February 28, 2013

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin                                         February 28, 2013

 It was like Christmas morning.  Anticipation running rampant, immature people at a fever pitch, enthusiasm off the charts.  Would the Elf on a Shelf put in an appearance?  And then… there she was!!  No costume, but unmistakable nevertheless as her radiant persona filled the room.  Huddled with Santa, both in their civvies, they exuded the holiday spirit of sharing and celebrating and service.  As Fred stood in yet again for President Marty [some wag murmured, “Who?”] and Dr. John for Pastor Eric, the Elf was heard to exclaim, “This isn’t a bad showing for the ‘Losers Lunch’.”  It was then explained to her that the NC public schools were indeed in session and so technically the name was a misnomer.  Just a wonderful moment!  For those new Club members who don’t know or remember Nancy Robinson, she was a positive contributing member of our group, a ground breaker and our first distaff President.  She is best remembered however, as Santa Rucci’s indispensible Elf at our annual Christmas Grab Bag Luncheon.  With an area daughter pregnant with yet another grandchild we hope she won’t wait another year before bestowing a further visit on her unworthy admirers.

Amy’s surrogate, Fireman Fred, announced the current Friendship Dinners [which Nancy in an uncharitable outburst incorrectly identified as “the losers lunches” – a pattern seemed to be emerging] situation.  One couple needed for the March 16 Dinner, and three couples each for April 5, 20 and 27.  RSVP to Amy.

A relieved Treasurer Rob reported that dues checks have been arriving. For no apparent reason Rucci immediately demanded an audit.

John Engel reported that the Engel Open will be held on May 9, not May 8 as previously reported.  The normal Thursday meeting will not occur, but will be replaced by the cocktail party/ heavy hors d’oeuvres/ auction at CCNC that evening.  John would like some help with the auction part of the evening from anyone so inclined.  See John.

Fred donned his Clean A Mile Committee Chair [actually there is no committee] hat and announced that we will once again be responsible to clean South Avenue from Farm Road to the Parkway commencing at 0900 hours at the Saxe parking circle on Saturday morning, April 20.  As his native American assistant once remarked to Thomas Edison, “Many Hands make light work.”

Lobsterfest Czar Andy shared his intention to get Lobsterfest tickets printed early so a sales booth can be set up and manned [and womanned] by Rotarians at the series of pop-up park events during the summer.  Sign-up sheets to come.

Sergeant Scott then made a dubious choice to abandon some B material and opt instead for some Slovenian humor provided by that old Balkan ball of laughs, Boris Pogacnik.  As I understood the story, in an effort to prevent genocide in Bosnia President Clinton sent several planeloads of vowels to the embattled area.  I wasn’t clear whether or not this proved decisive in bringing peace.  In any event, Scott collected two notable fines.  One from the elder Rucci for his birthday, his anniversary, and a week in the Dominican Republic; and one from Nancy the Elf [to whom the provision exempting visitors from fines did not apply] for the NC Rotary Club ruining her enjoyment of any other club.  We are just too cool!

Program Chair Jim Cole then rose to deliver another of his now-familiar opening monologue introductions.  Apparently Jim Bardia and Jeff Joseph from Change Wind Corporation had picked up a stray Charlie Robinson in the parking lot and brought him in for free food.  Jim, a veteran of the automotive design world, has designed a revolutionary wind powered generator which costs dramatically less and produces dramatically more power than any competitive product.  It is a device that is intended to sit either 30 or 42 feet in the air, with 15 foot tall deformed air foil blades, approximately 12 feet in diameter.  It is designed to be effective at much lower wind speeds than other “windmills.”  Storage of excess power produced is provided by the grid.  While the devil is in the details, in broad strokes a consumer purchases a Change Wind device for about $50,000 through a power purchase program which stipulates that the consumer will purchase all the power produced for seven years and then will own the device outright.  It is warranteed for 10 years with an expected life of 20 years and requires  maintenance of $500 per year.  It is safer for birds than a traditional windmill.   The company is privately held and is in negotiation to purchase a 200,000 foot manufacturing facility in Connecticut to produce about 18,000 devices per year.  It would take more time than we had today to fully understand the effects of government subsidies, accelerated depreciation schedules, disparate pricing between what the power company charges the consumer and what it pays the consumer for power purchased back to the grid, zoning issues, anonometer readings, etc., etc., but a very interesting presentation nonetheless.  Much to ponder.

The Elfmeister