate
and was seated, PP Tom Barron welcomed us to the Warm and Friendly WVRC.
Tasked with leading the Flag Pledge, I simply mentioned the War in
Ukraine and asked all to Rally Round the Flag and Pledge our Allegiance
in unison. PP Tom’s Thought for the Day was an (of course) Irish prayer which
I paraphrase as a prayer that you have friends that you deserve and deserve
you. That’s enough to build an international organization with, I reckon!
PP Admiral Edwin Gauld, Song Meister, was summoned to lead us all
in a ditty and put on the greenest Leprechaun Top Hat ever seen in these parts
to lead “When Irish Eyes are Smiling” and we all joined in with gusto.
PP Mark & Lyn Rogo’s friend Nancy Cohen, joined us again and our own Roozbeh
Farahanipour brought Sherod Hanson for a visit.
Judy Neveau, currently a Co-chair of the District 5280 Paul Harris Foundation
came on official duty, presiding, with our own PP Steve Day, Club Chair on some
important business. They announced that four of our Club Members had joined
the Paul Harris Society by pledging an annual donation of at least $1000 to the
Rotary Annual Fund: PP Steve Day, PP Marsha Hunt, Lynn Rogo, and Benjamin
Fisher. Ben’s friend, Leona Katz was also recognized with an ovation as our
newest Paul Harris Fellow and received her Certificate, Medallion, and Pin.
PP Peter More informed us that the Flying Rotarians were sending
donations to Ukraine through Switzerland, I believe. He says it’s much faster
than sending funds through a Global Grant (I don’t doubt that). PP Ron
Lyster, our Webmaster, will put details on the WVRC.net website.
PP Mark Rogo, our Membership Chair, announced that our Board of
Directors had approved 2 new membership applicants, Nancy Cohen, and Peter
Clinco (owner of the Skylight Gardens Restaurant in Westwood). Their details
will be on our website for the mandatory posting period of 14 days.
Our favorite Irishman, John O’Keefe, provided a little Irish humor to warm
the crowd up for the main act, an Irish tenor named Dennis McNeil. The punch
line of his best joke was “Muldoon, why didn’t you tell me the dog was Catholic?”
His wisest line was: The Irish have a wonderful sense of tragedy that sustains
them through brief periods of great joy. We were soon to hear proof of that.
Up steps Mr. Dennis McNeil to the microphone, nervous to perform
in front of such an august group and after Admiral Gauld’s Irish Eyes. He has
had some practice though, having sung in every state, for five Presidents,
for the Queen of England, and at the Lincoln and Kennedy Centers and the
Supreme Court.
He regaled us with a handful of old Irish songs and his operatic ability
was a joy to hear. Even we with aging ears would have had no trouble without
a microphone, such was his power and purity. Between the songs, he would
regale us with more Irish facts and humor. It astonished me that there are 7X
more Americans of Irish descent than Irish. His very next song helped explain. He
sang of a young man being shipped off to Botany Bay Penal Colony in Australia for
stealing some corn from his master during a famine. It was the saddest
song I’ve ever heard, and I could scarcely stand it. Of course, it was also the
longest. It reminded me, of Scottish descent, that the Irish are our allies,
since they also hate England. Perhaps that’s why his Danny Boy had none of
the very soft, high notes I love. Sorry for the analysis—it was wonderful
performance, ending with The Prayer in which he prayed for a world with no
more violence, with only Justice and Hope. McNeil told us that Ireland
was on his mind this St. Patty’s Day, “but Ukraine is in my heart.”
YOPP Dwight
