PRESIDENT ROB, standing in for January Birthday Chair, PAT COREY, introduced Rotarians celebrating a birthday this month (only two were present) and announced that so far $937 has been contributed to the Foundations. We sang Happy Birthday in celebration.

SUSAN HYCHKA presented TOM FREY with recognition items making him a Paul Harris Fellow.

CHRISTA KECK introduced Scott Imus, President of Indiana Petrol, Marketing, Convenience Store Association, who spoke to us about gas prices from a retail perspective. Using a retail gas price of $4.05 he asked JANE TURNER to represent the Gas Gouger. ROB GALBRAITH represented OPEC, who received $2.96. LIZ SOLBERG played the part of Government and asked for 62 cents. When BOB VERPLANK stepped forward acting like BIG OIL and taking 52 cents, Gas Gouger JANE was left with a loss of 5 cents. If a purchase has been made with a credit card, the loss would have been an additional 10 cents.

Scott said that retailers try to make up for the loss at the gas pumps with "inside" convenience sales. But even those are slumping. With this business model, many filling stations will go out of business, making competition less likely and prices higher. He suggests possible solutions might include greater oversight of the futures market and relief from high credit card fees. In Indiana the State sales tax of 19.4 cents per gallon must be paid in advance, causing cash flow and bookkeeping challenges.

LIZ SOLBERG introduced Laila Lemcharfi and Michael Weesner from McCutcheon High School. Each received a certificate and a travel mug with the Four-Way-Test to commemorate meeting with us.

MICHAEL O'HAIR, KOKOMO

Money Collectors: BARB HANSEN and FRED ANDERSON; Greeter: LAURA NICOLET and JOE BONNER; Invocation: CORKY MITCHELL; Piano: HARLEY FREY; Song Leader: ARVID OLSON. Help with attendance and facilitating a smooth meeting: JO WADE and TOM MORAN; Help with Ripples: BILL FULLER.

PRESIDENT ROB'S THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

"If GM had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 MPG."

Bill Gates

 
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