The Rotary Club of
Lebanon, NH, USA

Chartered 1923

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Currents

December 8, 2022

Editor: Marilyn Bedell

Minutes by Marilyn Bedell

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

December 15, 2022, No meeting, INSTEAD, we will have our HOLIDAY PARTY and FAMOUS YANKEE SWAP on DECEMBER 16, 2022 at THE QUECHEE INN AT MARSHLAND FARM

December 22, 2022, via Zoom, Classification Talks by Bruce Bergeron and Ernst Oidtmann
December 29, 2022, NO MEETING THIS WEEK

Ed Friedman -- Classification Talk

President Ed Presenting Our Banner to Rotarians from Italy in September

Ed Friedman was born in Des Plains, Illinois, a city of 65,000 just north of O'Hare Airport. Des Plains has one of the original McDonalds. It was just bike ride away. He shared he was introduced to construction at an early age. He was talked about the joys of having a drafting board and tape measurer. He designed his first home at the age of 11. He attended Maine West High School and graduated in 1981. There were over 700 in his graduating class.

In 1982, he joined that Army and spent time in Alabama and Stuttgart Airfield in Germany. He was part of the military police, and flirted with the idea of becoming a police officer, but decided this line of work wasn't for him. While in Europe he enjoyed all the opportunities he had to explore, Germany, France, England, Paris and Belgium.

Once out of the Army, he took a job at Tempel Steel Manufacturing. He worked in the shipping department.

In 1986, he left for Illinois and arrived in the Upper Valley. He started work for Trumbull-Nelson, but left after 2 years to get his college education at NH Technical Community College. In 1996, he returned to Trumbull-Nelson, He then shared photos for building he helped design and build:

Riding Arena in Woodstock VT

Renovated Church in Wilder, VT

He ended his talk describing the various models of designing and building buildings.

Rotary of Lebanon Club

December 1, 2022

Review of our meeting:

The meeting was called to order by Ed Friedman at 12:00 PM. Marilyn discovered the old Riverside bell was in pieces but made a valiant effort to get it to ring.
Phil Rentz recited the 4-Way Test
The meeting was turned over to Bruce Pacht who introduced a video "Indigenous in Plain Site" and then led a conversation about our latest Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) topic, that focused on indigenous people, and how they have been portrayed for centuries in the United States, and how stereotypes cloud our image of this group of people. The video can be viewed by clicking here This is the video is description You Tube:

Jun 26, 2018

The indigenous existence in Western and American culture is narrowly viewed and accepted with little to no input from actual Indigenous people. Gregg Deal talks about the use of history as a tool while he navigates the restrictions thrusts upon his work as a contemporary artist while challenging those who hear his words to take responsibility for their knowledge, and create room for this nation’s First Peoples. Gregg Deal is a husband, father, artist and a member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.

As a provocative contemporary artist-activist much of Deal’s work deals with Indigenous identity and pop culture, touching on issues of race relations, historical consideration and stereotype. With this work—including paintings, mural work, performance art, filmmaking and spoken word—Deal critically examines issues within Indian country such as decolonization, the Native mascot issue and appropriation. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Greg Deal Self Portrait

Age 5

Deal ended his talk talking about the importance of stories and how stories shape our history. He challenged his audience to think about what will guide our stories.

We then transitioned into a Classification Talk by our President Ed Friedman. See info above.
Bruce Bergeron updated us on our picnic table build at Riverside Park. Eight Rotarians and three Parks and Recreation Staff put the tables together in 90 minutes.
Dean Cashman reminded us that we have a Listen Dinner on Tuesday, December 13th. Start time 2:30 PM. Still looking for a couple more volunteers.
Tuesday, December 13 will can be a full day of service. We will gather to help organize Listen Holiday Baskets. NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE. From Angela:

This will take place at the FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, 10 SOUTH PARK ST, LEBANON. Turn right just after the fire department onto Church St and the parking lot will be on the left. We will have donuts, coffee, water and other snacks. It is a drop in and drop out as you are available. Joy will be there with some of the interactors from 10-12 so if you want to meet and work with them, show up early!

We voted on our slate of Club Officers for 2023/2024. Hank Clarke made the motion to elect the following slate of officers for 2023/2024:

President-elect – Ernst Oidtmann
Vice President – To be determined nominations (even self-nominations) welcomed by the BOD.
Secretary – Marilyn Bedell
Treasurer – Angela Nelson
Directors at Large
- JoAnn Lemieux
- Marion Steiner
- Bruce Bergeron

The motion was seconded by Ron Bedell. After a question about the open position of vice president. (The vice president position will have to be address by the Board of Directors.) The club then voted unanimously in the affirmative to elect the slate of officers listed above. A reminder the the remained of the Board for 2023/2024 will be filled by David Crandall who was voted to be President-elect of 2022/2023, and Ed Friedman who will be our immediate past president.

Bruce Pacht reminded all active members to vote for our charities' trustee. Bruce sent out an email with instruction on how to vote. Voting closes on 12/22/2022. If you did not receive the ballot via email, let Bruce Pacht know.
Phil Bush announced an upcoming Zoom meeting for Sustainable Lebaanon.

Subject: Sustainable Lebanon December Speakers: Ten Towns Ten Actions Plastics Working Group Panel

Topic: Ten Towns, Ten Actions Campaign
Time: December 13, 2022 7:00-8:00 PM Eastern Time

Register at https://forms.gle/cNDJhyPcdhTEFCBH9

Join Sustainable Lebanon for a panel discussion with representatives of the New Hampshire Network Plastics Working Group Ten Towns Ten Actions campaign

Jean Wulpren was able to join us today, and sadly announced that work has been keeping her from attending meetings. She has a must attend meeting at the same time. So...until this changes, she has made a decision she should be a "friend of the Club", and will resign her full time membership. We all will look forward to the day when she can rejoin us. She also let us know that her husband, Bob, is home recovering from hip replacement surgery.
Bruce Bergeron announced our car wash winner. See below.
We closed the meeting with our Rotary motto.

One Profits Most Who Serves Best

Members Present: Marilyn Bedell, Ron Bedell, Bruce Bergeron, Phil Bush, Dean Cashman, Hank Clarke, Jim Damren, Jean Flaherty-Wulpern, Joy Gobin, Tim Guaraldi, Ahmad Haidari, Will Koppenheffer, JoAnn Lemieux, Jane Mason, Ernst Oidtmann, Bruce Pacht, Phil Rentz, Bill Secord, Steve Whitman, Cal Wolfe, John Yacavone

Queen of Hearts Draw

Car Wash

Car wash was won by Dean Cashman

Pop Up Community Service Project Tuesday 12/6 Noon - 1:30 pm

Eight Rotarians with three members from Parks and Recreation put together 7 picnic tables at Riverside Park, followed by hot chocolate and cookies.

Next Dinner December 13, 2022, Sign-up to bring some holiday cheer to our community.

You need to sign up on the Listen Volunteer Web page: https://listen.volunteerhub.com/vv2/lp/LebRotary

Rotary Club of White River Junction's Polar Express

The Polar Express will be on the second weekend in December. The 10th and 11th. Tickets can be ordered by Clicking Here.

Holiday Basket Helpers for Listen

Listen 2018

Save the Date: December 12, 2022, 10 AM to 4 PM to help organize holiday baskets at Listen!! Drop in when you have time to help. If you plan to come in the afternoon, let Angela know so she can email you if we get done sooner than we think we will. Joy will be bringing some of our Interactors to help too.

Angela will be sending information out about our family/families that will need gifts once Listen gives her the details. Angela is always will to accept donations of money, and she is happy to go shopping for any of us who prefer this approach to supporting the families needs. The Club charities account will help support this project too.

Holiday Basket Families

If you didn't give Angela your gifts or donations at the meeting today, She needs them by......

HOLIDAY PARTY and FAMOUS YANKEE SWAP

SAVE THE DATE — FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2022 at the QUECHEE INN, QUECHEE VERMONT

$60/person

Lebanon Casino Fundraiser - Spring 2023

Bedell Classic Golf Tournament - See you at the golf course in May 2023!!

Brew Fest 2023

Brew Fest on to

September 2, 2023

CHEERS!!

Top Stitch Rotary Vests and Jackets — A great holiday present to give to yourself!

John Yacavone has arranged for members to order light and heavier weight jackets and vest for us to wear when doing service projects...for days when our tees shirts just aren't enough to keep us comfortable and warm.

If you click the link below, Top Stitch has created a special website for Lebanon Rotary Club members to order the following clothing items.

1. Men’s and Women’s light weight jackets

2. Men’s and Women’s fleece vests

3. Men’s and Women’s fleece jackets

All jackets and vests will have Rotary Logo and club name.

Here is the link for the store: https://rotarycluboflebanonapparel2022.itemorder.com/shop/home/

Just pick your item and follow the instructions for ordering. If you decide to pick up your item at Top Stitch located at 233 Mascoma Street Lebanon, NH 03766 there will be no charge for shipping, otherwise shipping will be charged. If you have any questions about your order please contact Cody at Top Stitch at 603-448-2931. Turn around time is 3.5 - 4 weeks. Once you place your order your order will be processed no waiting on other orders to be fulfilled.

Here's hoping you will order some Rotary wear soon.

Rotary International News

Column: How to bring out the power of your personal story

By Barbara Brotman

Let me tell you a story. I grew up with a forest behind my house – a fenced-in wilderness owned by an electric company, one of the last wild spots in New York City.

It was magical. My friend Barry and I used to sneak in through a hole in the fence, bushwhacking through the shrubs, eating wild blackberries, and catching occasional glimpses of pheasants.

But one day, crews arrived to cut the forest down. First a dirt road appeared, and soon the air was filled with the whine of chainsaws. I watched from my window and cried. But Barry and I vowed to save a piece of our forest. We sneaked in one last time, dug up what we thought was a shrub, and planted it next to his family’s apartment.

Only it wasn’t a shrub. It was an oak tree. It grew to tower above the two-story apartments, where it stands majestically to this day.

Fast-forward a few years. I was visiting the Grand Canyon with a friend and, in a rush to catch the sunset, plopped down on a boulder to take in the view.

Suddenly, the boulder shifted and rolled over me, breaking my hip and pelvis. Then it trapped my leg and dragged me toward the rim of the canyon. It would have kept going and taken me over the edge – except for a lone piñon pine tree that happened to be growing at the rim at that spot.

The tree stopped the boulder’s roll. It saved me from being pulled into the Grand Canyon.

And it left me believing in a kind of magic: that because I once saved a tree’s life, another tree saved mine.

That’s my story – or one of them.

We all have stories; they’re what life is made of. Our childhoods, our families, our joys and sadnesses – we go through the years amassing material, which we craft into the ongoing personal narratives that make up our inner lives.

The dictionary definition is succinct: Narrative: A spoken or written account of connected events. A story. But the importance of storytelling is epic. Homer knew it. Cave dwellers knew it, even if they told their stories in pictures. Shakespeare knew it. Nomads telling tales around a fire knew it.

Today, even corporations know it. In October, United Airlines hired a chief storyteller. Microsoft, IBM, Verizon, SAP – they all have storytellers on staff.

Marketing people know it. The fields of marketing and publicity these days are thoroughly couched in terms of storytelling and narrative.

And Rotary has always known it. Thus the long-standing tradition of asking new members to give a “classification talk” – to tell a story to introduce themselves.

The urge to tell stories, and to hear them, is universal. But the ability to tell them comfortably and well? Not so universal. Especially when the story is our own: Even after years and many a personal essay as a columnist at the Chicago Tribune, I maintain a certain amount of apprehension when I write about myself. It is notoriously easy for a personal essay to turn sentimental or boring.

But it’s a hesitation worth overcoming, and a skill worth developing, especially if you want to encourage other people to join you in a pursuit you find enjoyable and meaningful.

Every Rotarian has a story. Why you joined, why you stay, how your involvement, your service, or your friends add to your life – it’s all there.