8-30-2012 meeting of the Rotary Club of Chickasha

The Aug. 30, 2012 meeting of the Rotary Club of Chickasha opened with a prayer, pledge and a rousing rendition of God Bless America!

Guests included Rev. Charles Watson, who talked briefly to ask Rotarians to consider volunteering to help at the Sept. 28-30 Rock Island Festival in downtown Chickasha. He passed around a sign up sheet for those interested.

Also attending Thursday, were prospective members Evan Blasingame and Glen Bailey.

Prayer concerns include Bill and Janice McVey.

President Cody White read a thank you note from the Chickasha Middle School academic team to help toward's the expenses for the team's trip earlier this year to the national academic meet.

Rotarian of the Day was John Jernigan, who introduced USAO history professor Dr. James Finck as our guest speaker.

Before he began, Dr. Finck announced that Civil War historian Dr. James I. Robertson is confirmed as he keynoter at next summer's History Symposium at USAO. 

Since we are in the political season, Dr. Fink talked about what he ranks as the most important presidential election in history -- the election that pitted Federalist John Adams against Republican Thomas Jefferson.

Once close friends when they were instrumental in drafting the Declaration of Independence, the two men had become bitter enemies by 1800. Adams was elected President in 1896 and Jefferson was vice president. 
It was a bitter and rancorous campaign.

As a Federalist, Hamilton believes the U.S. should model itself after England and strive to become an industrial power with a strong federal government.

Jeffersonian Republicans held that we should be a nation of small farmers with limited federal government and be a democratic nation where majority of the power rested with the states.

Finck said this was the most important election because it was an experiment in Democracy that would determine the course the nation would take.

In a close vote, Jefferson was elected and the rest is history.

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