President-elect Bill Vermouth welcomed all to the July 20th meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club held at the American Legion in Brattleboro. ED NOTE: President-elect Bill shares President George’s need to work on his bell ringing skills.George Anthes offered a meaningful invocation by reciting W.H. Auden’s Musee des Beaux Arts:
About suffering they were never wrong,
The old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position: how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.
In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.
This was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Birthday greetings were extended to Rob Szpila.
As a luncheon of roast pork, spicy quinoa, carrots, mashed potatoes, salad, bread and brownies for dessert was being digested, the meeting continued.
Guests: There were no guests.
TRIVIA QUESTION
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first astronaut to step on the moon?
Who was the last man to step on the moon?
(answer below)
SONG OF THE WEEK
For our Rotary song, Marty Cohn led the club in singing the Rotary Song.
R-O-T-A-R-Y
That spells Rotary
R-O-T-A-R-Y
Is known on land and sea
From north to south
From east to west
One profits most who serves the best
R-O-T-A-R-Y, that spells Rotary!
ED NOTE: The song was copyrighted in 1923 by the Rotary Club of Wilmington, Delaware
ROTARY MINUTE
For our Rotary minute, Rick Manson recounted about the time club members went down to El Salvador for a water project. Rick saw a teenager borrow his father’s spurs and then ride off on the family burro. He laughed as he realized this was the equivalent of borrowing keys to the family car.
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At our July 27th meeting, Carla Lineback will tell a joke or lead us in song, while John Mabie delivers a Rotary Minute.
NOTE: Weekly assignments are posted on club website.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
07/27 – Chris Wocell presents: Jim Verzino, Windham Grows
08/03 – Mara Williams presents: Drew Hazelton, Rescue Diving and Searching
08/10 – Wendy Harrison presents: Buzz Schmidt, Retreat Farm
08/17 - Club Assembly
NOTE: 2017-18 Weekly assignments (program, joke, and Rotary minute) are posted on club’s website.
FINES
There were no fines today ;-(
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Dart Everett extended greetings from Dave Underhill to the club.
Anyone interested in playing in the District Golf Tournament on 8/18 should contact Jeff Hagstrom.
Brattleboro on Wheels is taking place on 8/26. If you can volunteer, distribute postcards or share FACEBOOK posts, contact Mike Mandracchia
Rotarians for Rotarians Committee will meet after today's regular club meeting.
BRAGS
Teri Keizer– for Steve Gordon and Gina Pattison for allowing her to work at BMH where she has gone down 3 dress sizes.
Dave Twombly – for a golf outing to the Wellesley Country Club.
Bill McKim – for buying a Hill Topper for his bike so that he can easily go over the hill.
John Meyer – for his recent vacation to Switzerland and Austria.
Katja Matthews – for the German Soccer Team.
Jeff Hagstrom – for a recent family reunion where he learned that a relative participated in Harris Hill.
Bill Vermouth – for Rob Szpila instructing him that if one steps on a bees nest in disk golf, there are no rules.
Marty Cohn – for launching his third BCTV show, “ Grace Cottage Hospital’s Healthcare Matters”
Ana Saavedra – for supporting an Alzheimer research event wearing a tee shirt Gray Matter Matters.
PROGRAM:
The Club Assembly featured Dave Twombly telling us about the committees under Club Service; Bill Vermouth talking about the Gift Giving Committee and Rhonda Calhoun presenting an overview on the club’s budget.
REMINDERS
Bottles and cans can be brought to Putney Road redemption center to benefit Pure Water for the World.Please see Mara Williams.
It's a new year... If you like this newsletter, brag at next Club meeting.
This bulletin was respectfully submitted by Past President Martin Cohn who attempts to give a gist of the meeting. However, it is always better to attend. If you have any complaints about the contents of this bulletin....
