Author: Fred Atchison

Nancy O’Connor has made a career of teaching the values of fresh vegetables, gardening and good health. O’Connor served as Director of Education and Outreach for the Merc Coop for a number of years. During her tenure the Commercial Mercantile Education Foundation (CMEF) was established with the Merc serving as a partner organization. Presently she serves as Executive Director for the foundation. The purpose of the foundation was to “nourish and inspire personal well being, strengthen community connections and support local food systems.” CMEF works with public school gardens, First Step at Lake View Gardens, and a supports a free market at Edgewood Homes. Each summer five students are hired to work the gardens, and at First Step women recovering from addiction are parred with student workers. O’Connor believes that the work of growing food is a transformative experience. The gardens produce approximately two tons of vegetables a year. O’Connor brought an impressive basket of fresh vegetables to share with club members.

Rex Buchanan is a familiar figure around the state, he is known for his work with the Kansas Geological Survey, as an author, and as an enviornmental commentator on Kansas Public Radio. Perhaps what you didn’t know about Buchanan is that the man loves his barbecue. He loves to eat it, he loves to talk about it, he even likes to argue about it-all in good fun. Buchanan lovingly talked about barbecue basics; slow cooking over indirect heat, usually beef or pork. The Southeast part of the country likes pork with a vinegar base sauce. In Texas they love their brisket and sausage. But it is Kansas City barbecue on which Buchanan waxes eloquent. Arthur Bryant bought a local barbecue joint in 1946 and became a barbecue legend. Kansas City barbecue is noted for a focus on sauce, burnt ends, and lots of variety. Buchanan conducts his Kansas City barbecue research with a group of friends, noting that there are over one hundred barbecue joints in the city. He came with his list of top ten joints in Kansas City: 10. Big T’s, 9. LCS, 8. Chief J, 7. Gates, 6. Joes KC, 5. Slaps, 4. Jones Sisters, 3. Jacks Stack, 2. Harps, 1. Arthur Bryants. If you have a different opinion, Buchanan will be happy to argue the point.

Kade Meyer, the new President of Lawrence Central Rotary Club, shared his story and thoughts about the coming year. Kade’s time for watching movies with his cat has considerably diminished as he and his wife, Allison, recently welcomed their new baby daughter, Remy. Both Allison and Remy were in attendance to cheer Kade on. Kade moved a lot in his youth but did most of his growing up in the Denver area, which explains his enthusiasm for Colorado teams. Kade joined the Army Reserve when he was seventeen as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Specialist, serving for six years. He learned a lot in the Army, and in 2016 Kade joined State Farm Insurance in Lawrence. He is a graduate of Leadership Lawrence and the Kansas Leadership Center. Kade wants to build on a very good Rotary year, and while the club has made good progress with new members, attrition always is an issue. He would like for Quarterly business meetings to be more fun and better attended. Past President Jim Evers predicted that Kade’s hard work, enthusiasm, and sense of humor would serve the club well in the coming year.

Dr. William Keel, Professor Emeritus from Kansas University’s Department of Slavic, German and Eurasian Studies, spoke to the club on behalf of Sister Cities Lawrence. Dr. Keel is president of the governing board, a 501(C)3 organization, that seeks to foster relations between the city of Lawrence and three Sister Cities: Eutin, Germany; Hiratsuka, Japan; and Iniades, Greece. The organization sponsors high school aged student exchanges with these communities. These visits are often life changing experiences that promote friendships and understanding between cultures. Dr. Keel is a long time Board member and has made numerous trips to Eutin. He shared images of the Eutin area and described its history and attractions. Lawrence Central Rotary has provided an annual award for some ten years to help finance trips for participating students. These students have provided excellent programs for LCR about their visits. Dr. Keel noted that Sister Cities Lawrence and Rotary share many values.

Our very own historian, Jim Peters, provided a program on the evolution of the Medal of Honor. Jim is uniquely qualified to speak on the topic as he is the author of “Arlington National Cemetery: Shrine to America’s Heroes, 3rd Edition.” George Washington established a Badge of Military Merit, but not until the Civil War did a Medal of Honor emerge, first with the Navy and then with the Army. Large numbers of medals were awarded in this period and gradually a more clear criteria was developed for the award. The medal is usually awarded by the President in the name of the U.S. Congress, to individuals in the armed forces who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. The medals are different in appearance as the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard have designed their own versions of the award. Jim shared stories of a number of medal recipients. Some 3,530 Medals of Honor have been awarded in our nation’s history.