President Charles W. Beese the officers and Directors had their inauguration at the Annual Summer Ladies Night held on
July 1st at the Country Club. At one of his first meetings the Club went out to Rotary Park for supper and an inspection of the electrification of the Club House and to taste the new artesian well water. Later in this
month the District Assembly was held at the Ulen Country Club in Lebanon."Vim, Vision and Victory" Chuck suggested might be good words for the Club through this year. Vim is a colloquialism for energy,
force, keenness, and physical energy. Vision has a combined meaning, of sight, perception, recognition, contemplation and speculation, with that of imagination, invention, inspiration and verve. Victory means success,
speed, advance and mastery.
One day in September announcement was made that the Directors had approved the names of two men for membership -- Glenn Jenkins and Bill Ayres. You'll hear more of them. In October the
Club heard, not for the first time, nor would it be the last, some of those greatly enjoyable readings from Whitcomb Riley by George Davis.
Governor Harold Cooper made his official visit in November and was well
received. Then came an Inter-City meeting at the Frankfort Country Club with a good attendance from Lafayette.
It was a joy for the Secretary to put into the hands of Stanley Coulter, Rotary's Grand Old Man, a
Christmas Card from the Club. "Tell the boys" he said, "I want to come out to the Club".
At the first luncheon of the New Year Dr. Harry Reed was our guest-speaker with his subject "The Part
of Agriculture in Our National Defense". The following week Eric Holm presented his champion farmers, two of the boys Rotary sent to the International Stock Show. One of these youngsters had raised 133.5 bushels of
corn to the acre.
Rotarians, many of them, helped in giving and collecting Lafayette's part of the two million books for the soldiers, sailors and marines.
Interesting programs followed one after another - "How
to Wrestle" by Coach Reeck, John H. Yueh's stirring accounts of Conditions in China, a General Electric address, "Recreation in Defense Impact Areas", "Winning the war" by E. L. Butz, and an
informal forum on "What Can Lafayette Rotary Do In These War Days"?
One day in March four members of the Club attended the Silver Anniversary of the Richmond Club, hearing International President Tom Davis
give a fine speech. Eth Baugh reported on a very successful Purdue University Glee Club party at Sportsman's Inn. Walter Ackerman, Purdue '05 told us of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and of some of his experiences there.
President Chuck and his Rotaryann and several of the members attended the Rotary Conference at Turkey Run, host of the Turkey Run Rotary Club. Alas we were old men. President Chuck and the Secretary started out for
the Conference on their bicycles. Coming rain and a head wind turned them around at Romney. Chuck claimed he coasted for miles on the return.
Al Stewart with eighteen of his Glee Club singers entertained the Club one
day, and later in June, John Stemm and the Secretary attended an Indianapolis meeting to hear the new International President, Walter Head speak on the subject, "Post War Work of Rotary".
At the last meeting
of the month the Club, all of its members, wished President Chuck, now a private, a sincere "God Speed".
