Our speakers on the 5th were our club members who told us interesting stories about themselves. Beth told us about how she loves gardening and the different plants she raises. She also told us that she embroiders and was taught by her great-grandmother. Sally told us about her first job at Texas Hatters where she met a wide variety of people, including her favorite – Slim Pickens! Sally also collects antique clocks and radios and frogs (just not the real ones). Frank told us about playing baseball as a child but not making the high school team; his coach still offered to give him a letter of recommendation until he found out he was going to UT (which has had one of the best baseball teams in the country over an extended period of time). Frank also is Finance Committee chair at his church, where he has helped manage a $2.1 million budget; he’s looking forward to the end of his term. Kent told us about his introduction to Rotary through Mary Hey, who was always at meetings he attended at various groups; he admired the way she always stepped up and sold Rotary to others! Karen told us about her first job at an ice cream parlor, which led to surgery on her wrist for carpal tunnel syndrome. She also told us about one of her trips with Mary Hey to St. Lucia that was a lot of fun. Ernie told us about when he was 8 years old and became a shoe shine boy. He first tried to shine the shoes of the local soldiers stationed nearby in NC; when his shoe shining wasn’t up to snuff, they took him under their wing and taught him how to do it well. Shirley told us about her adventures at boarding school in Ohio in the 1940s, which she attended during her middle school years. The school she went to had the goal of “rendering girls self- supporting.” After 8th grade, when her family moved to NC, she moved back home with them and then met the love of her life, Ernie. Brigid also told stories about Mary Hey and how her and Dave’s place out in the Leander/Cedar Park area became the party zone; Mary treated her fellow Rotarians as family and invited them to “family” parties at her place. Brigid also mentioned her passion for service and how that has led her to run for public office in Williamson County. George told us about how he was almost held back in 1st grade because he couldn’t speak English well. His parents were refugees from Poland, and he learned to speak English watching TV. This experience has made him more sensitive to the plight of immigrants who move to the US. Lynn told us about being a native Austinite and how she was athlete growing up including playing softball and becoming a purple belt in Karate. She also grew up in a funeral home that her grandfather owned in Austin. Michael told us about shifting from being an electric engineer by training to becoming a financial planner. And finally, Ben told us about his trips to Alaska, memories that he continues to cherish. Thanks to all of our speakers for telling these wonderful stories!!