This year’s 7190 District Conference will be held in a very different sort of venue — the new Rivers Casino & Resort in downtown Schenectady.

The event will run over parts of three days on June 1 through 3, beginning with a traditional Friday “District Day of Service” that will involve projects for all abilities being offered in and around Schenectady, as well as the “Centennial Celebration” of the Schenectady Rotary Club that evening.

The formal District Conference will officially commence on Saturday, June 2, with District business and awards in the morning, educational and inspirational freetime offerings in the afternoon, and a banquet in the evening with motivational millenial speaker Todd Jenkins (Mr. Bowtie) as the keynote speaker. (Click here for a YouTube video about him.) And, on Sunday, June, 3, we will remember Rotarians and honor their service with a look to the future.

For those who may want to take advantage of the possibility after visiting the casino’s many attractions beyond the Rotary experience, the District has reserved two blocks of hotel rooms for Friday and/or Saturday night. The options:

• Stay in the casino’s Landing Hotel for the $140 per night earlybird price available until April 15, then $150, plus all taxes and fees.  Click here to access the reserved group block.

​• Or,stay  just an easy walk along the Mohawk River at the Courtyard Marriott for $134 per night, plus all taxes and fees.  Click here to access the Courtyard group block.

You must book your hotel in addition to the District Conference registration. Click here for the conference registration forms.

On Saturday, April 7, all Rotarians in District 7190 are invited to attend the annual District Training Assembly.  This year our training theme will focus in on an issue affecting us all: The opioid crisis.

The morning event will be held at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs.  The Training Assembly will bring in content-experts to orient us all to this complex issue which has taken root in all our communities.  We will use what we learn about the crisis to engage our training objective: to understand and practice how to identify complex issues in our local communities and engage collaboratively with community partners.

We will use the One Rotary Summit (ORS) design to facilitate our training. ORS is designed to shine a light on the relationship among club membership, public image, and service through engagement with local communities and the Rotary Foundation.  In short, more members means greater service projects, more service projects means more visibility for Rotary, and more visibility leads to more members, more members leads to more grant support, etc.

In the context of the opioid crisis, the ORS model will showcase how community collaboration can lead to a stronger public image for each Rotary club, how that image can help to identify like-minded prospective members in the community, and how the Rotary Foundation might provide support and funding to assist with the community effort.  This virtuous cycle can quickly gain momentum and offer benefits to the community and the club for years to come.

More details will be forthcoming soon.  The most important detail, however, is that many clubs already are nibbling at the edges of this very complex and insidious problem plaguing our communities.  Some clubs already are sponsoring community forums; and, some clubs are actively engaged with partners to deliver education and support. Other clubs don’t know where to start despite a passionate desire to help.  It reminds me of the old saying: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Look for registration information and additional details coming soon. Thank you for all you do, for your communities, for your clubs, and for humankind.

— District Governor Fred Daniels

This week sounds like another typical March one — another storm watch for Wednesday, but the good news is that it should all be cleaned up by Thursday evening in time for you to attend our dinner meeting.

The speaker will be our own Julius Frankel on the topic of “Yuri: A Life Lived.”  And, it looks as if we will have another good turnout.

Our menu will feature Chicken Marsala, antipasto salad, chef’s choice of sides, bread, dessert, and beverages, and the cash bar will be available.

The following members have indicated their intention to attend. If you aren’t on this list but wish to attend, please let dinner coordinator Debbie Brown know by Tuesday evening at mdbrown@nycap.rr.com.

Pat Bailey
Terry Brewer
Debbie Brown
Peter Brown
April Dowd
Bill Dowd
Dick Drumm
Murray Forth
Julius Frankel
Ray Hannan
Phil Kellerman
Jim Leyhane
Bonnie Nasca
Phil Nasca
Debbie Rodriguez

More than 70 people from SRC and various other organizations showed up to support our club’s annual “Bowling for Vets” fundraising event Sunday at the East Greenbush Bowling Center.

Included in the turnout were 23 students and administrators from Bell Top Elementary School which will receive a share of the event proceeds to help finance its project to purchase a service dog to be trained to aid a disabled military veteran.

We also again had bowlers from the Blue Star Mothers military family support organization, and our new Rotaract club at the UAlbany School of Public Health made its debut. In addition to the bowlers of all ages, we had 24 lane sponsors at $100 each from among club members and various local businesses.

Thanks to all the financial supporters, volunteers, and bowlers who teamed up to make this a successful event once again. Here are some of those who participated:

Meeting at Quigley’s Restaurant
593 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY
March 1, 2018

Members Attending (22): Roberto Martinez, Andy Leyhane, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Debbie Rodriguez, Terry Brewer, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Jim Leyhane, Bill Dowd, April Dowd, Jennifer Felts, Carol Orvis, Phil Kellerman, Dean Calamaras, Ray Hannan, Dick Drumm, Bonnie Nasca, Charlie Foote, Stewart Wagner, Julius Frankel, Becky Raymond.

Guests (2): Rachel Stark of Next Gen Committee; Samantha Raynor of The Spinney at Pond View.

Business/Announcements

OPENING — President Roberto welcomed members as well as guests Rachel Stark of the Capital Region Rotary Club and Samantha Raynor of The Spinney at Pond View. … Thanks were extended to Dean and Doris Calamaras for hosting a dinner themed “An Evening in Greece” that was part of our “Rotary Home Cooking” series. Next up is a Saturday, March 24, social event at the Brewer residence. Terry will provide a reservation signup sheet.

CLYNK RECYCLING — Bill Dowd reported that we are starting to receive money in our club account via the Clynk bottle-and-can redemption program in cooperation with Hannaford supermarkets. A supply of recycling bags and bar code stickers, both necessary to participate in this ongoing fundraiser, will be available to members at each meeting and kept in our locked storage cabinet at Quigley’s.

BOWLING FOR VETS — We have more than 20 lane sponsors, at $100 each, for this Sunday’s annual fundraiser at the East Greenbush Bowling Center. At least five volunteers are needed to staff the registration desk over two shifts. In addition to SRC Rotarians and family members, we are expecting contingents from Rotaract and Bell Top School. We have promoted the event on the club weboite, on social media, and in ads in Our Towne and The Advertiser.

EASTER BASKET DRIVE — Our annual effort in support of Circles of Mercy’s “Easter Baskets for Kate’s Kids” program for underprivileged local children has begun. Details of the effort, plus a suggested shopping list, are available by clicking here.

ROTARACT UPDATE — Becky Raymond reported that she, John Justino, and Phil Nasca attended a meeting of the new Rotaract club at the UAlbany School of Public Health. That group is  planning a fundraiser dinner event for Thursday, March 22, and have invited SRC to attend. About 15 of our members indicated their intent to do so; we will not hold our scheduled meeting on that date to allow more of our members to attend the Rotaract dinner. The fundraiser will include a silent auction. There is no charge for the dinner, although donations will, of course, be appreciated. The event will run from 5 to 7 p.m. … Becky also repeated a request to pass along copies of the latest edition of The Rotarian magazine, which is the Rotaract issue, to her for redistribution to Rotaract members. And, Rotaract again expressed interest in working with SRC on our various projects on an ongoing basis.

RONALD McDONALD HOUSE — An SRC team, with Rotaract participation, will prepare dinner at Ronald McDonald House in Albany on Sunday, April 29. Bill Dowd again will create the menu and lead the kitchen crew of 6 to 8 volunteers.

ROTARY’S GOT TALENT — Visiting Rotarian Rachel Stark, a member of the District 7190 Next Gen Committee, filled us in on the talent showcase scheduled for Thursday, May 3, at the Lucky Strike entertainment center at Crossgates Mall in Guilderland. Each three-minute act will be eligible for prizes — $500 and a traveling club trophy for first place, $250 for second place, and $100 for third. Admission will be $25 per adult, $15 for kids 7-14, and free to kids 6 and under. Further details will be posted on  Next Gen’s Facebook page closer to the event.

BYLAWS CHANGES — Terry reported on upcoming changes in the RI dues structure and how it may affect us at the club level. He noted that it may require some changes in our Bylaws. Bill Dowd added that we already are working on potential changes due to the realignment of our committee structure which now does not conform to requirements, so we will create a single package of proposed changes for a member vote.

PROGRAM: “The Spinney at Pond View”

Samantha Raynor, manager of The Spinney at Pond View in Castleton, spoke about her company’s concept of creating residential communities for people 55 and older, or “55 and better” as she phrased it.

Samantha said the Spinney concept offers “cottages” as opposed to apartments and condos, with residences “sharing walls but never floors and ceilings.” She said that one-story design is more exp0ensive to build, but results in more privacy and a more house-like community, as well as allowing residents to age in place.

She explained that the recently-expanded Castleton complex is one of several owned and managed by the company that was founded by her father and a business partner and essentially is completely run by family members. It is developing an expansion plan to enter the Saratoga County market.

Click here to go to our Program Presentation Archive for more details from her PowerPoint presentation.

NEXT MEETING — 6:15 p.m. Thursday, March 8, at Quigley’s. Our own Julius Frankel will be the speaker.

This photo shows just some of what we were able to assemble last year to help Circles of Mercy’s annual “Easter Baskets for Cate’s Kids” drive for underprivileged kids up to 12 years of age.

Our annual drive is under way, and we have a shopping list (see below)  for you to use when you pitch in to make this push a success once again. You’ll note what is needed is more than candy. In case you don’t plan to shop for items, you can make a monetary donation by giving it to Murray Forth.

We’ll be assisted in our efforts by the Greenbush YMCA, and Len Leonidas’s Scouts again will help assemble the goodies using baskets and wrapping paper contributed by SRC and items for the baskets donated by Rotarians and families.

We’re on a very tight turnaround time since Easter comes early this year — April 1, no fooling — and we have to he sure completed baskets are dropped off at Circles of Mercy by March 26.

Please bring your contributions to our dinner meetings of March 8, 15, and 22, or the monthly breakfast meeting on March 15.

The shopping list:

• Various types of traditional Easter candies
• Coloring books
• Crayons
• Colored pencils
• Facial tissues
• Tooth brushes and tooth paste
• Dental floss
• Combs and hairbrushes
• Age-appropriate (1-12) small stuffed animals
• Toys
• Reading books
• Combs and hair brushes

Another excellent reason for sending your difference-making charitable contributions to the Rotary Foundation. This is the highest rating a non-profit organization can receive:

This Friday will mark the 58th anniversary of the founding of the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club, known initially as the East Greenbush club, and we can be proud of all the good work our members have contributed to the good of our community and the world at large. Something to celebrate for sure.

Our “birthday dinner” this Thursday at Quigley’s week will feature ham, antipasto salad, chef’s selection of sides, bread, dessert, and beverages. And, of course, the cash bar is available.

Our speaker, courtesy of Ray Hannan, will be Samantha Raynor, manager of The Spinney at Pond View residential complex located in Castleton. The complex is one of a growing number of such communities being built in the Capital Region and, indeed, in many other areas around the country.

The following members already have signed up to attend. As usual, if you aren’t on the list and plan to be with us, please let dinner coordinator Debbie Brown know (mdbrown@nycap.rr.com) no later than Tuesday evening. Please remember, guests always are welcome, just let us know in advance so we can plan the seating.

Pat Bailey
Terry Brewer
Debbie Brown
Peter Brown
April Dowd
Bill Dowd
Dick Drumm
Jennifer Felts
Murray Forth
Ray Hannan
Phil Kellerman
Andy Leyhane
Jim Leyhane
Roberto Martinez
Bonnie Nasca
Phil Nasca
Becky Raymond
Samantha Raynor (guest speaker)
Debbie Rodriguez

Dean and Doris Calamaras hosted the latest “Rotary Home Cooking” event on Saturday, “A Greek Evening.”

The menu consisted of drinks and hors d’oeuvres followed by roasted leg of lamb, roasted potatoes, green beans a la Grecque, Greek salad, homemade baklava and other assorted sweets.

Proceeds from these social events go to the SRC treasury to help support various service efforts. Our thanks to the Calamarases for providing the venue and the dinner this month.

Next up in the “Rotary Home Cooking” series, which is open to all Rotarians and their guests, is a social evening to be hosted by the Brewer family on Saturday, March 24.

That evening will include a beer tasting, a wine tasting, and team trivia, along with a lot of conversation and mingling. Mark your calendars and plan to bring a guest who can use the event to learn more about Rotary and Rotarians.

The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club was founded as the East Greenbush club on March 2, 1960. That means our organization will turn 58 next Friday.

Some of us clearly remember 1960, some remember it a little less clearly, and some were not even born then. Here’s a look at what was going on during that particular Leap Year:

• President Dwight D. Eisenhower was visiting the South American nation of Uruguay and suffered from a touch of tear gas that drifted his way when police in the capital city of Montevideo used the gas on rioting students.

• Chubby Checker released his recording of the pop song “The Twist,” and it sparked a worldwide dance craze.

• Comic actress and producer Lucille Ball filed for divorce from husband Desi Arnaz after 19 years of marriage, effectively ended the wildly popular  “I Love Lucy” franchise of TV shows and films.

•  The U.S. government announced it was sending 3,500 military personnel to a place called Vietnam.

• “Ben Hur” won the Oscar for Best Film.

• The National Football League announced the addition of two franchises — the Dallas Cowboys for the 1960 season and Minneapolis-St. Paul for ’61. Later in the year, the first regular season game of the new American Football League is played in Massachusetts, with the Denver Broncos defeating the Boston Patriots, 13-10.

• In Greensboro, NC, four black college students staged a sit-in at a segregated lunch counter in a Woolworth’s department store. That triggered numerous non-violent protests across the South as the civil rights era began heating up.

• In Buenos Aires, Argentina, a team of agents from the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad kidnaps fugitive Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann and spirits him to Israel where he is tried, found guilty of crimes against humanity during World War II, and is executed.

• Dozens of countries, particularly in Africa, gain independence from their colonial rulers France, England, Belgium, and Italy.

• The Kennedy-Nixon debates are held throughout the year, and Kennedy is elected 27th president in November.

Of course, many, many more historic happenings in science, academics, sports, politics, entertainment and other fields took place in 1960, but this smattering may jog your memory.