Rotary 13 members and guests gathered in The Kill Devil Club at 14th and Main with select individuals participating remotely via Facebook Live. President Eric Bubb brought the assembly to order at 12:13pm with an aggressive ring of the bell. The meeting started with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by an invocation in the Lutheran tradition by Micah Sievenpiper.
Mandy Sheldon shared that several guests were attending, including Pete Sotta’s son Brandon, Rick Beyer’s colleague Jason Porch, and Kristy Bayer’s father visiting from Michigan. Club 13 observed several member anniversaries this week: Al Tikwart, 34 years; Marc McCarty, 4 years; Madaline Walter, 35 years; and Rick Halterman, 25 years. Thankfully, no Rotarians are currently in Sick Bay.
President Eric noted that the door greeters today were Monday Morning Men who assist at Rotary Youth Camp every week. The assembly applauded their work, and President Eric added that those club members wishing to participate with them on Mondays are very welcome.
The February 4th Geeks for Kids afternoon shift still has openings for volunteers—please RSVP as soon as possible. Guest day will fall on February 16th when the CEO of PortKC, Jon Stephens, speaks to Club 13. RSVPs are encouraged for that also. David Eaton of the Monterrey, Mexico club summed up the boxcar relay event that Kansas City Southern helped to shepherd this past year, and gave great praise to Club 13 and Union Station for the quality of monarch butterfly events in this community.
The club schedule includes several upcoming firesides at members’ homes in the next two weeks:
- January 31st at Matt Meyer’s home
- February 6th at Tony Andresen’s home
- February 9 at Marc McCarty’s home
In anticipation of the AFL championship game between the Chiefs and the Bengals on Sunday, club leadership arranged a Zoom call with a parallel meeting of Rotary Club 17 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The groups exchanged choruses of Red Kingdom, Who Dey, and other competitive talk across the internet in real time.
At 12:32pm, President Eric introduced the day’s guest speaker, retired baseball pitcher, coach extraordinaire, and sports commentator Jaime Bluma. Mr. Bluma gave a chronological sketch of his career in the trenches of baseball, his transition to coaching, and his efforts to build a nonprofit in support of American veterans of the armed services. He opened the floor to questions before concluding.
A son of a Marine aviator who took work in the oil industry, Mr. Bluma grew up in Oklahoma and followed his brother, also a baseball player, to Wichita State University in the early 1990s. That time was a golden era for college baseball at WSU—they reached the college world series in each of the three years he spend on campus. As a pitcher who threw right-handed, he was unsure of his prospects in the major league. But both the Astros and the Royals courted him, and he joined the Royals in the 3rd round of the MLB draft in 1994. Mr. Bluma’s pitching debut came in Anaheim where the first batter he faced hit a home run off of him.
By 1997, injuries including rotator cuff damage were slowing his rate of play. He spent a year on the disabled list and wrapped up his time with the Royals in 2000, but stayed in Overland Park, KS because he liked the community. Mr. Bluma’s transition to coaching came easily with major league credentials, but his passion for watching young men grow their interest in baseball kept him in it for the longer term. As a testament to his father’s military service, he developed Red, White, and Bluma as a fundraising venture for veterans organizations. His mantra remains simple: be nice to people, and give back.
Closing questions to Mr. Bluma covered the KC Monarchs—he knows the organization well—the chances for the Royals in 2023 (so-so), and the possible re-location of the College Baseball Hall of Fame to Prairie Fire.
President Eric thanked Mr. Bluma at 1:04pm for his remarks to the assembly.
Rotarians wearing Chiefs red were instructed to remain after the meeting for a group photo. Next week’s speaker will be Linda Hanson on the topic of ensuring safety at work and home through self-defense.
At 1:05pm, President Eric concluded the meeting by quoting Tony Robbins: “It is in your moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.” The 4-Way Test closed the session.
Thursday, February 16 will be our next "Guest Day". This is traditionally Spouse's Day - but any guest is welcome!! The Guest Speaker will be Jon Stephens, President & CEO, Port KC.
Geeks For Kids design and build custom, electric ride-on cars for kids with movement limitations. We have the opportunity to continue our support of Geeks For Kids at the Build Event on February 4th. 
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