|
John Bennett,
Reporter
Mark Burnette and Mark
Hastings, Photographers
James Brewer-Calvert gave the invocation,
and President Mark introduced our speaker Bob
Lynn, the "Bard of Rotary."
Bob, a past district governor in Louisiana, began by
pointing out that he was wearing his district governor's
jacket from his term, 1993 to 1994. Most past governors are
unable to get into their jackets, he said. Although he has no
problem putting it on, he can't button it anymore.
April is National Poetry Month, so this was a very
appropriate speaker. Bob started writing poetry as a way to
communicate better and relate to students. He released a book
of poems about Rotary in 2007, and all profits go to The
Rotary Foundation. Bob proceeded to read selections from his
book of Rotary poems. He first read his title poem, "Service
Yields Its Own Reward."
His second reading was actually a song about Paul B. Harris
sung to the tune of "The Ballad of Davy Crockett." Everyone
sang along on the chorus (or at least made a good effort to
sing). The next poem was entitled "Yet Alive" and was also
about Paul B. Harris and his legacy. Bob's next reading was a
limerick about Bill Gates and his generous contributions to
the polio eradication project. He then read "One by One and
Hour by Hour" and "Cancer is Soul Limited." The last poem, "A
Giving Heart," was read as a prayer.
The book presented to the DeKalb Library System on Bob
Lynn's behalf was Governor's Mansions of the South by
Ann Liberman.
| 
