Carl Kleinman
I just realized that with only three months and three “Bleats” remaining for me as Big Ram, I still have sooooo much more to say with sooooo little time left! So better get started…
First, a quick reminder that voting for our 2027 RAM Officers and Directors is officially open. The voting process is quick and simple – just visit our website (www.sloram.org) to cast your ballot. Don’t forget to submit your vote before as polls close October 15th!
Our popular Holiday Gala returns on December 15th! We are doing our job to beat inflation by keeping ticket prices at $25 per person. Tickets go on sale at the beginning of October. You can download and print reservation forms from the RAM website or pick one up at upcoming RAM Luncheons and Coffee Cabinet meetings. Seating is strictly limited this year, so grab yours early or you might end up hunting for tickets on Stub Hub!
I hope you were lucky enough to attend our first ever “Stroll Down SLO Memory Lane” Coffee Cabinet meeting in September. Several of our long-term RAM members shared their funniest stories from the past 30 years of RAM events, making it far more enjoyable than any school history class! A link to the video will be posted on our website. Let’s start making the next 30 years of RAM history today. After all, those embarrassing stories won’t create themselves!
On an unrelated note, it’s time for a quick “tip o’ the RAM horn” to Greg Horne (purely “unpunintentional”!), who just wrapped up a great three-month stint as our Coffee Cabinet Big Bean! As if being in charge of everyone’s caffeine wasn’t enough, earlier this year he stepped into the massive shoes of Bob Lever as Chair of the Membership Committee. Bob did an amazing job for years and was a very tough act to follow, but Greg hasn’t missed a single beat. In fact, since then, RAM membership has climbed to approximately 180 members. It was no easy task taking over the role, but fortunately, Greg’s feet are even bigger than Bob’s!
Okay, its finally time for my monthly nonsensical history lessons pulled from the RAM history books (aka ‘RAM Bulletins Vault”):
- In the April 1992 Bulletin, Alex Madonna talked about his 1950’s inspiration to build the Madonna Inn:
“I could never find a place to eat, outside of some little ma and pa place alongside the road. I thought that someday I should build a nice place for people to enjoy, and that’s how the Inn originated. One of my problems was that I knew all the motel owners here in town, and I didn’t want to build something that was just like what they had and would take business away from them. Everyone was worried about that. I wanted to build something on a little higher plane, to attract the top 10%, rather than the 90%. So, we just started and we’ve kept adding to it.” Alex’s secretary said that he drew sketches on their pink napkins and that “He drew on them constantly and practically built this place from paper napkins.”
Imagine that – all was done without CAD systems or AI – just a lot of aper napkins! The January 2001 Bulletin provided these words of wisdom:
“A study out of Stanford found that little kids laugh 300 times a day. Adults about 17 times".
What do we conclude from this information? We don’t stop laughing because we grow old. We grow old because we stop laughing. So, remember this, RAMs: He who laughs last, lasts!
I think that’s the perfect note upon which to end this month’s Bleat. Stay well and keep on laughing