Meeting of July 13.2016

Posted by Jane McKnight
 
 
 
Meeting of July 13, 2016 (Posted by Jane McKnight)
 
President Judy Christensen led the Pledge of Allegiance and Sam Feitelberg gave the invocation.
 
President Christensen noted the following upcoming events:
 
  • July 19                             Board Meeting;
  • July 20                             Club Assembly                                                        led by Richard
  • July 27                             Ken Albert, Shelburne Vineyards               led by Trafton
  • August 3                         Jane Swift, former Massachusetts           led by Steve
    •        Governor
August 10                      Tom Torti, Pres. Lake Champlain               led by Lara
Chamber of Commerce has been
Cancelled and Bob Sanders will
Present.
                      August 17                  Committee Meetings                                                  Judy returns
  • August 24                      RYLA Report/Recognition
  • August 30                      Al Getler, President and Publisher of
    •        Burlington Free Press and Free Press
    •        Media
 
 
SPECIAL EVENTS/BUSINESS
 
                          July                   Annual Fund Drive
                          August 20                       Shelburne Day
                          August 27                       Fire Department Anniversary, volunteers needed for food concession
                                                                        At approximately 3:00 PM.
 
SARGEANT AT ARMS
 
John Hammer volunteered to serve as SAA.  Happy fines were collected.  There was much joking about sitting in different seats at this meeting and the need to pay a fine if one was in the same seat as last week.  (Those with no intention indicated below either stated none or referred to their seating.)
 
Linda                       Happy to celebrate her 42nd wedding anniversary
Ric                             Because Linda has been a saint for 42 years
Terrell
Allen
Dennis
Lara                          Happy to be at the corner table
Todd
Fritz
Mike                         Happy to have survived a sailing race
Howard
Trafton                   Happy to see his granddaughters in Denver
Roz
Chris
Adam
George
Barbara                                   Happy to have hiked the Dolomites
Caroline                Because she missed the meeting last week
Gary
Steve                       Happy to be working with Meals on Wheels today
Carol                        Happy to have changed seats
Charlie                   Happy for John H’s good humor
Jane                         Happy to take notes today
Susan                      Happy for John H’s beautiful teeth
Phil
Linda                       for Ric Flood’s fundraising efforts
 
 
SPEAKER, RON COURT
 
George Schiavone introduced the speaker, Ron Court, an expert on Booker T. Washington.  Ron is a graduate of Boston University and served as an Army officer in the Vietnam War.  He is a founding director of Vermonters for Educational Choice and a director of the Essex Alliance Church.  He was elected to the Essex Junction Board of Trustees.  He has been a member of Rotary for over 30 year.  Ron developed an interest in the American hero, Booker T. Washington, who exemplified a life of education, hard work and character.  He was born a slave in 1856 and was freed after the Civil War. He began working in the salt and coal mines of West Virginia.  When he was nine years old, he was charged with accompanying his boss’s daughter to school but he could not attend himself.  Hearing of an opportunity to attend school in Hampton Virginia, he set off by train, but ran out of funds with over 250 miles to go.  He walked to Hampton and arrived with two cents.  He worked his way through school as a janitor.  Ultimately, Washington became an adviser to three presidents, had tea with Queen Victoria, and lectured widely.  In 1881, he founded the college that would become Tuskegee Institute.  At inception, TI had no land, endowment, or students.  It grew to include 200 buildings, 5,000 acres of land and 2,000 students.  Washington emphasized a teaching curriculum but also taught 45 different trades so that graduates could support themselves.  Among these was commercial brick making and many of the TI buildings were constructed by the students of bricks made by the students.
 
Washington’s inspirational life impelled Ron to undertake a 150th birthday celebration, essay contests for high school students, and scholarships to bring winning essayists to Washington, D.C. to share in the celebration.  He has expanded this mission to middle schools.  He also seeks BTW Boosters and other forms of sponsorship and support.  His goal is to inspire others with the BTW story and teach the importance of character to today’s youth.
 
The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:30 AM.