Rotary Log for October 20th, 2022
We had a boisterous crowd with at least 70 in attendance—the biggest crowd in a long, long time. They came to hear Governor Chris Sununu speak, as he makes a bid for a fourth term.
President Joanie called the meeting to order. We enjoyed a heartfelt Star-Spangled Banner carried by Judy Ringer and other ringers in the crowd. After Kristen Peterson led the Four Way Test, we enjoyed a wonderful invocation from our sitting spiritual leader John Rice. I repeat below his words, from poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, so if you were not there you can still share in the inspiration they carry.
To laugh often and much.
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the beauty in others;
To leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child,
a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know that one life has breathed easier because you lived here.
This is to have succeeded.
By the way, as part of our Club’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative, President Joanie has asked John to chair a Rotary Blessings Committee. This group will give other members a chance to provide the weekly invocation and bring their own touch to this special moment of reflection each week.
New members.
Welcome, welcome to our newest members! We have four new prospective members on 7-Day Notice! They are:
Ashley Goodwin from Northway Bank
Kristin Peterson from First Seacoast
Mark Broderick from TD Bank
Bria Day from Eastern Bank
Very excited to see these new incoming members!
Rotary Foundation.
November 4th the District Foundation Committee will recognize donors for outstanding contributions to the Foundation and International Service. Our Club accounts for more than 10% of the District’s total fundraising. This is the first in-person celebration in three years and the party will take place November 4th at Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine. Tickets are only $35 dollars per person, and all are welcome. If you want to meet and celebrate with your fellow District 7780 Rotarians purchase tickets here: One in a Million - Rotary Foundation Celebration: Fri, Nov 4, 2022 (myeventscenter.com)
DEI.
DEI Committee Co-Chair Ann Bliss shared her own experience with discrimination and the impact it can have on your daily life and outlook. Growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y., the daughter of first-generation immigrants, she lived in a multi-cultural neighborhood and never felt singled out or different.
When Ann was eight years old, her father took a position in the Midwest. The new job was better work and offered the opportunity to own a home with a nice yard. Unfortunately, Ann and her sister were targeted by other children for their Jewish faith. This led her to create her own tribe of other social outcasts, who held hands and watched out for one another.
DEI, Ann explained, is like holding hands. We cannot completely comprehend what Ann’s experience or others have been, but we can let them know, explicitly, we have their backs.
Fines.
Neal Ouellett did an excellent job as our Fine Master, a talent that not even the Governor could dodge. Let’s hope the State Police took it easy on Neal after the meeting. It’s a tough job raising money, teasing all of us at one point or another, not stepping too hard but calling attention to humor in everyday life. Bravo Neal!
Governor Chris Sununu.
Long time Rotarian and respected Republican Stella Scamman of Scamman Farm fame, announced our guest speaker, sitting Governor Chris Sununu. Stella did well calling attention to Sununu’s accomplishments as our 82nd Governor. Chris has a civil and environmental engineering degree from MIT and lives in Newfields with his wife Valerie and three children.
Our meeting steered clear of many of the more divisive issues that typically come up and I will too. In summary, Governor Sununu feels the best decisions are made at the local level and he intends to keep things local if re-elected. He feels New Hampshire is number one by many measures in which states are compared and he intends to keep it that way.
As expected, there were great questions from the crowd leading to some passionate responses from the Governor. We appreciate the opportunity as a club to hear directly from candidates and invite our friends and family to join us. This is a great and longstanding tradition of our club. If you have more questions about the Governor’s stances on various topics feel free to visit his website: www.chrissununu.com or his office in Exeter, NH.
Interestingly, the Governor drew noted GOP activist and former Portsmouth Mayor Peter Weeks’ 50-50 raffle ticket. There was no match.
Respectfully submitted, Aileen Dugan.
Photos by Francoise Meissner and Yvonne Legge
