President Samantha Maruzzelli brought the meeting to order at 12:15 PM at Purkey’s Pink Apple with Dave Wilson reciting the 4-Way Test and leading the Pledge of Allegiance and Jon Buxton giving the Invocation.

 

 

President Samantha asked for the names of perspective members so the District can send them a post card asking them to consider joining Rotary. Ron Flatness has someone in mind who does business in Puerto Rico, where there is still a lot of need after the hurricane.

 

President Samantha then reviewed some of the highlights of the Feb 20 Board of Director’s meeting. The full minutes of the Feb 20 Board meeting will be available to all members once they are approved at next month’s Board meeting.

 

 

Wine Festival Committee – normal planning has started. Second band is Infinity and not Kartune, due to a schedule conflict.  The VIP tent will be a little smaller.

 

The next Drug Take Back is April 28 and we will start our community outreach in March.

 

Global Project committee will meet after this meeting to continue with the planning for the water project for Haiti.

 

Road side clean up is Apr 7 at 9 AM with everyone meeting at the Fireplace restaurant parking lot.

 

The Rotary Relays will be either May 10 or 11.

 

The Membership committee sent letters to inactive members with no response. The District is encouraging clubs to have a social event or function where we could recruit members for any Rotary club.  If you have an idea for such an event, please let Pres. Sam know. 

 

New Business:

 

District Grants – District will match up to $3000 for a project, which is sustainable.  We have been looking for ideas for our club.  There were 2 possibilities discussed at the BOD meeting.

 

1) A backpack of food program for kids at elementary school. Rotary in Wyalusing is helping with such a program.  The backpacks would be available with non perishable food for kids in financially challenged families at the weekends and would go thru the summer as well.

 

2) Mike Markovitz reported that the Ambulance Service needs to replace the first responder training aids including dummies that are used to train emergency responders for various organizations including boy scouts etc.

 

A 3^rd suggestion came from Jon Buxton at today’s meeting for some type of training re school shootings for the students.   He mentioned the need for mental health training for young people in school including suicide prevention.  Dave Wilson says there is currently an educational component in place in the schools and he will report back to us as to what is ongoing.  Pres. Sam will check on what is available thru the insurance coverage at the school.

 

 

Ron Flatness expressed his concern about the intersection on Mile Hill where someone recently was killed. This is a PennDot issue that is beyond our control.

 

 

We received Thank you notes from the Dietrich Theater and the Tunkhannock Public Library for our donations to them.  Carol & Ruthie saw the new thanks to Rotary slide at the Dietrich.

President Samantha Maruzzelli adjourned the meeting at 1:25 PM.

 

Norm’s moment starts back in 1952 in his stepdad’s Oldsmobile, which broke down on their way to buy groceries. He sold it for $28 to the local garage and borrowed a vehicle to get home with the groceries. On the way home, they passed a house that had burnt down and the people lost everything. Although Norm’s family did not have much, Norm’s stepdad gave them the $28 plus all the food that they had just bought. That has stuck with him to this day that “you have to give back and be part of the community” no matter how much or little that you have.

 

In his corporate life, he made sure that charitable donations were important in those companies and benefited the communities they served.

 

When he left the Navy in 1962, he was in North Carolina and they had 9 truckloads of food to give out to those in need in the community.  Norm was a recipient of the Governor’s Award in North Carolina. He commented although it was very nice to receive this recognition, “You don’t give to expect a pat on the back or recognition”.

 

They were living here in 2007 for his wife to help set up an engineering group, so he became somewhat familiar with the area.  In 2011, they decided to move and retire here. He wanted to join Rotary at the Library fundraiser in 2012; Marta was serving wine and he asked her about Rotary. Five minutes later, Fran Turner and George Gay came over to talk with him and Fran sponsored him for Rotary.  He loves this club especially since it helps both the community and internationally.

 

Norm Kelly's Rotary Moment