12-20-2012 meeting of the Rotary Club of Chickasha

The Dec. 20, 2012 meeting of the Rotary Club of Chickasha opened after a prayer, pledge and a couple of Christmas songs.

Guests included Tanner Tibbetts.

Prayer concerns included Jerry Mottinger and John Jernagin.

President Cody announced that the club was looking for someone to volunteer to become secretary-treasurer.

He also announced that a basket would be placed at the table at the end of room for us to make an honorarium to First Christian Church for allowing us to meet at the church each week.

Gordon Ramsey has been proposed as a new member.

Last weeks Christmas Party, raffle and silent auction raised $2,800.

Representatives from three organizations were present at today's meeting to receive checks from president Cody.

Angie Young and Sherry Evans of Open Arms Foster Care Ministry received $1100.

Ann Fairburn accepted $500 for the Chickasha High School Robotics program.

Craig Courtney was given $438 for Scout Troop 4306.

Guest speaker was our own Ron Sanders who talked about healthy investing habits include being prepared for the unexpected.

• He tried to explain to the so-called Fiscal Cliff we are facing after Dec. 31. 

Here's what will happen:

Unless compromises are reached, there will be $670 billion in cuts, biggest of which will be the lapses of Bush tax cuts.

Among the cuts is 27% in medicaid payments to doctors and health care providers.

Payroll taxes will go up 2 percent and everyone's tax bracket will go up. Unemployment extension will run out.

There will be other changes in the tax code, including loss of home interest as a deduction, charitable deductions and state & local tax deductions.

Still, with all the uncertainty, Ron said the U.S. remains one of the safest places to invest your money. Risk equals opportunity, he said.

The meeting adjourned after recitation of the Rotary 4-Way test.