Rotary Club of Norwich, CT
January 14, 2026
Location-Bella Fiore
THE RONE:
Presiding: President Steve Martin
Invocation: Cara Westcott
Bow your heads and join me today,
In thanking the Lord for this meal, our time together and the Rotary way.
The new year has now begun
We wish for hope, generosity and of course some fun.
Planning is already underway for Whiskey, Wine and Cigars
And I am sure you can’t wait for the summer to see Mike’s cars.
Each day we are here reminds us how lucky we are near and far.
Happy New Year to all of you
May this year bring you much happiness and blessings too.
Join me now in the Lord’s name as we pray,
Bless the food, the fellowship and our time today.
Amen
Fellowship: Susy Hurlbert
Birthdays: Jim Daly – 1/10, Gary Young – 1/12, Andrew Nollman – 1/15 and Stan Lucas – 1/17
Anniversaries: None
Guests: None
Visiting Rotarians: None
Susy’s Fellowship was a beautiful tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King. The upcoming holiday honors Dr. King’s lasting impact on civil rights, equality and the ideals of democracy in the United States and it serves as a national reminder of the values he championed. Today’s fellowship is to remind us that his work wasn’t just about history; it was about values that still matter today. Dr. King was committed to telling the truth, even when uncomfortable. He also showed us what goodwill and better friendships look like. And everything he did was meant to be beneficial to all concerned, lifting entire communities and creating opportunity for those who have been left out. The Four-Way Test give was a way forward, a reminder to pause and ask whether our words and actions are truthful, fair, building goodwill and truly beneficial to all. Susy closed with she wishes all politicians were required to be members of Rotary. She ended with the question that Dr. King once asked, “What are you doing for others?” His question feels especially timely at this time and is one we should carry with us every day.
Announcements:
The Whiskey, Wine and Cigar Event will take place once again this year on May 6th at Bella Fiore. Tickets will go on sale on March 6th. This year’s goal is 80 attendees and $6,000.00 raised. Please consider supporting this event by buying a ticket, inviting a friend and be a sponsor!
Please bring spare clean egg cartons and give them to Bonnie Johnson.
If you know of a speaker for one of our meetings, please contact Kevin Wickless or Alexis Kahn to get on the schedule.
If there is a Rotarian who is sick or going through a tough time let the Sunshine Committee know and contact Mary Richardson or Nancy Gentes.
** Bob Reed is looking for volunteers to serve on The RONE committee. PLEASE SOMEONE STEP UP VOLUNTEER ON THIS COMMITTEE. It won’t be every week. Contact Bob Reed (bobr@hallradio.net).**
Membership Minute: Stan Lucas
Stan reported that his committee has 3 prospective members in the pipeline and 2 corporate memberships in the works. He urged everyone to bring a guest to a meeting or a Rotary event and keep rebuilding the club. He thanked is committee of Ryan Telford, Paul Gaffney, Molly Bruno for all their hard work.
Happy Dollars: Ivy Del Vecchio
Ivy started this off saying she was happy to fill in for Molly for Happy Dollars.
Bill Champagne gave happy dollars to say that his Pittsburgh Steelers did not have a good year and fired their coach. He was happy for all the Patriot’s fans he knows however. He praised Jeff Brining for the very nice article on him talking the helm at NPU. He visited Pat Marshall on Sunday and said her spirits were very good after her chemo treatments. She loved the video from the prior week of the club wishing her well.
Gary Young gave for Bonnie’s 18 count egg cartons she couldn’t use. He has a friend with 9 chickens that can fill them.
Barry Shead thanked Susy for the excellent fellowship today. He referenced one of Martin Luther King’s quotes “Hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love.”
Susy Hurlbert said it was great to see everyone! She was also happy to be having her car serviced during the Rotary meeting as the dealership is right next door! She was also grateful to have hired a new person in her office.
Andrew Nollman thanked everyone for the rousing rendition of the birthday song in honor of his birthday! He’s looking forward to a birthday dinner and overnight stay in Litchfield with his wife Lona. He’s also looking forward to the Patriots winning in the playoffs so he can attend another game in Foxborough!
Steve Martin passed out some thank you cards from the recipients of the Thanksgiving Challenge gift cards. He also told a story of having dinner with his granddaughter and she called him old!
Margarida Martins-Querido went to a wonderful movie on Sunday at the Lisbon Cinemas about stories of immigration and the plight of refugees that dealt with the root causes. She thought it would be a good movie for Rotary to sponsor so more people would see it.
Cara Westcott gave happy dollars to model a really cool skirt that fitted like a glove!
Roz Etra thanked Susy for the Martin Luther tribute during her Fellowship. She also thought it would be a good idea to sponsor the movie that Margarida made reference to.
Stan Lucas said he and his daughter Anna are back from his house in Costa Rica and had a really great time there. He also thanked Andrew Nollman for all his hard work with the Whiskey, Wine and Cigar event.
Auction: No auction today.
Lottery: Bonnie Johnson
Only 5 cards left! Roz Etra drew first to no avail. Barry Shead was next and he found the Ace of Spades! Congratulations Barry! Cara Westcott won Barry’s ARC Cookies!
Program: No Program today. President Steve reminded that on the 21st there will be a program on Alzheimer’s disease.
The meeting concluded with Bonnie Johnson leading the club reciting the 4-Way Test at 12:41pm.
** Looking for volunteers to serve on The RONE committee. Contact Bob Reed (bobr@hallradio.net).**