After a week distinguished by heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, today the seven of us attending in Goodwin’s room 311 enjoyed some pre-meeting sun out on the balcony. Our attempt to kickoff the year’s meetings promptly at noon was hindered by a fruitless search for our bell and gavel and mysterious inability to access Zoom promptly. Club Secretary Sue eventually gave up on the bell, and, with the help of Ray Maselek, managed to open Zoom. Joining us on Zoom was our vacationing President Bob and recovering Rotarian, Wes.

To get the meeting started so some of us might attend the 1:30 burial service for our club member, Marc’s father-in-law, Lowell “Sonny” Waldo, those in the room dove into lunch in advance of the pledge and invocation, while we worked to solve the Zoom issues. Again, thanks to Guy LaBella, the group enjoyed a great lunch featuring pizza, grinders and a beautiful mixed greens salad.

Finally, Sue led us in the pledge, then invited Peter to deliver an invocation. After providing a definition of invoke, to summon, he said:

We invoke the spirit of Paul Harris, founder of Rotary

We invoke the spirit of Arch Klumpf, founder of The Rotary Foundation

Help us, as Rotarians, to do good

Help us, as Rotarians, to be honest and ethical in all our decisions

Help us, as Rotarians, to serve others, to fulfill our obligations as neighbors to our community, our nation and our world.

After the invocation, Peter described a Rotary fundraiser which would occur Saturday, July 15^th organized by Deerfield Valley Rotary in Vermont.

This was followed by caring moments. Sue explained Ceil’s absence – off on a cruise with her sister. Ceil and her assistance setting up lunch was missed!! Dan Firestone shared that Hope is feeling well enough to go shopping, but he added chemo begins next week. Keep Hope and Dan in your thoughts and prayers during her recovery.

During lunch, Sue passed around a sign-up sheet for future invocations.

She also explained that she will be tracking service hours this year and passed around an updated report form. Members suggested that the updated form be added to documents and forms on our club’s website. Sue agreed to follow up with Wes to make that happen.

With Bob’s input, Sue reported on last Thursday’s Board meeting.

We have three member proposals and will follow up by holding info sessions for these people in August. There was a motion by Bob, seconded by Jack, to shift about $1500 from the Golf Committee’s funds to our operating fund to cover the cost of recognition of long-time sponsors of the annual golf tournament. This was approved unanimously. The group discussed Bob’s suggestion that one meeting, either monthly or possibly quarterly, be held in the evening and targeted to include and attract family members. This should be discussed by the membership at large.

The meeting ended about 12:45.

Notes provided by Sue Klock