Classification Talks -- the Two Rons

 

 

Sept. 6: Labor Day: No meeting.

 

Sept. 13: No meeting.

 

Sept. 20: Rotary Zoom, Noon, District Gov. Lynn O’Connor

 

           

            If there is a panacea for the Covid pandemic, the club will begin a series of pot luck dinners in the 2021-22 Rotary year.

 

            Club President Lenore Romney said Ron Schurra has signed up to host the first dinner.  “No problems…just bring cash,” Schurra joked.

 

            Lenore said Steve Perry and Dave Hayward have agreed to host pot luck dinners in November.  Given the usual schedule of busy events in December, including the club’s traditional gift drive and annual holiday luncheon, Lenore said future pot lucks will resume in January.

 

           

            How to schedule club meetings during yet another wave of Covid crisis chaos?

 

            We live in a difficult time. We just have to be flexible,” Club President Lenore Romney said.

 

            While no meeting is scheduled on Labor Day, during the Aug. 30 meeting she worried aloud about how to proceed.

 

            Romney suggested having no meeting Sept. 13 to evaluate school openings and “take a pause.”

 

            District Gov. Lynn O’Connor of Colville was scheduled to make her official visit to the club on Sept. 20, but the 5080 District board, with the guidance of health officials, said no such in-person visits should be made.  Romney said that meant either use a Zoom meeting for the visit or delay the visit until the Covid chaos wanes.

 

            General agreement of the 13 club members on Aug. 30, preferred the Zoom option.

 

            Romney said the Sept. 27 meeting also might be done via Zoom, with final details to be determined.

 

            “I don’t want to see anyone get sick” by continuing in-person activities, she said.

 

            “September is a funky month.  We have to take small steps and re-evaluate in late September or early October,” she said.     

 

            Happy Buck$:

 

            Bill Simer donated $10 to celebrate a 43^rd anniversary and the 50^th anniversary of a Rogers High bandmate, recalling their “Louie, Louie” days. con

 

            Sandy Fink contributed “to thank all who helped open and stage school supplies at Holmes.”

 

           

            On Aug. 30, the club resumed a long dormant tradition of “classification talks.”

 

            Decades ago, those talks often were 2-3 minute snapshots about their past and current jobs. 

 

            Classifications were listed to limit having clubs from a large number of accountants, bankers, lawyers or other avocations.  The diversity strengthened Rotary.

 

            At times the back stories of many members really needed more time to show the often fascinating personal histories and just a good way to get to know club members.

 

            So, in lieu of another invited speaker, the Aug. 30 meeting was termed “The Ron and Ron Show.” 

 

            The show quickly turned into an entertaining “double feature,” with Ron Schurra and Ron Noble describing their childhoods, education and life’s work.

 

            In a dead-pan style, Ron Schurra said his life now means “have breakfast, walk the dog, have a second breakfast with my wife, walk the dog again, then have dinner.”

            But his brief bio belied his engaging discussion about his childhood in Cleveland in Catholic schools.  In one class, the nun, Ron said, marked his report card down and said Ron “talks too much and is very annoying.”

 

            Ron S. talked about chemistry and physics teachers who made a big difference.

 

            After college at St. Louis University, Ron served in the Peace Corps in Ghana, where, despite the pitfalls a native colleague encountered, that gentleman’s attitude was “I will be happy.”

 

            Ron S. followed that mantra during positions in health care administration from New York City to Hilo, Hawaii.  One stop was at Spokane’s Holy Family Hospital.  And we are happy he stayed here.

 

            Ron Noble talked about his dad moved the family from Arkansas to Mabton, Wash., in the Yakima Valley.

 

            A big part of the farmland involved horse-drawn vehicles, including hay-gathering machines.  Ron N. talked about “King” and Charley” and the nuances which made the pair successful, helped by his dad, “who was a mule-skinner.”

          

           When he managed to ruin the farm’s electric power machinery – and 18 cows had to be milked by hand, in the dark -- Ron’s real passion started.  His dad gave him a book on wiring and access to his “junk pile” of assorted machines, so Ron had a new base of knowledge.

 

            Ron N. also became a teacher at various levels and was in Naval electricity and technology during the Vietnam War.  Ron  also traveled to Memphis and he was there when the huge garbage strike fouled the town and Martin Luther King was killed. Ron also toured in the Phillipines, at Miramar’s Top Gun in San Diego before settling in Colville.

 

            One of Ron’s life lessons: From his dad, “if you are going to shovel shit, be the best shit-shoveler you can be.”  And don’t just give tech and math lessons, understand why those things matter personally. 

 

            After the two classification talks concluded, Bob Romney said of the two Rons, “you have made the bar very high.”