Weekly Meeting News - 4 Feb and 11 Feb

 4 February 2013

Members Present  -  7

Board met at 4:30pm.re

All donation requests have been tabled until after Chowder Cook-Off Event.  Refinishing of Rotary Park sign is being researched.  Mario is also researching replacement of the Rotary Park sign with a Granite structure.  Still in research is finding a more reasonablly priced storage facility.  The Reforest the Trees project at Westerly Middle School should be in progress - our first payment was submitted to RTT.  Rotary Park project is in process with Paul Duffy and mark your calendar to work on the park's walking trails on or about 27 April 2013 -  if you have Girl or Boy Scouts in your family, bring them along to earn service credits - more hands get the job done quicker and better - especially young hands!!!  A tentative date has been scheduled for the Charitable/Scholarship Dinner/Auction Event - 8 June - at the Cooked Goose.  It was announced that former Westerly Rotarian Rona Mann was selected to be the next Assistant District Governor when Russ Bertrand completes his term on 30 June.  Membership Committee will be doing some follow-up with folks who attended our "meet and greet" event.  Chowder Cook-Off is scheduled for 23 March.

At dinner we were happy to welcome Christine Viele, who works at the Newport Fed Bank in Stonington.  She heard Past Pres. Bob's Rotary "minute" on WBLQ.

11 February 2013

Members Present  -  7

     BIRTHDAYS:  Feb 4  -  Kara Smith    Feb 5  -  Jeff Frenette     Feb 13  -  Marty Boughner     Feb 14  -  Edgar Morales   

                                   CLUB ANNIVERSARIES;  Feb 9  -  Bruce Morrow and Steve Salerno 

Guests at this meeting included Melanie and Tom Visgilio, Visiting Rotarians from Pennsylvania; Brian Gerbutavich, prospective member and guest of Cal Lord; WHS Principal Steven Ruscito, January Student of the Month Shu Hua Lin and February Student of the Month Kevin Wong; Current ADG Russell Bertrand and Incoming ADG Rona Mann.

REMINDER  -   NO MEETING ON 18 FEBRUARY  -  PRESIDENT'S DAY

Steve Cofone addressed the membership to express his appreciation of Chris DiPaola's extreme efforts at WBLQ to keep the residents of Westerly up-to-date with efforts around town to restore electricity, road clearing, etc.  Like during Hurricane Sandy, his service to the town is priceless!!!!  Rotarian values in action!! 

January Student of the Month  -  Shu Hua Lin 

Introduced to the membership by Principal Ruscito, Shu is a Senior at Westerly High School, member of the Outdoors Club and Student Council.  For her community service, Shu and other Westerly High School artists created a mural at Westerly Middle School.  She thanked especially the WHS art teachers for helping her during her high school career and announced that she had been accepted to attend the Art Institute of Boston.  Currently, the Artists' Cooperative Gallery of Westerly  is presenting a WHS Student Art Show and some of Shu's art work can be seen there. 

February Student of the Month  -  Kevin Wong

Introduced by Principal Ruscito as a four-year Honor student, Kevin hopes to study electrical engineering.  He has over 75 hours in community service at Westerly Hospital and is a member of the Academic Decatholon.  Kevin is also a member of Musica Dolce and plays violin. 

Guest Speaker  -  Vicki L. Anderson, Executive Director of the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center

Vicki told the membership that she had been a member of the Rotary Club of Groton Ledyard but found that she was unable to maintain adequate membership when she took her position at the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center, which is currently in its 27th year. of providing basic needs services.  Vicki has been with this 501(c) (3) organization for eleven years.  Half of their work is in Human Services  -  emergency food, emergency fuel assistance, job search assistance.  They also help Seniors with grants provided for transportation needs - medical appointments, grocery shoping, banking, social events - throughout the Stonington/Old Mystic/North Stonington and Westerly areas.  Their Senior Programs include lunch, game days, exercise programs, Art and writing classes.

PNC's Mission is stated as "we improve and enhance the quality of life of residents of all ages by providing basic human needs, social interaction and senior transportation to obtain medical care".

For more information, go to www.thepnc.org or call 860.599.3285.  PNC is located at 27 Chase Street, Pawcatuck CT 06379.  The 10th Annual Cabin Fever Festival and Chowder Cook-Off, which will be held at Olde Mystic Village on 23 February will benefit the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center.

President Cal's Thought for the Day   -

"Keep reaching out because you may help pull someone out of darkness and guide them into the light."   from Caroline Naoroji