President Chris opened the meeting at the meeting site: Holiday Inn Express of Brattleboro, VT. Chris welcomed all to the October 30, 2025 meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary www.brattlebororotaryclub.org
Invocation:
George Karabakakis presented the invocation.
Chris lead the club with the Pledge of Allegiance
Kurt White led the club:
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?
29 Members, 0 Student Rotarians and 3 guests attended the meeting.
Guests:
Guests were welcomed which included former member Stephen Stearns, Ben Stockman, Nbras Elrebate
JOKE OF THE WEEK - For our joke or song of the week:
George Weir (on behalf of Cherri Ann Broadhurst), Opportunity to break 2 promises: 2 brothers who owned a farm decided to have a potato farm, found out about “hoeing them potatoes,” contracted hippies to do the work, miscommunication about “prostitutes” to which they replied, “it doesn’t matter to us about their religion.”
EDITOR NOTE: 2025-26 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.
Rotarians for Rotarians:
Regina Stefanelli in our thoughts. Roger Allbee will be having surgery after dislocating his kneecap after a fall
New Members:
Remember to welcome Kurt White then sign his book.
ROTARY MINUTE
Bill Dayley Fun Facts of Rotary, First Rotary Paul Harris, no dues, covered by .50 fines, first service public restrooms, 1.2 million Rotarians worldwide, 1923 Rotary Logo, First woman joined in 1987, Winnipeg, Canada first International Rotary Club, 1980 Polio eradication, 1917 Rotary Foundation, Rotary Club in Reno is farther west that LA, California, other Geographic fun facts
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
Roger Miller 60 YEARS!
On Behalf of our Club and all Rotarians, thank you for your Service Above Self
Betsy Gentile Meals on Wheels need drivers
Bill Vermouth Check from Martha Momaney, Daughter of Stockwells (Founder of Brattleboro Rotary), to Gateway Foundation in memory of her mother Alice.
Cindy Jerome Gift Giving Committee to meet after 10/30/2025 meeting
Bill McKim Reminder for NEYT Fundraiser Saturday night at Latchis Theater
Happy Dollars and Brags and Fines
$20.00 George Weir for laughing at his joke and his potato crop
Kurt White To his cat, “Doctor” who passed
Bill Daley 2 weeks’ hike in Smokey Mountains in Tennessee, celebrating 44 yr. Anniversary with spouse
Rhonda Calhoun for Ruben who covered treasurers duties while she visited with grandchild
John Meyer For a proper U.S.A flag to pledge
Mark Anderson -for stealing the flag from Sunrise
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:
Stephen Stearns
Robert Sims BS&L
Kindle Farm Therapeutic School
NO Program on Thanksgiving
Peter Elwell Former Brattleboro Town Manager
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.
Ben Stockman (New England Youth Theatre):
Stephen Stearns (Founder of NEYT) introduced Ben Stockman (Artistic Director of NEYT), recounted first time being in an audience where Ben Stockman was acting and then inviting him to audition for A Midsummers Night Dream, Ben moved on to college and directing, NEYT needed an Artistic Director and Ben was tapped as the new Director from a pool of many talented directors.
Ben Stockman: Member of Sunrise Rotary, will inform of the theft to Sunrise Rotary, recounted his start in theatre family ties and after school programs, spoke of the history of NEYT, brought visual aids to assist in providing context to his story, spoke of his passion and the importance of “community of young people” and the “lifelong bonds,” “Of By and For Young People,” Ben recounted on his first foray into being a director of theatre, The spirit of NEYT’s past remains today, Directed Harvey as a young director, went to college and then returned to Brattleboro, NEYT Alumni Association was created after his return, Alumni Association then started fundraising activities modeling the manner of Elizabethan Era theatre, Presently NEYT serves 250 students per year, 5 Main Stage shows per year, Workshops and classes on costuming, mask making, light and sound design, etc. year round, Outreach Programs to schools and are even one of the Winter Sports options, First Annual Benefit Concert “Broadway in Brattleboro" on Nov 1, 2025,
Questions/Comments: Dart reminded of Rotary’s involvement in cleaning up the vats of cooking grease needed to be removed from Theatre 4 of Latchis Theatre, which was at that time a Chinese Restaurant
Holiday Show at NEYT: Little Women – December 12, 2025
Scribe: Ruben
DISCLAIMER
Weekly changing scribes and questionable IT may have resulted in oversights and errors. We regret any mistakes.
