Naugatuck Rotary - Naugatuck Rotary Newsletter

Sergeant at Arms Duncan levied fines to the following: Marcelo Martins, Jeanine LeVasseur, Laurie Yelding, Debbie Wheelahan, Jane Walsh, Ed Gerber, John Ford and visiting Rotarian Harmon Andrews.

Happy Dollars: Jennifer Merrill – her daughter Anna will be one of our outbound Exchange students. John Roman was happy that no one was hurt during a bank robbery

Mary Connolly was happy to be sitting with 3 wonderful young men.

General Fine: Those that haven’t purchased their toy for the Children’s Christmas Party paid a dollar.

Announcements & Information

Remember that next week’s luncheon will be held at the Continental Room and we will be entertained by the Naugatuck High School Choir. Cost per person is $18.

The 14^th Annual Children’s Christmas Party will be held this coming Saturday at Saint Michael’s Church. Jane Lobdell asked that some volunteers come early (11:30) to set up. The party begins at 1:00 and will go until 3:00. Please bring “kid friendly” snacks. (Cookies, juice/drinks, brownies etc.) It is a wonderful event and wait until you see Santa and Mrs. Claus!!!!!

Michael Steir announced a Scotch Tasting at Jesse Camilles on Monday, December 8^th at 7:00PM. The cost is $26 per person and will benefit the United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls.

Marcelo Martins announced the United Way of Naugatuck and Beacon Falls’ 2^nd Annual Festival of Trees at Naugatuck Savings Bank, 87 Church Street, Naugatuck. The reception and silent auction will be held on Friday, December 12^th from 5:30 – 7:30 PM. Beer, Wine and Hors D’oeuvres will be served. The cost is $15 per person. The festival will be open to the public beginning Saturday, December 13th during the hours of 2:00 and 6:00 PM and December 15^th, 16^th, 17^th and 18^th from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM.

Guests

Joe Connolly

Lois Gerber

Penny O’Connell – speaker

Students

Yvonne Lempke

Louis Matuse

Derio, our exchange Student

Visiting Rotarians

Harmon Andrew

Doris Andrew

Upcoming Speakers

12/10                Holiday Program at the Continental Room
12/17             Jane Lobdell
12/24                no meeting

12/31                no meeting
1/7                   Ginger Fennell
1/14                 Cathy Mauritz
1/21                 John McCormack
1/28                 Jennifer Merrill

Birthdays and Anniversaries

None

Membership Anniversaries

None

Our Speaker Today

Ed Gerber, our speaker host today, introduced Peggy O’Connell.

Peggy is an American History teacher and runs classes for seniors in Southbury. She also teaches at UCONN. She gave us insight on the Electoral College and how it relates to Presidential Elections.

The United States Electoral College is a name used to describe the 538 Presidential Electors who come together every four years during the presidential election to give their official votes For President and Vice President of the Untied States.

The popular vote alone does not come into play with a candidate winning the election. For instance, in elections held in 1800, 1826, 1876, 1888 and 2000, a candidate won the popular vote, but lost the election. Individual states count their popular votes and the candidate totaling the most votes, win all of the states electoral votes. The number of electoral votes allotted to each State corresponds to the number of Representatives and Senators that each State sends to Congress. The distribution of electoral votes among the States can vary every 10 years depending on the results of the United States Census.

One of the primary functions of the Census is to reapportion the 435 members of the House of Representatives among the States, based on the current population. The reapportionment of the House determines the division of electoral votes among the States. In the Electoral College, each State gets one electoral vote for each of its Representatives in the House, and one electoral vote for each of its two Senators.

Thus, every state has at least 3 electoral votes, because the Constitution grants each State two Senators and at least one Representative. In addition to the 535 electoral votes divided among the States, the District of Columbia has three electoral votes because the 23rd Amendment granted it the same number of votes as the least populated State.

We are the only country in the world that still continues with this indirect system. In 1787 at the constitutional convention, a motion was proposed to do away with the electoral college. It was denied. Why? One reason is the senate and congress did not trust the common people. They considered them uneducated and easily swayed. It was a typical case of blue collar people v.s. white collar people.

There has been talk of possible reform.

Absent Members Today

Brian Barrett, Anne Butler, Joe DaSilva, Jonathan Farmer, Tracey Kelly, Cathie Mauritz, Tony Purcaro, Rebecca Zandvliet

Upcoming Club Events

Naugatuck Rotary Annual Christmas Party for the Children

December 6th - 1:00PM till 3:00PM

at Saint Michael's Church Hall

Naugatuck Rotary Holiday Luncheon

with the NHS Choir

December 10th at 12:00PM

The Continental Room

Cost:$18 per person

Happening Around the District and RI

January 10, 2009 Interact Assembly, Choate Rosemary Hall School

January 31, 2009 Pre-PETS including 4 way speech contest finals

New Haven Lawn Club, New Haven

February 6-8, 2009 RYLA, Stratford, CT

February 14, 2009 Valentine's Day Dinner Dance

Country House Restaurant, East Haven

March 12 - 14 2009 PETS - Nashua NH

March 7, 2009 New Generations, Choate Rosemary Hall

March 27, 28, 2009 RI President's Membership Conference, Baltimore, MD

April 1, 2009 Deadline for Submission of Award Applications

April 19, 2009 GSE Inbound Teams Welcome Brunch

April 23,2009 District Assembly, Sheraton Four Points, Meriden

May 1-3 2009 District Conference, Newport, Rhode Island

May 15, 2009 GSE Farewell Brunch/Memo of Club visit due to DG

June 21 - 24 2009 International Convention, Birmingham, England

July 7, 2009 District Governor Installation, Pine Orchard Yacht & Country Club

AREA CLUBS FOR MAKEUP AND INFORMATION LINKS

Silvermine Tavern - Norwalk - Monday 12:15 pm

The Inn at Newtown - Newtown - Monday 6:15pm

John J Sullivan's Restaurant - Ansonia - Tuesday 12:15 pm

The Waterbury Club - Waterbury - Every other Tuesday 12:15 pm

Sandwich Man - Seymour - 1st and 3rd Thursday 7:15 am

Brownson Country Club - Derby - Thursday 12:15 pm

Crowne Plaza - Southbury - Thursday 7:15 am

www.rotaryeclubone.org online makeup

Rotary District 7980

Rotary International

Rotary Cruise Deals

Naugatuck Rotary

P.O. Box 484

Naugatuck, CT 06770