Minutes from Bruce Pacht - Thanks Bruce, and thanks for sending out newsletters while I was away.
Upcoming Programs/Speakers
First and Third Thursday at Noon @ Harvest Hill's Dwinell Room
Second and Forth Thursdays at Noon on Zoom
GET YOUR SPEAKER IDEAS TO STEVE WHITMAN.
Upcoming Programs
August 18 – (in-person) Rotarian Shaun Mulholland, Lebanon City Manager, will speak about what’s going on in the City, and there’s a lot! He wants Rotary more involved in strategic planning for the City coming up this autumn.
August 25 - Brew Fest Review
September 1 (in-person) – Rudy Fedrizzi classification talk: History of public health, today’s role and in the future.
September 8 (Zoom)
September 15 (in-person) – RYLA students from Lebanon Highjoin us for the meeting.
September 22 (Zoom)
September 29 - 5th Thursday, to be announced
October - World Polio Day is October 24th We will have a program about PolioPlus
November - November is Rotary Foundation Month. We will have a program about the Foundation
Steve Whitman introduced Ahmad whom he met Ahmad a year ago; eventually asking him about joining Rotary. Ahmad came in 1977 to US to study mechanical engineering. He took his PhD at Lehigh University. He has live for 30 years in Lebanon and worked mostly with the software industry.
Ahmad then spoke:
He is from Iran, about which he gave us some history; he is 64 years old. Around 500 BC in the time of Cyrus the great, The Persian Empire included much of what is now Turkey, edges of eastern Europe and all the way to western India; it’s a 3,000 year-old civilization.
Iran borders Afghanistan, Iraq, Persian Gulf, and Russia. Iranians are not Arab, but Persian. Now, the country is a combination of multiple cultures in one area. Ahmad himself is of Persian descent. Iran is about 1/5 the size of the USA, and 10th largest with regard to natural resources. Historically Iran was a good friend of the US.
Ahmad was born in Isfahan, located in the center of Iran. The Caspian Sea to the north of Iran is a souce of much of the world’s best caviar. Iran’s geography is diverse, with mountain ranges and ski areas in the north, down to hot desert in the south and east bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Isfahan is Iran’s 2nd largest city founded about 700 years ago. It’s main square was at the center of the dynasty. The city is full of mosques and palaces. Many parks are around a main river with beautiful bridges. Water is an essential hardship in Iran; as the river dies, it creates problems with city’s life cycle. Beautiful ceramics from 6-700 years ago decorate the mosques. Drought and traffic are other problems the city faces.
Picture of Isfahan, Iran from Wikipedia
Ahmad arrived in Philadelphia in 1977 for college after he graduated secondary school at 16. There were about 20m000 American servicemen in his hometown which affected his decision about college. He attended University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, and Lehigh University eventually concentrating in fluid mechanics, including aerodynamic pump design.
He married in 1991 and moved to the Upper Valley in 1992. His 4 children are all Lebanon High graduates; when they were young, Ahmad was involved with soccer and youth hockey.
Ahmad’s work is “at the intersection of business development and technology.” He is neither a geeky PhD or a business school school graduate but knows how to work where the fields come together. He works at “building vertical businesses.”
In college, he started a company that he sold: “Vortab”
He is a co-founder of Segnet Technologies in 1995. He also helped start an online food coop in 1995.
He joined Fluent (one of the CREARE spinoffs) in 1992. Fluent was sold in 2006 for $520 million.
Ahmad ran global business for Ansys in the energy and process industries
During Covid in 2020, Ahmad started a business development consulting company
Today’s, he’s helping a small engineering software company to grow its business
The thread running through Ahmad’s work is that it is all about developing and then leasing or selling software.
What is software? It’s basically the set of instructions a human gives to a computer to do work. We need American youth to pay attention to STEM fields. Brain power will be the strength of US in the future. Learning to develop software is like learning a language. “Enterprise software” is a main area of growth: back office, product life cycle management, engineering software.
“Engineering software”
We do almost everything. Formula One cars use software computational fluid mechanics to maximize airflow over the vehicle. Another one computerizes gearboxes to see where the stresses occur.
Pre-meeting chat: Paul Tierney brought us up to date on his arm function. Jimmy Brock signed in from Quechee awaiting his son and one of his granddaughters, his daughter and her twins to come up in a week or so. The twins are about 12 years old. When asked about global warming, Jimmy said that Bermuda relies on rain for drinking water with only one desalinization plant and that there’s a drought in Bermuda. Water is collected on rooftops, stored in under-home tanks, and pumped up.
Club Meeting Review
Our meeting was called to order by President Ed at 12:01; Marilyn rang the bell.
Ed welcomed us all to the meeting, welcoming especially visiting Rotarian Kirk Baird, Karen Clements and Jimmy Brock.
4-Way Test was recited by JoAnn.
Steve Whitman then introduced Ahmad Haidari who did his classification talk. See story above.
Then we moved no to Club Business
Club business
Charities:
Bruce P reviewed Charities’ vote to appropriate $5,264.00 to the renovation/upgrades now underway for the Lebanon High School track and field areas. The amount will result in a net donation of $5,000 to the track effort and includes the fee charged by the Friends of Lebanon Recreation and Parks for serving as the tax-exempt fiscal intermediary for the effort. The Lebanon School District will provide $1.1 million; the “Bring Back The Track” citizens’ effort will raise the remaining $300,000.
Rich Wallace moved and Bill Secord seconded the motion to approve Charities’ action. After some discussion, members approved the motion.
Brewfest:
Print ads start on Sunday, social media Friday. A Doodle poll will be circulated for volunteers.
WE NEED ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WE CAN GET – INVITE FRIENDS AND FAMILY!
Set-up help is needed Friday before the day of the Brew Fest as well.
Jim Damren: Booklet and advertising/sponsorships closed on Friday, 8/7. We have $11,675 pledged so far. All artwork has been sent to graphic designer, Betsey Child. She’s working on booklet layout – she’s on vacation next week (so is Jim). Should go to printer week after next.
Hank Clarke announced that he will not run the Brew Fest in 2023, so someone needs to step up to chair the event.
Marilyn Bedell asked if there were nursing students who might wish to help. Karen will let Colby-Sawyer students know – they must be 21+ to help.
Ahmad Haidari went to Hitchcock hospital to put up signs. Everything was digital. There’s a group at D-H that controls community service. Marilyn will send Karen’s email address to Ahmad.
John Yacavone said that the Club is distributing hats to all Club members during our in-person meetings. We want you to wear the hat and a yellow Rotary shirt when you volunteer. We will bring hats for those who haven’t collected their hat before the BrewFest.
Service projects:
There’s a COVER weatherization project opportunity in Lebanon in September. Stay tuned for details.
Future programs:
August 18 – Shaun Mulholland, Lebanon City Manager and Rotarian. If you have friends, invite them to this meeting!!!
August 25 – Brew Fest focus??
September 1 – Rudy Fedrizzi classification talk: history of public health, today’s role and in the future.
September 15 – RYLA students will talk with us about their experience and receive their certificates. Spread them around to different tables.
Steve Whitman is aiming for a “theme” approach to speakers. Right now, he’s working on Health.
October/November meetings: Polio, Foundation and other things including classification talks.
HOLIDAY PARTY options – Ron Bedell
After getting proposals from other venues, it has been determined that Quechee Inn at $56 pp is our bet. The other venues would charge >$60 and would not include, appetizers and wine. Club members present voted to hold the holiday party at the Quechee Inn. There will be discussions about whether wine and hors-d’oeuvres should be included in the price for everyone.
Other:
Paul asked about the recent cases of polio in New York State.
Ron Bedell said that there are two persons with symptoms, though based on mathematical models, it is expected that about 30 others may have it without showing symptoms.
Marilyn Bedell pointed out that this is vaccine-derived polio; that is, it came not from circulation of the wild polio virus, but from the oral vaccine which contains live virus. They have not yet tracked the genetic origin of the vaccine. Such infections occur in under- or non-vaccinated populations; about 58% of the people in the NY county are vaccinated. Marilyn expects to hear more from Mike McGovern, chair of RI’s PolioPlus committee and a Rotarian in Maine. Here is what Marilyn has learned:
A message sent by Rotarian Mike McGovern Chair, International PolioPlus Committee:
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has been informed of a case of paralytic polio in an unvaccinated individual in Rockland County, New York, United States.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are coordinating with New York State health authorities on their investigation. Initial sequencing confirmed by CDC indicates that the case is type 2 VDPV.
Any form of poliovirus anywhere is a threat to children everywhere. It is critical that the GPEI Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026 is fully resourced and fully implemented everywhere, to ensure a world free of all forms of poliovirus can be achieved.
We are calling on every single Rotarian to take action and be a part of the fight to end polio, helping to raise $50 million per year for polio eradication.
Mike McGovern
Chair, International PolioPlus Committee
From the New York Times
Polio Has Been Detected in New York City Wastewater, Officials Say
The detection of the virus in sewage suggests it is circulating in the city, Health Department officials said.
Polio outbreaks incited regular panics decades ago, until a vaccine was developed and the disease was largely eradicated. Then on Friday, New York City health authorities announced that they had found the virus in wastewater samples, suggesting polio was probably circulating in the city again.
Parents of young children found themselves wondering — perhaps for the first time in their lives, and, collectively, for the first time in generations — just how much they should worry about polio.
Anabela Borges, a designer who lives in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, said she had friends whose children probably were not vaccinated. After the announcement on Friday, she said she planned to “make her friends aware.”
Ms. Borges said she hoped her 7-month-old daughter, Ava, who is old enough to have had three of the four shots recommended for children, was far along enough in the regimen to be protected. “Polio is really dangerous for babies like her,” Ms. Borges said as she and her daughter’s nanny took Ava for a walk in her stroller.
In New York City, the overall rate of polio vaccination among children 5 and under is 86 percent, and most adults in the United States were vaccinated against polio as children. Still, in some city ZIP codes, fewer than two-thirds of children 5 and under have received at least three doses, a figure that worries health officials.
The state Health Department said in a statement the discovery of the virus underscored “the urgency of every New York adult and child getting immunized, especially those in the greater New York metropolitan area.”
The announcement came three weeks after a man in Rockland County, N.Y., north of the city, was diagnosed with a case of polio that left him with paralysis. Officials now say polio has been circulating in the county’s wastewater since May.
“The risk to New Yorkers is real but the defense is so simple — get vaccinated against polio,” Dr. Ashwin Vasan, the New York City health commissioner, said in a statement. “With polio circulating in our communities, there is simply nothing more essential than vaccinating our children to protect them from this virus, and if you’re an unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated adult, please choose now to get the vaccine.”
Polio in New York is a a reminder:
Old Business - Speaker Book from August 4, 2022
Brian Cook, Operations Manager LOH
The book donated in honor of our Lebanon Opera House (LOH) speaker was:
The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindberg by Candice Fleming
Discover the dark side of Charles Lindbergh--one of America's most celebrated heroes and complicated men--in this riveting biography from the acclaimed author of The Family Romanov.
First human to cross the Atlantic via airplane; one of the first American media sensations; Nazi sympathizer and anti-Semite; loner whose baby was kidnapped and murdered; champion of Eugenics, the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding; tireless environmentalist. Charles Lindbergh was all of the above and more. Here is a rich, multi-faceted, utterly spellbinding biography about an American hero who was also a deeply flawed man. In this time where values Lindbergh held, like white Nationalism and America First, are once again on the rise, The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh is essential reading for teens and history fanatics alike.
We closed the meeting at 1:11 PM with the Rotary motto, One profits most who serves best.
The Car Wash was won by Rich Wallace
CONSLUSION: Marilyn rang the bell at 1:11 PM and Ed closed the meeting with the Rotary Motto:
One profits most who serves best.
Present: 24 in attendance: Paul Tierney, Bruce Pacht, Ron Bedell, Marilyn Bedell, Steve Whitman, Ahmad Haidari, Jimmy Brock, Hank Clarke, Tim Guaraldi, JoAnn Lemieux, Ed Friedman, Bill Secord, Rich Wallace, Phil Bush, Will Koppenheffer, Jim Damren, Karen Clements, Rudy Fedrizzi, John Yacavone, Cal Wolfe, Jane Mason
Visitor: Kirk Baird, former member of the Rotary Club of New Haven, Connecticut
Upcoming Service Projects and Fund Raisers
Listen Community Dinner October 11, 2022!! We need helpers!
From Dean Cashman: We have 4 slots to fill on October 11, 2022. You need to sign up on the Listen Volunteer Web page: http://vhub.at/lebrot
We ask you to personally register for events that your team is signed up for. Don't worry. 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,
Lebanon Casino Fundraiser - Spring 2023
Brew Fest 2022
Brew Fest will be September 3, 2022
Bedell Classic Golf Tournament - See you at the golf course in May 2023!!
Rotary International’s recent member survey reveals where Rotary is today, while suggesting where it needs to go tomorrow.
The motive power of Rotary is friendship,” said Paul Harris in his address to the Rotary convention held in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1921. His remarks were greeted with a round of applause — and were endorsed 100 years later by current members of Rotary.
In the most recent annual survey of Rotary members, 45% of respondents cited friendship as the reason they remain in Rotary, and 84% said they were satisfied with their ability to connect with friends through Rotary.
Meanwhile, 42% of respondents cited the opportunity to make an impact on their communities as the reason they remained in Rotary — another response that would have delighted Rotary’s founder.
Gathering this kind of information is one of the reasons we survey Rotary members every year. The 2021 all-member survey, which was conducted last fall by Rotary International and drew nearly 70,000 responses from Rotarians and Rotaractors, will contribute to the long-term success of Rotary’s Action Plan and its strategic initiatives. It also ensures that Rotary leadership understands and responds to the expectations and experiences of new and longtime members. On a more local level, clubs and districts can use this information to attract and engage new and current members.
Rotary members: A snapshot
65 Average age of male Rotarians
59 Average age of female Rotarians
25 Average age of Rotaractors, male or female
24% of Rotarians are women
50% of Rotaractors are women
What members like about their clubs . . .
Friendship and fellowship
Learning new things from guest speakers
Interesting discussion topics
Opportunities to get involved in the local community
Hybrid meetings that allow clubs to host different speakers and allow members who have difficulty attending in person to participate
. . . and what they don't like
Virtual meetings without in-person interaction
Weak, unresponsive club leadership
Irrelevant, uninteresting guest speakers
Poor time management (starting or ending meetings late)
Cliques
Exclusivity and lack of diversity
Rituals and unneeded formalities like prayers and songs
Other Responses
93% of Rotary members who were either very likely (78%) or rather likely (15%) to remain a member of their club over the next 12 months
61% of Rotary members who thought their clubs had made a positive impact on their communities
48.2 Volunteer hours (in millions) contributed by Rotary members in a 12-month period ending in October 2021
59% of Rotarians who participated in global grants by organizing projects, volunteering, and/or donating money
Why members leave
61% of Rotarians who joined Rotary in 2016 and had terminated their membership by 2020
Why?
Club does not represent my values
Club's lack of impact
Cost
Personal circumstances
Conflicts within club
Time
Dues
53% of Rotary members indicated that they are very informed about how clubs spend their dues
The pandemic's impact
57% of Rotary members who said their clubs were primarily meeting online at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. That number has since diminished to 12 percent.
63% of Rotary members who said they enjoyed their virtual club meetings, but also reported missing personal interaction
50% of district and club leaders who reported doing fewer service projects during the pandemic
65% of district and club leaders who reported raising fewer funds during the pandemic
Takeaways from the data
To engage new members, include them in club meetings, introduce them to other club members, or invite them to serve in a leadership role for a committee or project.
If cost is a burden, consider decreasing membership dues or offering flexible membership options.
Diversify your membership by inviting someone outside of your immediate social circle to join your club.
As a member's comfort level increases, so does their satisfaction as a Rotary member, so ensure that members feel welcomed, respected, and valued for who they are.
82% of new members who found their clubs through friends, colleagues, or other members
1-3 Number of meetings that most potential members attend before deciding if they want to join the club
1-3 Period of years after joining a club in which new members are highly susceptible to terminating their membership
This story originally appeared in the August 2022 issue of Rotary magazine.
This initiative by the Board of Trustees of The Rotary Foundation encourages “every Rotarian, every year” to:
Participate in a Foundation program that is making a difference in the world
Contribute to the Foundation’s Annual Fund at a sustainable amount
The Rotary Foundation even has banners for clubs where every member contributes at least $25 to the Annual Fund with a $100 per capita during the Rotary year.
Today, around 1/3 of Rotarians participate in this initiative. In 2021-22, The Rotary Foundation was able to award 1,197 global grants for large scale sustainable projects due to the generosity of these Rotarians (unaudited). Think about how much more Rotary could accomplish in the world if all of our 1.2 million worldwide members each gave at least $25 to our Foundation’s Annual Fund.
If you are a part of the “Every Rotarian, Every Year” initiative – I personally thank you for your support of The Rotary Foundation and its work.
We will be meeting every Thursday
The First and Third Thursday at 12 Noon, at the Dwinell Room at Harvest Hill; and the Second and Forth Thursday at 12 Noon on Zoom
Need to learn how to join a Zoom Meeting? Click Here
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