June 20, 2013

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin                                             June 20, 2013

On a gorgeous early summer evening a dapper group of Rotarians, accompanied by their extremely decorative spouses [spice?], gathered beneath the newly erected pergola on the south lawn of the historic Roger Sherman Inn for the annual bittersweet changing of the guard.  Cocktails were consumed al fresco with no excessive violence and the show moved inside to a gourmet delight of summer salad, grouper or lamb, topped off with individual lava cakes and coffee.

To initiate the festivities an elongated appearing Marty led the Pledge and called  on Pastor Eric to ask the blessing.  While he had the unruly group’s undivided attention, and before the blessing, he shared the joyous news that Joanie Walbert had only that day rung the cancer-free bell on her last trip out of the hospital.  Following a spontaneous round of applause at the wonderful news, Eric delivered one of his inspirational best and everyone sat down with hearts overflowing with a desire to be of service to their fellow man [and woman].

There was a considerable lag between the seating of the voluble diners and the service of the salad course.  This proved of little consequence as everyone apparently spoke at once [one ponders, who listens?] and spontaneous wine orders proliferated.  There was a Friendship Dinner vibe as virtual strangers found themselves immersed in social discourse with tablemates they scarcely knew, only to discover what copacetic company they were.  And then the food arrived, more wine orders were placed, and the decibel level dropped a notch or two.

For the final time in his presidential term President Marty, eschewing his platform, rose and recounted the numerous triumphs which occurred because of his leadership and thanked those whose efforts, though secondary, were of some importance.  He mentioned the Lobsterfest, Golf Tournament and cocktail party, Clean your Mile and the impending Pop-Up Park conceived and to be executed by this year’s new members.  And then, amid raucous demands for an audit, Marty called unindicted Treasurer Rob to the podium to receive a plaque of recognition for three years of faithful service.  As the crowd settled down, Marty invited Assistant District Governor and Past President Ben Bilus to announce and display the award given to our Club for its contribution to the Polio Plus effort over the past two years.  Ben’s past life as a lawyer made an unwelcome appearance as he laid the groundwork for a challenge to Marty deserving the award as it was, in fact, awarded for contributions made in Ben’s year as well.  Sad, really.

Ben then called on Mike Hobbs to honor our longtime member Chase DiPanni who was visiting from Florida on the occasion of the award of his 50^th year perfect attendance pin.  Mike began by invoking the memory of our recently departed member Ad Tomaselli who was joined at the hip to Chase for most of those 50 years.  We miss him every week.  Mike then recounted the story of a previous 50 year man [actually 62 according to Chase who was seated next to him on the day Chase received his 10 year pin], Mike Pollack, whose streak was in danger of being broken because he was in the hospital and there was no dispensation in those days.  Eric’s predecessor, Pastor Paul Sartorio, directed that everyone just get up and leave and he would adjourn the meeting in Mike’s hospital room following a prayer.  When Mike arrived at the following week’s meeting and tried to tell the membership what that act of kindness meant to him there was not a dry eye in the normally cynical and irreverent room.  With that out of the way Chase came to the front of the room where Mike pointed out that he looked at 87 years of age exactly as he looked at 37.  Mike also recalled how important Chase had been to the growth of the Club and then let Chase talk.  Chase allowed as how the closest his streak came to getting broken was when his employee Dominick Casciari ran over him with a truck and he, following a trip to the hospital where his arm, broken in three places, was placed in a cast, drove himself to a meeting in Cheshire.  Clearly Rotary has been an important part of Chase’s life, a source of many lasting friendships, and an avenue of service to the world.  Fifty years of perfect attendance!  What an accomplishment!

And then it was time.  President Fred, as experienced an incoming chief executive as we have ever had, though not a comfortable extemporaneous public speaker, rose and read his acceptance speech.  Like Fred himself, it was not flashy, but full of substance and meaning.  The whole thing took about a minute and a half before he closed with, “Thank you” and rang the bell.  The stunned crowd, following a minute of confusion, went back to whatever they had been doing before with no thought of leaving.  Half an hour later the crowd thinned out.  A little anarchy to say goodbye to Marty and hello to Fred can’t be a bad thing.

Trotsky