By the time I logged in, many of our Rotarians were taking advantage of the informal part of the meeting. I kind of like this because you get to interact with the whole group regardless of where they are sitting. I noticed that our guest speaker Vitaliy Bezrodnov was already logged in. Among other notable items were Marc’s facial growth and Bill Saunders’ move to the Village in South Windsor.
Golf Tournament coming together
President Bob rang the bell at 12:15 sharp for us to rise and recite the pledge of Allegiance. Instead of the traditional invocation, we all recited the Rotary 4-Way Test.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Please look at the pictures of the handicrafts from Guatemala that Rick and Elin have brought back. Money from the sales goes to buying school supplies for the children in those villages where water projects are built. Please send your orders to President Bob.
Rotary in Motion (RIM) will take place on October 3, 2020. East Hartford Rotary will set up the water station at Wickham Park. Social distancing and other Covid-19 protocols will be observed. Volunteers are needed and welcome.
Marc has started a new initiative at the district level called Diversity, Equity, and inclusion (DEI). A committee has been formed and Lucy Hurston from the Manchester Rotary Club has volunteered to act as the chairperson. Marc indicated that so far 130 Rotarians have responded. The first zoom meeting of the committee will take place at 5:00 pm on September 3, 2020. By now, you should have received the zoom link to join.
The Golf Committee is working hard to make the tournament a success. So far 52 people have signed up, and many more are expected to. Raffle prizes are needed.
Laura indicated that volunteers are desperately needed for the food distribution program run by Food Share at Rentschler Field. Many of the student volunteers have gone back to school. Call Laura for additional information.
President Bob indicated that he attended a meeting of the Rockville Rotary Club. They meet outdoors with social distancing and observing other protocols.
Next week we have no speaker. We will discuss ongoing projects.
Ted Tedesco from the Newington Rotary Club will be guest speaker on September 16, 2020.
Vitaliy Bezrodnov, our guest speaker is the founder of Rotary Children’s Fund and coordinator of the program, Golden Gate. He was born in Russia, came to the United States in 1995 and formed a music group.
At one of the events organized by a Rotary Club, he was so moved by the Service Above Self motto of the members of that Rotary club that he decided to become a Rotarian.
He spoke at length about the Golden Gate program which brings young musicians and dancers from mostly former USSR countries to the United States. The goal is to create better understanding of the people and society of both countries through culture and arts. He believes building bridges like this is the only way to promote world peace. For more information, you can go online to any of the following links:
