Granite Chips October 16, 2013
Acting President Roy rang the opening bell, and Joe provided grace.
Fines and announcements:
There were a bunch of fines that involved Roy, Bertil Sue, and Bob. This reporters notes were a mess on thipoint and his memory on the subect is non-existent.
Bob Pope gave a Happy Dollar for the new Poczobut monument at Hope cemetery ( a Rock of Ages creation) and encouraged Rotarians to take a ride through Hope cemetery to see what a beautiful monument it is.
Carol announced that the Dictionaries and atlases are here and ready for distribution
Roy read an elegantly worded letter of gratitude from Librarian and Rotarian Karen Lane for the funds provided from the breakfast.
Program:
Roy introduced Lyn Gilbert of South Barre. Lyn is a retired plumber, and former owner of Gilbert's Plumbing and Heating.
He told his story of living with polio.
On Halloween, October 31, 1953, Lyn became ill, and was dehydrated, nauseous, feverish, and had flu like symptoms. He had contracted polio while swimming in a brook near his home in Woodbury. Back then, no one went to the doctor unless he was extremely ill. Lyn attributes being alive today to a friend who lived next door. His friend had the most serious category of polio, requiring an iron lung. Because of his friends diagnosis, Lyn's doctor immediately sent Lyn to Burlington for polio treatment. His friend did not survive. Lyn's polio was the "major" category, which is not the most serious stage.
Lyn had a back brace and was on crutches from age 9 to 16. With a large gamily, he was forced to fend for himself and he believes this made him stronger. He got his mobility back because he had no choice but to work. His doctors kept him on crutches during the growth phase of his youth to keep his spine straight.
He has post polio syndrome, and although medication is available for treatment, he isn't taking any. It is critical that he exercise and during the winter months he goes to the fitness center.
He found that stairs were challenging and the doctor told him it wasn't the polio, but he needed a hip replacement two years ago, which has helped a lot. One leg is shorter and the doctors corrected some of this too.
He talked about going to polio camp at Camp Thorpe in Brandon. There was a swimming pool for treatment and it was divided with girls and boys each having their own side of the pool, with no mingling. the camp was for kids with polio from Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York, He remembers going on hikes and being given a hatchet to use in the woods. He said Camp Thorpe is still there today.
At one point, he was in a coma for 2-3 weeks, and when he first stood after this, he dropped to the floor, but it didn't scare him. He eventually was able to stop using the crutches, remove the back brace and walk on his own.
Late in the 19th century, the largest breakout of polio in the country happened in Otter Creek bear Rutland. From 1920 to 1954, there were 55,000 new cases annually.
Lyn drew the winning ticket and Roy had the winning number, but did not get the white marble.
My meory is coming back: the fines had something to do with Susan eating before the bell, and her defense was that she was up early, worried about her son who is driving to florida and just took a nibble. Something like that. Theere was an amendment on Bertil, I think, and none of the fines passed. Is that close?