Charlotte-Shelburne Rotary - Newsletter

If you can help with the parking at Shelburne Farms Harvest Festival on Saturday, Sept. 19, please contact Bill Root. The first shift would begin at 7 a.m. with 4 people helping from 7 to 9 while the vendors and exhibitors are arriving and then as many as possible in shifts from 9 to 5. He already has some signups, but more would make it work better.

Dine Out for Hands to Honduras

Dine out for Hands to Honduras Tela. On Sunday, Aug. 30 Leunigs in Burlington will donate 20% of their food receipts to the Hands to Honduras Tela. Everyone in Rotary is encouraged to plan dinner at Leunig’s on Sunday from 5 p.m. They don’t take many reservations, but they do promise that everyone who comes will be seated as promptly as possible.

Praise for William

Our wonderful caterer William from Cucina Antica surprised everyone on Wednesday with an amazing breakfast – Eggs Benedict! It was a lovely way to begin a day with a real ‘end of summer’ feel to it. Thank you William

President John Beal lead the club in the Pledge and Kris Engstrom said grace.

Announcements

Shelburne Farms Harvest Festival

Bill Root passed a sign-up sheet for volunteers for the Shelburne Farms Harvest Festival where Rotary has been in charge of the parking for almost all the years of the Festival. A valued (and appreciated community service

Pancake Breakfast

Debby Hanley said the Pancake Breakfast has been moved to Shelburne United Methodist Church (where the facilities are free – a better deal than the school that wanted to charge for staff – and the Church is more visible to Route 7 travelers and Balloon Festival people). She passed a sign-up sheet for helpers.

Club Business

The club approved two donations:

$250 to Camp Agape, a camp for children whose parent or parents are incarcerated
$500 for Ginette Frank, a girl we have helped for several years as she pursues her nursing degree at St. George University in Grenada

Sergeant at Arms

Kris Engstrom levied several retroactive fines (since her happy fine time was chopped out of last week’s meeting). These included John Hammer’s 44^th wedding anniversary on Aug. 21, bill Root’s birthday and Carol Smith’s birthday.

Happy fines:

Joyce Errecart – her son was married last Saturday
Fritz Horton – that Jen Guimaraes from the Sailing Center was present
Paul Bohne – either he was late or we skipped the pledge
Russ Blodgett – his birthday was on Aug. 21
Joan Lenes – a great Hawaiian family vacation – and Peter Lenes has signed with a pro hockey team
Kris Engstrom – just happy
Carol Obuchowski – one daughter is home for a visit – another daughter got engaged – and a birthday fine
Debby Hanley – a family vacation on Thompson’s Point
Jim Spadaccini – a sad fine based on seeing John Hancock, one of our charter members, sitting alone at breakfast (John was immediately joined by two fellow Rotarians
John Hancock – an “early for the next week’s meeting” fine (better than a late fine)
Denny Bowen – back home after time in Maine, Massachusetts and the West Coast
Dave Rice – just happy
Chuck Dunham – his last week with a brace
Howard Seaver – his anniversary -- #41
Pat Sokolowski – took her daughter to school in Brooklyn

Lucky draw: Jen drew Howard Seaver’s number but he missed the $440 pot.

Guest Speaker

John Beal and Jen Guimaraes

Fritz Horton introduced guest speaker Jen Guimaraes, who has been on the staff of the Community Sailing Center in Burlington as Education and Outreach Director for the past year. In the 15 years since it began, the Sailing Center has expanded from eight weeks of programming in the summer to programs that run from spring through the fall. Their goal – a year-round presence – but that depends on the Moran Plant project.

Among their activities they host the northern Vermont high school sailing team and their regattas, and are home to the UVM sailing team. In addition to many sailing instruction programs, they are committed to environmental education with a water connection and are working to build stewardship and appreciation for the lake. They also offer a leadership program that is designed to break down the socio economic barriers to sailing by offering access for young people through King Street Youth Center and the Refugee Resettlement Program.

The WAVES Initiative is a program for children and adults that include lessons on water quality, weather, aquatic flora and fauna, watersheds and human impact on natural ecosystems.

They rent sailboats, kayaks, and canoes from Memorial Day to October, providing a convenient affordable access to water sports. They also have sailing lessons for children six and up, and have a selection of ecology related activities for children on days when it is too windy or rainy for classes.