The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club was honored for its work with the Circles of Mercy family aid organization at its annual gala held at Shaker Ridge Country Club on Wednesday.

The award was “in grateful appreciation of your dedicated service in assisting with Catherine McAuley’s mission and spirit of mercy at Circles of Mercy.”

In addition, our club was presented with a proclamation from the New York State Legislature, sponsored by State Senator Neil Breslin and Assemblyman John McDonald, for its public service, as well as a “Special Certificate of Congressional Recognition” sponsored by U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko.

Some scenes from the event:

This Thursday, June 14, we celebrate Flag Day.

For a relatively young country, the United States has had many official flags over its 242 years, and that’s not even counting such early banners as the Pine Tree Flag (“An Appeal to Heaven”) and the Rattlesnake Flag (“Don’t Tread On Me”), as well as a host of regional and movement flags. (Click here to see some of those)

Below is a look at the official flags as designated by the federal government. Note the many subtle differences. And, click here to read about the history of our flag.

We’re getting down to the wire, with this Thursday’s 6:15 p.m. gathering at Quigley’s serving as our next-to-last dinner meeting of the 2017-18 Rotary Year.

The last dinner meeting will be the following Thursday, June 21, when we award scholarships to a trio of local high school students. The following Thursday, June 28, will be our annual Presidential Changeover event, again being hosted by Debbie and Peter Brown. Then, after taking a break for the Fourth of July week, we’ll head into our “Summer Casual” period for July and August. (Click here to see that calendar and the  available dates if you would like to host a picnic or plan an event.)

This week, Debbie Rodriguez will present her first “chapter” of our club’s history. Debbie says this will be an ongoing project as she searches through years of archives. Perhaps some of her findings will prompt memories from past years, so come prepared to pull information out of your personal memory banks.

Dinner will feature Quigley’s popular eggplant Parmesan, antipasto salad, chef’s choice of sides, bread, dessert, and beverages. As always, dinner coordinator Debbie B. will need your RSVP (emailed to mdbrown@nycap.rr.com) no later than Tuesday evening to allow for sufficient food and seating. And, also as always, guests are very welcome as long as you let her know in advance.

Here’s who has signed up so far:

Pat Bailey
Bill Dowd
Dick Drumm
Phil Kellerman
Jim Leyhane
Roberto Martinez
Debbie Rodriguez

A group of Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club members joined forces with a sizeable contingent from Columbia High School to refurbish the Star of Hope memorial in East Greenbush on Saturday morning.

Thanks to sunny weather, good organization, and plenty of willing hands, the projected three-hour effort was completed in just under two hours.

The Star of Hope, on the grounds of the East Greenbush Public Library, was created some years ago by the then-active CHS Interact Club as a lasting memorial to CHS students who passed away before they could graduate. Over the years, as that club ceased to be active, the memorial area underwent an inevitable decline that goes with such things. However, this year a concerted effort was created to refresh and refurbish it, and the Greenbush YMCA also pledged to make regular efforts to care for the new plantings.

The group planted a kousa dogwood (a/k/a/ Japanese dogwood), pink and yellow lilies, storksbills, and coreopsis after preparing the flower beds with peat and mulch.

Rotarians involved in planning and execution of today’s effort included Terry Brewer, Shannon Romanowski, Jim Leyhane, Mike Harkin (also the CHS principal), Roberto Martinez, Andy Leyhane, Geoff Brewer, Becky Raymond, and Assistant District Governor Jack Faddegon, whose Faddegon’s Nursery in Latham provided planting materials at cost.

Among the CHS delegation were Jess Winter, Bryel Weinlein, Danny Watson, Cameron Masiello, Fritz Howard, Tyler Wilk, Gabby Hochberg, Lilly Hutton, Ell Hutton, Allison Hutton, TJ Scaccia, Owen Stefanko, Jack Backman, Julia Neal, Ben McHugh, Taryn Stewart, Schuyler Lorette, and Collin Daugherty.

Terry Brewer, who was superintendent of the East Greenbush Central School District at the time of creation of the Star of Hope and whose daughter was Interact president at the time, gave a history of the memorial, and expressed his appreciation to all for participating.

Below are a few scenes from the day, provided by Terry and Roberto. You also can see a photo gallery on the SRC Facebook page by clicking here.

UPDATE (6/8/18): Facebook has announced it will enter the Guatemalan disaster relief field by matching donations made specifically for that purpose up to $250,000. (Click here for details.) As of today, the death toll is at 109, hundreds more are missing, and destruction is incalculable. Click here for the latest news and analysis of the situation.

(Originally published 6/6/18)

News on the volcanic eruption in Hawaii receives regular updates via the media. However, a deadlier eruption in Guatemala received some initial coverage, but it quickly has dissipated.

In the last 72 hours, the Central American nation has been left reeling by the most violent volcanic eruption in 44 years.

The Fuego volcano spewed lava, ash, rocks and deadly hot gas onto hillside villages, killing at least 65 people, according to early reports. More than 3,000 people have been forced to flee their homes, while the entire community of El Rodeo is said to be buried.

As always in the instances of natural disasters anywhere in the world, ShelterBox is taking immediate steps to help.

ShelterBox has aid pre-positioned in Guatemala and nearby Panama and is sending an assessment team to see how it might be able to help families who have lost everything in the most devastating volcanic eruption in Guatemala since 1974.

“We are in contact with colleagues and Rotary partners in the country to understand whether and how we can help,” the aid organization said in a statement. “:ShelterBox has deployed to Guatemala on four previous occasions. The first response was a flood in 2005, then another flood and a tropical storm in 2010, and an earthquake in 2012.

“Any donation you can give today will help families in desperate need. We need your support now to reach more families without shelter. Thank you. Your support will help us change lives.”

Anyone who wishes to donate any amount, large or small, to this effort or any of the many other ongoing ShelterBox efforts can do so by clicking here.

Meeting at Quigley’s Restaurant
593 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY
June 7, 2018

Members Attending (13): Roberto Martinez, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Jim Leyhane, Peter Brown, Melissa Bill, Debbie Brown, Dick Drumm, Debbie Rodriguez, Ray Hannan, Phil Kellerman, Charlie Foote, Mike Ackerman.

Guests : None.

ANNOUNCEMENTS/BUSINESS

OPENING: President Roberto Martinez welcomed members and guest.

SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATION: We will be awarding our annual $1,000 scholarships to three graduating high school seniors at our Thursday, June 21, dinner meeting at Quigley’s.

DISTRICT CONFERENCE: The annual District 710 Conference held last weekend at the Rivers Casino Resort in Schenectady was attended by about 120 people, including a small delegation from SRC. Roberto showed slides of the activities. Click here to go to District Governor Fred Daniels’ report on the event.

STAR OF HOPE: SRC will join with a group of students from Columbia High School from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday at the East Greenbush Public Library to refresh the Star of Hope memorial area. Plants for the project are being supplied by Faddegon’s Nursey at its cost, approximately $1,200.

SHELTERBOX: Aid is being sent to volcano-ravaged Guatemala, where more than 100 people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced, as part of a ShelterBox effort. This is not the first time Guatemala has need such disaster assistance. Click here for details and how to donate to the effort.

COLONIE COMMUNITY NIGHT: Jim Leyhane spoke about the “Community Night” in Colonie sponsored by their police department. Funding is needed for the event, to be held this Friday, because organizers once again are short of money. Jim said he donated $500, and requested that the club contribute $250. Next year, the Colonie Rotary Club will take over this event. Debbie Rodriguez made, and Peter Brown seconded, a motion to give Jim $250 to defray half his contribution. It was approved without dissent.

WEBSITE REMINDERS: Roberto reminded members that our website regularly displays an up-to-date events calendar, and he spoke about access to current and future information available via the website. (Please note that SRC also has a Facebook presence under “SRC Club.”)

CHANGEOVER EVENTS: The District presidential changeover event is scheduled for Sunday, July 8, at ​Dunham’s Bay Resort, 2999 State Route 9L, Lake George. Reservations, priced at  $32 per person, may be made by clicking here. … The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club’s presidential changeover dinner is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, June 28. Save the date, and join us when Roberto passes the gavel to Andy Leyhane.

ROTARY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE: RLI training will be held on Saturday, October 20, at the CASDA facility on the UAlbany Health Sciences Campus (formerly called the East Campus). Members wishing to participate are urged to contact Bill Dowd, who is coordinating our registrations. The club will pay the registration fees. We also learned that Rotaract members will be allowed to enroll.

FUNDRAISER: Debbie Rodriguez reported that a fundraising dinner for Ronald McDonald House is scheduled for Saturday, June 21, at the Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia. Reservations are $75 per person, and may be made by calling Megan Rodriguez at 518-724-5004. Debbie is trying to put together enough SRC members to reserve a table.

SUMMER CASUAL SCHEDULE: The second event on our traditional July-August calendar is being firmed up, with Debbie Brown working on choosing a summer theater production at the Mac-Haydn Theatre in Chatham. We already have a picnic and ValleyCats baseball game at Bruno Stadium scheduled for Wednesday, July 25  (note it is not on our usual Thursday activity night), with Terry Brewer handling the arrangements. Click here to see the available dates for summer events.

NEXT MEETING: 6:15 p.m. Thursday, June 14, at Quigley’s. Debbie Rodriguez will speak on our club history.

PROGRAM: “Trivia Test”

Melissa Bill presented a trivia test in place of her originally-planned program which was postponed due to a scheduling conflict by the speakers.

It was a multi-category, multiple-choice test consisting of 20 questions on geography, Broadway shows, basketball, music, space, art, and pop culture. The winner was Peter Brown, fresh off a win in our “4th annual North American Whizbang Trivia Test” three weeks ago. Debbie Brown and Phil Kellerman tied for second.

Can’t get enough trivia? This week’s new meeting topic may help.

If you didn’t do as well as you might have liked at our annual trivia competition three weeks ago, Melissa Bill will be holding a test with, she promises, a little prize for the winner.

What’s behind the late change is a cancellation by the scheduled speakers Melissa had lined up from the organization Eyes Wide Open of NENY. We may try to schedule them for a visit in the next Rotary Year since we’re almost out of dinner meetings before we go in to our summer casual mode.

Americans are dying of drug overdoses at an alarming rate. One report cites an estimated 1,000 deaths each week, mostly from overdoses of opioid drugs.

The Rotary Club of Niskayuna will host “Losing Our Loved Ones,” a breakfast forum open to the public from 7:15 to 8:15 a.m. next Tuesday, June 12, at the Blue Ribbon Restaurant & Bakery, 1801 State Street, Schenectady.

The primary speaker will be Robert A. Kent, general counsel for the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).  He is leading OASAS efforts to implement Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Heroin and Opioid Task Force.  (After the meeting, Kent will be speaking to fifth-graders at Schenectady’s Lincoln Elementary.)

If you would like to attend the breakfast, be sure to call Lon Penna at  518-312-6588 no later than Sunday, June 10.

Deborah Fowler and Patricia Carley, founders of Eyes Wide Open of NENY, will be our guest speakers at Thursday’s dinner meeting at Quigley’s.

Their organization seeks to “provide restorative care and a sanctuary of healing and hope for women survivors of sex trafficking.” Melissa Bill will introduce the program.

The dinner menu will include sausage and peppers, antipasto salad, chef’s choice of sides, bread, dessert, and beverages.

As always, guests are welcome, but they need to be included in the headcount we provide to Quigley’s for food and seating. The list of those with reservations is below. If you’re n ot on it, but would like to join us, please email dinner coordinator Debbie Brown at mdbrown@nycap.rr.com no later than Tuesday evening.

Pat Bailey
Melissa Bill
Debbie Brown
Peter Brown
April Dowd
Bill Dowd
Dick Drumm
Charlie Foote
Phil Kellerman
Jim Leyhane
Roberto Martinez
Debbie Rodriguez
Carole Spencer
Deborah Fowler (guest speaker)
Patricia Carley (guest speaker)

The annual District 7190 Conference went off in style from Friday through Sunday, with community service projects throughout the community the first day followed by sessions at the new Rivers Casino in Schenectady on Saturday and Sunday.

Southern Rensselaer Coumty Rotary Club was well represented throughout the event. Here is a report from District Governor Fred Daniels, followed by a few scenes from the event.

“In the first few days of June, the District Conference was held in Schenectady, also known as the birthplace of General Electric. Albert Einstein, who vacationed in Saranac Lake and knew both of the founders of GE (Thomas Edison and Charles Steinmetz — what did they all talk about?), once said:

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”

The District Conference theme,”Sparking Action in the Capital Region,” included the notion that change can serve as a spark to action, and the conference focused in part on change and change leadership. Whether we are considering ways to attract young professionals to Rotary, or to be more relevant to our communities, or to engage the highly complex issue of opioid addiction, we recognize that our clubs must change, that the ways Rotarians think about serving our communities must be more radical, and that we must focus on impacting outcomes — moving the needle — if, in fact, we want to change the world.

When we think about change, we sometimes focus on problem solving rather than creating the desired outcomes. We say “Our clubs are getting smaller. What must we change to stop that from happening?”  We say,”Our service projects are great, but they only seem to have limited impact.How can we change the project so that our impact is more significant?

And, there is nothing wrong with approaching things in this way. The answers can return our clubs to the sizes they used to be and make our service projects more successful by many measures.

But, we don’t spend much time thinking about the most desirable outcome — the actual result. What would we want our clubs to be like? What are the fundamental issues underlying the usefulness of our service project,and what is the plan that solves those root issues?

Rather than getting our club to be the size it was 10 years ago, a different approach would be to agree that our club should look like the community it is serving.

Does this mean more diversity — racial, age, gender? Does this mean that if our community is filled with youth who have significant needs that the club should demonstrate capabilities to engage youth?

If so, then what is the plan to start an Interact Club, Early Act club, and attract youth workers into the membership? If the club today had 10 members, but seven of them were directly connected to the youth in the community, would that club be more relevant to the community and produce greater impact?  If so, it barely matters how many members there are in the club.

In the same way, if the opioid crisis is gripping the community, then what is the desired outcome? It could be to rid the community of opioids. Or, it could be to provide better education about avoiding addiction. Or bringing folks out from the shadow of addiction into the sunlight of treatment. Each of those is a great service project, but the plans would be dramatically different depending on the best anticipated outcome.

There is a constant in any of these scenarios. It is that the members of the club and the community work together to identify the community needs, strategize on the plan to achieve the best outcome, and work together to implement the plan for success. In Rotary it is not about the ideas or actions of one person, no matter how astoundingly great that Rotarian is.

Mother Teresa said it best: “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples.”

Rotary is changing the world, one person and one community at a time. Whether you know it or not, you are a change agent, and each of us has a unique opportunity to cast a stone across the water.  When we join together and cast many stones, the ripples are stronger and affect the shoreline more significantly. They can be seen further away, so that others know it is time to cast their stone.

See that stone over there? Bend down and pick it up. Better yet, find another Rotarian and bend down together and pick up the larger stone right next to it. Now, make some ripples!”