Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club Meeting Notes
December 10, 2025
7:15 AM – Welcome
7:15 AM – Welcome
This week's speaker: Desmond (Desi) Grace and Finley, of Peace Jam
- Call Meeting to Order
- Pledge of Allegiance
- Welcome GUESTS and Student Rotarians!
- Thanks to this week's servers: Melissa and Nick; 12/17 Server: [Not specified]
- Thanks to this week's scribe: Will; Next week's scribe (12/17): Sandy
- Thanks to this week's greeters: Josh & Will
- Thanks to Justin, our Sergeant at Arms
Announcements
12/09/25 Board Meeting Summary (held at Sandy Shriver's office):
- Discussion of meeting notes/minutes process—still a work in progress
- Vito agreed to place Rotary sign on restaurant’s post welcoming visitors
- Need to design the signs and determine permanence
Dinner Raffle:
- Sign Up Genius will be emailed after the meeting from Melissa
- Some gift cards secured; need help filling remaining spots
- Looking for gift cards in $50–$100 denomination
- Goal: Have all gift cards by 1/7/2026 Meeting
- Target: Valentine's Day drawing
- Proceeds go to scholarships plus other community organizations
- The club has returned $60K–$70K over the last 8 years through Disc Golf, Bingo, and the Dinner Raffle
- Sponsoring restaurants will be highlighted weekly on the club's Facebook page
Rotary Text Group:
- Sign-up sheet circulated for volunteer opps between meetings
Trivia – Monday, December 15th, 6:30 PM at the Legion:
- Benefiting Brattleboro Winter Carnival
- Londa created a trophy table for monthly champions
- Trophy passes to winning table each month
- Presentation from Nov trivia: $680 presented to Families First (includes trivia proceeds, winners' $50 donation, and 50/50 revenue)
- Julie Cunningham, Exec Director of Families First, spoke about mission serving children, youth, and adults with disabilities. Recently opened a 2nd office in Bennington with 23 new clients.
No meetings on 12/24 or 12/31
Thank You to MJ:
- Organized and wrapped gifts for Winston Prouty children
- 5 families and 9 kids served
- Delivering Friday morning
Blood Drive:
- 1/27/26 at the Holiday Inn
- Hosted by Sunrise Rotary
- Next week's speaker will be a Red Cross representative
- Sign Up Genius for donors and table volunteers
Rotary Pins – Sapphire Pin Presentations:
- Diane: 4th Sapphire Pin ($4K+ lifetime giving)
- Roger: 1st Sapphire Pin ($1K+ lifetime giving)
Honduras Scholarship Update (Tristan):
- Letter received from Jesi (graduating student from the school outside San Pedro Sula)
- Scholarship program has run for 8 years, started by Chris Darrow's daughter
- $1K/yr provided to qualified students identified by Director Sandra Rodriguez
- Jesi graduated in Nov and plans to study Systems Engineering at university
- Evelyn Sirois read the translated letter expressing gratitude for the scholarship
- Tristam Johnson is drafting budget/itinerary for potential club trip to Honduras to visit the school
- Next $1K contribution needed by late Jan/early Feb for next student
Other Announcements:
- International Committee members asked to stay 5 minutes after meeting
- Rotarians for Rotarians
7:25 AM – Social / Breakfast Break
Shortened to 5 minutes due to schedule
7:40 AM – Reconvene
Birthdays: None
Anniversaries:
- MJ: 12/7 – 3 years
- Diane: 12/2 – 5 years
Service: 30 for 30 – Celebrating 30 years of Service with 30 Acts of Kindness
New 30 for 30 items added (4 total):
- Winston's Prouty gift collecting – MJ led; club-wide participation collecting Christmas gifts
- Groundworks pie donations – Debra (pies), Melissa (100 biodeg containers * flatware), Kristin (stuffing)
- Downtown Brattleboro/Miniboro volunteering – Rog & Diane, and and Josh - ambassadors; Roger said displays were "better than Saks Fifth Avenue"
- CASP mail stuffing – Cmty Asylum Seeker Pgm mailing; MJ, Melissa, Debra, Josh
Additional Acts of Kindness Shared:
- Josh bought coffee for an entire truck of NYC firefighters
- Melissa bought lemon cake to a rescue location in NYC
- Josh donated $100 to First Night/Last Night Brattleboro on behalf of Rotary (coordinated with Betsy Gentile from Noontime Club and Carol from Parks & Rec)
Brags / "Service Above Self" Stories:
- Roger's Story: In Asheville, NC, Roger wore his Marine hat to dinner. A nearby couple celebrating a birthday secretly paid for Roger & Diane’s dinner. They left a note saying "Thank You Devil Dog" (nickname for Marines). It was around 11/10/25—the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps—and she wished him "Happy Birthday" for the Corps.
8:00 AM – Guest Speakers & BUHS Students Desi Grace and Finley ____ on PeaceJam Bike Drive
What is Peace Jam:
- BUHS Club focused on community involvement and service
- Project-based approach (1 or 2 projects a season)
- Recently completed: Fundraising for Women's Freedom Center
- Currently completing: Toy drive
Bike Drive Project:
- Created 3 years ago by Desi's brother, Peace Jam president
- Sunrise Rotary previously donated $250
- Also received grants from VEP and New England Grassroots Environmental Fund (total $2,250)
- Process: Collect donated bikes → Repair with help from local mechanics (Phil Greenleaf, Jason Cooper, Dave Cohen) → Give away free with helmets
- Stats:
- Year 1: Collected 40 bikes, gave away ~10
- Year 2: Gave away 33 bikes
- Year 3 (most recent): Gave away 25 bikes with helmets
- Growing success reaching homeless population for transportation needs
- Current challenge: Lost space at 134 Elliot Street (decommissioned cafe); need new storage and workspace
- Considering Boys and Girls Club as potential new location
Suggestions from Rotarians:
- Contact the noontime Rotary Club (meets Thursdays at noon at the American Legion) for additional funding
- Look into TJ Buckley's building or former motorcycle shop on Flat Street
- Connect with Carol at Parks & Rec as a resource
- Reach out to Leland & Gray bike repair/rehab project (full shop on campus; leader willing to volunteer time/resources)
- Hinsdale Elementary has an after-school bike club with a teacher
- Putney School also does bike programming
- Nick offered: Come back before spring drive for breakfast and promotion help through club social media and organizational connections
Finley's New Project – Soup Kitchen Support:
- Raising money for St. Bridget's and Fishes and Loaves soup kitchens
- Plan: Split donations—half as direct monetary donation (preferred by kitchens over food), half for basic necessities (jackets, blankets, hand warmers, pre-packaged meals, self-care items)
- Set up stands at kitchens to distribute supplies
- Planning a Bingo Night fundraiser (seeking advice from Sandy)
- Looking for an organization to provide matching donations
8:24 AM – Cards (Bowl of Light)
Question: "I once assisted a farmer in tree cleanup after an ice storm"
Guesses: Josh, MJ, Ben, Will Shakespeare, Mona, Dan, Sandy, Melissa, John B.
Answer: Justin
- Story: During a massive ice storm (~2010), helped father-in-law, a dairy farmer in Temple, NH, clear trees so he could reach the farm.
8:25 AM – Rotary Four-Way Test
8:30 AM – Wrap-up Meeting
Upcoming:
- 12/15: Trivia Night, 6:30 PM at the Legion (benefiting Brattleboro Winter Carnival)
- 12/17: Next meeting; Red Cross speaker; Sandy scribing
- 12/24 & 12/31: NO MEETINGS