High Gear, April 23, 2014
April showers bring May flowers and also keep the golfers off the course.
Ned Lynch hobbled in on crutches and it was great to have him back (more later.) Lots of great conversations were going on when President George rang the bell and we started with the normal song and pledge. Jack Martin gave the invocation and gave thanks for the opportunity we Rotarians have to share our good fortunes. The meal was a delicious plate of roast pork, candied sweet potatoes , and sauted zucchini (not my favorite veggie but good) and a strawberry shortcake for dessert. We had several guests today including Bob Dugger from Glastonbury and our speaker, C.J. Hauss.
After the meal President George asked Ned to get up and sing the welcome song. Being somewhat incapacitated, he declined the honor and then his entire table got up for him and sang. They did a great job.
Announcements
Mary Martin had a bunch of Duck Race tickets returns coming in. Some members are even asking for more.
Next week's meeting is the "Baby Shower " for Brian Liss and family.
The Committee Preference sign-up form was on the tables,
Senior Prom is to be held Wed. afternoon at EHHS.
Social Committee will hold a short meeting before next week's meeting.
Jack Sayre is still collecting donations for back packs for the school kids for next year.
Frank and Ceil Collins, Mary Martin and Bill Saunders turned in make-up vouchers.
Susan Hansen, our Town Librarian, was inducted into Rotary.
Her Sponsor was President-Elect Mary Martin.
Sgt at Arms Jack Martin: there were several fines issued by Jack for members showing disrespect to his high office. If Jack would stay at this post, we could have a fine-catered Sgt at Arms party just funded by these fines. Several paid for seeing Ned Lynch back. Ned paid for being back, George Agnelli for his 39th anniversary and his wife's new car. Tim Coppage paid for having his family home from San Diego.
Mary Martin passed around a sheet listing possible ideas and suggestions for next year's agenda. She is looking for input!!
Being Professional Administrator’s Day and being a florist I had to leave early. My thanks to Art Bradbury for taking notes on the speaker.
Introduced by Bill Saunders, our speaker today was C.J. Hauss, Executive Director of Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford. While painting a very discouraging picture of education in this country, Ms. Hauss seems to know whereof she speaks, as she, herself, was born and raised in a foreign environment, learning several languages on her way up through the grades.
Literacy Volunteers is an organization committed to raising the literacy level of
both youngsters and adults. Her talk provided startling figures on present literacy levels. The Hartford rate reveals that 40% of high school young people score below the 3rd grade level, while 70% are below the 6th grade level. Discouraging, yes, but the speaker’s positive demeanor showed a hope that the problem is correctable, though over a long, long period of time.
The Hartford area is not alone in this deficiency, and she cited figures showing that 50% of high school graduates throughout the state and country are neither college nor career ready. Hope comes in the attainment of small positive steps taken at early ages, and continued in succeeding stages of a child’s development. But the biggest plus of all is that responsible adults are saying “we have a problem and here’s what we’re trying to do about it.” A tough message to hear, but perhaps we needed to hear it.
April has 5 meetings so you are stuck with me for another week.
Bob (the florist) Buettner