Phil Kellerman, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Murray Forth, Laurie Pferr, Charlie Foote, Dick Drumm, Carole Heaney, Debbie Rodriguez, Pat Bailey (14)
Date/Venue
10/13/2026, American Legion Melvins Roads Post #1231, Rensselaer, NY
Scope of the Meeting
Club Assembly
Summary:
Happy Dollars!! – Continuing to raise money towards the Flutter Club and 2026/2027 district grant
Pie Orders to fund the Nassau Library – Pat distributed order forms, orders due by Oct. 17th
Website updates:
CNY website still has our meeting location as Moscatellos, need to look into other website/source information to update to new meeting date and location
Carole seeking photos from past projects/fundraisers to upload to website
Zoom update:
Will move to only setting up zoom if members/guest RSVP that they will be attending via Zoom.
RSVP to Phil Monday by noon prior to Tuesday meetings if you will attend.
Tuesday Reservations for catering: The club is looking to develop an easier system for Y and N to the Tuesday Meeting. All the membership at tonight’s meeting is on the Y list and we will assume they are coming unless Phil hears otherwise. We need to let the Cater know by noon the day before our meeting. We already know Pat and Laurie won’t be attending next meeting.
DAF Update: DAF committee will look into updating the name of the fund to make if SRC centric.
2025/2026 District Grant Update (Backpack Project):
Laurie confirmed that report was submitted in June for completion and she received confirmation that it was accepted. Funds have yet to be received/dispersed from the district.
2026/2027 District Grant Update (Flutter Club Project):
Carole confirmed that we have received district approval (via email Sept. 10th) of grant for the Flutter Club Project.
Club garage sale at Laurie’s netted $1500. Proceeds will go towards the $2500 26-27 district grant ($1250 is reimbursable from the district) and other club projects.
Phil netted another $125 from his garage sale.
Global Grant Update (Kenya Wash Project):
Still pending test results to give clearance that water is potable
Peter received a revised video of the project that can be submitted with the report
Gift of Life:
GOL annual Golf tournament raised $20,000! Thanks to Dean and Doris for sponsoring.
Open solicitation for speakers:
Request club members put on their thinking caps to come up with speakers/programs for upcoming meetings
Upcoming Holidays:
Our current meeting schedule has us meeting Tuesday the week of Thanksgiving, people seem open to keeping the meeting this week. Stay tuned.
Open for ideas for Christmas party, date and location TBD
RLI (Rotary Leadership Institute) scheduled Oct. 24thJohnson City High School (Binghamton area). Registration required by 10/18. More information on CNYRotary.org.
World Polio Day scheduled Oct. 24th
Jim has transferred his Legion membership to Melvin Roads post (#1231)
Board Meeting (Oct. 8, 2026) Recap:
Reviewed Club finances and the importance of having a budget. Finances are healthy, but need to focus on tracking what’s coming in/out. Fundraisers have been key to helping. Laurie has volunteered to assist with budget preparation.
Clynk – we have deposited $840 from Clynk and have another $200 sitting with Clynk which is available. Last time we donated to Shelter Box was in 2022, at ~$800. Will wait until budget begins to take shape before deciding on releasing the new funds.
IRS – Still in good standing, no news is good news!
Action items
Assigned to
Date assigned
Date due
Status/Date completed
Update meeting date and location on CNY website
Pat
10/13/2026
TBA
In progress
Update SRC website to reflect new meeting date/location
Kevin
10/13/2026
N/A
Completed 10/13/2026
Update SRC website to reflect Zoom meeting option will only be available by RSVP
Kevin
10/13/2026
N/A
Completed 10/13/2026
Contact district grant committee for update on check for backpack program
Laurie
10/13/2026
TBA
In progress
Check on availability at the Legion for Christmas party
To benefit the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club
Saturday, October 10
9 am to 2 pm
2408 Forrest Pointe Drive
East Greenbush, NY 12061
Next to Building 24 in the back of the Forrest Pointe apartment complex.
The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club (SRC) supports civic projects such as lifesaving pediatric cardiac surgeries through the Gift of Life Program; The Flutter Club which transports area patients to medical appointments in NYC and Boston; Kenya Water Project; the Anchor Food Bank in Castleton, NY; East Greenbush Backpack Program; and more. www.srcrotary.org
Attendance: P. Kellerman; R. Martinez; J. Leyhane; M. Forth; C. Foote; D. Drumm; L. Pferr; P. Brown; D. Brown; C.Heaney; A. Leyhane; L. Pferr, J. Bishop, D. Rogriguez
Guest: Simona Fish, MPH, Tobacco Free Community
Simona Fish presented on behalf of Capital District Tobacco-Free Communities, discussing efforts to reduce tobacco use, prevent youth initiation, and limit exposure to secondhand smoke. She reviewed trends in cigarette and e-cigarette use, the environmental impact of tobacco products and disposable vapes, and concerns related to tobacco marketing and accessibility, particularly among youth. The presentation also highlighted local examples from Rensselaer County and community-based strategies such as smoke- and vape-free parks, housing, and worksites. Fish also introduced Reality Check, a youth leadership program that educates communities about the effects of tobacco use, industry marketing, and tobacco waste.
Action: Carole will reach out to Simona to consider possible collaborations with SRC and other CNY clubs and report back to Rotary.
Business:
Global Grant Update:
Kenya WASH Project: P. Brown reported that the project elements are complete, and we are awaiting a report on education/training completion and water sample test results. There has been some frustration with scheduled meeting attendance due to a few Kenyan partners’ availability.
Action: Send a progress report to the Board on steps left to close out the grant. P. Brown
District Grant Update: The club must front $2,500 for the Flutter Club project; only $1,250 is reimbursable, and only if the grant is approved. Grant status remains unconfirmed per Carole.
• Bake sale viability: The bake sale and coffee station depend on sufficient donated goods.
• Table logistics: Ensuring enough tables (target: 12–15) are delivered to Laurie’s home by Wednesday evening or Thursday and returned to owners after the sale. Please label tables with your name.
Action: Contact Laurie, Carole, or Phil about table delivery and baked goods.
Minutes: Volunteer for minutes October 13th
Take and submit meeting minutes for the November 13th meeting; senddraft to Phil, Roberto, and Kevin for review before posting.
Action: Andy Leyhane agreed to do the minutes for our next meeting. Thank you, Andy.
Meeting Schedule:
Next Club meeting: American Legion, East Greenbush, on October 13th at 6:00 pm. This will be a club assembly meeting to discuss club business, membership, and new business. Members thanked Phil, Roberto, and Jim for their efforts in securing the American Legion as our new meeting location. Meals and service were rated very positively.
Action: Send any items or discussion topics to Phil Kellerman to add to the agenda.
Board Meeting: October 8th, Carole Heaney’s home, 6 Oakwood St., East Greenbush.
Members present: Andy Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Phil Kellerman, Carole Heaney, Laurie Pferr, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Pat Bailey, Dick Drumm, Jim Leyhane, Roberto, Mary Alice and Murray Forth.
Guests: Tom Burdick (speaker for Gift of Life), Lorraine McConnelee (area representative) and Bruce McConnelee (Past District Governor)
President Phil called the meeting to order and the pledge and blessings were given. This was our first meeting at Melvin Rhodes Post American Legion, 200 Columbia Turnpike in Rensselaer. This will require a change from Thursday to Tuesday meetings, but still the 2nd and 4thTuesdays of the month. The meeting was buffet style, and the Club was introduced to Class Act Catering who welcomed everyone. Going forwards we will need to let the Caters know a head count Friday for the numbers attending the following Tuesday. This will be a work in progress, but for those who are regular attendees, we would like to assume a yes unless they contact Phil. If you consider yourself a regular, then let Phil know so we automatically include you in the count. If not a regular we will assume you will let Phil know when you are coming. The idea is to reduce the admin burden for the club.
Business:
Garage Sale: Our Club will be holding a garage sale to benefit the Flutter Express which transports patients to medical appointments in NYC and Boston. This in part of a Rotary District Grant for 26-27. The sale will be held at Laurie’s house and is scheduled for 9-3 on Friday, September 25 and from 9-2 on Saturday, September 26. Volunteers were solicited of course donations of items for sale. If you want to volunteer, please contact Phil or Laurie.A formal brochure is located on our website should people want to print. An article on the garage sale is included in the September Our Towne Magazine.
Speakers: Phil is looking for speakers and anyone with additional speakers should contact Phil. Please on our SRCRotary.org for calendar openings.
Club Operations: Phil is looking for someone to help with the minutes of our regular meeting. Carole Heaney if looking for Rotary Photos to be used on our website and for a posterboard for the garage sale.
Nassau Free Public Library Pie Fundraiser. Pat announced a date of October 24th. More information to come.
Our next meeting will be September 22 at 6pm. Simone Fish will be speaking on “Capital District Tabacco Free Communities”.
Gift of Life (GOL): Speaker Tom Burdick, President of the CNY District Chapter. Tom started the presentation speaking of the contributions given to GOL by our Club. Dean and Doris Calamaras are both on the Gift of Life Board. Initially, the idea was to have kids come to Albany to have congenital heart defects repaired. Now the effort has expanded to have personal from Albany go to other countries to educate hospital staff on performing surgeries in countries such as Romania, the Philippines, El Salvador and the Dominican Republic. Tom showed an 8-10 min video of recent success stories going back several years with updates to their conditions post-surgery. The last recipient was a child from Mongolia who was at the District Conference. Her name was Bayarchimeg. GOL also gets assistance from Samaritan’s purse. The GOL raises funds via donations and fundraisers. The next fundraiser is the Annual GOL Golf Tournament. It will be at the Fairways of Halfmoon, 17 Johnson Rd, Mechanicville, NY 12118 on September 24th. Thanks to Tom for visiting our club and the work Rotary is doing for these children.
For more information on donations and the tournament, please visit the GIFTOFLIFECNY.ORG
A new meeting place has been finalized that I think will suit our needs.
Every second and fourth Tuesday of each month we will meet from 6 pm to 7:30 pm at the American Legion at 200 Columbia Turnpike in Rensselaer (Rt 9 and 20). Feel free to come at 5:30 to socialize and the meal will be served promptly at 6 pm. There is plenty of parking.
The meal will be served buffet style. There will be a choice of two main entrees, a side dish, bread and butter, a side salad and dessert. Included will be regular and decaf coffee, tea and water. For our first meeting on Tuesday, September 8 the two entrees will be chicken marsala and lemon crumb haddock.
The price will be $30 which will include tax and gratuity. Alcoholic drinks and soda may be purchased at the bar.
The caterer will need a headcount one day prior to our meeting so I need to know if you plan on attending our meeting on the 8th.
This is a work in progress but the caterer has been very accommodating and is looking forward to having us and our business.
If you have further questions please feel free to get back to me.
Preparations are underway for our garage sale at Laurie’s house on Friday. September 25 from 9-3 and Saturday from 9-2. We will be raising funds for the Flutter Express which transports patients to medical appointments in NYC and Boston.
Due to donated items for the sale from Carole and Tom Heaney, Lois Hannan, a friend and yours truly, I have just a little bit of space left in my storage unit. Please feel free to bring items to Laurie’s house during set up at 8 am on Friday, September 25. Also if you have a table or two to bring, that would be very helpful.
At our first meeting on Tuesday, September 8, I will have a sign up sheet for those who wish to volunteer at the sale.
The Final Summer Casual Fundraiser was hosted at the Forth Estate on Thursday August 27th. It was a casual family event and the menu included pulled pork, mac and cheese, coleslaw and cornbread from the Class Act Catering. Price was $30 per person/ $35 for family. It appears that over $400 was raised in support of Club Activities. Thanks to Maggie and Murray for hosting the event.
Dean Calamaras spoke on the Gift of Life Golf Tournament. He is sponsoring a foursome and maybe considering another. They are looking for more golfers. The tournament is in Mechanicville at Fairways of Halfmoon on September 24th. Contact Dean and Doris if you have questions.
Peter gave an update on the Kenya Global Grant. It is nearly complete and needed are training, water testing and final accounting before submitting a final report. Thanks to all involved.
After five fun years of meeting at Moscatiellos, the Club is looking for an alternative location because of Moscatiello’s moving to being a banquet facility. We thanked the owners and staff and removed our Rotary memorabilia. Multiple venues were evaluated by Club members, but it appears for now that the Melvin Rhodes Post American Legion, 200 Columbia Turnpike in Rensselaer will be the new meeting place. This will require a change from Thursday to Tuesdaymeetings. Final discussions are ongoing but looking very positive. Should the progress continue, the next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday September 8th at 6pm. The speaker will be Delphine Sosu discussing her immigration from Ghana to the US.
Our Club joined the Summer Fun Day! Hosted by the East Greenbush Central School District on Saturday August 29that the Genet Elementary School, 29 Englewood Avenue, East Greenbush, NY 12061. This was a new event designed to keep families connected to our schools over the summer vacation. Club members hosted a table as a community partner for a day filled with music, food, and family friendly activities. This was an opportunity to connect to many of the local school supporters and Phil was able to recruit some speakers. Thanks to all who attended. Some may have come after we picked up the table. Sorry for any miscommunications.
Please note that we will be holding a garage sale to benefit the Flutter Express which transports patients to medical appointments in NYC and Boston. This in part of a Rotary District Grant for 26-27. The sale will be held at Laurie’s house and is scheduled for 9-3 on Friday, September 25 and from 9-2 on Saturday, September 26. We will need volunteers and of course donations of items for sale. More details to follow.
Our last summer social will be this Thursday, the 27th hosted by Murray and Maggie Forth at their house. Please let Murray know if you will be attending.
At our get together, Roberto and Jim will speak about an alternative meeting place. They have been working hard to locate a suitable meeting place.
Saturday the 29th the East Greenbush School District is hosting a Summer Fun Day at Genet Elementary School from 11-3. They have reserved a table for us. I intend on participating but I would like to have some help so please let me know if you can spare an hour or two to help out. Also, if you have Rotary items we can distribute, please let me know.
Carole, Laurie and I have been preparing for our garage sale at Laurie’s house on Friday, September 25and Saturday, the 26th. Please consider items you wish to donate. More information to be shared at the social at Murray’s.
