Rotary District 7850 annually holds a speech contest. There are four rounds. Today, the Rotary Club of Lebanon held Round One of the contest. The Round One prize is $200. If the student who wins Round One goes all the way to Round Four, cumulatively the first place winner will receive a prize of $1,750 and the second place will will receive $1,500.
This year the topic of the speech contest is Why is Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Important?
Our contestants prepared and delivered a five-minute speech which related to this topic to their life, school, community and Rotary values.
The winner of Round One will receive a $200 prize which will be given to the student at Round Two.
Three Lebanon High School students participated in the contest,
Elizabeth Rose Canaveral, West Lebanon
Adriana Caraeni, Lebanon
Riley Naylor, Lebanon
Elizabeth Canaveral spoke about her personal journey as an Asian American. Over time she has noted that Lebanon High School has a more diverse student body, and the faculty is more diverse too. She is a member of the DEI Club which started out as a group "of color" , and now has grown to include anyone who is interested in helping to make Lebanon High School as more inclusive community for all. She spoke to the importance of having a school library that includes authors that represent many cultures. She remembers finding a book written by a Filipino author in the LHS library. Reading literature written by someone of her culture was very meaningful. She stated "it brought me comfort". She used an analogy of puzzle pieces, that it takes all shapes, sizes and colors to put a puzzle's picture together. If one is missing, the picture will never be complete.
Reily Naylor reflected on the writing of Kurt Vonnegut who wrote about "sameness" and he believed that trying to achieve sameness would lead to the destruction of the world. She believes that each person brings something special to the world. We should celebrate each person uniqueness. She related as story about a classmate who had the nickname "butterfly". She had a myriad of health issues that made her different, unique and fragile. She was a person who worked very hard to overcome her limitations, and worked to have other accept her for her uniqueness. Although fragile, she still could "fly". Through DEI we can see beauty, wonder and possibility. She concluded her talk with this quote from John Hume:
Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity.
Adriana Caraeni was next. She talked about the challenges of learning during the social isolation of Covid. At times she could be overwhelmed by feelings of exclusion and being alone. Lack of connections to others caused her to feel unhappy. She discovered how important human contact with others was for her. Diversity of friendships is so important. To hear different points of view, to be challenged by others to consider other ways of thinking can help a person reframe trials and tribulations. She then reflected on Rotary International's DEI statement, "At Rotary, we understand that cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture is essential to realizing our vision of a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change." She encouraged us to take this message to heart.
Ed Friedman took a few minutes to interview our three candidates while our judges completed their work, and score sheets were tallied.
Phil Rentz, thanked our judges, timekeeper and score sheet tallier. Then announced the following:
The winner of Round One is Riley Naylor.
Second runner up was Adriana Caraeni.
Congratulations, Riley.
Rotary of Lebanon Club
Hybrid Meeting Now Possible!!!
Meeting Minutes from the February 2, 2022 Meeting
Ed Friedman rang the bell and called our meeting to order
We celebrated that this was our first Hybrid meeting. We took a few minutes to make sure our virtual attending could see had hear Ed.
Paul Tierney lead the reciting of the 4-Way Test.
Ernst Oidtmann lead us in singing our welcoming song and one other classic song.
Those attending the meeting in person dined on salad, lamb chops, veggie lasagne, tomato-bacon-mac and cheese, and squash plus an assortment of desserts.
Ed then asked Phil Rentz to come to the podium to outline the plan for the Speech Contest.
See the story about the speeches above.
As the scores were being finalized, Hank Clarke when on the hunt for happy dollars:
Ron Michaud is happy to know his income tax forms are now filed.
Paul Tierney shared the he is humbled by the woodworks he has seen online that he believes are more creative than he is in making desks. He continues to work on desks for his grandchildren.
Dr. Bonnie Robinson from LHS congratulated Jim Damren on LHS Hockey Team's first win in 2023!
Tim is happy to have his nephew and son in-law back from deployments.
Ernst Oidtmann joined Rotary 30 years ago...Happy Rotary anniversary!
Hank Clarke shared a memory of telling a friend who couldn't understand why he was living in West Lebanon, that you can go from manure to classics in the Upper Valley.
Grandpap Ed Friedman happily reported that Lainey is now 3 pounds!
Phil Bush shared is one month follow-up post hip fracture went well...all is good.
Announcements
3-4 more people are need to help at the Listen Dinner on February 14, 2023, 2:30 PM to 6:00 PM.
Queen of Hearts Draw Bruce Pacht pulled the 10 of diamonds...the hunt for the queen continues.
Ernst Oidtmann won the car wash
The meeting was then adjourned by Ed Freidman with the reciting of our Rotary Motto.
One Profits Most Who Serves Best.
Members at the meeting included: Bill Babineau, Marilyn Bedell, Ron Bedell, Bruce Bergeron, Phil Bush, Dean Cashman, Hank Clarke, David Crandall, Jim Damren, Ed Friedman, Joy Gobin, Tim Guaraldi, Will Koppenheffer, JoAnn Lemieux, Jane Mason, Ron Michaud, Ernst Oidtmann, Bruce Pacht, Phil Rentz, Bill Secord, Marion Steiner, Paul Tierney, Steve Whitman, Cal Wolfe John Yacavone, and Visiting Rotarian, Jimmy Brock.
Guest: From LHS, Dr. Bonnie Robinson and Mr. Michael Sisemore
Upcoming Projects and Fundraisers
Next Listen Dinner February 14, 2022, It's Valentine's Day! Volunteer still needed.
I set up this Doodle for volunteers to sign up to help in the senior center on Mondays and Wednesday 8-10am, through the end of February. Up to 2 people can sign up for each volunteer slot. Thank you for sharing this with your Rotary Club!
The Original Papa John making spaghetti sauce for the luncheon.
John stated..."I really enjoyed my couple of hours there."
Lebanon Casino Fundraiser - Spring 2023
Harmony Park Installation and Dedication
Dates
Installation in April
SAVE THE DATES:
Harmony Park Dedication in May 13, 2023
Club's 100th Anniversary Dinner will be June 29,2023...Again...Save the Date!
30th Bedell Classic Golf Tournament - See you at the golf course Friday, May 26 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.
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.
February 23, 2023 marks the 118th anniversary of the world’s first Rotary meeting. On that date in 1905, four individuals, each of a different background and different vocation met for dinner in the spirit of friendship and fellowship.
On February 23, 1905, little did Paul Harris and his three friends realize what they were starting when they met in room 711 of the Unity Building in Chicago. They would be amazed by the astonishing growth of the little club founded in 1905 and the global force for good — and peace — that Rotary is today.
As we approach Rotary’s 118th Birthday on February 23rd, please consider bringing someone you know to a Rotary meeting, social or service project. What better way is there to celebrate Rotary’s birthday than by giving the gift of Rotary to someone you know.
You can also celebrate our birthday by supporting the Rotary Foundation. Our Foundation transforms financial gifts into projects that change lives both close to home and around the world.
Rotary Foundation approves targeted funds for Pakistan and Ukraine
By Etelka Lehoczky
In response to the worsening humanitarian crises in Ukraine and Pakistan, the trustees of The Rotary Foundation voted in January to create two new, targeted funds that will continue offering lifesaving aid to those affected.
The Ukraine Response Fund and the 2022 Pakistan Flood Response Fund will be separate from the general Disaster Response Fund, which had previously been supporting relief efforts for both crises.
"Since Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Rotarians have already shown amazingly generous support to the people of Ukraine. This new temporary fund is prompted by the ongoing, urgent need and the wish of Rotarians to keep making a difference for the people there," says Trustee Chair Ian Riseley. "At the same time, the dreadful floods in Pakistan have caused extreme hardships for people there, and the 2022 Pakistan Flood Response Fund will help with the recovery."
According to the United Nations, around 18 million Ukrainians, or 40 percent of the country's population, required humanitarian assistance by the end of 2022. Russia's escalating attacks on Ukraine's critical infrastructure and civilian targets have caused massive destruction and death, leaving millions of people without reliable access to electricity, heating, and water. As of mid-January, nearly 8 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded across Europe, and they are in dire need of help.
In Pakistan, devastating flash floods during the 2022 monsoon season affected a total of more than 33 million people, washing away 2 million homes and displacing 8 million residents. About one third of the country was submerged. By early January, UNICEF said as many as 4 million children were still living near contaminated flood waters, putting their health at risk.
To alleviate that suffering, Riseley calls on Rotary members to contribute to the 2022 Pakistan Flood Response Fund and the Ukraine Response Fund, both of which will support aid projects for those affected. Contributions to both funds will be accepted through 31 December 2023 and will be spent by 30 June 2024.
The trustees specify that donations to both funds may include District Designated Funds. Unused assets will be transferred to the general Disaster Response Fund on 30 June 2024.
District 2232 (Belarus and Ukraine) can simultaneously apply for three Ukraine Response Grants of up to $100,000 each, while those bordering Ukraine can apply for grants of up to $100,000 at any one time. Other districts are eligible for single grants of up to $25,000 at any one time.
As for the 2022 Pakistan Flood Response Fund, Districts 3271 and 3272 (Pakistan) can apply for two grants simultaneously of up to $50,000 each.
"Having seen how generously Rotary members donated to both causes in 2022 through the Disaster Response Fund, the Trustees knew this opportunity for continuing support would be met with enthusiasm," Riseley said.
We now have hybrid meetings on Thursdays at noon, in person at the Dwinell Room at Harvest Hill on the Campus of Alice Peck Day Hospital, OR join us via Zoom. Click Here to request the Zoom Link.
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