Morrisville Rotary Club

Present: Tim Sargent, Jason McArthur, Mark Cattelona, Sharon Menard, Mary Metcalf, Linda Martin, Gary Nolan, Geoffrey Blume, Roy Marble, Marcia Marble, Rudy Loyola, Phil Chiaravalle, Davis Koier, Deanna Wood, Ted Lambert and Patti Coultas

Guests: Allen Van Anda, Brew Master, Trapp Family Lodge, Renee Ross, Ken McGuckin (Montpelier Club), Tiffany Menard, Pablo Martinez (Our exchange student from Chile)

Happy Dollars: Rudy ($2), Sharon, Mary, Geoffrey, Davis.

Tim proposed a fine against Jason, but it was defeated. Tim paid $1.

Tim. Welcomed everyone and introduced the guests.

Ken McGuckin from the Montpelier Rotary Club invited the Morrisville Club to a golf challenge at Stowe Country Club on October 15^th. It will be a modified scramble format with 4 per team. The Montpelier Rotary meets at the Capitol Plaza on Mondays at lunchtime. Tim said we would talk about it and get back to him after our Sept. 7^th meeting.

Tim reminded everyone that Thursday is the joint Lamoille Valley Fish and Game Club dinner. Shooting range opens at 4 with a pot luck dinner at 6ish. Talk to Marcia Marble to RSVP and let her know what food category you are going to bring.

Allen Van Anda, Brew Master at Trapp Family Lodge said they started to brew beer there just recently. He said the first batch came out in January. He went over lager beer, traditional Austrian methods and ingredients (which they currently import because they cannot get it locally). Now they are making a golden, amber and dark lager. They distribute in kegs only to about 70 outlets statewide. Information can be found at http://www.trappfamily.com/amenities/dining/brewery

Tim thanked Allen for coming and presented him with a Morrisville Rotary Club mug.

The meeting was adjourned at 8am.

Minutes submitted by Patti Coultas

Present: Tim Sargent, Jason McArthur, Jim Mahoney, Mark Cattelona, Roy Marble, Marcia Marble, Rich Furlong, Mel Patashnick, Davis Koier, Linda Martin, Deanna Wood, Rudy Loyola, Gary Nolan, Mary Metcalf, Geoffrey Blume, Ted Lambert and Patti Coultas

Guests: District Governor Thompson and wife Fran, Assistant District Governor Roy Somaini, Chuck and Tricia Hogan, Cambridge Rotary

Happy Dollars: Bill, Marcia, Roy, Davis, Deanna ($2), Mary, Patti, Rudy, Gary, Tricia, Chuck, Jim, Tim (sad dollar) and Jason (sad dollar)

Tim. Welcomed everyone and made introductions of guests.

Introduced Roy Somaini, Assistant District Governor and Barre club member first to talk to the club.  Roy said he was first in line if he can help the club in any way. Project help included. He came to talk about vocational service. Paul Harris founded Rotary primarily on vocational service. He encouraged members to practice high principles at business. The 4-way test should be used today in business and with fellow employees. It would greatly enhance and improve business. He asked if anyone could state the 4-way test. Jim encouraged Rich to do so, and he did. Rich was rewarded by Roy with maple syrup.

Jim thanked Roy for coming and talking about vocational service. He went on to say that it seems obvious, but it was good to hear. He went on to say that he recognized the huge commitment and work it takes to be Governor and Assistant Governor of the District and that he wanted to thank them for coming.

Tim introduced Bill saying he is visible, accessible and can be counted on.

Bill presented Tim with a Banner for the year.

Bill said he had to retire before he would consider being District Governor. He doesn’t know how they other Governor’s have been able to work too.

Bill explained he wanted to focus on the Rotary Foundation. They goal is EREY…$100 from Every Rotarian Every Year. Now they understand that is not always easy, and are very happy with any contribution, even $10.

He explained that the networking and friendship, fun meetings, is what is important in a club. Service is important, first as a community where projects and accomplishments can be seen to promote support, but then moving into international service is important. The goal this year is “building communities, bridging continents” and that service is seen as local for fellowship, and world for service.

Bill stressed that membership worldwide is down, this is especially true in the US and Canada. He said that our district membership has decreased 10% in the past 5 years. We cannot sustain the work of Rotary with this type of increase, and “business as usual” is not acceptable. We need to stop and recover what we’ve lost then start a steady growth model.

He is holding 3 district conferences to work on it: in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Quebec.

At the club level, he asked each club to appoint a membership chair, but that it is the responsibility of everyone. He challenged each member to bring in one new member this year.

Bill talked about Foundation giving and kicking it up a notch. Rotary is more than a social club. Wear the pin everyday and perhaps that will allow the conversation to open with some folks.

Bill reminded folks that the meeting requirement was lowered to 50% attendance. He said that the internet has good online lessons for make-up , http://www.rotaryeclubone.org/ (note the e after rotary) but that the fellowship of in person meetings is important.

Patti brought up the email we had gotten from the Lamoille Valley Chamber of Commerce, who is collecting items for the local National Guard Members serving in Afghanistan. She said the deadline is Friday and suggested we donate to them. Sponsorships can be purchased for $25. Jason made the motion to give $100. Mary seconded it. The motion was unanimously passed. Jason will take care of getting a check to the Chamber.

Cards: We are looking for an Ace of Hearts. Rudy had the winning ticket. He drew a 3 of Hearts.

The meeting was adjourned.

Minutes submitted by Patti Coultas



Present: Tim Sargent, Davis Koier, Roy Marble, Marcia Marble, Jason McArthur, Phil Chiaravalle, Linda Martin, Mark Cattelona, Bruce Shields, Rudy Loyola, Gary Nolan, Mel Patashnick, Mary Metcalf, Geoffrey Blume, Ted Lambert and Sharon Menard.

Guest: Andrew Calderwood from Craftsbury.

Sargent At Arms, Mark collected Happy Dollars from: Mary, Roy, Davis, Tim, Rudy, Geoffrey, Mark-helped to find a missing older man in Johnson; Linda,  and Mel.

Sad Dollar: Mel

Fines: none

Announcements:

Tim shared a Thank you note from Laraway School for our Literacy donation.

Kaia Waller has asked for $5,000 to study in Patagonia at the National Outdoor Leadership School-to committee

Request from Planting Hope Program for funding-to committee

Old News: Tim reminded everyone dues are due. Either $110 for the year, or $55 for 6 months.                                                 Please try to pay at the next meeting.

Plan a session to rebox the ducks at Karen Lynch’s and move to new location

Mark and Tim shared that the Lamoille Valley Chamber of Commerce non-profit membership dues are $147.00 per year.  Rotary to join to partner in ventures and increase our publicity.

Speaker: Andrew was our Rotary Exchange Student to Venezuela in 2009-10. He presented his slide show showing the different places and foods that he experienced last year.  He stayed with two host families. The city of Maracaibo is in a desert area while the second part of his stay was in San Cristobal in the Andes with 700,000 people where the social life and climate was more to his liking. This second family owned a farm that they visited twice a month where they produce beef, milk and forest products. Andrew went on three Exchange Student trips in areas from sea level to 12,000 feet elevation. He saw world famous Angel Falls, 150 pound wild rats and a 14’ Anaconda snake. In the Andes the farm fields are too steep for tractors; oxen help the people grow strawberries and potatoes. His diet included plantain, cornmeal, corn and boiled fish. Milk and meat quality control and taste were uneven and not the same as in Vermont.

Gasoline costs $0.05 per gallon but was in very short supply. Roads are two lanes wide and not in very good condition. It is better to fly between cities. Andrew brought home an extensive collection of tractor photos. Government: President Chavez receives fewer votes with each election.  The very poor receive minimal food subsidies. Folks in the middle and upper classes are treated very poorly by the national government. Education: Andrew found it not equal to the USA with most high schools being privatized. The public high schools were bad and the universities were average. Andrew is available to speak with groups on his experiences and will encourage others to participate in the Youth Exchange program. Andrew can be reached at rcalderwod@aol.com

Our Incoming Rotary Youth young man to Peoples Academy is from Chile and we do need host families for 2-3 month periods of time. Sharon has been corresponding with him on the Internet and his written English is good. Geoffrey Blume and his family will volunteer to be one of the  Host Families.  Contact Sharon Menard at SPB6601@yahoo.com.

Raffle: with the new deck of cards found Tim with the winning ticket but not the ACE OF HEARTS.

Tim adjourned the meeting at 8:00 AM

Minutes submitted by Marcia Marble

Present: Tim Sargent, Davis Koier, Roy Marble, Marcia Marble, Jason McArthur, Phil Chiaravalle, Linda Martin, Mark Cattelona, Susan Bartlett, Deanna Wood, Rudy Loyola, Gary Nolan, Jim Mahoney, Mary Metcalf, Ted Lambert and Patti Coultas

Guests: Richard Westman, Cambridge Rotary

Happy Dollars: Marcia, Roy, Dr. Phil, Davis, Mary, Jim ($2), Susan, Tim

Tim attempted to fine Jason for unruly dog. Roy seconded it. The motion failed and Tim paid.

Announcements:

Tim reminded everyone dues are due. Either $110 for the year, or $55 for 6 months. Please try to pay at the next meeting.

There are several upcoming Rotary events: Aug. 19^th the District After Dark event in Stowe and Sept. 6 the Cambridge 5K run.

Marcia said we should set a date to sort/reorganize the ducks and move them from Karen’s.  The float also needed to be stored.

Tim announced the $500 for Susan to use as past-president as we did for Marcia.

Reminded everyone that since we were doing a joint meeting with the Lamoille Fish and Game Club on August 26^th, there would not be a meeting that next Tuesday, August 31^st.  Marcia said this is a planned potluck and please talk with her about which food category you plan to bring.

Marcia asked if we planned to do the coat drive again. During the discussion, it was clear that we would support that. Patti told Marcia she would help her with it.

Tim broke us up into committees to meet. Afterwards there were committee reports:

Jim: Membership. Richard Westman talked to them about their success as a club in Cambridge in getting new members. He suggested we host the Lamoille Valley Chamber mixer. Mark will check with the Chamber about that and about sending someone to be a member.

Susan suggested that we contribute to the River Arts Capital Campaign, which would give us recognition as a club.

Tim reported that the Admin Committee discussed creating a category of “Friends of the Rotary” to help with special projects, like the polar plunge, or other event. The idea was positive, Patti will make sure that minutes are emailed to them. Right now this includes Dawn Archibald from the United Way.

Having run out of time, Tim adjourned the meeting.

Minutes submitted by Patti Coultas.