Norwich Rotary Club

The RONE for April 22, 2020: Toilet paper, squirrels and Pokemon

RONE April 22, 2020
Reporter: Jim Konrad

Presiding: Mike Cooney

Invocation: Rich Pascal

Fellowship: with Ray Baribeault. Hey, what’s the deal with toilet paper? Before TP as we know it, what did people use to clean up? Mussel shells, coconut husks, clay, bare hands, corn husks and more. Also in 1973, Johnny Carson (jokingly) said there was a shortage of toilet paper, sending America into a panic-buying frenzy.

Birthdays: None.

Rotarian Anniversaries: None.

Rotarians with guests: There were none.

Visiting Rotarians: There were not.

Announcements: The district conference was scheduled for this Friday at the Mystic Marriott (in Groton). Because of the coronavirus, instead there will be a virtual cocktail hour weekly on Fridays. There is a guest speaker each week. Mike will send out info to join.
The No-Show Gala has been launched. The first donation was $100 from Bonnie Hong.
You can sign up and pay for lunches on our website. Easy to do!

Happy Dollars: with Rodney Green.
Rodney is happy that, thanks to Mike, he now knows how to donate money for Happy Dollars online.
Lottie Scott offers $1 for Ray’s story about toilet paper.
Mike says you can pay Happy Dollars on the Rotary website. It’s one-stop shopping to keep up to date financially!
Bill Champagne has a Happy Dollar to ask Jim Konrad about his furlough. Bill also remembers the first Earth Day 50 years ago.
Andrew Nollman offers $20 for updates, since he hasn’t been to a meeting in a few weeks. He talked to Ben Hong about Bonnie coming to our virtual meetings. He also missed meetings because his father-in-law passed away about three weeks ago. His wife lost both her parents in about nine months. Also, his wife, a nurse, is back to work and has to be sequestered at home.
Jim Konrad offers a happy dollar for his nemesis – a squirrel on his bird feeder.


Gary Young says he is worried about weight gain, but after Ray’s story he decided to skip lunch.
Barry Shead finally got a change to see his new granddaughter was born premature. He also remembers when toilet paper comes in different colors.
Bill Champagne comes back to talk about the state 4-Way Test contest which includes an NFA student. He says it’s worth the time to look at those.
Mike Cooney says Tuesday is his daughter Katie’s birthday, and the family will make it the best they can. His son Matt, a Pokemon fan, has been enjoying that.

Auction: Tom Adams contributed $20.

Lottery: None. How could we?

Program: None today. Instead, Mike shared some jokes a la Carnac the Magnificent.

The Four Way Test: None today.