Every year, the current Club President must guard their gavel with extreme care. Gavels have been known to walk away, accidently get lost and even disappear in plain sight. This fun tradition has been ongoing for at least 39 years. A notation in the minutes of the May 8, 1980 meeting states that: “President Kent rejoiced at the return of his gavel….”
Several weeks ago, Pres. Mike's gavel was liberated by a loyal Rotarian, who felt sorry for the gavel having to constantly bang the Club bell. While out of Mike's possession, his gavel decided to check out what it was like to be an EMT, since Mike and many of his family are all EMTs. Based on photos from a reliable but unnamed source, Mikie's Mallet went off for EMT training, running up a rather large bill that would need to be paid before the gavel could be returned to Mike (see photo album on this website for more info on the gavel's exploits).
At the Officer Installation and Awards Banquet on June 20, the Club passed around a donation box to help Mike redeem his gavel. All money collected goes to the Rotary Foundation. During the proceedings, incoming President Sandra Lane presented Mike with his thank you presents from the Club, which included a beautiful wall plaque with a clip for his President’s gavel. But of course, Mike did not have his gavel to go into the clip.
At that point, Sandy announced that a total of $408 was raised for the Rotary Foundation. Now that the money was raised to redeem the gavel, Mike’s EMT family wheeled in his grandson Jayson on a gurney with the gavel in his little hands. Jayson was also wearing a t-shirt with a gavel on the front. Although reluctant, he did eventually hand over the gavel to Sandy for her to put it into the clip on the plaque.
Sandy with the empty gavel plaque and the EMTs rushing Jayson in with his grandpop's gavel, which he was reluctant to return. Maybe his wants to hold on to it to practice until he becomes a future Rotary Club President.
