New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin                                                 January 31. 2008

 

President Amy, clad in her new spring skirt, was back in command as a large gathering of Rotarians, visitors and guests assembled at the Roger on a crystal clear mid-winter day.  She clanged the bell at 12:15 sharp and called on clerical collared and bow tied John Engle to ask the blessing, which he did without invoking the codicil present in most Tomaselli prayers.

 

The food was especially good today highlighted by the tray of beef brownies [a traditional Swiss specialty].

 

Amy called for introduction of visiting Rotarians and guests.  John Winterly was with us again, as was John Watson with his better half, Deborah Burns, as well as Assistant D.G. Phoebe Lees and John Engel’s guest, Jeff Sandreuter.

 

Amy then reported that David Bryant was vacationing by driving around listening to talk radio in a funky and eccentric town in the high desert of Southern California.  And they say that those of us still here on February 21 are the losers! 

 

David Rucci summarized his meeting with the Young Women’s Club regarding this year’s March 15 Easter Egg Hunt.  For the older children it will be more of a hunt, requiring volunteers to arrive at 0830 to distribute eggs to the far reaches of the Waveny field.  He implied that there would be a price to pay for those ignoring his call for volunteers, or for arriving late on the appointed day.

 

Sandy Malloy then directed the male members to go home and ask their wives if it would be maybe, possibly ok to host an annual Friendship Dinner at their house.  The format will be a host couple with three guest couples splitting responsibilities for appetizers, primi patti, secondi patti, pasta, salad, dessert and wine.  The dinners to occur in February or March.  Once the hosts are known, Sandy will conduct a drawing for the three guest couples.

 

Sergeant Scott then gave the membership a glimpse of the future of technology which, while appreciated by all,  was especially pleasing to Phoebe Lees.  Rucci the Elder contributed a fine in recognition of “the end of civilization as we know it.”

 

Amy once again asked all members who intend to attend the Valentine’s luncheon on February 14 and the Losers Dinner on the evening of February 21 to kindly rsvp to her immediately.

 

Program Chair extraordinaire Ken Campbell then introduced Peter McLaughlin, a certified Aging in Place specialist.  Who knew there was such a thing?  Peter, shouting to be heard above the raucous audience, gave an upbeat and optimistic report about the joys of aging.  Seventy-seven percent of women over 70 are widows and 42 percent of men the same age are widowers.  They deal with bruises and other injuries, including falls, some of which result in death, failing hearing and sight, painful joints, limited mobility, depression and dementia.  It is so uplifting to contemplate the Golden Years.  He provides many solutions to some of these problems including handrails, grab bars, modified sinks, countertops and appliances, chair lifts, elevators, increased lighting, ramps, wide doors with recessed hinges, lever door handles. anti-scalding devices, telephone jacks in the bathroom and medical response devices.  Nordgaard, Rucci and Hobbs looked really depressed.  All in all a very useful program.

 

Next week Allan Shope, who was previously snowed out, will join us to report on his family trip to visit the upland gorillas of Uganda.  This is an experience not to be missed!

 

Livingston

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin                                                      January 25, 2008

 

Mea culpa!  Mea culpa!  Mea culpa!  As your dedicated scrivener I have written timely reports of the doings of the Rotary Club of New Canaan.  It is as the 21^st century equivalent of a newspaper delivery boy that I have proved wanting.  The technology has indeed got me flummoxed and that is the reason no bulletin was delivered the past two weeks.  I would never have known had not Roy Riggio taken umbrage at my upbraiding him for not having read the bulletin.  He replied that he hadn’t read it because he hadn’t got it, at which point even the ever diplomatic editor-in-chief piped up that he too had not received his copy.  My attempt to remedy this intolerable situation has led to a veritable avalanche of emails to one and all.  The fault lies with me alone.  My sense of shame knows no limits.

 

In the absence of President Amy and President-in-Hiding David the old pollster himself David Bryant attacked the bell and led the Pledge.  Having not bothered to appoint a chaplain for the day, David fidgeted in the silence until Mike Hobbs filled the void with an unsolicited blessing remembering the recently departed Joe Hussey.  A number of Rotarians filtered in from the funeral service as the meeting progressed.  Fred Baker was not among them as he was with his brother firefighters honoring their fallen comrade.

 

There was some milling about at the head of the chow line as Ad’s absence created uncertainty.  Like the wildebeests at the Mara River in Kenya however, once the first member made a commitment the herd followed.  Once again, the kitchen staff outdid themselves.

 

David then called for the introduction of Visiting Rotarians and guests.  As he could plainly see, there were none.  He then announced that there were no announcements.  The meeting took on a surreal tone.

 

Sergeant Scott brought us back to reality as he allowed that, with no visitors present and most of the dollies not in attendance, he would break out some of what he claimed was his A material.  It was at this point that it became clear how cruel Carolyn Clarke’s recovery from foot surgery really is.  Try as she would, she was unable to escape before Scott commenced.  In this case one was spared the wait for the punch line as the salty language started at the beginning of the performance.  Poor Carolyn looked like one of those poor wildebeests surrounded by a pride of male lions.  Fortunately, it was over quickly and she did not appear to suffer unduly.

 

David then asked Gene Tonkovich to grace us with his bio.  There was a palpable sense of déjà vu as he started with his birth in Brooklyn and his baseball career.  We thought Roy Riggio, who had already departed rather than listen to a blatant plaigiarism of his own life, was up again this week.  Then Gene veered off, claiming Irish ancestry, and regaled us with a year by year account of his evolution from Union Carbide suit to wind power entrepreneur.  Gene and his lovely bride of 37 years, Freddie, have two sons.  One is a partner in a Boston law firm and the other a hedge fund manager in London.  Gene promised a full program on the hot topic of wind power in the near future.  Verrrrrry interesting.

 

Remember to rsvp to Amy for the 2/14 Valentine’s lunch and the Roger for the 2/21 Losers Dinner.

 

Scoop

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin January 17

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin                                      January 17, 2007

 

Even though ex-president Nancy apparently boycotted her able successor, President Amy crisply called the meeting to order, led the Pledge [although those crowding to the head of the chow line found hearing her from the other room difficult], and, in Ad’s absence, called on bow tie wearing John Engle for a straight up, plain vanilla Catholic blessing.

 

Art Duell brought Rob Avery as his guest for the second time and Visiting Rotarians Paul Burnham and John Winterly were in the house.

 

Amy again thanked Tom Weilenmann for his generosity regarding the Christmas Dinner and pointed out that Tom has the credibility of the Roger Sherman on the line when patrons pay for their dinner.  When we sign up to work it is, therefore, critical that we do as we have committed to do.  If an insufficient number of volunteers signs up Tom can manage with more staff, but if we sign up and then don’t show up, he is hosed.  For the 2008  dinner, let’s not hose Tom!

 

Amy then reviewed some of the Rotary International Foundation accomplishments for 2007, including $133,000,000 to Polio Plus.  Since the program’s initiation in 1985 more than two billion children in 210 countries have been immunized!  This effort is, I believe, unprecedented in human history.  Make sure to include a generous contribution to the Foundation in your personal philanthropy.

 

Phil McLain still needs a few dollars to underwrite the New Canaan elementary school dictionary project. If you would like to help, see Phil.  The dictionaries will be distributed the second week in February.

 

David Bryant rose for the first time [foreshadowing] to announce that the application period for our $17,000 Lobsterfest proceeds and $6,350 Christmas Dinner take was upon us.  All applications must be in hand by March 14, when the distinguished Allocations Committee will begin deliberations.

 

The performer in Bill Walbert then overcame his natural reticence and he leapt to his feet to no apparent purpose, said something about bills for last quarter being sent out next week and then retreated to his seat.

 

Amy then announced two coming attractions with spouses/significant others.  First, the Valentine’s luncheon on February 14, followed the next week, February 21, by the second annual Losers Dinner for those few unwashed still in New Canaan during vacation week when the town winners all depart for more luxurious surroundings.  Kindly email your availability for these events to Amy so she can prepare the Roger Sherman.

 

Sergeant Scott then related another of the ecumenical tales that have become such Club favorites.

 

New-ish member Roy Riggio was requested to provide us with a glimpse into his background in the form of a bio.  Like David Bryant, he was born in Brooklyn, where he also attended St. John’s.  He played baseball and studied paper.  He then spent his service years playing baseball for the Army in Europe before returning to the States where he entered the paper business, eventually starting his own company.  He enjoyed traveling widely and being exposed to many cultures during his career.  He mentioned never having previously encountered a culture quite like the NC Rotary Club.  He served on the Board of Education, several years as Chairman, and has done counseling for nursing home patients and, at Lapham, for seniors trying to navigate the mysteries of Medicare Part D.  His presentation clearly contradicted the prevailing opinion that anyone sponsored by Rucci the Elder could not become much of a member.

 

Following Roy, that other well-known Brooklyn resident, David Bryant, late of the Yankelovich polling outfit, ran a scientifically impeccable quiz which proved incontrovertibly that Dennis Kucinich will be our next president.  Following his prescient prediction of four years ago that Al Sharpton would be elected, David is developing quite a following.

 

Dick Morris

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin January 10

 New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin                                       January 10, 2008

 

Your bulletin editors slave week in and week out to provide insightful, incisive and comprehensive coverage of  every aspect of the weekly Rotary experience.  Apparently our efforts are not appreciated.  The only time anyone comments on one of our bulletins is when some obviously guilty party is insulted or offended.  Then the sniveling is loud and cacaphanous.  What an ungrateful bunch of illiterate whiners.  In the spirit of reinforcement theory, that which is rewarded is replicated, it is our intention henceforth to insult and offend as many of you as possible.  Any complaints or libel actions may be directed to Editor-in-Chief David Bryant. 

 

Either President Amy or Tom Wolfe, it was an apparition in a white suit, called the meeting to order, led the Pledge and called on Chaplain Ad to ask the blessing.  Ad got through the boilerplate segment before suffering a senior moment, rebooting, and settling for the basic grace.  Not an auspicious beginning, although the crowd was larger than in recent weeks.  Even Steve Sovich and Sandy Parks were in attendance, scotching the rumor that they had run off together to the land of the great raffle.

 

Guests included John Winterly who is relocating and scoping out possible clubs to join, Patrick Hoey’s friend, Peter Davey, an investment manager from Darien, and Jim Krietler’s guest, Emily Kelting, local landscape designer and former member of the Winter Club womens hockey team, the Motherpuckers.

 

Amy announced that Carolyn Clark has had her foot [2] surgery and is recuping at home.  The Club wishes her well.  She also pointed out that exchange program opportunities for high school age students are available for summer trips to strange and foreign lands to spend time with a family there and then have that family’s child return to spend time with our student’s family here.  Contact Amy for followup.  Amy then called on Innkeeper Tom to give the final tally on the Christmas Dinner event.  Tom thanked each participant by name, complained that only David Bryant had showed up at 10:30 [which may have had something to do with the announced start time being 11:00, or the fact that David had unfettered access to the bar for half an hour and, as he noted, it was 5:00 someplace], noted that some no-shows put undue pressure on those who did work, and with suspicious eye contact and lots of winking with Frank Bernardo, announced the proceeds for the 140 dinners served was $6,350.  Lest you have forgotten, or for the clueless who never knew, this money funds our international philanthropy for the year, leaving the Lobsterfest proceeds to fund our domestic priorities.  Amy then invited Didier to step into the room to accept a gratuity from the Club on the occasion of his return to Switzerland.

 

Sergeant Scott, exhibiting the rust accumulated during the holidays started with a Ronald Reagan quote and followed on with a lame racist joke.  By next week he should return to form.

 

Former President Nancy, recently returned from a political observation trip to New Hampshire with George Baker and David “my vote is cheap” Bryant, rose and introduced Mark Curtis as the day’s program.  There were murmurs that she went too far when she threw herself at his feet, hugged his ankles and blubbered “thank you, thank you, thank you” for employing two of Nancy’s offspring, but we should be slow to criticize what we don’t fully understand.  Mark told his story of leaving a mundane banking job for the glitz and glamour of the car wash world.  It was an interesting story, told with humor and self deprecation.  His Splash car wash empire now owns 17 locations, manages five others, and employs over 100 people.  As he concluded bankers Cocks, Hoey, Sparks and Wilkinson were seen scrambling for applications.

 

Snoop Dog

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin January 3

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin                                                     January 3, 2008

 

As the first meeting of the new year commenced, there was panic surrounding the effect the changing of the year would have on everyone’s computer and whether cars would stop running and airplanes fall from the sky while hospitals and police stations went dark.  The Y2008K phenomenon was on our collective minds.  The evidence of the first several days of the year was encouraging, leading some among us to bemoan the time and money expended to avert a catastrophe.  Whether these efforts were the cause of the currently sanguine situation or a complete waste will be a call for the historians.  Of course, next year we may be in for a repeat performance!  Call the Geek Squad!

 

Overcoming the group’s angst, President Amy, who seems to be quietly neutralizing the prejudice against female presidents so evident in Nancy’s reign, called the meeting to order and called on Chaplain Ad who, after several weeks absence, was once again in the house [although aided by a cane], to ask the Lord’s blessing on our efforts and our meal.  Ad, in the shortest and least embellished grace in memory, did as he was asked, and then bolted for the front of the chow line with speed and agility that belied the presence of the cane.  For the unfortunate few who had grown careless in his absence, the carnage was gruesome.  For the future, always look before moving toward the buffet to ensure that Ad either is not present or has a clear path.  It’s like looking both ways before crossing the street.  Because, in his uniform, Fireman Fred Baker looks like a crossing guard, he will be in charge of enforcing this ordinance.

 

Innkeeper Tom was in attendance and cast doubt on the advisibility of partaking of the day’s bounty.  While most diners had plates piled high with beef, tilapia, potatoes, rice and veggies,  Tom had half a bowl of chowder.  Draw your own conclusions.  Speaking of Roger Sherman scuttlebutt, Didier has returned to Switzerland for good.  We will miss him and his efficiency and elegant demeanor.

 

With virtually no business to conduct, Amy once again thanked Tom for his generosity and those who worked the Christmas Dinner for their efforts.  No financial accounting has yet been prepared.  It is rumored that Frank Bernardo is negotiating for all his tips above 15% because he believes such generosity is engendered by the superior service he provides.  That is as opposed to someone like…oh I don’t know…Steve Risbridger.  We’ll see.

 

Speaking of Steve, he rose and rose and rose [you get the idea] and produced his golf material.  What do you call two in the bunker?  An Adolph Hitler.  And such like.  The group pleaded with him to accept more money in lieu of more material.  He took the money, but kept going.  Not an auspicious beginning to the new year.

 

Amy then called on Leo 111 to introduce Jeff Cole, CEO of Norwalk Hospital, to give us a state of the hospital report as of the end of 2007.  His first comments concerned his relief that the lights in the operating and delivery rooms had indeed not gone dark at the stroke of midnight on 12/31/07.  He then gave us a confidence inspiring half hour talk about the positive changes, best practices, patient safety, and staff and facility upgrades at our local hospital.  We are fortunate to have this wonderful facility available to us, and also fortunate to have Jeff at the helm as he strives for daily improvement in every area.  Thanks to Leo for a real treat!

 

McDreamy