 | The Rotary Club of |
High Gear
Volume 78 | Issue 35 / Apr 5, 2023
President Alex opened this hybrid meeting at Goodwin University’s Community Room by ringing the bell at 12:10 and encouraging the fifteen of us, present in the room, to sing the Rotary Song (just think M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E). We quickly moved along to speaking The Four-Way Test. Anwar delivered the invocation, reading a short, beautiful poem about by Maya Angelou. Then it was lunchtime, again organized by Guy LaBella and provided by Roma’s. Bountiful lunch today included a casserole of chicken with penne and broccoli, a mixed salad, large cheese pizza and tuna grinders.
Alex called everyone to order and began by welcoming Hope Firestone back as an Active member of our club and gave her a Rotary theme pin to add to what we believe must be a large collection after her many years as a Rotarian.
Alex thanked Ceil Collins and Jim Watts for helping to make our Paul Harris Recognition event last Wednesday at the Wethersfield Country Club. He continued by mentioning Marcia Leclerc’s club anniversary this month and Bob Buettner’s birthday on Sunday, April 2nd.
Upcoming District event is the District Conference, a one-day, multi-district conference, this year. It will occur in Burlington, MA. For more details, check the district website, https://www.rotarydistrict7890.org/
Focusing on club business, Alex shared information about last night’s Board meeting. In addition to a unanimous stamp of approval of Hope’s rejoining our club, the Board approved going forward with plans to create a Pollinator Garden. Connor Martin offered to take the lead by creating a design for the landscape and coordinating with Parks and Rec to help with preparation of an area in DiPietro Park. Alex will meet with representatives from the town’s Beautification Commission and the local Garden Club in hopes of coordinating with them. The goal is to have made significant progress on this garden by the Rotary Day of Service, May 20th.
Also in May, Bob Buettner will oversee having flowers delivered to all the mothers in residence at Riverside on Main Street.
We were glad to have Alexis join us today and especially appreciated her having in depth knowledge of the backpack project which Board had considered at its meeting. The Board did not have enough information to decide about our club’s helping with the project. After sharing her knowledge and indicating that plans for the project are still in development, Alexis promised to keep us updated.
In general, the project’s goal is to provide disadvantaged children with weekend meals if their households suffer food shortages.
Before concluding the meeting, President Alex reminded everyone that each of us must help the golf committee by donating raffle prizes (value is minimum $50), gift cards (minimum $25/card), donating tee-signs, finding sponsors, and of course, finding players.
Alex’s trivia this week focused on golf tournaments.
He concluded by revealing that the one-line poem “April flowers bring May flowers” was created by Thomas Tusser. [Ed. note: He may have been “borrowing” from Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales.”]
High Gear notes for the month of April, compliments of Sue Klock