The Changeover

 

On the evening of June 13^th, Rotarians, spouses, partners, family members and guests gathered at the Country Club of Barre for the annual Changeover Dinner. For about an hour, those assembled chatted, sipped and nibbled. A little before seven, we recited the Pledge of Allegiance, sang America the Beautiful, bowed our heads in gratitude, recited the Four Way Test and listened to Joe’s Invocation. We were then invited by table to partake of the buffet featuring salmon, breast of chicken, mashed potatoes, garden salad, seasonal vegetables, rolls, and cake. The first fine was on all Rotarians who weren’t wearing their badges although we had been told that “we weren’t going to be wearing badges tonight.” Ted dutifully collected several dollars. Eddie gave two Happy Dollars for playing golf in Essex and attending the Changeover Dinner. Bertil gave a dollar in recognition of Dick Shadroui, our resident maestro, as he pointed out that this is the first Changeover Dinner that the Rotabarrians have not performed since their formation.

 

Secretary’s Report-Let Me Entertain You-Tony Takes the Floor (Once Again)

 

Sue asked Rotarians to introduce our guests. Spouses, partners and family members were then introduced. Of special note, three former district governors were in attendance; George Milne, Harley Jordon and Louisa Tripp. The 2018-19 District Governor Larry Vars was also seated among the dignitaries.

 

Liane provided entertainment with her rendition of Bette Midler’s From a Distance and her version of Sweet Caroline with President Caroline in hand and with lyrics appropriate to her presidency.

 

Tony gave a pitch for the Rotary Foundation and reminded us that this year Barre Rotary Club is matching each donation.

 

 

President Caroline took to the lecture to deliver comments and give gifts. Here is an abbreviated version of her remarks.

 

It has been my pleasure and my privilege to serve as the President of the Rotary Club of Barre for 2017-2018.  

            Over the past year, as our Club has worked to grow, to collaborate, to expand our service projects, to embrace new ideas of what membership looks like now (as opposed to 50 years ago), as I have attended Rotary seminars and trainings and even one Rotary Summit, I have noted that our conversations have returned again and again to one question.  Why Rotary? 

Well, never one to shirk from a challenge, I have decided to answer that question.  Or at least give you my answer to that question.

 

So, here is my top ten list of reasons for Why Rotary?

 

President Caroline with bat in hand recognized her team by presenting members team shirts.

It is now my pleasure to recognize the team that has worked so hard this year to make Barre Rotary successful. 

Barre Rotary received a gift this year from District Governor Eric Denu, and that gift has provided a perfect metaphor for how every member of our team has worked together to hit it out of the ballpark this year.

With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to the Barre Rotary starting lineup of 2017-2018: President Elect Liane Martinelli; Past President Tom Babic; Membership Chair Scott Funk; Secretary Sue Poczobut; Treasurer Elizabeth LaPerle; Foundation Chair Ted Goulette;  reserve players Claire Duke (in absentia), Jim Catone, Karl Rinker and Dick Shadroui.

 

She next announced her choice for Rotarian of the Year. Here are her comments.

 

As an incoming President, you swiftly learn who to go to when the chips are down and you need help getting ‘er done.  This Rotarian was almost always my first phone call, my first point of reference, my first check-in to make sure that I was getting it right.

This Rotarian was always available, always cheerful and unfailingly helpful.  This Rotarian is coming to the end of serving this Club in a critical role for many years and has graciously agreed to help me step into that role although any hope of filling her shoes is fruitless.

Elizabeth, thank you for being someone who can be counted on, day in and day out, to know who to call, what the check is for, for selling raffle tickets, rustling up donors for the silent auction, putting us all to shame with how uncannily white your teeth are, and don’t even get me started on the tan.  But most of all for being truthful, kind, benefiting all concerned, and being fair.  In short, living up to the Rotary ideals. 

Elizabeth, please accept this small token of my appreciation for all of your assistance this past year, a gift certificate to Positive Pie, since I only ever see you in two places, Rotary and PP. 

Please join me in congratulating Elizabeth LaPerle on being Barre Rotary’s 2018 Rotarian of the Year.

 

Caroline’s final act as president was to introduce the president for 2018-19.

 

I cannot sufficiently convey how thrilled I am to be welcoming in our incoming President Liane.  Liane has become a great friend through our many road trips, our Rotary Ball adventures, clinging for dear life on Karl’s boat, and generally telling me when I was getting too serious.  Liane has already proven her chops by identifying an amazing new meeting space for our growing Club, which has (dare I say it) great food too!  I am confident that Liane will take her passion for youth and steer our club onward and upward. 

Liane, thank you, for your willingness to lead this club over the next year, for your passion and commitment to Rotary, for your intelligence and resourcefulness and, yes, for your style!

Please join me in welcoming President Liane, Barre Rotary’s President for 2018-2019.

 

 

Liane was pinned by Caroline and then delivered her remarks. Here are the highlights.

 

President Tom was very laid back, and President Caroline was very much dialed in, a list maker and task oriented. 

Me? Well, I’m somewhere in between.

Each of the presidents of our club is different, and in that way we all bring something to broaden the horizons of our individual clubs. I want to take this moment to thank Caroline for all her hard work and dedication to our club in the past year. She has updated our bylaws, brought us some great speakers, and has given the club some much needed structure and a feeling of continuity that I feel wasn’t there before. In addition, she has spearheaded the Mural Project, which is going to be completed during my year, but is all her doing.  Lastly, she helped with the sustainability challenge put forth during her year by Rotary International to plant a tree for every Rotarian, and executed it in a way that way heartwarming to watch with all the kids. 

On a personal note:  I have so enjoyed all of our trips together (talk about trips/fun – Rotary meetings, wrong turns on interstate/fine, couple?  Karl’s boat).  We have had a lot of adventures!  I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard in my life as some of the times we’ve been together. So not only am I thankful for what you have done for the club, but I’m forever grateful that Rotary has connected us – I so appreciate your friendship. Caroline was presented with a past president’s plaque, a tree and flowers.

 

I hope you will find my “reign” at Barre Rotary relaxed, but underneath that calm demeanor, driven with purpose.  Many of the trainings I went to had a common theme in all the break out sessions I attended and that is that Rotary should be, above all else:  FUN.

I think we’ve got that down – our club IS fun.  J   Yes, we should accomplish many amazing things, but in all of that accomplishment, we need to remember that we are here because we choose to be. We have careers, families or retirement, where we are pulled in many different directions as our personal lives ebb and flow. If our club is not fun and we don’t take time to enjoy the fellowship, than we can easily replace Rotary with something else.  We can make lasting change in our community with our continued good works, as well as globally by supporting the Rotary Foundation, and make it enjoyable at the same time.

In that I have recently procured us a new location to meet going forward, I am hopeful that this will give us that opportunity to share our love of Rotary and have it continue to grow from here. If you speak about your love of Rotary to others, it’s like watering a plant to make it grow.  To do that, we need everyone to participate in that conversation. As my mom always says, many hands make light work. There is wisdom in those words.

I joined Rotary because I was asked to by my former office.  I wasn’t motivated by a higher purpose other than business networking. However: along the way, I stopped being a member and became a Rotarian - I joined for one reason, but I keep staying for another.  The friendships, fun and sense of giving back that I have had here have given me something that’s hard to put into words…but I think each and every one of you in this room know exactly what I mean. 

I want to take this opportunity to thank three people who have made me want to stay and inspired me since I’ve been in Rotary. These people are some of the reason I kept coming back. Their guidance, support, and “can do” attitude toward my ballroom dance event idea and just in general were so appreciated. Whenever (and I mean, whenever) I need something, if I call or email them – they answer. And one of them knew my father and met me when I was just a baby. J I’ve leaned on them heavily and now – I’m going to lead them OMG: Karl Rinker, Ted Goulette and Tom Babic.  They were given inspirational mugs.

I’d also like to thank two other people who have been instrumental in me being here. Without one, I would not be standing here (literally), and the other is quietly in the background, lifting me up, even when I don’t know that I need to be lifted.

Susan Poczobut did not flinch when I asked her if I could come to Rotary – instead, she said “of course” and brought me in. I don’t know if you noticed, but Susan is highly regarded here at Rotary. J  So when she gives her approval, well the rest of the club voted me in! (do you second guess that at all  haha) I knew her from Jazzercise, but it’s at Rotary meetings that I feel our friendship took roots and grew. I love that I can look at her and with one raise of her eyebrow that I totally get what she is saying. J

Elizabeth Laperle is a one woman dynamo. I mean, this girl gets it DONE.  At the dance, she pretty much got an item donated to the Silent Auction from everyone in Barre lol lol!  I get stuff done too, but I have this glittery crown and you all know I got it done. Elizabeth does all of this in stealth mode, and never expects a thank you. But what I sincerely appreciate about her most is that she keeps me on track for things, without me having to ask. I have bounced numerous things off of her – she’s my meter for if I am going too far, or when I have no clue about what is happening – Elizabeth fills me in.

(Susan and Elizabeth were presented with flowers.)

And lastly, someone who has been a rock to me – a foundation from which to spring from. Every time I need to gauge the correctness of my thought process, or determine if something is done for the good of the club, I ask him. This person’s advice means so much, and that person is George Milne. (He was presented with a stone.) His stone is symbolic of the foundation that he provides this club, and has the word “Integrity” written on it because that is how he does everything.

This year’s theme from Rotary International is “Be the Inspiration.” In addition, we are changing from the motto “Service above Self” to “People of Action”.

As you are aware, my goals for the year are increased visibility of our club as well as Rotary International here locally, and investment in our youth – specifically, our Interact and Rotaract program, and what we can do to support them and help that grow. I also want to get them connected on a global mission through one of the many opportunities we have available. After all, these kids are the future of Rotary, and in a recent poll of our club when we were asked “why are you here?” the response was overwhelmingly “youth.”  And this is after I had already decided to make it a priority of my year.  

Remember when I said “Many hands make light work”?  Well, I’m putting that to use with our youth initiative. I have a team of three people who I will be working with closely who will be helping get our Interact Club what they need. Brenda has already done an amazing job with the group; however, I feel she’s done it without being truly supported by us the way she should in the sense that we are a small club that is looking at doing so much that we just didn’t focus on it.   Eddie and Chandra, who have both worked extensively with youth, will be now part of a committee that will help us stay on task to work with Brenda and her group and we as a club will spend more time interacting with them. In short, they will “Be the Inspiration” to our amazing young adults. Brenda and Chandra (in absentia) and Eddie were presented with Youth Rocks.

 

 

Eddie was presented with a President Elect pin and Caroline was presented with a Past President pin.

 

Tom rose to propose a fine on Tony for not helping with “those” pins. Tony defended that he had nothing to do with the pins. Fine passed.

 

Changeover accomplished.