Currents
December 12,2019
Editor Marilyn Bedell
REMINDERS:
- Wednesday, December 18, 2019, holiday dinner at Quechee Inn at Marshland Farm. Social hour at 5 PM with Dinner at 6 PM. If you want to come let Ron Bedell know ASAP. $40/person. Make check payable to Ron Bedell, or bring cash.
- Program Thursday December 19, 2019, Noon meeting. Speaker Jim O'hern, Psycho Therapist who specializes in Addiction Recovery and advises the Grafton County Drug Court
Program
Classification Talk by Marilyn Bedell
Marilyn Bedell talked about growing up in Southwest Pennsylvania about 5 miles from "downtown Pittsburgh". She reflected on her education from grade school to high school.
She is the middle child. Her older sister, Marsha is a Librarian, and her baby sister Nancy was an events planner prior to her death in September 2001...a week after 9/11.
Her Mom was a substitute teacher, so being more than a nerd would have been difficult since Mom was always watching. She let us know that Coach Bill Cower (Steelers) grew up in Crafton, her hometown. Marilyn's mom often had Bill in her classrooms. When she didn't have a lesson plan, she let Bill go and watch football film...thus her family feels she was instrumental in helping him develop hisa hall of fame coaching abilities.
Bedell shared that when she was five she got measles and nearly died from renal failure, a complication of the disease. During her time in the hospital she became fascinated with nurses, especially good nurses who made sure she could watch Captain Kangaroo, provided Lorna Doone cookies, and chocolate milk. From that point on she new she wanted to be a nurse.
She did her entry nursing education at Shadyside Hospital in Pittsburgh. On a whim, and to prove to her parents she could be independent, she packed a U-Haul with two fellow Shadyside graduates, and headed to Mary Hitchcock in 1971.
By 1974, she met Ron and after a 6 week courtship they were engaged and married within 6 months. It was a fellow nurse that was their matchmaker. She exclaimed in a auditorium filled with people, "Ron met Marilyn, Ron meet Marilyn, you are a girl, you are a boy have fun!"
Bedell reflected on her 40+ year nursing career in oncology nursing and nursing leadership. She celebrated her nurse mentors, Lorraine Bake, Mary Jane Bernier and Barbara Summers.
No talk by Marilyn would be complete without her touching on her love of Rotary. Her Dad was an avid Rotarian. He died the year the supreme court decided that Rotary needed to accept women. He would have been pleased to know how active she was in Rotary. She shared how she became passionate about the Rotary Foundation. In particular, the organizations efforts to:
- eradicate polio,
- provide clean water and sanitation, both internationally and here in Vermont after Tropical Storm Irene.
She helped two individuals apply for and be selected to become Rotary Peace Scholars.
In July, she will be a peace scholar application reviewer; and will serve as the Rotary Zone 32 Rotary Foundation Major Gift and Endowment Adviser.
Happy Dollars
Bill Secord From last week..Bill shared information about the upcoming Bell Conto Singers Concert:
Click here for more information about the concert.
Tim Gauraldi is looking forward to backpacking trip to Havasu Fall in February. It will be a hike in, hike out, no camp fires, sleep on the ground adventure. If you have interest in the trip, there are still spaces available.
Tim also thanked everyone who volunteered to cook at the Listen Dinner on Tuesday.
Our Guest Rudy Fedrizzi, shared that Vermont is the healthiest state in the nation.
Ron Bedell remarked that he was impressed that Marilyn was functioning as the meeting leader as Liss was called to the hospital to deal with capacity issues. Marilyn was also recording minutes for the newsletter as our secretary; and she was our speaker too.
Bruce Bergeron was delighted to have a dollar in his pocket as his daughter's wedding has now passed, and it was a grand wedding day.
Hank Clarke reflected that over the weekend his grandkids helped make decorated Christmas cookies. He is coming to the realization that they may not do this activity for too many more years as the kids are growing up.
Angela Nelson let us know that this would be her last club meeting for a few weeks as she is about 10 days out from the hip replacement surgery.
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Raffle
Dan Nash pulled the 9 of hears, as the hunt for the queen continues.
Don MacMeekin won the car wash.
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Guests
Prospective, transferring member Rudolph "Rudy" Fedrizzi, MD. He as been a member of the Elm Street Keene, NH Rotary Club. He is now working in WRJ, VT as the Public Health Services District Director for State of Vermont Department of Health.
Joy Gobin and Our Interators
