OK, we surrender!
The dire weather forecast and the already-tricky road conditions have combined to force the cancellation of tonight’s SRC dinner meeting at Quigley’s.
Please stay safe and off the roads as much as possible, and we’ll look forward to seeing you next Thursday for our regularly scheduled dinner meeting.
Here’s today’s hourly forecast from the U.S. Weather Service:
Each year, hundreds of Rotarian volunteers from a variety of California communities, plus some visiting Rotarians from elsewhere, labor long and hard to create a themed float for the iconic Tournament of Roses Parade held in Pasadena, CA.
Before the hands-on work begins, a committee composed of 83 members from 27 Rotary Districts in the U.S. and Canada meets monthly to plan the design and logistics of the project.
The 129th annual extravaganza will begin at 11 a.m. (EST) Monday, January 1. You’ll have plenty of choices from among TV channels scheduled to show the parade — ABC, NBC, HGTV, Hallmark Channel, and RFD TV.
If you tune in to the telecast, you’ll be able to see the Rotary float in the 49th position in the parade, just after the University of Georgia Redcoat Marching Band and just before Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek riding in a 1924 Model TT truck.
Rotary’s theme this time around is “Planting the Seeds of Service.” It will depict a whimsical bunny gazing at a just-planted peach tree that appears in shape and form to be like any other float entry. As most people know, every surface of every float is required to be covered by living flowers, tree bark, grasses, and other such materials.
However, if you look beyond those components, you’ll see the Rotary float actually is the story of a child hungry for food, drinking bacteria-infested water; the story of a mother fighting to take care of her family; the story of a family living in a region of conflict struggling to survive. If you look deeper you will
Click here to download the new Tournament of Roes Parade app.
begin to see the bunny as a symbol of the watchful gaze of Rotarians, the tree as a symbol of life, growing the seeds of service provided by Rotarians worldwide, and bearing the fruit of Rotary’s “Six Areas of Focus” giving hope to all children, all mothers, and all families for a better world.
To enhance this message, a real sapling from one of Hiroshima’s atomic bomb survivor trees will be on the float. It later will be planted in one of Rotary’s Peace Gardens to help promote peace and a green legacy.
Click here to access the Rotary Float Committee’s Facebook page.
Only hours to go …
… and closer …
It’s getting closer …
Ready for the big day?
Breakfast Meeting
Greenbush YMCA
20 Community Way
East Greenbush, NY
December 21, 2017
Members Attending (8): Terry Brewer, Geoff Brewer, Murray Forth, Jim Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Becky Raymond, Shannon Romanowski, John Justino.
Guests (1): Kaitlin Driesse.
CLUB ACTIVITIES — Terry Brewer provided updates on club programs and events such as the holiday party set for tonight, donations to Circles of Mercy for the club’s annual “Adopt-a-Family” drive, the upcoming Bowling for Vets fundraising event, indoor simulated golf tournament, and the progress on revising the club’s committee structure.
ROTARACT PROGRESS — New member John Justino discussed the Rotaract chapter being formed at the UAlbany School of Public Health where he will be the faculty adviser, and grad student Kaitlin Driesse, a chapter founder, reported that 15 to 16 students have expressed interest in participating. John said it would be good to schedule an SRC breakfast meeting for the group at the School of Public Health and suggested a joint program. A potential date is March 22, 2018, to coordinate with the school’s international event. Rotaract liaison Becky Raymond and John will follow up on this activity. Terry and Jim Leyhane will schedule a breakfast meeting in the near future with the Rotaract group.
YMCA — Shannon Romanowski spoke on “Y” services as they relate to community activities. She is looking to connect Rotary, the “Y” and other community groups to an events calendar that will create partnerships and working together to support community programs.
NEXT MEETINGS — The next dinner meeting is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Thursday, January 4, at Quigley’s. The next breakfast meeting is scheduled for 7 a.m. Thursday, January 18, at the Greenbush YMCA.
Time is growing very short. Any last-minute reservations for the annual “Holiday Party & Themed Gift Basket Silent Auction” should be made with Murray and Maggie Forth (mmforth51@gmail.com, 518-477-7433) by this Sunday.
The party will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 21, at their residence in East Greenbush. Attendees are asked to bring a small appetizer for six people. The Talk of the Town catering service will provide the remainder of the dinner ($25).
A reminder: The themed baskets are a major part of this social event, and all winning bids go to the club treasury to help support our many public outreach initiatives. We suggest baskets in the $15 to $45 range. And, of course, the more variety the better. Anyone needing an imagination jump start may want to revisit the suggestions we’ve posted in recent weeks on the club website. Check here, here, and here for some examples such as those below.
Christmas came 10 days early to Circles of Mercy in Rensselaer today when the annual collection of “Adopt-a-Family” gifts from the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club arrived at the family services agency.
SRC project coordinator April Dowd and her chauffeur had to enlist the help of Circles Executive Director Richard Zazycki and several of his volunteers in unloading a car crammed to capacity with gifts for a needy “blended” family with children ranging in age from 18 years to 18 months. We had promised Richard “shock and awe” at the treasure trove of presents, and he concurred that the result was startling.
About half of the club members participated in the effort.
Said April, “Our family this year had eight children and two adults, and bringing Christmas to their home could have been a daunting task. But, due to your generosity ‘Adopt a Family 2017’ was quite a success. Bill and I delivered the presents, gift cards, grocery items, and specialty baskets today to Circles of Mercy. Thanks to all of you who participated in this joyous and satisfying venture.”
The mission of Circles of Mercy, with whom SRC partners in several other efforts such as an annual school supplies drive and an annual Easter basket program, is very much in line with Rotary’s guiding principles.
The organization, which has its roots in Dublin, Ireland, in 1827, works to “improve the quality of life in the community by working to end the cycle of poverty, especially among women and women with children. Animated by the Gospel and [founder] Catherine McAuley’s passion for the poor and underprivileged, we honor the dignity of each person. We offer hospitality and provide services, compassion, hospitality, stewardship, leadership and collaboration, with a special concern for the poor and disadvantaged without regard to a person’s religious affiliation, ethnicity or sexual orientation; which is performed in an effort to instill hope and empower individuals to reach their full potential.”
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 