Avon Rotary Newsletter

Absentees were not reported.

President Hans encourages all who missed a meeting to call another absentee and do a make-up together. For nearby make-up options, check the back of our paper directory or the on-line list of District club meeting times and places. If you do a make-up, please tell Secretary Barb about it right away, so the correct numbers are reported to the District.
 

President Hans had an excellent first meeting of his presidency with a core group of faithful Rotarians present, on July 6. We certainly missed all the members who were absent for vacations and other unnamed pursuits.

Our brand-new member Steve Csapo led the club in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a rousing round of "Yankee Doodle Dandy". Can't help but think of Jimmy Cagney playing George M. Cohan, when I hear that song. Reverend Bert Croop offered a blessing for all of us, present or absent. The No-Fine button was auctioned off -- the button itself seems to be in the hands of the last buyer -- and the Silver-haired Twins successfully bid $11.00 for it. We hope Tom Vonglis has the button and will bring it to next week's meeting.

We sang Happy Birthday to the July birthday people -- Joe Callahan and Karl Sawicki -- both missing in action tonight. Mercifully, President Hans recognizes that honoring those Rotarians who are married by observing their wedding anniversaries is a bit discriminatory to those who have no spouses for a variety of VERY GOOD reasons!! So he identified all the anniversaries of Rotary membership, and it's a list well worth reviewing. So here goes:

Julie Carney	1 year
Charlie Pease	23 years
Ben Siragusa	34 years
Jim Gaffney	39 years
Jerry Dougherty	44 years
Steve Stephenson	47 years
Bill Bruckel	55 years
Ted Coyne	55 years

What an amazing list!! and what an amazing list of contributions to the community and the club from these Rotarians, over the years.

Now for the celebrations this week:

• Tom Ippolito celebrated playing nine holes of golf this week, his first in a long time, and scoring the fewest putts for the nine holes among his group.
• Dr. Bob Hayes celebrated receiving the club's Paul Harris Fellowship award last week, and had a couple of celebrations for grandsons also: Patrick, about to start studying architecture at Cincinnati, playing on the east-west football team, and Colin, going to Boys' State.
• Helen Zamboni also celebrated being a Paul Harris Fellow, and enjoying a weeklong bike tip in Ohio with her brother. She tells us he is an operatic tenor. Helen and Steve spent a weekend working on their property in the Adirondacks.
• Steve Stephenson reported on a nose injury incurred on the tennis court. You'lll have to quiz him for details -- toooo much to tell here.
• Greg Johnson celebrated his daugher Althea's wedding, and a wonderful ceremony enjoyed by all the family and friends present.
• Kevin Tompsett (remember him??) celebrated the fine Change of Officers dinner party last week. He is finally able to bestow the Golden Shovel Award on the person who merited it for being able to entertain while indulging in and telling some pretty crazy stories. The winner, of course, is Boat Captain Bob French.
• Hans celebrated the Change of Officers dinner, and recognized Mark Evans for assembling photos of the evening, with captions, on the club website. However, Mark committed a serious error in misspelling our president's name. Maybe when you've been in the U.S. a little longer than 30 years, Hans, they will learn.
• Jim Tompsett celebrated a couple of significant birthdays: his granddaugher's first birthday, and his mother's 98th birthday! and his nephew playing baseball in Cooperstown.
• Carmine Simone celebrated receiving his Green Card -- and we all congratulate him on this new status in work authorization!!!
• It's true: President Hans -- in the excitement of his new powerful role -- left the gavel at the Mendon Country Club last week. Fortunately, our outgoing president Kevin was willing to bat cleanup and brought the gavel back.
• Bob French, Bill Shaw and Steve Stephenson have a trip to the Rockies planned for this weekend. Apparently two of those three have doubts about the third person's ability to keep up with them. More to follow, when they report back.

AND for the announcements:

• Bob Hayes has tickets for the Corn Fest 50 / 50 Raffle -- buy early and often!!
• Word on Margo Harper: a new shunt for her hemodialysis has been put in place. We hope it is successful.
• Which Rotarian arranged for the program, this past year, which was voted the "best" by club members? None other than Bert Croop, with the Wounded Warriors Outriggers program. And for that, Bert has a very nice gift certificate to Fratelli's Restaurant. Something to shoot for this year, Rotarians!! look for programs and presenters who have new, challenging, interesting offerings.
• New club directory will be available shortly. There's some discussion about a possible social activity on July 20, more info to follow.
• Winner of the 50 / 50 pot was Ben Siragusa and his "colleagues".

Th-th-th-that's alll folks, from your Club Secretary,

Barb Herman