Meredith Rotary Club
May 29, 2024 Rotary Meeting
Prepared by Brian Harris
President Wendy called the meeting to order at 6 pm. The pledge of allegiance followed.
Gary recognized Memorial Day by sharing a poignant and patriotic video recognizing those who have died in service to our country. He also noted a Rotarian who was on a recent Singapore Air flight that experienced severe turbulence; he and his wife required surgery to manage their injuries.
Guests and Visiting Rotarians
Tony Avertine, fellow Rotarian
Rep Matt Coker, guest speaker
Announcements
- This Saturday is planting perennials at the front of the Library for the Veterans Memorial; sign up with Fred; it starts at 9 am and includes lunch.
- This is the final meeting of the season at Harts. Throughout the rest of the summer, the meetings will be held at MBCC or Moulton Farm.
- We will be at Molton Farm once a month. Upon arrival, please order from the food truck. It is OK to bring alcohol, but do not consume alcohol purchased on-site.
- The Youth Exchange Committee meeting was tonight, right after the regular meeting.
- Annual membership dues are due by June 1st.
- Save your Styrofoam for the next collection day on Saturday, June 22nd.
Happy Dollars
- Jim is expecting a second grandchild.
- Richard is having dinner with Tony.
- Kevin is happy for his seven grandchildren, that Tony is enjoying scotch, having achieved 90 years old, and that he is visiting family, too.
- Fred is happy that Memorial Day was the first year at the new library memorial; Chuck participated in good speeches, and all looked great. Chuck added: good parade, great attendance, Main Street to the waterfront, with wreath.
- Peter noted that German immigrants in Washington, DC, had started Memorial Day.
- We thanked our excellent Harts servers for a fantastic year.
Special Rotary Program - Matt Coker - NH State Representative
NH State Legislative Session
Matt Coker, our New Hampshire State Representative, represents Meredith's people in Belknap County. He is a husband and a devoted father of three, and he lives in the town of Meredith.
Matt has been in this role for 1.5 years and got involved in local issues, e.g., Gunstock—and switched political parties earlier this year.
He sponsored two bills and learned a lot in the process. One bill was for new car inspections, with the idea of exempting new cars for the first two years. Matt got co-sponsors, spoke on the House floor, and got support from fellow legislators. He encountered resistance and found out how bills can be ground down. Another is the Wake surfing bill, a hot topic with split community support and negotiations between 200 and 300-foot restrictions. In addition, Matt is working on funding for cyanobacteria treatment for lakes with septic systems located near the shore.
Matt covered various question topics, including sewer management, schools for local vs. state controls, funding, and especially the state's role in funding special education. Matt's priorities in transportation are based on his pilot experience. He invests his time with his represented constituents by prioritizing and responding to personal e-mails and phone calls.
He recommends reading The American Dream is Not Dead by Michael R. Strain, which makes a strong case that the American Dream of upward mobility is not dead. This book also offers a perspective on the political system. Sapolsky's Determined book is an insightful masterpiece that delves deep into human behavior's complexities and the brain's intricate workings. In the book The War on the West, Douglas Murray shows how many well-meaning people have been fooled by hypocritical and inconsistent anti-West rhetoric. He especially noted the young men in crisis in America.
President Wendy led us in the 4-way test. The meeting adjourned at 7:20 PM.
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