Rotary Club September 10, 2009

New Canaan Rotary Club Meeting

September 10, 2009

 

In accordance with its new policy of vetting presidential talks, the New Canaan Board of Education (a/k/a Republican Town Committee) reviewed and approved of most of President Bill Walbert's remarks to the New Canaan Rotary Club today.

 

Probably just a well, because what was left of Bill's speech was so sanitized that it did not receive the usual "You lie!" shout-outs from the honorable members.

 

Rick Kellam and Albert Fleur were guests.  Mr. Fleur, from the Mt Kisco Rotary Club, spoke briefly about "Shelter Boxes" which are 4'x4'x4' boxes containing everything a family needs to survive a disaster, including a tent, food, water and cooking implements.  The Mt Kisco club is raising money to buy these boxes to give out to needy people in case a Katrina-like disaster hits our area.  His club is having a big meeting on this at the Holiday Inn in Mt Kisco next Wednesday at 12:15 pm. 

 

John Engel described the Golf Outing fund raiser in October and Scott Hobbs gave out 24 plastic clam shells to each club member for the 24 desserts we each must prepare and bring to the Lobsterfest in September.  Do not mix these dates up!  John Engel will have no idea what to do with 24 brownies other than to put them into his Shelter Box.

 

Our featured speaker for the day was Alon Marom of Kids in Crisis (www.kidsincrisis.org), an organization based in Cos Cob, which provides counseling and housing to children who, for one reason or another, are separated from their families.  One of its activities, Teen Talk, provides a counselor to New Canaan High School who talks to children who are in trouble.  Most impressive about this organization is its 24/7 aspect so that at risk children are given immediate and continuous attention once their problems develop.  Kids in Crisis distributes "Safe Place" signs which libraries, stores, fire departments, etc. display at their entrances so that children will know that if they get to these locations, help will be called and a Kids in Crisis counselor will come to assist the child.

 

Honorable Joe Wilson