Rotary Club
Of East Hartford
  High Gear

Volume 74| Issue 41, April 7, 2021

 
The pre meeting began at 11:45 with the usual checks on the weather and the raffle progress. Jim Watts and Laura Floyd, both with offices in downtown Hartford, exchanged impressions of the empty streets and the desolate nature of the once thriving Hartford business district. Lori Geckler joined us and declared her desire to rejoin the Club now that she has returned to the area. Once the crowd had grown to about 19, President Bob rang the bell to start the meeting.
Say a prayer for Ruthie (and her Sox!)
Bob as usual recited the pledge for us and then presented the Invocation claiming Rotarians “broke the mold” “are unique” and use their differences for the common good.”

He then announced that Lori would be rejoining. Lori works in the Financial Planning business with a firm in Glastonbury and is currently writing two children’s books in her leisure time. Will be great to have her back.

On the Caring Front, Ruth Sheehan is having surgery on Thursday and she is in our prayers and thoughts. Herb Tischofer is at home and recovering while Dick McCarthy had an emergency hip repair on Monday and will be in rehab for a while. More details to follow.
Installation Dinner coming up in June
Our Installation dinner at a date to be announced will be outdoors at Goodwin College at 5:00 p. It will not be the elaborate affair we enjoyed pre-pandemic.
 
Our Food Share project is set for Monday, April 11 at 1:30 p.m. Contact Anwar Hossain for more details.
We need additional volunteers for our Yard cleanup project on April 17th. This is to supervise the kids only. No physical effort required.
 
April 29-May 1 is the District Conference to be held virtually. Still time to register and support our District Governor, Mark Glass.
Red Sweater Project makes difference in Tanzania
Anwar introduced our guest speaker, Asley Holmer, Chief Executive of the Red Sweater Project from Portland, Oregon. Asley is a former English teacher and track coach who has spent the last 15 years engaged with the children of a remote town in Tanzania, building schools and focusing on providing girls of the village secondary education.

Her presentation was detailed, enlightening as to the struggles these families endure and fascinating in watching her commitment and successes.

With their first class graduating in 2012, over 200 kids have graduated, and additional buildings have been added to the school complex. Most importantly, the Project is slowing changing the mindset of the paternalistic village with more supporting the idea of educating girls as an alternative of marrying them off at 13 or 14 and dooming them to the same lives of poverty their parents endure.

You can find more information of the Red Sweater Project at https:/www.redsweaterproject.org/sponsor. 
Thanks to Anwar for another interesting presentation.
 
Doug Willett  
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