Hello Rotarians!
Our greeters were Santa Claus (or was that Barry Bondurant?) and Jeremy Warf. President Randy Hendrickson rang the bell and called our meeting to order. Jason Kazarian led the Prayer & Pledge.
We heard the following announcements:
- President Randy Hendricks thanked our wonderful caterers for all the tasty lunch: Inspirations Fork and Table! orders@inspirationscatering.net.
- Stacy Bridger announced that we have Rotary T Shirts, so put in your order!
- Jeremy Warf thanked us for our work on the Salvation Army Angel Trees drive, giving us the good news that all enrolled children will receive gifts! There are 55,000 in our area! Hats off to Susie McAlister for chairing this program.
We sang God Bless America. No birthdays or anniversaries announced today, to give time for our special program!
Our program was a wonderful, enthusiastic performance of Charles Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol,” staged as a radio play. Chapman & Hall first published this book in London, 1843. The novel was adapted for the stage almost immediately.
Three productions opened on Feb. 5, 1844, one by Edward Stirling. “A Christmas Carol, or Past, Present and Future,” Dickens sanctioned this play and it ran for more than 40 nights. By the close of Feb. 1844, eight rival theatrical productions were playing in London! The story has been adapted to film and television more than any other of Dickens’ works.
Our performers:
- Leslie Eades: Bell and Mrs. Cratchit
- Don Mebus: Scrooge
- Mac Martin: Scrooge’s nephew, Fred
- Benjamin Harris: Narrator
- Vera McKissic, Ghost of Christmas Present (Second Spirit)
- Dan Blumberg, Pool & Lamb, Marly’s Ghost, and Buck
- Kurt Bartley: Bob Cratchit and Ghost of Christmas Future (Third Spirit)
- Bonnie Harris: Ghost of Christmas Past (First Spirit) and Tiny Tim
Barry Bondurant told me that our Rotary club tradition of the reading of A Christmas Carol has been ongoing since the 1940s and performed almost every year since then. Barry remembers seeing it at our club as a child!
All our performers will sign a book that we will donate to the Webb Elementary Library. Randy led us in the four-way test and dismissed us.
Our next meeting will be Jan. 8, 2026! Our speaker will be the new general manager of Symphony Arlington, Nicholas Kohn.
Until we meet again: Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
