Newsletter of Meeting of August 28th, 2013
August 28, 2013 Newsletter
By John Hammer
Charlotte Shelburne Rotary
Wednesday, August 28, 2013, 7:15 a.m.
Trinity Episcopal Church Community Room
Welcome
President Dave Jonah opened the meeting with the Pledge. Kris Engstrom gave the invocation.
Guests: Dennis Delaney, Former member and speaker
Quote of the Day: “I had a s#%t life, so I took it out on the world.” A previous offender in describing why he ended up in prison to Dennis Delaney.
Word for the Day: Look for the * and definition at end.
Upcoming:
September 4 – Steve Dates, Club member and District 7850 Governor. William promises Blueberry Pancakes as a draw.
September 11 – Club Assembly – RYLA participants will speak.
September 13 - H2H-T Latin Dance Party
September 18 – Burlington Police Chief Michael Shirling (Third time’s a charm).
September Sometime – Charlotte Central School building compost bins for new compost shed
November 1 – Car Raffle
Announcements
Charlotte Senior Center Summer BBQ
Tod Whitaker reported that our volunteers did a great job in supporting this annual event.
Happy Fines
Sergeant at Arms Richard Fox encouraged everyone to be happy and pay up.
Ric Flood – Daughter was here with three female friends over the weekend. Went boating two days and had fun.
Robert Maynes – Visited Portland, Maine and his grandchildren.
Linda Barker – Going to California next week to visit her new grandbaby.
Terrill Titus – Friend just summited Kilimanjaro
John Beal – Has been nursing his daughter Sarah after six days in the hospital following a mountain bike accident. She is doing fine.
Denny Bowen – Off on an extended cruise tomorrow.
Bob Sanders - Happy to see Dennis Delaney back this morning.
Fritz Horton – Happy that his boat is finally done – a six-month project – just in time to enjoy the summer.
Dennis Delaney – Proved this morning that he was a Republican when he asked John Beal whether he had to pay because he was the speaker. John’s reply, “It’s your decision.” The answer was such that John looked the other way and nobody knows.
Howard Seaver – Is not going to scoot because anytime he hears of a program in which Dennis Delaney and convicts are mentioned, he has to stay to see what will transpire. Very happy to have hosted his grandchild and parents from Colorado for the past two weeks.
Russ Blodgett – Going to see the Red Sox and Orioles at Fenway Park.
Roz Graham – Great concert at Shelburne Farms last week.
Kris Engstrom – Happy to announce a new Vermonter. The son of her boyfriend now has a job with the Burlington schools and is staying in Vermont.
Dave Jonah – Just completed a trip of 2,250 miles dropping off son, Will, at his college in Indianapolis.
Tod Whitaker – For the sunny weather
John Hammer – For a wonderful last weekend in Bend, Oregon.
Robert Maynes’ number was called and he drew the Seven of Spades. Roll over the pot of $110.50.
Speaker – Dennis Delaney, Former member spoke on mentoring offenders returning to society with the Winooski Offender Resettlement Program.
Dennis was asked by Judge Cashman to be a mentor and the two of them were involved in the Dismas House for quite some time. In describing his role, he pointed out that he was working with serious, hard-core felons. He said that he just had to be himself and much of it is just meeting often with an offender just to talk or participate in some social activity such as the movies. Mentoring requires sensitivity and commitment. Offenders often have a different view of society. What to us is outside our social mores (e.g., shoplifting) is not considered bad within their society, especially in prison. A mentor’s job is not to be judgmental, but to provide a social outlet for the offender.
Offenders really need jobs, they need employers to give them a chance. There is no guarantee that they will succeed, but they need a chance. Dennis doesn’t believe in “throwaway people” and these folks need someone to listen to them.
Dennis is also a member of COSA (Circle of Support and Accountability) which consists of a small group that meets with offenders and shares communications with them. Prisons are not amenable* to change and don’t prepare offenders with any help in re-entering society. Those who are released get money for housing and food as well as food stamps and bus passes, but not much more. Canada does a better job with its prisoners and the COSA program was copied from there.
Definition – Amenable, adj. – Responsive to advice, authority, or suggestion; willing.