President Gale Kenison presided over today’s meeting and Dick Swett was our greeter. He offered a Scottish blessing.
Dick Swett reported meeting counts. 31 Bow Rotarians, 2 guests (Betsy Patten guest of Eric Anderson and Skip Poole guest of Bob Dawkins), 2 visiting Rotarians (Dave Pereira, Asst. Dist. Governor from Gilford and Matt Dodge from Meredith Rotary), and one speaker Lesley “Jazz” Barnette for a total attendance of 36. No scooters were noted.
Announcements
Gale Kenison thanked Dick Swett.
Gale Kenison asked for a report on the concert series. Chris Parkinson said that last Sunday night went very well and he thanked all who provided assistance. The South Street Blues Band will perform this Sunday with the Bow High Drama Club performing brief scenes from Pippin during breaks.
Gale Kenison asked for a report on the auction. Michelle Fortin reported that the sponsor letter was finished and about to be sent out. She introduced the auction theme, “Let Us Entertain You” featuring art, drama and music students from both BHS and BMS. The goal is to involve students and entice their parents to attend.
Chris Parkinson was recognized to offer a report on the team from Bow Rotary participating in the District Golf Tournament in Keene.
Gale Kenison read two thank you notes. Dave Christie thanked the club for the $150 donation to the District Golf Tournament. Hayden Udelson thanked the club for the generous scholarship, “It helped lighten the load for me and other students and was an example of incredible charity.”
Sargent at Arms
Fines: Gerry Carrier secured fines for logo/pin/badge violations from Jon Ruggles and a late fee from Jeanne Gerulskis.
Happy Bucks: Chris Parkinson was happy to continue a family tradition by taking his daughters to a Red Sox game. Unfortunately, the Sox lost. Judy Goodnow had a great time attending a “total immersion” swimming camp in NY. Her goal was to increase the efficiency of her swimming. She is seeking local water bodies for swim practice. Jeanne Gerulskis attended Henniker Brewing’s launch of a new beer in honor of Alan Shepard … “Miles and Miles.” She announced that there will be a fundraiser at the Discovery Center on August 11 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Tamar Roberts had a great vacation and while on the road (literally) she met a fellow Rotarian from Austin, TX. Paul Mercier offered happy bucks for the great job that Chris Parkinson and Gerry Carrier did while on The Pulse talking about the club and the work that it does, including the car show and efforts in Honduras. Dave Gazaway was happy for a great baseball and softball season. During a Home Run Derby, there were 56 home runs. Chuck Reinhardt’s daughter-in-law Megan was an inspiration for the team. On Coach’s Night they raised over $2,300. He acknowledged the Bow community’s support and deemed Chuck Reinhardt “Grillmaster” for his work during the event.
Michelle Fortin asked if someone could relieve her as greeter for the next meeting as she would be unable to attend. Judy Goodnow agreed to take her place.
Gale Kenison called Matt Dodge to the podium as his Rotary membership was transferred and he was welcomed into our club. All were reminded to sign his blue book. She announced that soon both Betsy Patten and Skip Poole will become members of our club.
Judy Goodnow was the raffle winner.
Program
Tamar Roberts introduced Lesley “Jazz” Barnette from Jazz Personal Management for a lively presentation on downsizing and learning how to get better organized and better manage our “stuff.” Her goal is to use custom design to help people “get a life.” She commented on the minimalist movement. Of the items we have in our homes, most people only use 20% of the items they own and the other 80% isn’t touched. If planning to move or downsize, it is important to have a lead time that is realistic in terms of how much you have to organize and sort through and how much time you have to get it done. Getting rid of them can take a variety of actions, recycling, selling, donating, etc. Make use of social media and the internet to make people aware of the thing you either want to sell or give away. Also, consider scanning items or taking photographs that can be stored on a backup drive and get rid of the items. When downsizing, storage becomes the most challenging issue. You have to use creativity and alternative storage ideas to keep the things nearby that you use frequently. Collections are a challenge because while they may bring us joy, they have their own space requirements. Be sure to consider the size of the rooms things will be moved into and whether your current furniture will fit. Avoiding the use of storage units is a goal. You have to come to terms with what things you want to keep vs. toss. For her, an important litmus test is that if an item is neither useful nor beautiful, it gets moved along. She left brochures and cards for those interested.
Respectively Submitted,
Matt Gatzke
