President Carl Lynde welcomed all to the March 18, 2021 meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club held via ZOOM. <ED NOTE: 27 members + 8 guests = 35 attended.> President Carl offered the following motivational poem by John Milnor, Past President, The Rotary Club of La Conner, Washington:

MY FRIENDS AND I
We work on exciting projects, near and far, large and small

Being proud of these projects, my friends and I,

We build park facilities and homes with Habitat for Humanity,

Lasting projects, built by, my friends and I,

We donate family Christmas boxes and youth group supplies

Providing joy near home, my friends and I,

We supply children’s books, dictionaries, and a Guatemalan bookmobile

Spreading literacy at home and abroad, my friends and I,

We distribute wheelchairs and award college scholarships

Developing personal improvement, from my friends and I,

We act to eradicate polio and equip hospitals

Improving healthcare worldwide, my friends and I,

We fund homeless shelters, food banks, and senior centers

Aiding local community neighbors in need, my friends and I,

We send youth to leadership camps, Sea Scouts, and youth exchanges

Training future leaders sponsored by, my friends and I,

Disaster relief, school projects, and medical clinics organized,

By friends of friends, are supported by, my friends and I,

Other friends provide low tech stoves, wells, and sewage systems

All encouraging more projects, from my friends and I,

We meet, wine, dine, socialize and party together

Inspiring projects, through the fellowship of, my friends and I,

We are men and women, young and old, wealthy and not

Working together for World Peace and prosperity,
MY FRIENDS AND I ARE ROTARIANS,
MY FRIENDS AND I

ED NOTE: Weekly assignments for the invocation or motivational thought can be found on the club website. The following would be the next people on the list: Frank Rucker (3/25), Ana Saavedra (4/1), Ron Stahley (4/8), Phil Steckler (4/15), Regina Stefanelli (4/22), Rob Szpila (4/29)>

This was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Birthday greetings were extended to Teddy Kramer and Mike Mandracchia.

Guests: Visiting Brattleboro Sunrise Rotarians Josh Traeger and Tristam Johnson, Maggie Lewis, John Willis, Mary Collins, Yvonne “Tiny” DeCory and Laticia “Donnie” DeCory (speakers)

TRIVIA QUESTION

What is the officially reported poverty rate for American Indians living on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota?

(Answer below)

JOKE OF THE WEEK

For the joke of the week, Marcy Jones told a version of the following:

A husband notices his wife hasn’t been answering him when he talks, so decides to take her to the family doctor to see what’s wrong. “Doc, I think my wife is going deaf,” he explains when they arrive. It’s something the doctor has seen many times before and he comes up with a simple routine to test the wife’s hearing. “Stand some distance away from her and ask her a question,” he tells the man. “If she doesn’t answer, move a little closer and ask again. Keep doing this until she answers. Only then will we be able to tell how hard of hearing she really is.” The man walks across the room and follows the doctor’s instructions. “Sweetie, what’s for dinner?” he asks. No answer. He walks closer and asks again. “Honey, what’s for dinner?” Still nothing. The man repeats this several times until he is standing right in front of his wife. Finally, she answers him.“For the 20th time, I said we are having chicken for dinner,” she screams.

At our March 25^th meeting, Kevin Kilelee will tell a joke or lead us in song and Teddy Kramer will offer a Rotary Minute. 2020-21 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.

ROTARY MINUTE

For the Rotary Minute, Ted Kramer informed us about the history of the Rotary headquarters. To learn more, click here.

At our March 25^th meeting, Kevin Kilelee will tell a joke or lead us in song and Teddy Kramer will offer a Rotary Minute. 2020-21 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

03/25 – Casey Haynes, Welcome Wagon
04/01 – Mara Williams, " A Cultural Collaboration with Brattleboro Museum"
04/08 - Boyd Bosma, "Ending the standoff at Wounded Knee"
04/15 - Patricia Roberts, Chief Operating Officer at Gift of College, Inc.
05/06 - Olivia Apps, "Rugby Life Lessons"
05/20 – Rob Szpila, “Passing On”

NOTE: 2020-21 weekly assignments, are posted on the club website.

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.
“Like” the club’s Facebook page.

This is the 35th newsletter of the 2020-2021 club year.

The editor would like to take this opportunity to thank the 5 people who have bragged so far. A quick check of readership reveals that over 50% of the club is reading this newsletter. Don't be shy to brag, readers.

FINES

NONE ;-(

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The club will be donating $750 towards Dick Gray’s Brattleboro Flowering Truck. Sunrise is going to donate $1000. If you would like to contribute to the goal of raising another $750 so that we can get the Rotary logo on the truck, contact Carl Lynde.

BRAGS / HAPPY DOLLARS

<ED NOTE: Yes, we are keeping track of these happy dollars and brags.
Unless noted, happy dollars and brags are $1>

Teddy Kramer ($10) – for his one-year daughter starting to walk.
Mike Mandracchia – for Carl Lynde not singing happy birthday.
Rob Szpila ($20) – for all the work that Yvonne DeCory and John Willis are doing to make the BEAR Project successful.

PROGRAM

Yvonne DeCory + Laticia DeCory

Marty Cohn invited renowned photographer and author John Willis to introduce Yvonne “Tiny” DeCory, founder of BEAR Project, and Laticia DeCory, BEAR Project board member, at Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The BEAR (Be Excited About Reading) Project is a literacy and life outreach project for youth and families on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (Oglala Lakota) in South Dakota. The BEAR program addresses the many struggles facing Native youth such as:

• literacy skills • high school drop out rate

• bullying • need for peer mentoring

• making good decisions • alcohol and drugs

• relationships. • teen and family struggles

• suicide • death, dying, and grief

To learn more, click here.

To view the trailer for a documentary about the program, click here.

<ED NOTE: You can watch past presentations on the BCTV show, “Brattleboro Rotary Club Speaker Series.” by visiting https://www.brattleborotv.org/brattleboro-rotary-club-speaker-series

Rotary Cares - TV Show

Rotary Cares, Episode 33 –Membership

In episode 33 of the award-winning, monthly show, Rotary Cares, Brattleboro Rotary Club past president Marty Cohn talks about Rotary membership with guests Monique Ruth, past president of the Queen City Rotary Club and Seneca Eldredge, president, of the Hooksett Area Rotary Club. The show is produced by Brattleboro Community Television.

To watch the show, click here.

To listen to the podcast, click here.

DISCLAIMER

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 officially reported poverty rate for American Indians living on Pine Ridge is 53.75%. The United States average is 15.6%. Many assessments, drawing from sources other than U.S. Census data and government tabulations place the actual poverty rate in excess of 80% of the reservation's population. Two of the five "poorest communities in America" are located on the Pine Ridge Reservation: Allen (#1) and Wounded Knee (#4).