NEWSLETTER

September 27, 2008

Dear Earth Friends,

Many of you missed an extremely inspiring message of great import to any Earth Charter Community when Bruce McGhie took the floor at our September meeting on the 14th. Along with his powerful words came some personal visuals, which helped us connect with the amazing life of our “flying quadriplegic” friend. We have asked for his transcript and I’m happy to say we have permission to circulate it. With our heartiest thanks to Bruce, you will find it on our website.

Our Summit and Earth Scouts: Otherwise, the days are ticking by to the biggest event we’ve planned to date, the Climate Change Summit, and the excitement is sky-high among those who have been working their hearts out to bring it to you. And for any of you with young’un’s, 5 or 6 years to 13, the Summit will include a memorable afternoon for them! It will be the introductory session of an official Earth Scouts troop, an Earth Charter affiliate not unlike the other Scouts you know about, but this one’s activities are all Earth Charter related! As the kids themselves in one starting group called it, Saving the world one fun budge at a time, Planned activities throughout the afternoon will allow parents who sign them up, with Mentor, Dr. Eileen Roark or her helpers, Erika Faircloth or Theresa Govert, to enjoy the adult events and workshops while the kids are busy saving the world in their special ways!

But kids or not, this is our major annual event that needs the support of our membership - and if you’re reading this, that’s you! Saturday, October 11, noon to 5pm, at the Nathan Hale-Ray High School, 15 School Drive (off Town St.), East Haddam. That’s just 9/10 of a mile south of the Rte 151-149 “T,” on the left, or just under 2 miles north of Ballek’s on Rte 151, on the right - 15 School Drive.

Other Summit Day Activities! Remember, Keynoter Dr. Gary Yohe, last year’s Nobel Peace Prize co-winner, a panel of a dozen of Selectmen/women from East Haddam, Old Saybrook, Essex, Portland, Old Lyme, Chester, Durham, Middlefield, Lyme, Cromwell, and Haddam. And special workshops will include, “The Scientific Building Blocks of Climate Change” by Dr Edward Monahan, Prof. Emeritus, UConn; “Global Warming, a World of Solutions” by Roger Smith, CT Climate Coalition and the Clean Water Action Campaign; “Gardening for Climate Change” by Nancy Ballek Mackinnon, well known local garden center owner; “Invasive Species and their Control” by Thomas Worthley, UConn Extension Forestry Faculty doing some hands-on, outdoor teaching; “Solar Energy for the Homeowner” by Michael Harris, PE, local Businessman, And, again Michael, “The Web of Life” – a workshop providing experiential helps to understanding the interconnections of all aspects of nature, and offer a ‘lifeline’ to address current challenges to personal, social and environmental well-being.

In addition, a wide variety of booths for your edification and enjoyment, the award winning film, The Warming of Connecticut, a brief live webcast of our group to all the others around the globe, and vice-versa, AND...The Silent Auction! So please, if you have a gift or talent or product or whatever auctionable item you can think of to donate, the time is NOW. Give me a call, an email, a visit, whatever. We have a nice collection of gifts already, but to make this event even more special, the more the merrier! Here’s your chance to get active for the Earth for a moment that will really be appreciated!

Finally, Flyers! And if you can just print something from your computer, PRINT the attached PDF file of our handsome flyer donated by our own Justin Good. Print as many as you think you can distribute to your favorite haunts, and HANG them soon. If even half of you did just that, we could smother our towns with this handsome piece of art.

And remember our Summit Motto: The World is in OUR Hands!!

So let’s all use them creatively.

Dick Watson

We offer a special welcome to the 30 or more new members who have signed on with us from the Chester Eco-Fair on 9/20. What a great day we had. Well done, Chester.

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