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Club Information
KEEP CALM, JOIN ROTARY
Barre
We meet Wednesdays at 12:00 PM
QUARRY GRILL AND TAVERN
210 North Main Street
UPSTAIRS
Barre, VT  05641
United States
DistrictSiteIcon
District Site
 
VenueMap
Venue Map
Speakers
Nov 25, 2015
 
Dec 02, 2015
 
Dec 09, 2015
 
Dec 16, 2015
 
Dec 23, 2015
 
Jan 13, 2016
 
View entire list
Executives & Directors
President - Board Member
 
President Elect-Board Member
 
Secretary - Board Member
 
Treasurer - Board Member
 
Foundation Chair - Board Member
 
Past President - Board Member
 
Board Member
 
Sargent-At-Arms
 
Chairman Club Administration
 
Chairman Membership
 
Chairman Public Relations
 
Chairman Service Projects
 
Russell Hampton
National Awards Services Inc.
Sage
Stories
Fines and Happy/Sad Dollars Down This Week (It’s like the Dow.)
 
Starting with our usual off key piano, we made it through America the Beautiful, the pledge and grace by Joe. Bertil rose about 10 minutes into lunch and gave an update on the Hands to Honduras project which he has been involved in for number of years. He reported that they have finished a prenatal clinic which is 3000 sq. ft. There will a second dedication in February when the group returns for their annual visit. He hopes that he and Gladys will be able to go with the group.
Liane offered two Sad Dollars: she cannot sing because of her illness; and she was not given a new member red ribbon like Scott was wearing when she was inducted. Acting President Tom reported that he had fun at Dancing with the Stars and that he had rehearsed by himself at the Elks Club which drew stares and remarks from some of its members. He paid the fee imposed on him last week for moving his hips, but not really dancing.  After Take Me out to the Ball Game and The Sidewalks of New York, Tom proposed a fine on Tony (in absentia) for not “ponying up” with a video of Dancing with the Stars that he had allegedly filmed. Fine passed.
 
                  Acting President Tom Presiding
 
 
Secretary’s Report
 
     Sue joined in giving kudos to all those involved in organizing Dancing with the Stars, especially Liane, Caroline and Ted. She then had Claire introduce our guest Bill Thompson, a former district governor and current member of the Colchester Rotary Club.
 
                   Our Esteemed Secretary
 
 
 
                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                    Scott Funk
 
 
        Scott Funk Locked In Again and Again
 
 
Tom introduced Scott Funk who gave his classification talk. Scott was born in Colorado, but his parents kidnapped him at a young age and so he grew up in San Diego. Early in life, he laid a foundation for business acumen when he hired a kid to do his paper route so that he could sleep in. He collected the money and got the tips. His boss found out and he was fired. He grew up as a “Holy Roller” (fundamentalist) and claimed that “Rock and Roll” music evolved from that particular religious persuasion. When he was 17-18, he moved to San Francisco. He took up photography, specializing in large prints, 3’x4’ and focusing (pun intended) on ghost towns in the great American deserts. Adding to his business skill set, he worked in a high end men’s fashion store under his mentor Joe Gold. Joe taught him everything he needed to know. Joe would always require an explanation of why a customer walked out of the store without buying something since that is why he came in the store in the first place. To deal with this, Scott used to fill bags with scrap paper and ask the departing customer to place the fake-purchase bag in the trash outside.
     He moved to Boston four or five years later and got to the motorcycle business. At that time, he was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, but he was a conscientious objector. He objected to being shot. To build a philosophical reason to be classified as such, he took the questions that were asked on the questionnaire and turned them to statements. “They” decided the country would be better served if he stayed in the U.S. He was assigned to Danvers Mental Hospital in Massachusetts where he ended up locked in on a mental ward with bars on the windows and no way to get out for awhile. No one believes you when you say: “I don’t belong here.” Scott then recounted a series of lock-ins. He almost got shot at San Quentin, locked in at Waterbury State Hospital and in a crypt in a cathedral.
     He got into the reverse mortgage business 15 years ago and was told he would have no competition.
 He still doesn’t. His clients have taught him about dying, courage, and dealing with things alone. He believes in living and dying healthy. After multi-failed marriages, he met his wife Kelly at a Salsa Dance and “it was love at first sight.” He has a 29 year old daughter who he raised as a single dad. Scott proved to be not only informative, but entertaining as well. Asked if he had ever considered a career as a “stand-up” comic, he responded: “Yes, but that didn’t work out either.”
 
Dancing With the Stars Photos Available
 
Here is the link for photos of the Dancing with the Stars event:
 
 
                                                                                              
                                                                                                    Fellowship with Sue and Dancing Champion Tom
 
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