March 27, 2013 Newsletter

President Adam Bartsch opened the meeting by leading the Pledge, and Kris Engstrom gave the devotional.

Mark your calendars:

4/12 – Charlotte Senior Center Appreciation Dinner – sign up to serve

4/3 -- HSCC Development and Outreach Director Megan Stearns

4/10 -- Laurie Stavarand of Refugee Resettlement

4/17 – Committee meetings

Dave Jonah reported that Rotary parking talent was key to the success of a very popular Maple Open House event at Shelburne Farms on Saturday and Sunday. 476 cars on Saturday and 379 on Sunday with nary a collision or lost car. In fact the Rotary parking team was instrumental in helping to reunite a nine-year-old boy and his lost mother.

David Cranmer reported that he had represented Rotary at a meeting of the Shelburne 250^th Anniversary Committee. Many interesting ideas were suggested for the event which will be held to mark the signing of the Charter for the founding of the town on Aug. 18, 1763. Among the ideas:

• merging the activities around the Shelburne Day that is always held on the third Saturday of August

• having a parade on Sunday, perhaps with a “by the centuries” theme – and probably with Rotary help in organization

• a cruise on the Lake and Shelburne Bay with dinner and a lecture on the historical importance of our west coast

• a street dance on Church Street, probably Saturday after the Shelburne Day

• a cellphone scavenger hunt, a passport for the Seven Wonders of Shelburne, sculptures by local artists, a memory book, a history video, 250^thanniversary banners along the highway

Ric Flood reminded everyone that the Bowl-a-thon will be on June 25. He challenged the group to each contribute at least ten names to the target list for donations. He will bring the existing list to a meeting soon. His goal: to fill 16 lanes at Champlain Lanes and raise a lot of money … and have a lot of fun.

Ric also reminded the group that nominations for Paul Harris Fellows should be to Terrell Titus by Friday.

Tod Whitaker welcomed everyone to attend the Shelburne Business and Professional Association Mixer at Shelburne Vineyard on Tuesday, April 2 from 5 to 7. There will be wine tastings, excellent hors d’oeuvres from Lemon Peel Café and Creperie, and exciting announcements.

Sergeant at Arms

Richard Fox had a happy fine that trumped all the others: he and his wife are the new parents of Josephine Marjorie, born on March 19.

Happy fines:

John Hammer, who stopped in at the meeting on his way to the airport, is heading for a month of travel in Europe … after just returning from Florida

Rosalyn Graham – thanks for the excellent parking by Rotarians at Maple Open House … and congratulations to two Rotarians appointed to Shelburne committees: David Cranmer

Steve Dates – suggesting that Richard’s new daughter is a Foxette

Robert Maynes – skiing

Ric Flood – scoot

Bill Deming – helping to reunite the boy and his lost mother at Maple Open House

Bob Sanders – happy anniversary

Trafton Crandall – amplifying Steve’s comment – a baby fox is actually a kit

Chris Davis – going to a basketball game in New York

Fritz Horton – for Gary’s help in fixing a heater

Lucky draw:

Right ticket, wrong card, roll over $315.50

Guest Speaker:

Nancy Heydinger of Brattleboro introduced the club to the Girls on the Run organization, a self-esteem and healthy lifestyles building program for girls, grades 3 to 5. Founded in 1996 by a Castleton State College teacher, it is now a national organization which works to counter the traditional messages to little girls: that they are princesses, cute, nice and pretty, an expectation that often puts the girls into “a girl box” by the time they are in elementary school – conforming instead of daring to be themselves.

GOTR is an after school program that runs for ten weeks a year, twice a week, with a focus on examining their goals, owning their behaviors and building community. Under the leadership of volunteer coaches, the girls learn about positive behavior while doing running games. The ten weeks end with a gathering for regional participants (in our area that is held at Expo in Essex) with fun, feel-good experiences, music and a 5K run.

The goal of the program is to help girls to:

Communicate positively

Accept and embrace their own body

Confront peer pressure

Value character over appearance

Make healthy choices

Have fun

In  2012, 600,000 girls in 200 communities in the US and Canada took part. In Vermont, 3,000 girls in 142 schools with more than 600 coaches took part.

Ms. Heydinger said they need more coaches, as well as donations, sponsors to provide scholarships, and corporate sponsors.

The Vermont 5K events are held in Brattleboro, Rutland and Essex.

Recorded by Rosalyn Graham

 in the absence of John Hammer