Members in attendance (R=Webex): Marilyn Bedell, Ron Bedell, Deabn Cashman, Bill Chabot, Dave Clarenbach, Dave Crandall, Jim Damren, Mila Dela Pena, Nick Gafney, Steve Grant, Andy Jones, Carol Keeffe, Jane Mason (R), Christian McDonald, Ron Michaud, Angla Nelson, Ernst Oidtmann, Bruce Pacht, Travis Paige, Phil Rentz, Bill Secord, John Stalvey, Rich Wallace, Steve Whitman, Cal Wolfe, and John Yacavone.
President Marilyn rang the bell and called the meeting to order at 12:00 p.m.
Recitation of the “4-Way Test of the Things We Think Say or Do” was led by Dave Crandall.
Songs: Ernst Oidtmann played us through “Rotary Welcome Song” and “Skip to My Lou.”
PRESIDENT MARILYN’S THOUGHT OF THE DAY: Story of the 4-Way Test
President Marily circulated a card for Rotarians to express their feelings at the passing of Dipak Niroula’s father.
UP FRONT FOR A CHANGE, HERE ARE THIS WEEK’S HAPPY DOLLARS:
Bruce Pacht offered a sad but hopeful dollar for the very talented Red Sox team, which can’t seem to get out of the American League East cellar.
Ernst Oidtmann made a $5 brag: Henry and Helen (grandchildren, both PHFs) at ages 15 and 12 visited Vancouver Island. Henry was sailing his boat in a windstorm. The boat turtled and he started bailing. Helen called 911, and the boat sank, leaving them floating in the bay with orcas. Police phoned Linda Oidtmann saying, “Your grandchildren are floating in the bay.” The rescue crew got them out and raised the boat—they lost their phones and other equipment but were saved from the orcas.
Carol Keeffe recently had two closings and with gratitude donated $100 to the Foundation; Ron Michaud will match it dollar for dollar.
Dave Clarenbach bragged for being proud to call John Stalvey a Rotarian, friend, and gracious client.
John Stalvey bragged that he is happy to be part of this group
Steve Whitman bragged that it has been 55 years since he joined Rotary on June 10.
Angela Nelson shared some BIG NEWS. She soon will be leaving AM Peisch, opening up her own accounting firm in space on Park Street behind Salt hill. She is very excited about the venture and is looking forward to reclaiming some of her life and hours.
Ron Michaud thanked John Stalvey for mentioning “free range children.” He was the eighth of nine whose father died when he was 7 and his mother was too worn out to hover over the youngest children. John’s talk brought back many memories for Ron.
Here’s a photo of the young and strong Ron Michaud golfing in Scotland when he was given a long golfing vacation by the board of directors of the mental health organization for which he worked in Marblehead, MA, as a tribute for his community-building work. He played 36 holes a day back then. Here he is on the right (if you couldn't tell) with a friend and fellow golfer.
Dave Clarenbach offered his appreciation to Ron Michaud for matching TRF donations.
Dave Crandall shared some mixed feeling news with us. Dave will retire in the fall and transfer his membership to New London Rotary. Dave’s been involved with many organizations in New London that seem to intersect with Rotary. He will remain on the email list to keep abreast of Lebanon’s activities. He values the friendships and experiences he had here. He invited Lebanon Rotarians to visit the New London Club, which meets at the New London Baptist Church. Marilyn shared her appreciation for Dave’s work on the 100th anniversary project and his continued active involvement since his presidential year.
WEEKLY STATISTICS:
Wedding Anniversaries: Marion Steiner and Charlie—6/14
PROGRAM
Classification talk: John Robert Dixon Stalvey
John’s parents are from Tennessee and North Carolina. He is married to Marcy, and they have two adult sons, Ross and Connor, plus six grandchildren from 1-13 years of age.
John was born in the Boston Lying-In Hospital on January 9, 1955. He lived briefly in Cambridge and then Arlington MA. Next, his family lived in Waban, MA.
At age 5, John’s family started skiing, which became a big part of his life. They bought a cabin in southern Vermont, where John spent part of many summers tromping through the woods.
John, his brother, and friends enjoyed a “free range childhood.” Dangers were there, but with appropriate education they learned to avoid them. Nevertheless, sometimes they learned the hard way, but no one was hurt or abducted.
John’s experience in the Vermont woods was responsible in part to his becoming a biologist, making him inquisitive. The outdoor experiences also taught them to solve problems creatively, to work with others, to negotiate.
John’s family lived near the Boston Museum of Science, and John’s father taught him to use a microscope. John’s own research ended up working with things unseen by the naked eye.
In 5th grade, John was given a dyslexia diagnosis, with a future prognosis of vocational school as his best hope for adulthood. Instead, his parents sent him to an all-boys school, 7-12 grades. There, he did well enough to get into Williams College, which helped him create his life, despite a rough first year.
At Williams, John did undergraduate research with a professor, leading him down the path of inquiry and generation of new knowledge. When he received a small stipend for summer research, he suddenly realized he could be paid for something he loved. He remembers sitting in a lecture hall one day when he was struck with the thought, “That’s what I want to do!”
At Williams, John met Marcy, a double major in biology and classics. She became a physical therapist. They went skiing at Jiminy Peak and have been skiing together ever since. Now retired, they get to ski during the week without fighting the weekend crush.
John said he got his BA “magna dum lucky,” and was accepted into a PhD program at the University of Southern California. Marcy also was admitted to USC in its PT program, and they both got degrees.
With his heart in New England, John and Marcy decided southern California was not the place for them to raise their children. They tried Ann Arbor, Michigan, where John did a post-doc in reproductive endocrinology. His first faculty position was an assistant professorship in the department of biological sciences at Kent State, where he had to both teach and establish an independent research program. He taught a total of 11 different courses at Kent State, including one on radiation safety.
John achieved tenure and advanced through associate professor to professor, serving in administrative capacities along the way. Gaining a PhD is learning how to look at your corner of the universe through a certain lens. John’s turn as associate dean forced him to look through the lenses of other disciplines. He brought the computer science department from a $4 million deficit to a balanced budget.
Next, John decided to look for Dean positions in liberal arts. A degree in liberal arts prepares you for doing anything. A call came to him when they were in Ohio: “Would you be willing to work at the University of Alaska, Anchorage?” Marcy said, “Sure, why not?” John bought a house there with a beautiful view. While there, Marcy had a lot of success. She and her hospital CEO established a rehab facility in their hospital that went from 12 beds to 60. Anchorage’s population is around 300,000.
John served as Dean there for 6 years, provost for 2, then advisor to the chancellor. He most loved the dean position, which allowed him to meet and engage with students, faculty, and staff across many disciplines. Also, he’d never before thought about community college degrees (AA, AS and certificate programs), but learned how valuable they are.
When serving as dean, John was introduced to Rotary. He visited club meetings several times at lunch and enjoyed both the people he met and all the different activities Rotary accomplishes in the community along with polio eradication. His former club did a lot of work on clean water in India. His club was also involved in youth education—local day care, elementary school, youth exchange, Rotaract, and RYLA.
John was REALLY excited to find Lebanon. When he decided to move here, he figured he would check out the WRJ, Hanover, and Lebanon clubs, stopping in first with us because he happened to be in town for a Thursday. He said we were so welcoming, he decided not to look anywhere else.
Q: Ron Michaud—Why did you settle in the UV?
I am a New Englander and wanted to return. We went to college in the Berkshires, and I grew up in Boston and southern Vermont. Our kids live in the eastern time zone. My younger son lives in northern New Jersey, and the other lives in Cincinnati. We have 13 ski areas within an hour of our house. Although Alaska is the prettiest place to live for three seasons—color, smell, sound -- the fourth season is unlivable.
Q: Steve Grant—What do you think of Hampshire College closing?
I think in general post-secondary institutions are under threat, especially small liberal arts colleges. Hampshire had a very different approach to liberal arts. The type of student that went there in the 70s and 80s doesn’t exist anymore, and the college had no substantial endowment to see them through rough times
CELEBRATING CHRISTIAN MCDONALD
Marilyn recognized Christian McDonald's work getting five kids to RYLA, helping select kids for scholarships, organizing RISE against Hunger, and having Interactors help with the Five Colleges Book Sale, Listen holiday basket helpers, and our food drives. Marilyn visited APD yesterday and is excited about LHS’s new entry-level medical program at APD starting with eight students seeking to become LNAs: “When we give students a chance to help, they really engage.”
GOLF TOURNAMENT REPORT
Angela Nelson—Very preliminarily, Angela thinks we will net about $24,000. We had lots more players but paid much more for the course and the food.
FOUNDATION REPORT
Only two weeks until the end of the year. If you haven’t yet, please make your annual voluntary donation to The Rotary Foundation no later than June 30. Marilyn suggests trying a minimum donation of $26.50 which would match the inaugural gift to the Foundation at its inception.
Ron Michaud has most generously offered to match new donations dollar-for-dollar.
CHARITIES
Curtis Payne and Bill Chabot delivered two $2,000 scholarships to MVRHS grads.
Club members voted to concur with two Charities allocations:
$5,000 to Kilton Library’s new hallway door
2,500 toward the new playground at Hanover Street School
A banner recognizing Lebanon Rotary’s donation to the new bases at Logan Baseball Field has been put up. It’s easy to see from second base, not so easy from anywhere else. It’s the third banner from the right in the photo:
Trustees will vote on officers for the 2026-27 Rotary year at its meeting next week.
Trustees should have a fuller review of its activities for the past Rotary year after the June 30 financial report has been created.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Lebanon Club Photo: REVO June 23, Lebanon Rotary 4:30 p.m. at the Casino. Big check presentation.
Lebanon Recreation Parks and Park and Arts is planning events on July 2 and July 4 to celebrate 250 years of the United States’ creation.
July 2—farmer’s market, family friendly entertainment, front porch, and a Novo Nordisk-funded fireworks show
July 4—Special parade this year. Invitation to community organization—classic cars, 11:30. BBQ free in Colburn Park. Lions will do some food. Leb Women’s Club—baked goods.
ANGELA ANNOUNCEMENTS
NOVA application for dues billing no longer can choose invoice emails to send, even though you may have paid in advance. Also, it cannot apply overpayments—going forward, Angela will have to track separately until there’s a new update.
We received an email survey from Rotary International RE: their dues and other questions, etc.Angela will circulate what she received.
DISTRICT 7850 COMING EVENTS:
September 3, District Governor Ariel Mondlak visitation—Just before our Brewfest!
September 5, Saturday of Labor Day Weekend: 2026 Brewfest
THE BREWFEST CLUB FUNDRAISER
(NOTE: This is now the official spelling and capitalization of “Brewfest.” The only exception is ALL CAPS for certain applications such as our road signs: “BREWFEST.” One word, in both cases.)
CARD AND CAR WASH RAFFLES
Ron Michaud’s ticket was pulled, but the losing 10 of Clubs was drawn.
The winning ticket was held by Jim Damren, who won this week’s free Enfield Car Wash, courtesy of Bruce Bergeron.
President Marilyn rang the Rotary bell at 1:20 p.m., and we ended the meeting with a recitation of RI’s motto:
One profits most who serves best
AT THE DISTRICT CONFERENCE IN MAGOG, QUEBEC
[ABOVE L] President Marilyn and Louisa Tripp, as ever the dynamic duo.
[ABOVE R] Registration Queen and Wayne Warner from the Randolph Sunrise club.
[LEFT] District Governor Luc Pomerleau presented Alex Ray and the Plymouth Rotary Club with the “Service Above Self” Award on behalf of Rotary International as Lisa Mure stood by his side. Only about 160 awards were presented to Rotarians worldwide. It is so deserved for the work he, Lisa, and fellow Common Man for Ukraine co-founders Steve Rand and Susan Mathieson have done through this humanitarian and peacemaking effort.
The Lebanon Rotary Club helps support the common Man for Ukraine program.
A MESSAGE FROM JOHN YACAVONE
Hi, All.
I was able TO put a foursome together to play at Crown Point CC. compliments of Upper Valley School Golf, a nonprofit that teaches, organizes, and generally helps junior golfers ages 8-13. The Lebanon Rotary Club gave the group $1,000 to help for its first fundraiser. The event was well organized, and dozens of teams showed on a beautiful day on a course that was just immaculate. Upper Valley Golf placed numerous Lebanon Rotary signs throughout the course. Ryan Seaver, the president of the organization, when he saw me throughout day, thanked the Lebanon Rotary Club for its contribution to the event. I would say, most of the players were under 55 years of age. So, if we support them next year, I will surely put up a Lebanon Brewfest sign in a highly viewed area.
John Yacavone
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
June 25—Meredith Melendy, our Malouin Teacher Scholarship winner
July 2—Club Meeting Classification talk, James Carroll
July 9—Sylvia Dow Executive Director, Non-profit VISION
July 16—Will Towne (New) Executive Director, Upper Valley Haven
July 23—Lynn Howard Executive Director, Cornerstone Chartered School
August 6—Classification Talk, Tyler Hagan
August 13—Gary Summerton, Photographer August 20—Clara Moses, from Hydrate Marketing August 27—Colby Price, Director of Lebanon Adult Education and Literacy Services (SAU 88)
Program coordinator for start of Rotary year 2026-2027:
John Yacavone (July, August, September).
Awesome News from Rise against Hunger
Meals packaged at our Rise Against Hunger Experience project have shipped.
Meals we packaged are headed to Philippines!
The Philippines consists of over 7,000 islands in the Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean. One of the most environmentally disaster-prone countries in the world, it faces near constant threats of natural disasters like earthquakes, typhoons and volcanic eruptions. These disasters cause displacement and major loss of livelihoods and infrastructure, and disproportionately affect poor communities in rural areas, where people rely on agriculture and fishing. The Global Hunger Index, which assesses food insecurity based on indicators that measure undernourishment and undernutrition, categorizes the Philippines as having a “moderate” level of hunger overall. Rise Against Hunger serves the regions of the Philippines where hunger is most urgent.
To address some of the food security challenges that children, families, and communities in the Philippines face, Rise Against Hunger partners with organizations that support educational programs by providing meals to children at schools and early child development centers. This is a key part of Rise Against Hunger’s Nourishing Lives pathway. In some cases, the food children receive at school will be the majority of the food they eat in a day. The meals we packaged will help ensure that children have access to the consistent nourishment they need to live healthy lives and successfully pursue their education. Read more about how our meals make an impact bychecking out our Pathways to End Hunger!
