MEMBERS ATTENDING (13): Debbie Rodriguez, Bill Dowd, Charlie Foote, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Dick Drumm, Pat Bailey, Kevin Leyhane, Phil Kellerman, Dean Calamaras (by proxy), Doris Calamaras (by proxy), Carol Orvis (by proxy), Tony Morris (by proxy).

GUESTS: None.

President Debbie Rodriguez called the meeting to order via Zoom, noting the presence of a quorum. (Plus one cat and one duck. Don’t ask if you weren’t there.)

MEETING MINUTES:

• Debbie reported her delivery of a check for $250 to the Greenbush YMCA in support of its annual Community Thanksgiving Basket drive. She said Y Director Shannon Romanowski, an SRC member, has been preempted from attending meetings because of working with two Y facilities, but hopes to soon rejoin us.

• Debbie provided a summary of last week’s SRC Board meeting that included approval of our Y contribution; approval of a continued alternating of meetings between Zoom and dinner meetings at Moscatiello’s, and a fundraising proposal by Pat Bailey (see next item).

• Pat Bailey supplied more details of her fundraising proposal presented to the Board, which would combine a raffle and public appearances to tell people about Rotary and its many community service activities. She has a four-person committee — Pat, Becky Raymond, Peter Brown, Phil Kellerman — assembled to brainstorm and plan the 2022 event. She is looking for a fifth member.

• Several programs have been lined up, including an Iranian travelogue by Dean Calamaras; a talk by Assemblyman Jake Ashby, and the almost-annual trivia quiz by Bill Dowd. (See our website calendar page for details.)

• A fundraising letter, crafted by Bill, has been sent over President Debbie’s signature to all members as a way to help underwrite various projects in lieu of some of our traditional activities derailed by the pandemic.

• Bill reported that the latest incremental “bank” total in our ongoing Clynk recycling project is nearing $400. Jim Leyhane said he has received a $60 check from non-Clynk recycling from Ron Annis. Treasurer Murray Forth will send a check from the club to ShelterBox for $400, and we’ll immediately begin rebuilding the total for additional contributions.

• Bill also reported that he has made some inquiries of Circles of Mercy, asking for details of which families we will have for the “Adopt-a-Family” holiday project. The information was promised by this Wednesday, but still has not been sent. He will inform members of details via email as soon as received.

• Phil Kellerman, a member of our Foundation Advisory Committee along with Murray Forth, Andy Leyhane, and A.J. Amato, was asked if the group had met yet, as had been asked at previous meeting and at last week’s Board meeting. He said it had not, but he hoped to convene a meeting in January to reply to a list of questions from members in recent weeks.

• NEXT MEETING: We are off next week because of Thanksgiving. We will meet at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, December 2, at Moscatiello’s when Richard Zazycki, executive director of Circles of Mercy, will be our guest speaker.