Welcome
President Caroline welcomed fourteen Rotarians and three guests who joined her in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and the Four Way Test.
Guests: Ava Guarriello; Avery Roaldi (Angelina’s daughter); and Julia Locarno (today’s speaker).
No Pranks on My Watch
Karl rose to propose a fine of one-and-nine on Tony for hiding the sacred Rotary bell resulting in a non-ding dong opening (which means that the witch is not dead; Arthur, you’ll know to what I am referring) of our meeting. Tony seconded and then went on to present the “ I was setting up the room” distraction bit defense, but admitted ending up hiding the bell. It was decided that prankertism had no place at our Rotary meetings (elsewhere acceptable). Fine passed.
Since Last We Met
No birthdays or anniversaries.
On this day in history: In 1970 American rock guitarist and singer
Jimi Hendrix—who fused American traditions of
blues,
jazz,
rock and
soul with techniques of British avant-garde rock to redefine the electric guitar in his own image—died of an overdose of
barbiturates in London.
A Rotary Moment
Nicole reported that she has been in contact with Margo Austin, Interact Advisor, who told her that there is an influx of new members. They are deciding on their projects for the upcoming year with Tree-Plenish on the top of the list. Nicole will be doing a presentation on Rotary and what it does this fall. She also plans to attend meetings and promote our programs, especially RYLA.
Listen Up!
President Caroline reminded us that:
The Rotary After Dark event on October 2nd at the home of Charlene and Karl Rinker in lieu of our noon meeting will feature a presentation on the Rotary Foundation.
Willem Lange will be at our noon meeting October 30th to read Edgar Allen Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart; costumes encouraged.
On World Polio Day, October 24th, we will be seeking one dollar donations, painting pinkies purple and passing out information on polio. We are planning to have a large sign, perhaps on the Aldrich lawn, which will be the focus of our activity.
Doug announced that: a) the Rotary Foundation for International Day of Peace will be observed on September 21st; and b) the Rotary International Convention will be held in Calgary, Alberta on June 21-25, 2025.
Happiness Measured in Dollars
Karl offered a Happy Dollar as he told of a near-death experience, narrowly avoiding a head-on crash. He was glad to be alive and so were we.
Tony added some crash to the basket as he recalled moments of happiness with his son at RockFire and kayaking up to Doug’s dock on #10 Pond.
Eddie was happy that “Karl is here!” and rejoiced by adding a Happy Dollar to the coffers.
Recounting the RYLA Experience
President Caroline introduced Julia Locarno, our sponsored attendee of RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Academy).
Julia is sixteen and a junior at Spaulding High School and in the Medical Profession Program at CVCC(Central Vermont Career Center). She
plays softball and field hockey for Spaulding and loves playing with her dog Piper and taking her for lots of walks. She describes herself as a very hardworking and dedicated person.
Julia began her talk with what she considered the highlights of her experience: connecting with others; and improving her leadership skills. She said she was anxious at first about not knowing anyone, but relieved when she was greeted by warm and friendly attendees. She noted that it was important to get out of one’s comfort zone.
She told us about taking a leadership style inventory and that it revealed she was a “quiet” type leader. She noted that group assignments were based on different styles in order to learn how to work together. She said that she learned more than she expected, especially about Rotary and what it does. She singled out the various projects in Africa as something she was particularly interested in. When asked what her biggest take-away was, she responded:”how to 
help your community; and step up and take an active role.”
She said that she ended up having a lot of fun, especially participating in the Talent Show in which her team danced to the classic “YMCA” (immortalized by the Village People). When asked what activities she would keep as part of the experience, she said the games and the interaction among the participants.
Rotarians thoroughly enjoyed hearing about the positive experiences that Julia had at RYLA and showed their appreciation with a warm round of applause. A presentation of a RYLA Certificate of Participation to Julia by Past President Eddie Rousse provided closure to today’s meeting.
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