Held via Zoom video conference

Members Attending (13+): Dick Drumm, Bill Dowd, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Ray Hannan, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Debbie Rodriguez, John Justino, Phil Kellerman, Pat Bailey, plus 6 via proxy — Murray Forth, Maggie Forth, Charlie Foote, Andy Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Terry Brewer.

Guests (1): District Governor Rich Griesche.

MEETING NOTES: President Dick Drumm welcomed our members and our one guest. The other scheduled guest, Charles Frink, Assistant District Governor for Area 8, sent his regrets because he was traveling out of state. … Dick reiterated that the club’s board-approved areas of financial support for 2020-21, impacted by the pandemic, are threefold via a consensus of the Board of Directors: youth education scholarships, Circles of Mercy projects, and food pantries. Others may be reinstated or added as we ascertain fundraising possibilities. …

DG Rich Griesche shared a 4-minute, 24-second slideshow displaying images of District Rotarians involved in work project and social settings, set to the song “A Million Dreams,” from the 2017 movie musical “The Greatest Showman.” … He also reported that Terry Phillips of the Scotia club has created a fundraiser selling sets-of-four stackable beverage cups bearing the Rotary logo. His price is $20 a set, with $15 of each sale going to Polio Plus. Rich provided contact information for Terry in case the club wishes to discuss details of the project with him for consideration as an SRC fundraiser in support of the polio program. … He also reported that details of the “Event Groove” virtual fundraising project being created for the District that he detailed at the September 3 meeting would be sent to all club presidents in the District this week. …

Roberto Martinez reported on behalf of Terry Brewer that SRC’s participation in the RYLA program this year was reported to RYLA as “on hold” because local schools have not been able to contact students in time to enroll. Bill Dowd noted that although the SRC Board of Directors decided at its recent meeting to not underwrite a student contingent, that could be revisited since the latest RYLA schedule calls for a December 12 start to the six-session program — which will be via ZOOM this year instead of in-person — rather than the usual September program start. That gives schools more time to contact students. However, no specific fundraising component in support of the program has been undertaken or scheduled. … On another topic, Roberto said he received word today from Sue Austin, District Rotary Foundation chair, that SRC’s application for a $1,500 grant to help fund our annual scholarship awards for 2020-21 has been approved. The club now needs to raise a matching amount to receive the full grant, but has a year to do so. …

John Justino reported that the UAlbany School of Public Health has resumed classes and the Great Danes Rotaract, headquartered there and sponsored by SRC, has scheduled a Monday virtual meeting to discuss resuming activities. Debbie Rodriguez and Becky Raymond continue to be SRC’s liaison with Rotaract, while John continues as its faculty advisor. … A vote on Bylaws modification passed by an 19-0 vote (including six proxies) — after broad discussion on potential procedures to publicize the change — to alter deadlines for dues payments on an annual or biannual basis. Deadlines now are June 1 for full-year payments or June 1 and December 1 for half-year payments. Details, and logic behind the change, have been posted on the website.

FUTURE-MEETING UPDATES — Our member medical doctors, Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez, will check out the recently-refurbished 1,500-square-foot basement space at Drumm Veterinary Hospital at the behest of President Dick to ascertain its viability as a potential meeting room. In the interim, we will continue to meet virtually. Dick made an executive decision to change the start-time for ZOOM meetings to 7 p.m. each Thursday in hopes of increasing attendance. Procedurally, Peter Brown will continue scheduling the virtual meetings and informing members via email of the contact links. Bill Dowd will follow up with meeting-day reminder notes on the club website and via email. Members also are encouraged to check the website for club and District information, especially the calendar page.