




Service Above Self
Brattleboro, VT 05301
United States of America


VT Farmstead Cheese provides local cheddar to Vermont Foodbank with financial support from Vermont Rotary groups
What do you and Rotary International have in common with nine Irishmen who lived more than 150 years ago? A lot! Read on ...
In the Young Irish Disorders (1848) the following men were captured, tried, and convicted of treason against Her Majesty: John Mitchell, Morris Lyene, Pat Donohue, Thomas McGee, Charles Duffy, Thomas Meagher, Richard O'Gorman, Terrence McManus and Michael Ireland.
Before passing the sentence, the judge asked if anyone wanted to speak. Meagher, speaking for all, said, "My Lord, this is our first offense but not our last. If you will be easy with us this once, we promise on our word as gentlemen to try to do better next time. And next time, surely we won't get caught." Thereupon, the indignant judge sentenced them to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. Protest from around the world forced Queen Victoria to commute their sentence and all were banished to the wilds of Australia.
In 1874, Queen Victoria was astounded to learn the new Prime Minister of Australia, Sir Charles Duffy, was the same Charles Duffy she had banished, 25 years before. She demanded to know the fate of the rest of the prisoners and received the following report:


Whiteclay, Nebraska borders the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota and has a population of about 12. It is less than two miles from the village of Pine Ridge, SD, population 3,308. It is the largest Native American city in South Dakota and is the headquarters of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Nation. There were four liquor stores in Whiteclay that sold about 4 million cans of beer, mostly to residents of Pine Ridge who left the dry reservation to buy their liquor at these stores. In 2017, the State of Nebraska Liquor Commission did not renew any of the liquor licenses in Whiteclay. As a result, all of the liquor stores closed. A non-profit corporation, Whiteclay Makerspace, was formed in Nebraska with the purpose of buying one of the liquor stores and transforming it into a makerspace for Pine Ridge area artists and craftspersons. The building has been purchased, remodeled, and opened for local artists and craftspersons. An online marketing space is now open on the website www.whiteclayredo.com


Brattleboro Rotary Club President Carla Lineback
