Charlotte-Shelburne Rotary - Newsletter

President Steve Dates introduced a special guest – Anne Pardee, a member of the Berkeley Rotary Club – and incidentally, past-president of Charlotte Shelburne Rotary. Welcome back, Anne.

This Week's Rotary Foundation Thought

Service Above Self

Plagued by famine, the impoverished nation of Niger struggles to feed its citizens. But Rotarians like Ernie and Sally Montagne, of Arizona, USA, are helping to break this cycle of hunger and grinding poverty. During a planning trip to Niger on a Volunteer Service Grant, the Montagnes saw firsthand how The Rotary Foundation's humanitarian efforts are supporting sustainable projects there.

"The Rotary Foundation is our vehicle of choice to enable ordinary Rotarians to make a lasting difference in the lives of thousands of villagers in Africa." – Ernie and Sally Montagne

Announcements

Thank yous have been received from the Philo Center and Shelburne Parks & Recreation for donations made by Rotary.
Basin Harbor – District Assembly, May 14-17 – please register on line.
Volunteers are needed to help at the Assembly call Steve
Four CSR members are registered as day-trippers – Colleen Haag, Linda Gilbert, John Beal and Debby Hanley
Essex Golf Tournament is coming up on June 10 at Lang Farm – We are planning to have a second team.
Carole Obuchowski, Finance Chair, and her committee will be considered a number of requests for donations.

Upcoming events:

May 13 – regular meeting – Jeff Crowe speaker
May 20 – Alan Hathaway introducing scholarship students
May 21 – Board meeting
May 27 – TBD
May 29 – Bowlathon—Ric is still accepting names for pledge letters

Sergeant at Arms

Kris Engstrom, assisted by Don Condon who will be SAA for the next week when Kris is away, levied a birthday fine on Chuck Dunham, but since he wasn’t present the fine will be double next week.

Happy fines:

Kris – Anne’s back, she’s going to see her grandson, and also see her daughter Erica graduate from Law School
Rosalyn Graham – it’s opening weekend at Shelburne Farms – and Anne’s back
John Dupee – Wall Street Journal profiled his son Michael who is a Vice-President at Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Linda Gilbert – Anne’s back
Howard Seaver – a secret smile deserved a happy fine
Elaine Dates – just happy
Sharon Beal – late – but has her Rotary pin – one out of two ain’t bad
Trafton Crandall – late
Joyce Errecart – her daughter and grandson are comng to visit
Fritz Horton – his granddaughter took her first steps
Gary Bergeron – a visit to his grandson
Tom Glaser – heading for Florida and Southern California
Bruce Willett – heading for Paris
Eric Hanley – Anne’s back – and he’s going to spend time opening the Trout Club
Terry Kennaugh – a fine (protection money) to keep Don off his back
George Ewens – happy to be back – and his new company is taking off
Jim Spadacinni – happy
Terrell Titus – Anne’s back – and Terrell got the punch line of the morning’s joke because she lives with a He-Brew
Ric Flood – Anne’s back
Anne Pardee – there are no happy fines at the Berkeley Club – she’s glad to be back – everyone should come to say ‘hi’

Lucky draw: Charlie Nardozzi drew Tom Glaser’s number, but Tom chose the wrong card.

Guest Speaker

Steve Dates and Charlie Nardozzi

Charlie Nardozzi of National Gardening Association (and a regular radio show host on WJOY where he welcomes questions on gardening), shared a lot of interesting, amusing and useful information on vegetable gardening. He said that in the last year there has been a 10% increase in vegetable gardening with 36 million households having a garden.

A normal 20’ x 30’ garden plot, he said, could grow enough vegetables to save a family $600 a year. And it also provides exercise, the satisfaction of caring for the landscape and an opportunity to communicate with your neighbors who stop by to ask what you’re doing.

The keys to the success of a garden are Sun, Soil, Site, Selection and Size, he said.

Sun – a garden needs not less than six hours of sun daily to be successful with leafy vegetables – and it’s important to note that the amount of sun in one spot changes as the season progresses.
Soil – healthy soil needs an annual addition of lots of compost, good drainage and an analysis of the soil to see if it needs extra limestone.
Site – sunny, well-drained and close to the house (if it’s too far away you’ll neglect it)
Selection – there are so many interesting varieties of vegetables, but be sure to plant things you like to eat
Size – start small – 3 x 6’ is fine – or consider a trellis to train vines such as zucchini or squash up.