Members in Attendance (9):  Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Debbie Brown, Pat Bailey, Peter Brown, Kenin Leyhane, Dick Drumm, Andy Leyhane, Ray Hannan, Phil Kellerman, Becky Raymond

By Zoom:  John Justino

President Brown called the meeting to order. 

Theme for the Year: “Building Community”

MEETING NOTES:

Speakers:   The following Thursday, October 26, Our speaker will be John Eberle, CEO of The Community Foundation. He will continue our conversation on social capital.

Members are encouraged to reach out to the extensive list of potential speakers and make appropriate arrangements.   Any slot identified as a Club Assembly can be accessed to accommodate a potential speaker/program.  Artificial Intelligence is of particular interest to members. 

 World Polio Day/Rotaract: John reported that he is struggling to get engagement from the Rotaract Club, and therefore there will be no program sponsored by the School of Public Health.  John would like to involve Becky R and Debbie R in a conversation about the level of commitment from students at the School.

YMCA Basket Brigade:  Becky brought to member attention The Capital District YMCA Caring Community Bucket Brigade to be held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving (Nov 18).  Volunteers are needed to assemble baskets; and drivers are needed for distribution. 

Date for Holiday Party and Silent Auction:  In order to reserve a room at Moscatello’s we need to guarantee at least 30-35 participants.   Dates under consideration are the 14^th or the 7^th in order of preference.   Please communicate to Roberto your intention to participate and the number of your party as soon as possible.  The earlier date of the 7^th may be easier to secure as we may be able to satisfy adequate numbers for that date.   

“What’s Your Rotary Elevator Speech” 

Jim Leyhane

Jim Leyhane presented many “fun facts” and thought-provoking questions to get members thinking about what they would say when asked about Rotary.  Rotary International is the oldest non-government charity and has 4 million clubs around the world with over 100,600 000 members.  What other organization would take on a worldwide health crisis such as polio and expect to win?  Rotary has effectively eliminated polio with only cases in one country.  Rotary has offered over $10 million worldwide for Ambassador Scholarships for Master’s Programs. 

Service in Rotary, both locally and with worldwide programs such as Shelter Box and Gift of Life, gives tangible ways to give back and have fun by working alongside other Rotarians in a common goal. 

We all know the 4-Way Test:  It is the truth?  Is it fair to all concerned? Does it build good will? Is it beneficial to all?    Jim would add a 5^th: “Is it fun?   If you can help somebody it is pure good.  Good for good’s sake is a natural high.”

Food for thought:  Why are you here?  What has kept you coming all these years?  Personal responses to these prompts help you create a personal “elevator speech”.

Members in Attendance (9):  Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Debbie Brown, Pat Bailey, Peter Brown, Kenin Leyhane, Terry Brewer, Dick Drumm, Andy Leyhane.

By Zoom: none

Guests:  DG Whitney Pangborn, Asst DG Marisa Multari

President Brown called the meeting to order. 

Theme for the Year:  “Building Community”

MEETING NOTES

Speakers:  Next Thursday, October 19, Jim Leyhane will help us develop our personal “elevator speech” about why we are Rotarians.

The following Thursday, October 26, Our speaker will be John Eberle, CEO of The Community Foundation. He will continue our conversation on social capital.

Next Meeting: Thursday, October 12th, dinner at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. Jim Leyhane will present his Rotary Elevator Speech.

Whitney Pangborn

Rotary District 7190 Governor

District 7190 will merge with two other districts in the year 2024 to become Central New York Rotary District.  AS DGN, Whitney spent the year asking Rotarians across the district the following question: “Why do we care?”  Among the strongest responses were “Its our world”,   the value of various humanitarian projects which people felt “make a difference”   

Whitney outlined 3 objectives for her presidency as we prepare for this transition. 

1.Collaborating:  How can we share resources between clubs, including Interact and Rotaract?   Many clubs have dwindling membership, and such sharing could allow smaller clubs to do even greater things together.

2.Cultivation:  How can we encourage new leaders and new ideas? 

3.  Communication:  Promote the future of Rotary in our region.  CNY will be 115 clubs and approximately 3000 members.  Make use of the wide variety of communication tools/platforms to reach a more diverse potential membership.

At the District Conference in 2024, when this merger/creation of the new CNY district, Lizzy Martin will be named the President of the CNY Board.  She is a third generation Rotarian and hails from Baldwinsville. She will assume her duties in July 2024.  Bob Balk will follow Lizzy in July 2025.

Members in Attendance (14):  Dick Drumm, Phil Kellerman, Jim Leyhane, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Ray Hannan, Doris Calamaras, Dean Calamaras, Pat Bailey, Kevin Leyhane, Ruth Samuels, Andy Leyhane, Debbie Rodriguez and Roberto Martinez.

By Zoom (3): John Justino, Tom Uhle and Luz Martinez.

Guests (0): 

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order.

Theme for the Year: “Building Community.”

MEETING NOTES

Student Exchange: Per Peter Brown, Jason Chevrier, Superintendent of the Schodack Central School District, will be having a conversation with the Principal of the Middleburgh High School about their student exchange program.

Speakers:   The fall programs are filling up. We are still looking for speakers for the winter and spring.

Membership: We are looking to add new members. We are relying on current members to suggest candidates for membership as we have no mechanism for recruiting.

Rotaract: John Justino reported that they have a speaker lined up for the World Polio Event on Tuesday, October 24th. He has room 110A booked at the School of Public Health from 4 pm to 8 pm. Dr. Jessica Kumar will speak. Jessica is the Medical Director at the DOH Bureau of Communicable Disease Control and working on polio prevention here in NYS. Rotary members are welcome to attend the event.

Gift of Life: Dean Calamaras reported that the golf tournament neted $14,000. They are hoping to expand the program with the District merge.

Viking Gym: Ron Annis spoke with the Supervisor of the Town Garage. The Viking gym kit is stored there. According to the Supervisor, there is no way to complete the project this fall. They have to level and ground and do some landscaping. It looks like the work will be done next spring. The gym equipment is paid for. Ron will keep in contact with the Town.

Next Meeting: Thursday, October 12th, dinner at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. Whitney Pangburn, Rotary District Governor, will provide an update on District initiatives and activities.

Entree choices will be Antipasto Salid, Spaghetti and Meatballs or Manicotti.

An Update on Immigration. Is There a Fix?

Phil Kellerman

“There is no fix.” The immigration system is dysfunctional and becoming more dysfunctional. It has to do with the number of immigrants. The world is inundated with immigrants. The United States, Germany and Saudi Arabia lead the world in immigration. Columbia has received 2.5 million immigrants from Venezuela. People immigrate to avoid war and persecution and because of economic hardships and climate change.

Approximately 14% of the United States population are immigrants. Border patrol has captured over 2 million immigrants. They are transported all over the country. They become a strain on city and state resources. Work authorizations take up to two months to process. In the meantime, people need rent and food money. Many cannot work. There are 60,000 immigrants in the New York City Shelter System for a cost of 12 billion over 3 years. New York State claims it does not have the capacity to manage more immigration. Many people apply for political asylum, but that is hard to get. Poverty is not a reason to receive political asylum. Immigrants find work in the construction, agriculture, architecture, engineering, health care, transportation and hospitality industries.

How do you secure a border when border crossings generate over 5 billion dollars? Phil suggests that there needs to be some way to process those who want to emigrate. The United States Government is talking about setting up processing centers in Mexico and South America. He also suggests that there also needs to be some of legislation that leads to legalization. He proposes a 15-year process where immigrants undergo a background check, pay a fine and pay back taxes. They would receive a 5-year work permit that could be renewed for another 5 years, become eligible for a green card and then citizenship. Crimes committed during this time would result in the loss of the work permit and potentially lead to deportation.

Members in Attendance (9):  Dick Drumm, Phil Kellerman, Jim Leyhane, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Ray Hannan, Kevin Leyhane, Debbie Rodriguez and Roberto Martinez.

By Zoom (0): None.

Guests (0): 

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order.

Theme for the Year: “Building Community.”

MEETING NOTES

Student Exchange: Per Peter Brown, Jason Chevrier, Superintendent of the Schodack Central School District, is interested in establishing a student exchange program.

Kenya Clinic Program: During Peter and Debbie Brown’s recent trip to Maasai Mara Kenya, one of their guides told them about the St. John Fischer Nursing School Clinical Program that sends student nurses to Kenya for a week of clinicals. Peter spoke to Vivianne, of St. John Fischer, and discussed the possibility of SRC Rotary helping with the program. Peter is interested in organizing clinical support as part of an effort to extend services.

District Grants: Roberto Martinez reported that due to decreased contributions to the Rotary Foundation, going forward, grants will be limited to $l,150 instead of the traditional $1,500.

Rotary Dues: The Club dues will be submitted tomorrow.

SRC Board: The motion to approve adding Phil Kellerman and Andy Leyhane as At Large Board members was submitted by Roberto Martinez and seconded by Debbie Brown. The motions passed with a member quorum that included proxy votes from Dean Calamaris, Dorris Calamaris and Murray Forth.

Speakers:   Roberto Martinez reviewed the list of potential speakers for the year. We continue to look for speakers for the upcoming months.

Summer Programs: Roberto Martinez reported that the summer casual events generated around $1,100 for SRC Rotary initiatives.

Next Meeting: Thursday, October 5th, dinner at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. Phil Kellerman will provide “An Update on Immigration. Is There a Fix.”

Entree choices will be Rustica Salid, Chicken Marsala or Penne Alfredo.

Kevin Leyhane spoke about the SRC website.

“Bill Dowd created a very robust website.” The Inside Page choices can be found in the right-hand side of the page. The calendar page contains information about speakers/programs for meetings and the link to join the meetings by Zoom. The member roster and member contact information were reviewed and will be updated. Also, our sponsors information will be updated. The member contact information is password protected. Contact one of the Club Officers for the password.

You can search our site for information, see recent posts or older posts prior to 5/6/16.

There is a lot of information on our website. Take a look. If you see anything that needs to be updated, contact Kevin Leyhane.

Members in Attendance (12):  Dick Drumm, Charlie Foote, Phil Kellerman, Ruth Samuels, Jim Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Pat Bailey, John Justino, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Ray Hannan, and Roberto Martinez.

By Zoom (0): None.

Guests (4):  Jason Chevier, Superintendant Schodack Central; John Eberle, President & CEO Capital District Community Foundation; Marisa Multari, Asst. District Governor and Speaker Dr. Robert Martiniano Professor School of Public Health

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order.

Theme for the Year: “Building Community.”

MEETING NOTES

Discussion of agenda items was limited because of the robust presentation and following discussion on the topic of Social Capital and its effect on the stability of a community.

Membership: New member, Ruth Samuels was voted in by the club, and was sponsored by Deb Rodriguez.  Congratulations!

SRC Board: Phil Kellerman and Andy Leyhane will be serving as At Large Board members.  Becky Raymond has resigned her position with the Board.  Many thanks to Becky for all her contributions as a past Board member.

Viking Gym: Ron Annis continues to push for some activity in the fall of this year.  He may need a team to help assemble some of the equipment which has already arrived.  There were some comments about people not knowing what the “Viking Gym” and this feedback is will go back to Ron.  It was also suggested that school groups and the National Honor Society may be tapped for support.

Polio: Phil Kellerman provided an update on friend with polio needing leg brace.  She received a pro bono medical consult and so far, Phil has coordinated raising $900.  He would like to see if our club would consider a donation once he has more information.

Gift Of Life 25th Annual Golf Tournament: Marisa Multari commented that the Gift of Life Tournament was very successful and that Dean and Doris Calamaras were there as volunteers.

Speakers: We continue to look for speakers for the upcoming months.  Roberto has produced a list of potential speakers and Marisa Multari provided the club with some additional ones.  Roberto will compile the lists and bring to next week’s meeting.  On both lists are the exchange program, mental health, Gift of Life and Shelter Box.

Rotaract: John Justino gave an update on the Rotaract Club.  This included involvement with World Polio Day which is October 24^th.  He gave an update on their fund-raising event at the Beer Garden which was also attended by SRC Club members.

District News: Marisa Multari gave some save the dates for the upcoming Toronto Zone meeting, the annual Foundation Dinner, and the year from now CNY transition in Bennington, NY.  She commented that the District will also be doing something for Polio Day.

Next Meeting: Thursday, September 28th, dinner at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. Kevin Leyhane will provide a “Technology Review.” He will do a hands-on presentation about using our website.  Please feel free to bring your cell phone or laptop if you would like to follow along.

Entree choices will be Chicken Ceasar Salid, Cheese Ravioli with Marinara or Meat Sauce or Lasagna.

Dr. Robert Martiniano

School of Public Health

Robert gave a very thought-provoking presentation on Social Capital. He was introduced by Peter Brown who had a discussion with him years ago.  Peter’s concern is the degradation of Social Capital and its impact on society.  Social Capital is the product of interactions among individuals rather than the individuals themselves. Social Capitalism involves an exchange of ideas and involves social and cultural relationships.   It builds shared trust and civic engagement. This trust seems to have declined in recent years.  It is important because it creates linkage for exchange of ideas and knowledge and communications. These social networks can contribute to community wellness and projects which give back to society. Some networks have restrictions like age or income, or professions but in general having these linkages promotes a healthier society and outcomes.  Formal networks would include Rotary, the Elks the PTA, bowling leages, fire companies and many other voluntary associations and groups.  Informal networks would be weekly gatherings, play groups etc.  The critical result is creation of a sense of belonging and bi-directional flow of information. Promoting Social Capital involves community organizations. Suggestions to build Social Capital are to build professional and personal relationships and become a resource to others.   The presentation was followed by a very robust dialogue and discussion.  The group thanked Robert for his presentation.