Newsletter for Meeting of June 18, 2014
June 18, 2014 Newsletter 
By John Hammer
Charlotte Shelburne Rotary
Wednesday, June 18, 2014, 7:15 a.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church Community Room
Welcome
President Dave opened the meeting with the Pledge. Kris Engstrom gave the invocation.
Guests: Joe O’Malley – Rotarian from the Summit County Rotary Club of Frisco, Colorado. Joe is here on a bicycle tour and is hoping for good weather.
Jan DeMers – Speaker from Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity.
Upcoming:
June 24 – Work on second Charlotte Wildlife Park bridge
June 25 – NO MEETING
June 26 – Changing of the Guard at the Trinity Church Parish Hall.
July 29 – Camp Ta KumTa Breakfast.
Week of July 27-Aug 2 – Volunteer at Charlotte Frogbit eradication project.
August 22 – Volunteer support to the Charlotte Senior Center Annual BBQ
District 7850 Calendar: Hot Link http://www.clubrunner.ca/Portal/Events/EventsCalendar.aspx?accountid=50051
Announcements
Rotary Golf Classic – Ric Flood reported that the classic started out the first hour with a rain mist, then drizzle in second hour, plain rain the third and downpour the fourth. Still the first C-S team came back with the trophy for the 12th time in 15 years. The second team garnered the most spirited team award. All had a wonderful time in spite of the rain.
Changing of the Guard – Scheduled for June 26th starting at 6PM at the Trinity Church Parish House. It is anticipated that there will be prime rib, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and a vegetarian lasagna option (TBD). Beer and wine as well as soft drinks will be available. A sign-up sheet was circulated and those who haven’t signed up are urged to let John Beal know as soon as possible at John@vermontbusinessbrokers.com. Members are asked to bring desserts to share. Flowers by Kris and a few persons will be required to set up.
Projects – Michael Clapp reported that the lumber is ready for the Hinesburg garden shed project but his time is limited until mid-July. He will see if the project can be delayed until September.
Sergeant at Arms –Richard Fox continued on his exchange trading on the value of President Dave’s year. Last week it finished at the princely sum of $0.40 in recognition of his leadership. Richard is looking for anyone interested in serving as Sergeant at Arms, please contact him.
Sam Feitelberg - $1 for President Dave
John Beal – For his 35th Anniversary
Ric Flood – Happy to see all of this year’s new members: Mark Lund, Evan Webster, Lara Keenan and Ed Cafferty here together.
Carole Obuchowski – Spent the late hours last night watching the finale of the TV series Fargo. She thinks it’s a must-see show.
Terrill Titus – Had a great time at a wedding in Woodstock, NY.
Linda Barker - $1 for President Dave and a great week with family in Hawaii.
Mark Lund – $1 for President Dave. Looking forward to a great next year.
Lara Keenan - $2 for President Dave.
Michael Clapp – Happy to have his wife back from a ten-day trip to the UK and she has decided she will stay (here).
Joe O’Malley – Looking forward to his week of cycling in Vermont.
John Dupee - $1 for President Dave.
Denny Bowen - $3 for President Dave.
Fritz Horton – Happy to see the end of the visit by his demolition experts, otherwise known as two grandkids, leaving on Saturday. $4 for President Dave.
Tod Whitaker – Will miss a week of Farmers’ Market, as he will be celebrating his grandson’s graduation.
Dennis Webster – Has a box of 84 Nancy Drew mystery books. His wife and granddaughter are on book 7. Granddaughter is being asked to take out pen and paper to start writing her own.
Pat Sokolowski – Daughter’s 25th birthday yesterday.
Richard Fox – Went to the Lake Monsters baseball game and his 1 and 6-year-olds became experts at flirting, particularly with Champ, the mascot.
Ed Cafferty - $1 for President Dave. Just back from his son’s wedding where he learned that his son had met his wife to be at college. Ed spent $50,000 educating him and his wife is worth $100 M. Ed thinks the $50K was a money well spent and a good investment.
Kris Engstrom - $1 for President Dave.
Evan Webster - $1 for President Dave.
President Dave – For fellow Rotarians.
Linda Gilbert - $1 for President Dave.
Howard Seaver - $1 for President Dave. Happy to report that his grown children still remembered Father’s Day.
Joan Lennes - $5 for President Dave.
Linda Barker won the draw and picked the Three of Hearts to roll over the $70 pot.
Speaker - Jan DeMers – Speaker from Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity.
The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) is one of five community action organizations in Vermont. It serves Addison, Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties in dealing with poverty. It is the result of Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty which is 50 years old this year. From the beginning Vermont was the first state to form an OEO. The poverty rate had been reduced from 67% in ’64 to 7% 5 years later. Vermont now has an 11.6% poverty rate as compared to 15% nationwide. The reason why it is higher than in 1969 is that the federal program funds keep getting cut.
The OEO concentrates on eleven programs including Head Start, food shelves, housing assistance, domestic violence, mobile home restoration, fair housing and a number of others. It is focusing on a futures program that will concentrate on assets controlled by the poor. DeMers maintains that everyone has assets no matter how limited and these assets can be used to help find a way out of poverty. Poverty is a stigma; it is scarcity not a definition.
DeMers stated that poverty can be alleviated if we have the political will to do it. She was complementary about Vermont’s legislators who have risen to the occasion when federal funds have been cut, as they have been so often. Good programs to alleviate poverty are honest, regional and conversational.