Club Newsletter for January 16, 2013
January 16, 2013 Newsletter
By John Hammer
Charlotte Shelburne Rotary
Wednesday, January 16, 2013, 7:15 a.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church Community Room
Welcome
President Adam Bartsch opened the meeting with the Pledge and called on Kris Engstrom to give the devotional.
Club Assembly
Guests: None
Quote for the Day: “Happy that we are not the Vergennes Club. Although it was fun to go to another meeting; they sang. That’s a deal breaker right there.” Judy Christensen in describing her visit to the Vergennes Club.
The Word for the Day: Proffered0 - Appears below with definition.
Announcements
Upcoming:
January 23 – Michelle Parent, Vermont Interactive
January 30 – Sam Akerson of the Shelburne Museum will discuss the new building.
June 6: District Governor Change of Guard at Shelburne Farms Coach Barn. (Our club will play a key role in this event.)
District Membership Growth
President Bartsch announced that the District is trying for an audacious 100% membership growth. The period over which this growth might be achieved was not given. To further this a “Family Plan” has been developed. Under this program additional members from the same household may join Rotary at a reduced cost. Each Family Plan Member pays half the District dues and supplementary costs (PETS training) though they do not receive The Rotarian Magazine. Thus, each additional member saves by paying only 55% plus any additional club dues. This applies to any immediate family member who meets the Club’s membership requirements. Refer questions to the Chair of the Membership Committee, Ric Flood.
Vote for Club Officers for 2013-4 Rotary Year
The following persons were unanimously voted in as officers for the upcoming Rotary Year beginning on July 1, 2013:
Incoming President – Dave Jonah (Present Vice President)
Vice President – Richard Fox (President-Elect to be)
Treasurer – Russ Blodgett (Present Treasurer)
Secretary – John Beal (Present Secretary).
Rotary Speech Contest
Judy Christensen reported that Caroline Jones, our speech contest winner just won the second round and goes on to the next round on January 26th. Should she win there she would go on to the District Conference in May. Judy also noted that Caroline had just won the Second Place in the VFW Vermont statewide speech contest.
Jim Spad’s Humor
George and Aggie lived on a remote peninsula in Maine. Their nearest town was across the cove which was frozen over every winter. George asked Aggie if she wouldn’t pop across to the store and get him some “smokes ‘n beer.” Aggie happily agreed and asked George for some money, to which he replied, “Nah, just ask Seth to put it on the tab.”
So Aggie walked across the cove, bought the goods, and walked safely back across the frozen cove. After she have proffered* the “smokes ‘n beer’” to George, she asked, ”Why do you always ask Seth to put it on a tab? Why don’t you just give me the money.” To which George replied, “Well, Aggie girl, I didn’t want to send you out there with cash when I’m not sure how thick the ice is.”
Sergeant at Arms
Richard Fox appeared today dressed in his best bib ‘n tucker. Must be another appearance before d’ Judge. Good luck, Richard.
Fines
Michael Clapp – For such a great Club!
Kris Engstrom – Brita is back safely from Columbia and she is now down to 3 cats.
Sam Feitelberg – Wishes wellness for all.
Judy Christensen – Happy for Caroline Jones’ win, for Roz Graham who readily agreed to be a judge at the second round of the speech contest, and for all Rotary youth programs. Happy that we are not a singing club.
Roz Graham – Great fun to visit the Vergennes Rotary Club (where she judged the second round). In comparing the two clubs, Roz was happy that we compared very well. Terrill Titus – Happy to have made up at the Colchester-Milton Rotary Club. They sing as well.
Ric Flood – For sitting framed between two such beautiful members (Terrill Titus and Pat Sokolowski). He took a lot of heat because Jim Spad was actually sitting on his right, between him and Terrill.
Pat Sokolowski – Happy that we have raised $4,200 for Polio Plus and Rotary International’s Annual Fund. She noted that she still had five matching funds opportunities open and suggested that baked goods were still in the bargain.
Jim Spadaccini – Happy to belong to the best Rotary Club ever.
Howard Seaver – Congratulations to the officers just elected.
John Hammer – For the visit of his son and family from California in conjunction with the baptism of his two grandsons from Shelburne.
Terry Kennaugh – For the baptism of Hammer’s grandson, Will.
John Beal – For a weekend of great spring skiing
Trafton Crandall – Late
Alan Hathaway – For the new slate of officers.
Gary Bergeron – for the Patriot’s continuing wins.
Michael Clapp – For being a member of a great Club.
Mal Parker – For the forthcoming birth of a first grandson on 4/16 and for being here after a long absence.
Linda Gilbert – With John Dupee for the forthcoming opening of a Trader Joes in May (We’ll see, hope and pray)
Linda Schiavonne – For such a great slate of officers.
Richard Fox – Patriots still plugging along.
John Beal - Drew the 9 of Hearts. Rollover the $230.50 pot.
Speaker – Linda Gilbert, Chair of Hand to Honduras – Tela Organizing Committee
Linda Gilbert reported on the Hands to Honduras – Tela (H2H-T) Trips.
The H2H-T trip for February 2013 has been cancelled because of a State Department Warning against non-essential travel. The 55 volunteers going down have been notified and most have gotten refunds. Our contacts in Tela understand and have supported the decision.
The problem down there, despite the tranquility that has been heretofore experienced by the H2H-T teams, is the increase in drug transport activity in the region which has resulted in a significant rise in violence. There is no evidence that the situation will improve in the near future.
The H2H-T program is now supporting remotely from here by sending funds. The programs being considered, or actually being supported currently are:
- Tres de Mayo (May Third) School, which had been left with $150-200 to start a foundation for a classroom to be ready for H2H-T teams in February, had taken the money and married it with concrete blocks left over from other projects and made foundations for two. The H2H-T Program may send them the money to finish the two classrooms.
- The scholarships for five to six students to go on to higher education will be continued. Sherwood and Pedrina will serve as agents.
- Medical supplies are in gravely short supply so there is a project to gather needed supplies and send them down. Twenty-eight hospitals have had to close down their surgeries due to lack of equipment and supplies.
- Baby clothes have already been collected and will be sent to the Hogar de Materno (Home for Expectant Mothers) in Tela.
- A team of two might go down in October, 2013 to show interest.
- Sam Feitleberg reported on the Rehabilitation Center which has become much more sustaining, raising $15,000 by a telethon (Telathon) for staff salaries. Out team continues to consult with them via Skype. A source has been found in Guatemala to manufacture wheelchairs at a greatly reduced cost. Similarly, they have identified an Honduran source for Canadian crutches at 38% the normal cost. They are now serving 126 pediatric and 265 adult patients.
- The program may send money to paint the Cuatro de Enero (January 4) Dispensary.
- H2H-T will continue to collect money for students’ uniforms (You may not attend school unless you have a uniform).
- Future projects to be done are the building of a preemie post-natal center at the Tela Hospital, a basketball court for the playground we built 4 years ago (This is the only playground in town), and painting for the Las Palmas (Palms) School.
* Definition: proffer, v. - Hold out for acceptance, to offer