Last week’s breakfast speaker was our own Claes Ryn, Professor of Politics at Catholic University, who has recently returned from his sixth trip to China where he delivered a major address and was named an Honorary Professor at Beijing Normal University. Claes had wondered why an invitation would be extended, but realized that America is the subject of universal attention and that his ideas and his writings would surely command attention.

China is a land with an ancient culture that may be lost or endangered by a new Chinese identity. He expressed the view that communism is gone but its mechanism for governing may remain. ”There is horror on the horizon” he said, “that China and the U.S. may find themselves in an unbelievable war, to be avoided if highly civilized people can work out their differences.

There was no club meeting last Friday (no electricity, trees down, etc. etc,) but conditions did not deter Barry Thompson from organizing and financing a gourmet breakfast meeting at the “Founding Farmer’s Restaurant” in Potomac. Fifteen % of the club membership attended (count ‘em), and they were treated to an array of New Orleans- like items, including Beignets (below), eggs Benedict, and waffles.

Last week’s club meeting featured the official installation of the club’s officers and directors for the Rotary year beginning July 1, 2012. Congratulations are in order to our new President-Elect, Nick Martinez, and the other new officers and directors, and thanks to Past District Governor Rich Carson who handled the installations.

President Gary Lett presented awards to last year’s club officers and directors, and also honored the bulletin editors, Dan Daniels and Chuck Boteler, by the presentation of specially engraved trophies for their work in putting together the club bulletin for the past twelve years. It goes without saying that they were surprised and grateful for the recognition. Little did they realize that the next few days would bring one of the area’s worst electrical storm in many years.