Meeting of September 2, 2015

Charlotte Shelburne Rotary

Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2015, 7:30 a.m.

Trinity Episcopal Church Community Room

 

President Trafton Crandall called the meeting to order and led us in the Pledge. Dave Rice gave the devotional.

 

Following breakfast, Trafton introduced our guest speaker Laura Subin, Director of the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana.

 

Announcements:

Linda Gilbert thanked everyone who has made dinners for Terrell Titus and her husband Steve. She said that Terrell and Steve are very appreciative and that Terrell says she doesn’t know how they could have coped without our help.

 

In an effort to reduce the recurring last-minute search for a note-taker for meetings, Trafton invited comments and suggestions from the Club. Carole Obuchowski suggested that there should be more leeway in the way the meetings are reported, as more people might volunteer if they didn’t think they had to catch every happy fine and give a thorough report on the guest speaker’s remarks. A suggestion that there might be a regular rotation among a small number of note takers so that it wasn’t a last-minute crisis and a challenge for Dave Rice to find someone, was considered. The subject will be discussed further.

 

Events upcoming:

Sept. 9 – Kelly Brush – Kelly Brush Foundatin

Sept. 16 – Charles Jim – Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra, Montreal

Sept. 17 – Board Meeting

Sept. 23 – Corbett Torrence – Ethan Allen Homestead Museum Director

Sept. 30 – Club Assembly

 

Business:

It was announced that Richard Fox has applied to be District Governor. Past District Governor Steve Dates said it is traditional for a club to support the candidacy of a member who is seeking this position and he encouraged CSRotary to get behind Richard and push!! Howard Seaver suggested that we should consider nominating a younger person for District Governor. Richard said he was a younger person!

 

Finances – some members have not yet paid their annual dues. Trafton recommended that they not wait for him to come collecting.

 

Football Pool – Alan Bates asked those who have signed up to turn in their $50 checks, and also to look for more friends, relatives and any football fans to join in for the pool, as we need more players to make it a real money maker for the club. The pool pick sheet will be sent on Tuesdays and that is when you will pick your winners.

 

Halloween Parade – Dave Rice says it is all under control.

 

Car raffle – Ric Flood says the letters are ready to go out next week. He said that there will be some tickets that aren’t already purchased and suggested posting on Front Porch Forum to find buyers for the tickets. He is circulating a list of all the numbers and their current holders, asking that people indicate whether they will be buying their number again this year.

 

Polio Plus – possible ways to publicize Rotary’s success in eradicating this disease around the world are being considered. Oct. 25 is the date set for telling communities about the work.

 

Latin Dance Party – Friday, Sept. 11 is coming soon and now everyone who was at the Sept. 2 meeting is ready to dance. Lara Keenan demonstrated the easy way to get that Latin dance hip action – it’s just a matter of bending one knee – she showed us how and everyone is now ready to go.

 

Happy fines:

Sergeant at Arms Evan Webster announced that the pot is currently $437. People are starting to buy multiple tickets. The chances are getting better as the pack of cards is getting slimmer.

 

Lucky draw:

For a Latin Dance party ticket – winner Linda Barker

For the pot – Our guest Laura Subin drew the ticket of one of the people at her table (they were pooling) and they asked her to draw the winning ticket. Roll over!!

 

 

Guest speaker Laura Subin , is Director of the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana, organized one year ago as part of a national movement that is responding to the failure of marijuana policy nationally and working to educate the people of Vermont on the negative impact of the criminalization of the use of marijuana.

Ms. Subin said that there is growing support for the legalization of marijuana, a multigenerational support that crosses political party lines. Currently marijuana is legal in four states and the District of Columbia,  has been decriminalized in 16 states and 23 states allow medical use of marijuana.

In Vermont, she said, 57% of people support changing Vermont law to regulate and tax marijuana in a way that is similar to alcohol. This shift is based on the public awareness that alcohol, which is legal, is having a much worse impact on the population and is more addictive. Also people disagree with the hypocrisy of current public policy.

Prohibition has been a failure. Approximately 80,000 Vermonters use marijuana but the “business” of importing, growing, selling, etc., is illegal and the laws are unequally enforced, placing a greater burden on blacks and poor people.

Regulation would be a better step – it would create jobs and businesses, regulations would be more enforceable, and it does seem to be working in Colorado and Washington. Rough estimates of the potential size of the economic impact range from $10 million to $90 million. Other benefits predicted, based on results in Colorado and Washington including a drop in teen use when it is legal and adults are using, tourism and real estate would benefit, and the tax income could be used to support addiction programs and education for youth

The Vermont Cannabis Collaborative is building a model that would benefit the economy, especially small farmers. Maine and Massachusetts are both considering legalization and it is expected that 2015-2016 will be a pivotal year. 

 

Recorded by Rosalyn Graham