Granite Chips 2-6-13

Posted by Carolyn Dawes 
 

 

 

Granite Chips

The Newsletter of the Barre Rotary Club

 

Give, Live, Laugh

 

Notes from February 6, 2013 meeting at The Hilltop

We started with the usual bell, song and pledge.  Joe offered prayers for our educators, and that our students grow up to become Rotarians.

 

Roy read a great piece on the many definitions of the word “UP”.  I’ve stuck it on the end of these Granite Chips.

 

As members were chowing down on lunch, including large platters of brownies, it was noted that one of the benefits of growing our membership is to keep our waistlines from growing.

 

President Jim said Karl has been flat on his back the past couple weeks, and if the current treatment doesn’t begin to help, he’ll need back surgery.  Roy said Mario is also facing back surgery.

 

Roy distributed packets of tickets for the helicopter golf ball drop.  Rotarians are asked to sell or buy their packet of tickets, and if you need more, see Roy.

 

P. Jim passed around thank you notes from Peoples Health & Wellness, Circle (formerly Battered Women’s Shelter & Services), Barre Opera House, Central Vermont Adult Basic Education and Vermont Historical Society.

 

Prez Jim said he has information about the 18th annual Rotary International Ski/Ride Challenge at Bolton Valley.  Any member wanting more info can see Jim.

 

Elizabeth said she is once again signing up volunteers to usher and/or sell tickets at the upcoming basketball tournaments at the Barre Auditorium.  Members can sign up by contacting her.

 

Elizabeth also announced that she has passed along the RYLA information to Spaulding, and hopes to have a number of candidate applications by school vacation.  Interviews will be held in mid-March.

 

Prez Jim introduced our speakers today – fellow Barre Rotarian Phil Gentile, who is the coordinator of cooperative education at the Barre Technical Center, and Any Lester, guidance counselor at the Tech Center.  During their presentation, there was a slideshow running featuring photos of tech center students.

 

Phil said his job is to match up students with businesses, and there are three different types of match-ups:

  • Job shadowing – 1-2 days of unpaid observation at a business
  • Career/Work experiences – extended job shadowing, unpaid
  • Co-operative experiences – paid positions, during the day

 

There are a wide variety of tech programs, including:


  • Building trades
  • Automotive
  • Heating & Plumbing
  • Electrical (including robotics)
  • Human Services
  • Cosmetology
  • Business & Leadership
  • Emergency Services
  • Digital Media Arts
  • Culinary
  • Bake Shop

 

They also offer pre-tech for 9th & 10th graders.

 

There are 200 students in the tech center, including Barre area students and students from 6-7 sending schools.  The programs are continually evolving to keep pace with 21st century demands.

 

Roy said in the past the club has taken a tour of the facilities and eaten lunch (prepared by students) in the Green Room, and suggested we plan another trip to the Tech Center.  Amy said she is considering bringing the Business and Leadership class to a Rotary meeting.  Roy suggested the Club invite the members of the National Technical Honor Society to a meeting so the Club can honor their accomplishments.

 

Amy said there’s been a shift in thinking about technical schools, and there are more applications each year than there are slots to fill.  In addition to high school students, there are also home-schooled students and adult students.  The tech center has affiliations with VTC and CCV, and there are opportunities to earn college credits while taking classes at the tech center.

 

The Club thanked Phil and Amy for a great presentation and discussion.

 

Billy Rossi held the winning raffle ticket – hey, wasn’t he the person in charge of handing out the tickets at the door…….?

 

Visit other local Rotary Clubs – it’s fun and counts as a make up!

 

Club

Weekday

Time

Location

Montpelier

Monday

12:15 PM

Capitol Plaza

Central Vermont

Monday

6:15 PM

The Steak House

Waterbury

Tuesday

7:15 AM

Waterbury Senior Center

Valley

Wednesday

7:15 AM

The Sugarbush Inn

Randolph

Thursday

12:15 PM

Grant’s Camp

Northfield

Thursday

6:15 PM

Senior Center

 

 

 

The Many Definitions of the Word “UP”

This two-letter word in English has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that word is ' UP .' It is listed in the dictionary as an  [adv], [prep], [adj], [n] or [v].

 

It's easy to understand UP , meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP ?

 

At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP , and why are the officers UP for election (if there is a tie, it is a toss UP) and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report? We call UP our friends, brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver, warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and fix UP the old car.

 

At other times, this little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses.

 

To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is special.

 

And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is blocked UP .

 

We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night. We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP !

 

To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP , look UP the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4 of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions.

 

If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP , you may wind UP with (UP to) a hundred or more.

 

When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP . When the sun comes out, we say it is clearing UP . When it rains, it soaks UP the earth. When it does not rain for awhile, things dry UP . One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP , for now . . . My time is UP !

 

Oh . . . One more thing: What is the first thing you do in the morning and  the last thing you do at night?

 

U

 

P !

 

Did that one crack you UP ?

 

Don't screw UP . Send this on to everyone you look UP in your address book . . . Or not . . . it's UP to you.

 

Now I'll shut UP