Club Day
Committee Reports
Various committee and activity chairs were asked to report to the club about their areas of involvement.
Steve Harris - Celebrate Avon - This was a remake of Avon Day with changes that it is hoped will create greater interest and will grow the event. Our hamburger and hot dog booth pretty much broke even and would have lost money if ShopRite hadn't donated the beverages. Steve is open to suggestions about ways to improve what we do, so that we might even make more money.
Gary Hyde - Treasurer's Report - .jpg)
The club is very healthy financially. The Club account has $15K in cash, and the Community Fund cash account is $107K. In addition the Scholarship Fund has $221K. As of June 30 $37K had been allocated to the FAVARH project, and we are on target to reach $150K by January 2021. The golf outing was very successful, raising $4,800 more in 2017 than in 2016 - or $54K net. This was due to revenue was the highest ever. There were 44 more golfers than last year. However, expenses were higher, including dinner at Avon Country Club, so the income was slightly lower than the record.
Larry Sullivan, chair of the golf tournament, thanked all the people who helped with the tournament. He had set a goal of $50K profit for the tournament. He wasn't sure we would reach that, but we collected all the moneys due and tweaked things enough to reach the goal. One change which contributed to the goal was inviting nongolfing members to the dinner, which brought in some revenue. Changes to improve the tournament next year are under discussion.
Craig Buhrendorf leads two groups.
Scholarship Investment committee - It helps the balance in the fund that the market is up. The committee works on a 50-50 - bond to stock - ratio for the fund. They meet twice a year to rebalance the fund. The funds are invested in market indexed funds, including international and U.S. companies. Because interest rates are expected to increase, which would lower the vaue of the bond funds held, short-term bond funds are emphasized.
International Committee - There have not been a lot of requests in the summer. Jolly Lux has requested medical supplies for GLO. The committee plans to move forward with the application for a Rotary Global Grant, partnering with a Ugandan club. They expect requests for activities in Nigeria and Haiti, as well as a request involving Tanzania. They have also been contacted to work with an English club on a project in Cambodia, which is of special interest to Craig, who encouraged the club to contribute to a school there. The committee's annual budget in $12.5K, and they meet on the second Friday of the month. All members are welcome to attend.
Gary Miller discussed the Rotary Foundation in Joanne Santiago's absence. Our club is very generous in its support of the foundation - both in terms of the club's budget and also through individual members' giving. This helps the district to receive funds from RI, which we can apply for on club projects. It also gives leveraging for global grants.
Gary spoke about World Polio Day (Oct 24) and a presentation being streamed by the Gates Foundation. There have only been 10 cases of polio this year - in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vaccinations will need to continue as long as the polio virus is still in the environment. In 1989, when the effort to eradicate polio began, there were 350,00 cases. About that time our club raised $10K in one meeting for the effort.
President Don spoke about the Canton Interact Club in Canton High School. Kevin Case is spearheading that effort and has identified individuals who want to be involved.
He also mentioned that we are possibly the largest club in the district. With all the membership applications pending, we could have 78 members.
Len Dunstan - Membership Committee - The committee is trying to produce a new membership brochure. They are also continuing Pub Night on rotating evenings each month. New information about membership guidelines comes out almost monthly. Although there are new rules allowed for membership requirements, clubs have the option of following the changes or continuing to follow traditional rules. There is less emphasis on recruiting business leaders and more on finding people of good character who are willing to commit to service through Rotary. Flexible meeting times, and participation service activities can take the place of attendance requirements. Continuity needs to be balanced with service.
Brian O'Donnell - Chess Club - This has been a success and has grown with the help of Peter Vignati. The club meets on Tuesdays, 3:30 - 5:30. There is interest in having clubs at more than one school if we could find additional leaders.
Paul Mikkelson - Community Service - They have about $3k per month to award. All requests begin with a grant application. The form can be found on the club's website. The committee vets the applications before making a decision. These grants keep people aware of Rotary's involvement in the community.
Tom Voorhees - Amber Alert - There have been seven sessions in the last year and their are additional requests for sessions in the spring.
Ann Clark - Sunshine Committee - We try to check on members who are absent. We send cards to those who are ill or have had a death in the family. We also provide meals, etc., where appropriate.
Dale Bronson - FAVARH - The van decals are generally positive. However, one person involved in an accident with a van only remembered the Rotary name to call for insurance, etc. There will be a mixer with Favarh clients on November 38, when we will go bowing at Nomads in South Windsor. There will be brick pagers at the new building to create funds. There may be a unified sporting team with interact members. Parents of Favarh clients will speak at the meeting on November 3. The club meets monthly, and members are welcome to attend.
