Rotary Club
Of East Hartford
     High Gear

Volume 72 | Issue 34, February 20, 2019

 

The sun didn’t shine today. It was a gray and cold February day as we gathered at the Ridge for our weekly fellowship and meeting. Happy Jack was back at the reception table, and our greeter, Jairo, was enthusiastically welcoming all.

President Kevin was back at the podium. The Welcome Song was sung with the usual enthusiasm, followed by the placing of our right hands over our hearts and speaking the words we all know so well, the Pledge-of-Allegiance.

Larson Does Double Duty

Steve Jacoby, breaking away from tradition, delivered two invocations. The first one based on “Lord is my Shepard – Psalm 23” was about asking God to cleanse our souls and guide us on the right path. The second one was about breaking down walls - walls of fear, ignorance, and intolerance - that we humans tend to build.

Lunch consisted of Italian sausage with sweet red bell peppers, rice (should it have been set before the sausage?), salad with dressings and rolls. Dave Amberg took the lead in correcting the order by moving the rice dishes to the beginning of the line only to see a collective sigh of relief from folks who were still waiting to fill their plates. See how we appreciate little acts of thoughtfulness. Thanks, Dave. Ned Lynch seems to enjoy carrying the dessert tray from table to table. I thought last week was an anomaly when he was doing the same duty. Well Ned, you got the job. Just keep in mind that next week when the Rotary Birthday cake replaces the cookie tray, your job will be a bit more challenging.

Directed by President Kevin, Dan Larson not only introduced his son Glen who has a two-year-old and will be blessed with another soul in about four weeks but was also given the task of leading the Welcome Song.

Lots of Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1.    Bob Buettner’s picture was in the Gazette standing next to Tim Larson, both in full St. Patrick’s Day parade uniform.

2.    Larry Hangland posted in the Gazette a picture of Rotarians who volunteered at the FoodShare along with an article about Rotary Foundation Scholarship.

3.    President Kevin has received letters from several community theaters in Connecticut asking Rotarians to become patrons.

4.    Goodwin College is hosting the Inaugural Goodwin Awards at Maneeley’s at 6:00 PM on March 23 consisting of dinner, live music and silent auction to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Goodwin College. Tickets $75/person.

5.    Our club has received $500 from CT River Valley Chamber of Commerce for the rental of ducks. This is strictly their event.

6.    President Kevin received a thank you note from Goodwin College for the $2,000 donation towards the scholarship.

7.    Bob Buettner who attended Pre-PETS meeting last week indicated that he really learned a lot and met a lot of folks who all shared ideas of how to work as a unit. He will be attending PETS in two weeks.

8.    Dave Amberg announced that folks who are interested in attending the Women’s Club Event should speak to his wife for details.

9.    Your scribe provided an update about our participation at FoodShare. Besides volunteering twice, this year, we are trying to schedule volunteering on a monthly basis. So far, I have received commitments from volunteers who are available on most, if not all the 4th Mondays for the months of March, April, May, June, July and August 2019. Please stay tuned for confirmation.

10.                       Neil Cunningham indicated that preparation for the Annual Raffle on June 9 is progressing. Permission from the East Hartford Police Department is expected soon. Tickets will then be printed.

11.                       Bob Wood indicated that the scholarship application has been posted in the local paper.

Steve Jacoby extended an invitation to all to celebrate the 91st Birthday of our Club next Wednesday 2/27 at the Ridge at the usual time as our regular meeting. Please call Jack Sayre no later   than Mon 2/25 if you plan to attend so that he can order the right amount of food. Dessert will be the Birthday Cake.
 

12.    Jairo is trying to organize an event like what other clubs have done. “Rotary Means Business” is a collaborative effort by Rotary and Local Chambers of Commerce to showcase what Rotary is all about and possibly to get new members. He has the Holiday Inn in East Hartford as the possible venue. Stay tuned for updates.

13.    The Paul Harris Dinner will be held at the Gallery on March 20, 2019 and the Installation Dinner will be held at the same location on June 26, 2019.

14.    A social event will be held on April 27, 2019, at Bill Saunders’ Club House. Stay tuned for more details.

15.    The Mystery Ride will take place on May 18 or 19, 2019. Hope will provide updates as details are firmed up.

16. The District Conference will be held in Danvers, MA on May 5, 2019. Marc provided some preliminary information. Stay tuned for more specific information about costs and events

Lucky Bob Doubles Up

Jack Sayre was back with his official armband and approached the podium to deliver his report. Dan paid for his son, Bob and Bill paid for pictures in the paper, Ruth for leaving early, Kevin has a new granddaughter, Ned for being late and Dave Amberg for the anniversary.

 

The Weekly Raffle was a comedy of errors and surprises. First, it took Happy Jack a lot of inquiries to find out that Bob Wood was in fact last week’s winner. Bob picked a ticked which happened to be # 236, one of the two tickets that belonged to Bob. Jack looks at his ticket and says that this is # 136. While Jack is scanning the room for someone with ticket # 236, Bob calls Jack back to his table to show him the second ticket. At this point Jack conceded and gave Bob the winnings. Wait, it is not over yet. The second raffle was for the flowers. Our guest Glenn was asked to pick the winner which happened to be ticket # 136. By now you have figured out that Bob also has ticket # 136. It is time to have a full inquiry into this curious chain of events. Bob, don’t spend that money yet.

 

Your scribe, Anwar Hossain

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