Small Noise from Winnetka
Rotary International celebrated it's 100th birthday in 2005, our Secretary Dr. Brian McQuade accompanied by his wife Honorary Rotarian Joy Mcquade went to Chicago to join the celebrations. They stayed with family in Milwaukee and then with fellow Rotarian Joe Fell from the Winnetka Club near Chicago.
Brian McQuade writes:
The Milwaukee Art Museum, Art Institute of Chicago and Indianapolis Museum of Art are all worth a detour.
Then there was the matter of a Rotary Centennial Convention in McCormick Place, Chicago, the largest convention centre in America. There were 40,000 of us.
The pre-publicity had quoted Frank Sinatra on the city, "My Kind of Town". You may know the kind of company he kept, but we liked it (saw no Mafia, no slaughter houses).
We flew to O'Hare by United Airlines – fine, although it is one of several lines bankrupt.
After a few days in Milwaukee we were picked up by Joe Fell of the Winnetka Club - with Karen, they were great hosts. That night there was a barbecue by his club on the shore of the freshwater Lake Michigan. (When the Chicago River one time debouched too much sewage into the lake, they reversed its flow into the Mississippi. We were told this by a Rotarian. It must be true.) There were Rotarians from all over, Japan etc., and an affectionate lady President, with whom we exchanged banners, too.
Eager to represent you all, we attended the First Plenary Session. There was video praise from the Mayor of Chicago, the UN secretary, and President Bush. There were dances, songs, and too much self-congratulatory mush, with attempts to extract not one, but two, bursts of applause or standing ovations for every achievement. Not British!
There was a Frank Harris Fellow lunch for 4000, most of whom were
only too keen to tell an astonished Joy that they personally had
donated at least a thousand bucks for the badge.
There was an RIBI breakfast for which to represent you we got us
and our indulgent host up at 5.30 am, and at which there was a good
and humorous address by the Australian Past President (Glenn Kinross)
who had inspired Dick & Yvette to start their massive SA building
project.
With Rotarians we did a Frank Lloyd Wright architectural pilgrimage.
On our last day in Chicago (the hottest thus far, although it later settled at 96F) there was a scenic river trip in the Chicago river and lake Michigan, followed by a view from the top of one of the higher skyscrapers.
Before and after the Rotary shindig we
had seen friends and relations. All of it was enjoyed.
When they send a record of the proceedings ($ 7 paid on your behalf)
there may well be nuggets to impart, which I just may have missed.
Park on shore of Lake Michigan , where Winnetka Club gave a BBQ for themselves & foreign visitors to Centennial Convention
Commemorative Plaque at the site of the first Rotary meeting on 23/2/1905
