President Carla Lineback welcomed all to the April 9th meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club held via ZOOM. <ED NOTE: 30 Rotarians attended.> Chris Hart offered the following meaningful invocation:
Thank you for your lessons, oh Lord. We are, however, ready for a different example of your strength. We humbly beg you for an equal demonstration of your ability to bring us out of the current pandemic so that we may once again meet together in person.
This was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Birthday greetings were extended to Regina Stefanelli and Jerry Theberge. <ED NOTE: only Jerry was on call>
Since this was a virtual meeting, everyone was on their own for lunch.
TRIVIA QUESTION
What profession was the inspiration for the smallpox vaccine?
(Answer below.)
SONG OF THE WEEK
For the song of the week, Lisa Mendelsund led us in a rendition of “Lean on Me” in memory of Bill Withers who recently passed away.
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain We all have sorrow But if we are wise We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you're not strong And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on For it won't be long 'Til I'm gonna need Somebody to lean on
At our April 16th meeting, John Meyer will tell a joke or lead us in song and Jeff Morse will offer a Rotary Minute. 2019-20 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
ROTARY MINUTE
For today’s Rotary Minute, Mara Williams reported that the Rotary Foundation offers several options that Rotarians can use to help care for and protect people in their own communities and others around the world. For more info, click here.
At our April 16th meeting, John Meyer will tell a joke or lead us in song and Jeff Morse will offer a Rotary Minute. 2019-20 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
04/16 – Club Assembly
04/23 – Peter Eden, Landmark College
NOTE: 2019-20 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
REMINDERS
Please save your bottles and cans for whenever this Coronavirus crisis is over. Whenever it is all clear, bring them 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 37thnewsletter of the new club year.
If you like this newsletter, please brag at next Club meeting.
So far, there has been only 7 brags!
Since everyone is home, there should be increase in readership and subsequent brags!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
The club noted with sadness of the passing of Stan Nowakowski’s mother due to the Coronavirus. <ED NOTE: Carla will send out a card on behalf of the club. If you would like to send out a sympathy card, you can find Stan’s address in the club’s directory on the website.>
The following members were acknowledged for their years of service: Peter Abell (29), Dave Twombly (26), Liz Harrison (17), Jeremy Coleman (16), and Chris Hart (8).
Gina Pattison updated us about what’s going on at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. You can learn more by clicking here. If you would like to be added to the BMH Community Newsletter, contact Gina at gpattison@bmhvt.org
Applications for the 2020 Gateway Foundation Scholarships have been distributed.
The trip to South Dakota Indian reservations has been canceled.
BRAGS / HAPPY DOLLARS
<ED NOTE: Yes, we are keeping track of these happy dollars and brags.>
Mara Willians ($5) – for the five first responders in her family
Gina Pattison – for the community support of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.
Chris Hart – for Marty Cohn organizing the ZOOM Rotary meetings and the club newsletter.
Chris Hart – for getting to spend time with her grandson, Austin.
Jenifer Ambler – for the successful brain surgery on her daughter Kate on March 2 just before things started going crazy with COVID-19. The neuro people at Dartmouth were great, she did great, got the okay to resume driving and return to work. <ED NOTE: Her job is furloughed so she’s on unemployment.>
Liz Harrison ($10) – for Jerry Theberge and the Connecticut Valley Oral Surgery Associates help during her dental emergency.
Rob Szpila – for the teachers and volunteers who deliver meals to kids during this crisis.
Al Jerard – for his son and daughter working in the emergency room.
Had time not run out, Marty Cohn would have bragged for his granddaughter Talia who had a good 9-month check-up at the pediatrician.
PROGRAM
John Mabie presented Val Stuart who is the volunteer coordinator with Senior Solutions. Val updated us about all the good work of Senior Solutions. To learn more about the programs and ways in which you can volunteer, click here.
<ED NOTE: The second virtual meeting was a success. All attendees had their audio muted. If they would like to speak, they typed a message in the chatbox. Once recognized, they unmuted their audio.>
Rotary Cares - TV Show
Rotary Cares, Episode 25 – Rotary Takes a Bite Out of Hunger
In episode 25 of the award-winning, monthly show, Rotary Cares, Brattleboro Rotary Club past president Marty Cohn discusses two Rotary community nutrition projects with Gayle Ottmann, Community Service Chair of the Rotary Club of White River and Lorelei Morrissette, Resident Wellness & Services Manager for the Brattleboro Housing Partnership. 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
The basis for vaccination began in 1796 when an English doctor named Edward Jenner observed that milkmaids who had gotten cowpox did not show any symptoms of smallpox after variolation.
