Newtown Rotary Changes Leadership

And Wins High District Honor

More than 100 people attended Newtown Rotary’s Annual Leadership and Awards banquet last week. President Bill Wiemels turned his symbolic gavel to Brian Amey, who officially assumed the club presidency on July 1.

In attendance to assist in presentation of the awards were Abe Gordon of Fairfield, past vice president of Rotary International; Jim Lang of Trumbull, present district governor; Paul Burns of East Haven, who was scheduled to take over the governorship of District 7980 on July 1, and Ed Osterman of Newtown, past district governor.

The highest award a person can obtain within the club is to receive a Paul Harris Fellow Recognition Award. This year six awards were presented by Abe Gordon, Jim Lang, and Paul Burns. First- time Paul Harris Recognitions consist of a certificate, lapel pin, and a medal. These were given to Mary Livezey, who has been a volunteer at the Dorothy Day House and Soup Kitchen for many years and Bill Wiemels for his excellent leadership during his presidency this year.

Second-time Paul Harris Fellows pins with one sapphire were awarded to Rotarian Jim Osborne who is in his 51st year as a Rotarian, Bob Grossman who just retired as a surgeon after completing more than 25,000 operations at Danbury Hospita,l and Al Parrella who has completed more than 30 years of service in Newtown Rotary. Jim Osborne was unable to attend the banquet.

Abe Gordon awarded Ed Osterman his fourth Paul Harris Fellow lapel pin with three sapphires. Mr Osterman is a past president of Newtown Rotary, past district governor of Rotary, and is responsible for all the news articles published in The Bee on the club’s activities.

Each year Rotary District 7980, which covers the four lower counties having 63 Rotary Clubs and 3,000 Rotarians, reviews the accomplishments of clubs for the past three years not including the current year just ending June 30. The club that has the best record is awarded the Charles W. Pettingill Award and this year District Governor Jim Lang presented this award to Newtown Rotary.

During the three year that are reviewed the presidents furnishing the leadership were Duane Baumert, Scott Senete, and Nick Borrello. Rotary International Past Vice President Abe Gordon complimented the club, saying he well remembers when Newtown Rotary first received this award in 1992, reflecting the three years of leadership of Ed Osterman, Harvey Sellner, and Jim Gulalo.

Mr Wiemels presented club awards. The first recipient was Bill Watts who just completed his 30th year of Rotary Service. Club Service Awards were presented to Don Gabriel and Ed Osterman; Vocational Service Awards to Ken Cohen and Rich DeLollis; Community Service Awards to Julia Wasserman, Chris Hoeffel, and Jim Gulalo; and International Service Award to Bill Calderara.

The Frank Miles Service Award was established in 2001 to honor a very dedicated Rotarian who was always ready to help on anything and never looked for recognition. Ed Osterman presented this to Duane Baumert for his outstanding example of doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done. His work has lead the way in many of the club’s projects, not just be word but by deeds.

Bill Wiemels presented a ten-year Service Award posthumously to Paul Dohrenwend. This was accepted by his wife Robbyn Dohrenwend, together with Paul’s Rotary name badge mounted on a plaque.

This was a good year for attendance as 13 members had 100 percent attendance for the weekly meeting: Brian Amey, Dot Baumert, Duane Baumert, Ken Cohen, Paul Gehrett, Bob Grossman, Chris Hoeffel, Skip Roberts, Harvey Sellner, Scott Senete, and Bill Wiemels. Bill Watts and Ed Osterman not only had 100 percent attendance this year but both just completed their 15th year of 100 percent attendance and were awarded a plaque to commemorate the occasion.

President Wiemels reviewed some of the club’s accomplishments during this closing year. The club now sponsors a Youth Service Clubs in the high school, middle school, and the new Reed school and continues to work internationally with the Haitian Health Foundation, supporting a number of families and providing “Happy Houses,” and the World Help Foundation, providing safe drinking water to thousands of people in third-world countries.

More than $50,000 was raised in Newtown Rotary fundraisers, representing a 25 percent increase over the previous year. More than 35 organizations benefited. While most of those benefiting were local organizations, people from Ghana, Haiti, and India received safe drinking water, houses, or their sight back through cataract surgery sponsored by the Rotary.

Currently the club is in the middle of an extremely important fundraiser to help eliminate polio from the face of the earth. The club plans to raise at least $9,000 for polio eradication through a Harley Davidson motorcycle raffle.

Anyone wishing to learn more about Newtown Rotary is invited to attend one of the meetings held every Monday at 6:15 pm at the Fireside Inn.