Currents for March 17, 2022 (Mar 17, 2022)

Moorings

As people arrived, we learned Hank had his fingerprints done, and they are off to the NH Gaming Commission. Jimmy reports that the weather in Bermuda is in the high 60s-low 70s. Hank Clarke told Jimmy he hopes to get him to do a course for Osher at Dartmouth via video conferencing. Hank is currently taking a course and learning about risk takers. It was suggested the JoAnn Lemieux might have stories to tell about her adventures. She then shared about being on a small ship as she travelled from Chilean Patagonia, Chile, through the Drake Passage, and being tossed around by huge waves and dealing with wild weather.

Meeting review: Club Business Meeting

12:03 p.m. — Bell was rung to bring the meeting to order.

Welcome to Rotary - President Hank Clarke

Welcome Guests/Introductions – Jimmy Brock is one of us

Recitation of the Four-Way Test by Caleb Wolfe - He was prepared!

Club Business

In Person Meeting at Harvest Hill

We will start meeting in-person at the Dwinell Room on March 31. Unsure of the Covid precautions that will be in place at the time. Though we still will want proof of vaccination.

We voted to meet in-person on the 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays, and by Zoom on the 2^nd and 4^th, with speakers planned for the 2^nd and 3^rd meetings. Marilyn Bedell will share this change with program chair, Jane Mason.

First in-person meeting will be a Celebration of Rotary Service Please respond to the Doodle poll or email Marilyn sent regarding your attendance. Spouses and guests welcome. Primary purpose is to celebrate Steve Whitman’s 50^th year in Rotary, also several other members milestone anniversaries. We also have Paul Harris awards to give out and 2 new members to induct. District Governor Mike Carrier will join us and provide a few remarks and assist with various presentations.

Support for Disaster Relief in Ukraine [Post meeting, an email was sent to all members about making donations to Rotary's Disaster Relief Funds]

Districts on the border of Ukraine are eligible to apply for $50,000 Disaster Relief Grants from The Rotary Foundation. Lots of that work is being done by Rotaract clubs in Europe. If the first grant money is used and relieve money is still available, districts can return for more. As needs clarify, global grants would be available. RI isn’t a disaster relief group; rebuilding is longer-term work where we can be most effective. Soon, countries accepting refugees will be able to request grants for money to help settlement of refugees.

Shelter Box is active and on the ground in Poland and Hungary figuring out how to help with temporary shelter for new refugees.

Phil Bush – There’s at least one Ukrainian couple here in the UV involved in an English-language conversation group, the “Talking Bridge.” They could be a resource if there are any new refugees coming to the area. Hank asked Phil to see if they’d be interested in speaking with us. This couple is trying to raise money for a friend in the hospital.

Ernst Oidtmann – Any rotary clubs in Ukraine?

Marilyn – Clubs in Poland and Hungary are trying to connect. There are 50 Rotary clubs and 20+ Rotaract clubs in Ukraine. These are communication channels. Holder Knaack, Past RI President, Germany, has taken in a family from Ukraine.

Individuals may write checks to TRF designated for disaster relief. Nothing from the money we donate goes to overhead for TRF. Checks may be sent to Ron Bedell– should be done quickly since he’ll be away for 5 weeks starting April 1. It’s much easier for everyone if donations are made through your My Rotary account on RI’s web page. You get an electronic receipt. (This was described in more detail that Marilyn sent out after the meeting.)

Ahmad – Move that we request Charities to match funds donated by Rotarians, not less than $1,000 and no more than $1,500. Bill Secord seconds the motion. Hank asks for hands in support. For Charities to match these donations, it will need a Project Request Form from Hank to the Charities Board and will need to be notified of how many donations were made and the total amount to be matched.

Ron will track checks he receives. Those who donate via My Rotary should send a copy of their receipt to Ron and Bruce. Using the web site, it will have your Rotary information and will get you Paul Harris credit.

Rotarian Mila D. dela Pena — Marilyn Bedell

Mila is a Rotarian from the Philippines who may be transferring her membership to Lebanon. She is working at Hitchcock. Mila had to leave the presidency of her Club when she came to the U.S. She really wants to help with service projects, very excited about working with us, and wants to be part of Rotary even if she cannot come to meetings. She will be able to attend our meeting on March 31.

Request from Meals on Wheels V Marilyn

MOW only delivering 2x/week and ready to expand to 5 meals a week for which they need drivers/deliverers. Marilyn will circulate information so folks can sign up. JoAnn asked if Marilyn had spoken with Bill Babineau “because his wife used to do all that.” Ahmad asked if we could reach out to our friends and spread the news? Yes, says Marilyn.

In you are interested in helping. Here is the info Marilyn Bedell received from Lebanon Senior Citizens:

---------- Original Message ----------

From: John Welenc <jwelenc@gcscc.org>

To: John Welenc <jwelenc@gcscc.org>

Date: 03/07/2022 2:31 PM

Subject: Volunteers needed

Hello,

I have recently retired from DHMC and easing toward really retiring by helping out here as the Meals on Wheels Coordinator at the Senior Center in Lebanon.

I am reaching out to DHMC alumni to ask your help in finding Volunteers for the Lebanon Area Senior Center. When Covid began, finding Volunteers was very difficult. It was plain to see at DHMC. Our Home Delivered Meals program was forced to cut back to delivering just 2 meals a week. We are trying to get back to 5 days per week. We have 89+ clients now that really need a hot meal as often as possible.

I am networking with people in the area, and am asking if you are interested or know people that would like to support the Senior Center to reach out to us.

Thank you,

Jay Welenc

Grafton County Senior Center

603-448-4213

Upcoming Service Projects

Listen Community Dinners – Dean Cashman: There’s been no Doodle. Marilyn put the information to and link to sign up in our newsletter. So far, no one has signed up. Larry, Dining Room Manager at Listen, wants each of us to have an account – reminders, emergency contacts, etc., all get into the system. It’s pretty seamless once you create the account. Please sign up to help.

Sign-up information below under Reminders from last weeks meeting.

Food Drives for Listen

Tim says we have 11 people who’ve signed up for our Saturday, March 19, 2022 food Drive. Next Food Drive April 30, 2022. 9 AM to 1 PM

Styrofoam Collection

April 16. Quick event. Set up, event over at noon, out of there by 12:30. There may be some observers from other solid waste efforts – 3 volunteers from Sustainable Lebanon.

Youth Service

Mascoma Interact – Bruce P

Dessert Auction, Friday, April 1, 2022; 3:30 and 5::30 PM. Rotarians are most welcome to come and bid on the desserts available during this Interact fundraiser.

RISE food-packaging event on Friday, April 22, 2022 – Lebanon Rotary volunteers welcome. The truck arrives around 10:30 am and needs to be unloaded. The gym needs tables and equipment set up. The actual packaging event should begin around noon. Rotary volunteers should be vigilant about not hogging a fun spot in the production when there are students willing to help. We should be supporters.

RYLA – Ahmad Haidari

Attended a district-wide discussion about the RYLA June 24-26 in-person. Capacity is 60-64 students, mostly those who’ve just completed their sophomore years (also known as “rising juniors”). Everyone who’s been involved has enjoyed RYLA. Youth Services has funds budgeted for 4 slots; tuition is about $375 per person. There’s a video in YouTube – link is in the chat box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGEF5ludjX0

We’ll need to interview candidates. We want to advertise the activity at the high schools. There are some posters and we have a small amount of money to let people know – don’t yet have a formal plan. Word of mouth to family members can really help – student who are currently in sophomore year are our targets. Paul would like to put up a poster at Dan & Whit’s

Friday April 1 – going to LHS to present to students there.

Fundraisers

Poker Room – There’s been a delay in submitting our information because of the inadequacy of John’s fingerprints. Hank was fingerprinted on Tuesday. We may still have our April 14 beginning date.

Golf – Final brochure/sponsor form should be circulating very soon.

Brew Fest – Beer glasses are on hand. We are limiting attendance to 600 this year.

Reminders

Upcoming Projects
- Listen Community Dinners – They are resuming in April. Go to the sign-up page at Listen’s website. 2^nd Tuesday in April is Lebanon Rotary’s first opportunity.

Our Club will be back to doing meals on even months beginning in April. Sign up to help on the Listen Web Page.

Here is the information we got from Larry Lowndes, Community Dinner Manager:

Your team is keeping the same calendar date - the 2nd Tuesday of even months. So that's April 12th. We just ask now that individuals of your team sign up for each cook-date they plan on attending. This helps us with reporting requirements.

Previously, we have not asked team members to do this. Now however, your registering for events will greatly help us organize, relieve back-end data entry, help facilitate monthly reporting, and will allow us, if necessary, to provide Covid contact tracing. When you arrive at the dining hall, you'll need to punch-in when you arrive and punch-out when you leave. The kiosk is right where you hang your belongings, in the 'Dry Storage" room by the dishwasher.

Please visit the webpage created exclusively for your team at http://vhub.at/lebrot before your next visit. We recommend bookmarking it in your web browser and using the address to access your account. It will save you and us time. Also, please consider sharing the link with other members (or potential members) of your team.

Once on your team's webpage, you will see the dates that your team is registered for. If you personally plan on attending any of the events, click the “Sign Up” button next to the dates (or cancel events that you can no longer attend). At that point you'll be asked to set up your account if you haven't done so already. Be sure when asked to click the checkbox stating that you are interested in the Community Dining Hall.

If you are already registered on Volunteerhub, be sure to update your Listen 'affiliations'. You'll find them after you sign in, on the upper right when you click on your name. By doing so, you can find classes and other information.

If you have any questions, please contact Larry Lowndes.

As always, thank you for your support and all you do for Listen Community Services!

Best regards,

Larry

Styrofoam Collection – April 16, behind Jake’s Coffee Shop from 9-11 am.

Press release for Styrofoam Collection in April

Media Contact: Liane Avery, L99Liane@aol.com, 860-556-3114

Event Details: Saturday, April 16, 2022, 9-11 am behind Jake’s Coffee, 227 Mechanic Street, Lebanon, NH

2022 Foam Collection Day in Lebanon

Lebanon, NH

Sustainable Lebanon is once again partnering with the Lebanon Rotary Club to offer a polystyrene (Styrofoam) collection day on Saturday, April 16, from 9 - 11 am at 227 Mechanic Street in Lebanon (behind Jake’s Coffee). The event will take place rain or shine.

Various types of foam will be collected for recycling, including polystyrene #6 (EPS), polyethylene #4 (EPE), and #6 XPS insulation board foam which will be driven to a recycling facility in Massachusetts. This includes packaging foam used for TVs, computers, and appliances, as well as foam coolers. Food service foam, including clean food containers and egg cartons will be collected and recycled separately. We ask that all tape and labels be removed and all foam is clean, dry, and free of food residue or other debris.

PLEASE NOTE: Foam peanuts should be brought directly to the UPS Store at True Value Hardware in Hanover.

Additional information shared about Styrofoam:

Marilyn is working with DG Mike Carrier and two other DGs that cover clubs in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, and Cindy Heath to broaden the collection opportunities with other Rotary Club in Northern New England. There’s a company in NJ that renders Styrofoam into ingots (using a “densifier”) the ingots may be stacked using far less space than the raw Styrofoam until one has enough for a tractor-trailer. Perhaps the Gilford Sanitation Dept could be a hub for collection and ingot-forming. Apparently, there’s a company in Quebec that may be using these ingots as home insulation. There’s another firm in MA turning Styrofoam into picture frames which, when done, can be re-densified!! Marilyn is learning more about Styrofoam than she ever envisioned learning.

Phil Bush: Phil is also a member of Sustainable Lebanon. He reported that the last time, we accepted a lot of stuff that wasn’t recycled and is now resting in a member’s cellar. The news releases this time will LIST things that are acceptable. As to the trade-off between the fossil fuels moving the Styrofoam—Phil reports that it’s still a net gain to do the recycling.

Paul Tierney: Are we tied into any of the really big users, like the medical facilities? Marilyn is speaking to D-H and Cindy is talking with the others.

Phil Bush: He shared that Sustainable Lebanon has hired Jennifer Grant to be its part-time program manager.

Paul: Have we spoken to the Hartford and Norwich waste folks to try and remove Styrofoam from their flow? Marilyn: Initially, we are working with individuals and setting up systems to deal with higher volumes.

Ahmad: I reached out to Lebanon’s Solid Waste group. They recommended that we use the high school as a collection location. They would be willing to talk with us about what they are looking at in terms of overall solid waste, electricity generation, etc. Marilyn will pass along the information to Jane Mason for a possible program and will also mention the information to Cindy Heath.

Rise Against Hunger – Friday, April 22; Mascoma Valley Regional High School.

Truck arrives 10:30 am; packaging starts at noon. Rotarians may come whenever they want Just a reminder, only pitch in to help where help is needed. Help to make sure all students are involved in the project first.

Here are a few pictures from Joy Gobin

Lebanon High School Interactor's

fund raiser for to help cover the costs of the event.

Food Drive — April 30, 2022 at the Lebanon Co-Op 9 AM to 1 PM

Golf tournament – Ed Friedman

We are in full search mode for sponsors and teams. Reach out to your friends, associates and businesses to increase the sponsorships. Ed will distribute forms for solicitation. Tournament is May 26 at Eastman. Volunteers are needed especially to help with break down – too many of us disappear at the end, so this year, let’s have more than just Ed, Bruce Bergeron, Marilyn and Ron. Break down tents, tables, etc.

Happy Thoughts/Concerns

Other announcements for the good of the club

Bruce Pacht — First game of Red Sox spring training is today at Jet Blue Park, Fort Myers, Florida: 83 degrees, 52% humidity.
Ernst Oidtmann — Cannot play piano on March 31. Any other piano players in the club that can substitute for him?
John Yacavone — Rejection of my fingerprints – Lebanon did it with ink and the FBI turned it down. But “No criminal convictions found.”

Tim: Just because they didn’t find anything convictions, doesn’t mean there isn’t one.

JoAnn Lemieux – My mother-in-law’s birthday today – 88 years old. Anna, Mike Bartlett’s wife, had 8 kittens, all of which are spoken for.
Tim Guaraldi — Tomorrow is his wife Anna’s birthday, year undisclosed. Tim’s youngest daughter has a wedding date of Oct. 15; she and her fiancé are going to Machu Picchu.
Paul Tierney — Son Adam and wife are going to be living in the same place on a permanent basis; they have an apartment here in Lebanon. Daughter Claire has gotten a job as a gymnastics instructor at Denver University in Colorado.

Car Wash Raffle

The random choice is Jim Damren.

One Profits Most Who Serves Best

Upcoming meetings:

Board of Directors Meeting — Wednesday, April 13 , 2022 at 5 PM. Any member can attend, let Marilyn Bedell know if you would like the link to the meeting.

Members at the meeting:

Marilyn Bedell

Ron Bedell

Bruce Bergeron

Phil Bush

Dean Cashman

Hank Clarke

Jim Damren

Rudy Fedrizzi

Joy Gobin

Tim Guaraldi

Cindy Jerome