The next “Director Dialogue” free webinar event, this one featuring Rotary International Past President Barry Rassin, is coming up.
Unfortunately, as so often is the case with District and RI events, it falls on our regular meeting time and day, 7 p.m. Thursday, January 14. (The next event is on a Wednesday, thank goodness.) This could be a particularly interesting session for members of the Danes Rotaract, given the topic title. If you’d like to attend, pre-registration is required. RI Director Valarie Wafer will be hosting the event. Just go to our website calendar page and click on the appropriate link.
As Valarie explains:
“We’ll be discussing the concept of ‘Elevate Rotaract,’ and what it means to Rotary’s future. Special guests from throughout the Rotary world will join me in future months to cover a wide range of topics of interest to all Rotarians, all provided at no charge as a benefit to you as a member of a club in Zones 28 & 32. The next webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, March 10.”
Meeting held virtually via ZOOM videoconferencing.
MEMBERS ATTENDING (15): Dick Drumm, Murray Forth, Bill Dowd, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Ray Hannan, Pat Bailey, Charlie Foote, Phil Kellerman, Debbie Rodriguez, Kevin Leyhane, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown.
GUESTS: None.
MEETING NOTES: President Dick Drumm called the meeting order, noted the presence of a quorum, and greeted attendees. … Webmaster Bill Dowd reported that his upgrades on the website are proceeding apace to make the site even more compatible with the growing number of users who access it via smartphones. He also once more encouraged members to check the site regularly, particularly the Calendar page, to stay abreast of events scheduled by the club, the District, and RI. … Treasurer Murray Forth updated members on funds received and where we now stand for each undertaking — $1,000 toward our Scholarship Fund, $550 toward food pantries (over and above what we already have donated in this Rotary Year), $100 toward ShelterBox (over and above what we already donated), $600 for Circles of Mercy projects, $4,075 toward the general treasury. He also said our paid membership is 32, counting one corporate group membership. …
We had a brief discussion on the matter of the club moving from the IRS-designated 501(c)4 status to 501(c)3, which would make donations to the club tax deductible. Terry Brewer will be making a presentation to the club on the matter within the next few weeks. … Jim Leyhane said about 80 bars of handcrafted soaps being sold as a fundraising effort remain from a supply of 200. He and Roberto Martinez would like to complete sales within the next month or so, preferably at the price of $20 for 3. Anyone interested should contact them to arrange delivery. Phil Kellerman said he had just sent a $100 check to the club from sales of specialty coffees to go toward the general treasury. …
Pat Bailey and Debbie Rodriguez reported that personalized cards had been mailed this week to all club members urging greater attendance at the weekly ZOOM meetings. … Bill Dowd will make an inquiry to Circles of Mercy to ascertain whether it would be sponsoring an Easter basket drive again this year. He will report back to the club next week. … Murray will contact Goff Middle School, which just received financial support from several club members for a “thank you” gift for teachers working under pandemic conditions, to supply a teacher to visit us via ZOOM to talk about teaching in the COVID-19 era. …
The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, January 14, via ZOOM. Bill will send out the invitation link over the weekend plus a day-of reminder.
“Do You See and Hear What I See and Hear?” may sound a bit like the title of a Christmas song, but on Monday, January 18, it will be anything but.
It’s the title of a 90-minute panel discussion on diversity, inclusion, and equity. All Rotarians who register in advance for this ZOOM virtual event will be able to hear six panelists who have been invited to share how their identity — their race, gender, religion, age, physical ability, etc. — has impacted their experiences in America and in Rotary.
The event will provide clubs with an opportunity to learn and grow by understanding how they may appear to a newcomer or to someone who may not look and sound like the majority of members. A Q&A session will follow the discussion.
Happy New Year! We’re all set for the first SRC virtual meeting of 2021. We hope to see you, literally, at the 7 p.m. meeting this Thursday via ZOOM teleconference that kicks off the second half of the 2020-21 Rotary Year.
Just use this link to join your fellow Rotarians as we resume a successful year of service to the community despite the obstacles posed by the COVID-19 pandemic:
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 