Early Riser Newsletter (Apr 27, 2018)

Salin Low
(If you have any comments or questions, please contact the editor)

Jun 22, 2018

Farmington Valley Arts Center

Jun 29, 2018

Kimberlee Pita and Sam Paul

Real Estate Agents Recycle

Jul 06, 2018

Club Forum

Jul 13, 2018

Larry Sullivan

Signers of Declaration of Independence

Jul 20, 2018

Nan Arnstein, President of CADM

Creative Arts and Having Fun

Jul 27, 2018

Meliisa Monroe and Michele Voegtle

Rushford Drug Treatment-Substance Use and Treatment Options

View entire list

President

Don Bonner

President Elect

Michael Mezheritskiy

Immediate Past President

Gary Miller

Treasurer

Gary Hyde

Secretary

Heather Pantano

Sergeant-at-Arms

Sabrina Waqar

Foundation Chair

Joanne Santiago

Board Member-at-Large

Dale Bronson

Board Member-at-Large

Robin DiNicola

Asst Treasurer

Paul Cioffari

Rotary of Avon-Canton - Founded 1973

Service above Self

We meet Fridays at 7:30 AM

Avon Old Farms Hotel

279 Avon Mountain Rd.
Avon, CT 06001
United States

District Site

Venue Map

Community Paul Harris Awards

April 27, 2018

(PH Fellows are asked to wear PH regalia)

Sergeant-at-Arms Report

April 20, 2018
Members Present: 37
Make-Ups: None
Guests: - Maryellen Shuckerow ( Chrysalis Center) - Carrie Firestone (New Member; sponsored by Brian O’Donnell; inducted today) - Eleni Kavros Degraw (New Member; sponsored by Brian O’Donnell; inducted today) - Angelica Sherber (Mike Sherber’s wife)
Fines: None
Happy Dollars: $ 54.00
Raffle Winner: Brian O'Donnell

Birthdays None today.

New Members

Brian O'Donnell introduced our two newest members - Eleni Kavros Degraw and Carrie Firestone. Both live in Avon and are authors. It makes sense that Brian met them in Barnes & Noble. Eleni has three children and Carrie has two. Both are people who want to do service in our community. We then inducted both into the club and District Governor Dave Mangs presented them with their Rotary pins. Welcome to the club. We look forward to getting to know you better soon.

Happy Dollars

Bob Cave invited Dave Mangs to come sing with us every week. His rendition of God Bless America was quite spirited. Bob was back from a trip to Colorado, which was having freat weather.

Bill Barnes assured us that his absence in the previous week was not due to frigatriscaidecafobia - fear of Friday the 13th. He was with his wife who was getting a pacemaker. Never fear - April the 13th will also be with us in July. Bill then told a joke about a nun - even though one doesn't run into a lot of those in the Methodist Church.

Angelica Sherber was happy to be welcomed by the club and was also happy that her son just joined a Rotary club in Breckenridge, Colorado.

District Governor Dave was happy that we have started two interact clubs and gave $5.00 for each club to start their new bank accounts.

Maryellen Shuckerow commended our club as being the best and most energetic of the Rotary clubs she has visited.

General Announcements

Tom Voorhees reminded members about several events that have already taken place. There are upcoming Amber Alert sessions, and he could always use more help with that.

Bruce Sayward announced that the first regional meeting of Rotary Means Business held in Avon was a success.There were even a couple of non-Rotarians who indicated they'd like to join Rotary. We will be having Regional Meetings on the 3^rd Wednesday of each month 5:30-7:30PM. All business people invited. Entry Donation to be $15.00 for Rotarians, Non-Rotarians - $20.00. The Meetings will rotate between member Clubs; Bloomfield, Avon-Canton, Farmington, Simsbury-Granby and West Hartford. The May Meeting will be Hosted by Simsbury-Granby, June by Farmington, July by West Hartford. Further details on each meeting to follow. For Questions Contact Bruce@Saywardcompanies.net.

Paul Mikkelson announced that the tickets for the Rotary-FAVARH trip to the Yard Goats are sold out. If you have already signed up, you have a ticket. Otherwise, you have to wait for another time.

Les Zinner announced that Rotary hats are available for $15.

Calendar of Upcoming Events

Friday, May 18: Joint Rotary - FAVARH Yard Goats Game Event. Sold out!

Friday, June 8: 2018 President's Installation Dinner at Farmington Woods Club House. President-Elect Michael Mezheritskiy and a new slate of Officers and Directors will be installed for the 2018-2019 Rotary Year. Don Bonner, Heather Pantano & Colleen Grasso will receive Paul Harris Fellowships for club service. Tickets will be $45 each.

Monday, June 11: Canton Chamber Silver Jubilee Golf Tournment See Gary Miller for details.

Thursday, July 26: Luncheon for the Senior Citizens of Avon and Canton. Noon. Canton Community Center.

MONDAY, August 27: AVON/CANTON ROTARY GOLF TOURNMENT

Awards and Community Service Grants

Paul Mikkelson presented a $500 check to Maryellen Shuckerow for Chrysalis Center in Hartford. The center provides social services for homeless individuals and works to develop housing to get them off the street. Our grant will help to support their food bank. Chrysalis tries to help its clients work toward food stability. They grow lettuce to help with that. There is also a conference center which can be rented out to stablize the center's income. They have also developed a catering service which is available to anyone planning an event.

Presentation

District Governor Dave Mangs

District Governor Dave Mangs was happy to make his visit to our club for several reasons. He was excited that we have reactivated both our Interact programs - one in each town's high school. They were actually chartered previously but had become inactive. Dave was in charge of Interact for the district for a number of years, so this is special to his heart. Another reason he was glad to be visiting is that it was the last visit of his term as District Governor. With 59 clubs in the district, he has visited at least one club most weeks in the last year.

During Dave's training to be District Governor, he was advised to shake hands with everyone in the room during a visitation. He was busy shaking hands and handing out pins with this year's logo. He thinks Rotarians are special because they "show up" - not only in meets but also when there is a need to be met. Rotarians have a vision for a better world and work to make that vision a reality. In the process they realize that they receive more than the people they have tried to help. Because they are not political and are nonsectarian, they are able to reach out to the global village. The Rotary whee is the symbol of chievements in spite of obstacles. When the wheel is turning, it demonstrates that individuals and groups can rise every time they fall.

District Govern0r Dave Mangs presents a banner to President Don Bonner. The banner contains the year's logo - Making a Difference.

At the conclusion of Dave's presentation, he spoke about the various avenues of service - community service, international service, etc. He reminded us that club service is also important because it enables the club to achieve its goals He then presented a special citation to club treasurer Gary Hyde to thank him for his service to the club over many years. Gary gives many hours every year to manage our club's finances and to help us stay on track, so that we are able to help many people and groups in our community and around the world. At the announcement of the citations, club members gave Gary a much-deserved standing ovation.

After Dave's presentation, we stood to recite the four-way test - without the appropriate banner. Dave needs some remedial work with this, although every District Governor has to live the test to get through a year of such service. Thanks for your visit, Dave!

Mail Bag

Photo Credits

Photographs courtesy of Phil Worley unless otherwise indicated.

Editors Notes

Submission Deadline: Members are kindly encouraged to submit all materials for each week's Early Riser as early as possible. Please note that some editions may be published and distributed as early as the Saturday following our meetings, and during those weeks further contributions to the Early Riser will be included in the subsequent week's edition.

“The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do”:

1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all Concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?