Current Membership: 59 members
 
Hello Everyone:
 
Last Week:  We had a mini club assembly where we discussed our upcoming fundraisers for the Spring.  Truck Day will be Sunday, May 22nd.  We will be having planning meetings in the very near future, so be on the lookout for those emails.  The Drive for Scholarships Golf Tournament will be on July 21st, and the Bike ‘N Fly will be August 20th (with a rain date of August 21st).  Richard Stanley is looking for ideas for more things to be present at the event for people to do or see.  Please email him with any ideas: rstan2001@gmail.com.
YEX Ski Weekend: We had a few challenges over the weekend but with the help of some great volunteers, we provided a fun and exciting weekend to 6 kids from 5 different countries. The countries include, Taiwan, Spain, Chile, France & Brazil. The weekend included, a few dinners at the First Congregational Church, Lunches from both the Tri-Town & Great Barrington Rotary Clubs. Butternut provided rental equipment, lessons & lift tickets. Ambulance rides were provided by Southern Berkshire Ambulance. (nothing serious) 
I hope I am not forgetting anyone but here is a list of volunteers from our club. Susan Smith, Vito Vitrano, Ray Murray, Nadia Milleron, Pastor Van, Mary White, Barbara Manring, Janet Dohoney, Hunter McCormick, Jessica Speer-Homes and Louann Harvey.  Thank you!  -  John Benedict
 
Watson Fund:  Ray Murray asked that I pass along the following:  The Watson Fund is grateful for the contribution collected by Bobbie Hallig at the Mount Washington Church on Christmas Eve.  They also wish to thank Mary White for allowing them to store their “stuff” at her office for the Holiday Stroll, and Louann Harvey for arranging for Berkshire Bank to print envelopes for the donations.  It appears from the early numbers that the Watson Fund increased the number of donations they received this year.  Ray will be able to share a complete report from the Watson Fund in a couple of weeks.
    
Membership News: We inducted our newest member three weeks ago.  Please introduce yourself to Jennifer Nacht.
Breaking Bread:  Our next date for Breaking Bread is March 10th.  Oskar Hallig will take the lead on this one, and do the cooking.  As always, we need volunteers for all the additional jobs.  A Sign Up Genius will be going out in the next couple of weeks.  Please look for that, and sign up for your preferred jobs.  The next time we lead Breaking Bread is May 5th.  The Breaking Bread team is looking for someone to take the lead on that dinner.  Please contact Oskar at oskar@onlyinmydreamsevents.com if you are able to take that date.  There will be an updated schedule for the entire year coming out soon, which we will share with everyone as soon as we get it.
 
People’s Pantry:  Toilet Paper - We are down to 7 cards.  Perhaps if you have time, you can stop and get some toilet paper on the way to today’s meeting, and increase your odds of winning!
 
From the Foundation:  
 
WORDS FROM A PAST ROTARY FOUNDATION AMBASSADORIAL SCHOLAR:  “The Rotary Foundation’s programs are all the more important because we live in a world of sharp contrasts:  fear and hope, illness and good health, poverty and wealth.  Worse, we live in a world in which inequalities of income, unemployment - and presumably exclusion from well-being - have sensibly increased in the last fifteen years, not so much between countries, but with countries, developed and developing alike.  In such a situation, the role of The Rotary Foundation is of the utmost importance.”  French Professor Rene Munier, 1967-78 Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar