President Adam Manning welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and led reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. Brian Hayes provided the prayer.

 

Today’s quote: "When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too." By Paulo Coelho  (Brazilian author )

 

President Manning’s announcements:

 

Uriah Anderson announce the Paul Harris Fellow match is underway so let him know if you want to participate. Ron Hollenbeck will collect checks next week in Uriah’s absence.

 

Crissy Allums (back from knee replacement surgery) announced we have adopted 20 children for Adopt a Family again this year. The expectation is to spend $75 per child. She has wish lists with her today so you can pick a child to sponsor.

 

Jackie D’Aurora announced we still need a few more volunteers to distribute dictionaries/thesauri to schools as part of our literacy project.

 

Sherre Wright announced she and Sofie Ameloot represented Rotary at the 50th anniversary of the Dayton Convention Center.

 

Happy Bucks this quarter are going toward the Maui Fire/Disaster Relief fund. Pat Beckel was our Sergeant at Arms with help from Jim Stuart.

 

Happy Bucks were generously given for:

 

PDG Harvey Smith then Inducted Tyler Roark into the Centerville Rotary Club. Tyler’s sponsor Wayne Davis assisted.

Tyler said he is from Hamilton, OH, graduated from OSU and Miami University in Finance and now works as the Finance Director for the City of Centerville. Welcome Tyler!

 

 

 

 

General Bergren started his Air Force career in 1970 completing the ROTC program at Clemson University. He flew more than 200 combat flights in Viet Nam and spent many years as an aircraft instructor and in maintenance of aircraft. His three sons are all in Air Force careers.

 

General Bergren has participated in all of our golf outings and plays on a golf team with Chuck King & Frank Perez, so he knows about the great work Rotary does.

 

General Bergren said he loves to see how everyone treats service men and women now. It was not always so respectful.

 

After 911, all military were asked to wear their uniform whenever traveling to show terrorists we were not going to give up and show the American people that the military was moving around. People often times confuse him for airline pilot or airport security.

 

He said there are some perks when flying. A gentleman in First Class offered to trade seats, but the General refused - not on the public’s dollar, and even though it wouldn’t have cost him more, the public perception is always out there.

 

General Bergren explored why young men and women sacrifice for our country. During WWI, we had the largest number of American casualties in the history of wars. Many have died in subsequent wars and we are still preparing all around the world for our next fight.

 

He shared a story told by General Jumper, Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He was at the 2001 World Series - Diamondbacks & NY Yankees. It was postponed to October after the 911 attacks.

One game was Military Appreciation Night. He was recognized on the Jumbotron after which people lined up to thank him for his service or tell him to “Go get ‘em.” The crowd parted, and a small young woman dressed in black came forward. She was a widow of someone killed during the 911 attacks. He didn’t know what to say to her at that moment in time. She gave him a hug and said, “You get those guys.”

 

That’s why they do it. They take an Oath to Protect and Defend, and they will.

 

He ended with, “God Bless those who serve and God Bless America.”