Brian Davis was our speaker today. He graciously shared his notes from his talk with me. In blue/bold font are some additional thoughts he shared during the meeting.
Classification Talk: Brian Davis
Brian Davis
Opening
Hello, everyone. For those who don't know me yet, I'm Brian Davis. I own a company called Saguaro Technologies, and if you've ever wondered why a tech company in Lebanon, New Hampshire is named after a Cactus. You may find out
I live in Lebanon, NH on Poverty Lane.Coming from the San Francisco Bay Area in 2004 [He was lurded her by a Tuck Grad who has a IT business on Lafayetter Drive], this felt almost too rural for my wife at first Their first visit to Lebanon was in February arriving after dark on a cold, wintery night…He shared she cried. They moved in on July 4th 20 years ago. It was a very hot/humid day to begin with, and his sons added to the heat by turning the thermostat up to 100 degrees. He shared that house hunting in the Upper Valley was complicated because he needed high speed broadband access. They settled on a home on Poverty Lane. He described that Upper Valley as a great place to raise his sons.
Janet Davis is my wife and she has lived full-time in Medford, Oregon, for the last three years with our dog Bandit and a cat named Zoe. She just started school to get her Nurse Practitioners degree. I commute back and forth. He described Janet as a city girl. At Halloween, when they lived on the west coast, their neighborhood had 200-300 kids trick-or-treating. When a job, that paid VERY well opened in Oregon she moved west. The good news for Brian is that he can work anywhere as long as there is high-speed internet access.
I have two sons, Conner and Gareth. Conner lives at home with his cat Jynx; Gareth lives in Rochester, MN, and is married to Abigail, and has two ferrets, Tootie and Rocket.
My father lives in Ashland, OR and my mother lives in Northern California.
His father is a Model T enthusiast. From Ford Racing:
Joe Davis, a now retired mechanical engineer and automotive restoration shop owner from Southern California (now transplanted to Southern Oregon) seemed destined to be a Ford guy from his earliest days behind the wheel of an automobile, as his first car was a decidedly forlorn $100 Model A. He and a friend later ended up with an abandoned Model T track racer, which they restored and converted to street use.
It was many years and cars later that Davis decided he wanted to build a new, street-legal car based on the shape, hardware and spirit of those great Speedsters of back in the day. He recalls being particularly inspired by the above-noted Alfred Moss’s Model T-based Indy racer from 1924, and cars just like it. Read More
My brother Kevin lives with his wife Tina in Paso Robles, CA.
I grew up in Atherton, California, down on the Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose. I was raised by a single mother who was extremely creative. Between her creativity and not having a TV, I grew up in a house where you made your own fun and figured things out for yourself.[He shared that he would never win a trivia game about TV shows in the 70s .80s.and 90s]My father lived on a sailboat for some time after the divorce and I've been lucky enough to sail San Francisco Bay, the California Delta, up and down the California coast, around the Channel Islands, and down to the tip of Baja. He told us about San Francisco’s Angel Island was a port nicknamed the “Ellis Island of the West,” and its history is as fascinating as the history of its eastern counterpart. About 1 million immigrants came through Angel Island between 1910 and 1940, with newcomers arriving from China, Japan, Russia, Australia, and Mexico, just to name a few.
Co-President Jim Damren called themeeting to order with the ringing of our Rotary bell.
Tim Guaraldi led us in reciting the 4-Way Test of the Things We Think Say or Do
Ernst Oidtmann is still in Europe, so no music today.
Thought of the Day, Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. Mark Twain
Welcome Guests:Rebecca Owens, from the City of Lebanon. She is taking over for Nathan Reichert. Joel Dizon, a physician assistant at Alice Peck Day, Orthopaedics
Birthdays: None
Wedding Anniversaries: None
Lebanon Rotary Anniversaries: Carol Keefe, 1 year
Then it was time for Lunch
Speaker Classification Talk by Brian Davis, see story above.
Announcements, Other Club Business and Opportunities
Charities Committee – This was the last day for voting. Post meeting, the vote was in the affirmative for the purchased of wheelchair accessible picnic table for Riverside Parks pavilion.
Interact Food Drive – Bill Chabot reported it was a success, with many students helping to collect food.
Free Flu Clinics – Public Health Council of Upper Valley Enfield on September 30, 2026. Over 250 flu vaccines administered.
Bruce Bergeron and Carol KeefeMarilyn and Ron BedellBill Chabot and Carol Keefe
President’s Picnic
This Sunday, October3rd, 11 to 2 PM at Bruce Bergeron's home
Rotary District 7850 Fall Regional Learning Seminars
10/24 – Sherbrooke, Quebec
11/14 – So. Burlington, join Jim, Bruce, Phil and James
Common Man for Ukraine/Hanover and Lebanon Rotary Concert. Concert is free with a request for donations. We will need a few members to volunteer to help at the event. Please help to promote on Social Media too. Kommuna Lux brings its blend of klezmer, Balkan and Ukrainian folk music from Odesa to Hanover for a free benefit concert supporting Common Man for Ukraine. The concert takes place Friday, October 9, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Collis Center, 2 N Main St. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Donations support humanitarian aid and trauma counseling for Ukrainian children and widowed mothers affected by war. The program includes a short presentation about Common Man for Ukraine’s work, with light food available after the concert. Hanover Rotary Club, Lebanon Rotary Club and Dartmouth College co-host the event. Admission is free; donations and sponsorships are welcome. Order ticket Click Here
Revo Casino Community Gala 2026 on October 10th (RSVP by September 25, 2026
Coop Food Drives…Save these two dates, October 24 and November 24 a the Centerra Coop. Tim Guaraldi organizing and inviting our LHS Interactors to join us again this year.
Knitting for Ukraine – Hannah Falcone announced that her mother is coordinating this event to provide warm, wool, knit hats for children in Ukraine at their sheep farm in Plainfield. If you have questions, email falconefivesistersfarm@gmail.com Deadline to drop off donations at Five Sisters Farm in Plainfield is November 12th.
Rotary Clubs of the Upper Valley Gathering at the Upper Valley Aquatics Center. $20/person RSVPs will be requested so enough food can be provided.
Holiday Party and Famous Yankee Swap will be on December 9, 2026, in the Dwinell Room at Harvest Hill. RSVP to Ron Bedell
It will soon be that time of year again. Time for the Rotary Club of Lebanon to have a fun filled dinner and a Yankee Swap!
Date: December 9, 2026
Time: 5:30 till 9:00 or so
Cost: $40.00 Per Person
Menu:
Appetizers
Cheese and Crackers, Vegetable Crudité with Dip, Rolls and Butters
Dinner
Salad, Carved Beef, Chicken Marsala, Vegetarian Option TBD, Butternut Squash - either Mashed or Roasted, Sauteed Green Beans, Roasted Red Potatoes,
Dessert
TBD
Beverage
Coffee, Tea and Bottled Water. Feel free to bring you own Wine and Beer if so desired
Yankee Swap
Each person coming will bring a wrapped gift of something repurposed, or New Valued at $20.00. For those of you that have not participated in a Yankee Swap, it goes like this. A number will be drawn from a bag. Each person starting with number one will pick a gift from the pile and open it. The person with number two will choose a gift and open it. They will then have the option of temporaily keeping the gift they chose or swapping it with the one that number one chose. This will progress with each person swapping their gift with all the other gifts until the person with the last number completes their transaction. Number one will then have a chance to swap their gift with any other gift.
Reservations
Send an e-mail to me at r.j.bedell@comcast.net. with the number in your party or regrets so that I will not bother you with follow-ups. All Corporate Members are invited as well as significant others and other guests.
Payment
Send a check to Angela Nelson, Rotary Club of Lebanon, P.O. Box 132, Lebanon, NH 03766-0132
Thank you for considering the Holiday Party and I sincerely hope that we can look forward to seeing you there,
Ron Bedell & John Yacavone
Happy Dollars
Ron Michaud shared a story about his father, and his philanthropy during the Great Depression. He continued to be successful businessman during the depression. He offered free rent for a year for his tenants, and paid for their food. He was a rich man who loved to give away money. His father died when he was only 7 years old. Now at this stage in his life he is trying to give back to others.
Dan Nash went to a Upper Valley housing seminar, and shared that Robb Taylor gave an excellent presentation housing in Enfield at the meeting.
“Morgan” Mogan is happy to be at his second meeting. It feels great to be a part of Rotary again.
Christina Annas shared that last week she had asked for some help with a downed tree. She is so grateful for the help she received from Andy Jones and Bruce Pacht's son, Asher Pacht. Christinalet us know that all Andy wanted for helping was an ice cream cone, and for Asher it was sushi. She then shared that she experienced some severe chest pain and was evaluated. The good news is that she didn't have a heat attack or a dissecting aneurism, but the pain was caused by gallstones and she needs to have a cholecystectomy.
Ahmad Haidari gave a shout out to Brian Davis for his talk today.
Queen of Hearts Draw – Brian Davis pulled the 5 of Clubs…the hunt for the Queen continues.
Car Wash – Was won by Ahamad Haidari who asked that it be given to Brian Davis
September 17, 2026, Attendance
Attendance
Christina Annas, Marilyn Bedell, Ron Bedell, Keegan Carpenter*, Bill Chabot, Dave Clarenbach, Hank Clarke, Jim Damren, Brian Davis, Steve Grant*, Tim Guaraldi, Tyler Hagan, Ahmad Haidari, Carol Keefe, Chistian McDonald, Jason Massey, “Morgan” Morgan, Ron Michaud, Dan Nash, Angela Nelson, Phil Rentz, Bill Secord, John Stalvey, Marion Steiner, Robb Taylor, George Wenz, Cal Wolfe, John Yacavone
Guest: John Manchester, former member, Rotary Club of Hanover; Spenser Molloy, Realtor; and our speaker, Gabe Zoerheide, Executive Director, Willing Hands
One Profits Most Who Serves Best
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
October 8: Bise Wood Saint Eugene, Tysea Orphanage, Jacmel Haiti
October 15: Dr. Peter Wright, DHMC Polio Discussion
October 22: Alloys Nyakundi MPS, Emma’s Garden
October 29: Jada Lindblom, PH.D. Assoc Professor, Recreation Management and Policy, UNH
November 5: Club Assembly, Classification Talk
November 12: Roy Schlieben, Executive Director MAXT Makerspace
November 19: Colby Price, Director Lebanon Adult Education/Literacy Services
Just pick your item and follow the instructions for ordering.
Men’s and Women’s light weight jackets
Men’s and Women’s fleece vests
Men’s and Women’s fleece jackets
Blankets-Fleece 40” x60”
All jackets, vests and blankets will have Rotary logo and club name.
To save on shipping, pick up your item at Top Stitch, 233 Mascoma Street, Lebanon.
Questions? Contact Cody at Top Stitch at 603-448-2931. Turnaround time is 3.5–4 weeks.
Rotary News
How Rotary is shrinking the world: New Hampshire to Ukraine
A retreat sponsored by Common Man for Ukraine for children of Ukrainian soldiers killed or missing in action.
By Steve Rand and Alex Ray
We’ve been Rotarians for more than 40 years, and Rotary still surprises us.
Here’s the biggest surprise yet. A handful of Rotarians from a small New Hampshire town have delivered more than 4.5 million pounds of food and critical aid to families in frontline villages in war-torn Ukraine. We couldn’t have done it without Rotary.
It started with a question
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, we kept asking the same thing: What can regular people do from here to help?
We knew where to turn.
Through the magic of Rotary, our club in Plymouth, New Hampshire, USA, connected with the Rotary Club of Zamość Ordynacki in eastern Poland. Together, we built a partnership we call Common Man for Ukraine, a special initiative of the Plymouth Rotary Foundation. Rotary roots from the ground up.
Why Rotary made it possible
We had never met our partners in Zamość. But we knew we shared something important: The Four-Way Test and a commitment to serving others.
That gave us confidence. We knew regular people like us would be our partners overseas. And we knew we could count on Rotary clubs across the United States to back us up. And they have. Dozens of clubs now support the work.
