Notes of Meeting, December 20, 2017
by Bob Sanders
President Eric and Past President Linda opened the meeting at 0730 and led the pledge of
allegiance.
Kris Engstrom recited a beautiful seasonal invocation.
We enjoyed William’s scrumptious breakfast and tasty cakes and luscious pastries provided by
several very thoughtful members.
Announcements:
• Linda presented Chef William with the club’s holiday gratuity and thanked him for another
year of outstanding breakfast service. William expressed his appreciation for all he’s learned
from the club and its members in the past 10 years.
• Upcoming meetings
• 12/27-NO meeting
• 1/3-Jamie Hathaway, CEO, Make A Wish
• 1/10-Keith Walsh, member classification talk
• 1/16-Board meeting
• 1/17-Hands-to-Honduras update
• 1/24-Maryanne Hamilton, Shelburne Democrats, and Mike Donahue, Shelburne
Republicans
• 1/31-Dan Feliciano, Working overseas
• Ric, as membership chair, encouraged us to invite guests to meetings as a way of introducing
them to Rotary and cultivating prospective members. Ric reminded us about the new member
proposal procedure: prospective members are nominated by a member/sponsor to the Board
and the Club Membership; after Club approval, the prospect is then invited to join Rotary.
Guests/Prospects should not be introduced as a prospective or possible member until after
they have been approved. Beginning January 2018, new members will be assigned a mentor
to help them learn about and experience Rotary.
• Eric identified members of the Public Relations committee and encouraged them to meet
individually and in groups to formulate ideas and suggestions to expand the club’s visibility in
the community.
• Tod Whitaker reported on the club’s donation of Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas hams to
the Charlotte, Shelburne, and Hinesburg food shelves. We donated nearly a hundred hams
this holiday season. Kudos to Tod for organizing the club’s donation.
• Carole gave an update on member support of The Rotary Foundation. Approximately $1,500
has been donated, with about 20 members participating, to which the club will add a $1,000
donation. The club has until 30 June 2018 to achieve 100% participation.
• Trafton, our esteemed treasurer, reminded us that in January, the weekly breakfast fee will be
reduced from $11 to $8, and the annual dues will be increased by $70 (for Jan-Jun) so that
meeting overhead expenses are shared by all members.
• Linda Gilbert announced that ad hoc committee on baby quilts had chosen a quilt with an owl
motif to present to member Irina and her new baby girl, Charlotte Anne. Mother and baby are
well. Linda read a thank you note from Irina.
• Past President and District Governor in Waiting Richard Fox encouraged members to attend
the 2018 Rotary International Convention, 23-27 June, in Toronto. Our Rotary District is
organizing a bus for attendees from northern Vermont. Follow http://www.riconvention.org/en
for more information.
Happy Dollar Highlights:
• SAA Chris Davis happily collected happy dollars.
• Everyone was in a generous mood and expressed joy for the holidays and for celebrating
with family and friends.
• Kris is happy for the recent engagement of daughter Britta.
• Jim is happy fo be home after a successful trip to India and is soon headed to Buffalo.
• Margo’s little sister is coming home after a semester in Africa.
• Linda Gilbert’s grandson will be visiting from Germany.
• Terrell is happy for Rotary and is going to visit daughter and granddaughter in Massachusetts.
• Keith is proud of his two girls starring in The Nutcracker at the Flynn.
• Jane dodged wildfires in California.
• Richard Fox and daughter happily competed in the South Burlington Rotary Ugly Sweater 5K.
• Joan was happy to donate Roz’s dollar.
• Gary reminded us of the great Rotarians no longer with us.
• George and Sally thanked Linda Gilbert and her Hands-to-Honduras H2H team.
• 50/50 pot is about $500 but Linda Barker could not find the joker.
Today’s program:
• Members contributed items from the H2H Wish List.
• Linda Gilbert gave a short overview of the upcoming trip to Tela. Linda and about 9 other club
members, with another 35 volunteers, will travel to Honduras in February. The biggest project
is the construction of a new mother/baby unit to be added to the hospital. The new unit will
have 4 rooms of 3 beds each. Other projects include building 2 new latrines, awarding 10
scholarships, donating school uniforms, labor and delivery training by UVM nursing staff, and
a medical brigade of medical and dental professionals for medical, dental, CPR, vision,
physical therapy, audio, etc. clinics.
• Heather reported her success in organizing classroom supplies using an online wishlist, and
then soliciting her network via Facebook and personal email.
• Eric adjourned the meeting and members helped pack the H2H wishlist items.
by Bob Sanders
President Eric and Past President Linda opened the meeting at 0730 and led the pledge of
allegiance.
Kris Engstrom recited a beautiful seasonal invocation.
We enjoyed William’s scrumptious breakfast and tasty cakes and luscious pastries provided by
several very thoughtful members.
Announcements:
• Linda presented Chef William with the club’s holiday gratuity and thanked him for another
year of outstanding breakfast service. William expressed his appreciation for all he’s learned
from the club and its members in the past 10 years.
• Upcoming meetings
• 12/27-NO meeting
• 1/3-Jamie Hathaway, CEO, Make A Wish
• 1/10-Keith Walsh, member classification talk
• 1/16-Board meeting
• 1/17-Hands-to-Honduras update
• 1/24-Maryanne Hamilton, Shelburne Democrats, and Mike Donahue, Shelburne
Republicans
• 1/31-Dan Feliciano, Working overseas
• Ric, as membership chair, encouraged us to invite guests to meetings as a way of introducing
them to Rotary and cultivating prospective members. Ric reminded us about the new member
proposal procedure: prospective members are nominated by a member/sponsor to the Board
and the Club Membership; after Club approval, the prospect is then invited to join Rotary.
Guests/Prospects should not be introduced as a prospective or possible member until after
they have been approved. Beginning January 2018, new members will be assigned a mentor
to help them learn about and experience Rotary.
• Eric identified members of the Public Relations committee and encouraged them to meet
individually and in groups to formulate ideas and suggestions to expand the club’s visibility in
the community.
• Tod Whitaker reported on the club’s donation of Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas hams to
the Charlotte, Shelburne, and Hinesburg food shelves. We donated nearly a hundred hams
this holiday season. Kudos to Tod for organizing the club’s donation.
• Carole gave an update on member support of The Rotary Foundation. Approximately $1,500
has been donated, with about 20 members participating, to which the club will add a $1,000
donation. The club has until 30 June 2018 to achieve 100% participation.
• Trafton, our esteemed treasurer, reminded us that in January, the weekly breakfast fee will be
reduced from $11 to $8, and the annual dues will be increased by $70 (for Jan-Jun) so that
meeting overhead expenses are shared by all members.
• Linda Gilbert announced that ad hoc committee on baby quilts had chosen a quilt with an owl
motif to present to member Irina and her new baby girl, Charlotte Anne. Mother and baby are
well. Linda read a thank you note from Irina.
• Past President and District Governor in Waiting Richard Fox encouraged members to attend
the 2018 Rotary International Convention, 23-27 June, in Toronto. Our Rotary District is
organizing a bus for attendees from northern Vermont. Follow http://www.riconvention.org/en
for more information.
Happy Dollar Highlights:
• SAA Chris Davis happily collected happy dollars.
• Everyone was in a generous mood and expressed joy for the holidays and for celebrating
with family and friends.
• Kris is happy for the recent engagement of daughter Britta.
• Jim is happy fo be home after a successful trip to India and is soon headed to Buffalo.
• Margo’s little sister is coming home after a semester in Africa.
• Linda Gilbert’s grandson will be visiting from Germany.
• Terrell is happy for Rotary and is going to visit daughter and granddaughter in Massachusetts.
• Keith is proud of his two girls starring in The Nutcracker at the Flynn.
• Jane dodged wildfires in California.
• Richard Fox and daughter happily competed in the South Burlington Rotary Ugly Sweater 5K.
• Joan was happy to donate Roz’s dollar.
• Gary reminded us of the great Rotarians no longer with us.
• George and Sally thanked Linda Gilbert and her Hands-to-Honduras H2H team.
• 50/50 pot is about $500 but Linda Barker could not find the joker.
Today’s program:
• Members contributed items from the H2H Wish List.
• Linda Gilbert gave a short overview of the upcoming trip to Tela. Linda and about 9 other club
members, with another 35 volunteers, will travel to Honduras in February. The biggest project
is the construction of a new mother/baby unit to be added to the hospital. The new unit will
have 4 rooms of 3 beds each. Other projects include building 2 new latrines, awarding 10
scholarships, donating school uniforms, labor and delivery training by UVM nursing staff, and
a medical brigade of medical and dental professionals for medical, dental, CPR, vision,
physical therapy, audio, etc. clinics.
• Heather reported her success in organizing classroom supplies using an online wishlist, and
then soliciting her network via Facebook and personal email.
• Eric adjourned the meeting and members helped pack the H2H wishlist items.