Who is Old Joe Russell?

We are fortunate to be treated to another slice of local history served up by Jim Grant. His topic is “Old Joe Russell.” Jim never fails to inform and entertain us, and the insight he provides cannot be found with Google. So who is Old Joe Russell? Come to our meeting and find out!

Bowling for Rotary
Special thanks goes to Barbara Miller and her bowling team for representing Peterborough Rotary at the fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters. The team included Rotarians Pat Foley, Bob MacDonald, and John Kaufhold, along with exchange students John and Justin. The Peterborough Rotary Charitable Fund supported the event with a $500 contribution.

Charitable Trustees to be Nominated
Speaking of the Peterborough Rotary Charitable Fund, the terms for two seats on the board of trustees are about to end. As per the declaration of trust, the club’s board of directors will nominate and announce two candidates at least 30 days before the club must vote. If you would like to put a name forward for consideration, let Dennis Allen or Pam Brenner know before the next board meeting, which is Thursday, May 16.

Wilder-Rotary Park Update
The park committee has been very busy, and the fence installation already is underway. Also, many of the plantings we put in last year are waking up nicely to their second spring. With each passing week, the park keeps getting better. Details for benches, tables, and historical markers are being finalized, and all should be in place by early to mid summer. Thank you, Pam Brenner, David Drasba, Bob Hanson, and John Kaufhold for all the work you have done to make Wilder-Rotary Park become a reality. And a big thank-you goes to Mike Crowe, who has helped with the fencing and benches and provided creative ideas and support.

Please come meet Phil Wyzik, CEO of Monadnock Family Services, and hear what he has to say about his organization. As you may know, Monadnock Family Services fosters mental and emotional wellness for nearly 7,500 Monadnock community members, of all ages, each year through its programs and locations in Keene, Peterborough, Antrim, Jaffrey, Walpole, and Winchester.

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2013 Peterborough Rotary Teacher of the Year Award Update

Thanks to the thoughtful leadership of our scholarship committee—Rick Hartman, Shep Bartlett, and Chris Brown—the board of directors adopted a new set of guidelines for the 2013 Teacher of the Year Award, and the details follow a little later, below.

The reason for the change is to breathe new life in a program that was in danger of becoming just another Rotary program, where its meaning and importance might have been be lost. So why, you may ask, is the Teacher of the Year Award important to Peterborough Rotary? Well, it’s really all about the kids. Many of us are lucky enough to have experienced that exceptional teacher in our life whose impact was more than merely positive—it was transformative. Our hope is that if we recognize such exceptional teachers today, if we place them on a pedestal for a moment for all to see, then perhaps other teachers might see traits and teaching methods worthy of emulating, to the benefit of even more students. Simply put, there may be no more important thing we do than help the youth of our community, and that is why the Teacher of the Year Award is so important to Peterborough Rotary.

The principal points of the new program are that it will be open to all ConVal teachers, with criteria based on Rotary values, and with the stipulation that the award money be used in the classroom. Here are the details:

Peterborough Rotary Club
2013 Teacher of the Year Award

Award: $1,000 for use in the Classroom
Eligibility: All ConVal teachers

Criteria for Award

The award will be given to a teacher who:

1. Demonstrates inspired teaching and a high level of professional excellence.
2. Understands the needs of individual students and encourages them to develop the skills
3. necessary to be successful.
4. Has a thorough knowledge of the subject matter and the ability to share it with students.
5. Demonstrates the importance of lifelong learning through his or her own intellectual growth
6. and fosters cooperative relationships with colleagues.
7. Participates in extracurricular and community activities, with examples.
8. Exemplifies by personal conduct the Principles of Rotary as stated in the Four Way Test:
   • Is it the Truth?
   • Is it Fair to all concerned?
   • Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships?
   • Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?

Sheila Mahon and Heather Prieto will speak on Project SEARCH at our meeting Monday, April 29. Project SEARCH in the Monadnock Region provides vocational training to individuals receiviing services from Monadnock Developmental Services. The foundation of the program is workplace immersion, and participants learn skills through a series of internships, currently hosted at Cheshire Medical Center / Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene. Each participant receives individualized training and job placement support from Project SEARCH staff.

Please join your Rotary friends and learn about this worthwhile program.

Author, lecturer, and consultant Dr. Glen W. Swanson returns to our Peterborough Rotary Club on Monday, April 22, to discuss his revised book, Storm Clouds over Iraq. First published in January 2003—two months prior to America's invasion of Iraq—the revised and expanded version, subtitled “The Road to War: a Disturbingly Prescient Study of Misinformation and Cultural Ignorance,” was released as an eBook to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

Also, in commemoration of Earth Day, and drawing on his experience as a former Earth Day USA Corporate Liaison to Fortune 500 companies, Glen will address the question: Are we conquerors or stewards of the lands in which we live?

Be sure to attend Rotary on Monday, April 25, for the Four-Way Speech Contest. ConVal student orators will present what Rotary’s Four-Way Test means to them. Andy Peterson will organize and oversee the judging. This annual event often inspires, entertains, and even reminds us just why we are Rotarians.

Of the things we think, say or do

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?

Meeting at ConVal High School

We will hold our meeting at ConVal High School and tour the brand new gymnasium!

Be among the first to see this exciting new facility! Please arrive at the school’s main office to check in, and you will be escorted to the Distance Learning Center (DLC), where we will have lunch and conduct our meeting, followed by the tour. Interact students will be on hand to hello, so please welcome them to your table.

The program will be presented by Principal Brian Pickering and Athletic Director Jon Hall. Brian Pickering has been involved in New Hampshire education for the past 23 years. During that time he has been a teacher, a coach, head of the athletic department, and an assistant principal. Brian is in his third year as principal. And Jon Hall is in his sixth year as the ConVal Athletic Director, and he has been involved in public education in New Hampshire for 17 years as a teacher, coach, and administrator.

A separate email with more details about logistics is forthcoming.

We will NOT meet at the Monadnock Country Club this week.

Pancake Breakfast Huge Success

A quick look back…
There we were a year ago, with the attendance for the pancake breakfast headed south, and having burned out nearly everyone who had ever taken charge of the event, asking the question whether, after 40 years, our primary annual fundraiser had run its course. The problem, though, was we had no good idea of how to replace it. Fortunately, Ted Renna cut through the haze and suggested creating a more permanent committee to run the event, share the burden, and eliminate the burn-out. Better still, he and Laura Gingras agreed to co-chair that committee. So far, so good—two people with considerable skills were ready to recruit a committee and heal the ills of the pancake breakfast.

As soon as they had recruited other talented members to form Team Pancake, however, word came that our old venue would not be available. Suddenly, the outlook for the pancake breakfast had taken a turn for the worse. Picture it this way: We had a dying patient (the pancake breakfast) on the surgical table, and the lights went out in the operating room. That could well have been the end, and we might have seen the loss as merely an inevitable passing.

As it turns out, that is not how Ted, Laura, and Team Pancake think. They surveyed the situation and saw an opportunity to relaunch the breakfast at a new venue—trying new ideas while keeping the best of what had been done before—and moved forward. And they succeeded.

Thanks to Team Pancake and everyone who participated, fundraising exceeded our original goal, attendance was up over the last two years, attendees loved the new venue, the operation was the smoothest in recent memory, and from all reports, everyone had a good time. Now, it looks like our patient is out of danger and on the road to a full recovery.

Thank you Team Pancake—Ted, Laura, Barbara Miller, Dick Fernald, Jeff King, Kim Chandler, Nils Bergstrom, Pam Brenner, Paul Faber, John Kaufhold, and Owen Ellerkamp—for your optimism and diligence. Thank you Peterborough Rotary members and families, potential members, and houseguests who showed up to help at the event or contributed in other ways. Thank you ConVal Interact for your help in directing guests to the cafeteria. Thank you Boy Scouts for your help with the Easter Bunny, bussing tables, and lending a hand wherever needed. Thank you to the professionals in the ConVal kitchen for your help and guidance in improving our cooking and serving skills. And thank you sponsors for your deeply appreciated support and demonstrable commitment to our community. Together, through your combined efforts, you raised nearly $15,000 that will support Peterborough Rotary’s many worthy projects, including scholarships, teacher of the year, Operation Santa, local food banks, youth exchange, and more.

I am so very proud and blessed to be associated with each of you.

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Focus on the Theatrical Arts

Our community is so very lucky to have a professional theatre in the area. Luckier still that it is the Peterborough Players. Our featured speaker Monday, April 1, will be Keith Stevens, managing director of the Peterborough Players. He will provide an update on the Players’ housing initiative and discuss the upcoming season.

Please join your Rotary friends to hear what is happening at the Peterborough Players.

The pancake breakfast is next Sunday, and we have nearly met our fundraising goal! If you have not already done so, please make plans to come and join the fun of helping. Everyone has a great time at this event! Meanwhile, the last pancake committee meeting and update will be at our Monday meeting.

Our guest speaker will be Meg Williams, director of the Well School, along with Molly Fair Badrawy. Come find out what is happening at the well-known area school.

For over 75 years, students and host families have broadened their horizons through Rotary Youth Exchange. More than 80 countries and over 8,000 students each year participate in the program, which is administered at the regional level by Rotary districts and at the local level by Rotary clubs. This week, Peterborough Rotary’s inbound student, Johannes (John) Brandstaetter will make his formal presentation to our club.

John has attended several of our meetings, and if you have not had a chance to get to know him, Monday will be an excellent opportunity to do so. John’s presentation will be preceded by an overview and update on our exchange program by Bob MacDonald.

Please come, and let’s ensure John has a great memory of our club to share when he returns home.

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Great news!
We have $20,225 in pledges for Wilder Rotary Park—just over our original goal. Although many contributed or helped in the fundraising, President-Elect Pam Brenner's leadership was instrumental in achieving our goal. Pam saw an opportunity, seized it, and led her team—notably, Dave Drasba, Bob Hanson, and John Kaufhold—to a clear success.

Thank you, Pam, and thank you, Dave, Bob, John, and everyone else who participated!

The countdown to our annual pancake breakfast continues.
Just two more weeks!

If you haven’t had a chance to sign up on the event duty roster, be sure to touch base with Laura or Ted, and let them know you want to help.

Reminder...
Our regularly scheduled board meeting will be this Thusday, March 21, from noon to 1:30 PM at the Peterborough Recreation Department.

Oh boy, we are in for a treat this week…
Jim Grant is our featured speaker, and his topic is “Peterborough Then and Now.” As you know, Jim always provides an interesting program with information you won’t get anywhere else.

See you there!

_________________________________

Great progress is being made with preparation for our Annual Pancake Breakfast, and Ted Renna will bring everyone up to date.

Remember, if you have not yet picked up your pancake breakfast tickets, be sure to do so at the meeting. An envelope containing ten $5 tickets was prepared for each member. You can sell or donate them as you wish. Please make your check out for $50 to “The Peterborough Rotary Charitable Fund.” Treasurer Donna Hanley is receiving and tracking those funds.

It seems like everywhere we find mentoring programs for young people, we find a Rotarian leading the way. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Western New Hampshire is no exception. The Executive Director, Phil Hueber, is a past-President of the Brattleboro, Vermont, Rotary Club, a Paul Harris award recipient, and a co-founder of Pure Water for the World.

As you know, Big Brothers Big Sisters is a wonderful organization helping kids who face adversity find a path to a better future. Phil loves telling their stories, and we are fortunate to have the opportunity to hear some of them Monday, when Phil will be out featured speaker.

By the way, Phil and his wife, Judy, are no strangers to the area—they moved to Chesterfield 25 years ago, when they purchased the Chesterfield Inn. They've expanded the Inn over the years by adding guest rooms and creating a restaurant. Chesterfield Inn is now recognized as one of the finest Country Inns in New England. Phil is a graduate of Princeton University and the New York University School of Business.

Please come meet Phil Hueber and learn more about the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

_________________________________ 

Pancake breakfast just 4 weeks away!
You will also want to attend to hear the updates from our Pancake Breakfast Committee. Ted, Laura, the other committee members and more have been busy making all the arrangements and contacting potential sponsors. The sponsorship money is beginning to roll in, and the organization effort has been outstanding. Thank you and congratulations Team Pancake!

The Boy Scouts of America has played a key role in the development of young men for more than a century. The organization and its scouts are an undeniable and integral part of modern American culture—on par with apple pie, the American flag, and the girl next door. Moreover, being a “boy scout” connotes uncommon virtue in a common world.

How did all that come to be? Come meet Brian Shankey, the Assistant Director of Field Services with the Daniel Webster Council, Boy Scouts of America, and hear what he has to say about the Boy Scout programs and facilities in New Hampshire.    

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News from Carol and Dick Stephens in France…
Peterborough Club banner is hung in European truffle dinner event.

“Thought you would enjoy seeing the banner.  The event was first class.  Music. The best truffles.  Dinner started at 8PM and was still going on after we left at 12:45pm.... Food was superb.  We had 2 truffle events today.  Check out my facebook for more photos.

https://www.facebook.com/ChezCarol

Hugs... carol”

Maybe it is time-appropriate that our program this week prelude Valentine’s day. After all, the patron saint of love, St. Valentine, is also the patron saint of young people. More to the point, our program this week will present our club with a challenge based on our collective love for the young people of our community—and test our energy, as a club, to demonstrate that love by helping young people who most need help.

Andy Peterson will present the results of his fact-finding committee, which evaluated the need and feasibility to conduct a Camp Quest, similar to that of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary. The program is promising and achievable, but only with hands-on participation from all of us. Please come willing to learn and ask questions. Whether the program goes forward is entirely up to the membership, determined by the willingness of each of us to take part and help.

Frankly, some folks have suggested that our club does not have the energy to pull this off. Whether that is true, only you can say. I only ask that while you evaluate the merit of the program and your potential involvement, please consider this simple thought:
Can love be realized if not evidenced by action?

Did you know that the Peterborough Food Pantry serves 300 families per month?

Please come to hear Christine Mann, President of the Peterborough Human Services Fund, provide an update on the Peterborough Food Pantry and how the fund supports it and provides emergency aid to area people in need.

Have you seen “All About Town,” the program hosted by Pam Brenner and Barbara Miller? You can find it at LocalLookPeterborough.com. It’s a neat series that provides a friendly look at many facets of our town. The production is handled by Bill Smith of InHaus Media, a NH web design and marketing firm also located in Peterborough. Please come to hear Bill Smith speak about that program.

Another reason to come is to recognize Dick Adler’s past contributions to Rotary. Marie Adler will join us to acknowledge that recognition.

Many of the needs of our community are often hidden—though not purposely—from our everyday view. Yet those needs exist, and while the town does its best to meet them, a little enlightenment may be in order. Come learn about the “Critical Human Service Needs Facing Our Community" from Nicole MacStay, Director of Human Services (as well as Assistant Town Administrator) for the Town of Peterborough. She will discuss her responsibilities and paint a picture of those critical needs facing our community today.

* * *

Flu Precautions

Contrary to the inferences of media reports about the flu, there is no need to panic. However, a little common sense is always in order. In support of the latter, hand sanitizer will be available at a table preceding the lunch buffet at our meetings. Using the hand sanitizer before handling the serving utensils, well, just makes sense and is considerate to the folks who follow.

Welcome to 2013!
 
A great way to start our first meeting of the new year is with a discussion of scholarships for Conval students. Please come hear Judy Tomlinson, Executive Director of ConVal Community Scholarship Foundation (CVCSF), explain the role her foundation plays in the community. You might remember that CVCSF was started a few years ago by fellow Rotarian John Vance, and our charitable trust has supported CVCSF.
 
And as if that were not reason enough to attend, it has been three whole weeks since we have enjoyed the fellowship of our group—and three long weeks without one of Peter Robinson’s delicious hot meals!

See you there!

Our nation mourns the needless and tragic loss of so many innocent children and others in Newtown, Connecticut. We are moved to find answers that replace dissonance with reason—though that reason may prove elusive. We also hope to learn how we might prevent such a nightmare from happening ever again. Only time will tell.

For now, time has yielded a cautionary tale about tragic event a few years old. It is a very personal account told by our own Donna Hanley, our featured speaker. It is a story she has shared with high schools, middle schools, and more, in hopes that other children might avoid her son’s fate. Please come to learn from Donna’s very moving story.

Just a Reminder…
Our next meeting will be in three weeks, on January 7th.

Though our current sorrow may be unavoidable, there is always reason for faith and hope. With that in mind, may the remaining holidays be joyous for you and your friends and loved ones, and may your new year be very bright, indeed.

Come hear a joyful noise, as the Conval Choir presents its annual holiday program to our club!

With the holidays upon us, and 2012 nearing its end, how fantastically fitting it is to celebrate with our community’s vocally talented youth. And with fiscal cliffs and other looming realities, how lucky we are to glimpse the innocent hope these young people have for the coming year and beyond so that we might be reminded to do all we can to keep hope alive.

How can we keep hope alive? You are already doing it—filling a 14-foot truck with clothes for Hurricane Sandy victims and allocating money to the Red Cross for Sandy assistance; fulfilling a gift card and volunteering time for Operation Santa; organizing a pancake breakfast to fund charitable activities; reclaiming a lost lot and building a public park in one of Peterborough’s most beautiful, scenic sites; supporting an active youth exchange program; sponsoring and reinvigorating the Conval Interact Club; and the list goes on.

Should we do more? Many are doing all they can already, and nothing more is expected. However, not everyone has had an opportunity to participate directly, and there are still others who would like to do more. So here are just a couple suggestions. First, consider making a tax-deductible donation to The Peterborough Rotary Charitable Fund*, either as a general donation or as an earmark toward Wilder Rotary Park—perhaps for a section of commemorative fence or a bench, though no amount is too small to help. Second, think about joining in the last effort to finally eradicate polio by contributing (also tax-deductible) to the Rotary Foundation**.

Thank you for all you do to keep hope alive.

*To donate, make your check payable to “The Peterborough Rotary Charitable Fund” and give it to Treasurer Donna Hanley. To sponsor a section of commemorative fence or park bench, please see President-Elect Pan Brenner for details.

 **You can donate to Rotary Foundation online at:
www.rotary.org/FOUNDATION

Coming in April of 2013…

Drawing from the long tradition of the...

    Arts! Film makers!

        Directors! And producers!

                Who have made this region home…

The debut of the…

    Monadnock International
    Film Festival!

Please come Monday to hear Laina Barakat, Director of the Monadnock International Film Festival, talk about this brand new, exciting and ambitious festival coming to the Monadnock region.

Also coming soon…
Next week, December 10th, the Conval Choir will perform for us. This is always a fun holiday program. As always, you are encouraged to bring a guest to enjoy the music!

You may recall that Rotary International gave special recognition to the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club’s Camp Quest summer camp for 75 Jaffrey-Rindge Middle School students. This week, we are fortunate to have as our featured speaker one of the guiding lights of that program, Tonya Albee, who will provide details and insights as to how it came about and how it works.

Of all the things Rotarians do, those that have a positive impact on young people are surely the greatest. So please come to hear firsthand how our sister club creates just such an impact. And who knows, maybe Tonya’s talk will be a springboard for ideas for our club.

Just a reminder…
In honor of Veteran’s Day, there will be no meeting November 12th. Our next meeting will be November 19th, and President Elect Pam Brenner will preside.

Please come hear Lee Nyquist, candidate for New Hampshire’s 9th Senate district, speak on his views of the state and the impact he hopes to have. Lee belongs to the Manchester Rotary Clun, and you might remember him from his recent visit to our club. He is currently an attorney with Shaheen & Gordon, and served as town moderator for New Boston for 20 years.

About Hurricane Sandy…
As this was written, it appeared that Sandy would not prevent our meeting. That situation could, of course, change. If Monday morning presents a need to cancel the club meeting, a notice will be sent to members via email. So please be sure to monitor your email account Monday morning. An email will be sent only if the meeting is canceled.

Doubleheader at Rotary!
We have two very special programs that you don’t want to miss. We will have AARP’s New Hampshire State Director, Kelly Clark, who will speak on Social Security and Medicare. And we will have the Honorable Charlie Bass, U.S. Representative for the New Hampshire’s second district, who will provide a legislative update and talk about issues in the congressional race. It is worth noting that Congressman Bass was a member of the Peterborough Rotary before helping found the Monadnock club, and for many years he actively participated—that is, worked in the hot kitchen—at our Easter pancake breakfasts.

To accommodate the two programs, we will conduct an abbreviated business meeting during lunch, to allow both speakers adequate time. Please arrive on time, so that we can start right away.

And yes, as we approach Election Day, many of our recent and upcoming programs contain political content. Our club has a long tradition of providing a venue for holders and seekers of major offices and for others who can contribute to our knowledge base on important issues. We make every effort to accommodate those on either side of the issues—and to always be fair to all concerned. As business and community leaders, there is no better group of people than our group of Rotarians to effectively evaluate such information—because there is no group more concerned about the welfare of our society.

Paul Schlieben Dedication for Cornucopia Community Garden Shed
On Friday, October 26, at 4:30, we will celebrate the Paul Schlieben plaque for the Cornucopia Community Garden Shed. The ceremony will be at the new community garden, next to the community center (old armory building) on Elm Street. The Peterborough Rotary Charitable Trust contributed $1,500 toward the construction of the building. Because the shed will be used as a place of learning, it is only fitting that Paul Schlieben’s name be associated with it. As all of you remember, Paul had a gift of leading people to discover their own conclusions. Many of us learned a great deal from Paul.

Paul’s children, Roy and Jess, will attend, and Roy Schlieben will say a few words.

Please come.

In the heart of southwest New Hampshire, one of the state's most picturesque regions, are the tree covered ridges and valleys of Shieling Forest—and that’s where we will meet on Monday, October 15th (see directions, below).

The Shieling Forest was a gift to the State of New Hampshire by the late Mrs. Elizabeth Yates McGreal. Mrs. McGreal was a longtime resident of Peterborough and a nationally known writer whose concerns ranged from books, libraries and work for the blind, to forests and their proper use. In addition to her gift of 47 acres of land with buildings to the State of New Hampshire in 1980, Mrs. McGreal established a trust fund to help defray the costs of maintenance and operation of the Shieling Forest. This trust is managed by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Shieling Forest is operated by the Division of Forests and Lands of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED), to stimulate public interest and knowledge on properly managing small private forests and related natural resources.

A.J. Dupere, Community Forester with the NH Division of Forests and Lands, will talk about the renovated Shieling Forest Visitor Center, DRED and Forests and Lands and how they all fit together.

DIRECTIONS
Please join us as Monday, October 15, at the Shieling Forest Visitor Center. Directions from downtown Peterborough are:
Head north on 202 make a right turn just past Brady's Bar & Grill onto Parmalee Drive at the first rotary make the first right onto Old Street Road, go about 200 yards and the parking lot for the Shieling Forest Visitor Center is on your left.
Click Here for a map

River Card Room Proceeds
The numbers are in, and according to Pat Foley, our take was $7,835 for this fundraiser. Thanks to everyone who supported it, and most of all, thank you, Pat, for making this event happen! The proceeds will go directly to charitable trust for help with all the programs we provide and support.

More Fun in Fundraising
It is time to begin planning our annual Pancake Breakfast, and a perfect time to get involved! Co-chairs Ted Renna and Laura Gingras are looking for a few good men and women to serve on the Pancake Breakfast Committee. As you know, the breakfast is our primary fundraiser, and its success is critical to our club’s ability to fund our scholarships, youth exchange, and other great programs.  And with Ted and Laura at the help, you can bet that it will be a fun, get-things-done kind of committee.

Want you please give them a hand in planning this important event?

This week we are delighted to have Jan Eaton, Director Of Marketing & Resident Services for Rivermead, join us to talk about the new Rivermead campus. Please come hear her update on the progress being made at one of the jewels of Peterborough.

And if you come, you may be in luck to purchase any remaining mums being sold by the Interact club. Fall is in the air, and it is a great time to stock up mums for your home. And you will be helping local Interact members raise money to travel to El Salvador to help build homes for those in need.

Please join us Monday for a legislative update from NH Senator Andy Sanborn, who represents the 9th district, to which Peterborough now belongs. He is perhaps best known for his campaign to repeal the so-called “LLC tax,” which was opposed almost universally by New Hampshire small businesses.

Born and raised in Lebanon, NH, Andy Sanborn is a 4th generation New Hampshire native. A graduate of New England College in Henniker, he focused his business degree on Finance, Economics, and Marketing. After college, Mr. Sanborn spent 15 years working in the New Hampshire Commercial Lending industry going as far back as Indian Head Bank, and he finished his corporate finance career in Chicago, overseeing a large international leasing company.

Legislative updates are a tradition at our club, so please come ready to listen and prepared with your questions!

We have a special program this week that you will not want to miss!

Have you ever had an occasion to ask, “Why Rotary?” Or if you want to learn more about Rotary beyond our own club, then this program is especially for you. Our special speaker, District Governor Anthony Gilmore, will join us to share his thoughts on Rotary and his vision for our district. Tony brings creativity, enthusiasm, and perhaps a spirit of entrepreneurship to our Rotary district. I am also delighted to announce that Assistant District Governor Doug Rupert will join us, too.

Just a reminder…
Don’t forget that Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary will have Robert Putnam, Harvard Professor of Public Policy, speak on “Emerging Trends in Economic Opportunity in America” on Aug 23rd. (Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary meets at the Shattuck golf club at 7:30 AM.)

Offsite Meeting
Our meeting on August 13, 2012, will be at Brantwood Camp, when we make our annual trek to visit the boys and girls camp. We will meet in The Commons dining hall of the girls camp, and hear an update on Brantwood Camp’s activities. Lunch will be served, and we will have our regular club meeting.

Directions:
Heading north on Rt. 202, take a right onto Sand Hill Road (directly after Woodman’s Florist). Go 3.9 miles up Sand Hill Road and the entrance to Brantwood Camp will be on your left. Follow the signs to the girls camp and The Commons dining hall.

Our club has long supported Brantwood Camp, and over the years, some of the directors have been members of our club. Brantwood Camp is a summer camp for boys and girls, and it enrolls campers who are between the ages of 11 and 15 from Boston, New York City, Jersey City, Hartford, and urban areas of New Hampshire who might not otherwise have an opportunity to attend summer camp.

Since 1904, boys have enjoyed the active, residential summer camping experience surrounded by the beautiful hills and woods of Peterborough, NH. Brantwood for Girls opened in 1982, a mile away from the boys camp. Every summer, Brantwood serves 365 campers, with each camp offering three 16-day terms. Campers are recommended and sponsored by social service agencies, schools, churches, and a variety of youth organizations.

Thanks go to John Goodhue for helping to arrange this annual off-site meeting!

Harvard Professor of Public Policy to Speak at Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary
Our good friend David Tower of Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary invites you to hear Robert Putnam, Harvard Professor of Public Policy and author of 14 books (Bowling Alone, American Grace, and more), who will be speaking at the Jaffrey-Rindge club on Aug 23rd.  His topic will be “Emerging Trends in Economic Opportunity in America,” based on research he is doing for a new book.

In the summer months, including August 23rd, Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary meets at the Shattuck golf club at 7:30 AM. Please join me in visiting our sister club.

St. Gaudens Curator returns to Peterborough Library September 11
Dr. Henry Duffy, Museum Curator of the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, as well the home, studio, and gardens of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, returns to the Peterborough Library at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, September 11, for Part II of the talk he began on April 24th. Emphasis will be on visual presentation of the great sculptor’s work and the site where most of it was done. This is a continuation of our library’s “Talks on Tuesdays” program, which began in spring. The collection at the Cornish site includes the contents of the home, studio and gardens, and examples of the sculptor’s monumental works—the Shaw Memorial, Admiral Farragut, Lincoln, The Puritan, Generals Logan and Sherman, Diana of the Tower, the Adams Memorial and others. A frequent lecturer on topics related to historic preservation, Dr. Duffy has been the Saint-Gaudens Curator since 1998. Van McLeod, Commissioner of New Hampshire Cultural Resources, reminds us that the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site is one of our state’s greatest cultural treasures; a destination place for tourists from all over the world.

The public is invited to attend. Admission is free. Refreshments will be served. Charitable contributions to Peterborough Library Trustees will be gratefully received. For information call 924-8040

Another “Talks on Tuesdays” program coming up will be Michael York, our State Librarian, on Tuesday evening, October 2, with a talk on E-readers and new technology in New Hampshire libraries—a timely report, given public forums on plans for a new Peterborough library expected to follow.

It is the kind of ride that none of us hope to take—to a hospital in an ambulance. But when it happens, we depend on emergency medical care to ensure we get there. That kind of care requires more than a van with stretcher and a volunteer rushing in with a stethoscope. When life is at stake, you need an emergency room on wheels with an on-duty, professionally trained medic. Peterborough now provides that level of ambulance service—and without a burden to taxpayers. Moreover, Peterborough’s ambulance is now recognized for providing cutting-edge critical care ambulance services.

How did this happen? It is a classic lemonade-from-lemons story that began when St. Joseph’s Hospital decided to close its Rockingham Ambulance service, which had been providing hospital-to-hospital transfers for Monadnock Community Hospital (MCH). With Rockingham gone, the prospects of calling and waiting on an ambulance service based in Massachusetts to take, say, critical heart-attack patients from MCH to Catholic Medical Center were less than appealing.  Through the vision of Fire Chief Joseph Lenox and his team, the guidance of Town Administrator Pam Brenner, and the foresight of the board of selectmen, our town ambulance service stepped up to the plate.

The program, which started last October, not only filled the hospital-to-hospital void left by Rockingham’s departure, it also had the side benefit of greatly improving 911-emergency ambulance response time and enhancing the level of medical service to residents.  Again, with no taxpayer burden.  

Please join your Rotary friends on Monday to hear Jeremy Bouchard, Peterborough’s new Clinical Director for Ambulance Operations, speak about the town’s new ambulance transfer program. 

You will also want to be on hand to hear from several of the rebound students in our youth exchange. Bob MacDonald, Peter Robinson, and Laura Gingras devote a lot of time and energy into making our exchange program work. Come hear for yourself what the exchange students think of the program.

Can research universities contribute to economy?
Before you answer that question, consider the story of how we all use the Internet—chiefly, through a browser. Well, Microsoft did not invent the Internet browser. Neither did Apple. Go back in time—even before Netscape—to something called Mosaic. Mosaic was the first significant web browser to integrate images in line with text.  Before Mosaic, the Internet was not much more than a set of pipes that carried data for techies. In fact, before Mosaic, most folks had never heard of the Internet. That ability, however, to show pictures with text was the foundation of online selling. So you could say that Mosaic gave birth to the online commerce and the Internet as we know it today. And it was the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois that gave birth to Mosaic.

Want to hear other examples? Join us Monday, July 30th, to hear what John S. Swartley, MBA, PhD, has to say. Dr. Swartley is Senior Director of New Ventures at the Center for Technology Transfer at the University of Pennsylvania, where he leads a team that fosters new ventures based on Penn technologies and expertise. He has also served in similar roles at Baylor College of Medicine and Yale University. And he has been involved in more than two dozen university spin-out companies that have collectively raised nearly one billion dollars of investment capital.

His talk should be fascinating.

Getting back to the Internet…
Have you visited our club’s website? Did you know that we can upload photos, add news and other stories about club activities, access and store club documents, and even use it to sign up for club events? All that is possible, and more—if we choose to use it. Here’s the thing, though: Committee chairs and members have to contribute that content. So if you are involved with a club committee, and you have photos, news, or other information to share, please add it to the website. And don’t be intimidated if you don’t know how, because right now very few do. It is really easy, though, and there is someone who can help you. Just let me know, and Cole Royal, Tom Westheimer, or I will step you through the easy process—all you need is a web browser.

A peaceful and connected world is the vision of the Mariposa Museum. And its pathway to reach that vision is through understanding and celebrating the cultures of the world. Please attend Monday, July 9th, to hear the Executive Director of the Mariposa Museum, Karla Hostetler, share her plans for this unique Peterborough resource.

As it happens, peace through service is the new Rotary International theme. What does it mean exactly? Sakuji Tanaka, president of Rotary International, purposely leaves that meaning to be defined by each individual Rotarian. However, he does say, "Peace is not something that can only be achieved through agreements, by governments, or through heroic struggles. It is something that we can find and that we can achieve, every day and in many simple ways."

Or as 20th-century humanitarian Eartha White, a child of a former slave, put it as she channeled the thoughts of 18th-century theologian John Wesley:

Do all the good you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
For all the people you can,
While you can.

It is all about the kids. That’s why we recognize a Teacher of the Year. The ability to kindle that spark for knowledge, to shape answers into questions, to distil useful facts from a glut of information, and to jigsaw complexities into simple pieces that fit together easily —those teaching talents affect kids positively and profoundly. And those applied talents deserve recognition.

At our meeting Monday, June 11, we will present our Teacher of the Year award. This year, the award will be shared by two teachers. The co-recipients will be introduced by Holly Blanchette, a 6th grade teacher at the Great Brook School, and Tim Clark, an English teacher at Conval High School.

If any day in which you can create a positive impact for young people is a good day, then our club is on a roll. On Wednesday, our club awarded scholarships to two Conval students, and on Friday, it was the ice cream social for Mountain Shadows School.

Rick Hartman and the scholarship committee—including Shep Bartlett and Chris Brown—did an outstanding job in winnowing the applications and selecting two very remarkable students, Cierra Zaslowe-Dude and Bailey Englert. You may recognize Cierra as the president of Conval Interact, and who has visited our club often. Both young ladies will join us next week (June 18th), but meanwhile, you can click here to read more.

Jeff King and his team of ice cream scoopers created a lot of happy faces as they served the Mountain Shadows School kids. You can see for yourself by checking out the photo album on the main page of our website. A special thank you goes to Susan Mazzone and Ava Marie for help with the ice cream. Click here to read more.

Of the more than 700 communityfoundations nationwide, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is among theoldest and largest. And for nearly five decades, it has launched initiativesand built trusted partnerships with individuals, families, businesses,nonprofits and government agencies.

Please attend Monday to hear anupdate on the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation provide by President and CEO,Richard Ober, who in 2010, he was selected as one of the state’s mostinfluential people by Business New Hampshire Magazine.

Vote on Charitablte Trust Boardof Trustees

Another important reason toattend our June 4^th meeting is to vote on the new slate for thePeterborough Rotary Charitable Fund board of trustees. Having waited therequired time after announcing the nominations on April 30^th, theclub will vote on whether to accept the following members and their terms as nominated by theboard of directors:

Through June 30, 2013 (1 year+)
·Rick Hartman
· Dave Sobe

Through June 30, 2014 (2 years+)
·Pat Foley
· Bob Hanson
· Peter Robinson

Through June 30, 2015 (3 years+)
·Dick Chamberlain
· Paul Faber

 So please come for an excellent program and to take part in the vote!

Just a reminder…

There will be NO meeting on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28^th.

Enjoy the long weekend, and please take a few moments to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and our country.

We’ve talked a lot about The Peterborough Rotary Charitable Fund lately. And you probably know that it is the non-profit arm of our club. On a much bigger scale is the Rotary International Foundation, which is best known for its PolioPlus program, which is closing may actually end polio in our lifetime. What you may not know, however, is there are many more facets to Rotary International Foundation, such as support for local projects.

Alice Boucher, District Rotary Foundation Chair, will join us Monday to talk about the foundation, all the good it does, how we can participate, and how the foundation can help our club.

Please come hear this interesting program, and learn how our club and the foundation can work together.

Nothing happens without a committee…
Okay, that’s not just the punch line of a joke. In our professions, throughout life, and most certainly in Rotary, we accomplish more working together than alone. For each project to which our club commits, we depend on committee—a small band of volunteers—to see it through. Too often, though, the weight of a project falls on the shoulders of just one or two members. Maybe we haven’t done a good job of asking for help. And especially for new members, maybe we haven’t done a good job describing committee assignment opportunities.

I would like to correct all that beginning with the following:
First, we need your help. Most, though not all, committee we have can use more help. The duties vary, and some require only a small amount of time or are active for a short period. Of course, we all have busy, active lives, and none of us have time to participate in everything. And everyone in our club recognizes there are phases in our life when we simply have no time to contribute. That said, I do ask you to consider joining a committee or two. If you have the time and inclination, don’t stop at two. The more you get involved, the greater the reward. Not sure where to start? Just let me know your interest and ideas.

Second, here are a few committees you might want to consider:

 · Pancake Breakfast—our biggest fundraiser
 · Membership—go boldly and seek out new members to our club
 · Public Relations—let the world know what Peterborough Rotary does
 · IT & Website—maintain and advance our web presence
 · Holiday Decorating—deck the townhouse & bridges with boughs of...
 · Raffle & Auction—Shep’s annual fundraiser
 · Operation Santa—a gift for every needy tot
 · Programs & Speakers—work with members to develop programs
 · Youth Exchange—facillitate student foreign exchange program
 · And more!

Annual Raffle & Auction

This is it! You heard about, you read about it, andyou talked about it. On Monday, we will hold our Annual Raffle & Auction,and you won’t want to miss it!

Laura, Shep, and all everyone on the committee havebeen working hard to make this a fun event for all. The Guys and Gals, in aspirited competition, have contributed several gifts, including an iPad 2! Ifyou have not already done so, please bring a gift with a $20 minimum value. Becreative and make your gift a certificate for, say, an hour of your consultingand advice, use of your limo driver for a week, a personalized tour oflittle-known historic landmarks in the region, or anything useful or fun thatyou may be uniquely qualified to offer. This event will be great fun!

We will keep our business meeting to a minimum, sothat we will have plenty of time for the raffle and auction. Laura Gingras willbe auctioneer-in-chief, and Shep Barlett is in charge of the dancingentertainment. (Shep, you did hire the dancers, right?) With or without thedancers, there will be plenty of laughs, giggles, and great prizes and surprises.

And yes, this is a fundraiser, so bring your wallet.Better still, leave your wallet and bring your cash. As always, there are noexpectations other than to have a good time. Spend only as much or as little asyou like. There will be no pressure—only temptations of great buys, fabulousbargains, and well, maybe a thing or two from somebody’s attic that will intrigue us all.

See you there!

Please come Monday, April 30^th, to hear local historian Jim Grant speak on General Miller, one of Peterborough’s more famous residents. If you’ve never had a chance to attend a talk by Jim Grant, you will be in for a treat.

Wilder Rotary Park Planting

Be sure to sign up to help with the landscape planting at Wilder Rotary Park. The event will be Saturday morning, May 5^th. The boulders have been moved and arranged, and thanks to David Drasba, nearly 100 plants will be delivered and ready to make Wilder Rotary Park their new home. The plants will expertly arranged, each awaiting some kindly Rotarian to gently open the earth for planting, maybe even tell it a story before tucking the plant into its new bed. Bring a shovel and a rake, if you have them. Or just bring your gardening gloves, and join the fun of getting down and dirty with your fellow Rotarians!  Click here to see Wilder-Rotary Park photos

Nominations for Charitable Trust Board of Trustees

The executive board of directors has nominated seven worthy and qualified members who are committed to managing The Peterborough Rotary Charitable Fund. As you know, this is the 501(c)(3) non-profit entity to which our fundraising goes, and from which our charitable contributions and programs are paid.

The nominees are listed below and will be officially presented to the club on Monday, April 30^th. After a notification period, as required by the Declaration of Trust, a vote will be held at our regular meeting on Monday, June 4^th.

Please note that the terms are normally three years. However, because we are starting with a clean slate, and to ensure continuity of the board, the nominees are assigned to staggered terms. Also, so that the board of trustees can begin work right away, their initial terms will begin about four weeks prior to the customary July 1^st start of the Rotary year.

Nominated at the Rotary Board Meeting, April 26, 2012

Through June 30, 2013 (1 year+)
·         Rick Hartman
·         Dave Sobe

Through June 30, 2014 (2 years+)
·         Pat Foley
·         Bob Hanson
·         Peter Robinson

Through June 30, 2015 (3 years+)
·         Dick Chamberlain
·         Paul Faber

What is the new role of home healthcare in the nation's reforming healthcare system? Get that answer directly from a notable and local expert, Barbara Duckett, President/CEO of Home Healthcare, Hospice & Community Services (HCS). Barbara, who happens to be a fellow Rotarian with the Monadnock club, serves on the front line of the changes in home healthcare, so please come hear her firsthand views.

Welcome to Our New Caterer!

Be sure to come Monday to enjoy our first of many lunches provided by our new caterer.

Last week the club overwhelmingly chose Roy’s as our new caterer, beginning immediately. We appreciate all the businesses who tried out. All did a great job. In the end, though, a decision had to be made. We congratulate Peter Robinson, and we look forward to many delicious lunches from Roy’s.

This may be a good time to mention that while Roy’s will prepare to normally serve only a set number of members, that can be adjusted with a week’s notice. So if an upcoming program may attract several visiting Rotarians or other invited guests, all we need to do it let Peter know about a week in advance. Something to think about as we plan our programs and special events.

Thank you to Peter Cross and everyone on the catering committee for the excellent job of leading the club through the decision process!

Roadside Cleanup in the Bag

A big thank you also goes to Dick, Norm, Nils, Bob, Terra, Rain, Jade, Rebecca, Joan, and especially John, who planned the event, for cleaning up a section of Route 202 South. (Perhaps a thank you should also go to the biggest donors—all the smokers and drinkers—for their roadside contributions of cigarette packs, ashtray dumps, beer cans, beer bottles, and an astounding number of shot bottles that made the project necessary. But I digress.) It was a beautifully warm day for the outdoor task. And despite the uninvited ticks that tried to tag along for the walk, after all the bags had been filled, tied, and left behind, there was a warm shared feeling of accomplishment.

Membership Classifications

Remember when you joined Rotary, and you were given a classification? If you don’t recall, that’s okay, just check your Rotary badge to find it. One of the reasons Rotary uses classifications is to help ensure representation from all professions. Yes, there was a time when the classification system limited to membership to only one member for each classification, but that is no longer the case.

Have you ever noticed the classifications of other members? At the next meeting, please take a closer look at the badges of members, and ask them about it. Of course, you might be surprised by what you won’t find—a florist, graphics designer, or newspaper editor, for example. Or how about a landscaper, minister, or event planner? The list goes on.

The point is this: There are many worthy and dignified occupations that may not be represented in our club.

Should it stay that way?

Let me know your thoughts.

Our featured speaker for Monday is Paul Hardy, MD. Last week you had a brief opportunity to meet Paul when he visited our club. What you perhaps did not have a chance to learn is that Paul has been on the forefront in the research and treatment of autism. Be sure to come for this fascinating program. And since Paul is now practicing in Peterborough, be sure welcome Paul to Our Town.

Also, please be prepared to discuss and choose our new caterer! We have enjoyed a lot of good service and good food as we tried out each potential caterer. Each had its strengths, and choosing won’t be easy. So to help us chew through that tough decision, our catering committee has agreed to supply some tasty pizza.  With a successful catering choice, we can officially celebrate Monday as our last mandated-pizza lunch!

See you there!

We are delighted to have the president of Franklin Pierce University, James F. Birge, Ph.D., speak to our club on Monday. Peterborough has always felt a close connection with Franklin Pierce University—not just by its proximity, but also through one of Peterborough’s favorite citizens, Walter Peterson, who served as president of Franklin Pierce College for 20 years. This year marks the fifth anniversary for Franklin Pierce’s recognition as a university, and the 50^th anniversary of its original charter. Please come to hear Dr. Birge provide an update on our local university.

Also come with a cleansed palate as we hold our last caterer try-out. This week, our meal will be provided by Nonies. The following week, the catering committee will furnish pizza, and the club will deliberate and select its new caterer.

“Sing, Sing a Song….”

Okay, it was my fault that “America the Beautiful” got off to such a rocky, uh, I mean pitchy, start last Monday. It clearly would have qualified as a YouTube moment, but thankfully everyone had their cameras and smartphones put away. To avoid a total vocal meltdown again, Vice President Lynn, who has some professional singing experience, has graciously agreed to step up to the podium Monday and lead us in “America the Beautiful.”

“Here comes Peter Cottontail….”

If Gene Autry, who made that song famous, were still alive, he would probably be planning to attend our annual pancake breakfast Sunday. If you didn’t sign up on the task sheet, but your plans have changed so that you can lend a hand, please come join your friends at New Hampshire Ball Bearing. We can use your help. If you will be on your way to or from church with no time to change out of your Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes to work the griddle or do cleanup, we hope that you can at least come enjoy the breakfast!

“Getting to know you, getting to know all about you….”

Sticking with our music theme, have you had a chance to introduce yourself to our newest Rotary members, Tara Tarango and Nils Bergstrom? If not, perhaps you can do so before lunch or invite them to join your table. Remember what it was like when you were the new member? Let’s make sure that Tara and Nils feel at home, and let them know that we are honored to have them as members of our club.

Don’t miss our program, “Civics in Action,” presented by David C. Tencza, who is a prosecuting Assistant County Attorney, based in the Nashua office. (The program promises to be so interesting that an official summons was deemed unnecessary!)

And don’t forget that our catering try-outs continue. So far, and thanks to the folks on the catering committee, we’ve had excellent food and experiences from Sunflowers, Roy’s Market, and Dublin General Store. Next we have Aesop’s and Nonies, after which the club will discuss and vote—over pizza provided by the catering committee—who will be our new caterer. You don’t want to miss these next three meetings!

Rotary District Information Day

Several Peterborough members attended our Rotary district annual assembly. Peter Cross and John Goodhue were there absorbing as much as possible, and Pete seemed particularly interested in the session on public relations.

Bob MacDonald did an excellent job presenting the youth exchange program and inviting other clubs to get involved. As many of you know, Bob devotes an extraordinary amount of time to youth exchange program. Why does he do it? Well, just hang out with Bob at a Rotary event and watch an exchange student come up and thank him, and it’s not hard to figure out—the smiles on both their faces say it all.

Speaking of youth, Jeff King brought several Peterborough Interact members to meet their counterparts from other towns. (At our club meeting, we’ll ask Jeff to give us an update on our Interacters’s reaction to the assembly.) Surely, though, they were impressed, as everyone was, by the way in which the Keene Interact Club organized the entire event and provided the lunch! Thanks to Jeff’s efforts, the Peterborough Interact Club has taken a new breath of life. The next time these young men and women visit our club, please take a couple of moments to talk with. You will be amazed.

So just what is Rotary Information Day?

For our newer members, Rotary International is divided into districts. Our district (#7870) includes 60 clubs in southern New Hampshire and southern Vermont. Each year, about this time, our district holds an assembly and provides informational sessions on topics useful to any Rotary club. You can learn more about Rotary District 7870 at:

http://www.rotary7870.org/