Members (12): Rod, Michelle, Marty, Carol, Deb, Alan, Ed G, Emma, Ed M., Jeff, Sue, John
Guests: Ludlow Rotarian Paul Rix, Ashley Newton, and Ludlow Fire Chief Ben Whalen (speaker)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Butterfly Project: 144 out of 150 butterflies have been sold. Butterflies will be released on Aug 22. For more info, contact President Sue.
• Last week of successful Backpack Food Project.
• Penny Sale is set for October 25. Raffle tickets are available. For more info, contact Jeff.
• The August Rotary District 7870 newsletter is out and has a photo of a Springfield Rotarian.
TREX PLASTIC CHALLENGE UPDATE
We have collected 222 pounds of plastic film towards our goal of 1000 pounds for the fourteenth bench which will honor Lori Muse Gurney and the club’s 95th anniversary. To date, 11,369 pounds of plastic film (over 5.5 tons!) have been removed from the waste stream since we started this project in February of 2023, delivered to Shaw’s Supermarket, and heading to Trex Company for recycling. Please continue to bring your plastic film to the Springfield Town Library. NOTE: We need volunteers to help sort the plastic at the Library. For more info, contact Alan.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS
September 2
TBA
NOTE: Programs are updated on the club website.
The next board meeting will be at noon on Thurs., Sept. 4th, 2025 in the conference room of Senior Solutions. Minutes of the board meetings can be found on the club website. All members are welcome to all board meetings, your input is valued, please come!
SERVICE ABOVE SELF
President Sue welcomed all to the August 19, 2025 club meeting held at the Springfield Area Parent Child Training Center. For the thought of the day, she offered this quote attributed to John Lennon:“Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans."
The weekly prize of $6 was won by Jeff who donated it back to the club. The big raffle grows to $101.
PROGRAM:
Ludlow Fire Chief Ben Whalen, spoke about the specialized work of the Okemo Valley Technical Rescue Team. Chief Whalen explained that the team is made up of highly trained volunteers from across the region who respond to challenging emergencies such as swift-water rescues, high-angle rope rescues, and searches in difficult terrain. He highlighted the team’s recent missions, the extensive training required, and the importance of regional collaboration in keeping communities safe.
He also outlined the group’s mission of providing technical rescue equipment and training to the communities of Ludlow, Proctorsville, Plymouth, Mount Holly, and Chester. To support that mission, the Ludlow Rotary Club is spearheading a fundraising campaign to raise $60,000. These funds will help purchase essential equipment and ensure that the team remains ready to respond when called.
This bulletin attempts to give a gist of the meeting. However, it is always better to attend. If you have any complaints about the contents of this bulletin...
