By Ian Robinson, Major The Long Beach Grand Prix is finally over and the streets of the city can get back to normal. For the past two or three weeks, there has been a restriction on turning left from Pine Avenue onto Ocean Boulevard. Meaning those of us at DHQ and THQ must go right on [...]
By Ian Robinson, Major Brown paper bags have been on my mind lately. I have discovered that every year Americans use about 10 billion of them, for which we cut down 14 million trees. And they are definitely less eco-friendly than plastic bags. Four times the amount of energy is used in manufacturing paper bags [...]
By Ian Robinson, Major We have often visited places where famous people were born or died. We once stood outside the house where William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon. We have walked through the cottage where the Scots poet Robert Burns was born and spent his early years. Recently, the remains of King Richard III [...]
By Ian Robinson, Major The topic of ages came up in a meeting at divisional headquarters when my wife, Isobel, said about me, “Well, Ian’s almost 70!” It took a few seconds to sink in before I blustered, “What do you mean? I’m not even 65!” Isobel always rounds up, especially when it comes to my [...]
By Ian Robinson, Major I am man enough to admit that I cry at the finale of “Extreme Home Makeover.” When Ty yells, “Move that bus!” and I watch the faces of the families as they witness the transformation of their run-down, dysfunctional mess of a home to a modern, glittering palace, the tears begin to [...]
Ian Robinson, Major An early morning drive on the 110 freeway north into Los Angeles is not the best start to anyone’s day. But what was waiting at the end of the trip made it all worthwhile—and then some. I was on my way to dedicate Sally’s Place, a breakfast program for seniors at the [...]
By Ian Robinson, Major I am a great admirer of do-it-yourself experts. I love watching them fix or install things with ease and confidence. For many years, my home corps has sent a work team to Alaska, and I am impressed by the accomplishments. They add a room here, extend a kitchen there, fix up the quarters [...]
By Ian Robinson, Major I think my first name is pretty easy. There are only three letters, I-A-N, pronounced “ee-yan.” You can’t go far wrong with that, right? I once had an advisory board member who insisted on calling me “Ee-Yon” no matter how many times I corrected him. People have said “Ain” or the [...]
By Ian Robinson, Major Development professionals throughout the Western Territory know how difficult it is to raise funds in these challenging times. It can take years of careful cultivation to get a donor to that mysterious point they call “the ask.” Even then the donor might say “No” or give less than expected. It’s a [...]
By Ian Robinson, Major On May 31, 1975, Spirit!, the fourth Gowans and Larsson musical, had its first full performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Abbreviated performances had been staged the previous year at London’s Regent Hall Corps and at the Scottish Congress in the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. A huge success, the musical told [...]
