Good day, all! Although it is not official yet, fall is here in my mind!  The colors are spectacular, temps are a bit nippy and I am adjusting the time when the automatic driveway lights turn on. Well, truth be told, Howard is doing that.  🙂  Can't have guests arriving for dinner or letting the dog out in the dark.  This is my favorite time of year, though, as I love flannel!

 

October is a good time of year for MRV Rotary as well. We get to ramp up to the Restaurant Raffle, make some adjustments in our calendar of meetings and switch up our meeting venues. All of this is enough to keep membership on its toes and asking, "so where and when are we meeting this week?"  

 

First, a great big thank you to Emily Shea and Tom Emory and everyone else who is helping to collect gift certificates for the Raffle. For those who are new, the Restaurant Raffle is one of our major fund raisers. We collect about 120 (I think) gift certificates and then later in the fall will sell raffle tickets where buyers will have a chance to win those gift certificates. This year, we are also doing what Rotary does so well and that is helping some  businesses who were affected in July floods by purchasing the gift certificates from them. The raffle drawing is in January. Soon all of us will have a chance to sign up to sell the raffle tickets and if you are lucky enough, you can stand outside Mehuron's and do so, warm drink in hand, bundled head to toe, just for the fun of it.  😜 

 

Now is also the time when we are making adjustments to where we meet as the Toast and Eggs tent has become a bit chilly at 7 a.m.  This week we will return to breakfast meetings at the Waitsfield Village Meeting House at the Waitsfield UCC.  We continue to be fortunate to have breakfast catered by Toast and Eggs.  The new option for our meetings is that you may elect to opt out of the meal and just attend the meeting.  Finding a regular, venue for our dinner meetings continues to be a challenge but thanks to Jane Macan we will have our October dinner meeting at the space above Valley Meade Dispensary on Wednesday, October 18 catered by Kitchenette. Thank you Emily Shea! Stay tuned for more information on this. If this plan works out, we will do the same for November dinner.  Moving onto December, save the date of Wednesday, December 13 for our annual holiday gathering at the Pitcher Inn in lieu of a dinner meeting. The current plan is for Zoom dinner meetings in January, February and March. Stay tuned.

 

Please remember that Board meetings are open to all members to attend. They are on Zoom the first Tuesday of the month and are a wonderful way for members to stay connected to all that is going on. A link to the Zoom should be on the calendar but if for some reason it is not, just reach out to a Board member who will send it to you. 

 

New Rotary T-shirts and hats are in stock now.  For those of you who ordered items from me and even if you did not, see me when you attend an upcoming meeting as I will have them with me.  If you have a child or grandchild who you would like one for, please simply ask me so that we can spread the good MRV Rotary word!

 

 

Volunteer opportunities abound right now. Being a Greeter at a meeting is always a great way to meet people. Delivering food for the Community Pantry takes very little time and is so appreciated. . You can sign up for either of those by copying and pasting this link in your browser. https://www.mrvrotary.org/page/members-only.  Thanks as always to Doug Stoehr for leading this effort.

 

Here is another good opportunity to spread the word about all that MRV Rotary is doing. We will be holding another Open House for those interested in learning more.

Where?  Emily's Bar and Bistro

When? Thursday, October 26, 5 - 7 p.m.

 

Please continue to send me photos and content stories of all of the good work all of you are doing to make this Valley the special place that it is!

 

Linda