President Alex rang his portable bell at 12:10, then led us in our small group version of R-O-T-A-R-Y and reciting the Four-way Test. Our newest member, long-time Rotarian Hope Firestone than offered a very inspirational invocation. She encouraged us to appreciate and be sensitive to all the good things around us, from songbirds to stars above. So glad to have Hope back with us.

Our guest led the parade to today’s lunch offerings. Among the appetizing choices were sausage pizza, tuna or eggplant grinders, chicken francaise and a mixed green salad. Thanks again to Guy LaBella and Roma’s Restaurant for arranging this lunch. Don’t forget to let Guy know by mid-day Tuesday, a day before our meeting, if you are planning to attend a meeting at Goodwin in person so he can plan when placing the lunch order.

After lunch, Alex continued the meeting with updates on a variety of topics front and center for the club this spring.

Top of the list is the June 12^th Golf Tournament at Wethersfield Country Club. The committee is working hard to make this a success, meeting frequently. Each member should be contributing to this effort.

Anwar Hossain, who has been organizing High Gear writers this year, had a sign-up list with him for the end of this Rotary year and 2023-2024. Thanks to his efforts we now have members signed up to do this through February 2024! If you have not signed up yet, check your calendar and consider volunteering for March, April, May, or June 2024! Put your unique brand on this worthy club effort.

Alex said we will proceed with the pollinator garden project at DePietro Park, planning to have the garden well underway in time for the Rotary Day of Service, May 20^th. The park is located at the corner of Forbes Street and Silver Lane. Connor is leading this effort and will be creating the landscaping plan for the garden. The club will be participating in the town’s Memorial Day Parade. Maura Callahan, joining us via Zoom, is spearheading our club’s involvement and said she will be at this week’s meeting with a sign-up list for participants.

Alex, Marc Glass and Neal Cunningham attended the one-day multi-district conference in Burlington, Massachusetts on Saturday, April 23rd. We learned that next year’s conference will return to a 3-day format (Friday evening through Sunday morning, May 3,4 and 5, 2024) and will be back in Southbridge, Mass. We’re all looking forward to those changes. Neal serves on the District Financial Oversight Committee, with PDG Prasad Menon. He mentioned their committee recommended strongly that the surplus be reduced by continuing some refunds to the clubs. At the business meeting, the attendees approved Governor Randy’s appointing Marc Glass as our district’s delegate to the Council on Legislation and Resolutions, serving three years, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Sue Klock, who has served as delegate for the last six years, will serve as the alternate.

The meeting concluded with a return to more immediate, upcoming events, especially our club’s installation event on Wednesday, June 28^th at the Wethersfield Country Club.

With that reminder, Alex rang the bell to conclude the meeting just before 1 PM.

Submitted by Sue Klock, High Gear writer for month of April.