President Chris opened the meeting at the meeting site: Holiday Inn Express of Brattleboro, VT. Chris welcomed all to the April 9, 2026 meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club, www.brattlebororotaryclub.org

Invocation:

Mara

Baha'i Prayer for Peace

Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity.
Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech.
Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a home to the stranger.
Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring.
Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility.

- Baha'u'llah

President Chris the club with the Pledge of Allegiance

Bill led the club with the Rotary motto and Four Way Test.

Rotary Motto: Service Above Self

Four Way Test -

Is it the TRUTH? Is it FAIR to all concerned? Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

26 Members, 0 Student Rotarians and 2 guest attended the meeting.

Guests:

-Mary Kaufmann, Principal Oak Grove School and BECC (Brattleboro Early Childhood Center) @ Canal Street School

-Matthew Dove, Brattleboro Retreat

JOKE OF THE WEEK - For our joke or song of the week:

Bill - “Baseball Heaven”

EDITOR NOTE: 2025-26 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.

Rotarians for Rotarians:

Ted Kramer shared outreach to former members of the Brattleboro Rotary: Chris Brown who just turned 96 and is doing well.

contact info: ChrisandMilieva@comcast.net, mail; 150 Rivermead Road Apt 211, Peterborough, NH 03458, Phone; 603-924-0225

New Members:

ROTARY MINUTE

Delivered by Roger.

Note for future presenters; The Rotary Minute could also have the speaker talk about their personal involvement in Rotary or personal background.

Years of Service in our Club

On Behalf of our Club and all Rotarians, thank you for your Service Above Self

Student Rotarian updates:

Birthday greetings -

BIRTHDAY ANNOUNCEMENTS Cindy-

Regina Stefanelli
John Mabie
Rich Caroll
March B-day - Cindy

Announcements

Aids Project - Next week 4-16

Road Show the 30th

May 7th Road Show Windham County Sheriff's Department

Carla - Spring Appeal - Donation to Rotary Foundation

Christine - April 25 & 26 Hinsdale Bridges, May 2nd Spring Clean-up island in front of Brooks Memorial Library,May 18th Rail Trail Work group

Happy Dollars and Brags and Fines

Gratitude to Brattleboro Retreat
Cindy’s B-day “Warm Travels”
Rudy “Antigua Currency”
George - Grace Cottage Hospital and Physical Therapy dept
Rob - Daughter passed first CPA exam
Mara - donation for Rotary pins being worn at the meeting

ED NOTE: Weekly assignments for the invocation or motivational thought can be found on the club website.>

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

Jim announced the upcoming programs as follows:

Aids Project next week
4/30 Going to Saffron Restaurant in the Colonial Inn on Putney Road

5/7 - Going to the Sheriffs office on Old Ferry Road

REMINDERS

Please bring your bottles and cans to the Putney Road redemption center to benefit APPN. Pure Water for the World is no longer operating in the USA; it continues in Honduras as APPN.
Maria Inestroza, the PWW country director for Honduras is continuing the work in that country under the name APPM, acronym for Agua Pura para El Mundo, or Pure Water for the World in Spanish Pure Water for the World. Please remember to inform the staff that the bottles and cans should be credited to the club.
“Like” the club’s Facebook page

PROGRAM

Mary Kaufmann delivered an excellent and engaging presentation on the development of the iconic Canal Street School. Highlights included the interior renovation of all 6 classrooms. The renovation of on-site parking for staff and families to ease the safe access of the school. Complete playground renovation to provide students with an up to date, safe playground.

Mary shared that over the past three years the school district has reinvisioned the use of Canal Street School into the Brattleboro Early Childhood Center at Canal Street School which provides a free public pre-K experience for 3 and 4 year olds who reside in Brattleboro. The school is currently serving 30 students and their families with the capacity and space to increase participation over time

Scribe: Mark Speno

DISCLAIMER

Weekly changing scribes and questionable IT may have resulted in oversights and errors. We regret any mistakes.