12 Noon meeting at the VFW Hall
Pledge, Prayer, 4-Way Test: President Alan Schwarz
Raffle Winners: Ralph, Alan, Ed
Card Game Winner: Bill M
Guests: Ralph , Dick Mason and his wife, Mark Perlman
Happy Bucks: DM for winning the gift basket at the VFW; BM: grandson getting married; BO for the nice day; GF welcome guests and Joan Winters named person of the week by Harbor News; AS for Nancy back home and recovering; Guest Mark for being in the land of Katherine Hepburn; EP for our speaker; JA getting a new (cool) car; MD for our guests
Author Mark Perlman talked about his book, THE RELUCTANT SOLDIER.
Mark is a member of the Fairfield Rotary Club so he felt at home here. This book has been 20 years in the making and was published first in French then English though he doesn't speak or write the French language. He wanted the book to be informative and entertaining for men and women. It spans the period 1915-1945. The book is about Virgil Lincoln Carpenter (1871-1973) of Virginia, son of slaves who lived fighting segregation and prejudice and served in both world wars. Virgil was born in 1871 just a couple years after the famous Supreme Court Case Plessy vs. Ferguson which ruled on separate but equal concept of schools and other public facilities. This gave rise to the Jim Crow laws in the south. Virgil received a college education thanks to a grateful father of a young girl who was saved by Virgil from getting run over by a team of horses. He eventually received his masters at City College in NY where he met famous people of the times like Madame Walker. Mark went on detailing aspects of his book which takes place in an interesting and eventful time in our nation's history. You can buy his book online. A donation goes to the Wounded Warrior Project for each book sold.
The concert scheduled for tonight has been cancelled due to threat of bad weather. We will be at the next concert June 21 to make up for it. Please try to attend to help set up and distribute information, water, ice cream and more.
Gary states that Luigi's Restaurant should be open around July 4.
The June 28 meeting is an evening social at the Indian Town Town Hall featuring the changing of the guard and the meeting will be attended by District Governor Tari Marshall Day. Please let Gary know if you will be attending for planning purposes - guests are welcome!
Sunday June 25 is the Old Saybrook Street Party. Main St will be closed from 1:30-6pm for car traffic. We will have a booth and let people know about Rotary.
Gary: Commodities Exchange building is underway. A metal roof will be installed soon. On another note, check out the new gazebo on the green - came out really nice! We may be contributing toward it.
