Find out who our upcoming speakers are, what we covered during the last weekly meeting,
and learn more about Lebanon Rotary and our projects.
Future meeting schedule and speakers
Speaker Chair, Ron Michaud
September 21 Club Business
September 28 RYLA Student Presentation
October 5 Amy Allen, Lebanon Superintendent of Schools
October 12 Rico Castenada, Lt. Commander US Navy
October 19 Cindy Heath, Gardening Presentation
October 26 Club Business
November 2 Jim Schachter, CEO New Hampshire Public Radio
November 9 Robroy McGregor,Listen CEO.
November 16 Rod Smolla, President, VT Law School
November 30 Carl Gross, Manager Lebanon Municipal Airport
December 7 Aaron Rivkin, Hopkins Center for the Arts
December 14 Ernst Oidtmann Piano Recital
December 21 Club Business
December 28 Club Business
Club Business Meeting
President Dave Crandall
Meeting Overview
We gathered for conversation and fellowship prior to the official start of the meeting.
Just after noon David rang the bell to call the meeting to order.
Ernst Oidtmann played our Rotary Welcome song and Molly Malone (proving that more than the piano needed to be tuned.)
Joy Gobin lead us in reciting the 4-Way Test
Jokes of the day:
What country has the largest population? Ireland is always Dublin
I once has a bird called Esna. One day the bird flu out of its cage and was gone for many weeks but to our surprise influensa.
Tabletop Conversation Topic - While we ate we talked about a book we would recommend.
We enjoyed our buffet lunch.
Dave first called for Happy Dollars, see below.
Club Business Review
Scott Prescott has been approved for membership. Jim Damren will now reach out to Scott to formally invite him to join our club.
IF YOU NEED A NEW NAME BADGE OR A REPLACEMENT, LET MAILYN BEDELL KNOW. SHE WILL PLACE AN ORDER SOON.
Joy Gobin provided a Youth Service report:
Our RYLA students will join us next week to give us a RYLA 2023 update.
We need a volunteer to help work with the our schools to help identify our RYLA students for 2024. Can you help with this?
Our annual speech contest will be happening again in 2024. We need a member to work with the school to recruit students to participate at LHS, MRHS and Kimball Union. Students could be recruited from the community too.
Mascoma and Lebanon Interact Clubs have held their first meeting. Joy helps at Lebanon, and Curtis Payne helps at Mascoma. Lebanon wil once again partner on a project with the Windsor Interact Club.
Joy will retire at the end of the school year. She has talked to the principal about making Rotary membership and helping with Youth Service a part of the the job for her replacement.
The outdoor food pantry continues to be maintained by Lebanon's Interact Club.
Ahmad Haidaris updated us on membership.
We have a robust Membership and Marketing Committee. They have been meeting to discuss strategies to grow our membership, with a focus on retention of members too.
We have an opportunity to work with three Tuck students. They will work with us over the next 10 weeks to help us think in new ways about membership. We will be exploring what will work for us, and what each of us need to make our club relevant to us.
Our new public facing web page had produced some inquiries about the club. A few have been interested in membership. Ahmad has been following up with those who reach out to the club.
Angela Nelson gave an unofficial update about our fundraising efforts. We raised approximately $28,000 from Brew Fest and $20,500 from golf.
Ron Michaud gave us a speaker schedule update. See above. We have some really interesting speakers coming, and he hopes you will invite other to join us to hear their talks.
Rotary Learning Institute will be held at the St. Johnsbury Academy on October 28, 2023 from 7:30 AM t0 3:30 PM. First 50 Rotarians to register will have their registration fee refunded by our Rotary District. Go to https://rlinea.org/ to register.
Why attend?
RLI is an outstanding opportunity for each club to improve the Rotary knowledge of its key people and to be exposed to new ideas of leadership. The exchange of ideas with other experienced Rotarians alone makes the courses extremely worthwhile.
Gain knowledge, proficiency and mastery in the areas of….
Leadership Development
Rotary Knowledge
Exchange of Ideas
Member Engagement
Service Project Leadership
Strategic Planning
Team Building
Public Relations
International Perspective
Improving Communication
Ron Bedell sent out information about our holiday party which will be help at the Quechee Inn on TUESDAY, December 12, 2023 at 5:30 PM with our famous Yankee Swap!
Invitation from the Rotary Club of the Sugar River, Claremont, NH — Stand with Ukraine
CLAREMONT, NH — On Sept. 30, the Claremont-Sugar River Rotary will host Stand with Ukraine at the Claremont Opera House.
“Claremont has a historic connection with the people of Ukraine and Poland,” said Rotary Club President Charlene Lovett.
And, the local club wants to invite the community to “come and share fellowship, learn what is still happening and help make a difference,” she said.
The event will consist of formal presentations and activities for the whole family, including a live discussion with the people of Ukraine and Poland.
“This event is designed to be both informative and interactive,” Lovett said. “The formal program will last approximately an hour, followed by multiple activities and opportunities to socialize.”
Among the activities planned is a stuff-a-sock event, in which participants will stuff socks, a much-needed commodity, with other needed items including earplugs, mini emergency thermal blankets, energy bars and notes of support.
Rotary will also collect donations of non-liquid multivitamins at the event.
As part of a larger organization, Rotary International, the local club has arranged for all of the donations to be distributed via Rotary Clubs in Poland and Ukraine.
“Polish Rotary Clubs along the Ukrainian border will distribute donations to Ukrainian refugees. Ukrainian Rotary Clubs will disseminate donations in country,” Lovett said.
The Stand with Ukraine event will also include a silent auction for a quilt donated by The Quilt Store in Chester, VT. And additional quilts will be auctioned off by local clubs throughout the Rotary district which includes all of southern New Hampshire and Vermont.
The event will be sponsored by Rotary clubs in the surrounding community, including Charlestown and Newport and by local businesses.
Ukranian and Polish food will be served at the event including cabbage rolls, pierogies, kielbasa bites and baked goods. The Opera House will be selling wine and beer. Ukrainian music will be played on the Opera House sound system prior and after the formal presentation.
“I am looking forward to sharing Ukrainian culture with our community through folk music, food, art and customs,” said Sophia Sushailo, a Ukrainian-born Claremont resident who has been instrumental in helping the Claremont Sugar-River Rotary to plan the event.
“I assure you, this will give Ukrainians an extra boost, because just like in sports, if you know your team has your back, you can move the mountains to the victory,” Sushailo said.
“On Aug. 24, Ukraine marked its 32th anniversary of independence,” Sushailo said. “It also marked 539 painful days, 1 year and 6 months, since the beginning of full-scale invasion by Russia.”
A long-time resident of the Granite State, Sushailo said she believes New Hampshire residents are in a unique position to understand the import of current events.
“We understand one another on a subconscious level, as our shared worldview is manifested in four words, ‘Live free or die.’ This is what Ukrainians are doing right now, fighting for their country to be free.”
“World history is being written as we speak,” she went on to tell The Eagle Times. “In front of our eyes, as the war in Ukraine continues, the Stand with Ukraine event will bring more awareness, so we are not merely bystanders, but have a chance to move the needle, even a little bit, for greater good of the world.”
Stand with Ukraine will be held from 3 to 6 p.m., Sept. 30, at the Claremont Opera House and is free.
Happy Dollars
Marilyn Bedell reflected on the life of Bobby Teevens and his impact on making football practices safer by using robotics.
Ahmad Haidari shared that his son has been working on computer modeling to help make football helmets better able to help protect players from head injuries.
Ernst Oidtmann will be off camping tomorrow.
Ron Michaud is happy to be on the other side of Covid.
Marion Steiner shared that after many years being employed by Bar Harbor Bank she has made a decision to leave the bank on September 29th and take a new position at the Downtown Lebanon branch of Mascoma Bank where she will be the branch manager. She shared that the bank will support her ongoing involvement in the Rotary Club of Lebanon.
Tim Guaraldi is gearing up for an "invasion" of family, his 4 daughters, theirs spouse and all the grandkids this weekend. They will hold a "sprinkle" in anticipation of a new grandchild. Party on!
Phil Bush announced that his granddaughter, Lila, who resided in Old Town Maiine, will be spending the spring semester at the Vershire Mountain School. He is looking forward to getting to she her more often
Angela Nelson gave a dollar to celebrate Marion's new position at Mascoma Bank.
Dave Crandall spent the time traveling between home and Chautauqua, NY. He went to Chautauqua to pick up his mother in-law. She is now back living at Dave's home..
Hank Clarke shared that all Dartmouth sports team uniforms will have BT on the uniform in honor/memory of Buddy Teavens.
Queen of Hearts Draw
We started a new deck today. Dave Crandall pulled the 7 of diamonds!
Car Wash
Car Wash won by Jim Damren
Members at meeting:
Ron Bedell, Marilyn Bedell, Phil Bush, Hank Clarke Dave Crandall, Jim Damren, Ed Friedman*, Joy Gobin, Tim Guaraldi, Ahmad Haidari, Ron Michaud, Angela Nelson, Ernst Oidtmann, Phil Rentz, Bill Secord, Marion Steiner, Steve Whitman, Cal Wolfe, John Yacavone
Guest: Ernst's guest was Skip Downing who stayed after the meeting to tune the piano.
Projects and Fundraisers
2023 Flu Shot Clinics - A few more helpers needed - UPDATED SIGN UP SHEET
2023 Public Health Council of the Upper Valley Vaccination Clinic Support
These are all walk-through clinics, so the work is much simpler. Volunteers help pass out clipboards and direct foot traffic through the clinic. Alice Ely alice.ely@uvpublichealth.org would like to have a few folks able to arrive about 45 minutes before the clinics open, but most volunteers would be able to leave by the end time (or earlier). We would need no more than 2 to 4 volunteers for each clinic, and I do have a few other sources for volunteers, so this is not all on you.
Next Listen Dinner October 10, 2022, Volunteers needed.
ONLINE SIGN UP HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED.
Let Dean Cashman know if you can help and he can email Larry the names of members who will help at the dinner.
********************
Can't help on the October 10th? Here is another call for helpers from Larry Lowndes at Listen.
Hi Volunteers,
You are receiving this email because at some point you asked to know when the Dining Hall needs volunteers. Below are some dates when we do not have any volunteer teams scheduled and we would love some help. Positions include "Cooking and Serving” and/or "Dining Hall Monitoring".
If you want to sign up for one of these slots, or to stop receiving these emails send me an email with the specifics. If you haven’t volunteered with us before, don’t worry! There will be people here to walk you through it all.
Here’s when we have empty slots for the next few weeks:
Cooking and Serving: Cooking starts at 2:30 in the Kitchen. Service starts at 4:30pm and goes to 5:30pm. Breakdown lasts around half an hour after we close.
· Friday, September 29
· Tuesday, October 3
· Thursday, October 5
· Tuesday, October 10 (NOTE: This should be our day to provide volunteers)
· Thursday October 12
· Friday the 13th 😨
· Tuesday, October 17
· Friday, October 20
Dining Hall Monitoring: Setup starts around 3:30 which includes getting supplies, the Salad Bar, and Desserts ready for service. There are opportunities to engage with guests. Breakdown lasts about half an hour.
· Friday, September 29
· Friday, September 6
· Friday, September 13
· Friday, October 20.
If you are interested in volunteering weekly on Fridays for this position, please reach out to me to discuss the possibility.
The available dates may fill up before you get a chance to respond. Please double-check with me to make sure the date you choose is still available. And again, thank you for all you do for Listen Community Services.
Larry
Larry Lowndes
Community Dinner Manager
Listen Holiday Baskets
Stay turned for info about Listen Holiday Basket Helper 2023.
As in past years, holiday basket sponsors will purchase gifts for children and seniors. Each spnosr will purchase 3 warm winter clothing items and a $50 grocery gift card. Other items to purchase will be optional . Community members are also invited to donate their time to help assemble and distribute holiday baskets. However we participate, Listen will be grateful for any help we can give them to bring cheer to Upper Valley families this holiday season.
Now on to Golf and Brew Fest 2024
CHEERS!!
Time to order your Rotary Wear for Fall!
Top Stitch Rotary Vests and Jackets
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.
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.
Rotary News
Peace is his legacy : A Canadian district fulfills its governor’s dream of learning mediation with an Indigenous nation
Because COVID-19 made it impossible to hold the conference as Hamilton had envisioned it, the planners decided to study mediation online instead. Then, they hoped, participants would facilitate discussions about difficult topics in their clubs and communities. The program was designed and led by Lorelei Higgins and Scott Martin, two Rotary Peace Fellowship recipients who are now MBBI mediators Read More
Rotary International President R. Gordon R. McInally is calling for Rotary members to “Create Hope in the World” by working for peace and mental wellbeing. The 2023-24 presidential theme is accompanied by a logo that consists of three dynamic shapes with color gradients of dark blue to purple, dark red to light red, and from intense orange to bright yellow.
Gordon explains that the palate is inspired by the colors of Scotland – the purple of heather, the blue of the ocean, and the orange/yellow of the setting sun over the cliffs. The colors identify with modern Scotland and are an intentional move beyond the stereotype of tartan (plaid) often associated with Scotland.
In addition, the colors are also an homage to John Lowrie Morrison, one of Scotland’s most successful and beloved contemporary artists, who produces expressionist oil paintings of Scottish landscapes. The logo colors capture the vibrancy of Morrison’s painting and that of modern, vibrant, colorful Scotland.
The sweep of each element from tail to head represents creation, starting from a point and growing through the shape. The three shapes represent the elements, and are nurturing, protecting, and hugging each other to create a whole.
In his speech to the 2023 International Assembly, President Gordon explained the origins of the theme. In 2006, he visited the village of Ban Taling Chan in Thailand, which had been devastated by a tsunami in late 2004. Rotary members had helped rebuild houses, a meeting hall, and childcare and medical facilities. Upon his arrival, a woman approached him and presented him with a beautiful shell necklace. It had been in her possession for over 30 years and was one of the few possessions she had left.
She had lost her family, her home, her livelihood, and most importantly, her hope and purpose in life. However, she said that everything Rotary had done to rebuild the village made her feel optimistic about the future, and that this gift was her way of showing her appreciation for Rotary’s work.
“She told me that Rotary had restored her optimism. We gave her hope,” Gordon said in his speech. “This is how Rotary brings lasting change to the world. One restored or renewed hope at a time.”
This year, Gordon is encouraging Rotary members to make mental health a priority. Rotary has a unique ability to connect people and cultures, giving hope and receiving it through acts of kindness. Now is the time to expand this culture of care, both within Rotary and in the world at large.
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