The Washington Rotary Club met Feb. 12 at the Washington Yacht & County Club. President Brad Davis welcomed members and guest and lead in the pledge of allegiance. Song leader Todd Williamston lead the singing of America, and club chaplain Bruce Rabon offered a blessing for the meal. Program chairman Whit Blackstone introduced Mark Dale, chief operations officer for The Center for Advanced Forensics, which is a private forensics crime lab that has recently opened in Greenville.

Dale comes to the new organization with a wide background in teaching and training in the field of forensics at the college and university level and also with the DOD in training scientists for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has authored several teaching books on the subject. He began his presentation by saying that he does not watch CSI, but admitted that this wife does. By way of introduction to his field of study, he explained to the Rotarians the five areas of study in forensics and went on to talk about new developments in the study and recovery of DNA from microscopic samples. He also talked about the means in which law enforcement can use spent bullets and especially shell casings to match them to a particular firearm when using the nationwide database maintained by the FBI. The presentation concluded with a lively question and answer period.

Brownie Futrell inducted Bartow Houston into the Rotary Club and told how his family and Bartow’s family had been friends for many years and how Bartow’s career in teaching, coaching and writing had been an example of service to his fellow man and the community, which match up with the ideals and character of Rotary.

The meeting concluded at 7:30 p.m. with the recitation of the Four Way Test of the things we think, say and do.