West Jax Rotary

This Week’s Speaker: N/A - Christmas Party at the Florida Yacht Club

Notes

• Jeremy Seldomridge received his blue membership badge.
• Joe Springer has resigned from the club, saying ” I appreciate everything the club has done for me and have enjoyed the projects I have been a part of while a memeber of the club.”
• President Marshall reminded the club about the “Rotary Day at the Jaguars” on December 11th. Look for the Rotary banner in the parking lot “J” for some pre-game tailgating.
• JU Basketball Game on January 4th against Belmont – joint with Riverside Rotary. $15 tickets but $3 comes back to us.
• The meeting schedule for the remainder of the year is: no lunch meeting 12/14 due to the Christmas Party at the Yacht Club, meeting at the Holiday Inn on 12/21, no lunch meetings either 12/28 or 1/4.
• Ron’s Rowdy Rub now awarded to winners of the football pool due to Ron Roberts generosity.
• At 12:51p (7:51a PT) President Marshall asked the members to stand for a moment of silence in remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.
• Phil Murphy and his team were honored for their service to our club each week.
• Harry Roddenberry introduced new member Arturo Del Volare to the club.
• Congratulations to Phil Voss for recent $2 billion contract!

We recognized our clubs military members with a fight song medley:

First song is The U.S Air Force Song, informally know as “The Wild Blue Yonder”
Second song is Marines’ Hymn
Third song US Coast Guard Anthem (Semper Paratus)
Fourth song The Army Song (The Army Goes Rolling Along)
Fifth song is Navy Fight Song (Anchors Aweigh)

Pop Ups

• Frank Yong - Career Day at Bishop Snyder HS January 25th
• John Bickerstaff – next meeting at the Quality Inn 12/21 will also be a blood drive; sign up with him.
• Will Croft - Salvation Army Bell Ringing – Saturday Dec. 17th
• Dale Crisp - Reminded members about the Christmas Party will be at the Florida Yacht Club starting at 6:30p on December 14th and our accompanying Marine Corps Toys for Tots campaign. Toys should be unwrapped, valued at $20-$25 and brought to the Christmas Party.
• Jim Riggin - announced that only three schools remained to be covered for the dictionary distribution. Please sign up with him so this project can be completed by Christmas break.

Speaker

Eric Sherman introduced Captain Bob Buehn, USN Retired.

Robert Buehn of Fleming Island, is a 30 year Navy veteran, 15 of which were in Jacksonville. His experience led to him becoming Mayor Payton’s liaison for military affairs. Bob is now Florida State Compact Commissioner for the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and is seeking to ensure that military children are not disadvantaged educationally when they must relocate.

Captain Buehn began by recognizing members Admiral Tom Watson (USN Retired) and Commodore Phil Voss (USN Retired). As a career military officer, Buehn served as commanding officer of the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; commanding officer of the Fleet Area Control and Surveillance Facility at Jacksonville Naval Air Station; chief of staff of the Cruiser-Destroyer Group 12 at Mayport Naval Station; and commanding officer, VS-32, at NAS Cecil Field. He served tours at all Jacksonville Navy bases totaling 15 years (NAS Jacksonville, NS Mayport and Cecil Field).

Captain Buehn reflected upon the USS Arizona and the oil still seeping from the engine room still 70 years later. He also retold the story of USS Nevada. Although injured, Ensign Taussig of the USS Nevada coordinated anti-aircraft fire from Nevada, while Chief Sedberry began to get the listing Nevada ready to steam out of the harbor. The teamwork of Commander Thomas, Chief Sedberry, Lieutenant Ruff and Ensign Taussig is credited with saving the damaged ship from further damage in the second wave of the attack. He used the story to transition his talk into a discussion of the veterans who were instrumental in creating the modern United States.

Captain Buehn reminded the club of the $14 billion dollar impact in North Florida due to the military and retirees in our region. New efforts include the VA Outpatient Clinic. He emphasized that the character and professionalism developed while serving in our nation’s military become the backbone of the organizations our veterans join when they retire and return home to their families. The number of veterans is shrinking in the U.S.; however, he wanted to remind the audience of the high caliber of the individuals serving in the U.S. military.

Question and answers provided an opportunity to discuss his experience organizing and commanding the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and the possibility of having a nuclear carrier docked at Mayport.

Quote of the Week

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.”

Visiting Rotarians

Bill Learn from Downtown
Marcus Drewa from South Jax
Chris Eidson from Riverside

Rotary Guests

Brandon Hillard brought Clay Boone
Jimmy Kelly brought Dr. Jim Mayes
Leslie Jackson brought her husband, Tommy Groves

We also had Harrison Conyers, CD Hodges, & Lou Dougherty as special guests and our exchange student, Martin Hormann was in the crowd.

Birthdays

Frank Houser - Dec 8
Leslie Jackson - Dec 10
Kathy Cold - Dec 12
James Griffin - Dec 13

Next Meeting - Dec 21

Speakers - How I got where I’m At:

• Jeremy Seldomridge
• John Hulsey
• Brandon Hilliard

Greeters: Joel Dantzler and Wally Barrs

Invocation: TBD

Pledge: Mike Crumpler

Four-Way Test: Cecil Gibson

Scribe: Palmer Bell

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