Jim Donovan (middle, left) presents (from left to right) Richard Fox, Amanda Vincent, and Dan York a copy of "Canada" which will be donated to the Carpenter Carse Library in Hinesburg.
The Club's Work in Action
The spirit of "get-it-done" was on full display as members coordinated a flurry of upcoming community activities.
First, a call went out for volunteers for Wood for Good, our hands-on project splitting and stacking firewood for neighbors in need. Nancy is scheduling a work day for September in Jericho; it’s a fun, manual effort and a great team-building exercise. Stay tuned for a final date!
The club is also gearing up for this weekend's Dragon Boat Festival . We've joined forces with the Lewis Creek Builders, and our first race is at 9:12 AM on Sunday. Come down to the waterfront to cheer the team on and support Dragon Heart's mission to help those affected by cancer.
Looking ahead, Shelburne Day is set for August 16th. We'll be there selling corn on the cob for $3 for one ear or two for $5. Volunteers are still needed, so please check the sign-up genius. We’ll be coordinating to get our aprons and sandwich boards from the barn to make sure we have a strong presence.
Other exciting updates included:
- Garden Beds: A work day is set for Saturday, August 9th at 9 AM to build and prepare raised garden beds for the Howard Center. A huge thank you to Rice Lumber for donating materials for the project!
- Meals on Wheels: Charlie put out a call for a partner to help him with his Friday morning delivery route in Shelburne. It’s a two-hour commitment that makes a real difference. Bob Glover volunteered to ride shotgun with Charlie to distribute meals to citizens in need.
- Race Vermont: Volunteers are needed to help with parking for the Shelburne Covered Bridge Half Marathon on Tuesday, September 6th. It’s an early morning, but racers are an enthusiastic crowd!
The morning's good news continued with a collection of Happy Fines celebrating family visits from D.C. and Maryland, picnics with grandkids', demo derby contests at the Addison County Field Days, and even an upcoming scuba dive. A special shout-out went to the organizers of last week’s successful major donor celebration for Phil.
A Trip to the Rotary International Convention
The centerpiece of our meeting was a vibrant presentation from Dan, Amanda, and Richard, who shared their experiences from the recent Rotary International Convention in Calgary. They painted a picture of a city completely taken over by 16,000 Rotarians from 140 countries.
The trio described the immense scale of the event, from plenary sessions in the Calgary Flames' hockey stadium to the warm welcome symbolized by the city's White Hat ceremony, a tradition signifying hospitality and community. They shared stories of meeting fellow Rotarians from Germany, Nigeria, and Côte d'Ivoire right from the moment they arrived at the airport.
The convention was a mix of macro and micro views of Rotary. Large sessions featured world-renowned speakers like actress Geena Davis and a virtual address from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, highlighting Rotary's global impact on issues like polio eradication. Smaller breakout sessions offered practical, hands-on advice for club operations, fundraising, and membership.
A major highlight was the House of Friendship, a massive trade show-style hall. It was a place to connect with vendors, learn about international projects like ShelterBox, and discover dozens of Rotary Fellowships. These are affinity groups for members with shared interests, from brewing and wine (which raise money for clean water projects) to skiing, yachting, and even magic. Richard shared a beautiful piece of First Nations art he received, a visual representation of the Four-Way Test that underscored the convention's theme of global connection and friendship.
Their story was a powerful reminder that while our work is rooted here in our towns, we are part of a vast, dynamic, and inspiring global network.
Looking Ahead
We closed with a reminder that the District Governor will be our guest next week, so please plan to attend. The final thought for the day came from Stephen Hawking: "Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious."