In his final day in office, outgoing President and all-time record holder for identifying and inviting outstanding guest speakers, Todd Allen, will introduce Polar Latitudes’ John McKeon.

 

 

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88229582283?pwd=aS9Hd3o1cS9ZK0hQL0ZhUHZXSEdxQT09

 

Meeting ID: 882 2958 2283

Password: 254494

 

The Zoom Room officially opens at 12:30 PM.  After the Pledge of Allegiance and opening inspirational quotes at noon, Todd Allen will introduce our speakers. 

 

 

Todd Allen announced that the Board approved ACTS Honduras as an international partner, which could help them in their efforts to secure additional grants

 

Todd Allen reminded club members that their dues were due by the end of June. 

 

Tom Csatari encouraged members to contribute to the Rotary Foundation. 

 

Todd Allen announced that this was the last week to donate to Willing Hands, our non-profit benefactor of the past three months. Here’s the link for making online donations for those who appeared in Zoom boxes during the past few weeks before we came to Jesse’s: https://hanovernhrotary.ejoinme.org/COVID-19. We have over $4,000 in donations for the three-month period ending in June, but Todd is hoping we can get an additional $1,000.

 

The Raffle Winner, who gets $10 off their next Rotary luncheon, was Ginia Allison 

 

 

Todd Allen introduced Sarah Jackson, Vital Communities ED who gave an overview of that organization’s overarching goals and some examples of how it is fulfilling them. Vital Communities strives to engage the towns in the Upper Valley in an effort to create equitable solutions to complex social problems by creating inter-agency and cross-organizational projects and partnerships. The core programs for Vital Communities are in climate, housing, economic development, farms and food, transportation, leadership, and quests. She offered details on each of these areas and in describing how her organization serves 69 towns in four counties on both sides of the Connecticut River. 

 

Sarah described two exemplary projects: everyone eats, which helped coordinate the federal funds coming to businesses and communities by providing $10 for needy families to purchase meals at area restaurants that were struggling due to the pandemic. This helped funnel over $1,000,000 to local restaurants and $70,000 to area farms. She also described how Vital Communities helped towns address Vermont’s law mandating that compost could no longer be placed in landfills. In the future, Vital Communities hopes to work on a program linking justice, equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives (JEDI) in an effort to reduce racism and to continue to find ways to get non-profits, businesses, and governments to offer initiatives that are complementary. 

 

 

July 7 – We have a changing of the guard (or a changing of the Allens), with David Allen taking the gavel from Todd Allen. 

 

July 14 – Todd Allen introduces Jack O’Toole CEO of Fresh Air Sensor

 

July 21 – Wayne Gersen introduces Kaitie Eddington of the Upper Valley Trails Alliance to share some of the new paths available to hikers in our region

 

July 28 – Todd Allen introduces F.X. Flinn from ECFiber who will update us on their efforts to provide high speed internet services to rural NH and VT communities.

 

August 4 – Matt Garcia will be introduced by Todd Allen and will give us some insights into where our food comes from and how the people who produced it were treated. 

 

August 11 – Todd Allen introduces Matt Slaughter, Tuck’s Dean, who will offer his insights into how the economy is REALLY working

 

August 18 – Dana Michalovac, from the Good Neighbor Health Clinic will be introduced by Todd Allen. 

 

August 11 – Todd Allen introduces Kevin Geiger, who will offer a report on the housing situation in the Upper Valley

 

We’re now booked through the first week in October…. But as often noted in this newsletter we can never sign-up speakers too early! 

 

Wayne Gersen