President Bill Vermouth welcomed all to the February 28th meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club held at the American Legion in Brattleboro. Members who are organizing this year’s Brattleboro on Wheels welcomed members and guests to the meeting <ED NOTE: Mike Mandracchia and Jim Haine must have practiced because this was done in perfect unison>. In recognition of the 46th anniversary of the Wounded Knee Occupation at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Marty Cohn offered the following invocation from Lakota Chief Yellow Lark (1887):
Oh, Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds
and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I am small and weak.
I need your strength and wisdom.
Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes
ever behold the red and purple sunset.
Make my hands respect the things you have made
and my ears sharp to hear your voice.
Make me wise so that I may understand
the things you have taught my people.
Let me learn the lessons you have hidden
in every leaf and rock.
I seek strength, not to be superior to my brother,
but to fight my greatest enemy - myself.
Make me always ready to come to you
with clean hands and straight eyes,
so when life fades, as the fading sunset,
my spirit will come to you
without shame.
This was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Birthday greetings were extended to Dart Everett. <ED NOTE: all members stood to sing because Dart stands every week for everyone else’s birthday>
As a luncheon of grilled chicken, tofu, boiled potatoes, broccoli, salad, bread and cheesecake with blueberry sauce for dessert was being digested, the meeting continued.
GUESTS: Terry Sylvester and Stephanie Bonin (speaker)
TRIVIA QUESTION
For whom was Brattleboro named?
(Answer below.)
03/07 – Rob Szpila, Students traveling to South Dakota
03/14 – No Club Meeting – plan to attend Bowling Night on 3/15
03/21 – Jerry Theberge, TBA
03/28 – Kevin Quigley, Marlboro College
04/04 – Vermont Attorney General Thomas J. Donovan
NOTE: 2018-19 weekly assignments are posted on 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.
If you like this newsletter, brag at next Club meeting.
So far, TEN.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Wishes for a speedy recovery being sent to Roger Miller.
A discussion on the Abenakis will take place on Sunday at Guilford Church.
The golf committee will have a meeting on 3/7 at the Marina after work.
Brattleboro on Wheels committee is looking for raffle items.
Save the dates:
Rotary Bowling Night on Friday, March 15. For more info, please contact Dave Twombly
Brattleboro Rotary Golf Tournament is June 6.
Brattleboro on Wheels is June 29
Two more volunteers are needed for the Foodbank project on March 9.
Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development is holding its 5th Annual Par for the Course mini golf event on March 9. The next day, the mini golf course will be open for children. For more info, click here.
FINES
Steve Gordon was fined for not telling Brad Stevens about joining Rotary.
President Bill Vermouth was fined for neglecting to call on Dart Everett for birthday greetings.
BRAGS
Dave Twombly – for Marty Cohn creating the effective Bowling Night email.
Marty Cohn– for the club buying the remaining raffle tickets for the quilt. $500 has been raised to benefit the Pine Ridge Food Delivery Program. <ED NOTE: The raffle drawing will take place at next week's club meeting.>
Marty Cohn– for Regina Stefanelli being such a fantastic guest on Episode 15 of Rotary Cares.
Marty Cohn– for Dr. Dana McGinn doing a spectacular double cataract surgery.
Bill Vermouth - for Regina Stefanelli appearance on Episode 15 of Rotary Cares.
Bill Vermouth - for being able to pull out of his garage with an accident.
Phil Steckler – for Stephanie Bonin being such a wonderful person.
Sophia Howlett – for the care her husband received at BMH.
Dart Everett – for the excellent progress report received for his grandson.
PROGRAM
Robin Sweetapple presented Stephanie Bonin, executive director of Brattleboro Downtown Alliance. She told us about the upcoming Short Term Rental Summit, a two-day summit, May 19th – May 20th for Vermont short term rental hosts & vacation property owners, designed to celebrate & acknowledge their phenomenal success in our state, to build sustainable business skills, & inspire awareness of state policies. Stephanie also updated us about the BDA marketing proposal that will be discussed at Brattleboro Representative meeting.
Rotary Cares - TV Show or Podcast
Rotary Cares, Episode 15 – Membership
Brattleboro Rotary Club past president Marty Cohn talks about Rotary membership with guests Brattleboro Rotary Club member Regina Stefanelli and Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary member Tom Franks. Produced 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 1724 Lt. Governor William Dummer of the Massachusetts Bay Colony built Fort Dummer as protection against the Abenaki. The area around the fort became a New Hampshire grant and was charted on the day after Christmas 1753 – the first “town” in Vermont. It was named Brattleborough after Col. William Brattle, Jr. of Boston (who never set foot in his namesake municipality!) In 1888, Brattleborough became Brattleboro. For more info, click here.
