ROTARY CLUB OF ESSEX

 

            Greetings fellow Rotarians!  Today marked the first meeting of the new Rotary year. We started things off with the formal presentations of the Unsung Hero Awards to Damon Clark and Mike Dimitroff.  As announced at the Changeover Barbeque, these two Rotarians were named this year’s Unsung Heroes for the amount of behind-the-scenes work they perform for our Club.  Damon has done an outstanding job at keeping our website up and running and is actively involved with our Club’s hockey committee.  Mike jumped right into the newly formed finance committee and has been working hard with Kristin Winer to oversee the Club’s finances.  Congratulations to both on honors well-deserved!  Our speaker today was U.S. Representative, Peter Welch.  Rep. Welch discussed the current political climate in Washington and the many challenges our nation faces right now.  He lamented that the lack of cooperation between both parties and between Congress and the Executive branch is preventing meaningful changes from being made.  He discussed the issue of healthcare at length and pointed out that the biggest issue is finding a way of keeping healthcare costs down.  He feels that this is an issue on which both parties can agree and find a common solution.  Rep. Welch concluded is talk by answering many questions from the members ranging from national security issues to foreign policy. 

 

 

            As one fundraiser ends, another is about to begin.  The Champlain Valley Fair is just around the corner which means we are getting ready for the Corn Booth! From August 25th through September 3rd, our Club will be busy selling freshly cooked corn on the cob at the fair.  Not only does this event raise money for our charitable ventures, it also gives our Club some great exposure as thousands of people pass by our booth each day.  We ask that every Rotarian be responsible for filling two spots. Rotarians are encouraged to fill spots with friends and family members.  A sign-up sheet for shifts will be posted on the website soon.

 

 

            As many of you know, our Club has provided financial support to the new Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity project on Park Street in Essex Junction.  Habitat is seeking volunteers to help on the site, but slots are limited.  If you would like to volunteer, please sign up here: https://vermonthabitat.org/construction-volunteers/ 

 

 

            The next opportunities to volunteer at the food shelf will be on July 27^th and August 24^th.  Please let Sharon Dettenrieder know if you are able to volunteer for any of those shifts.

 

 

Upcoming Meeting Schedule:  July 12, 2017 – Our speaker will be Dr. George Till who will be discussing the effects of adverse childhood experiences.  Please visit http://georgetill.com/adverse-childhood-experiences for more information about this subject.  

 

 

 

For the complete list of upcoming speakers and information about the Club, please go to our website at www.essexrotary.org   Be sure to also follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EssexVermontRotary , on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/essexvermontrotary/ and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/essex_rotary

 

 

       Yours in Rotary,

 

Jason Ruwet