Greetings fellow Rotarians! We started today’s meeting by recognizing President Trish Porter for attaining Paul Harris Plus 1 status.  Trish earned this distinction by donating $2,000.00 to the Rotary Foundation over the past several years.  Thank you, Trish for your continued generosity and support of the Foundation!  Our speaker today was Phelan Fritz, Executive Director of the ECHO Center.  Located on the Lake Champlain waterfront in Burlington, the ECHO center not only serves as in interactive educational center and aquarium, but it is also a research facility that focuses on the health and viability our state’s waterways and the flora and fauna that live in them.  Phelan explained that the ECHO Center is putting a great deal of emphasis on STEM-related programs for school age children.  For more information about the ECHO Center, please visit www.echovermont.org

 

 

On December 6^th, our Club will join forces with the Knights of Columbus to put on a holiday lunch at the Champlain Valley Exposition for over 200 senior citizens in the area.  Right now, we are looking for businesses and individuals to donate small items to be used in the goodie bags that we distribute to the seniors at this event. Examples of items include, but are not limited to, pens, note pads, refrigerator magnets, candy, etc . . . Please contact Lois Parmelee at

Lparmelee01@gmail.com for more information about this event.

 

 

            Our Club has volunteered to cover Salvation Army bell-ringing shifts in front of the Essex Discount Beverage and the Price Chopper in Essex Center on December 8^th and 9^th.  A sign-up sheet is currently being circulated at our meetings, so please sign up for a two-hour shift when you get a chance.

 

 

            The next opportunity to volunteer at the food shelf will be on November 16^th. Please let Sharon Dettenrieder know if you are able to volunteer for this shift.

 

Upcoming Meeting Schedule:  November 8, 2017 –  Our speaker will be fellow Rotarian, Reverend Mark Mendes, who will speak about the Heavenly Pantry Food Shelf.

 

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