7:15 am, Wednesday, February 20

at

 

Youth Speech Contest

 

 

 

 

Judson Hescock

 

 

Kris and Paul Francoeur

Sean Bonnell

Simon Yiga

 

 

Jack and Geoff are celebrating birthdays this week.

 

 

Snow Sculpture--Several Rotarians including Geoff, Maureen, Betsy, Lyn, and Liam teamed up to carve a snow sculpture for the winter carnival.  It was based on the iconic Love Sculpture by Robert Indiana.

 

Baby Shower for Parent/Child Center--At our February 27 and March 6 meetings we will be collecting "baby shower" items for the Parent/Child Center, which provides services for children and young families. 

 

CACo Funding Proposals--Kathy is accepting applications for CACo grant funding.  Any members who have an organization they wish to nominate need to contact her very soon.

 

Guatemala Project--Sophie Swallow, a Middlebury College student who met with us a number of times last year, is about mid-way through her year in Guatemala.  She is providing sex education and support for teens, but she is also experiencing tremendous personal growth herself.

 

Cabot's 100th Anniversary--Scott reminded members that Cabot has donated $10,000 a year to Rotary for the past several years, for Rotary to include in its CACo process.  Troy has formed an internal committee to begin planning observances for the company's 100th anniversary.  There will be a short meeting after next week's meeting to discuss ideas for how Rotary could participate in this important event.

 

New Members--Be thinking of people you could invite to be Rotary members.  Scott reminded members that the next membership breakfast will be on April 3 at the Middlebury Inn.

 

Charter House meal--Geoff would like to find someone to take over from him to organize a test run in April of the idea of providing meals for residents of Charter House.  We would need to buy and prepare food, serve it, and clean up, probably two times during the college spring break.  If this goes well we may take on a longer commitment at Charter House.  This is like doing community suppers except on a much smaller scale.  See Geoff or Juddy if you would like to step up to this challenge.

 

Speech Contest--Liz is disappointed to report that two of the three students who had originally indicated interest in the speech contest have withdrawn.  If the one remaining contestant sticks with it we will hear from him next week.

 

 

Scott--for Sean Bonnell, whose wife recently had a baby.

Eric--February 23 marks the 114th birthday of Rotary.

Kathy--for her husband, who organized a big party for her birthday.

Spence--warm feeling coming from home to Rosie's--the temperature went from -1 to + 10 degrees.

Bill Brooks--still in contact with one of our English Rotarian visitors, one whose father fought in WWI.  Also, for Tim and T for helping out at the Sheldon, and for the international student exchange program.

Cari--EastView is hosting a "Push Back Parkinson's" program.

Neil--going to spring training next week.

 

 

Fran introduced Kris Francoeur, principal of Middlebury Union Middle School, who spoke movingly of the death of her son Sam in 2013 from an opioid overdose.  She has written a book about the aftermath entitled "Grief, Garlic, and Gratitude" which will come out in print in a few months.  72,000 Americans die annually from opioid overdoses.

 

Minutes Submitted by Spence Putnam