Bob Hammack, a 40-year advertising veteran, has created over 20,000 radio, television and print advertisements, and won all the typical accolades – and, as he says, a few that aren’t so typical. He is a recipient of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Lifetime Achievement Award, which is the highest honor afforded an individual in advertising. He has also received the Promax Award, the Gabriel Award, the RAMA (Retail Advertising and Marketing Association) Award, and the MAC Award, and been a three-time winner of the National Addy competition.

An adjunct professor of advertising at the University of Central Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma, Bob has also been a guest lecturer at Oklahoma City University. He has testified as an expert witness on advertising in two federal court cases.

He was Club 29′s 2010 “Rotarian of the Year”, is president of a local nonprofit working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to improve high school graduation rates, and is an immediate past president of the Oklahoma chapter of the “Alliance for Women in Media.” In 2009, AWM recognized Bob for his service by honoring him as national “Co-member of the Year.” Bob has also been active in the zoological world, serving as Chairman of the Oklahoma City Zoological Trust and President of the Oklahoma Zoological Society. He has served on the boards of the Omniplex Science Museum, the Oklahoma City Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Oklahoma City Arts Commission, and the Oklahoma City Advertising Club.

Hammack graduated from Northwest Classen High School and Oklahoma State University, and was a member of Leadership Oklahoma City Class XX and Leadership Oklahoma Class XIX. He is also a published playwright.

Bob and his wife Lauren have been married for 26 years.

Please welcome Bob Hammack to the Rotary Club of Edmond.

Andy

Merry Christmas!

In celebration of the Christmas season, the Rotary Club of Edmond will not meet again until Wednesday, January 4, 2012. I hope your holiday is a joyous time.

It was not always so in American history. A century and a half ago, our nation was in the throes of a bloody Civil War. On Christmas Day, 1863, it seemed to many that the war might not end at all. Virtually every community, every family felt the direct effects of the war. Thousands upon thousand had already died, sometimes in a single day, and thousands more would follow. Six months earlier, at the Battle of Gettysburg, the two sides suffered casualties reaching up to 50,000.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was despondent. A couple years earlier, he had lost his wife in a tragic fire. And just recently, he had learned that his son, who insisted on joining the Union’s military effort, had been wounded.

Yet, as he heard the church bells of Cambridge, Massachusetts, that day, Longfellow became inspired to write a poem. Later set to music, the poem became known as “Christmas Bells”. I have reproduced it here in its entirety.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said:
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!”

I hope you have a merry Christmas!

Andy

The Rotary Club Of Edmond Celebrates Christmas!

This week, the Rotary Club of Edmond will celebrate Christmas with its annual Christmas Jam. And don’t forget. The meeting starts early, at 11:30. If you haven’t ever been, you will want to make sure you attend. This is always an enjoyable event.

Believe it or not, the Christmas Jam will be our last meeting of 2011. I hope to see everyone at our regular meeting place at Henderson Hills Baptist Church on Wednesday, December 14, at 11:30.

The Rotary Club Of Edmond Votes On A New Slate Of Officers And Directors.

According to our Constitution and By-Laws, it is time to elect new officers and directors, whose terms will start next July. The election will take place during our meeting on December 14, 2011. The nominating committee is recommending the following slate:

Past president – Mike Roark

President – Jay Smith

President-elect— Dan Chavez

Secretary – Jay Buxton

Treasurer – Rusty Hale

Club Service – Chris Burton

Community Service – Angie Grimmett

Vocational Service – James Kerr

International Service – Hal Stevens

Sergeant-at-Arms – Cris Price

One point of clarification: We are not voting on either the Past President or the President. We elected our current President, Mike Roark, two years ago, and he will automatically become the next Past President (Gail Carr currently holds that office). And we elected our current President-elect, Jay Smith, at this time last year. On July 1, Jay will automatically become our new President.

One other matter: Traditionally, the person we elect as Secretary is our unofficial President-elect-in-waiting. Nothing in our Constitution or By-Laws mandates this. But many of us believe this kind of succession plan has served us well.

The Rotary Club Of Edmond Rings Salvation Army Bells For Nearly $1,000!

The official returns are in! Rotary Club of Edmond bell ringers raised $946.90 for The Salvation Army. Here are the totals, by location:

Wal-Mart Danforth Grocery — $248.82

Wal-Mart Danforth Main — $205.69

Wal-Mart I-35 Service Road Grocery — $213.29

Wal-Mart I-35 Service Road Main — $279.10

I’ve had the privilege of serving on the Advisory Board for the Oklahoma City Command of the Salvation Army, and have seen firsthand that the officers and employees of the Salvation Army do so much for so many. Thank you for your work on this project. And a special thanks to Stan Kelley for organizing it.

Oh, if you missed the opportunity to put your contribution in one of the red kettles, come by the Belle Isle Wal-Mart main entrance this Friday, from 10:00 to noon. Next to a red kettle, you will see a familiar smile and hear the ringing of a Salvation Army bell!

Andy

Greg Womack Speaks To The Rotary Club Of Edmond

Over the past several years, we’ve had some excellent speakers visit the Rotary Club of Edmond. We’ve had two Governors, a United States Senator, Members of Congress, and numerous federal, state and community leaders. We’ve had a world renowned opera diva, Olympic gold medalists, business and education leaders, and media personalities.

I’ve enjoyed them all and am grateful for the work several of our members have done to keep our programs at a high level. And among my favorite programs are the ones where our featured guest is one of our fellow members of the Rotary Club of Edmond. This week is one such occasion.

Our special guest this week is Greg Womack, President of Womack Investment Advisers, Inc. Greg, who has been in the financial services industry since 1986 and a Certified Financial Planner since 1994, is also Owner/Managing Partner of the Trinity Capital Asset Advisors family of hedge funds.

For the past eight years, Greg has served as the Edmond’s Library Commissioner with the Metropolitan Library System. He chairs the annual Edmond Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, and served as the first Chairperson of the Edmond Alarm Review Board. Greg is an alumnus of Leadership Edmond, and graduated from the first class of the Edmond Citizen’s Police Academy.

Greg is a 1981 graduate of Edmond Memorial High School. In 1990, George Mikesell sponsored Greg to become a member of the Rotary Club of Edmond Central, one of the two clubs that merged a few years ago.

Greg and Jana have two children. He enjoys working, art, traveling and outdoor activities.

Please welcome one of our own, Greg Womack, to the Rotary Club of Edmond.

Andy

Please Sign Up For Upcoming Edmond Rotary Activities

1. Next week, instead of our meeting, Edmond Rotarians will ring bells for the Salvation Army. Please see Stan Kelly to participate.

2. In two weeks, on December 14, the Rotary Club of Edmond will have its annual “Christmas Jam”! Please RSVP to Allison for yourself and your guests.