May 25, 2010
Today’s Program Foreign Service
Today’s Speaker Wayne G. Griffith
Wayne Griffith served with the U.S. Department of State as a career member of the Foreign Service from 1972 to 1988, and the Senior Foreign Service from 1988 to 2002. During his diplomatic career, Wayne served in Mexico, Jerusalem, Nicaragua, Peru, Japan, Great Britain and Washington.
He has three decades of extensive in-depth expertise in cross-cultural issues and international affairs through assignments in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin American and Washington. He has held comprehensive and increasingly responsible Foreign Service and Senior Foreign Service positions at the operational, supervisory, managerial, and senior policy levels. He has particular skills and experience in crisis management and is fluent in Spanish.
Wayne retired from his position as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in September 2002.
Wayne is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the National War College. Originally from New Jersey, Wayne now resides in Saint Petersburg, Florida.
Kiwanis Auction
On Saturday, May 15, our Club hosted the sixth annual Fischer-Carr Bash. Co-Chairs Bob Byelick and Al Karnavicuis ran the show with precision, mixing in our own Kiwanis brand of humor. As auctioneer, Al is without peer (at least within our club). Later, he told me, “I wish I could do auctioneering for a living.” Bob added, “Many thanks to all those who contributed in the success of the event.” With over 150 in attendance (including Mayor Bill Foster and ex-Mayor Rick Baker) and well over $30,000 raised, the Kiwanis Club continues the tradition in excellence of fund raising and to further our mission statement – serving the youth in our community.
What’s Happening
Division 13 Council Meeting
Division 13 Council meeting will be held on Thursday, May 27 at the Pinellas Park Kiwanis club meeting at 12:15 p.m.
CLE Training
Club Leadership Education is all about club leaders for our next Kiwanis year. It’s about taking time now – with other club leaders – to better prepare for success during the coming term of service. It’s about sharing in a Kiwanis moment and participating in leadership concepts. It’s about having fun, and it’s about growth.
This year’s CLE Training will be held Saturday, June 5, from 8:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at Anderson-McQueen Funeral Home, located at 7820 – 38th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33710. A light breakfast will be served. The registration fee is being paid by Division 13.
Come prepared with ideas and an open mind. The responsibility for having fun in organized community service is a role we all voluntarily share. CLE focuses on preparing for the role of Club President and Club Secretary, but all interested Kiwanis leaders are welcome at the session. Please let Ray Watson (rwatso5@tampabay.rr.com – (727) 430-1301) or Markus Mittermayr know that you will be attending by May 31.
Skip Holtz is Recruiting for Kiwanis
One of the most valuable skills of a good NCAA Football coach is recruiting. To assist our club’s New Member Round-Up, USF’s new football coach Skip Holtz will speak at Kiwanis Tuesday, June 22. If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to invite potential members, this is it. They will get to see our club in action and learn see firsthand the new era of USF Football. Please provide the membership committee a list of prospective members so we can send them an invitation.
Last Week at Kiwanis
Kiwianian of the Day, Tom Nelson, introduced Representative Rick Kriseman, our local representative (District 53) to the State House. Prior to Rick’s presentation, Tom rattled off some relevant facts: there are 6,500 offshore oil rigs in the world, 4,000 are located in the Gulf of Mexico; 30% of U.S. oil production comes from the U.S. offshore rigs.
As far as the United States is concerned, offshore drilling is significant; and obviously, Floridians are now more than ever concerned with the downside.
Kriseman explained to us his uphill battle to limit offshore drilling as the oil industry has over fifty lobbyists in Tallahassee alone. Despite an eerily similar circumstance with an oil rig malfunction in the Timor Sea off Australia last year, this knowledge has not influenced the decision makers yet. Will our Gulf spill tip the Florida power brokers? Rick said to us only that the move for more oil rigs is tabled for this year – but not forever.
In the mix right now is a possible special session regarding granting more leases in the Gulf, and what to do with the current mess now.
Kriseman commented that the people are getting involved with protests throughout the state including a well organized movement called “Hands Across the Sand”. In a twist, environmentalists and business interests are working together as the pending doom and gloom of oil spilling on the beaches will cause a loss of tourism and property values, not to mention crippling the commercial and recreational fishing industry.
Additionally, Kriseman said that our Federal Government is not blameless in this crisis either, as many regulations concerning the oil industry are not followed or enforced.
Representative Kriseman, thank you for joining in the efforts in protecting a part of Florida that is near and dear to us.
Attendance Last Week
We had 44 members and 5 guests.
Jake Holehouse, guest and son of Ron Holehouse
Nick Bogos, guest and friend of Doug Lampe
This Week’s Quiz
- What day of the week have the most no-hitters been thrown?
- What was the theme song for the Married… with Children television show?What were the names of the husband and the wife on the show?
- What is the second longest river in the USA?
- Where is the Jack Daniels distillery located?
- What is the state bird of Minnesota?
Last Week’s Quiz
- In 1989 Brett Favre, as a junior at Southern Mississippi, beat Florida State University. The Atlanta Falcons drafted Brett Favre in the second round of the NFL draft.
- As a result of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the design of all oil tankers changed from a mono hull design to a two hull design.
- Medical marijuana is legalized in fourteen states. They are: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
- The recommended speed limit on the Autobahn in Germany is 80 miles per hour, however most drivers understand it to be unlimited.
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower pioneered the Interstate system in the United States. His inspiration was the German Autobahn.
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