THIS WEEK’S PROGRAM. 

 

Len Cadwallader introduces our own Rubi Simon who will give us an update on ACTS Honduras, our club’s primary international outreach activity. She may be joined by Betsy Lynd and some other participants who just returned from the program. 

 

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88229582283?pwd=aS9Hd3o1cS9ZK0hQL0ZhUHZXSEdxQT09

 

Meeting ID: 882 2958 2283

Password: 254494

 

The Zoom Room opens at 11:45 AM.  As noted above, we will begin our talk promptly at noon, forgoing the Pledge of Allegiance and opening remarks.

 

 

Bruce Atwood introduced Brendan Nyhan, Dartmouth professor, who talked to us about the state of American democracy as described in the latest “Bright Line Watch” report. Brendan offered some chilling statistics on the erosion of our democratic structures. He emphasized throughout his talk that democracies do not die because tanks come into the street and take over: they die slowly and imperceptibly as voters lose confidence in their government and their levels of participation in the life of their communities drop. He also emphasized that democracies exist on a continuum and that our nation has never had a complete and total democracy because we have never experienced a time when all citizens had the right to vote. He offered two key norms that appear to be in peril after 2020: the toleration of the legitimacy of the opposition; and institutional forbearance when a party is in power. The persistent claims that the 2020 election was stolen and the demonization of the opposing party by both the Democrats and the Republicans are undercutting the first norm; the unwillingness to seek bipartisan solutions to ANY problems places the second norm at risk. When these norms are no longer in place, democracy is weakened. 

 

 

Last week’s “Rotarian of the Week” spotlighted Helen Hong, the current ED of COVER. Helen talked about the benefits of growing up in several locales as her father relocated every three years: living in Korea and in several places in the US. After earning a legal degree and working for a time in a law firm, Helen decided to pursue a career in carpentry, which ultimately led her to a 13-year stint at Twin Pines. She shared several interesting factoids about Korean culture, one of which was they all celebrate their birthday on the same date. Dave Bradley’s job would be much easier in Seoul! 

 

 

Astonishingly, there were no announcements and no Happy Dollars… But having read several emails over the past week I have a sense that might be different on Wednesday! 

 

COMING ATTRACTIONS:  

 

February 23 – Wayne Gersen introduces Erica Schneider, Hartford Vo-Tech Executive Director who will share some good news on the burgeoning enrollments at the school. 

 

March 2 – Wayne Gersen will introduce Jay Baddams, SAU 70 Superintendent, who will give us an update on the challenges the district has faced during the pandemic. 

 

March 9 – Todd Allen introduces Allie Levy, owner of Still Books in Hanover

 

March 16 – Todd Allen introduces Dartmouth computer science professor Peter Winkler who, in addition to teaching at the college, Peter sends out little math puzzles each week for the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath). It's called "Mind-benders for the Quarantined!". Todd recommends signing up and seeing how you can do. 

 

March 23 – Wayne Gersen introduces Nikki Grimes from the Upper Valley Humane Society who will tell us how they’ve fared over the past couple of years. 

 

March 30 – Wayne Gersen introduces the new ED for the AVA Gallery in Lebanon, Shari Boraz, who will share her vision for the direction that non-profit will take in the future.