The latest “SRC Summer Casual” event, our annual visit to the Mac-Haydn Theatre in Chatham, worked out beautifully Thursday evening despite the threat of rain.

A group of 15 Rotarians and friends gathered at Yiannis at Chatham House for a pre-theater dinner — made all the more enjoyable by Jill, our pleasant and patient waitress. Then, it was around the corner to the Mac-Haydn for a performance of the musical “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” a colorful, rousing show chock full of big voices and a big cast.

This isn’t the last of our “SRC Summer Casual” events. Next Wednesday, August 8, we’ll be gathering at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College for a picnic in the pavilion followed by a ValleyCats baseball game. Registration has closed for that event (rescheduled from its original date after a rainout), but we have three other events on the summer calendar for you to consider participating in with your fellow Rotarians. Here they are. Please note the RSVP deadlines.

Important Note: We’re still collecting donations for our annual “School Supplies Drive” for needy kids in four local school districts. You can bring your items to the “Sundaes On Sunday” event or the “Clubhouse Get-Together.” Not planning to join us for either? Then  drop off your donations any time at the Greenbush YMCA, our partner in this effort. The deadline is August 18. (Although we have posted and distributed to everyone the preferred supplies shopping list numerous times, if you still aren’t familiar with it just click here for the details.)

The Capital Region Nordic Alliance (CRNA), which SRC has been assisting for several years, is seeking financial help to send a team to the World Trail Orienteering Championships in Latvia.

What we are asking is that any Rotarians and friends or family interested in making a contribution do so via our treasurer, Murray Forth, at any of our next three “SRC Summer Casual” events — this coming Thursday at our Mac-Haydn Theatre outing, the following Wednesday (August 8) at the ValleyCats picnic and baseball game, or the “Sundaes On Sundays” event (August 12) at Debbie Rodriguez’s residence.

Checks should be made payable to “SRC Rotary.” After the event at Debbie’s we will cut CRNA a single check totaling the amount collected.

Russ Myer, founder of the adaptive sports organization serving veterans,  notes that CRNA continues to be a national leader in para-Nordic sports for such veterans by hosting local/regional trail orienteering camps at the Five Rivers Environmental Education Center in Delmar, and in Boston. It also is involved in Mountain Bike Orienteering competition in Windham, the paracycling/para-Nordic camp in Lewisburg, PA, and last year’s World Trail Orienteering championships in Lithuania.

The current Trail O team bound for Latvia consists of Sgt. Christ Rasmussen, an amputee who served in Afghanistan; Sgt Julius Schram, an amputee and decorated veteran, and assistant coach First Sgt. Pete Tiller, also a decorated wounded combat veteran in Iraq.

“CRNA’s current Veterans Administration Adaptive Sports Grant does not permit funds to be used to cover international airfare,” Myer explained in making the appeal. “CRNA respectfully requests donations to cover international airfare only ($5,000); 100% of donated funds will go to such airfare. Any excess funds will go directly to cover veterans expenses while representing the U.S. at the world championships and other local/regional/national competitions.”

Tonight’s scheduled Tri-City ValleyCats game and pavilion picnic fell victim to the rains that have been pelting us for several days. However, we’ll have another chance to enjoy this annual outing next month.

Our re-do of the “SRC Summer Casual” event will begin with a picnic at 6 P.M. Wednesday, August 8, at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, followed by the 7 p.m. game. Event coordinator Terry Brewer will take care of obtaining and distributing tickets in advance of the event.

For those of you who regularly follow the fortunes of the ValleyCats and their New York-Penn League cohorts, you’ll know the ‘Cats have a slight lead in the NYP Stedler Division, while their August 8 opponent, Hudson Valley — the defending league champs — are solidly in first place in  the McNamara Division.

Event coordinator Debbie Brown has made arrangements for a pre-theater dinner for SRC members and guests who will be attending next week’s trip to the Mac-Haydn Theatre.

We will be dining at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, August 2, at Yiannis at Chatham House, located at 29 Hudson Avenue in Chatham. You can get a look at the restaurant’s menu by clicking here.

Curtain is scheduled for 8 p.m. for “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” at Mac-Haydn, located at 1925 NY Route 203, Chatham. Debbie has obtained tickets for all who RSVP’d by the deadline. Please be prepared to reimburse her by check or cash and receive your tickets at dinner. Tickets are $39 per person, or $36.50 for seniors.

Important note: We are assuming everyone who made a theater reservation will be joining us for dinner. However, If you do NOT plan to attend dinner, please be sure to inform Debbie (mdbrown@nycap.rr.com) no later than this Sunday, July 29, so she can adjust the reservation size with the restaurant.

The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club’s “SRC Summer Casual Calendar” has all its dates filled,  but it needs something from you — your RSVPs to the event hosts. Here’s what you need to know:

The long-range forecast from the National Weather Service calls for cloudy skies on Wednesday, but no rain. However, the ever-vigilant Terry Brewer is making contingency plans in case we do experience a rainout of our scheduled ValleyCats picnic and baseball game.

Reports Terry, our event coordinator:

“The ValleyCats policy for rainouts or games being postponed is:

1. The tickets can be turned in for tickets to another game.

2.  A group for the picnic pavilion can reschedule for another date, pending availability.

“I have reviewed the schedule and see two possible dates — Wednesday, August 8, and Wednesday, August 15. I will work with Michelle Skinner, our representative with the ValleyCats, to reschedule if needed.”

We’re midway through our annual “School Supplies Drive” and doing well so far. We’re hoping every SRC member will donate something large or small to help needy students in the Rensselaer, Schodack, and East Greenbush school districts.

The deadline for contributions is August 19. You can drop off items you have purchased from the suggested shopping list at the Greenbush YMCA during its regular hours, or at one of two upcoming “SRC Summer Casual” events —  the August 12 “Sundaes On Sunday” event at Debbie Rodriguez’s residence, and the August 16 “Clubhouse Get-Together” at  The Spinney at Pond View clubhouse in East Greenbush.

Here, once again, is the official shopping list provided by our partners at Circles of Mercy:

• Pencils (Regular Lead #2 and Color)
• Pencil sharpeners
• Erasers (for pencil work)
• Pens (black or blue)
• Markers (dry erase and color)
• Pocket Folders (Assorted Colors)
• 3-Ring Binders (in 2” and 3” Sizes)
• Loose leaf paper (college ruled)
• Graph paper
• Spiral subject notebooks (1-, 3- and 5-subject, college ruled)
• Subject dividers
• Pencil cases / boxes (plastic, zippered)
• 3”x5” index cards
• Highlighters (yellow)
• Rulers (regular with metric)
• Kleenex tissues
• Hand sanitizer (small bottles)
• Post-It Notes
• Backpacks (no rollers / no wheels)
• Ear buds (inexpensive, for computer use)
• Flash drives (all sizes)
• Scientific calculators (Texas Instrument TI-84)
• Hole reinforcement labels
• Combination locks (for gym lockers)

• The weather:  Salubrious

• The food:  Scrumptious

• The conversation:  Scintillating

• The water:  Well, it was both hot and cold, depending on whether you were in the hot tub or the pool.

Put it all together and it was “Cookout By the Pool I,” the first of two such events on the “SRC Summer Casual” calendar, with Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez generously co-hosting the event at Jim’s residence on Thursday evening.

(“Cookout By the Pool II” is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, August 23, at the Forth residence. Please be sure to RSVP to Murray and/or Maggie by August 20 if you plan to attend.)

We had a strong turnout Thursday evening of Rotarians, family, and guests of all ages, including a special appearance by old friends Phil and Ann Eagan.

And, plenty of people dropped off donations to our annual “School Supplies Drive” we’re running in conjunction with the Greenbush YMCA for needy students in the Rensselaer, Schodack, and East Greenbush school districts. Remember, you can drop off items at the Y during regular hours, or at the club’s August 12 or 16 events. (Check the website calendar for details. And, click here for the shopping list.))

Here are a few scenes from Thursday’s event, captured by Bill Dowd and Roberto:

Dean and Doris Calamaras are known for their Mediterranean-style hospitality. They upheld that reputation Thursday evening with a “Mediterranean Sit-Down Dinner” as part of the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club’s “Summer Casual” schedule.

Next up on the calendar is “Cookout By the Pool I,” another family-friendly event set for 6 p.m. Thursday, July 19, at Jim Leyhane’s residence in East Greenbush. Please make your reservations with Jim no later than Tuesday, July 17. Main dishes and beverages will be provided, but guests are asked to bring appetizers serving 6-8 people. Bring your bathing suits, or attire the kiddos for a good time!

Some scenes from the Calamaras evening and a menu that included Corsican beef and green beans a la Grecque:

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