President Roger Allbee welcomed all to the Auguest 4, 2022 meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club www.brattlebororotaryclub.org held at the Ramunto's Restaurant. <ED NOTE: 21 members + 3 guests + 0 Student Rotarians = 24 attended.>.
Introduction of Guests:
Guests were introduced: Tom Franks introduced the Speaker, Chloe Learey of the Windham Prouty Center; Roger Miller introduced Burl and Audrey Penton, formerly of Brattleboro and now from North Carolina. Burl is a former member of the Club.
Innovation
This was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Birthday greetings - Dart Evert asked Club members to sing to Club members who recently had birthdays: George Weir and Tucker Kramer
ED NOTE: Weekly assignments for the invocation or motivational thought can be found on the club website.>
TRIVIA QUESTION
When was the The Prouty Center started?
(Answer below)
JOKE OF THE WEEK
For our joke of the week:
Presented by Roger Miller
A taxi pulled up when it started to rain.
“Boy I’m lucky,” exclaimed the guy getting into the taxi.
The tax driver: You're lucky like Jimmy White. Whenever he had to take a route out of the city, he always took the best bridge. He knew because he would always read the next day that there had been an accident on another bridge. He was always lucky at sports, the ladies, and wine selection, dancing, and women.
It sounds like you knew him very well.
No, I never met him. In fact, he’s dead now.
How do you know so much about him?!
A couple years ago he died. And I married his widow.
ED NOTE: 2021-22 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
ROTARY MINUTE
Rotary Minute - Tami
International youth exchange. Build peace one student at a time. Roger suggested we take this up with the board.
Anniversaries: Rotary anniversaries - none today.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
8/11 :Club Member and Former Club President Liz Harrison will be delivering a program
8/18 District Governor Randel Barclay visits
NOTE: 2021-22 weekly assignments, are posted on the club website.
Presentations were made from the following Student Rotarians: None today.
REMINDERS
Please bring your bottles and cans to the 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.
President Allbee recognized those in the club for years of service during the last of July.They included Tom French for 29 Years of Service as of July 23; George Anthes for 9 years as of July 26; and Jerry Theberge for 29 years as of July 30th.
Upcoming events:
Jim Haines - Upcoming programs are: Chloe Leary, Elizabeth Harrison, Randall Barkley
Stan - Groundworks meals starting in September.
Mike - seeking sponsors for Brattleboro on Wheels - great opportunity!
SAVE THE DATE: SEPTEMBER 17th – Brattleboro on Wheels
8/13/2022 – Brattleboro Area Hospice Scavenger hunt
BRAGS / HAPPY DOLLARS / Fines
<ED NOTE: Yes, we are keeping track of these happy dollars and brags.
Unless noted, happy dollars and brags are $1>
Stan Nowakowshi gave a $5 brag in recognizing George Weir, Greg Worden, and Tucker Kramer of their work in supporting the River festival.
Roger Allbee gave $2 in recognizing Grace Cottage for the continuance of the Hospital Fair in Townshend this weekend that had been discontinued in the past due to Covid.
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PROGRAM
Speaker:
Tom Franks introduced Chloe Learey of the Prouty Center where she is the Director. Chloe indicated that the Center, now at the former Austine School. The Prouty Center is named after a former U.S. Senator from Vermont (1958-1971) and it was started in 1969 and incorporated in 1972. She indicated that the Center has many programs that support families in the area. The Center owns about 180 acres of land, and is working with a broad team to determine how the land can best be used to support housing needs in the area. She went though a very good background of the need for housing that was done by the Brattleboro Housing Needs Assessment of 2021. She indicated that they have a broad assortment of individuals involved in this initial work. The next stage or steps:
1. Maser Plan and feasibility study with concept design; 2. Water and sewer infrastructure study; 3.Finanncing and Partnerships options.
Chloe indicated that this is very aspirational but hopes that some units can be constructed within 2 years.
There were many questions following her very interesting and aspirational presentation on meeting housing needs in the area.