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 DONALD
HAACK
Bush-Pilot in Diamond Country
by Suzanne Bledsoe
Martin Waters introduced our very own Donald Haack, a stranger to no
one in our club, by reminding us that many of our best programs are
those presented by our membership. Today was no exception. By all
accounts, Donald Haack is a man of many talents. Born and raised in
Wisconsin, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a
degree in Economics and Finance. After graduation, he spent some
time in Cherry Point as a Marine and then he and his family spent
the next 20 years abroad in the wilds of South America, where he was
a bush pilot and diamond entrepreneur and consultant. He and his
wife, Jan, and their four children moved to Charlotte in 1981 and
they put his knowledge and experience in the diamond industry to
work with the formation of Donald Haack Diamonds. Now, an
accomplished author as well, he has an amazing story to tell.
In his comments about his adventures in the bush, Don made it very
clear that he has lived the mantra that he espouses whenever asked:
"Never say I wish I had done….you have one life to live…live it to
the fullest. In short, GO FOR IT." While Don shared lots of stories
that are no doubt reported in his book, there are countless more
that are worth reading. He discussed his impetus for writing the
book which was originally planned as a memoir for his children and
grandchildren. A chance meeting with John Steinbeck convinced him
otherwise. As they shared stories over drinks, Don told Steinbeck
about some of his favorite authors and their stories. The parallels
and likenesses to the life that Don had chosen to live were such
that Steinbeck convinced Donald that his story was one that needed
to be told. So, Don wrote it, hired a local editor and publisher and
is now a proud member of a very elite group of published local
authors.
To our delight, Don regaled us with stories of some of the leisurely
(?) afternoons that he and his family spent while in South America:
swimming with piranhas, eating and drinking with murderers, and the
subject of the ever present "bush telegraph." Quite different from
how we all spend our Saturday and Sunday afternoons!
After such an interesting and fun preview of Don's life and his
book, I expect that it will be at the top of everyone's reading
list. If it's not, sounds like it should be!
Head Table:
Bill Loftin, Frank Martin,
Catherine Browning, Martin Waters, Kemp Dunaway, Ron Kimble;
Invocation: Ken Poe
Visitors and Guests:
John Smylie; Health & Happiness: Tom
Cottingham; Song: Thomas Moore
Honorary and
Memorial Gifts to
The Rotary Foundation
From
www.rotary.org |
Looking for a meaningful way to honor or memorialize a loved
one? Having a difficult time finding the perfect birthday,
wedding, or holiday gift for the person who has everything?
Why not make a gift to The Rotary Foundation in that
person's name and let your gift build a bridge of hope for
those less fortunate all around the world? Your generosity
can provide food for a hungry child, clean water for an
entire village, medicines for the sick, and thousands of
other good works in our global community.
When you make an honorary or memorial gift, The Rotary
Foundation will send a letter to the recipient or the
recipient's family to let them know of your gift. The amount
of your gift is not disclosed. An acknowledgement and tax
receipt will be sent to you, the donor (and this gift counts
toward your Paul Harris Fellow points).
To make an honorary or memorial gift, make your check
payable to The Rotary Foundation and send it with the
recipient and acknowledgement information to:
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The Rotary Foundation
Development Services, FN 530
1560 Sherman Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201-3698 |
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SUPPORT THE ROTARY FOUNDATION |
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$100 EVERY ROTARIAN EVERY YEAR |
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þ
The Charlotte Jaycees will
recognize the 2005 Ten Outstanding Young Charlotteans at a
banquet on May 12th. Charlotte Rotarians included in the
recognition are Meg McElwain
(Magnolia Marketing), Anne
Bridgeman (Corporate Health International), and
Benton Bragg (Bragg
Financial Advisors, Inc.).
þ
Exit Realty (Mike
Rash, president and broker-in-charge at the Park
Road office), was listed as one of the three aggressively
expanding national franchises intent on making their mark in
the residential real estate market.
þ
Damien Anciaux, the club's exchange student from
Belgium, would like to experience NASCAR up close and
personal before leaving the United States. Anyone with
connections to the May race should contact Don Millen, Bill
Loftin, or Lamar Thomas.
þ
The Belmont Rotary Club is
having a fund raiser to benefit their club's Centennial
project for Stowe Park. The Cherryville Little Theatre
Players will present "Art for a Steal", a comedy telling the
story of the Loomis Fargo Heist, on May 14th at the Belmont
Abbey Haid Theatre. Anyone wishing to purchase a ticket
($35) should contact Allison Chrisco (704-829-1226) or Stan
Cromlish (704-825-5097).
þ
Congratulations to
Martin Grable on becoming
the club's latest Paul Harris Fellow.
þ
Marilynn Bowler has
joined the Charlotte Checkers as VP of public affairs. And
by the way, the Checkers have made it to the next round of
the hockey league playoffs, with home playoff games this
weekend. Mother's accompanied by her child will get in free
on Sunday.
þ
The Charlotte Observer's
coverage of Jim Woodward's
retirement reception was incredibly touching.
Congratulations, Chancellor, on your outstanding leadership
and dedication to the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte.
þ
John Snyder proudly introduced Anish Pathipati,
member of the Myers Park Interact Club and winner of the
Global Issues Essay Contest, to the Club on Tuesday.
þ
FOR YOUR TO-DO LIST: > Rotary
International has designated April 2005 as
Centennial Service Above Self Volunteer Month.
Rotarians are encouraged to volunteer at least 10 hours of
personal time in service to others during the month of
April. Club members are asked to report their
volunteer hours to Sandy by month's end. The report
of hours will be announced at the 2005 RI Convention in
Chicago. TO DATE, 107
hours have been reported by just five club members -
Tom Robertson, Mary Ciminelli, Andy
Zoutewelle, Mac McCarley, and
Alan Adler. Looks like
we're missing a few hundred hours! The opportunity to report
hours will be held open one more week. |
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Attendance
Record |
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5/03/05 |
5/06/04 |
| visitors &
guests |
22 |
28 |
| club
members |
186 |
182 |
| total
attendance |
208 |
210 |
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Wedding
Anniversaries |
11 Debbie and Jerry Blanchard
14 Kristin and John Bradberry
16 Scarlett and Jay Westmoreland |
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New Members | Resignations |
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| Roaming
Rotarians |
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Tom Burgess, Ft. Myers, Florida | |
| Birthdays and
Birthplaces |
10 Anne Bridgeman,
Charlotte, NC
12 Robby Ray, Chattanooga, TN
12 Gene Williams, Brooklyn, NY
13 Bayard Van Hecke,
Lawrence, KS
14 Bob Culbertson, Albany, GA
14 Ed Kale, Lincolnton, NC
14 Mac McCarley,
Greensboro, NC
15 Al Allison, Charlotte, NC
16 Ken Harris, Statesville, NC
16 Tom Lane, Charlotte, NC |
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