Surprise! Surprise! We await the next meeting to discover the speaker and topic. Come early for socializing, dinner shortly after 6 pm, speaker or program revealed shortly before 7 pm.Surprise! Surprise! We await the next meeting to discover the speaker and topic. Come early for socializing, dinner shortly after 6 pm, speaker or program revealed shortly before 7 pm.
Our program for Monday August 6, 2018 provided some history of our Gumbo Limbo park on A1A in Boca Raton, Florida. If you’ve ever enjoyed Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, you’ll want to thank our speaker Gordon J. Gilbert. He’s the fellow largely responsible for the center’s creation, although he’ll be the first to tell you that he had a lot of help along the way. 
Gordon was a science teacher at Boca Raton High School who shepherded his students "over to the ocean" as he says, to study the tropical hardwood hammock which eventually became Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. "Boca Raton was more environmentally concerned than many other cities," he says. At his urging, the city took ownership of the 15-acre hardwood hammock in 1974. 
About a decade later, the nature center opened in 1984 with Gordon as the founding educator, director and its leading advocate. Today, he still serves on the board of directors of Gumbo Limbo, as well as, a member on the Boca Raton Parks & Recreation Board.
About a decade later, the nature center opened in 1984 with Gordon as the founding educator, director and its leading advocate. Today, he still serves on the board of directors of Gumbo Limbo, as well as, a member on the Boca Raton Parks & Recreation Board. Kids of all ages continue to learn in Gordon’s outdoor classroom. Mr. Gilbert says there is a lot more history at the hammock than in any of the old buildings around. He speculates that Calusa Indians roamed the area hundreds of years ago. Today, the center boasts nature trails, a 40-foot observation tower, aquariums, insect tank, butterfly garden and seasonal turtle walks.
Had the city not bought the land in the 1970's as part of a $13 million beach property purchase for Red Reef Park, and transformed it into the nature center, “we’d have high rises.” Gilbert says. “We’d have a concrete jungle here.” The
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is now a part of the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District, which ensures its continued care and upkeep, partnering with City of Boca Raton and the Friends of Gumbo Limbo.Born in Ohio and after receiving his Masters in Education from Xavier University, Gilbert taught at Boca High from 1965 to 1978, but later stayed with the school district as director of Spanish River Environmental Center. One of his favorite stories, he says, is the one he tells kids about how the gumbo limbo tree, one of many types at the center, got its nickname; he says “It’s sometimes called 'the tourist tree' because “The first thing tourists do when they get here is to go to the beach. They stay way too long and their skin turns red and peeling — just like the bark of the gumbo limbo tree.” The Gordon J. Gilbert Scholarship is given to future scientists and those currently doing research to further the mission of Gumbo Limbo - to increase public awareness of the coastal ecosystem through education, conservation and research endeavors.
Our club President Pro Temp Phil Lustig presented our club pen as a token of our appreciation for the wonderful trip through the history of Gumbo Limbo sharing his memories and stories. Thank you Gordon!
For our meeting July 23, 2018, Edward Caplan was Fred Licata's guest again, recommended by Ellen Haggerty, Chair of Rotarians for Hearing RAG and member of Rotary Pleasant Valley, NY. Ed recently retired in Highland Beach after a career in reconditioning and remodeling properties. Ed was fortunate to meet Ellen while traveling in Ecuador and she was able to excite Ed into coming to visit our club and perhaps find an opportunity to serve our community. Fred Licata has taken the responsibility to follow up and sponsor Ed for membership. Nice to see you again Ed, we look forward to seeing you frequently.
Edmond Elzy, Director of Ticket Sales for the Orange Bowl, was our guest; Edmond showed up as our speaker due to a mix-up in communication, so Program Chair Joseph Riopel asked him to stay for a club meeting and come back when rescheduled. Nice to meet you Edmond, we hope to see you again soon.
At our meeting August 6, 2018 we were visited by Stanley Fertel from Rotary Boca Raton Sunrise. Very nice to see you visit our club again, Stan, and we hope we will see you again occasionally.
We are a small friendly dinner club with strong Rotary Foundation support. Our membership includes three past district governors and special enthusiasm for youth and literacy service. We distribute dictionaries to six local elementary schools, bring Josh the Otter with a swim safety program to three pre-K schools, and honor a Rotary Scholar each month for the high school hosting our Interact club. Are you an established professional who wants to make positive changes in your community and the world? Our club members are dedicated people who share a passion for community service and friendship. Becoming a Rotarian connects you with a diverse group who share your drive to give back.
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Rotary Boca Raton Sunset, PO Box 810427, Boca Raton, FL 33481-0427
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