Charlotte-Shelburne Rotary - Newsletter

Following the Pledge of Allegiance and devotional by Terrell Titus, President Steve Dates recognized Joyce Errecart and Michele Lash for their make-ups (Joyce’s were aboard a cruise ship!)

President-Elect Training Seminar Message

In place of a Rotary Foundation Thought for the week, President Steve reported on the message delivered to the President-Elect Training Seminar (PETS) last weekend by Ron Burton, a vice-chair of the Rotary Foundation. Mr. Burton explained the future vision work that is going on at the Foundation level, with pilot programs being introduced to ensure that new strategies are appropriate for Rotary Clubs in every country and for every demographic. Plans to overhaul the foundation were based on information gained through interviews of 10,000 Rotarians seeking “ringing themes” for the future. Now that reforms have been proposed, they will be tested for three years in 100 Rotary Districts in 33 zones.

Among the changes being considered is the transformation of the GSE program to a Vocational Training Teams, broadened to include Rotarians and more people.

The names of the pilot districts will be announced on June 1 with a public announcement on July 1.

Announcements

Julie Won announced that she and her family are moving to Palo Alto, California, attracted by a good opportunity for the family, and that March 18 would be her last Charlotte Shelburne meeting. The club expressed our sadness at losing such an excellent member.

Upcoming Rotary events:

District Assembly – Dartmouth-Hitchcock – April 18
District Conference – May 14-17
District Conference for 2010 – UVM
Rotary International Conference for 2010 – Montreal

Future programs:

March 25 – Mark Brooks of Allen & Brooks, commercial real estate broker
March 25 – noon – Serving pasta lunch at Charlotte Senior Center
March 26 – Board meeting
April 2-3 – Judging at the Future Business Leaders Association competition

Eric Hanley proposed a Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser to help SCS Wind Ensemble go to Disney World in the spring of 2010. The Breakfast will be April 5 from 9 to 11:30 and volunteers are signing up to help.

Alan Hathaway will pick up the scholarship forms from VSAC next week as a step toward awarding the Rotary scholarships.

Steve announced that only two of the $50 matches are left in the campaign to support the Rotary Foundation’s Polio Plus program.

Sympathy and best wishes for a speedy recovery were extended to Don Rathbone who has had several cardiac incidents in the past week.

Adam Bartsch is attempting to contact the Rebuilding Together organizers about Rotary helping them with a spring project.

New Member Inducted

Ric Flood, Colleen Haag, and Howard Seaver

Ric Flood officiated at the induction of a new/old member: Howard Seaver of Charlotte. Seaver was active in Rotary in the 1970s and 1980s, serving as President for a year, and was recently invited by Rotarian and Town Clerk Colleen Haag to rejoin. An attorney in Burlington whose practice includes business, real estate, environmental permitting and estate planning law, Seaver was born in New York, attended Dartmouth College, served in the Army and came to Vermont after graduating from law school. In addition to Rotary, he has been active in chamber of commerce and the Yuroslavl Sister City Project. He and his wife Barbara have three children. His hobbies include kayaking and studying Chinese history. Welcome Howard.

New EnglandPETS Weekend

John Beal reported on the New England PETS weekend, a meeting of all the clubs in Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Quebec, with 400 to 500 presidents-elect participating. He also announced that Steve Dates will move from bring our President to being an Assistant District Governor.

The PETS program defined goals for Rotary and said that effective clubs are able to:

Sustain and grow membership
Implement service projects
Support the Rotary Foundation
Develop club leaders beyond the club

Sergeant at Arms

Kris Engstrom welcomed happy fines – quickly as we were almost out of time.

Elaine Dates had a not happy fine – for losing Julie Won – while wishing her family the best in California
Terrell Titus welcomed our newest member Howard Seaver
Joyce Errecart apologized for making everyone feel bad by coming with makeups from an ocean cruise.
Ric Flood – a nasty fine apologizing for suggesting an alternative way to lower the average age of the Charlotte Shelburne Rotary Club
Bruce Willetts – celebrating his birthday
John Beal – an impressive statistic from PETS – anyone whose cellphone rang paid a $100 fine, and a lunchtime auction was just one way the two-day meeting raised a total of $27,500.

Lucky draw: Howard Seaver drew Michele Lash’s number but she chose the wrong card.

Committee Meetings

The meetings will have to be rescheduled as we ran out of time.