Reporter: Laura Hobart
Photos: Joel Etra
Presiding: President Marie
Invocation: Jim O’Shea
Fellowship: Bonnie Hong presented an inspiring slide show on people who were making a difference – one man gave his shoes to a barefoot homeless girl and another gave haircuts for hugs. Bonnie said that although they may not call themselves Rotarians, she believes that they are in every sense of the word.
Birthdays:
- Tom Adams
- Jesse Wenzel
Rotary Anniversaries:
None
Rotarians with Guests:
- Bonnie Hong with Mike Pizzo
- Jerry Lowney with Marilyn Lowney
Visiting Rotarians:
None
Announcements:
Rotary Golf Tournament will be held on Wednesday, Sept 2nd at the Norwich Golf Course.
Celebrate Diversity will be on Thursday, Sept 24th at Howard Brown Park.
If you need a name badge, please see Sa-on Morse.
Gary Young told us about a golf tournament volunteer who has fallen on hard times. Happy Dollars has provided some relief, but additional assistance is needed. He put a napkin down on the registration table for contributions.
Happy Dollars: with Mike Gordon who said that Bonnie’s Fellowship was the best he’s heard. Mike is encouraging Linda Salafia to return to the Club.
Other contributors included :
Larry and Barry for Tiger tickets and Barry in search of the “real” Mary.
Bill Champagne mentioned the passing of Charles Gilbert, who died at the age of 93. Mr. Gilbert served on the Board of UCFS and served other organizations as well. Bill also acknowledged Jill Brennan and the speaker, Ann Shapiro, as members of the Norwich Heritage and Regional Visitor’s Center Advisory Committee.
Tom Adams is not 77, but 65 years of age.
Andrew for our guests, for Bonnie’s Fellowship, and for the Tigers game.
Rodney for the Chestnut Street Playhouse’s first musical.
Bonnie for the picture of Marie and a child at the latest Amber Alert, for the birthday boys, for the Chestnut Street Players, and for the headquarters of an unnamed candidate that will be opening at 95 Main Street.
Jen for UCFS’s becoming a federally qualified health center. She also gave for the 17,000 flags planted on the Norwichtown Green by UCFS volunteers to represent the patients who received care from the agency last year.
Beware: Bonnie’s golf team has had a lesson.
Bob Adams gave for son being back from serving with the Peace Corps and for his case of mistaken identity at the new mall at Foxwoods.
Jerry Lowney with a confessional joke.
Lottie for the laughter in this Club.
Bonnie with a golf joke.
Laura reported that Antonio continues to be busier now than he was when he was working. His mother still goes into the office two days a week at the age of 94.
Rodney for the coat project. Because Norwich Human Services can’t participate this year, he is looking for other agencies that can make referrals.
Auction:
Marie auctioned a Bluetooth speaker from Mike Matera to Marilyn Lowney for $55.
Lottery: with Rich Pascal.
- Rodney
- Lottie
- Laura
all searched in vain.
Program:
Bob Farwell introduced Ann Shapiro, Executive Director of the Connecticut Storytelling Center at Connecticut College. The Center strives to provide the means for people of all ages to experience stories as a means of expression and communication, as a tool for thinking, reflecting, teaching and learning, and as a catalyst for change. The Center has programs for all ages. Ann shared the story of a debate between Yankel and a king.
Marie closed our meeting with this inspirational quote.
We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot be fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open hearted vision of people who embrace life.
-John Lennon