Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061

Members Attending (18): Jim Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Dean Calamaras, Ray Hannan, Dick Drumm, Debbie Rodriguez, Pat Bailey, Wells Packard, Roberto Martinez, Murray Forth, Charlie Foote, Carol Orvis, Terry Brewer, Geoff Brewer, Phil Kellerman, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Jeff Simons.

Guests (5): Ida-Marie Lindberg, Jennifer Carraher, Jim McHugh, Michelle Hall, Alexandra Omicinsky.

MEETING MINUTES — President Phil Kellerman presided, welcoming members and guests to the first dinner meeting of 2020. … Phil will represent the club at the District 7190 Membership District Training sessions. … Treasurer Murray Forth reported that the themed gift basket silent auction at the recent Holiday Party he and Maggie hosted raised $500 for the club treasury. … Bill Dowd delivered $3,525 in member contributions to ShelterBox to the District SB liaisons Jack and Nancy Faddegon. …

Prices were set for the March 1 Foundation Bowl-a-Thon to raise funds for two organizations we regularly support — the Oley Foundation for people using tube feeding and the Freedom From Fistula Foundation that deals with women’s obstetrical issues in sub-Saharan Africa. Admission will be $15 per person, and lane sponsorships will be $100 each. … The date for the 2020 Gift of Life Golf Tournament fundraiser will be Monday, September 14. … New member Wells Packard reported that his daughter has been selected as a Rotary Exchange Student. She will spend an academic year in Germany. … Next week’s program involves Ruth Samuels and the New Visions project at the UAlbany School of Public Health.

PROGRAM: EGSCD English Language Learners

Jeff Simons, superintendent of the East Greenbush Central School District and a former SRC Rotary member, was the guest speaker.

He introduced staffers involved in the languages programs. The number of  students involved in such study is growing faster Upstate than in other parts of New York. Nevertheless, the courses encourage students and their families to maintain their native languages while they increase their fluency in English.

The New York State Seal of Bi-Literacy is affixed to the diplomas of all students who are proficient in more than one language.