Rotary Log for October 24, 2019
An enthusiastic Josiah Babcock greeted all Rotarians at the door of our meeting. President Leo gonged us to order. Juan Rice intoned the lead into “God Bless America.” Jen Craig offered an original poetic invocation.
There were numerous guests hosted by Rotarians. Unfortunately, your scribe was lured by a double dose of dessert treats. In his sugar high he forgot to record the guests’ names.
Future New Members
Don Chick and Gina Fulginiti have been placed on Seven Day Notice. They will be inducted next week.
Happy Dollars
Since it was World Polio Day all Happy Dollars were allocated to Polio Plus. Leo kicked things off with a $100 donation honoring the work his wife, Lori, has done with HubSpot.
Stan Cross exhorted us to cheer on Exeter High School’s football team for which his son plays. Judy Loto celebrated her son’s final junior high soccer game.
And a BIG one: Joe Bove celebrated his recent marriage engagement!
Announcements
Larry Murphy touted the upcoming “Toast to The Troops” fundraiser. It will be held Sunday afternoon, November 10, at the Exeter Town Hall. More than 60 silent auction and raffle items will be up for grabs.
Basil Richardson needs help producing an updated Club Directory.
Ann Bliss is taking down names for our various Thanksgiving Dinner assignments. These include the baking of 28 turkeys and 50 pies, along with their delivery and the cleaning up afterwards.
Justin Finn (a.k.a. “The Grinch”) gently reminded us of the mandatory three shifts requirement for the Christmas tree sales. Sign-ups commenced at today’s meeting. Unfortunately for those not in attendance, the only spots still open are reputed to be rainy days!
Raffle
Past President James Petersen won the $63 raffle. His good fortune abruptly ended with a “no-match” for the bonus.
Historical Moment
In keeping with the day, Jon Flagg reported a “Polio Historical Moment.” Reading from a vintage publication he recounted the first National Immunization Day in Ethiopia. Our own Ellen Labrie was there. She was pressed into exigency service as a maternity nurse. The grateful parents named their daughter Hallelujah Patricia Ellen.
Guest Speaker: Sarah Chaffee, Green and White Council, Girl Scouts
Past President Trisha Cummings (a former Girl Scout herself) introduced our guest speaker, Sarah Chaffee.
Sarah earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from UNH. For 21 years she owned and operated an art gallery. After its sale she put her talents to work with the Green and White Council of the Girl Scouts. The Council serves more than 10,000 Girl Scouts in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Sarah outlined the broad scope of current day Girl Scouting. Interests are encouraged and skills are developed in numerous fields. These include traditional outdoor activities, STEM education and environmental understanding. There is even one Troop chapter devoted to travel!
The Council actively partners with third parties to enhance the scope and depth of these activities. For example, Fidelity Investments is providing a useful structure for an “Investing” program.
As an analogue to the Boy Scouts’ Eagle Scout Award, the highest Girl Scout award is the “Gold Award.” To earn this award, a Girl Scout must select a community issue. She then examines it, investigates its causes, proposes future courses of action and then works to accomplish these solutions.
While the Girl Scout organization comprises a fairly wide range of age groups, the largest membership resides in the K-4th grade group. Traditionally, attrition sets in as members get older. The Council is striving to keep the girls involved for at least another year on average.
The Council has been successful in increasing Girl Scout membership in our region for the past four years. This is notable because the overall child population has been declining during that period.
Responding to a question, Sarah stated that the Council is “100% committed” to ensuring the maintenance of a single sex environment. That’s the best way, they believe, in which the girls will thrive.
Respectfully submitted, Richard Greulich
Photos by Chad Chadwick
