With rituals complete, fourteen Rotarians sat down to the usual bill of fare. I was first on my feet to gain Acting President Liane’s attention. I proposed a fine of one-and-nine on Tony and Ed for eating  before the ringing of the bell. Ed used the defense of lack of knowledge and Tony pleaded guilty. Both fines passed. Tony gave two Happy Dollars for accomplishments of his two children: his son for securing a job as a writer at Marvel Studios and his daughter, a nurse, for being promoted. Ted offered a Happy Dollar for a successful Green Up Day with seven Barre Rotarians collecting sixty bags of trash. He also was thankful for Brenda and her direct line to the Barre Police Department to report finding used needles. Tom proposed a fine of one-and-nine on Tony for trash talking on Green Up Day. Without much of a defense, the fine easily passed. Brenda gave two Happy Dollars in thanks for a good Green Up Day and in recognition of her daughter’s gradation from VTC as vet tech. Liane gave three Happy Dollars: one for a successful Green Up Day; one for the District Conference that she attended over the weekend; and one for the upcoming donation of firefighting equipment to Tanzania. Ted is working on obtaining the equipment which is in perfectly good working condition, but does not met current regulations. George gave twenty Happy Dollars in recognition of his fifty-nine years as a Rotarian. We got twenty bucks and he got a warm round of congratulatory applause. John gave a Sad Dollar for not getting a good night’s sleep because of the nasty geese fighting for territory on his pond.

 

 

Liane announced that invitations have been sent out via email for the Changeover Dinner. It will take place Wednesday, June 13^th at the Barre Country Club. Reservations must be made by Friday, June 1^st.

 

Brenda reported that the Interact Club will be participating in Stamp Out Hunger on Saturday. They are also planning a winterizing project for this fall. Ted explained that members of the Interact Club must be accompanied by a Rotarian. That means that those Rotarians who choose to participate as part of the project must undergo a background check. More details will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.

 

 

 

 

 

Liane introduced Brian Kravitz, Adult Secondary Education (ASE) Specialist and Outreach Coordinator for Central Vermont Adult Basic Education (CVABE). CVABE is a non-profit that has been serving Washington, Orange and Lamoille countries for fifty-three years. Services are provided to over five hundred students in six centers and a variety of other places such as churches, coffee houses and libraries. Its mission is to provide free adult education and literacy services to adults over sixteen years old. Area include: 1) reading, writing, mathematics and computer skills; 2) high school credentialing; 3) and English language learning and citizenship. Brian talked about how adult education positively affects the community. The students obtain better jobs and increase learning potential; and grandparents and parents learn to read so that they in turn can read to children. He also pointed out that more education helps to lessen recidivism and reduces strain on social services. He noted that those with high school diplomas have children who are more likely to graduate from high school. Related to employment, employees have better math skills, employers have more candidates for promotion within the organization and worker satisfaction increases which leads to better job performance. Additionally, volunteers report great satisfaction in giving back and that they create bonds with adult learners and feel more connected to their community. Responding to the question of age, Brian said that there was no age limit: “You are never too old to learn.” In his concluding remarks, Brian asked us to let people who may benefit from the services of the CVABE know of its existence. He also asked us to think about possible employers who have employee needs. Finally, he asked us to consider volunteering. Brian loves teaching and his work as an outreach coordinator and it showed in his passion and enthusiasm throughout his presentation. We showed our appreciation with a warm round of applause.