Norwich Rotary Club
January 29, 2025
Location-Bella Fiore
THE RONE
Presiding: Steve Martin filling in for President Rodney
Invocation: Gary Young
Fellowship: Ray Baribeault
Birthdays: None
Anniversaries: Steve Martin – 1/25 – 1 year!
Guests: Kiana O’Brien, David Johnson and Atalya Champalath
Visiting Rotarians: Carrie Syzmanski – Norwich Sunrise & Jan Sauvageav- Norwich Sunrise. Adbo Hamo – NRRG
Ray started by delivering a selection of puns! “I had to drive 50 miles in bad weather to get a computer part…. It was a “hard drive!”
Membership Minute: Stan Lucas
Stan charged all members to write down a person to invite to a lunch meeting in the next couple weeks. Share the club with your business associates, friends and anyone you come in contact with.
NEW MEMBER POSTING: Atalya Champalath, Assistant Branch Manager, Charter Oak Credit Union. 1st Posting. If any member has objection please speak to any member of the Board or our Club President.
Announcements:
The Clock Tower Project is in full swing and is halfway paid for. The Rotary website has been updated with current pledge forms and Rotarians and anyone else can get their pledges in by February 28th to be included in naming opportunities on the clock. Installation will hopefully be in April or very soon thereafter.
Rotary Grants are now through May 15th. Applications can be found on the Norwich Rotary website.
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.
Happy Dollars: Molly Bruno
Molly welcomed our guests and said she was recently in Vermont on a getaway and enjoyed hiking while there.
Bill Champagne asked how many in the club remembered Antonio Gooding who was a member of the club a number of years ago. Back then he used to read the famous Martin Luther King, Jr. “I Have a Dream” speech on MLK’s birthday every year. Bill said he had the pleasure of seeing Lottie Scott at the MLK Lunch at NFA last week. He drove her home and was able to catch up with her!
Mike Matera said he has been working 7 days a week as he has had a number of employees out sick. A few of his friends insisted he take a day and go snowmobiling in Vermont for a break. While there they helped a few snowmobilers who got stuck in the snowy conditions.
Pat Marshall came to the front of the room singing “These Boots are made for Walking!” She said at 75 years old she loves to “walk” into the Rotary Meetings and enjoy time with all her Rotary friends!
Andy Nollman welcomed our guests. He enjoyed his vacation last week at Waters Edge in Westbrook. He also went up to Litchfield and visited a distillery and finished his vacation with a concert at the Mohegan Sun.
Auction: Bill Champagne gave $20.00 for Pat Marshall as she could not make today’s meeting.
Lottery: Bill Champagne
Steve Martin, Mike Matera and Atalya Champalath could not find the Ace of Spades. Barry’s ARC Cookies were won by Jim Daly.
Program: Today’s program was on the Norwich Refugee Resettlement Group. NRRG is a committee of citizens in the Norwich area working to bring a refugee family to Norwich. Support a family for a year, and assist them in becoming established members of our community. NRRG works with the Jewish Family Services of Greenwich to sponsor a refugee family that has been fully vetted by the Federal Government. NRRG was founded by Adbo Hamo and his family 8 years ago who are refugees from Aleppo, Syria. Now committed to giving back to the Norwich community, he has begun the process to pay it forward to others. Adbo introduced Mohammed who recently moved here with his family and are in the process of getting settled in Norwich. NRRG is looking for volunteers with energy, financial experience, expertise in housing, job acquisitions and other like skills. If you can assist in any of these areas contact Adbo Hamo at mohamed01232003@gmail.net A fundraiser will take place on February 15th at 2pm at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 248 Broadway that will feature a mix of folk, sacred, Americana, oldies and song’s we all know “by heart.” This is a few concert however donations are welcomed.
Steve Martin lead the club with the 4-Way Test and the meeting was adjourned at 12:52pm.