President Carla Lineback welcomed all to the April 2^nd meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club held via ZOOM. <ED NOTE: We have not been able to meet since March 12^th. This was the club’s first virtual meeting and we had 45 participants.> Phil George offered the following meaningful invocation, Covid-19, A Prayer for Solidarity:

For all who have contracted coronavirus,
We pray for care and healing.

For those who are particularly vulnerable,
We pray for safety and protection.

For all who experience fear or anxiety,
We pray for peace of mind and spirit.

For affected families who are facing difficult decisions between food on the table or public safety,
We pray for policies that recognize their plight.

For those who do not have adequate health insurance,
We pray that no family will face financial burdens alone.

For those who are afraid to access care due to immigration status,
We pray for recognition of the God-given dignity of all.

For our brothers and sisters around the world,
We pray for shared solidarity.

For public officials and decisionmakers,
We pray for wisdom and guidance.

Father, during this time may your Church be a sign of hope, comfort and love to all.
     Grant peace.
     Grant comfort.
     Grant healing.
     Be with us, Lord.

Amen.

This was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Birthday greetings were extended to those who celebrated their special days in March: Milt Eaton, Chris Hart, Mike Mandracchia and Teddy Kramer.

Since this was a virtual meeting, everyone was on their own for lunch.

JOKE OF THE WEEK

For the joke of the week, Bill McKim told the following:

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight. Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper, "Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he
knew she would find it. The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed. The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."

At our April 9^th meeting, Lisa Mendelsund will tell a joke or lead us in song and Fred Moriarty will offer a Rotary Minute. 2019-20 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.

ROTARY MINUTE

For today’s Rotary Minute, Rick Manson spoke about the ways in which things have changed during the Coronavirus crisis. While district conferences, student exchanges, and international conferences have been canceled, clubs around the globe are still finding ways to conduct meetings and maintain fellowship.

At our April 9^th meeting, Lisa Mendelsund will tell a joke or lead us in song and Fred Moriarty will offer a Rotary Minute. 2019-20 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

04/09 – Val Stuart, Senior Solutions
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. When possible, 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.
“Like” the club’s Facebook page

This is the 36th newsletter of the new club year.
If you like this newsletter, please brag at next Club meeting.

So far, there has been only 6 brags!

Does this mean you are not reading this newsletter????

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Student Rotarians from BUHS and WRCC gave their monthly report.
If you know of any Rotarian in need, contact Dart Everett.
The last SOS meal will be delivered on April 4.
There will not be the Vermont Foodbank Sort-A-Thon in April and May.
The board will be meeting next week. On the agenda will be how to handle attendance, club fees, and club happy dollars.
The club mixer scheduled for Thursday, April 30 at Saxtons Distillery has been canceled.

BRAGS / HAPPY DOLLARS

Bill McKim ($5) – for his playing Carillon by GF Handel being posted on YouTube.
Jerry Theberge ($1) – for the calls by Rotarians to check up on other Rotarians.
George Anthes – for Neighbor to Neighbor Help.
Mara Williams ($5) – for the calls by Rotarians to check up on other Rotarians.
Mara Williams ($5) – for Neighbor to Neighbor Help.
Mara Williams ($5) – the “Bells for Brattleboro” in which you ring a bell for two minutes at 8 PM.
Betsy Gentile ($5) – for her son-in-law, Mark, a pediatrician in Williamstown.
Jim Haine – for Guilford Community Church continuing to stream its services during COVID-19.
Dart Everett – for the two weeks he got to spend in Brazil.
Andy Rome ($5) – for the phone call he got from Mara Williams and the package of goods she delivered.
Jeremy Coleman – for his daughter, a pediatrician in Seattle and his son a speech pathologist in Franklin County.
Carla Lineback – for Marty Cohn putting together the virtual Rotary meetings on ZOOM.
Bill Vermouth – for the leadership of Carla Lineback during COVID-19 and her well-written emails.
Chris Hart ($5) – for her daughter being a nurse in Central Vermont while taking take of her 6-month old child.
Chris Hart ($5) – for the staff of Brattleboro Housing Partnership that continues to do their essential jobs.
Tami Purcell ($5) – for her nephews two new wines.
Tami Purcell ($5) – for the four doctors in her family.
Roger Allbee ($5) – for the folks making masks for Grace Cottage Hospital.
Roger Allbee ($5) – for the folks rediscovering Victory Gardens.
Cheri Ann Brodhurst ($10)– for all the OB/GYNs stepping up to the plate during this crisis and helping to expose the shortfalls in the healthcare system.
Rob Szpila – for his wife and all teachers who continue to educate children during this crisis.

PROGRAM

President-elect Carl Lynde talked about his idea, “Brattleboro Rotary Flag Project” in which, For a nominal contribution, Rotary will place a 3 ft by 5 ft U.S. flag on a 10 ft pole in front of a business four times each year.

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.

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

Lupe Hernández is an American nurse who, as a student nurse in 1966, invented the now ubiquitous hand sanitizer. Hernández invented the hand sanitizer while a student nurse in Bakersfield, California in 1966, discovering that a substance with 60-65% alcohol could become a cleanser without the need for water and soap. For more info, click here.