After a slide show that both lauded and poked fun at President Mike, Past President Maria Bombara presented Mary Anne Mobley with flowers as well as with sincere thanks for the support she offered her husband during his term of top office.Rotarians had a ball parroting jokes much like those President Mike favored, which means they weren’t all funny. President Mike, said Valdes, also was fond of Googling old sayings and quotes, noting, “You wanted to put all of us guys over 50 out to pasture... but I’m not ready to be pasteurized!”“It’s been a great pleasure and an honor” to serve the Santa Paula Rotary as president. Although “there were ups and downs,” including personal tragedy during his term, Mike said he would remember the good things.Group Leaders came in for some comments on their efforts - or lack of same - to set up the meeting room at Logsdon’s, and Mike presented Skeels with a copy of his brother Tom Mobley’s CD, “Big Tweet.” In turn, Skeels - who had to scramble get a CD back from a member he had just gifted it to - presented President Mike with his own group’s record, “The Lucky Sons Band.”President Mike thanked Board Directors for their efforts and support. When it came to handing the gavel over to Santa Paula Rotary President Pam Lindsay, Immediate Past President Mike noted it has seen much wear and tear.President Mike had some gavel advice for his successor: “May you always know where it - and Henry Vega - is,” as the wooden bronze banded symbol of leadership has a tendency to often be hidden by the latter.
Rotarians dress up to gently dress down departing President Mobley
July 17, 2009
Santa Paula News
It was time to definitely dress up to gently dress down the always dapper for Rotary meeting President Mike Mobley, whose term ended on a fashionable note.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesIt was time to definitely dress up to gently dress down the always dapper for Rotary meeting President Mike Mobley, whose term ended on a fashionable note. Mobley, an area rancher, gave up his Rotary president gavel at the June 29 meeting.There were even a few tuxedos and fancy dresses seen in the club crowd, and Past President Elias Valdes set the farewell mood when he quoted another past president, George W. Bush. “’It will take time to create chaos and order,’” Valdes solemnly intoned.Song Leader Paul Skeels, accompanied by Immediate Past President Mitch Stone and John Nichols, played their own take on “Streets of Bakersfield” with “Santa Paula Fields,” as well as offering apologies to songwriter Homer Joy.Past President Bruce McGee noted, “One of the highlights of Mike’s presidential career was his explaining how the Rotary Foundation operates,” a dialogue that will go down in Rotary history, filed under “convoluted.”It was President Mike’s turn to try to answer the trick questions he regularly lobbed at club members - of course, failure meant a fine - and a play on Rotary Trivia, a favorite torture, er subject of the outgoing president, was offered by Stone. “Remember,” Stone added, “there’s a long list of Santa Paula Rotary Presidents since 1923 and you are now on that list.”
