Rotary Club of Oak Bay Meeting 20 January 2015 - Tribute to Ted Harrison and Guest: Pat Grant, Rotary events auctioneer

Reporter: Sandy Currie

Photos and extract on Ted Harrison, courtesy of David Sills

MC (Steve Sharlow) opened the meeting and also set the stage for its “special theme” – A Tribute to the Life of Ted Harrison. Ted, passed away recently at the age of 88 and was an Honorary Member of the Oak Bay Rotary Club.  A photographic anthology of Ted’s life played on the screen in a continuous loop for the first part of the meeting. 
 

Conversations about Ted and his life continued at the tables while we ate. 

Guests: Steve introduced our guests from the UVic  Rotaract Club, Lauren Askew and ?  

  

Guest Speaker: 

David Phillip introduced our Guest Speaker, Auctioneer Pat Grant.  Pat is gregarious, funny and engaging with a large presence and a booming voice. 

However, he has not always been an auctioneer.  Pat was born in Canada and moved with his family to the United States.  After many years as a Chaplain, he was asked to fill-in for a no-show Auctioneer at one of his Church’s major funding raising events. At first he refused, saying he was comfortable performing any of the normal ministry functions – but he would not be the auctioneer. Finally, he relented and took on the role as a personal challenge. As they say, the rest is history. The next stop  for Pat was Billings, Montana to attend an auctioneer’s school, where he was the only one  who was not a "cowboy". It turns out he had a gift for speaking with the rapid-fire "patter" that is an essential part of being an auctioneer. It was a long haul moving through the stages of ‘earning his spurs’ until reaching the point where he is now an “Event Auctioneer” and in high demand. He is currently on contract to five Rotary Clubs (all in the United States) as ‘the Clubs’ Auctioneer’. Although he is on the road most of the year, he still retains his membership in the Rotary Club of Nanaimo, and provides them with his talents as an Event Auctioneer.

In a spontaneous burst of enthusiasm, Pat led us in an Event Auction to raise funds for up-coming social events. He asked club members to volunteer donations that he could auction off. The end result was as follows: Steve Sharlow offered to host a dinner at the Union Club; Jack Petrie said he would host a Tuscan Dinner. 

"Oops" says Jack to President Jim, "does that say 60 instead of 6 for a Tuscan dinner?"

Heather Aked provided a bottle of wine; and President Jim Force offered to host a Club in the Pub dinner.  The ensuing bidding frenzy had some of these volunteers upping their original offers with the end result being significant donations to the club for future events.

Don O’Conner thanked the speaker with a great quip: "Pat, most people see the light and get into the Ministry; not the other way around", and presented him with a Rotary Mug.

President Jim Force then presented Pablo Diemecke and Don O’Coffey with Light Up Rotary Pins.