banner
Bulletin Editor
Larry Haber
Speakers
May 22, 2026
May 29, 2026
Rotary Scholarship Recipients
Jun 05, 2026
Installation Dinner Tonight
Jun 12, 2026
Jun 19, 2026
Jun 26, 2026
Gifts of Love
View entire list
Executives & Directors
President
 
President Elect
 
Secretary
 
Treasurer
 
Immediate Past President
 
Membership
 
Sergeant-at-Arms
 
Rotary Foundation
 
International Service Chair
 
Community Service Chair
 
Board Member-at-Large
 
Board Member-at-Large
 
Assistant Treasurer
 
Interact Chair
 
Club Information
Rotary of Avon-Canton - Founded 1973
Avon-Canton
Service above Self
Fridays at 7:30 a.m.
FAVARH Life Education Center
150 Commerce Drive
Canton, CT 06019
United States of America
Fax:
(860) 760-6364
All meetings are hybrid with both in-person and Zoom available. Check our website for any weekly changes. Please park in the lower entry lot.
District Site Icon
District Site
Venue Map
Venue Map

 

January 23, 20226

Club Day

 
 
 
 
Sergeant-at-Arms Report 
Rotarians Present: 25
 
Visiting Rotarians: None
 
Guests:  Kyle Naja and Michael Clark
 
Happy Dollars: $ 38
Raffle Winner: No Winner
 
Birthdays:
None today
 
 
 
Meeting Summary
Major Fundraiser: The club's success depends on member participation. The raffle strategy is shifting to fewer, higher-value themed baskets (e.g., "date night," "spa weekend") to increase appeal. A new "$200 Friend of Rotary" sponsorship is available for those who cannot attend.

New Initiative: A Trex plastic film recycling program will launch in Canton, aiming to collect 1,000 lbs of plastic to earn a recycled bench for the community.

District Grants: The club must send at least two members to a February or March grant webinar to qualify for district funding for next year's projects.

Speaker's Call to Action: Carrie Firestone urged members to join the "Homegrown National Park" movement by removing invasive plants (starting with Oriental Bittersweet) and planting natives to restore the local ecosystem.

 
Happy Dollars
 
Don Bonner’s wife Mary is cancer free!  Allowing the family to get together to celebrate a belated Christmas.  He again reminded everyone to do the self-checks frequently.
 
Carrie Firestone’s nephew is staying with them.  She is very greatful for all the help that FAVAR has been in helping him.
 
Lauren Gardner was thrilled that baby Camille finally slept through the night. (There are a number of gentlemen above a certain age that wish they could say the same.)
 
Bob Cave’s Great, Grandchild, celebrated their first birthday.
 
Gary Miller reported that Ski Sundown has the best opening ever with every trail open before Xmas for first time ever.  He has been skiing with his 3 year old grandson who is the 4th generation of skiers in the family.
 
Sue Budde for Sweater match with Loren Clarke.
 
Peter Vignati previewed the new plastic film recycling project to start next week.
 
Johnny Guillot was reminiscing   of past Christmas in VT where they went  cross country skiing with his children and now with his grandchild. His youngest daughter age 34 has entered a 50K cross country sky race. 
 
Announcements & Upcoming Events
 
 
Raffle items are need for the Tase of the Valley
Induction of New Members
None this week.
Awards
 
President Sue presented Yvonne Gardner with a Paul Harris +2.  
 
Community and International Service Grants
 
 
Speaker
 
Carrie Firestone
 Chair of the Avon Clean Energy Commission

Carrie Firestone is an author, educator, and community organizer, who has spent several decades implementing local grassroots projects to address food and housing insecurity and environmental issues. As chair of the Avon Clean Energy Commission, Carrie has joined Growing Greener Communities Together, a coalition of local organizations focusing on environmental stewardship in the Farmington Valley.
 
Carrie lives in Avon with her husband Michael and their two college-age daughters.
 

 Oriental Bittersweet

 

RESOURCES

Homegrown National Park/Doug Tallamy
(Homegrownnationalpark.org)
 
Operation Pollination (Rotary Initiative)
(Operationpollination.net)
 
Avon Land Trust
(Avonlandtrust.org)
 
Garden Club of Avon
(Gardenclubofavon.org)
 
Canton Land Trust
(Cantonlandtrust.org)
 
Xerces Society
(Xerces.org)
 

UPCOMING DATES

Foraging 101
Tuesday, February 10 at 2 pm
Avon Library
 
Stop the Strangle: Invasive Removal Day
Oakes Preserve, Chidsey Rd. Avon
Saturday, April 11 from 10-noon
Bring shovel, hoe, or lopper

Special Announcements

None this week.
 
Mail Bag
 
Photo Credits
Photos by Larry Haber
 
Technology Credits
Zoom platform management expertise by Mike Mezheritskiy
 
Editor's Notes
Submission Deadline: Members are kindly encouraged to submit all materials for each week's Early Riser as early as possible. Please note that some editions may be published and distributed as early as the Saturday following our meetings, and during those weeks further contributions to the Early Riser will be included in the subsequent week's edition.
“The FOUR-WAY TEST of the things we think, say or do”:

1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all Concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?