President Bill Vermouth welcomed all to the October 11th roadshow meeting of the Brattleboro Rotary Club held at the American Legion in Brattleboro. He introduced members who participated in the Connecticut River cleanup. In turn, they welcomed members and guests to the meeting. Mike Mandracchi offered a meaningful invocation from Mother Teresa:
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
This was followed by the pledge of allegiance. Birthday greetings were extended to Betsy Gentile.
As a delicious luncheon of baked chicken, mac & cheese, corn/broccoli medley, mashed potatoes, rolls, salad and apple betty for dessert, prepared by Entera Artisanal Catering, was being digested, the meeting continued.
GUESTS: Chris Thayer (speaker)
TRIVIA QUESTION
What's the origin of the phrase 'A bad penny always turns up'?
(Answer below.)
10/11 – TBD, Brattleboro Museum and Art Center
10/18 – No regular club meeting. Mixer at Brattleboro Country Club from 5-7.
10/25 – Carl Christianson, “Northeast Processing medicinal hemp extraction”
11/01 – No regular club meeting. Roadshow to Latchis Theater to listen to Windham Orchestra; benefit for Senior Meals
110/8 – Tom Green, Edible Brattleboro
11/15 – Club Assembly
11/22 – No Meeting = Happy Thanksgiving!
11/29 – Gina Pattison, TBD
12/06 – Club Assembly – Gift Wrapping
NOTE: 2018-19 weekly assignments are posted on club website.
REMINDERS
Bottles and cans can be brought to Putney Road redemption center to benefit Pure Water for the World. Please see Mara Williams.
If you like this newsletter, brag at next Club meeting.
So far, still only THREE.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Student Rotarians from Career Center, BUHS, Leland & Gray, and Boys & Girls Club were introduced. Hinsdale student Rotarians will attend next week.
The following members were acknowledged for their years of service:
Phil George (24)
Frank Rucker (22)
Andy Rome (22)
Ron Stahley (20)
Meg Donahue was not present for members to sign her book.
Roger Miller is recovering from his surgery at Pine Heights.
Board minutes are posted on the club’s website.
The next community service project at the Vermont Food Bank is 10/13. So far, only two club members have signed up. If you are interesting in participating in future dates (the second Saturday of each month from 9-noon), please contact Stan Nowakowski.
There is a mixer at Brattleboro Country Club on 10/18 from 5-7 pm in lieu of regular club meeting.
November 1 meeting is a roadshow to Latchis Theater for a concert benefitting Senior Meals. Please contact Bill McKim for reservations.
Due to Latchis roadshow, next meeting for Student Rotarians is November 8.
Next Gateway Foundation board meeting is October 11th following regular club meeting.
Episode 10 of the award-winning show, Rotary Cares, has been produced.
“Pie It Forward” will be baking 100 pumpkin pies for sale at Thanksgiving. Order forms are available on the club’s website, as well as member’s email. If you can help with “Pie It Forward”, contact Roger Allbee.
FINES
NONE ;-(
BRAGS
Dave Twombly – for his recently departed brother, Harry.
Bill McKim – for George Weir organizing the germ-laden cleanup of the Connecticut River.
George Weir – for the team of 7 Rotarians who helped cleanup Island Park.
Phil Steckler – for the Sandra Joseph presentation he attended with Marcia.
Marty Cohn – for Liz Harrison being the first to purchase pumpkin pies for the club’s Pie It Forward fundraiser.
Marty Cohn – for Rotary Cares, the monthly cable television show and podcast, winning the BCTV 2018 Non-Profit Member of the Year Award. <ED NOTE: The award presentation is on October 25 and all Rotarians are strongly encouraged to attend.>
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PROGRAM
Stan Nowakowski presented Chris Thayer from the Vermont Foodbank in Brattleboro. Chris gave an update on the successful programs that require volunteer power. To learn more, click here.
<ED NOTE: The August team of Rotary members helping to pack food at the Vermont Foodbank still holds the record ~ 4000 pounds!>
Rotary Cares - TV Show or Podcast
Brattleboro Rotary Club past president Marty Cohn talks with Brattleboro Rotary Club president Bill Vermouth and Brattleboro Sunrise Club president Marcy Caulkins.
Produced in the studio of Brattleboro Community Television.
Past President Martin Cohn who attempts to give a gist of the meeting respectfully submitted this bulletin. However, it is always better to attend. If you have any complaints about the contents of this bulletin...
ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION
This proverb has lived long in the language. It derives from the notion that some coins were 'bad', that is, they were debased or counterfeit.
Middle Ages, long before standardization of the coinage was reliably enforced. This example from the reign of Edward I shows the degree of 'badness' that pennies then endured.
The term 'bad penny' was established enough in English by the late 14th century for it to have been used in William Langland's famous prose poem Piers Plowman:
Men may lykne letterid men... to a badde peny.
The expression continued to be used and, by the 18th century, the proverb as we now know it began to find its way into print. An example is found in 1742 in Henry Fielding's translation of Aristophanes Plutus:
This [the phrase ‘A very bad stamp’] is literal from the Greek... It was a Metaphor taken from their Money. We have a Proverb in English not unlike it, a bad Penny.
What made whoever coined this proverb link bad pennies with the notion of something unwelcome returning isn't now clear. Perhaps it was the sense that, if you clip or pass on a bad penny, it won't be long before it comes back to you in your change.
Our present day expression of that would be 'what goes around comes around'. For more info, click here.
