CURRENTS 
Currents for June 6, 2019
Editor: Bill Secord
 
 
Moorings:
PDG Guy Babb has made many a journey across Vermont to visit the Lebanon Rotary Clubs on this side of the river for various official duties, but this week he came to our gathering with a unique mission—to reveal the real story of our founding father’s tumultuous and short career at the University of Vermont. In fact, Guy claims that it was only because Paul Harris suffered the fate of expulsion from UVM that Rotary International ever came into existence. Guy stated that he felt free to give us only the “G-rated” version of the Paul Harris story, but those details alone could lead you to imagine what “the rest of the story” must have been (obeisance to Paul Harvey, for those of you who have survived the 60s—twice).
 

President Steve’s invocation consisted of a section from the message delivered to the nation by President Roosevelt shortly after the invasion of Normandy seventy-five years ago.

Sergeant-at-arms Tim bragged that the trout he had stocked in his pond had finally come to the surface—perfect timing for Tim to teach his grandsons fly fishing, perhaps without hooking Tim himself. Rich Wallace bragged about his daughter’s having graduated from the University of New Hampshire—with a full-time job. And Cindy Jerome bragged about Red Sox pitcher Chris Sales’ having pitched an “immaculate inning.” You’re not a real baseball fan if you don’t know what that term refers to. After many “on-the-table” raffle ticket numbers, President-elect Marion pulled the Two of Clubs and Shaun Mulholland won the coveted code number for Jakes’s Car Wash.


President Steve officially inducted Shelby Day as a member of the Rotary Club of Lebanon. Steve felt obligated later to apologize to Shelby for the very fragmented nature of the meeting—wrong key for the start of the “Welcome Song,” a series of non-winning raffle drawings, the technical hiccups (burps?) for the slide presentations. Steve was worried that poor Guy Babb would not be given any speaking time after his long trek down I89. We hope Shelby’s former career in the military might have prepared her for the “hurry-up-and-wait” nature of the meeting.

President-elect Marion presents new member Shelby Day
with her Rotary membership pin.

 

 
 

Paul Tierney gave a short presentation proposing a Rotary-sponsored dinner to honor military veterans now living in the Upper Valley, with a special effort to honor female veterans, often overlooked for the vital roles they have played in our military over the years.

Program:
 
The following text is an except from Guy Babb’s presentation
on Paul Harris’ adventures at the University of Vermont.
 
Paul Harris entered the University of Vermont in September 1885 and in December he pledged to Lambda Iota and became an Owl. Lambda Iota had been founded in 1836, the day UVM President John Wheeler had banned smoking on campus. A dissenting band of students had responded with formal articles of rebellion and held a protest smoke. From that rebellion came the secret smoking and literary society, Phylos Kapnon (Lovers of Smoke), which adopted the corporate tobacco moniker “Lorillard Institute” and then settled with the Greek letters Lambda Iota—the goddess Minerva as its muse and her symbol of the owl as its mascot. The members call themselves Owls. It is the oldest fraternity in Vermont and the 6th oldest in the country.
 
When Paul Harris joined Lambda Iota, its meetings included less smoking and more singing and fines against fellow member for various offences trivial or otherwise (sound familiar?).
 
Paul took courses in history, English literature, algebra, chemistry and Greek philosophers. He was a member of the Lambda Iota Quartette and the Guitar and Banjo Club.
 
Paul Harris wearing his Lambda Iota fraternity pin.
 
 
Matthew Buckham was the UVM president who served from 1871 to 1910. Buckham was familiar with the Owls from his days as a student at UVM in the 1850’s and as a member of Sigma Phi, which was the main rival on campus to  Lambda Iota. During his tenure as president he  showed little mercy when the Owls got into trouble. He was  used his position to influence and force the Owls to change their ways.
 
It was not long after pledging to Lambda Iota in December 1885 that Paul was called before the faculty senate on disciplinary charges. He was accused of "painting" the statute of Lafayette that was located in the center of the campus green in front of Old Mill. This statue was the frequent target of many of the various fraternity and freshmen pranks.  As a result, on February 13, 1886, Paul, along with three fellow freshmen were placed on probation until the end of the term.
 
On Halloween, 1886 a cannon ball was rolled off the campus down Main Street in Burlington and struck a cow breaking her leg. Buckham was outraged and he rounded up the usual suspects, including Paul Harris. The result was the following action recorded in the Faculty Senate minutes for Dec. 11, 1886:
"The President reported in behalf of the Committee on Discipline the progress made in the investigation of the case of the outrages committed on Halloween night, and after protracted discussion, it was voted that Sophomores Harris, Johnson, and Graves, and Lewis Johnson, special student, be indefinitely suspended from college."
 
Paul Harris gave his account of the incident in 1925:
 
“The fall of 1885, I entered the University of Vermont at Burlington and did considerable work during my freshman year, but thought better of it by the time I got to my sophomore year. I ably assisted in the organization of an underground society for the subjugation of unruly freshman. The operations of this clandestine organization gave new color to life at the University, which had been more or less drab during my industrious days.  President Buckham became conscious of the change and banished four of the organization’s most faithful workers from college. I was one of the four. I was not guilty of the particular atrocity for which I was expelled but my conduct richly deserved the punishment.”
 
In 1967 Lyman Rowell, an Owl and then president of UVM, made the following remarks, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Paul Harris' birth:
 
"On this occasion commemorating the 100th birthday of Paul Harris, founder of the Rotary, it may be of some value to know of the history of Lambda Iota Fraternity, of which Paul Harris was a member. The experiences one has and ideals one forms in his youth are often those which will be the guidelines for decisions and actions one takes in his maturity: It is not unreasonable to expect that the ideals Paul Harris put into practice and incorporated into the Rotary may have been instilled in him during his association with Lambda Iota.
 
"This atmosphere, of a desire for friendship, honor, truth, good conduct, brotherhood, and excellence, is the one which Paul Harris was a part during his career at the University of Vermont. Their incorporation in the Rotary is a valuable and a welcome thing, for if all men [sic] lived by these principles the world would indeed be a better place."
 

Farmers Market Booth
Every Thursday in Colburn Park
We have a booth at the Farmers Market from now until Brew Fest.  It will be an opportunity for us to showcase Rotary in Lebanon and to promote the Brew Fest.  Farmers Markets are on Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to approx. 7 p.m.  Two to three Rotarians are needed each market.  See Don MacMeekin to Sign Up.
 
ADG Don staffs the Rotary booth at the Farmers Market
 
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The Rotary Club of Lebanon’s Annual Changeover Dinner Meeting
Thursday, June 27th, at 5:00 p.m.
The Courtyard Marriott, 10 Morgan Drive, Lebanon
We hope to see all club members and spouses to celebrate the end of the Rotary year and acknowledge the wonderful leadership of out-going presidents Michelle and Steve.
Enjoy the company of your club-members and an Italian feast while we honor our outgoing presidents and welcome the incoming.
Cost is $30/person and a cash bar will be available
RSVP no later than June 15th to LISSMOONEY@GMAIL.COM
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Brew Fest
August 24, 2019
 
Posters and tickets for Brew Fest are available.  See Marion or Suellen if you have places you can hang them.
 
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Prepare for the next Friendship Exchange

Rotary Friendship Exchange—Team from Calgary, Alberta, Canada

An easy way to experience the internationality of Rotary

Two Requests:

 

  1. Would you willing to host two members of our Friendship Exchange Team in October? They are coming from Calgary, Alberta Canada. They will be with us from October 14 through 19. The Randolph Rotary Club will be transferring them to us at some point on the 14th, and we will be taking most team members to Dartmouth Coach at the end of their stay. We don't have a set schedule yet, but we would be asking you to provide breakfast most mornings and some dinners. There will be some group meal too. It would be helpful if you could get them to central meeting points on sightseeing days, but we can come up with other plans if needed.
  2. Drivers needed for sightseeing days (October 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18). You can drive one day or multiple days.

If you can participate in this adventure, please let Steve Whitman or Marilyn Bedell know.

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Save the dates
Listen Dinners 2019 - June 11, August 13, October 8, and December 10.
Sign-up to help:  Click Here

 
 
 
Upcoming Events
Rotary Club of Lebanon's Club Meeting
Aug 01, 2019
 
Rotary Club of Lebanon's Club Meeting
Aug 08, 2019
 
Listen Community Dinner
Listen Center
Aug 13, 2019
3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
 
Rotary Club of Lebanon's Club Meeting
Aug 15, 2019
 
Rotary Club of Lebanon, NH - Board Meeting
Whitman Building - Level 2
Aug 20, 2019 5:30 PM
 
Rotary Club of Lebanon's Club Meeting
Aug 22, 2019
 
Brew Fest 2019
Colburn Park
Aug 24, 2019
 
Rotary Club of Lebanon's Club Meeting
Aug 29, 2019
 
Rotary Club of Lebanon's Club Meeting
Sep 05, 2019
 
Rotary Club of Lebanon's Club Meeting
Sep 12, 2019
 
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