Dear Rotarians,
Our next Rotary meeting will be held on Thursday, June 12th, at 7:15am at the Cathedral of the Pines.
This week, we are excited to welcome Rachel Hsu as our guest speaker. Rachel recently completed a fellowship at Tsinghua University in Beijing and spent the previous half-year in Taipei, Taiwan. She will be presenting on the timely and insightful topic of "Understanding China and Thoughts on Geopolitics." We look forward to hearing her unique perspective on this globally relevant subject.
Last week's meeting was significant. We shared heartfelt personal stories, enjoyed thoughtful discussions over coffee, and celebrated moments of joy during Happy Fines. A special thank you to Sam Lafortune for consistently bringing warmth and positivity to our meetings with her beautiful and varied hats for this Happy Fines moment. Your joyful spirit is a true gift to our club!
The meeting had begun with an invocation prayer led by Bill Coleman, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and a rousing "America the Beautiful."
We also had an excellent round of impromptu short speeches:
- Bill Coleman shared insights on the power of electric vehicle batteries.
- Owen Houghton spoke about services.
- Richard Feldman shared a fascinating piece of U.S. history—the Worcester Revolution of 1774, often referred to as the "first war" of the American Revolution.
This month holds special significance for our club as we prepare for Gavel Night on June 26th. We'll gather to celebrate the official handover of leadership to our incoming team. Peter and Jinnie Russell have - once again - kindly offered to host this special evening at their beautiful home. It will be a BYOB event, so feel free to bring your favorite beverage. Carolyn Edwards will be providing the food, which always promises to be yummy -- thank you, Carolyn!
Last week, our Club Secretary and Assistant Governor Bob Schaumann visited the Elm City Rotary Club in Keene, extending our heartfelt appreciation for their support of the Sneakers for Jaffrey and Rindge Grade Schools, among other meaningful collaborations.
We were excited to hear about our board member and Rotarian Lori Rautiola's appointment as the new Town Administrator of Swanzey! We are very proud of her strength of experience in town administration, project management, and community engagement. We wish you continued success in this vital role. A huge congratulations on your achievement!
It has been a truly incredible year of teamwork, Service, and fellowship. I am deeply grateful for the kindness, dedication, and spirit each of you brings to our club. Your efforts make a difference, and it's been an honor to serve alongside you.
Let's keep this momentum alive as we come together again this Thursday.
With heartfelt thanks and Rotary spirit,
Yours in Service,
Rudra