Newsletter for January 23rd Meeting

January 23, 2013 Newsletter

By John Hammer

Charlotte Shelburne Rotary

Wednesday, January 23, 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.

Guests: Michelle Parent, Speaker

  Mikie Marcotte

Quote for the Day: “Ninety-six percent of companies now use some kind of virtual meetings.”

The Word for the Day: Brrr - Appears below with definition.

Upcoming:

January 30 – Sam Akerson of the Shelburne Museum will discuss the new building.

February 6 – Martin Maxim, United Way

February 13 - Committee Meetings – Chairs will report

June 6:  District Governor Change of Guard at Shelburne Farms Coach Barn. (Our club will play a key role in this event.)

Announcements

Shelburne Farms Winterfest

Roz Graham announced that Shelburne Farms will be holding their Winterfest this weekend. In conjunction with the Shelburne Recreation Department ttere will be fun for both children and adults. She was joined by Ric Flood who reported that, because of a potential conflict of interest (Dave Jonah, who works for Shelburne Farms will be Club President next year), a deputation from the Club met with Shelburne Farms management to discuss the resumption of the Club Car Raffle to a November time slot.  There are expected to be 2-3 parking assignments forthcoming.  The dates will be provided to us in a week’s time.  As a sidebar to the above, the Club will be seeking to return the Bowlathon to its June time slot again this year.

Jim Spad’s Humor

A rancher needs a bull to service his cows but needs to borrow the money from the bank.  The bank manager who lent the money comes by a week later to see how his investment is doing.  The farmer complains that the bull just eats grass and won’t even look at the cows.  The banker suggests that a veterinarian have a look at the bull.

The next week the banker returns to see if the vet had helped.  The farmer looks very pleased: “The bull has serviced all my cows, broke through the fence and serviced all of my neighbor’s cows.”

“Wow” says the banker. “What did the veterinarian do to that bull?”

“Just gave him some pills,” replied the farmer.

“What kind of pills?” asked the banker.

“I don’t know,” said the farmer. “But they sort of taste like chocolate.”

Sergeant at Arms

Richard Fox’s approach today concentrated on the cold this morning (-4 F) and everyone who has been considering or had been thinking about someplace warm should give a fine.

Fines

Ric Flood – Going to Jamaica with Megan in mid-February

Bob Maynes – Happy that there are no black flies out today

Steve Dates – Looking forward to a week in San Diego courtesy of Rotary International

Pat Sokolowski – Happy to be going to the “Great State of Texas” in March.

Terry Kennaugh - Sanibel Island in March and glad that it isn’t much colder than it now is.

Fritz Horton – Going to Philadelphia next month

George and Linda Schiavonne – Were in Buffalo last week for 3 days to see a hockey tournament for 12 year-olds from Tampa vs. 12 year-olds from Western New York.

Michael Clapp – Is dreaming of going south.

Tod Whittaker – Going south for a week at Sanibel Island, FL

Kris Engstrom – Happy that the Winter Ball is over and dreaming about the Cayman Islands.

Linda Gilbert – Has had a great time snowshoeing up north.

Dave Jonah – Puerto Rico at the end of February.

Rosalyn Graham – Scoot Fine and Hawaii in December.

Chris Davis – For Mikie Marcotte who was one of our “big-time hammerers during the shed-building fest at the Charlotte Central School.”

Gary Marcotte – For Mikie’s four year old birthday.

John Hammer – Thinking of more skiing and Mikie’s presence.

Denny Bowen – Discovered that Charlotte, N.C. had rain every day last week.

John Dupee – Puerto Rico – mid-February.

Alan Hathaway – Padre Island, S.C. in March, April, and May.

David Cranmer - Drew the King of Hearts.  Rollover the $243.50 pot.

Speaker – Michelle Parent, Vermont Interactive Technology

Michelle is Outreach Coordinator for Vermont Interactive Technologies (VIT). She is from Jericho and a former Elementary School teacher. VIT is a non-for-profit company with half of its funds coming from the state, primarily the Vermont Technical College budget.  The other half comes from operational revenue. VIT offers ways to connect between and with 13 sites and 17 studios statewide. They also provide mobile videoconferencing systems that come to customers as well as desktop and mobile device services with the expertise to help firms choose and install videoconferencing equipment at their facilities.

She began immediately by telling us that the word for the day was Brrr.* This raised a number of comments asking how many r’s are in the word Brrr. Her reply, ” As many as you need.”

She began by reviewing the use of Skype, Conference Calls, Facetime and other ways to communicate in an interactive, virtual way.  Normally she has found that it is best to communicate in a face-to-face manner.  When it’s not possible it becomes a case of connecting interactively. Ninety-six percent of Vermont companies now use some kind of virtual meeting technology.

Great for cutting travel budgets in half by using webinars and holding virtual staff meetings.  One retailer uses virtual communications to train employees and conduct customer focus groups. Another company (auto parts) was described as holding staff meetings among its various, widely-scattered branches.

Conference calls are good for limited numbers of people. Web conferencing can range from PowerPoint conferences with the audience just calling in their comments and questions.

Video Conferencing has cameras and audio in a two-way format.

She focused on the webinar and video conferencing aspects where VIT is engaged. There is content sharing and a capability to take live questions.  All programs may be recorded and are archived.  They can be burned on disks or other media for distribution.

Video conferencing allows two-way video, which has the advantages of being real-time and interactive while showing overhead projections. For instance, there is an overhead camera that can record notes being written on a pad by the presenter. Body language is a  very important component in meetings and video conferencing permits this to a limited extent.

The Chittenden County site is at the VTC Williston Studio right across from Chef’s Corners Restaurant on Route 2A in Taft Corners.  Studios are often associated with college campuses or high school tech centers.  The Newport, Williston, Montpelier and Springfield sites have two studios each to accommodate overlapping classes.

VIT can connect anywhere nationally or internationally.  It just requires a little set up time.

Questions:

Educational and governmental departments use VIT a lot - Long distance job interviews, court depositions, bankruptcy courts, plumbers and electricians get their CEUs through VIT, corporate training, etc.

VIT does the video conferencing part.  For-profit rate for two sites is $99 per hour for the source site and one recipient site.  Each additional site is $20 per hour.  It is as simple as just booking a time. A pre-run will be done about a week before to ensure that things are set up properly

The VIT is heading toward pushing VIT to coordinate educational efforts and using the blended learning model. There are also a growing number of small high-tech companies in Vermont using their services.

VIT provides training or orientation for users as well as technicians at the other sites.  Each studio has a control room and the technician will serve as host or the organization’s representative if no one appears.

Information is at www.vit.org or call (802) 558-9238. Michelle can be reached by Email at mparent4@vitlink.org.

* Definition: Brrr, Interjection - Brrr is said when someone is cold.