The scribe for the club meeting on March 5 got caught up in trying to get the club’s projector to sync with the speaker’s laptop. Mission not accomplished. The upshot was that he didn’t record most of the opening brags/announcements (except that he himself won the car wash). And there was a middle school joke concerning Dr. Pimple Popper and eclairs.
Bruce Bergeron provided all the tables with a sample of the personalized First-Grade Readers we will be giving to all Lebanon first-grade students this spring. Cindy Jerome reminded us of the precautions to be taking to address the local threat of the novel coronavirus: wash hands, avoid handshaking, bump elbows.
Rich Wallace brought in a number of free copies of the day's Valley News to supplement Bill Secord's weekly plea for our members to subscribe to a daily newspaper. Today's issue contains a large sports page photo of the Lebanon Raiders hockey team with a story including quotes yet again from Coach Jim Damren.
Listen Food Drive
March 14, 2020
Lebanon Co-op, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Today's speaker: The Mayhew Program:
Helping Boys find Their Best
Our speaker, Monica Zulauf, is development director for the Mayhew Program, located on Newfound Lake in Bristol, New Hampshire. Mayhew’s roots go back to 1893, when the Groton School, an independent boarding school in Groton, Massachusetts, began the operation of a summer camp for underprivileged boys on Groton Island in Squam Lake. The goal of the program at that time was to introduce young boys to the way of life enjoyed by people of wealth. Back in 1919, in the isolation of Squam Lake, boys enjoyed swimming in the nude, a practice that disturbed an elder female member of the Webster family with an estate on the lake. With her assistance, the Mayhew Program was able to buy another island on nearby Newfound Lake and moved its operation there to a thirty-five-acre site in 1920.
The Groton School closed its program on Newfound Lake in 1966, and a reconstituted Mayhew Program reopened the camp as a program for underprivileged boys exclusively from New Hampshire. In the summer of 1969 nine underprivileged kids from Manchester, New Hampshire, found themselves on a very dark and isolated island in the middle of Newfound Lake. Last summer was the fifty-second iteration of this isolated camp experience—for a total of 2,300 boys over those years. Last summer 150 alums of the program held a reunion that brought together alums from as far away as England, Texas, and California.
Presently, 230 kids are currently enrolled in the program, which begins for them with the two-year summer camp experience and then extends for a number of years with year-round mentoring, camping, hiking, and biking activities. Mayhew now incorporates a higher-education component with certificate programs; and it has broadened its coverage to include college, career, and military prep along with community service and driver’s education. Students enter their first two years of summer experience at ages ten and eleven, no later. The three-and-a-half weeks of summer camp are tech free—no phones, no movies, no lights in the cabins. The kids are very nervous at first but eventually acquire new skills and bond closely with their seven cabin mates. Simple routines such as hour-long sit-down meals support team building and a sense of community. Mayhew arranges for area employers to meet with the kids, and eventually these employers may offer some of them paid apprenticeships when they turn eighteen, sometimes earning $40,000 a year.
Most of the kids have been identified as “at risk” by school districts across New Hampshire. They mostly are enrolled in free-and-reduced lunch programs and often come from single-parent or grandparent homes. One recent graduate from the program is sophomore at Plymouth State University. His father, mother, and six children migrated from South Sudan and Egypt, eventually to the City of Manchester. His father died of cancer and his mother suffers from mental health problems. His two younger brothers are now in the program, and he attributes the success of himself and his siblings to the male role models that Mayhew has provided.
During the question-and-answer part of her talk, Monica addressed the issues of child abuse among non-profit organizations such as the Boy Scouts. She emphatically noted that Mayhew has not suffered from any child abuse incidents for several reasons. Mayhew’s staff are all paid staff, not volunteers. The kids are never alone with an adult and are always within sight line of counselors. Only one kid at a time can go to a rest room. And Mayhew trains, trains, and trains the staff. There is zero tolerance for inappropriate comments. The program uses a flat model of organizing so that there is no “hierarchy” and the kids feel comfortable about reporting any untoward behavior.
The program accepts forty-two kids every year, and it’s hard to choose among the applicants. The applicant must be excited about becoming part of the program because if he leaves, his spot in the cohort is not filled and it goes forward in diminished number. It’s important to note that these kids are not “troubled” kids, but rather have been identified as “at risk.” The program is not a therapeutic setting. Mentoring continues throughout the year when the students return to their home settings. After the two summers as campers, some of the kids return in succeeding summers as kitchen workers, etc. They continue to receive mentoring when they reach age sixteen/eighteen, working on their life plans and engaging in community service.
Mayhew receives no federal or state monies except for $14,000 from the free-and-reduced lunch program. The organization has eight year-round staff members with a $1.3 million budget. It is about to embark on a $725,000 building improvement effort.
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The book given to the Kilton Library Children's Collection in honor of our speaker Monica Zulauf was:
Enemy Child: The Story of Norman Mineta, a Boy Imprisoned in a Japanese American Internment Camp during World War II by Andrea Warren.
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Raffle
Guest speaker Monica Zulauf pulled the Ace of diamonds. The hunt for the queen continues.
Bill Secord won the car wash.
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Listen Dinners 2020
Here is the Community Dinner Schedule for 2020
Click Here to Sign-up to Volunteer for one or a few of these dates
February 11 Dinner was Beef Stew, Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Salad, Pineapple Chunks and an assortment of desert.
Meal preparation was done by Paul Tierney, Ron Bedell, Cindy Jerome, Carolyn Watson and Marilyn Bedell.
They served just over 70 diners.
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Great American Pie Buffet
Supporting the Eradication Of Polio
Here's what you need to know:
What kinds of pies are you going to make? Everyone is asked to provide at least two pies, on sweet, one savory, or donate $30 and the committee will purchase two pies for you. Please, sign up at our meeting or let Tim Gauraldi know what you will bringing or donating.
Pie tickets are now available. Your job is to sell 5 tickets or purchase 5 tickets.
Bruce Pacht sent every one a copy of the poster via e-mail. Help promote the pie buffet by e-mailing information to friends, or post on your social media pages.
Posters are now available (copy of the poster is the top picture in this newsletter) - Pick some up at our next meeting and get them hung all around the Upper Valley.
The #1 priority for Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation is the eradication of Polio. We need to be a part of the End Polio Now campaign. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will match our donations $2/$1!
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Save these dates!!
April 30, 2020 (5th Thursday), will be an evening social meeting starting at 5:30. Stay tuned for more details about the evening. Guest welcome to join you.
On Thursday, May 14, 2020, we will be hosted by Kimball Union Academy in the evening.
The plan:
5:00 p.m. - Art Tour
6:00 p.m. - Dinner
7:00 p.m. - Spring Dance Concert
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2020 Holiday Party and Yankee Swap
It's never to early to plan...Mark you calendars now, our 2020 Holiday Party and Famous Yankee Swap! It will be on Thursday, December 17, 2020, at the Quechee Inn at Marshland Farms. Cost will be the same as 2019...$40/person.
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Rotary International
From the Rotary Web Site:
Read the 2019 Rotary International Annual Report -- Click Here
Letter from our leaders
More than a century ago, Rotary pioneered a new model of service leadership grounded in person-to-person connections. Today, those connections are a network that spans the globe — bridging cultural, linguistic, generational, and geographic barriers — and that shares the vision of a better world.
As people of action, we understand that fulfilling that vision requires a plan. Rotary has adopted a new Action Plan for the next five years: to increase our impact, expand our reach, enhance participant engagement, and increase our ability to adapt. Our plan will provide us with a continuity of vision from year to year, keeping us moving toward our shared purpose.
The Rotary Foundation plays a critical role in fulfilling this purpose. In 2018-19, the Foundation raised over $395 million, surpassing our $380 million goal. We made great progress toward building our Foundation’s Endowment to $2.025 billion by 2025.
Rotary leadership creates opportunity — and this year, we saw amazing examples of that leadership across generations of Rotarians. Whether participating in Rotary Youth Exchange, Interact, Rotaract, or Rotary clubs, Rotarians are transforming lives and making a lasting impact. Your continued commitment proves that Rotary is an inspiration to the world.
Barry Rassin
2018-19 President
Rotary International
Brenda Cressey
2018-19 Trustee Chair
The Rotary Foundation
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The Four-Way Test isn’t a tool to judge others
Posted on
Martin Postic Jr.
By Martin “Marty” Postic Jr., past governor of District 5750 and a member of the Rotary Club of OKC Sunrise, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
In our contentious society, I see friends who are members of Rotary use The Four-Way Test to support opposing political and social arguments and to criticize the thoughts, statements, and actions of others. I see members with completely opposing viewpoints use the same Four-Way Test to both support their argument and demean others. Rotarians and others are using all forms of social media to share their opinions about perceived violations of The Four-Way Test, causing others to pile on additional comments and insults, all with little thought to how this affects our public image.
Which leads me to this basic premise:
The Four-Way Test is a mirror, not a window
Rotary members should not use The Four-Way Test to look at others but rather to look at themselves in considering the ramifications of a thought, statement, or action. It should not be a window through which we look to judge others. It is a mirror at which we look to judge ourselves.
The argument I’ve heard Rotarians make is that if they determine some thought, statement, or action violates any part of the test, it is their duty to declare that thought, statement, or action wrong. I have heard The Four-Way Test used to support any number of topics, some which readers would find hard to support. Yet through the Internet, one can cobble together any sort of argument to back any thought or concept with a plethora of “facts.”
I do not believe that is what The Four-Way Test is about. I believe the test is more about how we treat each other than how we measure ideas.
Of course, it is a challenging standard. It’s difficult to keep from thinking something. But what is more important is how you act on that thought. If you think to yourself, “I don’t like this person,” it becomes a matter of what you do with that thought. You can try to dispel it as well as any urge to take some negative action to satisfy your dislike of the person. You can also decide whether you say something to that person or tell others what you think.
This is where social media distorts things, because society now seems to embrace negative, vitriolic, or fake comments – as long as the comments agree with our own views. Posting such comments even in the name of The Four-Way Test is certainly not FAIR to all concerned and definitely does not build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS.
This brings me to the realization that using The Four-Way Test to argue political and social issues is in itself contrary to the test. We must never use the test to support a position while opposing or berating someone else’s position. We should not use The Four-Way Test to support or oppose contentious “hot button” issues, to comment on political discord, or to respond to another’s comment.
We need to teach The Four-Way Test to all of our friends. We don’t need to preach it. Rotary takes pride that it is a non-political, non-religious organization. That has allowed us to make inroads in parts of the world where governments and religious organizations can’t. Let’s not sully Rotary’s reputation by using these 24 words of ethical and moral thought to tear each other down.
Upcoming Programs
March 12, 7 AM Meeting, Interactor, Jordan Graham, Update on our District Grant...Romano Circle Community Room Renovations
March 19, Noontime Meeting, JoAnn Lemieux's Rotary Friendship Exchange to New Zealand
March 26, 7 AM Meeting, Teri Eastman, Mentoring 1st. year medical students
April 2, 2020, Noontime, Meeting Bob Sherman - The Radio Industry
April 9, 2020. Maggie Cassidy, Valley News
April 16, 2020, Noontime, Marcos Stafne, PhD, Montshire Museum
April 23, 2020 7 AM meeting, TBA
May 7, 2020 Noontime, Dan Weeks, Solar Energy
May 14, 2020, Our Social Meeting at Kimball Union Academy. Dinner at 6 PM and performance at 7 PM
May 21, noontime, Dr. Susan Mooney, CEO for Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital.
May 28, 2020, 7 AM meeting, Tracy Hutchins, CEO Upper Valley Business Alliance
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