The District Governor is talking about aid to Hurricane Sandy victims.  There will probably be a truck gathering supplies in Burlington in the near future.  This will be a subject of the Board meeting tomorrow.

Members’ Rotary Emails

President Bartsch is trying to reduce the number of Emails being sent to the members. He asked anyone who feels that there are too many to please speak to him.

Charlotte Central School Garden Shed

Michael Clapp has arranged with the Charlotte Central School to build a garden shed.  The date will be 9AM on November 17 behind the school.  The teachers are organizing a number of parent volunteers to help and a lunch will be served.  He will need 8-10 volunteers. Michael will be collecting materials behind his house in the next few days and would welcome anyone to come by and help him do some of the preparations.  The theme for this year at the CCS is “How Can One Person Make a Difference.” And they are looking for a Rotarian to speak to the school on the subject.

Rotary Foundation (RF)

Pat Sokolowski, the Foundation Chair, briefly reviewed the Rotary Foundation for us.  She, as a financial planner, had been asked to chair the Rotary Foundation (RF) Committee.  She found that she didn’t know very much about the RF and neither did many other members so she set about learning. The mission is “Doing good in the world.”  The basic direction of its efforts is in international giving.  The RF enables people to give internationally through an organization in which they have comfort.

The recent Rotarian Magazine has a good summation by Rotary International President Tanaka who wrote, ”I think of our Foundation literally as the foundation for all of Rotary.  We do not often think about the ground beneath our feet.  We do not often think about the walls that are holding up our house. We take them for granted.  We only think about them when they are not there ... It is easy to look at the people we help through our Foundation as somehow different from ourselves. They live far away… We see, from so far away, the people who are living through such terrible times.  But it is hard to put ourselves in their place ... (but) today, I tell you that there is nothing separating us from the people we help.”  The foundation is not seen, but it is needed.  Hurricane Sandy has brought it closer to home for us.

The RF covers six broad areas: Disease Prevention and Treatment, Economic and Community Development, Maternal and Child Health, Water and Sanitation, Basic Education and Literacy, and Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution.

The RF Committee is made up, as far as Pat knows, of Elaine Dates, Sam Feitelberg, and herself.  She asked any interested members to contact her to join her in this important work.  The committee’s two primary goals for this year will be support of the Polio Plus Program and selling the Every Rotarian Every Year Program in which each member of the club gives a regular amount to the RF every year in a consistent way.  Gifts may be made by checks, credit cards and online.  She also said that the Polio Plus matching would be undertaken again this year.  Stay tuned for details.

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Pat Sokolowski Presenting

Foxy Book Reviewed (For those who missed it last week)

ImageJohn Hammer, your devoted scribe announced that because of the breakneck speed that Richard Fox displays in his rounds as Sergeant at Arms, he was instituting a Foxy Book program.  This would include a small notebook for every table.  This Foxy Book, with attached pen, will be used by those who wish to be included in the Club Newsletter for any reason (happy fines, announcements, publicity fines, anniversaries, birthdays, challenges to duels, bragging, apologies, …….).  Hammer also offered these books as sources for notepaper and writing instrument by members at the table.  A digital recorder has also been pressed into use. Video is in the works.

Jim Spad’s Humor

Jim brought up his wife, Paula’s, brother Bill down on Long Island.  He still doesn’t have his electricity.  He was despondent and so went by his neighborhood watering hole where he saw folks with drinks in their hands.  He asked them what they were, to which they replied, “Oh they’re Sandys.”  Uncle Bill said, “I’ve never heard of them.”  They replied that the “Sandy’s were watered down Manhattans.”

Next he told of the nun whose convent was next to a construction site.  She was disturbed by the foul language of construction workers and set off to do something about it.  She put a sandwich into a little brown bag and set off to join their lunch hour.  She approached smiling and asked, “Do any of you know Jesus Christ?”  They all looked at each other and shook their heads.  One of the workers looked up at the steel workers above and asked if any of them knew Jesus Christ?  One of the steelworkers yelled down, “Why.”  The answer, “ Because his wife’s here with his lunch.”

Sergeant at Arms

Richard Fox began by saying he was, “Paying a penance fine which he proffered to prevent the perambulations and peregrinations that palsy the penmanship of our dear scribe, Mr. Hammer.”

Fines

George Schiavonne - Congratulations to Joan Lennes and thanks to his team, some of which are in this room.

Linda Schiavonne - Congratulations to Joan Lennes and happy that  George ran for the House anyway. Especially happy to live in a land where we are all able to agree to disagree. Thanks also to Ric “for all you do.”

Joan Lennes – The St. George Historic Preservation Society is finally moving the “Little Red  Schoolhouse” across the street to the land near the Town Offices and for a good day yesterday when she was re-elected.

Gary Marcotte – Finally getting his garage door installed this week.

Mark Joczik – Great visit to Charleston to visit his family.

Roz Graham – For a trip to Ontario for her brother’s funeral. It was heartening to her to hear all the good words said about him and to see so many old friends.  She also noted that last Sunday was the first time that she had experienced a “slam dunk” at a bowling alley. The comment was ,”You’ve never seen Robert Maynes bowl.”

Kris Engstrom – Happy the election is over and paid a scoot fine..

Fritz Horton – Thanks to his guests, Christine and Beth for their forbearance, as they were to present today’s program.  They will return in January.  Thank you Christine and Beth.

Michael Clapp – Up late, but happy to get to bed earlier than he thought he would.

Linda Barker –Thanks Ric for all his work on the Bowlathon.

Jim Spadaccini – Happy the political ads are over. 

John Hammer – Happy to report that his house in Beach Haven, NJ was visited yesterday and there was only a foot of water in the basement.  All around the house there is damage.  Residents are prohibited from visiting the island for another week.

Sam Feitelberg – Happy his NY relatives are safe and sound..

Ric Flood – Happy Bowlathon is over.  Had dinner the other night with Megan, his daughter, and a young man named John.  He thinks that maybe John’s the one.

Howard Seaver - Happy friends and relatives in NY are safe.

Dave Jonah – Not in the book because he is intimidated by it.

John Beal – Birthday on the 5th.

Linda Gilbert –Thanks to Ric Flood for a “Very fun bowling group.”  She noted that her grandson, Finn, told her that he was amazed that older adults could have so much fun.  She is off to a two-day conference on Honduras at the Honduran Embassy in Washington.

Chris Davis – His house had more than 150 trick or treaters on Halloween.  He’s happy the election ads are over.

Bill Deming – Ninety percent voting participation in Shelburne and his sister’s house on Long Beach Island (NJ) survived the hurricane.

Terry Kennaugh - Has a bad cold and sorry to have missed the Bowlathon, but happy he didn’t pass it along to the 26 bowlers.

Steve Dates – Spent a late night up watching the election returns.

Todd Whitaker – Thanks to Ric for his work on the Bowlathon.

Richard Fox – Happy that the “Nation has Spoken!” Well run race to both George and Linda.  It’s not everyone who will get out there and put themselves on the line. Thank you.

Apologies to those who were missed.

Doris Sage’s ticket was drawn and she drew the Seven of Clubs.  Rollover the $150 pot.

Speaker –  Chelsea Ingram, Miss Vermont 2012 and weekend Meteorologist on Channels 22 and 44.

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Chelsea Ingram, Miss Vermont 2012 singing

The Habanera from Bizet’s Carmen

Chelsea Ingram, Miss Vermont of 2012, prefaced her conversation this morning by exhorting us all to “try to look past the hair, the makeup, the clothes, and the stereotypes because what I am going to talk to you about this morning and the organizations I am going to talk about are so much more than that.”

Chelsea hails originally from North Carolina where as a young girl watching the Weather Channel, she idolized Jim Cantori, the CNN Meteorologist.  She was particularly smitten by his work counseling viewers when Hurricane Fran menaced her town in 1996. Last week she was doing this for Hurricane Sandy, living the dream that had been with her since she was a little girl.

Early on in her talk she stated that, “Moving to Vermont was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.” If it wasn’t for that, she would never have had an opportunity to work in a top 100 TV market.  She works on weekends as a meteorologist for Channels 22 and 44.

Another of her dreams has been to be Miss America one day.  When she was on TV one day, a former Miss Vermont  called her up and suggested that she compete.  Not “totally into it at first,” she decided to give it a go which resulted in another one of the best decisions she had ever made.  On June 30, 2012, she was crowned Miss Vermont.

Now a full time Miss Vermont and a part time meteorologist , her jobs blend well together.  She mainly talks about the Miss America and Miss Vermont Programs.  She went on to break down the mission of the Miss America organization which has four aims: scholarship, style, success, and service.

The Miss America organization is the world’s leading provider of scholarships for women. It is the reason why Chelsea has been able to pay for her undergraduate and post graduate education.  Her reason to move to VT after graduating from North Carolina State with a degree in meteorology was to broaden her communication skills for TV.  She took courses at Lyndon State College where she gained her communication skills and she got to work with Jim Cantori, her hero.  He goes there to teach workshops.  He comes from Burlington and graduated from Lyndon where he pioneered the broadcast meteorological program.

Scholarship.  It was the Miss Vermont program that has been paying off her college loans.

Because the programs within the Miss America organization are 501.c.3 charities, they are able to channel donations to deserving young women.   You don’t have to win to pay for school  as there are talent, community service awards, and quality of life awards that provide scholarship monies through competition. Even runners-up get scholarships – you don’t have to win first place.

Style.  Chelsea told the story of an Email she had received criticizing jewelry she had ben wearing on air.  She, with aplomb, answered the Email justifying her choice as being a sign of her being true to herself.  This began an exchange of communications wherein the critic ended up urging her to continue being herself. As she put it, “it empowered me to be true to myself.”

Success  Life is a journey and she has been provided with confidence, networking skills,  and communication skills  important for a career with longevity.  So cheer on her success on January 12 on ABC

Service  This was the main point that she wanted to make.  When she was eleven years old her father succumbed to a heart attack. He hadn’t been taking care of himself.  She sees her service as pointing out the options to prevent heart disease by emphasizing not the personal risk, but more so, the effects that a person’s heart disease has on others, particularly their family, children, and friends.  She was deprived in her youth of her father’s presence at so many important events in her life.  Her perspective is to focus not so much on your health as the effect that it  has on others that know and love you

She asked us all to remember that when you meet women of substance, women who are working for a cause, seeking higher education, and are involved with the Miss America organization, they are involved so they can pay for an education.  She hoped that she had helped change any preconceived misconceptions about the Miss America and Miss Vermont organizations. .

Questions.

Comment - Your necklace is beautiful.

Does your job meet your expectations? - Yes, her daily routine of 8-10 hours  begins 3 hours before her first show when she makes her first forecast.  Through the night they do broadcasts for about 13-14 radio stations.  The length of the day depends on the weather.  If there is significant weather, the meteorologists double team it and work through the 24 hour period.

What is the size of the Burlington TV Market? -  It’s  Number 97 which is measured by number of households watching TV. The market extends between the White and Adirondack Mountains and down to Bennington and Windham Counties.

What is your job as Miss Vermont? – She acts as CEO of an organization, going out and promoting it.  She has to change a lot of minds about the stereotypes and get sponsors and participants.  She is very involved in the organization. It’s very worth her while.

What is the relationship between Channels 22 and 44? – They are a media duopoly and they just change the sign on the set.

Chelsea then shared her talent which is opera singing by singing the Habanera from Bizet’s opera, Carmen.

In closing, Chelsea pointed out that no Miss Vermont has ever made it to the top 15 in the Miss America Pageant.  She is hoping to change that.  Howard Seaver noted that there’s a good chance of that happening because during her song, the lights flickered.  Another member piped up that “If you can sing opera like that at 8:15 in the morning, you’ve got what it takes.”