President Mark opened the meeting at the meeting site: Holiday Inn Express of Brattleboro, VT. Mark welcomed all to the October 8 2026 meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club, www.brattlebororotaryclub.org

Invocation:

Dart gave an invocation emphasizing gratitude for fellowship, mutual respect, and shared blessings while encouraging us to help build a better world for future generations.

Mark led the club with the Pledge of Allegiance

Rotarian Kurt 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?

28 Members, 0 Student Rotarians and 2 guests attended the meeting.

Guests:

Carrie (back for the 2nd time!) and John Bob from the District.

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

Tom Franks attempted a joke about male bonding. He was fined for bribery and a terrible joke. His only defense was that it was extortion, not bribery. The fine was unanimously carried.

EDITOR NOTE: 2026-27 weekly assignments are posted on the club website.

Rotarians for Rotarians:

Cindy had an MRI – the clot is gone! Everything is normal and you would never know she had a heart attack!

June Howe’s Celebration of Life is October 17^th 1-4 at the Legion.

New Members:

ROTARY MINUTE

Phil George discussed World Polio Day and PolioPlus, launched in 1985, by explaining that the plus represents all the additional health benefits and resources delivered alongside the polio vaccine.

Years of Service in our Club

Stay tuned.

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

Student Rotarian updates:

Betsy announced the L&G group will be returning Oct. 1; Stan is trying to gather the Hinsdale group for Nov. 1; feelers are out to the BUHS group about returning.

Birthday greetings -

BIRTHDAY ANNOUNCEMENTS Cindy-

None ☹ -- recruitment opportunity to fill the birthday gap anyone??

Announcements

Rob – Disc Golf Sponsor Recap
Stan - Groundworks is on Wednesday
Cheri Ann – Senior Gifts buying begins
Mark
Senior Gift wrapping will be 1st meeting in December (12/3)
Soup for Loaves & Fishes will be the 2nd meeting in December (12/10) (raised $1,000 last year
It’s breast cancer awareness month
The Home Heating Fuel Fund is low and needs help

Happy Dollars and Brags and Fines

Mark for Rob and the work on the Disc Golf Tournament

Mara for: Cindy and Cheri Ann for doing the Hope House Clean up, streaking, and her parents involvement with World Polio Day. Her father was part of the first campaign and her mother did measles drops.

Kurt and Bill McKim for the Circus Arts Show

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:

10/15 - PDG Bill Stevens - Friends from Kenya and a School for Autistic children

Center for Solace

Carrie

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

John and Charlene (via phone) shared how Rotary partnerships are supporting communities in Ukraine. The district has contributed approximately $300,000 in aid, including about $10,000 raised at a Claremont Opera House fundraiser. A formal sister-club relationship with a Rotary club in Białystok, Poland, has helped transfer funds to Ukrainian partners so supplies can be purchased closer to where they are needed.

A recent $3,600 project provided backup power equipment to a school serving 267 students with special needs, helping maintain internet access during power outages. Additional funding for hearing equipment for the same school is currently in transit. The presentation emphasized how personal relationships and shared commitment make timely, meaningful service possible.

Members were invited to an international coffee meeting on November 6 featuring Brian Nolan, a New Hampshire native working on the ground in Ukraine. Our club also presented a $250 contribution to support the ongoing partnership.

A link to give will be shared when available.

Scribe: Theresa Glabach

DISCLAIMER

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