Anything for Rotary " . . . her hair stood on end!"

September 19, 2009

Rotary has a reputation for promoting community service in many different venues, but the Putnam club found a way which may be the first of its kind.

At a family picnic today, the club offered a "kissing booth" manned by syndicated columnist Dr. William C. Ellis. "It's a rough job," Ellis said good naturedly, "but somebody has to do it."

Ellis, a charter member of the club and its chief motivator, not only carried out his duties with manly gusto, but he actually raised money for service projects through his labors.

"My first customer was a gorgeous, beautiful blond," Ellis reflected wistfully. It was the four-year-old granddaughter of Rotarian Joni Prince.

"She asked if I would be her 'grandad'," said Ellis. "How could I refuse such an offer?"

The second and last customer at the booth was club Sergeant-at-Arms Dianna Casto who enhanced her "booth experience" with a set of false clown lips -- whistle embedded.

"She had the reddest lips I ever saw," mused Ellis. "And her hair stood on end!"

The whole affair was closely supervised by Ellis's dutiful wife Kitty. She set the prices at "fifty cents for a kiss on the hand," "a dollar for a kiss on the cheek," and "$10,000.00 for kisses on the lips."

"Kitty will make any sacrifice for Rotary," her husband acknowledged with a smile of appreciation.