Early Riser Newsletter (Aug 06, 2021)

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

Oct 01, 2021

Ann Kollegger, Executive Director

Hartford Artisans Weaving Center

Oct 08, 2021

Jolly Lux, Guiding Light Orphanage

Project Update

Oct 15, 2021

Reverend Gregg Woods

Hartford Rescue Mission: God's Work. His Will. Our Hands.

Oct 22, 2021

Susan Omillian JD

Violence Against Women

Oct 29, 2021

Open

Nov 05, 2021

Available

View entire list

President

Chris Lamadrid

President Elect

Katelyn Kaplan

Immediate Past President

Alicia Canning

Secretary

Rauf Majidian

Treasurer

Gary Hyde

Membership

Jim Gordon

Sergeant-at-Arms

Luke Violette

Foundation Chair

Joanne Santiago

Board Member-at-Large

Gary Roman

Board Member-at-Large

Ike Eickenhorst

Interact Chair

Michelle Traub

Rotary of Avon-Canton - Founded 1973

Service above Self

Fridays at 7:30 AM

Golf Club of Avon

160 Country Club Road
Avon, CT 06001
United States of America

Fax:

(860) 760-6364

Send Email to Club

In person starting July 9, 2021. Zoom will also be available for those unable to attend in person.

District Site

Venue Map

August 6, 2021

100 Women Who Can

Erin Devine & Eileen Carroll

In-Person - Zoom Available

Let Michael Mezhiritskiy know

if you plan to attend via Zoom.

Members Present: 33

Guests: Deborah Altschwager (Prospective Member)

Visiting Rotarians: Marcel Schmidt (Former ADG, member of the West Springfield Club); Prasad Menon (Speaker, member of the Simsbury-Granby Club)

Happy Dollars: $43

Raffle: $40 - No winner.

Fines: None today.

Birthdays:

Sue Budde

Sue's birthday was July 31. She said this one was not "big," but all of us know they don't get smaller. She has been a Rotarian for nine years and is happy to be a member of the club, because the Friday meetings are the best part of her week. She retired last fall, but she still works with Gary Miller on the golf tournament. She made her Foundation Donation in honor of her birthday. We're glad you're part of the Avon-Canton Rotary, Sue!

Happy Dollars:

Joanne Santiago was happy about Sue's birthday and that Sue is joining the Foundation Committee. Joanne had been in a wreck (she was rear-ended), and she was shaken for all right.

Rick and Chris Heath were happy in Florida, although he will not be at our golf tournament, because they will be returning from Scotland which has open borders (no COVID restrictions).

Keshwin Singh had a happy $20. Two weeks before was his first in person meeting since becoming a member. He sat with Tom Voorhees and Greg Demanche, and the three of them kept exchanging raffle tickets. Kershwin ended up winning with Tom's ticket. Hence the $20.

Larry Haber has held "camp" with his grandkids. They went to Mystic, Storrs, and Six Flags, all in three days! Larry found being camp counselor fun but exhausting!

Gary Miller commented that he had tickets to go to the Mystic Aquarium with his grandkids.

Dale Bronson had been to Yale for a checkup with his transplant doctor. His blood counts were the best ever, and he didn't even need to continue with the prednisone. He was also happy to see his oldest grandchild turn 13.

Prasad Menon was happy about the large Rotary turnout for the Yard Goats' game on Saturday - in excess of 300 - and the weather was supposed to be great!

Katelyn Kaplan was happy to has been at the Farmington Butterfly Count. It was a wonderful time for son Jaden, but Katelyn had trouble identifying some of the smallest butterflies who zipped around way too fast!

Rollie Sterrett was happy to announce that George Pavlakis, the club's international scholar and recent West Point graduate has been accepted at TUM - Technical University of Munich - to work on a master's degree. The army is paying George's living expenses and transportation. A second lieutenant makes about $55k per year. Rollie compared that to the $5,700 he received in 1965. The club budgeted $250 per semester as Goerge's scholarship. The actual bill is $144 Euros, which is about $218 (including a $40 transfer fee) for the first semester.

Jolly Lux had to borrow a happy dollar. She was happy to announce that after seven years of GLO's work with helping girls and providing medical care in Uganda, there will be a big water project. The club has given her a grant of $10,000, which will be matched by the district and the Rotary Foundation to make this project a reality.

Announcements

Gary Miller shared that sponsors and golfers for the golf tournament are way behind this time last year. It's hard to approach many supporters so soon after TOTV in May, but the tournament is only 6 weeks away! And the ad deadline is only a month away - at the end of August! An email has been sent to members reminding them of the sponsors they obtained last year. It's important for the work the club wants to do to sell as many ads as possible. Asking the various golf courses around for a foursome donation is often effective. And golf items for the baskets to be auctioned are more effective than other items. Get to work.

President Christine thanked those who had brought in ads and compared this year's results to last year. Lots of work to do.

Tom Voorhees mentioned that Frank Wargo won the safari trip in 2019 and hopes to finally take the trip this October.

Jim Gordon reminded the club about the Senior Citizens' Luncheon at the Avon Seniors Center on Tuesday, August 17. 120 seniors are expected plus volunteers. If you want to help, let him know. There is always room for one more, and it is a fun way to give service.

8/17 Rotary Senior Luncheon, to be held at Avon Senior Center. See Jim McIntosh for details.

8/20 Focus golf tournament, Fairview Golf Club, Harwinton

9/13 Rotary Club of Avon/Canton golf tournament

Induction of New Members

None this week.

Awards

None this week.

Community and International Service Grants

None this week.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PRESENTATION

Rotary Foundation

Prasad Menon

District Foundation Chair

Prasad Menon was introduced by club Foundation Chair Joanne Santiago. He is a member of the Simsbury-Granby Rotary and has been active in a number of Rotary roles in the district. He is an engineer and has also been involved in a number of philanthropic and volunteer activities. He has won the Rotary Service above Self Award.

The Rotary Foundation is the vehicle for much that Rotary does around the world it has been rated as one of the most effective charities around the world and has very low administrative overhead. This makes donations to The Rotary Foundation one of the most effective ways of giving. All of the work of Rotary is meant to focus on the specific areas of focus, and grants from the Foundation must pertain to at least one of these areas.

The Rotary Foundation is made up of five funds. The Annual Fund is the one to which we most often donate, because it is used for many grant programs and returns funds to the district every year. The Disaster Recovery Fund is an ad hoc fund used during disasters like the COVID pandemic. Our district used a grant from this fund to by a ventilator.

The Polio Fund has been instrumental to the Polio Plus effort to eradicate polio around the world. Rotary has worked with the Gates Foundation in this effort. The Gates Foundation has agreed to donate $100 million per year until 2025 if Rotary will provide $50 million per year for that same time. Rotary has fallen short of the $50 million donated for polio in the past several years and has had to make up the difference from other funds.

There are various awards to donors to The Rotary Foundation. Most of the awards are for donations to the Annual Fund. A $1,000 donation by the individual or the club results in a Paul Harris Fellow of various levels. At $10,000 in donations the donor receives Major Donor Recognition, etc. The Avon-Canton club has several Major Donors.

Clubs are recognized by the district and Rotary International for their support of the Foundation. 100% EREY (Every Rotarian Every Year) is for clubs in which every member gives at least $25 in a year. 100% Foundation Giving is achieving an average of $100 per member in a year. The Avon-Canton Rotary has been one of the Top Three Per Capita clubs in our district a number of times.

The Rotary Foundation makes much of the good Rotary does in the world possible. Our club encourages members to give what they can, with the hope that each member can donate $100 per year. Donations can be made any time. It is the tradition of some members to give a donation to the foundation at the time of the member's birthday. Other members donate with the payment of annual dues. A few members set up monthly donations at the Rotary website, which keeps track of members' cumulative donations and credits donations to the club and district through the member's identification number. Payment by checks made out to The Rotary Foundation can be given to the Sergeant-at-Arms or directly to Foundation Chair Santiago.

The work of the Foundation around the world helps us to realize and appreciate that we are more than members of one club. We are partners in achieving the goal of making the world better for all.

Special Announcements

None this week.

Mail Bag

None

Photo Credits

Mike Mezheritskiy

Technology Credits

Zoom platform management expertise by Mike Mezheritskiy.

Editor's 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?