Let's Talk About Fishing

Program Chair Shaun Ayres introduced his friend Eric Cummins to our June 27 meeting. Eric is a fish and game biologist assigned to the local district. He gave an informative presentation on methods being used to manage and enhance the local fishing and hunting experience.
There were a lot of questions regarding Lake Cumberland and the Cumberland River below the Wolf Creek Dam. Eric thought this was going to be a problem we're going to have to deal with for a long time. He also said the continuing drought will have a negative effect on Barren River Lake and other local fishing spots. Well done Eric and thanks for coming.

Lt. Col. Steve Basham Speaks

Steve is the brother-in-law of Rotarian Don Gerard. He and his family are on their way to an assignment in South Korea and all were visiting our club at our June 20 meeting. Soon to be a full Colonel in the Air Force he will have a very important job in South Korea. Steve was one of the first to fly stealth bomber missions out of Missouri over Kosovo. The audience was enthralled hearing how he was one of the pilots who got to see first hand if the computer simulations of their undetectability actually worked. It did.

Steve recently completed a year at the War College in Carlisle, PA and he gave us his candid insight into the modern military. He talked about the need of the military to communicate more effectively and more often with the American public by doing the very thing he was doing with our club. Club member Col. Jim Allen taught at the War College and while there pondered with other military leaders if the American public has the stomach to fight a protracted ground war anymore. It tears our collective hearts out to watch the nightly network news interview the families of fallen soldiers and to see the moment by moment carnage of war. We forget that there once were two very impressive sky scrapers in Lower Manhattan whose collapse cost the lives of many innocent men and women. At the time we were outraged about that too. I think one way to overcome the sensationalism of the mass media is to have military people like Steve take their message directly to the people.
Thank you for your service and your comments Col. Basham.

M.A. Matin Visiting Again

I met M.A. Matin when he spoke to the morning club about 10 years ago. I was editing the bulletin and did an interview of our speakers each week. His son Waquar Ahmed was a student at Western at the time and working for Bill Leachman in the dealership. Waquar married Karol Kirby and now works for Campbell Chevrolet and they have a nearly three year old daughter named Emma.

Matin and his wife Asma visit as often as they can although it has been two years now since they have been in the States. They're only here for a month and leave June 21 to go to Atlanta to visit a brother. They'll be back late next week for a couple of more weeks. Waquar's brother Nabill is coming in from London and there will be a big family reunion.

Matin did his university work in England and is a Rural Development specialist. He has worked for the United Nations in developing countries but now has a position in his native country of Bangladesh. He has been a Rotarian for 37 years and has attended many International Conventions although he elected to skip Salt Lake City since his time will be so short in the states. I'll try to get a photo to post with this article when he next visits our club.

Thank You Note from Bob Long

To My Rotary Friends:
Last Wednesday was an awesome day for me and my family. I thank you for the special tribute honoring me as retiring secretary of the Bowling Green Rotary Club. I assure you it was a complete surprise. I will always cherish the memory of this day and ponder it in my heart. I appreciate all the remarks made by my fellow Rotarians. Ken Embry has presented me and each of my children a video of the festivities and tears appeared in my eyes as I watched. The laptop computer is a wonderful and thoughtful gift and I assure you I will put it good use.
The recognitions that I have received serving as secretary have been most rewarding and I certainly appreciate each one.
May the wind always blow at your back, may the sun shine warmly on your face and may God always hold you in the palm of His hand. Old secretaries never die they just fade away.

Peace, Bob Long.

Bob Long Day

Our June 13 meeting was dedicated to thanking Bob Long for 36 years of service as Club Secretary. Here he is being presented with a new laptop computer as a token of the members' thanks and affection. Tributes were heard from several including Ben Smith, Floyd Ellis, Lewis Graham, Charles Moore, Nelson Rue, Henry Carlisle, Shannon Morgan, and not least Cliff Long.