Norwich Rotary Club
November 15th, 2023
Location-Bella Fiore
THE RONE
Presiding: Mary Richardson
Invocation: Barry Shead gave the “Official Rotary Invocation.”
Fellowship: Barry Shead
Birthday’s: None
Anniversaries: Kevin Wickless – 13 years & Barry Shead at least 30 years between Putnam and Norwich!
Guests: Mary Richardson introduced Roz Etra, April Griffin and Charlie Packer. Bob Reed introduced Liane Crawford, Hyung Joon Won, and Art Rowbotham. Stan Lucas introduced Paul Gaffney and Russ Versteeg. Mike Matera introduced Steve Martin.
Visiting Rotarians: Caleb Bailey from New London
Roz Etra played a rousing rendition of the Rotary Welcome Song on her accordion to the delight of all in attendance! Thank you Roz!
Barry’s fellowship was interesting facts about Thanksgiving from Town & Country magazine.
In 1823 Sarah Hale lobbied Congress to no avail to try to get Thankgiving added as a National Holiday.
The 1st Thanksgiving actually took place in October and not November.
The 1st Thanksgiving Macy’s Parade was in 1924 and there were no floats or giant balloons, just zoo animals.
The famous TV dinners were a result of 260 tons of leftover food that the Swanson Company made dinners and froze them.
Ben Franklin wanted the National Bird to be a Turkey and not the Eagle.
Pumpkin Pie is not the most popular pie for Thanksgiving. It’s Apple! Pumpkin is #2!
Turkeys have been pardoned at the White House since Abe Lincoln was President!
The first Turkey Day football game was played by Yale vs. Princeton.
The busiest day for plumbers is the day after Thanksgiving!
Membership Minute: Stan Lucas: Stan reported the “Jingle & Mingle” Holiday Potluck & Yankee Swap will take place at his home at 280 Broadway in Norwich on Wednesday, December 20th from 5:30 to 7:30pm. RSVP to Molly Bruno at 860-961-8627 or Stan at slucas@lucaslaw.comcastbiz.net if you want to come! Bring a dish and a wrapped gift ($20.00 max value) to swap!
Announcements:
The Happy Dollars “Turkey Drive” came to a close and President Mary called up April Griffin from the Norwich Housing Authority and Schwartz Manor resident Charlie Packer to accept a few dozen gift cards each worth $54.00 for residents to use for Thanksgiving meals! April thanked the club for their generosity and said the residents really appreciate the gift cards.
Jen Granger reported that her committee for the Dictionary Project will be delivering 409 dictionaries to all 3rd graders in the Norwich School system on November 29th. If you can to help deliver the dictionaries contact Jen. Deliveries will be from the UCFS office at 34 East Town Street the morning of the 29th between 9-9:30am.
If you know of a speaker for one of our meetings please contact Kevin Wickless to get on the schedule.
Happy Dollars: Mike Matera
Mike Matera welcomed all our guests and singled out Charlie Packer as he has had the pleasure of knowing Charlie for 35 years. Mike also had a sad dollar to say that his boat is finally out of the water for the season.
Stan Lucas welcomed Paul Gaffney to the meeting and thanked Bob Reed for writing The Rone Newsletter as his hearing isn’t what it used to be and he gets what he might have missed reading the weekly Rone. Stan also told a somewhat troubling story of his grandson who is student at NFA going Trick-or-Treating with his buddy’s and getting Fireball nips in their bags.
Mary Richardson welcomed all our guests and thanked Susy for covering for her last week as she was under the weather. She made it this week even though she sprained her ankle! When it rains, it pours!
Caleb Bailey said he is happy to be at today’s meeting and loves all the energy that the Norwich club has.
Mike Goldblatt thanked Harvey of Bella Fiore for supplying the food and the venue for the recent fundraiser the Jewish Federation of Eastern Connecticut did to raise money for Israel. He says it’s sad all that has happened and feels that so many people of the Jewish faith seen to have a target on their backs.
Andrew Nollamn welcomed all of our guests and is looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday, one of his favorites.
Roz Etra was sad to report that Joel is not doing well at all as of late. Please keep him in your prayers.
Pat Marshall will be looking for her son and partner who will be in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. They will be handlers for the giant Paw Patrol balloon!
Jeff Brining welcomed all the guests. He had Covid after visiting his father in the hospital who was dealing Atrial Fibrillation. He’s back home and doing better. His daughter came in 51st out of 180 runners in a recent race. His boat is still in the water! He just attended a ribbon cutting for the new water treatment plant for NPU.
Mike Cooney told a story of his daughter Katie painting something with red nail polish on his kitchen counter and thankfully putting paper towel down so “most” of the polish stayed off the counter. He was sorry to hear that Joel Etra is not doing so well and is still in the hospital. He’s reminded all that the Norwich Rotary Club was sponsored by the New London club back in 1920 and a year after a baseball game was played between the two clubs. He shared that our own Barry Shead played 1st base! He also returned from a cruise with the management of the company he worked for and just hours after he returned he was camping with his son’s scout troop!
Gary Young complemented Roz Etra for her fabulous accordion playing on the Rotary Welcome Song! Gary also had a great lunch at Ekonk Turkey Farm with Stan, Barry and a few others in honor of Veterans Day.
Steve Martin said his new grandson is doing fine and he’s enjoying life! He’s also urged other to buy popcorn from the scouts as the money goes to support all the programs they take part in.
Jim O’Shea thanked Andrew Nollman for being a guest lecturer at the Finance Class he teaches.
Liane Crawford is thankful for classical music that is therapeutic for all to listen to it and is good for your health.
Weekly Auction: Mike Cooney had a new waffle maker still in the box! Mike Goldblatt won the bid at $15.00! Of course Mike handed in a $20.00 and said keep the change! Thanks Mike!
Lottery: Bill Champagne.
Caleb Bailey, Roz Etra and Bob Reed all drew cards and could not find the Ace of Spades! Steve Martin won Barry’s ARC Cookies.
Program:
President Mary called on Eastern Connecticut Symphony Executive Director, Caleb Bailey to introduce today’s speaker Hyung Joon Won who will be the violin soloist that this Saturday’s Eastern Connecticut Symphony Concert at the Garde Arts Center in New London. Hyung Joon Won, a South Korean-born, Juilliard School-trained violinist, will perform Antonín Dvořák’s impassioned Violin Concerto in A Minor, composed in 1879. In 2009, Won, who hopes to form an inter-Korean orchestra with North Korean members, founded the Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra, an annual music festival in South Korea promoting the message of peace and harmony through music. In 2018, ECSO Music Director & Conductor Toshiyuki Shimada joined Won in the Demilitarized Zone in South Korea for a Peace Concert, which featured members of the Yale Symphony and young musicians from South Korea, China, Japan, and Tunisia. Hyung preformed a piece called “Little Star” for the club that was well received.
** New Member Posting! Stan Lucas has proposed Paul Gaffney for membership. If anyone has an objection please contact President Mary Richardson or any member of the board.** 1st posting.
The 4-Way Test was recited by all attendance and the meeting was adjourned at 1:15pm