Acting President Rob opened the meeting at our new lunch meeting site: Brattleboro Retreat Farm- North Building, Rt 30, Brattleboro, VT. Rob welcomed all to the August 15, 2024 meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary www.brattlebororotaryclub.org
Invocation:
Read by Past President Phil George
Rob lead the club with the Pledge of Allegiance
28 Members, 0 Student Rotarians and 5 guests attended the meeting.
Guests:
Regina Stefanelli’s two children Leo and Lucy; Liz Harrison’s husband, Ian; prospective member Theresa Glabach; and Spencer Crispe, speaker for the day..
JOKE OF THE WEEK - For our joke or song of the week:
Ron Stahley’s joke featured a 60-year-old couple who were each granted a wish for their birthday. The wife asked the birthday genie for a cruise. Poof, she was there. The husband asked for a wife who was 30 years his junior. Poof, he was 90.
ED NOTE: 2023-24 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
Rotarians for Rotarians:
New Members:
ROTARY MINUTE
George Weir’s Rotary Minute focused on the continuing problem of cholera around the world
Note for future presenters; The Rotary Minute could also have the speaker talk about their personal involvement in Rotary or personal background.
Years of Service in our Club for August:
On Behalf of our Club and all Rotarians, thank you for your Service Above Self
The birthday of Adrian Lezcano was noted by Ruben Garza, keeper of the club birthdays.
Meeting location -Brattleboro Retreat Farm - North Barn - Rt 30
Announcements
ED NOTE: Weekly assignments for the invocation or motivational thought can be found on the club website.>
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
Jim Haine announced
August 22 Community Farming at Moonscape Farm
Moonscape Farm; farm and food systems; art in the community by Mollie Burke; and the guardian ad litem program.
REMINDERS
Please bring your bottles and cans to the Putney Road redemption center to benefit APPN. Pure Water for the World is no longer operating in the USA; it continues in Honduras as APPN.
Maria Inestroza, the PWW country director for Honduras is continuing the work in that country under the name APPM, acronym for Agua Pura para El Mundo, or Pure Water for the World in Spanish Pure Water for the World. Please remember to inform the staff that the bottles and cans should be credited to the club.
President Rob bragged for Past President Gina’s stepping in during his recent vacation. Treasurer Rhonda bragged $100 from Tom French whose granddaughter scored a silver medal as part of Canada’s rugby team during the recent Olympics in Paris. Liz Harrison bragged about her and Ian’s son, an optical physics professor in Scotland, who will be visiting soon. Regina bragged about her children who said yes to her invitation to come to Rotary and see the new Retreat Farm North Barn. George Anthes, with three items, noted that Regina’s son and daughter are circus performers who have participated in several shows. George said he saw one of the Afghan refugees that the club has helped and that he is doing well. He also reported that former Rotarian Robin Sweetapple’s husband, Dave, a musician of note, passed away unexpectedly. President Rob also mentioned that the refugee that George had run into is starting a painting business with a Newfane resident. Rob also noted that Lise Sparrow has been coordinating a summer camp for high school students and refugees in the area to help bring the communities together.
PROGRAM
Today’s speaker was Spencer Crispe, introduced by Betsy Gentile. Spencer, a fourth-generation lawyer with Crispe & Crispe in Brattleboro, kept everyone laughing and smiling as he recounted his 20-year infatuation with being outdoors and bushwhacking his way to the top of all 770 major summits (3,000 feet or more) in the Northeast. That includes all 110 at 3,000 feet or more in Vermont, 167 in Maine, 176 in New Hampshire, 220 in the Adirondacks plus many in Pennsylvania and beyond. Spencer was the first Vermonter to climb all 770 high summits in the northeast. It took eight years of weekends to accomplish. He also is the first Vermonter to climb and ski down all 110 of Vermont’s highest mountains. And, also to climb every Vermont mountain (733) of any height.
Spencer noted that he was never good at organized sports, but that he liked the outdoors and bragged that he doesn’t do social media but would rather experience life for real. “Get off the screens an get outside!”
He recounted several adventures including coming upon an upright black bear which had a cub in a tree and one at her heel – something that made him sit up and take notice! He said he knew not to run, because once you do that, it gives the mother bear a goal – to get you. Instead, he turned around and walked away slowly. And, the bears didn’t chase him. Another time in Maine, he came across a “gargantuan” moose, so tall that you could probably drive under it.
This makes his talk sound rather dry. It wasn’t, but, as they say, “You had to be there!”
Scribe: Greg W
DISCLAIMER
Weekly changing scribes and questionable IT may have resulted in oversights and errors. We regret any mistakes.
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