President Carl Lynde welcomed all to the December 10th meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club held via ZOOM. <ED NOTE: 26 Rotarians attended.> Rick Manson via President Carl offered the following invocation:
As we gather here today as members of Rotary, we pray that we are ever mindful of opportunities to render our service to fellow citizens and to our community. Keeping in mind always the enduring values of life, exerting our efforts in those areas and on those things upon which future generations can build with confidence. Let us continue to strive to make a better world. Amen.
<ED NOTE: Weekly assignments for the invocation or motivational thought can be found on the club website. The following would be the next people on the list: Bill McKim (12/17), Lisa Mendelsund (1/7), John Meyer (1/14), Roger Miller (1/21)>
This was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Birthday greetings were extended to Bill McKim.
GUESTS: Margaret Atkinson (speaker)
TRIVIA QUESTION
Hanukkah is one of the best known and most joyous holidays for the Jewish community that celebrates family and faith.
When did Hallmark first begin producing Hanukkah cards?
(Answer below)
JOKE OF THE WEEK
No joke this week. ;-(
<ED NOTE: For bulletin readers, I offer the following:
Last December, a grandmother was giving directions to her grown grandson who was coming to visit with his wife. “You come to the front door of the apartment complex. I am in apartment 14T.” She continued, “There is a big panel at the door. With your elbow push button 14T. I will buzz you in. Come inside, the elevator is on the right. Get in, and with your elbow hit 14. When you get out I am on the left. With your elbow, hit my doorbell.” “Grandma, that sounds easy,” replied the grandson, “but why am I hitting all these buttons with my elbow”? To which she answered, “You’re coming empty-handed?”
At our December 17th meeting, Cyndi Ferrante will tell a joke or lead us in song and Tom French will offer a Rotary Minute. 2020-21 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
ROTARY MINUTE
For the Rotary Minute, Tom Franks reminded us why we belong to Rotary:
31 words
"Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world.”
Rotary Objectives
The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:
FIRST. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
SECOND. High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society;
THIRD. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
FOURTH. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.
<ED NOTE:Dart Everett offered a second minute in which he reminded us that “tolerance is one of the most important virtues in the Rotary Spirit”. To read more, click here. https://rotary7910.org/stories/tolerance-is-one-of-the-most-important-virtues-in-the-rotary-spirit31 words
At our December 17th meeting, Cyndi Ferrante will tell a joke or lead us in song and Tom French will offer a Rotary Minute. 2020-21 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
12/17 - Mary Ellen Copeland, Deer Run Nature Preserve
12/24 – No meeting – Merry Christmas!
12/31 – No meeting – Happy New Year!
NOTE: 2020-21 weekly assignments, are posted on the club website.
REMINDERS
Please bring your bottles and cans to Putney Road redemption center to benefit Pure Water for the World. Please remember to inform the staff that the bottles and cans should be credited to the club.
This is the 23rdnewsletter of the 2020-2021 club year.
There has only been 4brags so far????????
FINES
NONE ;-(
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Acknowledgment of years of service: Kevin Kilelee (1), Milt Eaton (21), Jim Haine (40), and Phil Steckler (46)
Ron Stahley will be having knee surgery on Monday.
The disc golf tournament exceeded participation and financial expectations. Plans for next year’s tournament have begun.
We are organizing meals for Groundworks for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. If you would like to help out, contact Stan Nowakowski.
Over half the Christmas trees have been sold. There is still an opening for 3-6 on Saturday. If you can help, contact Carla Lineback. <ED NOTE: Please like AND share messages on the club’s Facebook page in order to get the most exposure to club posts.>
The Senior Gift Committee will be distributing gifts to area nursing home residents tomorrow.
The holiday card project to 279 area nursing home residents has sent cards to 3 out of 5 nursing homes.
BRAGS / HAPPY DOLLARS
<ED NOTE: Yes, we are keeping track of these happy dollars and brags.
Unless noted, happy dollars and brags are $1>
Carla Lineback - for Bill Vermouth changing the weather to allow for a big Christmas tree sale day on Sunday.
Gina Pattison ($10) – for Mike Mandracchia holding down the fort when she had to leave her Christmas tree shift early.
John Meyer – for Jim Haine’s perfect attendance in 40 years.
John Meyer – for Carla Lineback’s leadership with Christmas tree sale.
Cheri Ann Brodhurst – for Jim Haine being her club sponsor.
Bill Vermouth – for Carl Lynde’s leadership under COVID.
Bill Vermouth – for the club’s board ending its meeting on time.
Teddy Kramer ($5) - for his 10-month old daughter, Greta, not crying while getting her booster shot.
PROGRAM
Roger Allbee presented Margaret Atkinson, co-chair of the Hunger Council of the Windham Region, who gave us an update about what is being done to help food-insecure people in the area. Some things we can do to help:
donate money
donate high-quality food/health supplies
volunteer
advocate.
For a guide to healthy food donations, click here.
<ED NOTE: You can round up your bill at Brattleboro Food Coop with the monies going to Groundworks. To learn more about “Round-Up for Change” click here.
Rotary Cares - TV Show
Rotary Cares, Episode 30 – Community Service
In episode 30 of the award-winning, monthly show, Rotary Cares, Brattleboro Rotary Club past president Marty Cohn discusses community service with his guests, Windsor VT Rotary Club President Mary Springer and Jaffrey-Rindge NH Rotary Club public relations chair Owen Houghton. The show is produced by Brattleboro Community Television.
Past President Martin Cohn who attempts to give a gist of the meeting respectfully submitted this bulletin. However, it is always better to attend. If you have any complaints about the contents of this bulletin...
ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION
Hanukkah (also commonly spelled “Chanukah”) is an eight-day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, which may occur from late November to late December. This year, it will be celebrated from sundown Dec. 10, 2020, to sundown Dec. 18, 2020. Hanukkah means “rededication” in Hebrew. The holiday commemorates an event that occurred many centuries ago, marking the survival of Judaism. Hallmark first produced cards for Hanukkah in the 1940s.
