Your historical society held its annual Installation Dinner on January 26. Attended by nearly sixty society members and friends, the evening event was held at a new venue — the famous Newport Rib Company. After President Dave Gardner’s welcome, attendees enjoyed a buffet dinner which included BBQ tri-tip and chicken. Following the meal, speaker David Whiting took the audience on a “Race for the Wall,” a heart-warming tour of Vietnam vets riding motorcycles from Rancho Cucamonga, California, through America’s heartland, and on to the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Washington, DC. According to Whiting, a columnist for the OC Register, riding with the vets was “the best thing I’ve ever done.”
The final order of business was the installation of society officers and board members for the 2018 term. Experienced “installer” and former mayor Mary Hornbuckle conducted the ceremony with warmth and wit. Not leaving anything to chance, Hornbuckle also “installed” the audience to support the officers and board members throughout their 2018 terms.
After the installation, President Dave Gardner closed the meeting with his humorous monologue honed through decades of experience with Toastmasters International. — ART GODDARD
