Summah time and the livin’ is easy. But if you squint you’ll see the first trees are beginning to turn! No matter, Secretary Susan Hansen was our Acting President today, filling in for the vacationing President Marc and President-Elect Alex. The only glitch was a high tech problem involving the sound system. No, wait, it just needed to be plugged in.
Bob Wood’s Invocation invoked the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead. To wit, do not mistake what effect a group of committed people can have on any issue in the world.
One of our proposed new members, Jessica LeRoy, was in attendance. Vacations are taking a toll on some attendance including that of two other proposed members, Olivia Henze-Goldberg and Wes Willett. This is our second and final notice in High Gear of their impending induction later this month.
Acting President Susan called on
Dan Larson and
Janice Freschlin to lead us in the Welcome Song. Dan managed to personalize the words for
Ruth Sheehan: “This is Rotary where the
Red Sox are key.” Yeah, key to the cellar, darn it.
Caring Moment: please keep the Amberg family in your thoughts. Dave marked the passing of his Mother this week. Mailing address is 486 Oak Street, East Hartford, CT 06118.
Sergeant-at-Arms Dave Amberg did his duty by announcing the following fines: Judge Herb Barall celebrated an 83rd birthday. He asked for anyone age 83 to sing but George Agnelli opted out with a counter-fine. Nick Cecere paid a fine to warn us to be sure to stop at the Stop Sign down the street at the corner of Sawka Drive. The one where, he says, “you feel like you don’t have to stop.” Nick got off with a written warning by one of East Hartford’s gendarmes.
The new arrival to the family of Tony and Colleen Sweet, little Miss Abigail, was heralded by Steve Jacoby (who was able to herald because he actually showed up early today). The Sweet family headquarters can be found at 6 Heritage Lane, East Hartford, CT 06118.
Proud Grandpa Bill Saunders let us know that his granddaughter, Kristina Liner, has graduated from Quinnipiac with a degree as a Physician’s Assistant and plans to join an emergency room or surgical unit in San Diego.
Next week is “Long Pants Week” for the official Club visit of District Governor Kyong Wilson. At least shower and shave. Ladies, ignore this comment. We always look great.
The crowd-based fundraising drive to establish a women’s college in a rural village in Afghanistan raised over $115,000 in about 6 weeks. Sue Klock first brought this effort to our attention after her attendance at the Rotary International Conference in Sao Paolo, Brazil back in June. Contact Sue for more info if you would like to contribute. She tells us that 97% of the money raised goes directly to the project (only 3% for administrative costs).
Peter Klock presented a well-researched Foundation Minute regarding the complicated issue of polio virus eradication. There are three strains that need to be addressed. Type 3 has been gone a few years; Type 2 was thought to be snuffed out about 20 years ago. The oral vaccine given these days sometimes leaves a child’s digestive system due to diarrhea then enters the water source. Children exposed to it that way become infected by a mutated strain. Our donations to the Polio Plus Program go a long way to combating this virulent disease.
Empress of the World, Mary Martin, also your scribe today, announced a donation to the Club by Pratt & Whitney of $12,000! This is an increase from last year’s contribution of $10,000. They are now official co-sponsors of both our up-coming Golf Tournament and Duck Race. It’s up to President Marc and his Board of Directors to assign this support to worthy causes. Let the Board know your wishes.
Raffle Master Happy Jack let Frank Collins be this week’s winner.
Nice to see a long list of make-up credits: Janice at Glastonbury; Doug, Ceil and Frank for the August 6 “Information Meeting” for new members; Social Committee members on August 10 were Ceil, Frank, Bob “Buttoniere”, Sue K, Peter, Mo, Janice, and Pat; and the Program Committee today (the 12th) were Dan F., Hope, Ruth, Peter, and Mary M.
Check out the list of Committees you are on. Everybody is getting organized with meetings as the Fall approaches. It’s both a good way to contribute to the Club and get a make-up for a missed meeting.
Keep enjoying this wonderful summer!
Empress of the World
