Scuttlebutt July 4^th, 2021

Happy 4^th.  The Festival is in full swing, thanks to all who organize, set up and participate. Special thanks to our members and family who are instrumental in the Festival’s success.

This Tuesday our own Judith Green will share with us information about the Peaker Plant which is being considered in Peabody.  With the great heat, rain, and now cold our weather is extremely variable.   Do we need additional power sources or can we better meet demand by adjusting usage? 

Thanks to our Foundations committee especially Linda D.  The grant to assist the Lynn Neighborhood Network by purchasing a commercial refrigerator has been submitted. Many of you invested in this project with your Happy Dollars at the Instillation.  Please submit your donations to Becky. 

Our Allocations committee has met. Their report will be sent to the Board for approval, then to the club.  Combining the food security donations we made early in the spring, with the scholarship awards, and the allocations we are considering, we have supported our local, regional, and international communities.  Considering this was all done within the confines of the pandemic we all should feel proud of the good we are doing in the world.

In-person opening:  We are exploring ways to reopen in as inclusive a way as possible which may be a hybrid zoom/in-person.  We are determining the wifi strength of our meeting room, what equipment we may need etc.  I would not want to lose the participation of all our members nor the wonderful speakers we have had from so many locations.  If you have technical genes, please let me know.   The start in-person date maybe July 13^th.  However, we will need to have a zoom meeting on the 20^th which is also the date our district governor may be joining us.  Stay tuned, don’t put gas in your cars yet.

Along that vein, suggestions have been made that until at least September we have more of a continental style breakfast meeting.  Options are 1. Each of us brings our own coffee/tea and muffin, 2. The club provides coffee/tea bring your own muffin, 3. The club provides the above.   When I say club that means a few of us will get to our room early to set up, and muffin can include what ever you would like to eat.  On Tuesday we will vote 1, 2, or 3.  And if you can not be at Tuesday’s meeting, please let me know your preference.   A more formal survey will be sent soon to get your input. 

From the Foundations Committee:   If you contributed to the Rotary Foundation this past Rotary year, most likely you will have received a thank-you card from Immediate Past District Governor Betsy Manzelli and Liz Cullen representing the Foundation. The photo on the front speaks volumes for what the Foundation can accomplish.

 

The featured well grant project in Columbia was spearheaded by Chelsea Rotary's Juan Gallego. Juan spoke to our club earlier in the 2020-2021 Rotary year. The really striking photo, though, is of the smiling children who, for the first time in their young lives, are now experiencing fresh, bacteria-free water. Juan continues to "live" Rotary, and there are more water wells in Columbia's future, due to his passion and the Foundation's global grant funding. Please keep the Rotary Foundation in your charitable giving plan!