President Jeff Hagstrom welcomed all to the April 13th meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club held at the American Legion in Brattleboro. Marty Cohn offered a meaningful invocation by Lakota Chief Yellow Lark (1887). This was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Birthday greetings were extended to Mike Mandracchia, Stephen Stearns, and Rich Carroll.
As a luncheon of chicken, pork, turkey, mashed potatoes, broccoli, salad, chick peas in tomato sauce and cookies for dessert was being digested, the meeting continued.
Guests: Visiting Rotarian Tristam Johnson (Sunrise) and Violet Gannon
TRIVIA QUESTION
When did the first canvas circus tent appear in the America?
(answer below)
JOKE / SONG OF THE WEEK
For our Rotary joke, Ted Kramer told a version of the following:
A store has just opened in New York City that offered free husbands. When women go to choose a husband, they have to follow the instructions at the entrance: “You may visit this store ONLY ONCE! There are 6 floors to choose from. You may choose any item from a particular floor, or may choose to go up to the next floor, but you CANNOT go back down except to exit the building! So, a woman goes to the store to find a husband. On the 1st floor the sign on the door reads: Floor 1 - These men Have Jobs. The 2nd floor sign reads: Floor 2 - These men Have Jobs and Love Kids. The 3rd floor sign reads: Floor 3 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids and are extremely Good Looking. “Wow,” she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going. She goes to the 4th floorand sign reads: Floor 4 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Good Looking and Help With Housework. “Oh, mercy me!” she exclaims. “I can hardly stand it!” Still, she goes to the 5th floor and sign reads: Floor 5 - These men Have Jobs, Love Kids, are Drop-dead Gorgeous, help with Housework and Have a Strong Romantic Streak. She is so tempted to stay, but she goes to the 6th floor and the Sign reads: Floor 6 - You are visitor 71,456,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that you are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at the Husband Store. To avoid gender bias charges, the store’s owner opened a Wife Store just across the street. The 1st first floor has wives that love sex. The 2nd floor has wives that love sex and have money. The 3rd through 6th floors have never been visited....
ROTARY MINUTE
For our Rotary Minute, George Ruhe told us what “Service Above Self” means to him. For info about the history of Rotary mottoes, click here.
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At our April 20th meeting, Phil George will tell a joke or lead us in song, while Liz Harrison delivers a Rotary Minute.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
04/20 – Presented by Bill McKim: Elsie Smith, NECCA
04/27 – Presented by Ana Saavedra: Kristen Mehalick, BDCC Internship Coordinator
05/04 – Presented by Ron Stahley: Windham Regional Collegiate High School
05/11 – Presented by Marcy Jones: Lt. Anthony French & Trooper James Matthews, State Police Update
05/18 – Presented by Phil Steckler: Kim Benzel, NY Metropolitan Museum of Art, “Our collective history in peril”
05/25 – Club Assembly
06/01 – Presented by Robin Sweetapple
06/08 – Rotary Golf Tournament
06/15 – Presented by Rob Szpila
06/22 – Presented by Jerry Theberge
06/29 – Changeover Dinner
NOTE: Weekly assignments (program, joke, and Rotary minute) are posted on club’s website.
FINES
NONE ;-(
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Members were recognized for their years of service: Chris Hart (5), Jeremy Coleman (13), Liz Harrison (14), and Dave Twombly (23)
Club’s annual meeting will be conducted on April 27. The following slate is being proposed: President: GeorgeWeir, President-elect: Bill Vermouth, Vice President: Marty Cohn, Secretary: Ana Saavedra, and Treasurer: Rhonda Calhoun.
If you are interested in attending District Conference on April 28, see Jeff Hagstrom.
Don’t forget to introduce yourself to Wendy Harrison, Aaron Rich (note: Aaron has not attended last three meetings), and Ricky Davidson (note: Ricky did not attend today’s meeting) so that you don’t have to take “the walk of shame.”
Club will be staffing Welcome Center on Friday, 6/16. For more info, see George Anthes.
Disc golf course cleanup will take place on 4/29. If you can help, see Rob Szpila.
Club golf tournament is on 6/8. See Cathy Coonan for more info.
Club golf tournament is looking for silent auction items. See Bill Vermouth for more info.
Camp for a Common Cause is taking place on May 26. Click here for more info.
BRAGS
Bill McKim – for his vacation in Texas.
Tom French – for his work at the Veterans Administration in getting a client 230% disability.
Teri Keizer – for Wayne (NJ) Rotary Club buying Fluffy the police dog a bullet proof jacket.
Liz Harrison – for the direction of the International Committee.
Milt Gilmore – for his wife getting a clean cancer report.
Carla Lineback – for Dr. Howlett becoming the new SIT president.
Cathy Coonan – for Marty Cohn diligently providing the club’s bulletin each week.
Mara Williams – for Marty Cohn diligently providing the club’s bulletin each week.
PROGRAM:
Rob Szpila and Carla Lineback gave an update on the International Committee’s work with Pine Ridge Reservation. The club will be gathering quilting material. To learn more about the importance of quilts to the Lakota Sioux culture, click here. To learn more about Friends of Pine Ridge Sewing Group project, click here.
REMINDERS
Bottles and cans can be brought to Putney Road redemption center to benefit Pure Water for the World. Please see Mara Williams.
If you like this newsletter, brag at next Club meeting. Update, to date there have been 2 brags. Either you do not like this newsletter or you are aren't reading it.
This bulletin was respectfully submitted by Past President Martin Cohn who attempts to give a gist of the meeting. However, it is always better to attend. If you have any complaints about the contents of this bulletin....
ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION
In 1825, Joshuah Purdy Brown became the first circus entrepreneur to replace the usual wooden construction with a full canvas tent, a system that had become commonplace by the mid-1830s.
