Today’s Greeter: Karen Wadsworth welcomed members and guests to Bow Rotary and reminded us of those less fortunate in this season of hope and renewal.
President Gale called the meeting to order at 7:30.
Attendance:
41 Bow Rotarians
3 Guest(s)
4 Guest speaker(s)
Total of 48
5 scooters
Announcements:
Dean Cascadden announced Awards and Recognition Night to be held Thursday June 1 at 5:30pm at the Baker Free Library in lieu of the regular Friday meeting. Nomination solicitation forms were distributed. They are due back by Friday April 28.
Mike Griffin covered the details of the next day’s roadside pick-up and the Rotary Park clean up.
Bob Couch gave the dates of February 3-11 for the trip to Honduras to build a school in
Chris Parkinson’s name and a medical mission. Could be the last trip for the Amigos.
Gerry Carrier gave updates on the car show and t-shirt orders.
Birthdays:
Birthday Boy Mike Griffin talked about his great year with his kids doing well, one becoming a CPA and the other an Engineer. He talked of a happy marriage of 24 years and still working in insurance industry making him feel blessed.
Sargent at Arms:
Fines: Regular fines were assessed for pins, logos, lateness and other stuff.
Picture fines from the Bow Times: Harry Judd, Steve DeStefano, Ben Kiniry with Donna Deos excused for wearing her pin.
Double booking of program fine was discussed and ultimately given to Paul Rizzi who teetered on the edge of an additional whine fine.
Happy Bucks:
Dean Cascadden married for 33 years to a women who completes him.
Chris Parkinson went to the Celtic Woman concert with some women.
Mark Lavalle was happy to be back after some tough surgery that was put off way too long.
Rick Minard is off the electric grid and happy to report on Nick Normandin’s success.
Steve DeStefano visited some of his kids who are doing fine away from home.
Matt Dodge and Judy Goodnow were happy that people stepped in to sub for them for roadside pick-up.
Raffle:
Tom Ives won the raffle and was unsuccessful in joker hunting.
Program:
Mike Griffin introduced Keliane Totten and Melissa Voutour, two members of the Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association, who shared about their Passion for Caring event Wednesday May 3 at Company C to support their community services and programming.
Paul Rizzi reported on the Four Way Speech Contest winners. Sohani Demian and Kailey Andrew came to recite their winning speeches. Each has participated for four years.
Sohani spoke about Food Insecurity and her plans to study sustainable international agriculture at Cornell. The issue of food deserts and their impact on families was explored. The importance of supporting local farming was mentioned and related to the four way test.
Kailey, the first place winner in Bow and a winner in the regional contest, spoke about her plans to study neuroscience and languages. She spoke about positive influences and thanking people for that role in your life. The cultivation of a habit of gratitude for wellbeing and happiness was related to the four way test, and tied to using mindfulness but changing the focus from self to gratitude for others.
Appropriately, a gardening book was signed by the students to be given to BES.
The meeting closed at 8:16 with a toast to Rotary.
Respectfully Submitted,
Dean S. T. Cascadden
