Washington Chapter Meeting

[Mr Sempliner's absence being noted, a quorum was present]

Katrinka writes:

With Malcolm D-nald as our beloved benchmark -- I'd say we all look prettttty darn good, quoi. Will, shabash on hosting in your beautiful home; Andrew, great to have u back in town, and a good excuse for a gathering, Steve, thanks for the ride, country club stories and chocolate motorcycle, Peter, a real treat to get you to stay up past your bedtime and good on you for keeping PSI en forme, quoi. And Daveed -- always a delight to catch up with you; we promise to visit u at your air-conditioned digs at Walter Reed. As for jobs -- I hear there might be an opening as CD for PNG...

Love you guys,

Our founder writes:

Great picture, great time, great summary, and maybe worth inclusion in the notes for the Country Club as an ad hoc Membership get together, even though no drinks were visibly noticeable in the picture.

If anyone needs to reach me tonight, you can find me in one of DC's cooling shelters, I think near the Armory

Minutes.

1. The Chapter had a lively conversation about The Good Old Days, which none could clearly remember.

2. We drifted in and out of a largely substance free discussion concerning Article 3.4 of Our By-Laws, with our Founder concluding, in a nod to revisionism, that it made no sense. Here is the Article in question:

"3.4 A Visited Country that, subsequent to the qualifying visit, splits into two or more countries, can only be counted as a single Visited Country. The Member will elect which of the issuing countries shall be recorded as a Visited Country."

3. The Chapter gave the highest of praise to the gracious hosting and culinary skills of our dearest member, Mr W!!

VTY, yr sec'y

Two for None

Our newest member, Mr PC, visits two countries, frugally.

Excuse my informality, and certainly this incorrect method of notification. But I hereby and boldly lay claim to my 82nd and 83rd countries respectively: Papua New Guinea and Australia. The latter having been visited in full conformance with the appropriate by laws of this fine club, yet without having secured in advance the absolutely necessary visa. The ensuing difficulties at the border form the stuff of legends, yet I will spare you the details in this missive, knowing full well as I do that official club communication protocol requires that members relate such details only while suitably armed with liquid refreshment of the type normally served in such establishments where the purpose of dialogue speaks to the higher and more, shall we say, refined principles of communication.

As to photographic proofs of my exploits, as have been submitted by some of our esteemed membership in similar circumstances, I can only plead that my usual personal staff were not in my company, and thus the necessary assistance was not available to record these events on any media, whether that be using my habitual chemical plates, or using the latest technology, which I take as being some sort of photographic film. Yet I would only be too happy to show you my passport, which indeed does bear the markings of the official border entries and sorties affixed by the appropriate authorities in the performances of their duties. As to whether I consumed liquid refreshment during these visits of the type that is normally reserved for gentlemen such as I, I trust that my reputation well precedes me and I beg your forbearance in lieu of any sort of formal evidence to same. I would, however, be only too glad to provide references as it seems that I need to settle some accounts with the various establishments visited in the course of my travels, as I was unaccountably short of the local currencies, and I had promised to wire the appropriate remittances upon my return.

I remain, Sir, in your debt, and I look forward to your speedy confirmation of my exploits, secure in the knowledge that I am fully and irrevocably in possession of 4th place, absent any dubious claims by Mr. Earle.

South Sudan Becomes 193rd UN Member State; Club Denominator Changes to 194

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South Sudan Becomes 193rd Member of United Nations

Friday, July 15th, 2011 at 9:15 am UTC

Posted 3 minutes ago

The national flag of newly independent South Sudan has been raised outside the United Nations after becoming the world body's 193rd member on Thursday.

Hundreds of diplomats gathered outside U.N. headquarters in New York to see the flag being raised for the first time after the U.N. General Assembly admitted the country by acclamation.

On Friday, a U.N. telecommunication agency made another gesture in recognition of South Sudan's landmark independence.

The International Telecommunication Union assigned South Sudan a 211 dialing code at the country's request.

The number symbolizes the year South Sudan became its own country after approving a referendum in January.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has praised Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and South Sudan's President Salva Kiir for ensuring that the south's referendum for independence and its results were honored. He said the north and south share a common destiny and must see a future as true partners, not rivals.

The world's newest nation declared independence on Saturday, splitting from Sudan. The two sides fought a bloody 21-year civil war that ended in 2005.

The now neighboring countries are still trying to work out disputes over borders and oil revenue. The Ethiopian government says it has started deploying troops to the disputed Abyei region this week. The U.N. Security Council recently authorized deployment of a 4,200 strong-Ethiopian peacekeeping force to monitor the situation there.