Acting President Gina opened the meeting at the meeting site: Holiday Inn Express of Brattleboro, VT. Rob welcomed all to the February 12, 2025 meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary www.brattlebororotaryclub.org

Invocation:

Cheri Ann (often spontaneous always heartfelt)

Mara lead the club with the Pledge of Allegiance

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?

28 Members, 0 Student Rotarians and 1 guests attended the meeting.

Guests:

Speaker - Pete Richards

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

by George W – re: intimacy webinar and one lucky guy

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

Rotarians for Rotarians:

Regina Stefanelli in our thoughts. Roger Allbee is recovering but is still at home and has trouble with his knee.

New Members:

Welcome Nebras

ROTARY MINUTE

Ted Kramer filled in – posed question – is anyone aware of 3 generations of Rotarians? He’s planning to stick around and be the first.

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

Rick Manson has served 36 years in the club as of Feburary 1

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

Student Rotarian updates:

Stay tuned

Birthday greetings -

BIRTHDAY ANNOUNCEMENTS from Cindy-

Stay tuned.

Announcements

Betsy recapped the volunteer situation for this weekend’s Ski Jump

NINA – reminder SUGAR on snow during carnival. Sat Feb 21st. Sign up sheet being passed around. Last year a couple hundred people. More this year because not in competition with ski jump.

Happy Dollars and Brags and Fines

a number were made for The Richards Group for their long-standing support for the community, individual customer service and the generational friendships and memories made by three generations of the family business.
Including; Cathy C, George K, Frank L, Dart E, Betsy, Gina, John Meyer, Mara
Rhonda bragged for the Windham County Humane Society and their depiction of Lucy
George W – bragged for his wife and her recent tennis tournament
Stan bragged for his grandson, who at a tender age started a local food drive

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:

2/19 - George W on forestry
2/26 – Meg Mott on happiness
3/5 – Interfaith Group

- 3/12 – Club Assembly (maybe Road Trip)
- 3/26 - HiFive Adventure

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

Pete Richards introduced by Rick Manson
Pete described the process stretching over several years that the leadership team went through to decide on the next phase of the business after being run by his family for three generations. After a thorough vetting process, IMA Financial, based in Denver, Colorado was selected as a partner. IMA, with approximately 2800 employees, has many of the attributes that were critical to forming this new relationship and maintaining the Richards culture toward clients and employees. IMA is employee-owned and now each employee of The Richards Group is an owner as part of the transaction. The two businesses share identical lines of business – commercial and individual insurance, employee benefits, investment management and HR consulting.

Scribe: Errors and omissions by Tom Franks as last minute scribe stand-in

DISCLAIMER

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