President Carla Lineback welcomed all to the November 7th meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club held at the American Legion in Brattleboro. For today’s invocation, John Meyer offered the following:
May these walls be filled with laughter,
may it reach from floor to rafter.
May the roof keep out the rain,
may sunshine warm each windowpane.
And may the door be open wide
to let the Good Lord's love inside.
Guests: Visiting Rotarian Katja Matthews (Sunrise), Tom Yahn, John Willis, Terry Sylvester, and Annette & Ron Szpila.
As a luncheon of beef chop suey, baked chicken, tofu, corn, rice, salad, rolls, and brownies for dessert was being digested, the meeting continued.
TRIVIA QUESTION
How many US presidents have been Rotarians? Bonus: who was the last US president to be a Rotarian?
(Answer below.)
JOKE OF THE WEEK
For today’s joke, Betsy Gentile told a version of the following:
A lawyer and a senior citizen are sitting next to each other on a long flight. The lawyer is thinking seniors are not so smart and that he could get one over on them easily. So, the lawyer asks if the senior would like to play a fun game. The senior is tired and just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and tries to catch a few winks.
The lawyer persists, saying that the game is a lot of fun...."I ask you a question, and if you don't know the answer, you pay me only $5. Then you ask me one, and if I don't know the answer, I will pay you $500," he says. This catches the senior's attention and, to keep the lawyer quiet, he agrees to play the game.
The lawyer asks the first question. "What's the distance from the Earth to the Moon?" The senior doesn't say a word, but reaches into his pocket, pulls out a five-dollar bill, and hands it to the lawyer.
Now, it's the senior's turn. He asks the lawyer, "What goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?" The lawyer uses his laptop to search for all references he can find. He sends e-mails to all the smart friends he knows, but to no avail. After an hour of searching, he finally gives up. He wakes the senior and hands him $500. The senior pockets the $500 and goes right back to sleep.
The lawyer is going nuts not knowing the answer. He wakes the senior up and asks, "Well, so what goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four?"
The senior reaches into his pocket, hands the lawyer $5, and goes back to sleep.
At our November 14th meeting, Phil George will tell a joke or lead us in song and Gary Goodemote will offer a Rotary Minute.
NOTE: 2019-20 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
ROTARY MINUTE
Student Rotarians from BUHS, WRCC, Hinsdale, and Leland & Gray gave reports on school activities.
At our November 14th meeting, Phil George will tell a joke or lead us in song and Gary Goodemote will offer a Rotary Minute.
NOTE: 2019-20 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
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 19thnewsletter 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
Sign up sheets for upcoming community projects can be found in a 3-ring binder in the back of the room.
One more volunteer is needed for the 11/9 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.]
Holiday Lights will be strung on Main Street on December 17th. Contact Greg Worden.
Xmas tree sales will take place Dec. 7-15. Signups have begun.
“A Veteran’s Journey” will take place at Holton Home on 11/12 at 6 p.m.
Rotary Foundation Dinner will take place on 11/12 in Chester, VT. For more info, click here.
Sunrise Rotary is sponsoring a New Year's Eve party to benefit the Boys & Girls Club.
FINES
NONE ;-(
BRAGS / Happy dollars
Jerry Theberge – for all veterans who served our country.
Bill McKim – for the Student Rotarians who showed poise and maturity in their presentations.
Mara Williams – for John Willis who is retiring from Marlboro College after 28 years.
Ron Stahley – for Tom Yahn and the community partnerships he has created for BUHS.
Sophie Howlett – for World Learning winning an award from the US State Department for developing and expanding its study abroad programs for Americans.
Ron Szpila – for Rob Szpila’s charitable work.
Bill Vermouth – for the hope that Student Rotarians’ maturity will rub off on Bill McKim.
Bill Vermouth – for Gina Pattison and Marty Cohn’s marketing expertise.
Carla Lineback – for Rob Szpila’s dedication ceremony for John Kohler.
Carla Lineback – for her daughter’s enjoyment of the Rotary train at Living Memorial Park.
[ED NOTE: Had time not run out, Marty Cohn would have bragged for his last visit with his granddaughter, Talia.]
PROGRAM
Rob Szpila introduced the members of the youth group that traveled to South Dakota Indian Reservations. They showed us photos of their trip. To learn more, click here.
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
Five US presidents have been Rotarians: Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush.
