President Susy called the club to order at precisely 12:15 p.m. give or take.
Barry Shead provided a thoughtful invocation followed by:
Fellowship with Barry Shead! Moving effortlessly from one assignment to the next, Barry noted that there were no birthdays, anniversaries, visiting Rotarians or guests. A truly amazing series of coincidences. We then learned that Connecticut had the second highest tax rate in the country. Following a moment of stunned silence we benefited greatly from a list of the top ten employers in Connecticut. Some were well known-Otis (the elevator manufacturer, not the library) Aetna, and Stanley Black and Decker, while some sounded extraterrestrial (Amphenol) and others, vaguely, like a foreign greeting (Hankel).
Announcements-President Susy read the recent article on Lottie Scott to the club. For those who missed it, here is the link https://www.theday.com/search/?q=Lottie+Scott. A thank you note from TVCCA was circulated thanking to club for its contribution to Meals on Wheels. A discussion of the placement of the Peace Pole and the repairs required on the Rose Garden gazebo ensued. Susy is arranging a presentation on Peace Gardens, and reported that District Governor Tori Marshall will be visiting the club on August 3. Members were encouraged to attend. Roz Etra suggested a lunch meet at the Peace Pole on September 1, which will benefit from further exploration.
Happy Dollars with Andy Grant. Having been temporarily distracted, your reporter regained focus in time to hear Bill Champagne discussing his work with Lottie and Clifford and his enjoyment of the Day’s article. He reported seeing Rich Pascal and that one of the words from Wordel (sic) aptly described the weather: sauna. Kathryn Tracey reported going to the recent ribbon cutting at Lottie’s granddaughters store. Roz recounted the history of her hip surgeries and encouraged club members to assist the Diversity Committee. Gary Young reminded the club that the golf tournament was fast approaching, seeing Lottie at a recent stint volunteering at NAC and the time elapsed since his recent surgery. Barry looked forward to attending a ball game with Rich Pascal and Mike Cooney. Barry also described his participation in a recent 5K race in which he missed the turnoff and finished last, again. He nonetheless received encomiums for his consistency during the medal ceremony, which he missed, having already departed. Jeff Brining visited Block Island with his family and on the return trip they saw a sea turtle. Their next trip will be to Martha’s Vineyard. Mike Cooney shared a clip from the recently completed Cub Scout camp. Matt made friends received an award, huzzah! as did Katie. Huzzah x 2! Mike Matera recalled attending sexual harassment training with Lottie as the instructor and his recent volunteer work loading a shipping container at UCFS with critical supplies bound for Haiti. Alexis Kahn reported a recent conversation with Ed Muenzner and her participation in her first horse show in several years and emerged victorious in her division. By default! For two hours in wilting heat, Andy Nollman helped friends on Saturday as they moved into a three level house. The forthcoming weekend looked much better! Susy spent an enjoyable weekend in Maine, and reported that ECAR was having a trade show.
Auction-Susy offered a spectacular hat, suitable for elevated social occasions. After fierce bidding and subtle maneuvering Andy Nollman emerged victorious with a thirty dollar bid.
Lottery – Alas, despite vocal encouragement from club members, Andy Grant, Gary Young and Barry Shead all failed to pick the winning card. There was wide spread emoting but no physical damage occurred. On a more salutary note Mike Matera won the cookies and generously shared them with all.