Club Meeting May 2, 2017

 

Opening and Welcome:  President Jackie Guzie opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and the recitation of the Rotary Four-Way Test. Scott Seabury gave the invocation and led the singing of “God Bless America”.

 

Members Present: Dale Baker, Jed Dery, Frank DiGennaro, Natalie Donais, Jackie Guzie, Gail Handley, Greg Heineman, Heidi Huhn Partain, Richard Kisiel, Jon Kozloski, Don Miner, Paul Pace, Ken Pascoe, Charles Roumas, Scott Seabury, Gordon Stagg, and Nancy Viggiano.  (17/35….48.6%).

 

Guests: Visiting Rotarians Greg Panjian and Rick Lawrence (speaker); Rick’s wife Elin Lawrence, and member Paul Pace’s son- PJ Pace. 

 

 

-Jackie Guzie welcomed all members to the first meeting at our seasonal locale change, the Suffield Country Club.  She also welcomed all guests and visiting Rotarians.

 

- The next Rotary Board meeting will be held Tuesday May 9, 2017 at 430 pm.

 

 

Speaker: Rick Lawrence, assisted by his wife Elin, provided an overview of this clean water project that has operated, through his coordination at the Manchester CT Rotary Club, since 2006.  The last three years specifically have involved RI Global Grants that greatly enhanced the scale and scope of the project to include many more villages, and the additional benefit of purchasing clean cooking stoves for individual homes. The villagers provide all the in-kind labor and services, once RI has provided all the materials.

 

 Our club has proudly supported this in the past, and Rick is seeking $55k total this year from about 35 Rotary Clubs. A Guatemalan local Rotary club, La Antigua, coordinates this effort with an NGO (non-government organization) named ALDEA, to ensure oversight of construction, implementation and financial efficiency.

 

 For reference, our club gave support recently to the Dominican Republic Water project whereby we purchased BioSand water filters for individual homes. In that case, the families transport polluted water to their homes and sanitize it through their filters. In the Guatemalan Project, clean water streams are located and the water is pumped up mountainsides to village storage tanks where residents can transport clean water to their homes. Both accomplish a major improvement in residents’ quality of life and life expectancy.

 

Jackie thanked Rick and Elin Lawrence for their continued commitment to this service project, and made members aware of a table of clothing articles (purses, scarves, etc.) in the room made by the villagers that members may purchase to support the project individually.

 

Blue Ticket Winners: Gordon Stagg had the winning blue ticket, with sides won by Jackie Guzie and Ken Pascoe.

 

Queen of Hearts: Frank DiGennaro had the winning ticket, but his proxy Richard Kisiel did not select the Queen of Hearts. Next week’s pot is $209+.

 

Birthdays and Anniversaries: The club was pleased to celebrate the wedding anniversary of Jon and Ashlyn Kozloski; Jackie Guzie also announced Frank DiGennaro’s birthday after his early departure for another commitment, so members are holding a rain-check for singing our celebratory wishes.

 

Adjournment: Jackie Guzie adjourned the meeting with the assistance of Scott Seabury leading “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” as the closing song.

 

The next meeting is May 9, 2017 with Natalie Donais introducing the May Rotary Student of the Month. The following week’s meeting May 16 is a discussion led by our President-elect Richard Kisiel of our 2017/2018 goals with input solicited from all members.

 

Minutes recorded by Charles Roumas, Secretary on May 2, 2017.