The Rec’n Crew’s theme for the day was the Olympic Games.  The ceremony began with the traditional lighting of the torch … or candle, as the case may be.  The Rec’n Crew brought the “torch” in at a pace declared appropriate for the “Over-55” crowd, complete with the stirring Olympic anthem.

Four Rotarians – Daniel Yohannes, Mimi Hennessy, David McMonigle, & Dan Ausman – participated in the exciting dice-balancing-on-a popsicle-stick event.  After considerable “training” time, Dan Ausman won quickly and handily.  The results were noisily challenged, but he remained the champion and all participants were fined $40 each.

The rest of the club was called on to lend their expertise on the Olympics, current and past, for the remainder of the Games:

• Ernie Aragon earned a “half” fine of $25 for knowing half of the official name of the badminton birdie.
• Celeste Kelley & Yvonne Flint managed to name all or most of the events included in Men’s Gymnastics competition and were each fined $50.
• Dong Chang was fined $15 for describing the Women’s Gymnastics events – running, jumping, flipping – and Bob Harbicht joined him for an additional $15 in recognition of his interpretation attempts.
• Dick Martinez correctly identified the four swimming strokes in the Men’s Medley and Gil Stromsoe followed up by correctly identifying the order in which they are swum.  They were fined $15 each.
• Andy Bundesmann guessed the name of the on-board “coach” on an 8-man rowing team as “Tom.”  But Mimi Hennessy was the one who correctly named the position.  Both were fined $15.
• For $25, Frank Griffith didn’t even try to guess the Equestrian events.  Tony Parrille, assisted by our Olympian speaker, Inger Miller, named all three for another $25.
• Pat Dolphin correctly identified Equestrian as the only sport where men and women compete side by side for a fine of $40.
• Inger Miller, Olympic Gold Medalist and our speaker, is related to another Olympian.  Mike Hoey did not know – it was her father, Lennox Miller – and Jim Helms incorrectly guessed the country he competed for.  Mike Real saved the day with the correct answer – Jamaica – for a fine of $60.
• Aaron Rose earned a $5 credit and a good laugh for guessing “bobsledding?” as Lennox Miller’s sport.  Bruce McCallum correctly identified Lennox Miller as a medal-winning sprinter in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics for Jamaica.