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President Chris opened the meeting at the meeting site: Holiday Inn Express of  Brattleboro, VT. Chris welcomed all to the January 15, 2025 meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary  www.brattlebororotaryclub.org

Invocation: 

Cheri Ann gave a very thought-provoking invocation

Chris 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?

 

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

Guests: 

Guests were welcomed 
 
 
Paul Harris Fellows awards:
Tammi Purcell – 1st
Rudy Fedrizzi – 4th
Jim Haine – 4th
Sherri Ann – 5th

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

George Weir – Golf Joke
Guy goes out in the morning – thinking about how bad things are around the world, picking up bottles, out pops a genie, genie says make any wish you want, guy says let me think…..the situation in the Middle East, been going on so long, such a disaster, can you help with that?  Genie says I’m only the genie of this beach, small beach, not all beaches, please pick something else……Guy says I’ve been married for 35 years, relationship fallen off, can you help with that? Genie says can we go back to the first one?
 
 

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:

ROTARY MINUTE

Stay tuned
 

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

Kathy Coonan – 34 years 

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

 

Student Rotarian updates:

 

Birthday greetings -

BIRTHDAY ANNOUNCEMENTS from Cindy-

Roger Albee birthday last week
Gina Patterson has one six days from now
 
 

Announcements

Lots at soup thing for feed the thousands – raised 850 dollars.  Today’s brags will go towards that.  Hope to get to 1000.  If you couldn’t attend, appreciate a donation. 
    Says great job by everyone.  Special thing.  Kurt, Kathy Coonan, and others.  Well done.  
Successful meal last night
Frank did meatball sauce.  Gina did pasta.  Betsy did veggie alternative.  Kurt did bread and salad.  Liz did juice.
Next is Feb 11th.  Valentines Theme.  Looking for ideas.  Wed Feb 11th.  
NINA – reminder SUGAR on snow during carnival.  Sat Feb 21st.  Meant to bring sign up sheet.  Make a mental note.  Last year a couple hundred people.  Thinks more this year because not in competition with ski jump.  Couple needed – picking up tables at Boys and Girls.  
CHERI ANN – As a single woman, doesn’t like valentine’s day, in a difficult situation of homelessness and food insecurity, would like to suggest to make it love and hope instead for upcoming dinner.  Maybe love hope and peace?
CINDY – Club gave a gift to project feed 1000s, a couple hundred dollars, 
and to Windham aging that Roger was founder of.  Having a big event on Jan 30th on how to move forward on how to make Windham County a great place to age.  Our logo will be on it because of our donation.
BETSY - SKI JUMP – 14th and 15th. Wants to fill up sign up sheets.  Running by student Rotarians too.  Wants 2 per shift.  
ALSO – Bill Daley’s wife is organizing all the food in the tents.  No Bridget’s Kitchen there this year so thinks we’re going to sell a lot more hot dogs.  2 cashiers in morning and afternoon.  Going to get trained by Bill and Rhonda.  Chili too and water.
 
 

Happy Dollars and Brags and Fines

Kurt – 20 dollars for George and others who helped with mental outreach efforts around the community.  Trying to keep it alive despite federal funding running out.  
RUDY – Apologies for missing meetings – was feeling sick for a few weeks – despite the federal geniuses, you should prob get vaccinated and your children too.  Was going to push for healthy food but now we’re selling hot dogs so who knows.
GEORGE - HCRS – word is out but board of directors has appointed a new CEO – Anne Biledeau – working together through June 30 
Second brag is he attended open house for ECDC multi-cultural center at 28 Vernon.  Beautiful space right on first floor.  Exemplifies our community – lots of volunteers and partners.  Wonderful spirit of hope/health/peace.
LIZ – Bragged for George
MARK – two brags for Marcy and his grandfather.  Also wants to fine Marcy too.  They shared a friendship for many years.  Happy to think about his grandfather.
Second is for Brattleboro winter sports.  He had benefit through his father and grand how to ski.  Green St School is teaching kids how to ski.  He won’t be here because he’s teaching kids how to ski.  They need help with teaching people how to ski.  Looking for volunteers.
RHONDA – bragging for Frank who pitched in and helped at registration desk.  Really appreciates it.  She was out babysitting her three grandchildren.  Really enjoyed her time with them.
MARCY – Mark brought up skiing.  He’s going skating with her grandkids.  Hasn’t gone skating for 45 years. Also because he hadn’t been to meeting for a long time and he’s leaving for Florida soon.
NINA – brag for winter carnival, always feels ugh but then team comes together and it goes great.  Encouraged people to participate.  And that he twins turned 12 yesterday.
TOM – Fine for spacing out that he missed something last week.  And brag is for BDCC – two great events.  Leadership counsel and about employment in Vermont.  Helpful for what’s going on in our economy and how to manage in turbulent time.  
CINDY – thank you letter from Vermont food bank – reads letter about how program has changed her life and allowed her to eat with her kids.
PRESIDENT – won’t be here next week.  Will be in St Lucia.  Rob has graciously agreed to run the meeting next week.
BILL – brag for Marty Cohen – former member of club – he’s organizing for district conference for gift wrapping – he’s organizing all of the kids’ summer/back to school backpacks with sunblock, pencils, paper, etc.  Real nice thought on his part.  Thinks we should support him.  He would be open to helping to try to organize it.
 
 
 
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:
Jan 22 Starr from library
Jan 29th—Libby Bennett
Peter Richards on Feb 12th
 
 

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
CARLA WITH OUR PROGRAM 
Today we have Violet Zariello – Humane Society.  Joined in Feb 25, shortly became full time event and marketing manager.  Returned after 8 years in DC and 5 years in Boston.  Her own family has taken in pets and strays her whole life so very close to her heart.  One dog, buffalo and two cats, caterpillar and Mina.
It’s been a delight to come back to community.  Happy to see lots of familiar people. 
817 adoptions last year.  Up from 500 the year before.  Falls in love multiple times per week with these animals.  She fosters animals until they find their forever homes and she can help others.  Mostly dogs and cats, but lots of other animals.  
    They mostly come from local strays or feral colonies, owner surrenders, transports from other agencies domestic and abroad.  Lots of rescues recently from dog fighting in the South.  She’s amazed by the resilience of animals.  Happy to be loved and have shelter.  Doesn’t think we deserve them.  
    Gets cats from Barbados fairly often.  Some recently from Kenya.
Also will jump in and help with large onboarding events statewide.  100 plus animals can be rescued at times and it takes a lot of work and support.
They have a clinic – has expanded.  New facility in August of 2024.  Everyone should come and visit.  Beautiful new building.  Clinic and adoption side are connected.  Hiring a full time vet – please let them know if anyone in mind.  They share vets from other clinics.  
Had over 1000 spays and neuters – most ever.  Does not include sheltered animals they had on their own.  Including them almost 2000 last year.
Did over 5000 wellness services for owned animals – at low or no cost for pet owners who need support.  Through donatons and grants.  
Also do nail tirms, microchips, vacinnes, pantry food and more.  Served 15000 sheltered pet meals.  
75% of what they comes from donations.  They get no money from the state or government.  People are surprised 600 to adopt a puppy, but they lose money with each adoption because of all the costs.  Budget is 1.4 million dollars.
Lots of ways to get involved.
They do trivia nights at the Marina in Jan and Feb.  Do a 50/50 raffle too.  
They’re upping their social media efforts of the pets they have for adoption. 
Annual event is May 2nd at Retreat Farm Barn.  
Walk for animals on Sept 12th.
Lots of other events.  Plus a hot firefighter calendar.  Shirtless firefighters with dogs and cats.  Rhonda suggested Sheriffs too.  Mark? 
Kids in Guilford School sold lemonade and raised over $600.
They have adoption counselors and make sure the people are okay and stable to adopt.  They will guide people towards or away from certain animals.  
RHONDA – every dog she tried to adopt had to go through the cat test, back and forth before woman told her she can’t have a particular dog because the dog would eat her cat.  Got big laughs.
BETSY – got her kitten Ron, he’s the best.  Points out they need kitten food or bowls or things.  Keep in touch with them because they need help. Says it’s a great organization.  
Facebook page is the best to check out for what they need.
NINA – people have change in situations where can be hard to keep pets, so humane society very important.  
MARK – did a 20-dollar brag for humane society.  Says society is a great partner to every town in county.  And you aren’t even paying for it.  Help with animal control issues and great partner to Sheriff office.  
 
 

Scribe: Tucker
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

DISCLAIMER

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