Can it be that spring is actually on the way????? Sure felt like it today with temps close to 60 degrees and big puddles due to lots of melting. Anyway, after a happy R-O-T-A-R-Y starting song, the Pledge to our beautiful Stars and Stripes and a fitting invocation by PP Larry Frazier, we sat to a "served" meal prepared by our new caterers: a tasty salad, mixed veggies and lasagna, and carrot cake for dessert.
Two GUESTS today included our own Asst. Distr. Gov. Marty Fins and (for the second time) a possible new member-in-waiting, Ann Lavoie. Bob Buettner and Hope Firestone led the Welcome song with passion.
Jay Stewart, filling in for Dick McCarthy, was our Sgt. at Arms today and told of fining these miscreants: Bill Saunders for no-pin, George Schoen & Jay (herself!) for Uconn's AAC Conference win, and finally, President Mary and her consort, Jack, for having a leak-free roof.
OTHER HAPPENINGS:
The up-coming pot-luck dinner on Mar.27th and the Paul Harris program on April 8th.
Dictionaries to be handed out at Mayberry School this Friday Peter Klock needs a new badge and Neal Cunningham was without his brace in anticipation of its going away completely! Hope and Dan snuck furtively from the room???? President-in-waiting Marc Glass will be attending the PETS training program tomorrow. Listen well, Marc! Anwar Hossain and Jay Stewart are celebrating 7 year anniversaries in membership in Rotary, and having received transfusions in Hartford Hospital, George Agnelli breathlessly arrived a little late after 2 days there and a happy evening at the last Uconn Women 's victory.
Big Event of the Day, Week and Month: The Induction of Kevin Kickery (with help of sponsor Sheryl O'Connor) as our newest member. Head honcho of the newest bank in East Hartford, we're glad to welcome you aboard, Kevin!
With a reminder of the soon to arrive District Conference in Hartford, (get those registrations in !) we also were urged to mark calendars for the Duck Race and Sgt-at-Arms picnic, both scheduled for June 14th.
And we learned of the Manchester Rotary's 76th anniversary banquet on April 18 at Adams Mill, $75, and the EH Lions Club 65th anniversary dinner at Marco Polo Restaurant on April. 1st, $40. Two free tickets will be available at each event for interested couples. Give Mary a call for more information.
PP Peter Klock, Shelter Box representative extraordinaire
will be setting up at PETS tomorrow in Framingham. Peter deserves kudos for dedication to this worthwhile project!
Pres. Mary told us that Marc Glass will be ordering needed name badges...anyone in need, tell Marc. She also read a "thank you" note from Rich Bebee in answer to our recent donation to First Church's Food Bank.
And the winning raffle ticket was held by Peter!
Speaker of the day, Susan Hansen, was introduced by program guru and PP Dan Larson. Susan has become a magnificently contributing member since her own induction. It is she who has taken on the responsibility of putting High Gear on Club Runner so we can all receive it on-line each week. Today, in her capacity as Head Librarian at East Hartford's Raymond Library, she led us through a presentation of the library's efforts to advance LITERACY in the youth of our town. She described a 5-step program including: a matching of the spoken and written word, the technological literacy involving a need for everyone to have an email address and develop computer skills, informational literacy as it entails communicating with other people, cultural literacy involving questioning and learning 'what's going on' and not being judgmental of others' use of the computer, and finally, financial literacy, in which youngsters can learn the intricacies of credit cards, balancing a checkbook, etc.
An informational and very interesting program, Susan. Thanks for bringing it to us! (She reminded us that "things" will start moving back into the remodeled library on Mar.23.)
Once again, this has been Art Bradbury, subbing for Dan Russell, who's been soaking up that Florida sunshine, but who'll be back with us, on line, next week.
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