President Worth called the meeting to order at 12:40 p.m.
     Andy Fair gave us the up-to-date news of the day.
     Leroy Mayne gave a short story about an experience he had recently while he was volunteering as a "bell ringer" at the Square. Leroy had a busy morning and was really hungry, but missed lunch on the way to his noon commitment. After about 20 minutes of collecting one, two and three dollars from many local business people, what appeared to be a homeless person appeared before Leroy on the Square. He stayed a few minutes and seemed to have some money in his hand, but would not put it in the kettle like others. Leroy then put his hand out and the individual put forty seven cents in Leroy's hand. The individual then disappeared and Leroy kept ringing the bell for another thirty minutes or so when the individual reappeared. This time he told Leroy that he had found some more change and gave him another eleven cents. He then disappeared again. Leroy said then he realized he was not hungry any more, that he had indeed been fed. It's a great story and shows what Christmas is all about.
      Don Steger reminded everyone that this year's Mid-year District meeting will be held Saturday, January 15th at the Mooresville Senior Center and encouraged all interested Rotarians to attend.
      Ronnie Pruett is still looking for volunteers to help him with the joint Rotary meeting to be held on February 22nd at the Adam's Mark Hotel.
     Julian Aldridge introduced visiting Rotarians and guests, followed by President Worth's introduction of Charlotte Rotary's newest member — John McGee.
     Rusty Brink gave the Health and Happiness Report, telling a very explosive "fish story" that happened in Vermont. He also gave us an update on the health of Warren Jeffries and Tom Hampton. Both members need our thoughts and prayers during the Christmas season. He also shared a story about our attitudes and how we react to them. Too bad more of us don't adhere to what Rusty shared.
     President Worth led the club in the pledge and then introduced the head table: Don Steger, Doug Fairbanks, Jim Armstrong, Dale LeCount and Howard Chadwick, who gave the invocation.
     Bob Young introduced the speaker, Dr. John Tabor, Professor of Religious Studies at UNCC. The title of Dr. Tabor's remarks was "The New Millennium: Fact or Fiction." He reported that on his last presentation to the club he mentioned their intent and wish to start a biblical archaeology program at UNCC and announced that it is now set up. Thanks to Tom Phillips, the department now is starting a small museum of artifacts from around the Dead Sea.
     Dr. Tabor said his comments today would really be about "Why 2-K," not Y-2K. In 1996 a national group of religious editors called him and wanted to know the exact date when the Millennium would start—they wanted to know exactly when Jesus was born. He answered them in two ways. First, he told them the Millennium had probably already started. According to religious historical data the date 543 BC was probably the correct start, and that would put the Millennium around 1996-97. Of course, what they were interested in is all the "hyped" 2000-2001 business. He stated that when we talk about the year 2000, we are talking about the date from the birth of Jesus. For Christians, Jews, Muslims, Africans and Asians, on all the calendars of the world the BC/AD system has become the dominant system because of the dominance of the western world. We know our calendar is off three or four years and we know it happened in the sixth century AD. We are wrong about the year 2000 being 2000 from the birth of Jesus, but then again it's the power of the symbol that really counts. The Millennium has a window of 4-5 years depending on how you want to count it.
     Why Millennium at all? That's the question. Why do we think in terms of a thousand years? The answer is actually biblical. First of all, in the first and last chapter of the Christian Bible, you find the wonderful story about the creation in six days; from this we get our six-day week. followed by the seventh — the day of rest. God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Second, the Bible says, "A day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day with the Lord." It's an era, an era of time, if you will. In the Book of Revelation we read that at the end of time, Satan will cause havoc and evil on the earth for a thousand years, and that's where we get the term "Millennium." The Bible talks about the Saints with Christ living and reigning for a thousand years. This all sets up a thought pattern: If there are 6 days followed by a day of rest, then six thousand years will be followed by a thousand years of great significance as the Kingdom of God. In a biblical sense, this is the beginning of a new era. "From Adam, in the Beginning" to 1999—guess how many years that covers? Yes, you guessed it, 5999, or within a year or two. No matter which technique you use, civilization was around for four thousand years before the birth of Christ, so you add four plus two and you get six— six thousand years civilization has been on earth. Now, we are all facing a new era of time. You can look at it very positively, or as some groups do, very negatively.
     We now are entering the seventh Millennium. Since in our system the seventh day of the week is the important day, let's help make the seventh Millennium the greatest era. All of us should now reflect on how things could really be our best. That's the reason Dr. Tabor spoke on "Why 2-K and what it really signifies."
     President Worth thanked Dr. Tabor, wished everyone a Happy Holiday and adjourned the meeting.

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WILLIAM E. (BILL) POE
December 18, 1923               December 18, 1999

     A member of the prestigious Charlotte law firm of Parker, Poe, Adams and Bernstein for 40 years, former President Bill was probably best known in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community for his inspired leadership of the school board during the difficult days of court-ordered desegregation in the 1970s. The Charlotte News named him Man of the Year in 1970 for his effectiveness.

     The club will make a contribution to our Student Scholarship Fund in Bill's memory.

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