Bennington Rotary Club

Bennington Rotary Club Bennington Rotary Club - Bennington Vermont is a service organization that helps the community in a variety of ways. It is part of Rotary International.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotarians in 160 countries worldwide. The first Rotary Club was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1905 by an attorney named Paul Harris and several of his colleagues.

The name “Rotary” was derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among each of the members’ offices. The Rotary motto is “Service above self”.

05/12/2026

This Friday, May 15, the Bennington Rotary Club is hosting a lunchtime speaker presentation at the Carriage Barn located behind the Elks Lodge at 125 Washington Avenue. The public is invited to attend. You can bring your own lunch, or email our lunch coordinator Natasha at [email protected] to request a menu for a box lunch which will be delivered to the meeting location. Cost for the box lunch is $14. There is NO COST to attend the speaker series.

This Friday, May 1, 2026, our speaker will be Julie Newell of the Bennington Master Gardeners. Julie Newell moved to Bennington in the Summer of 2023, bringing with her a love of native plants and a passion for the difference they can make in local ecosystems.

A native of Boise, Idaho, Julie Newell spent her working career in the University System of Georgia on metro-Atlanta campuses. Julie retired to Bennington in the summer of 2023, bringing with her a love of native plants and a passion for the difference they can make in local ecosystems. She completed the University of Vermont Extension Master Gardener training in the first half of 2024. She has focused her volunteer efforts on producing seed-raised native plants for Bennington EMG plant sales and community garden projects.

The lunch starts at noon and the speaker begins at approximately 12:30. We do request that you arrive by 12:10 at the latest for seating. For more information about Bennington Rotary, and a calendar of upcoming events and dates, please visit benningtonrotary.com.

04/30/2026

The Bennington Rotary Club invites the public to attend a free lunchtime speaker presentation on Friday, May 1, 2026, at the Elks Lodge, 125 Washington Avenue. Attendees are welcome to bring their own lunch. There is no cost to attend.

This week’s program will feature Jonah Spivak, Communications Coordinator for the Town of Bennington, and Shannon Barsotti, Assistant Town Manager and Director of Housing, Community, and Economic Development. They will present and lead discussions on two key topics:

- A draft ordinance addressing vacant properties in the Downtown zoning district, including a proposed escalating fee structure for long-term vacancies

- The concept of a local option tax, including how it works, who pays, and potential uses for generated revenue

Lunch begins at 12:00 p.m., with the presentation starting at approximately 12:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to arrive by 12:10 p.m. for seating.

The Rotary Club will host a second May speaker event on Friday, May 15, featuring the Bennington Master Gardeners.

For more information and a full calendar of events, visit benningtonrotary.com.

04/02/2026

The Bennington Rotary Club hosts a lunchtime speaker series on the first and third Fridays of each month at the Carriage Barn located behind the Elks Lodge at 125 Washington Avenue. The public is invited to attend at no cost. Lunch begins at noon and the speaker starts at approximately 12:30 p.m., and attendees are asked to arrive by 12:10 p.m. for seating. Guests may bring their own lunch.

On Friday, April 3, 2026, the featured speaker will be William Sargent. He will present a counterpoint to a recent talk by Mighty Earth regarding catamount reintroduction. He will also briefly discuss his upcoming book, “The Disappearance of Bennington County Sawmills or How Much Public Land is Enough?” and share insights on Vermont legislative bill H.276, which proposes moving all state lands into wildlands status. Sargent is a graduate of the University of Vermont with a degree in forestry and wildlife management and is the author of “50 Years a Dirt Forester.”

The April 17 speaker presentation will feature Guiding Eyes for the Blind, an organization that provides guide dogs to individuals with vision loss. For more information and a full calendar of events, please visit benningtonrotary.com.

03/17/2026

The Bennington Rotary Club is pleased to welcome McCullough Library Director Jennie Rozycki as the featured speaker this Friday, March 20 at noon. She will provide attendees with an update on recent developments at the John G. McCullough Free Library and will invite community feedback to help shape future services for adult patrons.

A graduate of SUNY Fredonia, Rozycki earned her Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies, along with an Information Literacy Instruction Certification, from the University of Rhode Island. She has served the North Bennington community at the John G. McCullough Free Library for eleven years, including the past ten as Director. She resides in North Bennington with her husband, Dana.

The Bennington Rotary Club hosts its lunchtime speaker series on the first and third Fridays of each month at the Carriage Barn located behind the Elks Lodge at 125 Washington Avenue. The public is warmly invited to attend, and there is no cost for admission.

Guests are welcome to bring their own lunch. Alternatively, lunch may be ordered for $14 from Bennington Community Market by contacting lunch coordinator Mike Day at [email protected] Requests must be submitted by Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.

The luncheon begins at 12:00 p.m., with the speaker program starting at approximately 12:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to arrive by 12:10 p.m. to allow time for seating.

Following recent reports of a possible catamount sighting in Pownal, the Bennington Rotary Club invites the public to a ...
02/05/2026

Following recent reports of a possible catamount sighting in Pownal, the Bennington Rotary Club invites the public to a lunchtime talk on efforts to re-establish catamounts and other wild carnivores in the northeastern United States.

The speaker, Renee Seacor, will present on Friday, February 6, at noon during the Bennington Rotary Club meeting. Seacor leads Mighty Earth’s rewilding program and brings extensive experience in wildlife conservation and environmental law.

Previously, Seacor served as Carnivore Conservation Director for Project Coyote, where she led national campaigns focused on coexistence with North America’s wild carnivores. Her career spans environmental advocacy, litigation, and policymaking to protect wildlife and wild lands.

The Bennington Rotary Club hosts its speaker series on the first and third Fridays of each month at the Carriage Barn behind the Elks Lodge, 125 Washington Avenue. The event is free and open to the public.

The meeting begins at noon, with the speaker starting around 12:30 p.m. Guests are asked to arrive by 12:10 p.m. for seating.

The club recently heard from Jackie Berry of the Francis of Assisi Society for Animals and learned all about the good wo...
12/19/2025

The club recently heard from Jackie Berry of the Francis of Assisi Society for Animals and learned all about the good work they do in the Bennington community. You can read more about them at: https://www.francisofassisirescue.org/

12/03/2025

If you haven't gotten around to donating or signing up to be a gift volunteer, now's the time to do so. We are so close to reaching our goal! https://bit.ly/4qknQa2

12/02/2025

The Bennington Rotary Club hosts a public lunchtime speaker series on the first and third Fridays of each month at the Carriage Barn behind the Elks Lodge (125 Washington Ave).

This Friday, December 5, Jackie Berry will speak about the Francis of Assisi Society for Animals (FOA), an all-volunteer, donation-funded group founded in 2003. She will discuss FOA’s work, the current stray cat situation in Bennington, and how the community can help with spay/neuter efforts.

Bring your own lunch or request a $12 box lunch menu by emailing Michael Day at [email protected]. Attending the speaker series is free.

Lunch begins at noon, with speakers starting around 12:30. Please arrive by 12:10 for seating.

On Friday, October 17, Matt Harrington, Executive Director of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce, will present...
10/16/2025

On Friday, October 17, Matt Harrington, Executive Director of the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce, will present findings from the State of the Commerce survey and share updates on the local economy and Bennington's progress at the Bennington Rotary Club’s luncheon.

The Rotary Club hosts its public speaker series on the first and third Fridays of each month at the Carriage Barn, behind the Elks Lodge at 125 Washington Avenue.

The speaker will begin at approximately 12:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to arrive by 12:10 p.m. for seating. There is no cost to attend the speaker series.

Matt Harrington leads business advocacy, economic development, and tourism efforts across the region. He oversees the Shires of Southwestern Vermont Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) and the Bennington State Welcome Center. He also founded the Shires Young Professionals, a group of over 160 members offering monthly programs and mentoring.

A Bennington native, Harrington returned after college in New York and now lives locally with his wife, architect Kelly Harrington, and their daughter Lincoln.

The Bennington Rotary Club is pleased to continue its free lunchtime speaker series, held on the first and third Fridays...
10/02/2025

The Bennington Rotary Club is pleased to continue its free lunchtime speaker series, held on the first and third Fridays of each month at the Carriage Barn, located behind the Elks Lodge at 125 Washington Avenue.

On Friday, October 3 we welcome Jim Henderson, Environmental Program Manager at the Bennington County Regional Commission, who will present on the history of Glastenbury, Vermont—often referred to as the region’s “ghost town.” Originally developed as part of Glastenbury’s first Town Plan, this presentation has evolved with support from local historian Tyler Resch and offers a compelling look into the town’s unique past. This session is highly recommended for anyone interested in local history.

Lunch begins at 12:00 PM, and presentations start promptly at 12:30 PM. Attendees are asked to arrive no later than 12:10 PM to allow for seating. You are welcome to bring your own lunch. Alternatively, box lunches are available by request for $12. To view the menu or place an order, please contact our lunch coordinator, Michael Day, at [email protected]

There is no cost to attend the speaker series.

To learn more about Bennington Rotary, visit BenningtonRotary.org or follow us on Facebook.

Address

P. O. Box 24
Bennington, VT
05201

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