Members: Laurie, Carole, Ray, Peter, Debbie Brown, Phil, James, Robert, Murray, Dick Pat
Zoom: Andy
Guest: Rachael Kramer, invited by Chris Fowler
Meeting called to order by President Phil Kellerman
Bowlathon, Phil: April 26th from noon-2pm for our annual bowl-a-thon at the East Greenbush Bowling Lanes to support the Anchor Food Bank. Sponsorships for the event are $50. Donated food will be brought to the Food Bank. We currently have 16 sponsors and hope to get over 20. We are in need ofbowlers. Phil will be reaching out to Kevin to recruit studentsand to Maple Hill. Will be doing a 50/50 at the event.
Hoffman’s, April 11-12th, Phil: Bring a non-perishable food donation to any Exterior or Full-Service Hoffman Car Wash location, and we will thank you with a FREE Ultimate Car Wash with donations going to the local food banks.
GOL: Surgery and pacemaker placement were performed at Albany Med. The patient is doing well and will hopefully be at the CNY District Conference.
Global Grant, Peter: Progress continues to move slowly towards closure of the grant. Our club is still trying to fund an additional $1500. Peter and Debbie have some funding coming in and we are awaiting the final number. Looking to seal the well. Finishing the girls’ facilities will be a separate project. Tax deductible funds can be sent to but need to designate funds go to Enaibelilbel Project. For questions contact Peter:
District Grant 25-26, Laurie: Getting close to finishing. Purchases in process and waiting for deliveries and receipts. Thanks to all involved.
Regional Grant 26-27, Laurie, Peter, Carole: Looks like time restraints will not allow for a regional grant this year. The committee is looking for additional members. Going back to a District Grant. The committee look to which organizations can be supported.
DAF rules, Phil: Phil had sent the committee the information and will be presenting options at the next Board Meeting.
Speakers and year end picnic, Phil. The speaker slots are filling. Phil is asking for a place to hold the year end picnic.
Summer events, Phil: looking for options for the summer events and field trips. Start thinking.
District Conference: This weekend in Syracuse.
Presentation: Rachael Kerner
Experiential Learning & Education
The presentation differentiates between experiential learning (an individual’s internal meaning‑making process) and experiential education (a structured framework that supports growth).
Key ideas include:
Learning is most effective when it is self‑initiated, personally meaningful, and reflected upon. Kolb’s learning cycle emphasizes experience, reflection, conceptualization, and experimentation as a continuous process.
Why Horses?
Horses enhance learning because:
They communicate through body language, energy, and movement.
They respond honestly to human intention and emotional states.
They help participants confront vulnerability, fear, trust, and personal boundaries in real time. This creates accelerated insight and opportunities for meaningful change, which participants can transfer into everyday life.
Equine Expressive Arts
The presentation extends EAL into Equine Expressive Arts, combining horse interaction with creative disciplines such as art, movement, music, writing, and drama. This integrated approach, reduces stress and anxiety, improves mood, focus, and emotional expression and supports individuals who struggle with traditional talk‑based therapies or interpersonal connection.
Program Structure & Facilitation
Key elements of EAL programming include, intentional participant selection based on student, teacher, parent, or counselor input, Goal‑focused sessions that emphasize confidence, leadership, boundaries, and resilience, and a facilitation model (COASTR): check‑in, activity, observation, adjustment, and reflection. Awareness of participant learning zones (comfort, stretch, panic, dead) to ensure safety and growth.
Horse Awareness & Safety: Understanding the horse’s sensory world—vision, hearing, touch, smell, and body language—is emphasized as essential for both human safety and horse well‑being during EAL sessions.
Gift of Life Update
The Rotary Gift of Life program provides life-saving heart surgeries for children of developing countries where such care is not available. To date, over 50,000 children have received such treatment.
Bayarchimeg, a 3-year-old girl from Mongolia is the latest to be served by GOL of Central New York. Arriving in Albany in early March, she had an atrial septal defect repaired, and later was provided a donated pacemaker. She is expected to return home mid-April.
In recent years, Rotary has been able to send medical teams to Bolivia, Rumania, the Philippines, and other nations to train medical personnel in these procedures, making the program more productive and sustainable.
SRC board members of GOL, Dean and Doris Calamaras, thank Rotarians for their generosity to this effort. They also note that the board can always use new members.
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 