Rotary Club Meeting Summary
Date and Time – 8/26/26, 7:15 am
Welcome and Opening Remarks
President Roger opened the meeting with the Pledge of Allegiance and the Four-Way Test:
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Membership and Roles
● Server Assignments: Greg volunteered to be the server for next week.
● Scribe: Tristam is scheduled to scribe next week.
● Greeters: Josh, and Will were thanked for their efforts in greeter roles.
Announcements:
● Garden Party - Melissa announced the regular meeting time of 10am Sunday
● Red Cross Blood Drive - Sept 15, 12pm-4:30pm. Dan circulated a sign-up list.
● Disc Golf Tournament - flyers were distributed to members for community posting
● Rescue Inc Flyers - present on tables to advertise their September Daily Raffle fundraiser.
● Words Trail/Trainstation - Will distributed a sign-up sheet for replenishing pamphlets at the public pamphlet holders.
● Rotary Website: Diane asked for ideas to replace the “30-For-30” Goals for the last year, which served as the heading for the Rotary Website. Tony discussed website placement options.
● Rotary Social Collab - Roger proposed a joint, social venture with the noontime group. Ideas were loosely discussed. It was mentioned that River and Rail Tavern opens Aug 26.
BREAKFAST BREAK
Significant Dates Announced:
● One year anniversary of Diane and Roger joining Sunrise Rotary
● Roger announced that Thurs would be the 26th year anniversary of meeting Diane.
Rotarians for Rotarians
● Greg talked about Tucker’s successful play on Aug 22, which included last-minute adjustments and heroic challenges.
Brags
Greg’s Brags
● Tucker’s Play
○ Greg talked about being extremely proud of Tucker’s ability to thrive under stress. and the success of last weekend’s weekend shows.
○ Greg also celebrated that his wife Ariel “said Yes” 26 years ago.
Mona’s Brags
● Recognition:
○ Celebrated her 9-year, wedding anniversary to Keith. They stayed home and stained their new front porch.
○ Praised the construction crew working outside her home for their patience, hard work and perseverance in their 2-day, intense road project.
Jon's Brags
● Personal Experience:
○ Jon mentioned that he and Kerry are empty-nesters again and took advantage of this by doing a 66 mile bike trek, originating at the Hartford Airport. He mentioned an interesting historical museum there - the Old Newgate Prison and copper mine in East Granby.
Bowl of Life:
● Question: “Who has always wanted an English Bulldog, but whose life isn’t ready for the commitment required?”
After many guesses, (and thousands of dollars raised for SunriseR,) the answer
was Londa
Guest Presentations:
Greg introduced the dual, guest speakers sharing the need and progress re: recovery housing
1. David Riegel, Executive Director for VFOR (Vermont Foundation for Recovery)
2. Elias Burgess, Executive Director for Turning Point, Windham County
Overview
● Both Elias and David presented their work on establishing stable housing for people in addictions recovery
Elias’ Presentation:
● Elias briefly shared his own experience in recovery and his rise to Executive Director at Turning Point - a peer support facility in downtown Brattleboro.
● He stressed the need for step-down housing to provide a safe foundation for people in early recovery.
● When people leave a treatment facility, they need a complete change of environment (changing “People, Places, and Things”) to support their sobriety. Step-down, recovery housing serves that function.
● Places like the defunct Phoenix House provided stable, safe, structured housing to support success in recovery.
● Elias discussed the need for more transition services and access to ongoing treatment in the community.
● Will asked what happened to Phoenix House? Elias discussed its closure during Covid and its purchase by a land spec company, who is vague about its future.
● Londa asked about Respite Programs to help reduce the load on Psychiatric hospitals. Elias answered that Springfield has a respite program, and he reiterated the need for more comprehensive services in the local community.
Dave’s Presentation:
● Dave introduced himself and his organization, VFOR, a network of recovery residences across Vermont.
● He described a typical residence as perhaps a six-bed residence where people in recovery hold each other accountable, work as part-time staff, receive one-to-one support, attend groups and meetings, and share meals and responsibilities.
● These residences actively build life skills, recovery “capital,” and stability “muscles” to successfully transition into the larger community.
● Dave discussed the network of 10 recovery homes, and 8 transition apartments, mostly in NW Vermont. He reported a goal of opening a recovery house in Brattleboro during 2027.
● VFOR has 150 members, the average length of stay was 6 months, and 77% of members transitioned into stable housing.
● For every dollar spent on VFOR, the estimated return on investment to the local community was $12 ROI.
● VFOR has 20 full-time employees, and provides career pathways for members.
Deck of Cards Raffle:
No winner this week
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, Sept 2, 2026