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October 12, 2017: Ryan Erb, “United Way”, Craig Pearce will introduce and Doug Thompson will thank our speaker.
Head Table: Our President Linda Bathe, invites, Craig Pearce, Bill Lemmon, Steve Lichty, Bob Lightfoot, Gary Lingard and Angus MacDermid, to join her at the head table.
Program Speaker Bill Inkol introduced by Rotarian Rheo Thompson speaking on some memorable moments in his career and his relationship to Stratford.
This Week: Our guest speaker today was Bill Inkol, the longest serving host of Bowling for Dollars.
After graduating from university with a degree in English, Bill began his career at CJCS in Stratford in 1951. He soon became Sports Director. In 1962 Bill moved to London and switched to TV. In 1967 Bill joined CKCO TV in Kitchener as Sports Director and remained there until his retirement.
Some of his most notable accomplishments include working five Olympic games, hosting Blue Jays Banter for 15 years, and of course hosting Bowling for Dollars.
Bill began his presentation with some interesting rhetorical questions:
- If he had Charlie’s Pride and Johnny’s Cash would he have more than a Buck Owen?
- Did you know that the Six Nations have given Prime Minister Trudeau the honorary name “Running Deficit”?
- Wouldn’t it make more sense to call “hemorrhoids” “asteroids”?
- Why is it that people who need deodorant the most, use it the least?
Bill entertained us with interesting anecdotes about his experiences in broadcasting.
While working at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Bill realized that Paul Newman and his wife were having breakfast at the next table. Not wanting to appear like a gushing fan, Bill decided not to bother Mr. Newman for an autograph as he was leaving the restaurant. However, Mr. Newman stopped Bill and asked him if he was involved in the Olympics. While they were chatting, Bill noticed an autograph hound heading their way from the far side of the restaurant. Bill, (and Mr. Newman), were surprised when the intruder explained that he was from London Ontario and has always wanted to meet the host of Bowling for Dollars. Bill autographed a bowling pin for him.
Jim Rice of the Boston Red Sox was notorious for his dislike of interviews. Nevertheless, Bill requested one, explaining that he was from Canada. Mr. Rice was skeptical and retorted that Bill did not look like a Canadian. When Bill asked what a Canadian looks like, the response was “like Fergie Jenkins, of course”.
At the 1988 Olympics in Calgary, Bill decided to avoid the crowds of media around the best ski jumpers and to interview the one whose helmet had come off during a practice jump for the 90 meter competition. (The helmet had gone farther than the ski jumper.) Of course, the contestant was Eddie the Eagle, who told Bill that if he ever visited London England that he would be welcome to drop in and could sleep on Eddies’s couch.
As the host of Blue Jays banter, Bill got to know many of the Blue Jays players. One time he was questioning Tom Henke and Garth Iorg on their assertion that batters could pick up the spin on the ball to determine what type of pitch had been thrown. To show Bill how it could be done, they invited him to step into the batter’s box with Henke pitching and Iorg catching. Bill did not actually see the first two pitches, but did hear a swoosh as they went by. The third pitch may have brushed his clothing near a very sensitive part of the male anatomy. Bill lost interest in detecting the spin on pitches and focused on avoiding singing soprano.
Bill concluded his remarks by explaining how he became the voice of the Stratford Warriors. C.H. “Dutch” Meier asked Bill if he had ever called a live sporting event. Of course, Bill had done quite a few in his head where he always scored the winning goal or hit the winning homerun. Bill decided that these imaginary broadcasts were just as good as real ones and assured Dutch that he could do the job.
Bill’s first live play by play was for an exhibition game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and their farm team, the Syracuse Chiefs. He soon realized that he was not going to be able to keep up, but found a solution. Since the game was not being televised, and since no one in the arena would know what he was saying on the radio, he simply made up the play by play. As long as he kept the score correct, no one would ever find out that it was a phantom broadcast and not a real one.
Bill brought back many memories by showing photographs of the Stratford Warriors hockey team that defeated the Owen Sound Mercuries in Game 7 in overtime to win the championship. The photos included fans literally hanging from the rafters as over 4,000 people jammed an arena with a seating capacity of 2,300.
Bill was introduced by Rheo Thompson and thanked by Steve Monteith.
Scribe: Steve Lichty
Announcements:
- Care and Good Cheer: Reg White and his wife have settled into their new home and are very happy.
- Peter Maranger and his wife have been in Halifax after their youngest son was involved in a motorcycle accident, suffering a very serious concussion, broken shoulder and numerous scrapes and bruises. So far, the recovery has gone as well as could be expected and their son was discharged from hospital on Thursday morning. There is optimism that he will make a full recovery.
- Craig Thompson announced plans to bring a sequel to “Rotary Travelogues”, by organizing monthly showings of films and documentaries. The series will be called “Passport to the World” and is being presented in partnership with Stratford Rotary. Fifty percent of the proceeds will be used to support community projects.
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Craig Thompson and assistant Rebecca Scott who runs a production company called Ballinran Entertainment announcing his Travelogue series in Stratford this winter in partnership with The Rotary Club of Stratford.
- Our Food Drive on Thursday raised $1,150. Donations of $20 and above will receive a tax receipt.
Dan Scarborough did the annual food drive at Rotary today and raised $1150. Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Stratford for their generosity.
- There will be an Aquabox Build Day on October 21st.
- There are three options for Rotary Foundation training:
- October 14, Mildmay
- October 28, Imlay City
- November 4, London
- A Pub Tour, in memory of David Blackburn, will be held this Friday. Participants have pledged $5,000 to Hospice.
- Arlene Pol and Mark Smith are celebrating the birth of their second grandchild.
- Gord Sherwin has suffered a coronary incident, but he is back at home recovering well.
- Colleen Brown is in Orillia, providing solace to a friend whose daughter was shot in the recent Las Vegas incident.
Guests: Today we welcomed, Mike Butler, John Broadfoot, Barry Jesson, Denny Flanagan, Carlo Parrotta, Andrea Reichert – Stratford, Craig Thompson, Rebecca Scott – Stratford, Jack Ross – Stratford, Dean Robinson – Stratford, Dave Fangrad, Jenny Reid – Stratford, Vanessa and Katie from the St Mikes interact club
Draw: The draw prize today was donated by Reg White and won by Diane Sewell.
Make-ups: no report
October’s Attendance Committee: Rob Ritz (I/C), Carolyn Blackburn, Peter Roach, Carolyn Champagne, George Schroeder, Doug Thompson, Angus MacDermid, Gary Wreford, Lynn McKone
