MEMBERS ATTENDING (18): Debbie Rodriguez, Pat Bailey, Phil Kellerman, Ray Hannan, Bill Dowd, Kevin Leyhane, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Murray Forth, Dick Drumm, Becky Raymond, Tony Morris, Andy Leyhane. By proxy: Carol Orvis, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras.

GUESTS (1): Debbie Morris.

President Debbie Rodriguez called the meeting to order at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant and noted the presence of a quorum.

MEETING NOTES:

• DRIVER TRAINING — A course to refresh defensive driving skills and earn an insurance discount has been tentatively set for Saturday, June 18, at The Spinney Group. A minimum of 20 enrollees is needed. Details will be forthcoming.

• VIKING OUTDOOR GYM — SRC reps met with the Kiwanis Club of East Greenbush to arrange participation in the restoration and expansion of the rustic facility at Schodack Town Park. The Kiwanians approved a $500 annual grant toward the program.

• HEALTHY KIDS DAY — The event at the Greenbush YMCA drew a substantial number of local kids and parents and SRC had a table — staffed by Phil Kellerman, Ray Hannan, and Pat Bailey, who supplied cookies to attract visitors — to get out the word about Rotary. Phil said he was surprised how few people were aware of Rotary and its work in the community. Our volunteers distributed cards and flyers about Rotary and spoke with adult visitors. … Which leads to the topics of …

• FUNDRAISING & PROSELITYZING — Phil reported that he had reached out to friends and associates about our potential efforts to support a women’s shelter and local food banks. They quickly contributed about $750 to the effort. … SRC will be staffing an information table at such places as Kristy’s Barn in Castleton on Saturdays and Schodack’s “Music At the Park” series on Tuesdays. Volunteers are need to spend several hours at such events. Please contact Pat Bailey if interested.

• DISTRICT CONFERENCE — Roberto Martinez and Jim Leyhane attended the event last Saturday at The Great Escape in Queensbury. They said the event drew about 80 people, a low figure but it was the first major in-person event since the pandemic began. Among the the things they learned was that the District has lost five clubs in 2022 — Racing City, Corinth, Turning Point, Northern Lake George, and Capital Region. (It lost the Hudson Shores club last year.) Dwindling membership continues to be a problem, and the District now has about 800 Rotarians. A minimum of 1,000 is needed to maintain District status, otherwise districts may have to merge. … Both Roberto and Jim have registered for the RI Convention in Houston in June, and urged others to follow suit.

• NYCR DANES ROTARACT — Becky Raymond, one of our Rotaract liaisons, reported that the club gained three new members as a result of a ShelterBox demonstration for students at the UAlbany School of Public Health. The club is trying to rebound from a 2½-year drought on in-person activities because of university strictures during the pandemic.

• DUES ARE DUE — The deadline for payment of six-month or full-year 2022-23 dues is June 1. Anyone who is not paid up by then may not, by Rotary rules, be listed as an active Rotarian. Please send checks, made payable to “SRC Rotary Club,” to Treasurer Murray Forth at P.O. Box 71, East Greenbush NY 12061.

• RICHARD DRUMM DAF — Phil reported that the club’s investment fund, administered by Rotary, began with a $22,000 initial amount but, due to a volatile stock market performance, has dropped to $20,924. No change in investment strategy is being recommended at this time.

• NEXT MEETING — Matt Krouner, owner and director of Camp Schodack — an overnight summer camp for girls and boys ages 7 to 16, will present to the club at a 7 p.m. Zoom meeting.

• PROGRAM: Mike Moscatiello, second generation of the family that owns and operates our meeting venue, was our speaker. He described some of the many impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry — supply chain woes, lack of staff diverted to unemployment that pays better than working, public reluctance to go out, erratic hours because of state restrictions, etc. He said while overall business is down, the Moscatiellos have been able to find sufficient staff, gradually rebuild their banquet business, and continue slowly developing a second restaurant, The Roosevelt Room, across the street.