GyroScope

January 9-12, 2012

GYRO CENTENNIAL CONVENTIONCELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF BROTHERHOOD

Hilton Cincinnati

Netherland Plaza

JUNE 12-17, 2012

GYRO INTERNATIONAL NEWS MAGAZINE

OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER 2011

October, November, December 2011Volume94:Number 2

International Web Page – www.gyro.ws(follow links to Gyro Store, Conventions et al) Gyro International

Editor: Emil L. Baijot, Secretary-TreasurerGyro International – 1096 Mentor Avenue – PO Box 489 – Painesville, OH 44077-0489

Headquarters Phone: 440/352-2501 Fax: 440/352-3882e-mail: sheila@gyro.org - or - baijot@comcast.net

~ “WITHIN THE SCOPE” ~

Please – when communicating via e-mail, give us your complete name and club affiliation – Thanks!

ABOUT THE COVER: Convention location: the Hilton Cincinnati Nertherland Plaza

The hotel opened in 1931 and was recently refurbished to its original Art Deco decor, a marvelous presentation of a highly stylistic interior decoration.

This Cincinnati hotel features breathtaking French Art Deco that has been restored to its 1930's grandeur. With rare Brazilian rosewood paneling, indirect

German silver-nickel light fixtures and soaring ceiling murals.

ABOUT THE DIGITAL GYROSCOPE VERSION: This issue is in .pdf format. To print a copy, simply select PRINT

and the printer will start with pages in order. To open properly, use the free Adobe Acrobat 7 or higher.

A National Historic Landmark and charter member of Historic Hotels of America.

GYROPINION:

DISTRICT WIDE EVENTS:

INDIVIDUAL CLUB EVENTS:

President

First Vice President

Second Vice President

Third Vice President Alonzo “Lonnie” Turner 2801 West Terrace Drive Tampa, FL 33609-4027 lon.gyro@gmail.comImmediate Past President

Secretary-Treasurer Emil L. Baijot 1210 Puget Street Bellingham, WA 98229-2144 baijot@comcast.net

District I Governor Lew Lause 2103 Crissinger Rd. Marion, OH 43302District II Governor Neil Baker 7014 Holdorf Rd. Bluegrass, IA 52726District III Governor Erik Miller 117 Summer Hill Lane Williamsville, NY 14221District IV Governor Matthew “Matt” Johnson 5809 Ashbourne Lane Olympia, WA 98501District V - Salt Lake City President Chuck Mitchell 3309 S. 3130 East Salt Lake City, UT 84109-3103District VI Governor William MacKinnon 19 Cameron Street Dartmouth, NS B2Y 2G7District VII Governor Ted Shewchuk Box 1013 Red Lake, ON P0V2M0District VIII Governor Ken Baker 59 Woodgreen Drive SW Calgary, AB T2W 4G6District IX Governor John MacDonald 1903 Temple Avenue Unit 301 Signal Hill, CA 90755-5609District X Governor James Ellis 694 Clearcreek Dr. Osprey, FL 34229-6814District XI -

James P. Hyland 26 Forest Hill Road Youngstown, OH 44512-1437 jimhyland@sbcglobal.net

Larry L. Duba 6111 N. Brooks Circle Fresno, CA 93711 cabinfever7000@gmail.com

W. Michael “Mike” McNally 88 Green Forest Court E. Amherst, NY 14051 wmmc2@roadrunner.com

Harold R. Bernard 155 Morley Avenue Truro Heights, NS B6L 1N1 trudy.harold@eastlink.ca

DISTRICT OFFICERS

INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS

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DISTRICT OFFICERS

INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS

P3 / The President’s Message

P5-P9/ Letters to Editor

P6/

P7/ District Governors

P13/

P15/ Tutorial on Database Calendar

P16/ Hiking on Vancouver Island

P34/ Farewell to Departed Members

P11/ District III Convention Report

P22/ District III Annual Baseball Bash

P23/ District VIII Convention Flyer & Rate

P29/ District IV Convention Report

P6/ Pr. George P12 / Blacklake P18 / New Glasgow

P25/ Davenport P26/ Cincinnati P30/ Salt Lake City

P32/ Bellingham

P31/ Betterment Fund Does Work

Say Hello to new members

P10/ New Glasgow Schooner

From the Editor’s Desk ~ Innuendos

P19/ Cincinnati Convention Registration / Flyer / Schedule

P27/ He’s Just Another Gyro

P33/ Christmas Greetings from Executive & Staff

OF INTERNATIONAL INTEREST:

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

distributed to each governor. I believe a simple phone call or e-mail to him would provide anyone interested with a copy. Before being accepted into the record there is ample time for each Governor to review and possibly challenge any errors to insure an accurate detail of the event. Copies are also sent to each delegate just prior to the next meeting so the delegate can “brush up” on what transpired at the previous meeting.

Gyro has never been a “top down organization”. Some seem to feel that Gyro policy is dictated by the

Executive Council and an “elite” group of past International Presidents (PIPs). Beliefs seem to be that the PIP's are a

self-serving group always trying to regain recognition for their time in the limelight. These gentlemen are a valuable

asset to Gyro and at least in my circumstance their advice is more requested than merely given unsolicited. We are

fortunate to have their input.

Each club is free to pursue their ideas and goals of promoting Gyro Friendship among their members and

prospective members. As long as the basic tenets of our Constitution are followed it is not the Executive Council's

job to dictate policy, but they are available to assist in any way possible to help any club to achieve their goals when

assistance is requested.

I sometimes wonder how many of our members have actually read our Constitution and Bylaws? I will

admit that until being appointed to the EC I had not. It is available on our website (gyro.ws) and is about twenty

pages when printed. I urge everyone to read it. It is very well written, easy to follow and an easy read.

I don't want to be too technical but a few points need to be made regarding meetings and voting. Chapter III,

Article II, Section I, states that the Board of Governors must meet at least twice per year. The BOG consists of the EC

and the Governors. Article III, Section I of Chapter III covers voting. Each member of the EC has one vote, the

Governors have one vote for every club in their district. Clearly the Governors' votes outweigh the EC even if the

EC's votes are unanimous. This procedure refers to the BOG meeting only.

At the Annual General Meeting any delegate member present has the right to bring any topic to the floor for

discussion. The agenda always allows two opportunities for this. Time is allotted for any new business and before

closing comments for the good of the order.

-3-

The Power of Gyro

There seems to be a lot of misinformation floating about so I

thought I would attempt to clear the air to some extent.

I could review in detail the events that occurred in Savannah and

Halifax but I don't think that would be relevant in this context. Besides,

we've all been down that road many times. Be assured that the rules of our

constitution were duly adhered to. More to come on that later. Every

motion to reverse the changes proposed in Savannah were brought to the

floor by one of the Governor's, not the Executive Council.

Although the minutes are not published in the Gyroscope, (cost

concerns of a printed issue and time and space in an electronic issue), they

are

Hello Gyros,

So who really does have the power to direct the decisions

regarding the direction of Gyro? I believe that, as intended by our

founders, it is the membership. I submit that the authors of our

Constitution had great foresight.

We now live in an electronic age. The internet is being

proposed as our cost cutting savior. Is this really true? Our database

shows that about 33% of our members do not own a computer. If we

were to communicate electronically only, are we disfranchising them?

We do recognize however that the future is here now and we will not

disregard any options that might benefit Gyro. At our coming meeting

in Florida we will begin to look at social media as one option to

achieve greater communication both within and without our

fraternity. Pending also is a marketing plan that may offer new

directions. Be assured that your elected officers will continue to seek

and promote any viable plan to improve our organization and gain

added membership.

However we communicate, it takes everyone involved to

make it work. An immediate Past Governor told me about an

experiment he conducted. He sent a mass e-mail to all members in his

district with a published address. At the next district meeting he asked

the following: “Please raise your hand if you received my e-mail and

keep it raised if you can answer yes to the next two questions.” Most

hands went up. Next, “how many opened it?” Many hands went

down. “Finally, and please be honest, how many read it?” Very few

hands remained raised. Is it any wonder why world class technology

companies like Microsoft and Dell have abandoned internet based

meetings when important items need to be decided.

I have a growing concern about the tone of many of the e-

mails I read. The Us vs. Them attitude and usually ending with a

statement similar to “please don't take this the wrong way, only meant

for the improvement of Gyro”. Almost as if we feel we are hiding

behind the anonymity of a computer screen. I refer to a very small

percentage of the e-mail floating about. Most are very positive and

constructive. Enough on the subject.

Soon we will be celebrating our Centennial Anniversary in

Cincinnati (let's not forget that Interim at Clearwater Beach happens

first). We all know that the wheels of change in Gyro turn very slowly.

Perhaps that is what our founders intended, giving ample time for

thought and discussion, I'd like to think so.

The one underlying force behind Gyro that is as true today as

it was 100 years ago. Our foundation is friendship and promoting that

friendship is our goal.

Hope to see everyone in Clearwater Beach and then

Cincinnati.

-4-

AFTERTHE

HOLIDAYSWHY NOTDROP INAT THE

INTERIMIN

CLEARWATER,fLORIDA?

January 9-12

For the past year as Governor of District IV I have been endeavouring to lead a large group of concerned Gyros in District IV who believe that Gyro is dying. Whilst many of us throughout Gyro continue to enjoy our many friends in Gyro most of us seem oblivious to the ultimate demise of Gyro. One need only look at the declining membership numbers and the continual loss of clubs to know that this will be the ultimate result in the not too distant future. Notwithstanding our efforts to effect change which could lead us to a better and brighter future we have been rebuffed at virtually every turn. Perhaps this is because our approach was wrong, perhaps we were in too much of a hurray and/or perhaps our expectations were too high. Regardless, the fact remains that Gyro is in deep trouble and major changes need to occur. I am convinced that the problems we are facing are rooted firstly in the resistance of many in management to change and secondly to the belief that adherence to tradition is paramount regardless of the outcome. With this article I am appealing to those throughout Gyro who have the energy and the interest to start to make a difference. If the inclination of most members is to do nothing but simply enjoy the benefits while they continue to exist then we are surely doomed. We need leaders who recognize the need for change, who are willing to take risks and are energized to do so. A friend of mine recently sent me a wonderful quote from Buckminster Fuller which reads as follows: "You can never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete." Whilst my term as Governor has ended I remain committed to doing whatever I can to effect the changes that are necessary to revitalize our wonderful organization. I trust and hope that many of you feel the same way and will step forward to be part of that initiative. Respectfully submitted,Bob SkenePast District Governor, District IVSeptember 14, 2011.

Letter to the Editor ...

-5-

RNE AT TN II O NO AR LY

GCENTENNIAL

COMING SOON ~ CINCINNATI, JUNE 2012

There was dancing in the street during the recent installation of

our new President and directors for the next year. With all the

turmoil in the world politics this past year, it was only fitting that

we hold a coronation of sorts for the new regime. The new

President, or El Presidente, Roy Stewart was installed along with

his followers by District IV Governor Matt Johnson. The evening

was well attended at the new Sandman Signature Hotel. The

fabulous buffet was followed by entertainment in the form of a

skit written by incoming first lady Marie-Louise with outgoing

President Ken Kilcullen acting as sole Judge and jury finding Roy

guilty on all counts of crimes against humanity and sentencing

him to a year of managing the Prince George Gyro Club. After the

laughter subsided, we danced the night away to occasional

machine-gun fire as many of the old regime were replaced. The

evening was all in fun and that's what we had. We can't wait to see

what the next year brings as we encourage all our friends to recruit

new members to become “Friends of El Presidente” and Gyro too!

PRINCE GEORGE WELCOMES EL PRESIDENTE- submitted by Dan Dugas -

El Presidente Roy Stewart

2) The Head Table – Past President Ken Kilcullen –Madeleine Kilcullen – District IV Governor Matt Johnson – First Lady Marie Louise – El Presidente Roy Stewart – Lenore Du Gas and Emcee Dan Du Gas

1) Roy is installed by District IV governor – Matt Johnson 3) Gyros enjoying conversation before dinner

4) Roy Stewart – first lady Marie-Louise – Judge Ken Kilcullen and goat-herder Phil Gobbi with Roy' s personal bodyguard (son)

1 2 43

Say Hello to our New

Members

SeptemberHollyburn - Brian Mullen

Larry MatrickPowell - Pete BoydenEdmonton - Larry GeorgeYoungstown- Robert ShipskyRochester - Michael Ferrigan

Robert SilverOlympia - Brian HansenDavenport - William HoraneyOryg - Robert MuschewskeClinton - Donald SaiterMilwaukee - Richard Jungen

William Fantry, Jr.Tacoma - Jim Blair

Lowell Murray, Jr.Calgary - Norm Lee

Milton L. StarrVictoria - David Caul

AugustPainesville - Ken SaywellIndianapolis - Richard SilcoxClinton - Dennis MalliMinn-Metro - Dick Atkinson

OctoberRochester - Jay FriedmanNew Glasgow- John Robinson

Norris RobinsonNanaimo - Matthew WilliamsCharlottetown- Preston Cameron

Darrell KennedyVancouver WA- Gary SahlstromIndianapolis - Chris SchraderSan Jose - Hendrick WentholtFt. Lauderdale Gold Coast- George GravesonCamosun - Colm FoyToronto - Michael SprungEdmonton - Antonio Mazzuca

-6-

Glen Hamilton - District VII

GYRO DISTRICT GOVERNORS

? Lew Lause District I - MarionLew has only recently retired from being a photographer for 46 years and continues his life long vocation only as a hobbyist.

His most recent avocation has been in aviation. Having only in the last year obtained his pilots licenses and purchased an aircraft. He and his wife Susan have gone on many short hops and is working up to that long cross country trip. Lew also snow skies and scuba dives. He has been married to Susan for 32 years and they have two daughters and 6 grandchildren.

He and Susan have been traveling extensively with Gyro and experiencing many personal adventures.

Neil Baker District II - Davenport Neil was born in Lewisburg, PA and raised in Lancaster, PA. After graduating from Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, he joined the Army on an ROTC commission, serving almost five years from the mid to late 1960s.

It was an easy transition into the Army Civil Service, where he served another 26 years as a munitions engineer. Since retiring 15 years ago, he has worked as a consultant engineer, and he now fully retired from the engineering business. He recently worked as a realtor for the past several years.

Neil and wife Lolita have been married for seven years and, between them, have four children and four grandchildren. They are currently REMAX real estate agents. Lolita is originally from the rural Iowa (Quad Cities area), currently owns and operates a bakery/restaurant. She also enjoys the restoration of older buildings. Neil is an avid sports fan, covering the full range of all sporting events.

Joining Gyros in 1998, Neil is now serving his second term as District II Governor. He and Lolita have attended a number of international conventions thoroughly enjoying the Gyro friendship and meeting new people.

Erick Miller District III - Buffalo

Eric has been a Buffalo Gyro member since 1997. He has held positions of bulletin editor, treasurer, secretary, vice president and president of the Buffalo club over the past 14 years.

Eric and Gyrette Colleen have 2 grown children who both live in the Buffalo area as well. Eric is a financial consultant with his own firm affiliated with the John Hancock Financial Network of offices and Colleen is a nurse practitioner specializing in the treatment of patients who have multiple sclerosis.

Eric and Colleen have been active on many local boards both professionally and community oriented. Eric has been past president of the local Lions Club and golf club board member; Colleen is a founding member of International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses and board member of many other professional associations. Both Eric and Colleen are currently working full time and have no intention of slowing down their careers.

Interests include golf, working out at the gym, and socializing with their many Gyro friends. Eric and Colleen have been married for 31 years and counting!

Matthew Johnson District IV - Olympia

Matt Johnson originally joined the Olympia Gyro Club in 1995, and served as President in 2004 and 2005. He received his BA in Politics and Government from Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Illinois then attended Law School at the University of Washington. He has worked as an Insurance Defense Attorney since 2003. He is currently a Lead Staff Attorney for Liberty Mutual Insurance Group in their Seattle Field Office. He practices insurance defense litigation throughout Western Washington. Matt married his beautiful wife Lisa in 2008. Together they have four children and one brand new grandson. They enjoy traveling together, particularly without the children, to places with sun, sand and cocktails, or Gyro events. Matt is the two time defending champion of his Fantasy Football League.

William MacKinnon District VI - Dartmouth

Glen Hamilton District VII - Thunder Bay

Glen was born in Winnipeg moving to Thunder Bay when his father purchased Atkinson's Jewelers. Glen attended U of Michigan Tech graduating with a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences. In 1967 he joined the family business, and proceeded to earn his Graduate Jeweller's designation. Throughout his career he was active in business associations.the Heart of the Harbour Business Association In 2009 Glen retired, leaving more time for leisure activities and Gyro. Gyro has long been a part Glen's life. His dad, Bob, was a member of the Port Arthur Gyro Club for many years. Glen has been a Gyro for forty years serving in many positions and was a founding member of the Nor-West club. In 2010 Glen was elected as Governor of District VII for a two year term in an experiment to test the success of two year terms for the Executive of the District. He now enters the second year of his Governorship. In 1989, he married Sally. They have five children.

Ken Baker District VIII - Calgary. I grew up in rural Saskatchewan. After graduation from SIAST, with a degree in accounting, I moved to Calgary in 1967. Within a couple of years I was married to Ann. Today we have a son, a daughter and two wonderful grand-children.

After 10 years of employment, I hung up my shingle and started a career as a professional accountant in public practice. Through a client, I was introduced to Gryo in 1995 and have very much enjoyed my association with the organization over the years.

Semi-retired since 2003, we have enjoyed a very much reduced work load, travelling, spending time with family and friends, and of course, Gyro.

Lowell Gist District IX - Fresno Lowell Gist was born in California. He graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara, and later Fresno State, receiving a teaching credential in Secondary Education. During the Vietnam Conflict he entered the US Army, became a stenographer & typing instructor in the United States Army Adjutant General School. Following service there were few teaching jobs available so he returned to school and became a CPA working in both the private and public sector in accounting for 32 years. Lowell was a 35-year old bachelor when he married into a family with two sons. He and wife Sharon are now raising 3 grandchildren, boys 14-18. They enjoy cruising and have been on 23. For enjoyment he has latch hooked 25 rugs of different sizes, and seriously plays duplicate bridge. Lowell joined Fresno club in 2001. He has served in all the club officer positions and as Lt. Governor of D-IX.

Jim Ellis District X - Sarasota

-8-

Bill was born in Kentville Nova Scotia in the TBsanatorium. He was passed around Pictou Co. untilhis mother was released 2 years later. He grew upon a small farm in the fishing community of Lismore.Bill earned his electrical papers and became amarine electrician. He went to work as an apprenticein Halifax for HMC Dockyard and quickly moved to asenior management & is now retired after 38 years.Bill married Pat ( daughter of PDG Bob Kimball) in1974. They have 3 daughters and 4 grandchildren.Bill is still an avid softball pitcher and a hockeyplayer. He also enjoys umpiring softball both inCanada and the US.He was inducted into both the Pictou Co. and NovaScotia Sports Hall of Fame.When he is not on the ball field or on the ice, heloves to travel.And, of course, Bill enjoys Gyro activities with all ofhis great friends and is looking forward to manyyears of Gyro.

informationunavailable

at publication

Dear Fellow District IV members: I want to add a few thoughts and comments about the recent letter from the International Executive Council. First and foremost, I want to emphasize again, if anyone has any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly, or any other member of the District Executive, we are all happy to try and find answers or explanations. During my time in this Organization I have often disagreed with the decisions made by the leaders of my Club, District or the International Organization. I have always felt I could express those concerns openly and honestly. I still feel that way. What I know is that every member of this Organization who takes on a leadership position does so fully willing to make a sacrifice in both time and money. From the Club Executives to the International Executive members, each of these gentlemen make these sacrifices because they believe they can help our Organization succeed. While I can disagree with specific choices that are made by anyone in this Organization, I truly believe all of us want the Organization to succeed. Why would we be here if we didn’t. At the end of the day, we each have to remember we are a part of Friendship Fraternity. Let’s be friends, first. We should avoid an us versus them mentality. Remember the International Organization is all of us. I think it is a fact of life we will never all agree on how to lead the Organization to continued success. I think we can agree, growth is key. How to get there is much more difficult. We should all continue to try and find consensus on these important issues. We should all be willing to “think outside the box”. Not all the ideas we come up with will work, and I certainly agree we should not change, simply for change sake. All I ask is we each make an effort to have a respectful and friendly discussion with one another. Our Organization has succeeded for 100 years now on the tenant of friendship. I am committed to making the next 100 years successful, because I think this Organization has something very valuable to offer to both current members and future generations of men. Lt. Governor Andy McDougal, Dona, Lisa and myself will be traveling to the International Interim Convention in Florida starting January 9. Andy and I look forward to continuing discussions on how best to move forward. We will be attending some training sessions in Florida, and our plan is to incorporate that training at the District level at the Vernon Convention. We certainly hope as many clubs as possible can send a representative to the Vernon Convention, we believe it will offer some valuable tools for every Club in our District. Thank you, and again, if anyone would like to contact me directly, I invite you to do so. My email address is matthew.johnson@libertymutual.com or my cell is 360-951 2924. In Gyro Friendship,Matt JohnsonDist IV Governor

Letter to the Editor ...

-9-

A NEW YEARS RESOLUTION

“ invite afriend to Gyro ”

Each Spring, for the past 38 years, the Gyro Club of New Glasgow has held a Yard Sale, which is known in the community as the Gyro Cellar-to-Attic Sale. This past May, when the sale was completed, some Gyros were carting out the left over items, loading them on trucks, which would bring them to the local land fill and recycling site. Richard Bennett was one of those Gyros, and when he looked in the box of items, he noticed an old picture of a sailing vessel which he recognized as a Schooner. He pulled it out of the box and couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the picture of his family's Six-Masted Schooner. Picture above.

What IS a "schooner"? According to the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica, the first ship called a schooner was built by ship builder Andrew Robinson and launched in 1713 from Gloucester, Massachusetts. Legend has it that the name schooner was the result of a spectator exclaiming "Oh how she scoons", scoon being a Scots word meaning to skip or skim over the water. Robinson replied, "A schooner let her be." There was no set number of masts for a schooner. A small schooner has two or three masts, but they were built with as many as six or seven masts to carry a larger volume of cargo.

Of the really big schooners - the four, five and six masters were designed primarily for the coal trade and predominantly constructed in Maine - virtually nothing remains to-day. In their day, these were truly queens of the east coast. The largest of the wooden schooners, the giant six- masted Wyoming, could carry 6,000 tons of coal, yet operated with a crew of only 13. Despite their efficiency, steamships drove the schooners from the seas. Many of the big schooners were abandoned in sea coves and backwaters, but many met their demise at Sea.

Ten, six-masted schooners were built during the brief span of 1900 through 1909. As North America grew, so did the need for cargo vessels for the Atlantic coastal coal trade. The bigger the ship, the greater the profits! These beautiful ships, with their smaller crews, were economical to operate and met the demand.

And so it was, that the 6 masted Schooner, the Edward B. Winslow was built at the Percy & Small Ship Yard in Bath, Maine and launched in 1908. The vessel was built at a cost of

$175,000 for the J.S. Winslow Company of Portland, MA.

She was 318 feet long, 50 foot beam, 29 feet deep and 3,424 gross tons. At the time of launching, it was the largest Schooner in the world. It carried primarily coal from the East Coast of the US and Canada to the Southern ports. Of course, during the First World War these Schooners were pressed into action for the war effort and carried war supplies to the coast of Briton and Europe.

Richard's Granduncle, Captain Humphrey G. Newcombe, (below) captained the Schooner, and his Grandfather, W. Avery Bennett, (on the right) worked on the vessel. After 11 years of seafaring, it was believed to have been sabotaged during World War I. On July 10,1917, the gallant ship was carrying war supplies to overseas ports, when it went down in the North Sea. The family story goes that a German sub pulled up alongside the unarmed Schooner and told the crew that they had only a few minutes to abandon ship before it would be destroyed. As on all of the big schooners, lifeboats were slung astern by davits for such emergencies and, one would expect, utilized on this occasion. She was consumed by fire.

The picture that Richard dug out of the garbage last May, has been restored and framed. It is now hanging proudly on the living room wall of Richard and Nancy's seaside home as a memory of the glory days of sailing and his Grandfather's involvement in it.

A SIX MASTED SCHOONER –

WHAT A SURPRISE!-submitted by Jim Sweet-

-10-

The District III convention was held at the Holiday Inn Waterfront in Peterborough,

th thSeptember 9 to 11 . With the Peterborough Club hosting a great time was guaranteed. The convention theme centered on local music and a great sampling of home grown talent was heard throughout the weekend. Almost all clubs in the district had representation at the event and with a weekend of great weather the attendees were able to enjoy the outdoors. As usual the hospitality room was hopping with stories, laughter, and lots of hugs and handshakes.

The District executives for the upcoming year were installed

ndby Mike McNally, 2 International Vice President. Congratulations go to Eric Miller of Buffalo who has taken on the Governor role. Dave Anderson of

stPeterborough has moved to 1 Lt. Governor, and Glenn Marshall has joined the District executive as second Lt. Governor. Glenn Pollinger has taken on the Sec-Trea. position for a second year.

District III ConventionPeterborourgh

Submitted by: Dick Parnell

-11-

The Blacklake Gyro Bar is a fixture at all Blacklake

social events.

And, Roger Lindley is a fixture at the Gyro Bar.

-12-

From the desk of the Editor ...

About the email Innuendos ...

- 13 -

Prepared by Emil Baijot, Secretary-Treasurer

The advent of electronic communications has certainly changed the world. Cell phones, Facebook and Twitter have replaced week-old mail. The upside is instant revelation of unfolding events – immediate stock reports, trouble in the mid-East, or even “hey, I just left the office.” Wonderful! The downside is that misinformation, half-truths or outright rumors gain credence simply because they are repeated endlessly. Instead of considering the costs of mailing opinions far and wide, or stopping to use a pay phone, now one can simply go on the internet and broadcast to thousands. Some are malicious and intended to harm, most are just oft-repeated blather that take on reality with constant repetition.

Recently there have been a few making the rounds within our fraternity. Hopefully the following random summary will put a few innuendos to rest.

PIP's have some expenses paid to attend conventions. PIP's frequently attend conventions simply because they want to. They have invested much time and effort for the good of Gyro, and have many friends from around the continent they wish to connect with.

PDG's and PIP's dictate to the EC. PDG's were formed into a quasi-organization in order to utilize their expertise in matters pertaining to Gyro. Many arrive a day early at conventions so they may participate in the discussions and make recommendations to the BOG in a timely manner. They self-impose an agenda and discuss relevant issues wherein they might offer suggestions for the good of Gyro.

The Executive Council live the high-life while attending conventions and visiting a district.

International is an incorrect connotation – i.e. when apparently implying that the Executive Council only is International.

Fact: As stewards selected to oversee the operation of Gyro they are mandated by the Bylaws to attend both conventions and to act as the official representative to assigned district conventions. Not considering multiple club visitations done on their own in conjunction with their district visits, they mostly spend a minimum of five weeks each year of their own time to attend to these duties, and they commit to five years of service. For this they receive modest reimbursement of travel, hotel and food costs directly related to the convention or as the representative. Frequently the lodging is comped as part of the hotel contract. Checks and balances are in effect in that all expense requests are directed to the S/T for review and approval. These are reviewed to ensure that the expenses are reasonable and consistent with similar trips. Similarly S/T expenses are submitted to the President for approval. Their personal expenses are out-of-pocket and after five years, the amount is significant for most. Finally, an independent accounting is done each year, first by the in-house Gyro accountant, then by an independent CPA outside of Gyro.

Fact: International is composed of every Gyro member, and includes the Executive Council, the Board of Governors and the entire membership. Alluding that “the International” (or EC) is some sort of group “above everyone else” is simply not true. Within the organizational structure, the EC exists only to supervise the day-to-day workings of Gyro; collect the monies and pay the bills; prepare an annual budget; and make recommendations to the BOG. The Board of Governors, which is composed of the official delegate from each district, exercises its overall discussion; reviews and approves the annual budget; and by virtue of the votes allotted by club totals within each district, may dictate any course of action it determines through a democratic tally of votes. The BOG has hundreds of votes at their disposal whereas the EC only six in total. Finally, the membership has the final say on any issue via their assigned delegates during the annual general meeting. They have the authority, if exercised, to approve or overturn any and all decisions made by the EC and/or the BOG. Hardly a situation wherein the EC is a special or privileged group. The EC is nothing more than the EC. It is only part of International. Obviously, the district representatives are the governing body of Gyro.

Fact: Their only official duty is as a member of the nominating committee to select future International officers. The only “freebie” they get for attending is the same free bar open to everyone -- their contributions to the “jar” are no doubt more than their consumption. Further, the nominations committee meets through the lunch hour and often well into the afternoon and each member pays for his own lunch. They receive no compensation or expenses.

Fact: They have no vote or powers and their recommendations are only advisory, and are presented to the BOG for consideration. The EC is not involved. They receive no compensation or expenses.

in·nu·en·do [in-yoo-en-doh]

hint of something improper: an indirect remark or gesture

that usually carries a suggestion of impropriety

Fact: Far from being a “clique” where “buddies” are brought in to share the Gyro largesse – the process is thorough and above any sort of buddy system. The nominations committee is composed of all PIP's in attendance at the convention and includes the current president. Initially, the Chairman (IPIP) canvasses for recommendations from Governors, PIP's, and others for possible candidates. He compiles a list of prospects, then contacts each personally to determine real interest. In time, the list is pared to 3-4 potentials. These are then offered the opportunity to be on hand at the convention for a personal interview with the committee. Many candid questions are asked, sometimes with surprising answers. Frequently a committee member will alter his preconceived vote based upon the interview results. The committee then discusses each candidate individually and votes to determine the nominee that is the best candidate available. The nominee's name is put to the annual general meeting for affirmation, or not, and thus everyone has a part in selecting the composure of the Executive Council.

Fact: Every Gyro is equal and has the same vote. Every Gyro is welcome at all the meetings. Only attendance at the PDG and EC meeting are limited to those so determined. District delegates are required by the Bylaws to attend, but any and all Gyros are welcomed and encouraged to participate. Doing so would only enhance your Gyro experience.

Fact: The Hospitality room plays a big part in the conviviality of a convention. No different at International gatherings than it is at District gatherings. It is open several times each day so delegates may mingle and communicate in a less structured environment. This may be as benign as reacquainting with an old friend, or a chance to discuss one-on-one the hot topics of the convention. A look at a typical schedule of events would show the hospitality room is open an hour at noon, and before and after dinner most evenings – generally eighteen hours over six days. The Executive Council will have had meetings totaling at least the same amount hours or more depending upon how many seminars are

rdscheduled. The 3 VP and wife will be locked in to all 36 hours and more when considering re-provisioning. The costs of the hospitality are borne by those who participate via registration fees and the ever present “cookie jar.”

International, again meaning the EC and the PIP's is a clique of “good old guys.” Well, maybe they are in the respect that they have all “walked the talk” for the good of Gyro.

International Conventions and Interim Meetings are for the select few? It's just for PIP's, the EC, the district delegates and some wealthy PDG's.

International meetings are just one long cocktail party! They go on ad infinitum.

These are just some of the innuendos currently being repeated by revolving emails. These distinctions are clearly spelled out within the Constitution and Bylaws. I would think that if a rational person were to contemplate the thrust of these innuendos, it would be hard to understand how this fraternity could have lasted one hundred years. Surely if such goings on were true, Gyro would have ended long ago.

One would hope that if a member has questions, or doubts about something they have heard, they would contact their Governor or an EC member for either confirmation and/or the facts. If there is something illogical on the internet, the general procedure is to contact Snopes for verification. I am not Snopes, but if you wish to ask me, you'll get a direct answer.

-14-

Ed. Note: This same article was sent to all Gyros with an email address. The response indicates that some members are not familiar with the abbreviations used. Hence, the following primer on Gyro terminology:

Gyro Slang 101

EC = Executive Council: composed of President, 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Vice Presidents, Immediate Past President (IPIP)& S/T. Officers are elected by the membership following nominations by PIP committee. S/T is appointed. They manage the day to day affairs and are part of the BOG. The EC has one vote each.

S/T = International Secretary-Treasurer: appointed by the EC to manage administrative matters.

Ed. = Gyro Editor: responsible for production of GyroScope, International Website and assorted publications.

PIP = Past International President: someone who has served in position of International President.

PDG = Past District Governor: someone who has served as a District Governor.

BOG = Board of Governors: composed of the EC & current Governor or his representative of each district (9) and thePresident(s) of one club districts such as D-V. Each Governor controls votes based upon the number of clubs within that district. They conduct all business not requiring a constitutional amendment.

Not logged in … you will see only the international events listed on the right hand side of the home page.To see all the events of the calendar: - click on "Calendar":

When you are logged in … you will usually see events only within your district. After logging in, click on "Gyro Home”

To view ALL events (all clubs, all districts) - click on "Run Reports" then - click on "All Events List":

Administrators can add/edit calendar items by - clicking on "Admin Page" then - click on "Add/Edit the Calendar of Events":

Then you can create a new item, or edit an existing item:

... to see the district events listed at the top right of the page:

Click on "Calendar" to view a table of

district events, but you can also view

it as a calendar month:

- clicking on "Admin Page" then

- click on "Add/Edit

the Calendar of

Events":

Then edit the entry as follows. NOTE that the

"Comment" must be less than 255 characters (you

will get an error if it isn't). If the entry is an installation, choose the appropriate installation

for "What".

Of course newsletters can still be made available on the club websites and may contain detailed information about an event, but the events should be listed on http://www.gyro4.org/.

-15-

using the calendar at

http://www.gyro4.org/

TUTORIAL

that live in Nova Scotia all are less than 40 miles from the sea. We are almost an island with the Tantramar Marshes joining us to the mainland. I was always fond of the sea air as it is so embracing. I was brought up on an island with a long history of affinity for the sea. We were protected by the water that surrounded us, and King Alfred recognised this when he started the Navy which became large enough to help bring peace, and elements of self-government to many places in the world. It was that Navy that first brought me to this Province, and a Bluenoser who kept me coming back.

This summer our Gyro District hosted many Gyros and Gyrettes from other clubs across the continent, and we hope that many of you will come back east again together with lots of others, and with your many friends, and enjoy the scenery, the history, hospitality, and the sea air of the Maritimes.

New Glasgow (cont. from page 18)

President Norman Lord & Pat - huge cobweb on wall

-17-

-18-

cont. page 17

-19-

-20-

-21-

pm

(correction: this will be 3-5pm on Tuesday)

DISTRICT IIIANNUAL

BASEBALL BASHCoca Cola Field, Buffalo

PDG Dana Davidson of Toronto and International VP Mike McNally

The Port Colborne Club contingent with the Miskolczis and the Kozars

of Buffalo with their new bartender friend

Toronto’s Win Nightingale, Peterborough’s PDG Dick Parnell, and Toronto’s

Peterborough’s Bunny Parnell makes friends

Buffalo’s Harlow Davis

August 18, 2011

The Rochester Club contingent with PIP Tom Lennox and Club President Glenn Marshall in the background

with the Buffalo Bisons staff

PIP Ab Nightingale

receives his drinks the easy wayDistrict Governor Eric Miller of Buffalo

Etobian’s Diane Pollinger and Buffalo’s Colleen MillerDoesn’t District III have the best looking girls in Gyro?

warms up to the bartender

-22-

Editor’s note:Additional information will be available in the Spring GyroScope

issue, available about May 20. Meanwhile learn more at the district website above.

-23-

-24-

Octoberfest in Davenport- submitted by Arnie Crass /// photos by Bill Own -

Chef John Schmitz, Fred Berger and Don Pedersen

Leeta Stuhler, Shirley Berger, Phyllis Affre, Waneta Montgomery, Kay Owen and Marie Fair

Phil Trissel, Jack Sievers, and Pete Schebler

Bill Horaney, Roger Montgomery and Bob Budd

Bob “Steamer” Fulton, Roger Stoneking, Bill Horaney, Roger Montgomery, President Jim Stuhler and Bob Budd

Governor initiates new member - DII Governor Neil Baker, New member Bill Horaney, Sponsor Bob Budd and Brenda Horaney

-25-

The Davenport Clubs annual Oktoberfest was held on October 10 and Middle Park Lagoon shelter. It is a beautiful location with the lagoon and the fabulous fall colored trees. Just over fifty Gyros and Gyrettes enjoyed some great German food, some German beer and other libations with the added benefit of great Gyro friendship and fellowship. The hosts for the party were the Affres, Schmitz and Herzberg who as usual did a superb job and deserve the thanks of all. This has become one of the great social events for the Davenport Club and does a great job in bringing Gyro friendship and fellowship to the forefront. This is a good party for the area as many of the original settlers were Germans and the city of Davenport has a great German heritage museum. It is fitting that our chef is John Schmitz who serves up great brats, sauerkraut and the fixings. German food abounds from potato salad to some delicious desserts. This is a great party for new members and guests as it is an easy mixer type party.

-26-

Cincinnati Halloween PartyCincinnati Halloween Party

Then they went on to the World War II Memorial.

Ernie said it was beautiful and very moving and he felt he was fortunate to be able to be visiting the memorial where more than 400,000 of his comrades are memorialized on the walls.. It was a very moving time for him and he could not get over how many pictures were taken of the group that was visiting with him. The veterans are later provided many pictures of their day in DC. Some are from the Honor Flight group and some are from companies who donate the pictures. Visits were also made at the Iwo Jima Memorial, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the Vietnam, the Korean and the Lincoln Memorials.

Upon arrival back at the Quad Cities airport the Veterans are always welcomed by groups of veterans and many well wishers. A line of flag bearers line the entrance to the main terminal from the debarking area. It is truly an impressive show of patriotism. All of the group salute, shake hands, hug or whatever else they might think is appropriate. They truly welcome their heroes of WWII. (A special note must be added to note that some veterans never lose it. Ernie's guardian was a 30-year old good-looking blonde. Some guys never lose it!)

How did Ernie qualify to be a part of the Honor Flight? The simple answer is that Ernie served nearly five years in the U. S. Army, some in the states and then in Africa and Europe.

Ernie was drafted into the Army as a private in June 1941 and was slated to be in the transportation area in the military. The original length of service was to be one year but that was extended for the duration after Pearl Harbor and the events in Europe. Ernie was 23 years old and an employee of Sears. Things quickly changed and Ernie was on track to become a supply sergeant. He was to be responsible for getting supplies of clothing and many other items for his company as they were getting ready to invade Europe. He

rdwas assigned to 3 Armored Division that was composed of about 14,000 troops. They went to California to train under the leadership of General George Patton, Commander of the

St1 Armored Corps. Ernie was assigned to the Quartermaster to be in charge of Class II and IV supplies that first and foremost clothing and equipment for the ground forces, as

as well as kitchen and mess equipment. Ernie was promoted to Staff Sergeant and his unit moved to the east coast for further training as part of “The Western Task Force” that was being assembled to attack someplace in Europe or Africa. There he was promoted to Master Sergeant and was in line to go to Officer Candidate School. Patton saw the list and said these sergeants are not going to Officer Candidate School, they are going with me to Europe to kill the enemy. He said he would promote them all to Warrant Officers when they got overseas. The unit was then sent to Africa.

While the unit was at sea Ernie was called to the Officers section-Top Side and was told that Quartermaster Officer for Class II and IV supply service was not aboard because of illness and that Ernie would take his place. Although this position called for a officer, Ernie took it over as a Master Sergeant and all went well with the supply depot being well stocked throughout its operations.

th Ernie was then assigned to the New 5 Army Headquarters in Oujda, Morocco. When Patton arrived in Africa, he found he could not promote these Sergeants to

ndWarrant Officers. He decided to make them 2 Lieutenants but he was reassigned to Europe before the promotions were implemented.

Ernie was put before a Review Board to consider him ndfor 2 Lt. The Board asked him how much you could haul in

a 2-1/2 ton truck. Ernie's reply was 2-1/2 tons. The Review ndBoard said “you pass” and promoted him to 2 Lt. He was to

be sent to Patton's unit but at the last minute they sent him to th5 Army Headquarters as Quartermaster. This called for the

rank of Major so when Ernie arrived they made him a 1st Lt. He served there for the next 2-1/2 years receiving promotions

thto Captain and later to Major. The 5 Army was commanded by Mark Clark, a well known leader in WWII and later Korea.

ndHe pinned Ernie's 2 Lt. bars on him, which were made from copper pennies because no regular issue bars were available.

While in Africa they began the build up for the invasion of Europe through Italy. It was a monumental effort to get all of the troops and supplies in position for the

hinvasion. D-Day, Salerno, Italy—they landed. After four days Ernie and his crew went ashore and located a building to house the initial 30 day supply of Class II stock. All went

He’s just another Gyro ... Ernie Ballard & WW2- submitted by Arnie Crass, Davenport Gyro Club -

Ernie at 93 wearing his original uniform

Ernie Ballard is a member of the Gyro Club of Naples in District X and an associate member of the Gyro Club of Davenport in District II. Ernie recently participated in one of the World War II Honor Flights to see the WW II memorial and other memorials in Washington DC. Upon his return the Davenport Club asked him to give us his impression of the trip and also give us the highlights of his five years in service during World War II.

The Honor Flight of the Quad Cities has made many flights of World War II veterans to Washington DC to view the war memorials in Washington. These are all done at no cost to the WWII veterans.

The day starts with a 5:30 AM arrival at the local airport for a quick departure to Washington, DC were they arrive about 10:00 AM and are transferred to buses with ample wheelchairs available. Their first stop is the Air and Space Museum which Ernie described as a very large building with a wonderful display of aircraft and space vehicles. Ernie was especially moved at seeing the US bomber, Enola Gay that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

-27-

well as the battle moved across Scily and onto Italy quickly. In due time all supplies coming from the states were arriving and the Base Supply Depot in good time, setup to supply 130,000 U.S. troops.

After the troops had landed in Italy transportation of supplies to the front lines became a severe problem due to rain and bad roads. The heavy trucks kept getting bogged down in the mud. Ernie found out what his Class IV supply item was. General Mark Clark had ordered 7,000 mules and 500 horses to become the carriers of supplies to the troops. The next problem that came up was that the saddles available were from larger horses but with the ingenuity of the Quartermaster they rebuilt all of the saddles to fit the smaller mules.

Here are a few things you would not hear on TV or WWII radio.

Shortly after they found they did not have horseshoe nails. General Clark called the Quartermaster and orders came down to Ernie to “Get with it” and get some horseshoe nails. Ernie contacted a Military Warehouse in Philadelphia that had provide much of the “horse” supplies to the army in earlier years. He asked them to look around the warehouse to see if they could find old crates of horse shoe nails. Later that day he got a message from the warehouse saying they found some and would have them delivered on a plane the next morning at 5:00 AM.

Another problem came up when it was found that the front line troops were cutting telephone wires to use as shoe laces. It seems that shoe laces were not being delivered to the front line troops and they were doing what was necessary to

thkeep their boots on. Ernie scoured every warehouse in the 5 Army, finally finding shoe laces in a remote warehouse and prepared them to be sent to the front lines. Ernie escorted the convoy of shoe laces himself, with orders to get them to the troops no matter what it took.

Later in the invasion the problems of wet, muddy ground again made for trouble. The troops were beginning to have problems with their footwear due to wet, cold conditions. This was similar to the “trench foot” problem of World War I. It was determined that the troops needed clean dry socks each morning to stop this terrible problem. No one could find a sufficient amount of socks to make this workable. Finally 500,000 pair of size 10-12 socks was found but it was apparent that they were too large for most of the troops. When Ernie was informed of this, his solution was to get them all together and he would wash them in whatever water temperature necessary to shrink them to smaller sizes. Over 200.000 pair were sent to the front shrunk to small, medium and large sizes.

Early in this article the Enola Gay bomber was thmentioned. As the war wound down in Europe, the 5 Army

was put in motion to prepare to go to China for the invasion of Japan. There has been much speculation as to what would have been the loss of life of members of the U.S. military but estimates were astronomical. Ernie would have been a part of that invasion but the Enola Gay represented the tool that helped to bring the war to an end without the invasion of Japan. Ernie was discharged from the Army in late 1945 with honors, receiving the Bronze Star during his tour of duty.

This is but a brief view of the life of one of our heroes, Ernie Ballard. We salute and thank him for his service to our country. We are all proud to have him as a Gyro friend.

He’s just another Gyro ... cont.

Ed. note: There are many stories such as this one left untold

amongst our Gyro membership ... tales of exploits that are almost unbelievable, save they are true. All can be entertaining and/or inspirational.

We would like to make “He’s just another Gyro” a regular feature of the GyroScope.

Write one about one of your members, or even yourself and submit it. Become a printed author!

Ken Miller (AKA Santa Clause) was spotted obtaining a young girl's list of wishes for Christmas at a “Lend A Hand” event in Fresno, California. He annually attends schools, rest homes, the Veterans' Hospital, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and other groups without any financial gain. He and his wife Marion (AKA Mrs. Clause) are members of the Fresno Gyro Club.

- submitted by Larry Duba - -photo by John Walker, The Fresno Bee Newspaper -

Santa’s Helper is a Gyro

Ho! Ho! Ho!

-28-

New District IV Officers in the Apple State - submitted by Larry Duba ... photos by Peter Pollhammer and Larry Duba –

Matt installs Jim Wikstrom, Treasurer & Terry Campbell, Secretary

Sandra Foreman pins Tony with his Past President's Pin

Sonny & Cher (aka Steve & Marion Day) receive Oscar from Jean Roberts

The convention was held in Yakima, Washington, during thSeptember 9-11, 2011. For those who arrived on September 8 , they

were treated to a dinner at Tony and Sandra Forman's home in a rural part of town.

th Registration began on the afternoon of the 9 . A few played golf but they found that the maintenance personnel were slowing up the play so much that the golfers only played about nine holes instead of the regular 18. It is suspected that holes 10-18 were skipped, and

ththey went directly to the 19 hole for refreshments. In the evening, we were all bussed to the Forman's home for an evening of hospitality, Hollywood Famous Couples costume competition, and a great barbeque dinner with all the trimmings and wonderful desert dishes. There was a walk of fame with stars on the concrete walkway with the names of the dignitaries in attendance. The best costume winners included Steve and Marion Dave (Seattle) who were dressed as Sonny and Cher for first prize.

Second prize went to Matt Johnson and Dan Durbin for their impersonation of the Blues Brothers. The same evening the new Yakima Gyro Club Officers were installed by Matt Johnson as follows: Leo Lee (Karen) as President; Bill Demick (Colleen) as VP; Terry Campbell (Denise) as Secretary; and Jim Wikstrom (Alice) as Treasurer. On Saturday morning the business meeting was held. Governor Bob Skene chaired the meeting. There was very active communications concerning issues affecting the district as well as Gyro International. Matt Johnson, Lt. Governor, spoke about being positive in the future and doing what is good for the district. It was announced that the next D-IV Convention will be held during September 7-9, at Ocean Shores, Washington (1.5 hrs west of Olympia). The Installation Banquet was held Saturday evening at the Clarion Hotel. Larry Duba installed the following officers: Bob Skene (Judy) as Immediate Past District Governor; Matt Johnson (Lisa) as

stDistrict Governor; Andy McDougall (Dona) as 1 Lt. Gov.; Ken Klinck (Lynn) as Treasurer; and Dan Durbin (Missy) for Webmaster. Peter Pollhammer is now the Gyro International Web Administrator. After dinner and the installation of officers, there was great dance music, and the Hospitality Room was open later in the evening for more socializing. On Sunday morning we enjoyed Moose Milk and breakfast before departing. The convention was fun, and the attendees were able to make additional friends and reunite with those who they have enjoyed Gyro fun with in the past.

“Blues Brothers” Dan Durbin &

Matt Johnson w/ Lynn Klinck

Matt Johnson installed Leo Lee (Karen) as Yakima

Gyro Club President

Alice & Larry Duba findtheir “star” on the walk

of fame

-29-

Although the Salt Lake City Gyro Club is the sole club in District V, this does not dampen their spirit and friendship.

stThey were wonderful hosts for visiting International 1 Vice President Larry Duba and his wife Alice. The Salt Lake Club was chartered in 1927. On December 9, 2011, a small group went to the Natural History Museum of Utah, and then had lunch at the Alta Club which is a business club established in 1883. A few visited Park City to view the small town, and it was surprising how little snow was on the ski slopes for the time of year.

The installation banquet was held at the Grand Hotel. It was a great venue for the banquet, and about 24 people were in attendance. President John Witcher (Marilyn) welcomed everyone and introduced Larry and Alice. Larry thanked Bob and Diane Shupe for their hosting them in their home during their stay. He observed that there should be plenty of opportunities for new clubs in District V, since the district includes the states of Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Utah. There was some talk about the possibility of starting a club in St. George which is about 300 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Larry installed the new officers as follows: Ron “Woody” ndWoodhead (Josie) as President; Carl Corbin (Ilene Devers) as 2

VP; and Ron Stone (Kathleen) as Secretary-Treasurer. Dennis stBird (Margo) could not attend, so he will be installed later as 1

VP. Larry then installed Bob Shupe and John Witcher, IPP, as Trustees. Dr. Conrad Knowles could not attend, so he will be installed later as Trustee. Everyone enjoyed the evening, and departed for home driving through the city decorated with Christmas lights. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

New Slate of Officers at Salt Lake City Club- submitted by Larry Duba ... photos by James Bunten, and Marilyn Witcher -

(L-R) Larry Duba, Ron and Kathleen Stone, Bob and Diane Shupe, Marilyn and John Witcher, and Ron and Josie Woodhead

Ron Woodhead receives gavel from IPP John Witcher nd Woody gave John a gyroscope

Richard Kunkel, John Witcher, James Bunten, Bob Shupe, Ryan Roberts

(L-R) Kathryn Elliott, Diane Shupe, Alice Duba, Marilyn Witcher

-30-

“Betterment Fund of Gyro”Program Is Outlined

1994 GyroScope

Gyro, like most fraternal, business, social and civic organizations, is going through a period of declining membership. A decline in membership also means a decline in operating revenue. To simply raise the dues can be non-productive and cause further declines in membership. With limited funds it is not possible to initiate bold programs to help stem the decline in existing clubs or to help develop new clubs. During the recent Convention in Moncton, the Board of Governors approved a plan to solicit voluntary non-binding pledges from any Gyro who is interested in the “Betterment of Gyro” – which will be the name of the fund. We look to those Gyros who feel that Gyro has enriched their lives and who have the ability to support this fund. Any pledges can be terminated at any time without specific reason. The funds generated from these pledges can be used for any and all of the following:

1. Eliminate the need for any dues increase

until well after the year 20002. Provide funds for more aggressive external

expansion.3. Provide funds to reimburse any cost to an

individual or club that has a positive program too expand his club internally or to form a new club.

4. Provide funds for any major work that may

be required for our headquarters building.5. Eliminate the need for any short-term

borrowing and resultant interest rates.6. Absorb the cost of currency exchanges.

7. Continue funding the program that waives

dues for 50-year Gyros.8. Other “Betterment” purposes as they

develop.

The article went on to explain the pledge program: in order to establish this fund we ask those Gyros who wish to participate to each pledge $100.00 per year for a five year period. The article went on to finish; If Gyro has been good to you please consider being good to Gyro by making a pledge. Pledge cards are available from Gyro Headquarters and will be available from your District Governor. Pledge cards will also be included in the GyroScope from time to time.

Ed PoschPast International President

Many questions and concerns regarding the proper use of the Betterment fund and its viability have been expressed by many Gyros across North America since the convention in Halifax. While I have only been on the Board Trustees for the Fund for a short time I am confident that it has performed exactly how it was intended when established in 1994.

The original concept involved a range of potential uses that went beyond merely reimbursing clubs hosting membership recruitment events. One comment heard recently is the notion that smaller Clubs or Districts with limited funds should not be asked to contribute to the BF if the money then goes to clubs that really do not need it. We agree and would add that many of the larger clubs have treasuries sufficient enough to support their own activities. The Betterment fund works for all Clubs and Districts. Understanding the Gyro spirit and its generosity, it is very unlikely that a large club with a nice size war chest would even make a request for reimbursement.

How fortunate we were to have a sufficient amount of money in the BF recently to help support the payment of an unexpected sewer assessment levied against our headquarters location. Please consider that now is the time to replace those dollars and perhaps build an even more substantial balance. Simple “rainy day” planning.

Please review the adjacent article that was published in the Nov. Dec. 1994 GyroScope, outlining the BF and the various ways it might be applied to the betterment of Gyro. Recent donations from clubs and districts combined have exceeded $3000. Our fraternity can still use your help. Ask your treasurers to send in those donations. $100 for the Clubs that can afford it and $500 from those Districts that can, and make it a line item on your budgets for the next 2-3 years.

Respectfully,

Steve AndersonBetterment Fund Chairman

TheBetterment Fund

Does Work

-31-

Sunday, December 11The Belllingham Gyro Club held its annual

Christmas Party at the Gyro Club House, supportedby Ham, Soup and plentiful hors d’oeuvres.

As usual, there was a blind exchange of gifts forboth the men and the ladies following the

ornament auction.The auction consisted of donated christmas ornaments, some of dubious value, that are

auctioned off to the highest bidder.The auctioneer did a masterful job of guiding the

spirited bidding to obtain the highest bid.The auction resulted in several hundreds of dollars

being donated to a worthy charity.

Bellingham Christmas PartyBellingham Christmas Party

-32-

Merry Christmas & A Verry Happy NewYear

from the Executive Council:

Jim, Larry, Mike, Lonnie, Harold & Emil

and from the HQ staff:

Sheila, Gloria & PatECEC:

Be patient, eh? I’ll get there!

-33-

Conventions & Interim Meetingsto learn more, go to http://www.gyro.ws

Future Deadlines for the GyroScope March 10, 2012 / June 2012 Centennial Issue Only / August 30, 2012

?“HAVE YOUINVITED AFRIEND TO

GYRO” cincinnati June 2012

January 9-12, 2012 ............................................................. International Interim

Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort, Clearwater, Florida

February 7-9, 2012 ............................................................................................ District VI Interim

Host: Truro

March , 2012 ..................................................................................................... District VIII Interim

Fairmont Hot Springs, BC

March 16-18, 2012 ............................................................................................... District I Interim

Host: Marion

April 12, 2012 ....................................................................................................... District III Interim

TBD

May 11-13, 2012 ................................................................................................ District IV Interim

Host: Vernon

June 11-17, 2012................................ International & District I Convention

“100th Anniversary of Gyro International”

Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Hotel, Cincinnati, Ohio

2013 .............................................................. International & District X Convention

Caribbean Cruise, Gold Coast/Ft. Lauderdale

Farewell to ourDeparted Gyros

AUGUST

Jack Long, BellevueBob Marschke, Madison

SEPTEMBER

Warren B. Gayle, Vancouver BCBert Davies, Vancouver BC

Larry Bassuk, ChicagoPhilip E. Dolan, Couer d’Alene

William C. Sistar, GasparillaJay Schonian, Yakima

James Mitchell, AlbernisThomas J. Martin, Jr, Buffalo

David R. Queisser, IndianapolisDonald Sauls, Olympia

OCTOBER

James A. Beasom, PentictonKen Moritz, MinneapolisLad Javorek, KentvilleJack Goetz, Yakima

Gyro International

CONVENTION

-34-

Alice and I would like to express our wishes to you and your family for a healthy, prosperous, and enjoyable Gyro New Year! We look forward to many opportunities to share in the Gyro fun in our wonderful Fraternity of Friendship. Larry and Alice Duba, International 1st VP