President's Message
Welcome to the St. Johnsbury Rotary Club!
 
We are a group of community minded individuals who work together to serve to change lives. 
 
Please reach out to us if you would like to learn more. 
 
 
President
Brynn Evans
 
 

Rotary Links

 
Site Pages
 

Links

 

Bulletin Subscribe

Subscribe to our eBulletin and stay up to date on the latest news and events.

Click here to sign up!
 
Club Information
Welcome to our Club!
St. Johnsbury

Rotary Serving Humanity

We meet In Person & Online
Mondays at 12:15 PM
Meeting on Zoom
St. Johnsbury
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
United States of America
We are currently meeting virtually. View our calendar for details on meeting times and locations. For zoom meeting information, please email jmilne@milnefeeonly.com for the link.
Join Us Online [Login to view details]
District Site
Bulletins
Venue Map
St. Johnsbury Rotary Latest News
Supporting Youth in Attending Summer Camps
 
Brynn Evans and Joy Ely present a donation on behalf of St. Johnsbury Rotary to Rich Alercio and Julia Kearney from RecFit, representing the St Johnsbury Recreation Department.  The $1,000 donation will provide scholarships to help kids attend this year's Hilltopper Summer Sports Camps.  For more information on Sports Camps at St Johnsbury Academy or scholarship opportunities contact RecFit at 802-751-2305.
 
"Our Rotary Club is proud to support our area youth with this donation. We have a long-standing tradition of making donations to help kids attend summer camps," said Brynn Evans, President of St. Johnsbury Rotary. "Our members know that summer activities are an important part of keeping kids engaged and active. Thank you to St. Johnsbury Academy for making these camps possible." 
 
Thank you to our Champion Sponsors who make donations like this possible: Milne Financial Planning, NVRH, Community National Bank, Passumpsic Bank, and NFP
Rotary Community Service Awards

Each year, St. Johnsbury Rotary gives Community Service awards to area high school seniors going on to post-secondary education or pursuing technical/vocational training. Students at St. Johnsbury Academy, Danville High School and Hazen Union High School are eligible to apply.

An application process takes place and includes: a letter from the student, outlining their community service and their plans for the future; a statement of need; letters of recommendations; and a resume of community service. All applicants need to reflect the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.”

Starting this year, St. Johnsbury Rotary is partnering with Northeast Kingdom Human Services (NKHS) to provide an additional service award opportunity for local graduating seniors who are furthering their education in the human services/mental health areas at a college in Vermont. This annual award is being made through NKHS’s Wellness Committee and is provided by donations their employees make on “Jeans Days.”

This year’s recipients of St. Johnsbury Rotary’s $1,000 Community Service Awards are Allie Beliveau, Liza Morse and Zeb Kane.

Allie Beliveau, a 2022 graduate of Danville High School, plans to attend White Mountains Community College in the fall to study in the Culinary Arts field. She is the daughter of Stacie Ruggles and Chris Beliveau.

Liza Morse, also a 2022 graduate of Danville High School, plans to attend Dartmouth College in the fall, majoring in Biology and minoring in Music. She is the daughter of Spencer and Lauren Morse.

Zeb Kane, a 2022 graduate of St. Johnsbury Academy, plans to attend Champlain College this fall, majoring in Business Administration. He is the son of Adam and Andrea Kane.

Lauren Thomas, a 2022 graduate of Hazen Union School in Hardwick, is the recipient of the Northeast Kingdom Human Services Service $200 award. She plans to attend Castleton University in the fall, pursuing a degree in Nursing. She is the daughter of Peggy Thomas and Mark Fletcher.

This years sponsors of the St. Johnsbury Rotary Club make it possible for the club to offer these Community Service Awards to the graduating seniors: Milne Financial Planning, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, Community National Bank, Passumpsic Savings Bank and NFP.

 
 
 
 
 
 
St. J Rotary Teams up with NKHS on Service Award
Carol Breen,NKHS HR Benefits Coordinator & Wellness Committee Chair; Melynda Miller, St. Johnsbury Rotary Club’s Service Award Chair; and Heidi Broome,  NKHS Admin Assistant & Case Manager in the Developmental Service Program
St. Johnsbury Rotary club is pleased to announce a new partnership between the club and Northeast Kingdom Human Services to provide an additional service award opportunity for local graduating seniors.
 
Each year, St. Johnsbury Rotary gives Community Service Awards to area high school seniors going on to post-secondary education or pursuing technical/vocational training. Students at St. Johnsbury Academy, Danville High School, and Hazen Union High School are eligible to apply.  All applicants need to reflect the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self.”
 
Starting this year, Northeast Kingdom Human Services (NKHS) is partnering to provide additional funding for high school students who are furthering their education in the human services/mental health areas at a college in Vermont. This annual donation is being made through NKHS’s Wellness Committee and is provided by donations their employees make on “Jeans Days.”
 
The deadline to apply for the St. Johnsbury Rotary Community Service Award is fast approaching. Applications need to be received by this Friday, May 6, 2022.  Those who would like to take advantage of the opportunity provided by NKHS should note on their application if they are pursuing a degree in Human Services at a college in Vermont.
 
The application can be found at here and can be emailed to stjrotaryclub@gmail.com.
St. Johnsbury Rotary Speech Contest
 
St. Johnsbury Rotary held the annual Club Speech Contest on Monday, March 14, 2022 via zoom. Three St. Johnsbury Academy Students from Tom Lovett's Speech Class competed. 
The topic was "How can your school partner with Rotary to change lives?"
 
Payton Molleur was the winner with his speech on ideas for St. Johnsbury Academy and St. Johnsbury Rotary to partner to help raise the voices of marginalized individuals, help foster connections between community leaders and individuals who are experiencing financial insecurity or homelessness, and to raise the alarm on these issues through seminars, conferences, and public outreach.
 
2nd place was Clara Andre with her speech about creating a Rotary Women's Mentorship Program to provide professional mentorship for female students who are interested in business. This could also include an Annual Women in Leadership Conference.
 
3rd place was Greer Kennedy with her speech on creating a leadership media platform for high school students that could provide peer tutoring, international connections, and service & youth leadership opportunities.
 
Payton will go on to compete in the Rotary District 7850 round of the speech contest to be held on May 7th. Thank you to all of the students for their inspiring ideas!
 
 
Bruce Corrette Presented Paul Harris Plus-6 Designation

St. Johnsbury Rotary Club member, Bruce Corrette, recently achieved the Paul Harris plus-6 designation for his support of the Rotary Foundation. A member of the St. Johnsbury Rotary Club for 53 years, he has been an inspiration to other Rotarians, and a true believer in the mission of Rotary. He will also become a member of the Paul Harris Society — those who give a $1,000 a year to the Rotary Foundation.

Jamie Milne, chair of the Club’s Rotary Foundation, said, “Bruce has been a long time member of the St. Johnsbury Rotary Club. Not only has he supported our club’s service projects, he has supported the Rotary Foundation and is a multiple Paul Harris Award recipient. Members receive a Paul Harris Award for every $1,000 they donate to the Rotary Foundation. Bruce’s leadership in our community is a great example of Rotary’s motto, “service above self.” We are proud and lucky to have him as a member of our club.”

Of his award, Bruce said, “I give to the Rotary Foundation because I’d do anything to support Rotary’s programs and they need this money to fight Polio.”

Bruce is one of the first members of the St. Johnsbury club to become a Paul Harris fellow. Jamie Milne, at right, recently presented him with the award.

 
 
 
 
 
Masks Available for Donation
St. Johnsbury Rotary continues to have adult and children disposable masks available for donation to the local community. These donations are made possible by the Ted Rossi Foundation and the New England Rotary Million Mask Challenge through Rotary District 7850. Interested groups, organizations, and businesses should email stjrotaryclub@gmail.com to request donations. 
 
 
President Brynn Evans recently delivered 3,000 kids' masks to the St. Johnsbury School and is shown here with school Facilities Staff Jon Winot. 
2021 Educational Awards

St. Johnsbury Rotary Names Education Award Recipients

St. Johnsbury Rotary Club recently announced the recipients of the club’s annual Educational Awards: David Richardson, of St. Johnsbury, a graduate of Danville School; and Kylee LaPete, of Danville, a graduate of St. Johnsbury Academy. These students were chosen based on their community service, exemplifying Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.”

Every year, the St. Johnsbury Club presents education awards to area high school seniors going on to post-secondary education or pursuing technical/vocational training. Students from schools within the Club’s service area are eligible to apply and include St. Johnsbury Academy, Danville School and Hazen Union School. An application process takes place and includes: a letter from the student, outlining their community service and their plans for the future; a statement of need; letters of recommendations; and a resume of community service.

David plans to attend the University of Vermont this fall, majoring in Political Science.

Kylee plans to attend Montana State University this fall, majoring in Nursing.

Each of these students will receive $1,000 to use toward their college plans.

 

 
 
 
 

 

Rotary Changeover 2021
St. Johnsbury Rotary Club Welcomes New Leadership For 2021-2022
 
The St. Johnsbury Rotary Club held it's annual Club Changeover on June 21, conducted by outgoing president, Katheryn Laferriere, and welcoming 2021-2022 club president, Brynn Evans, along with the new president-elect, Jay Miller.
 
To begin the meeting, Katheryn spoke of the challenges presented to her during a year of a pandemic: "I want to take a minute to just recognize the strange and unprecedented set of circumstances that Covid-19 threw at us this year … and how our club rallied and turned those lemons into lemonade.
 
"For me, I’d never thought about meeting virtually before. Then, just as I was supposed to take over as President last summer, I also was offered a job out of town that would have prevented me from fulfilling my obligation as President. Any other year, I would have had to resign. But because of the strange circumstances of this past year, because of Zoom, and our club’s willingness to change, I was able to preside over all the meetings from my office in New Hampshire.
 
"What a blessing that was for me. It was such a comfort to stay connect to all of you and my community during that time. Thank you for being there for me and for being willing to be so flexible."
 
Katheryn then recognized the special efforts made by several Rotarians during the 2020-21 year.
 
 
Read more...
Red Cross Blood Drive - August 4th
The next Red Cross Blood Drive sponsored by St. Johnsbury Rotary will take place on Wednesday, August 4th from 12:00 -5:30 pm. 
To sign up to give blood, call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: moose. 
 
We are also seeking club members to volunteer to assist at the event. Sign up online, or contact Jim McFaul to learn more. 
 
 
March for Kamp Boosts Opportunities for Local Youth
SJA Director of Recreation Joe Fox accepting a donation from St. Johnsbury Rotary Club. The check was presented by President Elect Brynn Evans. 
 
The recent March for Kamp community fundraiser sponsored by St. Johnsbury Rotary Club, successfully raised funds to provide scholarships for local youth to attend St. Johnsbury Recreation Department’s Kamp IWannaHavFun!
 
St. Johnsbury Rotary President Katheryn Laferriere stated, “Our club is so grateful for all the work that Kamp IWannaHavFun does for the benefit of the children in our community. We’re thrilled for the outpouring of support for our 1st ever March for Kamp event and thank all those who participated.”
 
Participants donated $31 to walk 31 miles in the 31 days of March and their efforts raised just over $2,800 for the scholarships. The Rotary Club donated an additional $1,000 to the effort.
Read more...
Welcome to Mary Parent


On February 22nd, Mary Parent was inducted as the newest member of our club. Mary was welcomed during our regular weekly zoom meeting. 
 
Mary is a corporate and commercial attorney with Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC, practicing primarily in Vermont and New Hampshire. She is a native Vermonter and has lived in the NEK with her family since 2005. Mary is committed to being a part of the community and adds Rotary to her long list of past and present involvement.
 
Mary currently serves as Vice-Chair for the NVRH board and is on the St. Johnsbury regional advisory board for Union Bank. She also chairs a professional responsibility panel for the Vermont Bar Association. 
 
Mary resides in St. Johnsbury with her husband and two sons. In her spare time she enjoys gardening and hiking with her dog. 
 
March for Kamp!
 
We are excited to sponsor this fundraiser for St. Johnsbury Recreation Department's popular Kamp IWannaHavFun.
MARCH FOR KAMP is a challenge to walk 31 miles in the 31 days of March. Registration is $31 with all proceeds supporting Kamp IWannaHavFun scholarships!
Can YOU spare a dollar and a mile a day to help send kids to Kamp?
St. J Rec will email you closer to the event with how to log miles, info. on fun raffles, and a link to submit photos of you Marching for Kamp!
 
District 7850 Event - Shari Hollett and Chris Earle
 
Rotary District 7850 is offering a great opportunity to club members and the community. Register today for this FREE virtual event being held on January 16th at 9:00am. Register online: https://rotarydistrict7850.regfox.com/hollett-and-earle
 
Rotary District 7850 presents Shari Hollett and Chris Earle teaching communication, collaboration and presentation skills by Zoom. 

Writer-Actor-Directors alumni of The Second City improv comedy troupe, Shari Hollett and Chris Earle have been teaching communication, collaboration and presentation skills for over 20 years to corporate, government and non-profit clients across North America. As longtime directors and actors in theatre and comedy, they have developed their own special brand of workshops - using their performing and improvisation "know how" to create a fun, challenging and invaluable experience for your group or business.  With improvisation as their foundation, these workshops enhance existing skills, and develop new ones that help take your team to the next level.
 
November's Veggie Van Go
Cars lined up to participate in the November Veggie Van Go. 
 
Thank you to our Rotary Club for your continued support of the monthly Veggie Van Go held at NVRH. Our Rotary Volunteers are especially helpful with traffic control.
 
This month, healthy food was provided to 423 families. In addition to food, recipients received recipes for beet and carrot salad and no crust pumpkin pie. These recipes can be found at foodhero.org. 
St. Johnsbury Rotary Donates Masks
Amelia Evans (middle), daughter of Rotarian Brynn Evans, donates masks to Barnet School. Staff from the school are (L to R) Ruth Vaal, Eric Bogie and Angel Roy. 
 
Thanks to the Ted Rossi Foundation and the New England Rotary Million Mask Challenge, St. Johnsbury Rotary has been donating masks to area schools and day care providers. Our local Rotary Club received 2000 medical disposable masks for donation to the community. 
 
We still have masks to donate. If you know of a community group or business that is in need of masks, please let us know. Jay Miller is the current contact for tracking the mask donations. 
St. Johnsbury Rotary Holds Successful Drive for NEKCA
St. Johnsbury Rotary and NEKCA garnered $260 in donations and nearly 700 pounds of food and supplies. 
 
Rotarian and NEKCA representative Joy Ely and Rotarian Jay Miller man the table at The White Market in St. Johnsbury on October 24th. 
 
St. Johnsbury Rotary and NEKCA teamed up on October 24, 2020 to solicit donations from the community of food and supplies for Northeast Kingdom Community Action. Rotarians Jay Miller and Joy Ely, with support by fellow club members, worked together to inform the community of the needs for NEKCA's Parent Child Center through the Give a Little, Help A Lot Drive. In addition to collecting donations, the group also handed out free masks, children's books and activity kits, and community resource information. 
Read more...
Polio: A Personal Experience
 
 
Heather Winkler joined us at our Monday, October 19th meeting and shared her moving and inspiring story of her family's personal experience with polio. She specifically shared stories about her mother's experience with having polio and becoming a disability rights advocate. Her mother, Sue Williams, went on to help form the Vermont Center for Independent Living, which is still active today. There is a fund at VCIL named after Heather's mom, the Sue Williams Freedom Fund, that provides funding for services and equipment to help people with disabilities achieve or maintain independence in their own homes. Heather's words tell the story best so we encourage you to watch the video (above) of her presentation to our club. 
 
Never Lose A Customer Again! 

Rotary District 7850 is pleased to announce that Keynote Speaker and Author Joey Coleman will be presenting on how to “Never Lose a Customer Again” by Zoom on Saturday, October 17th at 5 pm.  Joey will share his insights with Rotarians from Rotary District 7850 (an international Rotary District that is comprised of areas of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Quebec) as well as members of the public who will enjoy learning the recipe for retaining customers in this competitive business environment.

Read more...
St. Johnsbury Rotary Supports 2020 Relay for Life
 
St. Johnsbury Rotary took part in the recent Relay for Life - a drive through Relay event at the Caledonia County Fairgrounds held on September 19th. Thank you to all who attend the event and/or sent in donations for our team in support of this important cause. Rotarian Melynda Miller did an amazing job sharing her survivor story at the event. You can view her portion of the event on our Club YouTube Channel here. 
St. Johnsbury Rotary Distributes Masks from District 7850
Jay Miller presenting masks to Waterford School Principal Chris Miller. 
 
Thanks to a grant received by Rotary District 7850 from the Rotary Foundation, reusable and washable masks were distributed to two local schools - Danville and Waterford. 
 
Rotary District 7850 received a $25,000 Disaster Relief Grant specifically related to COVID-19 response from the Rotary Foundation. The District purchased $12,000 worth of masks and used remaining funds to support the Vermont Foodbank, New Hampshire Foodbank and a Foodbank in Quebec. 
 
Read more...
Veggie Van Go Serves Record Number in September
 
This month four St. Johnsbury Rotarians volunteered at Veggie Van Go and assisted the program to serve a record number of families - 500 families in total!
 
Frank Empsall, Joe Fox, Jay Miller, and Melynda Miller helped to distribute food and provide traffic control. They were joined by volunteers from NVRH, Vermont Foodbank, and the St. Johnsbury office of the Vermont Department of Health. 
 
Veggie Van Go is offered monthly at NVRH, in partnership with the Vermont Foodbank, to provide fresh seasonal produce to members of our community. 
TeleHealth for Seniors Drop Off Day a Success
 
Thank you for all the support with the TeleHealth for Seniors service project!  Last Monday, August 31st,  we collected 18 devices and $320 to help Lia Rubel and the team of students from TeleHealth Access for Seniors; who are dedicated to helping Seniors access healthcare from the safety of their homes.  An extra big thank you to St. Johnsbury Academy for their large donation of iPads and to Brynn Evans for helping arrange the donation!  It was so much fun to see so many Rotarians in-person after such a long time of meeting on Zoom.  A good time was had by all! 
-President Katheryn
 
Katheryn was interviewed by Alexandra Huff of News7/NEWSLINC from Northern Vermont University. This can be viewed here and the story starts around 7 minutes into the video.  
 
Read more...
Jamie Milne Assumes Role As Governor For Rotary District 7850 For 2020-2021

Jamie Milne, a resident of Joe’s Pond in West Danville, and a long-time member of the St. Johnsbury Rotary Club, became Rotary District 7850’s Governor for the 2020-2021 Rotary year on July 1, 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the District was unable to hold a formal ceremony with an in-person gathering, however Jamie was presented with the District’s Rotary Bell (with Jamie’s name engraved on it) by Ron and Marilyn Bedell, members of the Rotary Club of Lebanon in New Hampshire, who have both served as District governors in the past and continue to hold offices and chair committees in the District.

Read more...
Photo Albums
 

St. Johnsbury Rotary Club Visioning: Strategic Planning for the Future

Our Club recently conducted a visioning session.  Information related to the session and the results are outlined in a paper contained in the Download area.
 
 Image
Upcoming Events
Download
RSS
Rotary responds: support for Ukraine

The Rotary Foundation and Rotary clubs around the world have hurried to provide funds, supplies, and services to Ukrainians displaced by the war.

Rotary Projects Around the Globe July 2022

Learn how Rotary clubs are taking action in Canada, Colombia, England, Northern Mariana Islands, and Uganda.

2022-23 President Jennifer Jones is eager to advance Rotary’s narrative

Jennifer Jones, Rotary International’s first female president, is the perfect leader to spread the word about the good Rotary does in the world, and inspire its members to keep going.

First woman takes office as president of Rotary International

First woman takes office as president of Rotary InternationalEVANSTON, Ill. (June 29, 2022) – Jennifer Jones, member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Ontario, Canada, will be the first woman to take office as

Rotary awards its highest recognition to HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales

Rotary awards its highest recognition to HRH Prince Charles, Prince of WalesKIGALI, Rwanda (June 24, 2022) – Celebrate Community, a joint initiative of the four major volunteer service organizations, will launch this year