Our speaker via Zoom was Steve Fine, Founder and President of the Melanoma Education Foundation (MEF) via Zoom.
Steve Fine
Steve has a doctorate in chemistry from Northeastern University, a year of postdoctoral research at Lehigh University, and taught organic chemistry at Lafayette College for 5 years. In 1989, he started a consulting practice in the technology of high purity chemical manufacturing. Shortly after his son, Dan, died of melanoma in 1996 at the age of 26, Steve found the not-for-profit MEF. The primary purpose of the Foundation is education high and middle school wellness teachers about melanoma and providing them with free online lessons to educate their students about self-detecting melanoma while it is curable.
**NOTES FROM STEVE FINE’S PRESENTATION – (Ed. warning: This may make you reluctant to step outside of your dark home!!)
Early self-detection is the key to reducing deaths from melanoma.
Three types of cancer: basal cell, squamous cell, and melanoma
Basal: raised waxy nodule, often cratered, slow-growing, seldom fatal, can grow above or below the skin.
Squamous: develops from actinic keratosis, slightly raised red patch, scaly, bleeds or scabs; may spread internally and become fatal if untreated, grows faster on lips
Melanoma – American Cancer Society predicts more than 200,000 cases in 2024; there are new US melanoma deaths every hour of every day. New US melanoma deaths every hour.
Not just for older folks: 25% of new patients under age 40.
Melanoma is the most prevalent of all cancers in 25-29 age group.
Vulnerability increases throughout life with most onset at age 65+
One can develop melanoma regardless of skin color or other attributes.
In 90% of cases, there is no prior family history
Melanoma is often incurable once it reaches internal organs
The good news
The easiest cancer to identify early
Nearly always curable when caught in early stages.
Removal is painless, outpatient, local anesthetic
No chemo or radiation in early detection and removal
11:58 pm - President Ernst being absent, John Yacavone rang the bell to start the meeting. Marilyn Bedell stated that since President Ernst put her in charge, we would begin our speaker’s Zoom presentation at 12:15 pm.
John Yacavone led us in a recitation of The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do.
Marilyn’s Thought of the Day – What kind of ships did Dracula like? Blood vessels, of course. Informational tidbit: Halloween observation began in Ireland.
Lunch was a veritable cornucopia of tastes.
Bill Secord explained to Steve that our gift of a book to the Kilton Children’s Library in Steve’s name would be “My Daddy Is A Cowboy,” about a young black girl whose father is a cowboy, shedding light on the long tradition of cowboys of color in the United States.
My Daddy Is a Cowboy
By Stephanie Seales (Author), C. G. Esperanza (Illustrator)
A young girl and her father share an early morning horseback ride around their city in My Daddy Is a Cowboy, a picture book celebration of “just-us time." 5 starred reviews, with praise including gorgeous, must-have, exuberant, immersive, and magical.
In the early hours before dawn, a young girl and her father greet their horses and ride together through the waking city streets. As they trot along, Daddy tells cowboy stories filled with fun and community, friendship, discovery, and pride.
Seeing her city from a new vantage point and feeling seen in a new way, the child discovers that she too is a cowboy—strong and confident in who she is.
Thoughtfully and lyrically written by debut author Stephanie Seales, with vibrant illustrations from award-winning artist C. G. Esperanza, this beautiful picture book is a celebration of Black joy, outdoor play, and quality time spent between child and parent.
Tall. High as the clouds.
Strong as a horse’s back.
Like a cowboy.
BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
Business
Bruce Pacht, chair of Charities Trustees, reiterated the two items for which member approval is necessary.
$1,942.00 to replace the damaged drum feature at Rotary Harmony Park on the Mall downtown
$12,000.00 to sponsor the Alpine Slide feature in the design for a new playground at Civic Memorial Field in West Lebanon. The playground will be designed for children ages 5-12, and most features will be accessible to children with varying physical handicapping conditions.
Several club members shared their opinions (pro and con) about the larger allocation.
Voting continued until the end of the regular meeting.
Bruce will email the voting results once he tallies all the votes after our meeting.
Alpine Slide
Bruce Bergeron, representing the Board of Directors, for a motion to accept Marilyn Bedell as president-elect of the Rotary Club of Lebanon. Rich Wallace proposed and Ron Michaud seconded the motion. Members voted their acceptance unanimously with gratitude toward Marilyn for stepping up to take the reins.
Marilyn Bedell
Time for Happy Dollars:
Phil Bush gave $2 to thank Marilyn for her volunteering, and also for her creation of the survey which taught him a lot about what the Club needs to survive.
Tim Guaraldi paid a fine for serving as “moose support: for his brother who brought down a big one this past weekend. Tim also found Bill Secord’s billfold which had been thought to be lost in the Mascoma River during our biennial clean-up. It turns out the billfold was stuck in Tim’s truck between the seat and the safety belt.
Ron Michaud stated his deep gratitude for the “amazing help” he gets from people in the Upper Valley. He said that although he first resisted the help in a fit of independence, he now accepts gratefully assistance from both young and old. He added his pleasure at having known former Lebanon Rotary president Dave Lowsley who died too young of brain cancer that started as melanoma. Finally, all for just $1.00, Ron added the he heard that RC of St. Albans, VT has 100 members! [Ed. Note: According to the District 7850 email list for St. Albans on November 2, there are 58 members in that club.]
Ahmad Haidari repurposed some old tires along with some from Bill Secord. Hundreds of people came to this event. The organization (sorry I missed the name) resells good usable tires, and takes $5 to dispose of useless ones with the money going toward affordable housing.
George Wenz bragged for Jim Damren coming to Rotary wearing shorts and sandals on the last day of October.
Bruce Pacht bragged about a successful annual show produced by the Barbershop Harmony Society’s Hanover NH Chapter on October 13, and the chapter’s trip to Worcester MA on October 26 to compete against choruses from Newfoundland through all of the New England states. The North Country Chordsmen and VoxStars built character and enjoyed watching a wide range of entertaining chorus performances.
CLUB INFORMATION
Club survey and leadership succession – Marilyn Bedell
Still missing 4 responses. People are interested in serving on the Golf, Brewfest and Casino committees. Two-thirds of our community service projects are still of interest to members.
Our biggest issues is filling Club leadership roles, ensuring succession for the presidency. Dean Cashman, Rich Wallace and Will Koppenheffer are working with Bruce Bergeron on finding the best candidates for succeeding new PE Marilyn.
Riverside Park clean-up
Members contributed the equivalent of a full day’s work tidying up this most-used of Lebanon’s parks.
November is Rotary Foundation Month
Jim Damren was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship +5 pin for his contributions.
District Team Training – Northern Vermont University, Lyndonville, VT, on Saturday, November 16th from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Holiday Party at Quechee Inn for December 17, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. with our Famous Yankee Swap – Ron Bedell
Currently, 27 Rotarians and others have signed up to attend. Ron would love to hear from the 13 Rotarians who haven’t yet responded. Please let Ron know one way or the other ASAP!
Take Flight Update
NEWS FROM BONNIE ROBINSON ABOUT THE “TAKE FLIGHT” PROGRAM AT LHS:
Mallory Eshbaugh
Hi, my name is Mallory Eshbaugh and I am from Lebanon NH. My favorite subject in school is probably math if I had to choose. Some of my hobbies are rowing, xc-skiing, teaching swim lessons in the summer and running. I am still trying to figure out my future but I would hope for it to be in aviation. I have enjoyed this program a lot and am very grateful for this experience.
Ian Danen-Lucier
Hi, my name is Ian Danen-Lucier. I lived in Plainfield for most of my life but now I live in Lebanon. In my free time I enjoy running, playing basketball and pretty much anything outdoors, hiking, rock climbing, skiing, and a bunch of other things. I plan on being an aeronautical engineer and I am hoping to use the Air National Guard to get me there. As soon as I heard about Take Flight, I knew I had to apply. It has been a fantastic opportunity for me to learn about aviation and build many skills that I can apply anywhere in life. I am glad I could be a part of such an amazing program and I am excited to see where it goes.
Charlie Ferland
Hi, my name is Charlie and I’m a sophomore in Take Flight. I am from Grantham, where I live with my sister, brother, and dog. I play soccer and baseball. In the future I’d like to be a pilot for a major airline. One thing I really like about Take Flight is how it demands me to be meticulous and pay attention to the most minute details.
Shaya Kiridena
My name is Shaya Kiridena, and I'm from Lebanon, NH. My favorite subjects are typically any form of science or math, currently Take
Flight. I enjoy listening and making music, and I play the violin and the drums. I also love being outdoors, and I enjoy skiing, hiking, and
water activities like wake surfing and fishing. I like Take Flight because of the real world, hands-on experience I get, and learning how
to better work collaboratively with others. I also like the sense of community within the class. I have always been fascinated with the
idea of air travel, and in the future, I hope to go into aeronautical.
Take Flight Photos
First from the Valley News:
From the Hanger
SERVICE PROJECTS COMING UP
Listen Food Drives at Lebanon Coop on Saturday, November 23, and Saturday, December 14, both from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (setup at 8:00 a.m.)
Rotarians are asked to sign up for at least 1 hour over the 2 days, 4 people for each hour, to spread the work among many of us.
Holiday Basket Helpers – Listen, December 9th from 12 noon to 3:00 p.m. or December 10th from 10:00 a.m. to noon. There’s room for about 4 volunteers each session. Check with Club treasurer Angela Nelson.
Members at the meeting:
Marilyn Bedell, Ron Bedell, Bruce Bergeron, Phil Bush, Hank Clarke, Jim Damren, Tim Guaraldi, Ahmad Haidari, Max Jovanovich, Christian McDonald, Ron Michaud, Bruce Pacht, Phil Rentz, Bill Secord, Josh Smith*, Rich Wallace, George Wenz, Steve Whitman, John Yacavone
Guests:
Steve Fine, our speaker*
*Joined by Zoom
Card and Car Wash Raffles
The hunt for the The Queen of Heart.. Bruce Pacht pulled the of Clubs.
The car wash was won once again by Ron Bedell
NOTE: The Car Wash Code Reader is still broken in Lebanon. The Car Wash Codes will now come from the new Jake's car wash in Enfield. 223 US-4, Enfield, NH
FUTURE MEETING PROGRAMS/SPEAKERS
November 2024
November 7 Rob Stenger, Co-owner of Simple Energy
November 14 Iris Alitilo, A.A.R.P. Downsizing & Decluttering.This presentation begins by helping participants understand why keeping stuff is important to some people. Then, we'll tackle practical, easy-to-follow downsizing and decluttering tips to get your home and office organized!
November 21 Marilyn Bedell, Our Rotary Foundation
November 28 THANKSGIVING - No Meeting
December 2024
December 5 Nicci Maynard, AuD, Clinical Audiologist
December 12 John Fenley, “Spark” a local nonprofit
December 19 Ernst Oidtmann and Matt Locker, Concert
December 26 NO MEETING. Happy Holidays!
January 2025
January 2 NO MEETING
January 9 TBD
January 16 TBD
January 23 TBD
January 30 SPEECH CONTEST ROUND ONE
Note: David Crandall will be scheduling programs January through June 2025
Standing Meetings
Membership Meetings: To Be Announced
Contact: Ron Michaud
Youth Services: Second Wednesday of the month at Noon
Contact: Christian MacDonald
Charities: Third Wednesday of the month at 1:00 p.m.
Contact: Bruce Pacht
Board Meeting: 4th Tuesday of every month at 4:00 PM via Zoom. Note: We have changed the meeting time for November and December. Because the November meeting would be Thanksgiving week we will meet instead on December 3, at 4:00 p.m. The next meeting then will be the 4th Tuesday at 4:00 p.m.
Contact: Ernst Oidtmann
Golf: 2025 schedule to be announced
Brew Fest: The 2025 Schedule to be announced
Other Events and Service Projects
District Team Training Seminar, Northern Vermont University, Lyndonville, VT
Saturday, November 16, 2024 from 8;30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
11/23 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m (set up at 8:00 a.m.)
12/14 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m (set up at 8:00 a.m.)
Let Tim Guaraldi know when you can be there to help!
Listen Holiday Baskets...organize, bag and tag
December 9th from noon to 3 PM and December 10th from 10 AM to Noon. At the white church in downtown Lebanon. Please save these dates and times to help get gifts organized, bagged and tagged. A call will be going out to get gifts sometime in November once Listen assigns us a family or families.
2025 Rotary District 7850 District Conference
The 2025 District Conference will be a one day conference on Saturday, May 31 2025 with an optional overnight on May 30, 2025. It will be at Mount Cranmore Resort in North Conway, NH. Stay tuned for details.
2025 Rotary International Convention
Join us in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, for the 2025 Rotary International Convention!
Calgary calls
November is Rotary Foundation Month. This is a great time to remind every Rotarian coming to the 2024 Rotary Convention in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, that you will to learn how your valuable contributions to the Rotary Foundation are making a global impact.
Take part in this transformative, one-of-a-kind event and experience the Magic All Around at the 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Canada 21-25 June 2025.
Imagine the excitement and energy when we, the family of Rotary, all come together at one time, in one place and renew our commitment to being people of action. Our Rotary leaders, members, and global leaders will motivate and empower you with their words, as will world-class speakers, and heart-pumping entertainment!
Besure the check out the Host Organizing webpage to learn about all the activities being planned by our Rotarian hosts in Calgary.
You can consider volunteering to help at the convention too. There will be a wide variety of volunteer roles to match a wide range of interests and skills, providing everyone a chance to contribute to this global gathering. Join us in showcasing our city and making the 2025 Rotary International Convention a resounding success!Click Here
Bottom Line...The best time to purchase your ticket to the Calgary convention is today! The next best time is before **December 15, 2024**. To secure your early bird rate visit: https://convention.rotary.org
Watch the video to hear a first hand account of why Rotary Conventions are so special. Click Here
Tracey Craft, adult services coordinator for the Springfield Library, and Tracy Obremski, a technical services librarian, read on two of the benches earned by the Springfield Rotary Club through the plastic film recycling challenge.
By Martin Cohn, Rotary Club of Springfield, Vermont, USA
Last year, I read about a project conducted by the Capital City Sunrise Rotary Club in New Hampshire, USA. The club collected plastic film and received a recycled bench. Since I enjoy learning about successful club projects and figuring out ways to replicate them, I contacted the club’s president, who readily agreed to give a presentation to our club.
That was the beginning of our own community recycling initiative.
Beginning in February of 2023, we entered the NexTrex Recycling Challenge on behalf of our community. Through its recycling program, Trex, a manufacturer of wood-alternative decking products, encourages the public to recycle grocery bags, bread bags, produce bags, cereal bags, ice bags, case overwrap, bubble wrap, dry cleaning bags, Ziploc and other re-sealable bags, and wrap for other objects. For every 1,000 pounds of plastic film a sponsoring organization collects, Trex donates a four-foot long composite bench through its furniture line. The benches are made out of milk jugs and water bottles, while the collected plastic waste is used in other Trex decking products.
We placed a bin in our town library, and also collected plastics from a local manufacturer, hospital, and food co-op. Residents gladly pitched in, diverting more than 6,143 pounds of plastic film from the waste stream.
Weekly posts on social media keep the community apprised of the progress. To date, eight benches have been installed around the Springfield community, with a ninth underway. Each bench has a plaque that acknowledges our club and is dedicated to our 95th anniversary.
One of the most significant benefits of the challenge has been increased awareness. I have become more mindful of the pervasive presence of plastics in everyday life. This has sparked me to have conversations with friends, family, and colleagues, igniting a ripple effect throughout our community that has increased awareness of plastic waste.
This has truly been a rewarding project, as we reduce plastic waste, promote financial savings, empower personal responsibility, and foster community engagement. We are helping people embrace sustainable practices in our daily lives.
As we strive towards a cleaner, healthier planet, each of us has the power to make a difference – one plastic-free choice at a time.
.png)
