President Carla Lineback welcomed all to the November 21st meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club held at the American Legion in Brattleboro. For today’s invocation, Frank Rucker offered a meaningful invocation. This was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Birthday greetings were extended to Tom French and Carl Lynde.
Guests: Visiting Rotarians Angel Balch (Deerfield Valley) and Dan Smith (Keene Elm City), Joy Everett, Marcia Steckler, Barb Harris and Jamie Hathaway (speaker).
As a luncheon of beef goulash, butternut squash lasagna, pork loin, chick pea medley, green beans, rice pilaf, corn, rice, salad, rolls, and apple crisp with homemade maple whipped cream for dessert was being digested, the meeting continued.
TRIVIA QUESTION
Where did the original Rotary bell come from?
(Answer below.)
JOKE OF THE WEEK
There was no joke this week ;-(
[ED NOTE: For newsletter readers, I offer the following: A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn’t find one big enough for her family. She asked the stock boy, “Do these turkeys get any bigger?” The stock boy answered, “No ma’am, they’re dead.”]
There is no meeting next week – Happy Thanksgiving! At our December 5th meeting, Gary Goodemote will tell a joke or lead us in song and Jeff Hagstrom will offer a Rotary Minute.
NOTE: 2019-20 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
ROTARY MINUTE
For the Rotary Minute, Dart Everett reported that donors around the world are injecting another $2.6 billion into eradicating polio, a goal that remains elusive despite years of pursuit.
There is no meeting next week – Happy Thanksgiving! At our December 5th meeting, Gary Goodemote will tell a joke or lead us in song and Jeff Hagstrom will offer a Rotary Minute.
NOTE: 2019-20 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
12/05 – Club Assembly – Senior Gift Wrapping Project
12/12 – Gary Goodemote, TBA
12/19 – Steve Gordon, TBA
12/26 – DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS – NO MEETING
NOTE: 2019-20 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
REMINDERS
Bottles and cans can be brought 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 20thnewsletter of the new year.
If you like this newsletter, please brag at next Club meeting.
So far, there has been only 1 brag!
Does this mean you are not reading this newsletter????
ANNOUNCEMENTS
A thank you note was received from last week’s speaker, Don Freeman, for the courtesies extended to him.
Sign up sheets for upcoming community projects can be found in a 3-ring binder in the back of the room.
The first Seasonal Overflow Shelter meal will be served on Sat., Dec. 7. The following date is Monday, Jan. 13. Contact Stan Nowakowski.
Two volunteers are needed for the 12/14 VT Foodbank Sort-A-Thon. Contact Stan Nowakowski.
“Pie It Forward” pumpkin pies will be baked on 11/19 and 11/20. [ED NOTE: 64 pies have been ordered so far. If you would like to order a pie, contact Roger Allbee.]
Xmas tree sales will take place Dec. 7-15. Signups have begun.
One hundred “Pie It Forward” pumpkin pies have been baked and 80 have been sold.
SAVE THE DATE: Bowling Mixer is planned on 1/31 at Brattleboro Bowl.
Sunrise Rotary is sponsoring a New Year's Eve party to benefit the Boys & Girls Club.
Angel Balch, president of the Rotary Club of the Deerfield Valley exchanged club banners with President Carla Lineback
FINES
A proposed fine for a table with only one gender was rejected because one of the members was not sure of his identified gender today.
BRAGS / Happy dollars
Marty Cohn – for the good conversation at his luncheon table and for Phil Steckler being in attendance.
Dart Everett – for the efforts of PolioPlus.
Stan Nowakowski – for Betsy Gentile stepping up to help with the first meal at Seasonal Overflow Shelter.
Marty Cohn – for the Pie It Forward committee baking 100 pies in two nights.
Roger Allbee – for the teamwork displayed by the Pie It Forward committee.
Bill Vermouth – for the support of River Valley Credit Union during the Christmas Tree sales.
Greg Worden – for all the Rotary members who helped string the lights on Main Street.
George Anthes – for the Hockey Association Squirt White Team.
Carl Lynde – for doing seven ski runs today.
Andy Rome – for remembering how to ski seven times today.
PROGRAM
Dart Everett introduced Jamie Hathaway, President/CEO, Make a Wish Foundation Vermont. Jamie told us about the wonderful work of this organization in granting wishes to children with a critical illness. Wishes are more than just a nice thing. And they are far more than gifts, or singular events in time. “Wishes impact everyone involved - wish kids, volunteers, donors, sponsors, medical professionals, and communities. The impact varies. For wish kids, just the act of making their wish come true can give them the courage to comply with their medical treatments. Parents might finally feel like they can be optimistic. And still, others might realize all they have to offer the world through volunteer work or philanthropy.” This organization grants 34-36 wishes per year in Vermont. One of the best grant wishes was the one for Dart’s grandson, Michael.
Rotary Cares - TV Show
In episode 21 of the award-winning, monthly show, Rotary Cares, Brattleboro Rotary Club past president Marty Cohn talks to Brattleboro Sunrise Club Past President Michelle Pong and Rotary District 7870 Past District Governor Rick Manganello about a focus area of Rotary International – Eradicating Polio. Directed by Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club past president Kevin Yager in the studio of 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
In 1922, U.S. Rotarians organized an attendance contest; the challenge was that the losing clubs would join in giving the winning club a prize. The Rotary Club of New York City was declared the winner and to them was awarded as a prize a bell from a popular patrol boat, which was placed on wood that came from HMS "Victory", Admiral Nelson's vessel at the battle of Trafalgar.
Since then, the bell used in Rotary meetings started to represent, as on the ships, order, discipline and the time to guide us through the weekly hour and a half meetings. The bell informs us with its sound the beginning of the Rotary meeting, at which time people present should stand, same as at the end, in order to salute the national and Rotary flags. The gavel symbolizes the authority invested in the Rotarian elected to the highest position in Rotary, and through him, reminds those present of his authority. When presidents transmit their positions to their successors at the end of their mandate, they give the bell their last hit turning the gavel over to their successor, symbolizing the transfer of authority.
