Let Us Be Grateful
After thirteen Rotarians and one guest recited the Pledge of Allegiance, President Nicole called for expressions of gratitude. Tony was grateful that the parents of his nephew who died last week came to dinner at Cindy and Tony’s home. DG Caroline expressed gratitude for the support she has received from members of the Barre Rotary Club as District Governor
and for the volunteers who have agreed to help with the district conference in April. Loren was grateful for the doers of self care; she enjoyed a day of appreciation of nature as she walked her dog. Since Last We Met
Club Anniversaries: Bob Blow March 20 57 years
On this day in history: On this day in 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act which placed taxes on various printed papers in the colonies; highly unpopular, the legislation was particularly contentious in America.
On this day in 1893, the first women’s college basketball game was played at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Men were not permitted inside the gym at the all-women's college, but a crowd of fascinated women cheered on their classmates from the running track of the campus gymnasium. The winning team earned a gold and white banner.
A Logical Fallacy
Loren presented us with another logical fallacy: Anchoring Bias, a type of Cognitive Bias. “We are wired to rely too heavily on the first piece of information we are given about a topic.” For example, DG Caroline always brings an awesome new person to one of our meetings. We are predisposed to expect “awesome.” Another example would be if you learned that the average price for a car is a certain
value, you will think any amount below that is a good deal, perhaps not searching for better deals. To counter these biases, Loren suggested: consider economic utility; reflect on the source of the original information; and give a second chance for first impressions. In conclusion, she posed the question: “Why it matters:” Is it fair to all concerned? Will it be beneficial to all concerned? Thanks Loren, for another insight into logical fallacies.
Happy Dollars are Here Again
First came a Happy Dollar from DG “Constitutional Moment Caroline” as she noted that a case before the U.S. Supreme Court involves the first amendment. Jack Daniel's claims that a toy with a similar look as their whiskey bottle label infringes on its trademark and is confusing consumers. The toy maker argues that it is an obvious parody and should be protected as free speech. Infringement or a joke? Stay tuned for a June decision.
Bertil threw in a buck for his missing meetings because of his travel. The latest was Jamaica. 
George gave a Happy Dollar because it was Ramadan and that reminded him of a couple from Karachi whom he and Linda met on a Rotary exchange several years ago. Unfortunately the husband was murdered, but they still remain in touch with his wife.
Tom rose to add another Happy Dollar for achieving the feat of skiing 36,000 vertical feet and making 22 runs at Sugarbush.
Angelina added to the coffers with a Happy Dollar for the way her dog greets her everytime that she returns home, no matter how short a period. She also gave a dollar for polio.
Joe gave dollars for being late to the meeting, in praise of Tom’s accomplishment with no injuries, the art on display at Studio Place Arts and one for polio.
President Nicole signified happiness with dollars for: her and her daughter’s participation in a Holi celebration (Holi is a popular and significant Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colors, Love and Spring.); the SPA art exhibit; springtime being here; and celebrating Equinox.
Reminders and Announcements
President Nicole reminded us of the Pie for Brunch event scheduled for Saturday, April 8, 2023 from 8-1 at the American Legion. Please let her know the type of pie that you are bringing and what you would like to volunteer for.
DG Caroline announced that the District Spring Assembly will take place on April 1, 2023 from 8-1 on the Lyndon Campus of Northern Vermont University. The Speech Contest finals will be held at this event. It’s free, including lunch. Register on the District 7850 Website.
Bee the Change
Tom introduced our speaker for today, Patrick Kitchen. Patrick is the Director of Operations and Marketing for Bee the Change, a non profit which attempts to educate the public why pollinators are so important and what we can do to restore their populations. He loves ecology, but specifically the interconnected relationships between plants and animals in our environment.
He began with this warning: "Our species has begun to crowd out others, and the race against extinction on our planet is more and more a contest for limited space. There are many important threats that butterflies, bees, beetles and other pollinators face - pesticides, climate change, parasites-but the principal and universal stress is the loss of habitat. Bee the Change is hoping to create an acre of habitat in each of Vermont's 252 cities and towns."
Patrick provided us with many photos of flowers, meadows, flies and bees and pickled his presentation with nuggets of information. Did you know that a fly, biting
midges or as we know them, no-see-ums, like chocolate? They are almost solely responsible for pollinating the blossoms of the cacao (cocoa) tree. Flies are second in importance to bees as pollinating insects. He also reported that 78% of the US is privately owned making it difficult to create pollinating habitats. Vermont has six million acres that are privately owned and so their effort is focused on creating an acre in each of Vermont’s 252 cities and towns as mentioned in his earlier quote. He also noted that mowing lawns as part of loss of habitat contributes to the decline of the pollinator population. Rotarians asked several questions which spurred discussions; especially lively was the one on planting gardens which will attract pollinators. Patrick provided us with an interesting and informative talk and Rotarians showed their appreciation with a warm round of applause.
Until next time, that's all folks......
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