Charlotte-Shelburne Rotary - Newsletter

The Rotary members who are so key to the success of the Hands to Honduras Tela Project, Linda Gilbert, Colleen Haag, John Hammer and Debbie Hanley, were joined by some of their non-Rotary H2H team, Sam Feitleberg, Dorrice Hammer, Norm Robinson and Al Gilbert, to bring the Club up to date on the plans for this years H2H trip.

Rotary Foundation Thought for the Week

Rotary Foundation Thought for the Week is about a matching grant that has helped turn waste into profit for Philippine coconut farmers.

With the aid of a Foundation matching grant, the Livelihood Project gives local farmers the supplies and labor to turn wasted coconut husks into “coconets”, which have environmental and economic benefits for the community. The project increased employment levels for women and out of school youth while reviving the local coconut industry. Coconut husks, which are a huge source of agricultural waste, are now used to make coconets which help provide an environmentally friendly solution to land erosion and degradation. Another husk byproduct, coconut dust is used as a soil enhancer and organic fertilizer. This is an example of how The Rotary Foundation is helping smaller communities throughout the world and is ensuring that economic growth reaches the poorer communities.

Announcements

President Steve Dates announced that he had received a letter from long-time member Barry Carris, resigning from the club because of scheduling conflicts. We will miss Barry. He’s been a great member of the club.
Thank you letters were received from severalorganizations which have received recent donations from the Club: University of Vermont Medical School and the family of Nat Gould, Howard Center, Shelburne Museum, Shelburne Food Shelf, Charlotte Food Shelf, Recycle North, Red Cross, Make a Wish, Vermont Youth Orchestra, Chittenden South Peer Project, Visiting Nurse Association and Burlington Dismas House.
Shelburne Art Center sent a request for help with their move from their gallery on Falls Road to their Studio Center on Harbor Road on Jan. 7 and Jan. 12.

January Meeting Schedule

Jan. 14 – JUMP
Jan. 21 – Club Annual Meeting with election of officers and approval of revised bylaws, and committee meetings
Jan. 28 – Youth Day with Speech Competition participants, RYLA participants, and our Mexican exchange student
Jan. 29 – Board meeting

Attendance Update

We currently have 67 members of whom 56 have attended regularly. 38% have 100% attendance records. Rotary requires that members attend at least 50% of meetings of which half should be at their home club.

Polio Plus

Steve encouraged members to take part in the matching fund program that is multiplying Charlotte Shelburne Rotary members’ donations to Polio Plus by matching club members’ gifts with club funds and further increasing them with points from Rotary. Currently $600 of the available $1,000 has been used.

Sergeant at Arms

Kris Engstrom paid a notoriety fine and prepared everyone for next week when Jim Spadacinni will be celebrating his 75th birthday – should be worth a song and lots of happy fines.

Happy fines:

Robert Maynes – his son got engaged at Christmas
Michael Lash – his three children were home for winter break
Michele Lash – her birthday was last week
Tom Glaser – hoping for good weather to fly to Florida
Don Condon – glad to see he’s still on the attendance sheet – his daughters with their husbands and children were home for the holidays – and they have left
Terry Kennaugh – the assistance of Bob Sanders with registration – and the bald eagle has returned to Rock Dunder
Ric Flood – Dorrice Hammer is welcome – and John has been quiet
Joyce Errecart – has a new great-niece
Debbie Hanley – going to Jackson Hole with friends to ski
John Hammer – his grandson is thriving – and it’s snowing
Rosalyn Graham – the snow will be good for sleigh rides at Shelburne Farms – and Judy Christensen who thought she would be able to finally make a meeting had to stay home to wait for the gas heater repairman
John Dupee – back at the helm of Chase Moving and Storage
Steve Dates – reaching the half-way point of his presidency

Lucky draw: Dorrice Hammer drew Terry Kennaugh’s number, but Terry chose the wrong card, so the $19.50 pot will continue to grow.

The H2H Report

The H2H team, left to right, Debbie Hanley with the newsly designed H2H team t-shirt, Sam Feitleberg, Colleen Haag, John Hammer, Al Gilbert, Linda Gilbert, Dorrice Hammer, Norm Robinson.

This year in Tela was the subject of a multi-person report from members of the Hands to Honduras team. This year 85 volunteers, most from Chittenden County and ten from other states. Among the items they will be taking with them for the people of Tela will be 10 laptops which have been donated and are currently being refurbished by Kevin Paskiet of Strawberry Hill Computer Services in Hinesburg.

Linda Gilbert told about an amazing coincidence that is adding to the strength and outreach of the H2H project. A man in Taos, NM, was looking at the H2H website and recognized his father in the background of one of the photos. He contacted H2H, indicating that he is eager to help, and as president of his local Rotary Club he has also involved Rotary in New Mexico in the project. This year they will sponsor one of the H2H projects and hope to take part as volunteers in the future. As Linda said, “We can work with people even if we don’t know them personally.”

Al Gilbert and Norm Robinson reported on new projects for this year. They will be training hospital, rescue, fire and police personnel to use the ambulance donated by St. Michael’s College, and also helping them to implement an E-911 program. They are also taking equipment such as handcuffs and mag flashlights for the Tela Police Department. They will be installing ultraviolet systems in five schools to improve water quality as well as new sinks, drinking fountains. They will also install a new latrine in a day care center and a new kitchen at a rural school they built last year. Another project is renovating a school administration building that is in very bad condition.

Other construction projects include two classrooms at the day care center, and carpentry in a school and day care center.

This year two dentists are going along to work with local people in several locations, and six nurse practioners will be going cervical cancer and breast cancer screenings.

Debbie Hanley showed off the new t-shirts chosen for the team this year, and commented on what a valuable experience it is for young people to participate in the H2H project, learning about life in the rest of the world and experiencing a real opportunity to help.

John Hammer paid tribute to the non-Rotarians who have contributed so much time and energy to the project, making it a real community to community affair. He said that one of the most important outcomes of the H2H program is that the people of Honduras “find that we Gringos aren’t all big spending brash people.”

Sam Feitleberg who has led the physio-therapy project at Tela talked about the progress in the three years since they built the Center for Physio-Therapy. “The nicest thing is that we have hot and cold running water, so we’ll be able to do better work,” he said.

Currently the center is working with 90 children and 35 adults, have added a new staff person, have been teaching therapists, are able to offer both physical and occupational therapy, and are becoming self-sufficient thanks to such endeavors as a marathon that raised $3,000 and a new sheltered workshop where the children are making jewelry to sell.

Colleen Haag said that Hands to Honduras has been one of the most satisfying things in her life, both the connection made to the people there, and seeing the progress the children have made.

Some members of the team will be leaving for Tela on Jan. 24 and the rest on Jan. 31.