CURRENTS - June 19, 2025 (Jun. 25, 2025)

Minutes from our June 19, 2025 Meeting

Rotary Club of Lebanon, NH

Minutes of regular meeting

June 19, 2025

Members present: Angela Nelson, Bill Secord, John Yacavone, Dave Clarenbach, Rich Wallace, Bruce Pacht, Bruce Bergeron, Jim Damren, Andy Jones, Ron Michaud, Steve Grant. Hank Clarke.

MCTO by co-president-elect Bruce Bergeron at 12:01 pm.

Classification talk: Andy Jones.

Andy grew up in White River Junction, where his mother was from; his father was from Lebanon. Andy said he has belonged to churches, Lions, and now Rotary. His father, now 80 years old, was in the military, Lions and Elks, and is an optometrist, a big reason why Andy chose that field as well.

Andy met his wife in Boston in optometry school; she’d planned to become a veterinarian but saw the light (Get it?). Andy met Sheila when training for the marathon; he said they both keep in shape.

Andy attended St. Michaels College, where he engaged in cross country running and skating. During his second year, he stayed in Burlington for the summer, where he found a job working for an optometrist. He also bought a motorcycle, which reproduced over the years.

For his first ten years in optometry, Andy worked with his dad; for the past ten years he has been working with Sheila. He said it’s hard not to talk about business a lot of the time, even when they aren’t at work. Staying together as a couple and co-workers requires mutual respect and tolerance.

Andy’s love for motorcycles started when he was ten. His twin brother and father both ride as well. Andy and his twin brother each have one boy and one girl; Andy’s brother is a mechanical engineer.

At age twenty-six, an ACL tear ended Andy’s running; now he bikes and skis. He and Sheila have a couple of dogs who help keep him active.

In his presentation to the club, Andy went through some slide photos, making comments as they passed:

Retina photograph – Andy’s firm does glasses, contacts, eye diseases, and follow-up care. There are lots of eye specialists at D-H; Andy’s team knows when to refer.
Trials motorcycle – Weighs only 150 lbs. 350 cc, no seat, and fat tires set at 4 lbs. pressure. Competition is in sections. If you put your foot down, you lose points. Competitors ride the eight-section course three times. It’s all about balance.
Andy has one hundred acres in WRJ, where his family and dogs enjoy themselves.
Dual Sport Motorcycle: 350 lbs., single cylinder DR 650 Suzuki. Andy is also a guide for some adventure rides, some of which go about 150 miles and for which he will know every water crossing.
Maple house and arch: Andy made maple syrup for ten-twelve years until he got smarter and decided to buy it from other makers.
Family photo of Andy’s and his brother’s families - they go on vacation together with the four cousins.
Back country skiing photo: They “skin up” the hill, then take them off and ski down. Andy’s knee gave out with arthritis after two ACLs and then total knee replacement.
2021 photo of Mt. Washington skiing atop Great Gulf. They walked two miles up the cog railway tracks. There are more avalanches at the GG than at Tuckerman’s Ravine. They call it the “Gulf of Slides.”
Photo of Andy’s total knee replacement – Thanks, Andy.
2021 Indian Chieftain motorcycle, 1800 cc. This one has a heel/toe shifter and floorboards with cruise control; the windshield goes up and down electrically. Indian company started around the same time as Harley but stopped 50 yrs ago. Then someone bought the name and brought out very expensive machines. Then Polaris bought it, and they are making good motorcycles. Andy also owns a BMW 1150 RT.
Winter mountain biking (“fat biking”) using tires with carbide studs. Sheila participates with GLOW: “Glorious Ladies on Wheels.” Twenty of their friends are going to Canada next week. They rent two houses of ten persons each – the youngsters have a later bedtime.
Cross-country skiing at the Brandon Gap.
Retina detachment photo – Eeew! Andy referred this woman to the D-H retina department where they operated next day; she has 20/30 now. Many folks end up near sighted. Andy loves the new photo technology that now takes in 80% of the eye in a single shot.
Dual sport motorcycle: Andy’s a guide. He also does a volunteer two-day ride to raise funds for cystic fibrosis research. Riders pay $100 for the ride and get one raffle chance for a new Suzuki, along with a swag bag and t-shirt.
The “World Trials” competition is coming to RI next summer -- Andy plans to attend. He told us that Europe has sidecar motocross races.
Rock climbing photo from ten years ago: Andy says one must use legs more than arms, which tire quickly. He also got into caving with his brother
Valley Vision Eyecare on Mechanic Street – Andy and Sheila’s business is conveniently located.

Announcements:

Golf tournament: Bruce Bergeron will meet Friday with Angela re: finances. A few raffle items will come to a later meeting. Angela asked Rotarians to submit immediately any reimbursement requests.
Brew Fest: Hank Clarke reported that the price of beer cups has gone up and we’re looking at competitive bids. After the July 3 meeting, Rotarians are asked to remain for twenty minutes to affix new dates to the signs, and the signs to their mounting legs. Price of the new signs went up $10 each.
Charities: Bruce Pacht accepted motions to concur with a $1,000.00 donation to the Upper Valley Haven and to adopt the 2025-26 Charities budget. After discussion, voting opened at the end of the meeting and will continue until the close of the meeting 6/26 after another opportunity for discussion. Members are urged to send their votes or comments/questions to Charities’ chair Bruce Pacht at brucepacht67@gmail.com.

Brags:

Ron Michaud talked about his recent trip back to Scotland where he played golf at the historic courses there as a man 90 years old.
- It cost 340 pounds to play “the Olde Course” at St. Andrews, a far cry from the $25 when Ron first played there in the 1990s. Ron played golf twice this trip, but not on the Olde Course. He played eighteen holes two days in a row. Here at home, Ron often plays nine holes on Tuesday morning with a league at Carter. He shot 96 the first day and 102 the second using brand new rental clubs. He had thirteen 3-putt greens, nineteen 2-putt, five 1-putt, and sank one 70-yard pitch for a no-putt hole.
- Golfers must use a cart; there are lasers that keep you on the fairway and not riding in the rough.
- Ron started playing golf when was only eight or nine years old. This trip, he spent ten days at the University of Aberdeen Hotel, where he met surgeons from all around the world. His rented car was a problem mostly because it’s very hard to find parking. Also, the unfamiliarity of driving on the LEFT side caused Ron a bit of confusion. Once, he had to stop in the middle of the street so he could ask someone to tell him where the reverse gear was on the shift – no one had trained him at the rental place.
- For Ron, the game of golf is spiritual. He played Pebble Beach a few times when he was in the Army Language school studying Russian. He would sneak on at the second hole and play seventeen.
- Pub visits were a high point. The Royal Oak was near his hotel. It was beautiful outside and inside, there was a little room. All the musicians were volunteers and were either stoned or drunk, according to Ron. He intended spending thirty minutes and wound up spending three hours, even going back for a second visit when he met Sarah from Inverness, whom Ron said, “. . . was bombed but a great guitarist and singer and I loved her.”

Bill Secord called our attention to the lengthy, comprehensive and excellent Valley News story on the huge education reform bill just passed in the VT legislature. He urged every Rotarian to support the newspaper with a subscription.

Hank Clarke bragged that he and Bill were in the Valley News front-page photos of July 14 “No King” demonstrators.

Raffles:

#614 was held by Bill Secord who lost with the Four of Spades. Bill then drew #613 which yielded a free care wash at the Enfield Car wash, courtesy of Jake’s Market.

We ended our meeting with our Rotary motto,

One profits most who serves best.