May 30, 2013

New Canaan Rotary Club Bulletin                                                        May 30,2013

As the witching hour approached the buffet room at the Roger filled with supplicants arriving at the end of their pilgrimages to receive alms from our Allocations Committee version of the Good Samaritan, Pastor Eric.

President Marty was able to lead the large and unruly group in the Pledge and Eric made a good start on one of his patented inspirational blessings, only to be seized with a violent coughing spell which prevented him from either proceeding or completing the prayer.  Fortunately a sympathetic member uttered a loud “Amen!” and a crisis was averted.

The mixed crowd of members and guests seated themselves with no direction to great effect as every table wound up with some of each.  The guests [there were no Visiting Rotarians] were an admirable lot representing much of what is good about New Canaan and the conversation was animated and positive.

A feeling of anxiety pervaded the room as Marty exhibited questionable judgment by

failing to waive the Sergeant portion of the meeting.  In intrepid fashion he called on Scott and relied on Scott’s sense of propriety [can you imagine?] to use only appropriate material before collecting his tribute.  There was an audible sigh of relief as Scott nailed the punch line and managed to offend no one.  There were a few notable fines with Sandy Malloy having recently returned from three weeks in Ireland, Amy having just visited Carolyn who is convalescing with new hip at Waveny, and the Samaritan himself for a successful real estate transaction.  

Marty then turned the meeting over to the tubercular Eric who managed, while wheezing, coughing and gagging, to distribute checks to the following organizations, each of which he introduced with a comment or anecdote which made the recipient feel special and worthy.  ABC House, American Red Cross, Americares [Fairfield County free clinics], Carriage Barn Arts Center, Child Guidance Center, Day Care Center of NC, Domus, Getabout, Habitat For Humanity, HALO, Meals on Wheels, NCHS Model United Nations Club, NCHS Scholarship Fund, NC Historical Society, NC Land Trust, NC Mounted Troop, Outback Teen Center, Person to Person, Sister City Project [Norwalk and city in Nicaragua], Staying Put in NC, Summer Theater of NC, Exchange Club Center for Prevention of Child Abuse, Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Fairfield County, and Waveny Care Network.  Each recipient briefly explained the mission of his/her organization and explained the purpose to which our grant would be put.  Always one of the best meetings of the year as we have the opportunity to see and hear a large number of people who have taken different paths to try to improve the human condition and to provide help to those who need it.  Very inspirational and a living embodiment of the Rotary motto of Service Above Self 

Albert Schweitzer