INSPIRATION
Rob Black read A Prayer for Government by Billy Graham:
Lord We praise You for Your goodness to our nation, giving us blessings far beyond what we deserve. Yet we know all is not right with America.  We deeply need a moral and spiritual renewal to help us meet the many problems we face.
We pray today for our nation’s leaders.  Give them the wisdom to know what is right, and the courage to do it. You have said, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.”  May this be a new era for America, as we humble ourselves and acknowledge You alone as our Lord. We pray in Your name, Amen.

 

President Bryan announced the ballots for election of board and officers will be sent to members this week. 

 

George Babcock delivered a foundation check to the Providence School Dept. following a special Zoom literacy initiative meeting attended by school officials.

 

Pete Brock announced that a literacy fundraising planning Zoom will be held 1:00 pm Tues. Jan. 26th all are welcome.

 

Districts 7950 and 7890 in Connecticut will have a joint District Conference on Zoom April 29-May1, times TBA.

 

Holly and Liz are running a diaper drive details have been emailed to members.

 

Next weeks speaker Dr. Bowtie with a excellent story and message.

 

HAPPY BUCKS
Margaret $10 story of how she would send out a friend who was a beauty queen  photo but under Margret name.

 

Rob $10 for his new granddaughter Charlotte Therese Black. His daughter is due in April with a girl.

 

Steve $1 for todays speaker Nick Burns

 

Pete $5 Enjoyed watching Brady and Brees compete. Pete sent Tom a text. He replied Go Pats, Go Bucks!

 

Mary $5 and Rob enjoyed participating in Rotary trivia night

 

Don $1 and Cherie had fun Face Timing with Johnny blue Eyes

 

Kris $1 looking forward to her filmed interview by Dave Clifton on the Sharon cable network.

 

Anthony Landi $29 he’s happy to see his Rotary friends as he walked on water!

 

Jim $1 Happy to see a BC grad as our speaker

 

Anthony Hollingshead  $1 thanks to his Nominating Committee.

 

Bintou $1 Happy to see everyone!

 

PRESIDENT BIDEN IS WELL PREPARED FOR MANY CHALLENGES HE FACES
Steve Hug introduced his college friend, former Ambassador Nick Burns, now the Goodman Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School. 

 

We see trouble at home so that means crisis overseas. Our country is a shattered glass house right now. No matter your politics we need to fix that right now. We can’t underestimate the damage that’s been done internationally. Since the great depression and WWII what we are going though is extraordinary.

 

400k COVID deaths, the recession is the most serious since 1933, people have lost their jobs, some health insurance, businesses have been forced to close. Race is in crisis right now. FBI recently said that White Supremacy is our number one domestic threat. And we have a constitutional crisis with the recent storming of the capital.

 

We have a challenge overseas when we are so divided at home. The good news is Joe Biden will be the most well prepared president in foreign policy since George H. W. Bush. Biden 40 years in the Senate, eight as VP. He’s going to bring a lot of competence and experience to the Oval Office.

 

Internationally he wants to put us back at the leadership table. Rejoin World Health Organization WHO, and Paris Climate Accord. Strengthen allied relationships, address issues with China and Russia and stand up for democracy.

 

Burns served in the US government for 27 years as a career Foreign Service Officer. He was Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, U.S. Ambassador to NATO, U.S. Ambassador to Greece, and State Department Spokesperson. He worked on the National Security Council as Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Affairs; Special Assistant to President Clinton; and Director for Soviet Affairs for President George H.W. Bush. Burns served in the American Consulate General in Jerusalem