Guests: None.

President Debbie Rodriguez presided, noting the presence of a quorum via Zoom with no proxies filed.

• Health update: Murray Forth is home and recuperating from knee surgery, but will not be physically active in the club for a month or two. … Doris Calamaras remains hospitalized, and a card has been sent to her on behalf of the club.

• Donations: Checks have been mailed to the USS Slater floating museum in Albany in memory of Bill Wyld ($150) and to the District in lieu of a gift basket for the upcoming Foundation Dinner ($100). The club agreed to send a $150 check to the Children’s Hospital at Albany Medical Center in memory of Dr. Martha Lepow (see story here).

• Shirt Orders: An order has been submitted to the District in support of a Foundation fundraising effort. The order form and details still can be found on our website for anyone else who wishes to give orders via Debbie Rodriguez.

• Financial Activities: Phil Kellerman reported that the Internal Revenue Service Form 990 report card has been submitted on behalf of the club. He will contact the District to be sure any other required information has been submitted. … Our Foundation Advisory Committee (Murray Forth, Phil Kellerman, A.J. Amato, Andy Leyhane) will begin regularly meeting to discuss relative matters.

• Holiday Party: The consensus of those in attendance was to hold our annual Holiday Party & Gift Basket Raffle on Thursday, December 16, at Moscatiello’s. Details to come.

• Zoom Account: Bill Dowd will upgrade our club’s Zoom account from the limited-time free version to the Pro Level, using a discount offer. A number of members pledged $25 each to cover the first year’s upgrade which will eliminate the 40-minute limit on individual meetings.

• Next meeting: Dinner meeting at Moscatiello’s, 6:15 p.m. Thursday, October 28, which will start at 6:15 p.m. after a social period. Dinner choices will be chicken Caesar salad, chicken Marsala, or baked ziti. No reservations are necessary, price is $25 (please bring exact amount). Note: Anyone who will not be attending the session is asked to email President Debbie a proxy that can be counted toward a quorum.

Members Attending (13): Debbie Rodriguez, Kevin Leyhane, Dick Drumm, Bill Dowd, Pat Bailey, Andy Leyhane, Charlie Foote, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Becky Raymond,Tony Morris, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown.

Guests (1): Debbie Morris.

President Debbie Rodriguez presided over the session, held at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant. She noted the presence of a quorum.

Meeting Notes:

• Two donations were re-proposed and approved, a carryover business item from last week when we did not have a quorum: $150 to the USS Slater, the destroyer escort floating museum docked in Albany, in memory of our late member Bill Wyld, who was a longtime member of the U.S. Navy and volunteer for veterans’ activities; $100 to the District in lieu of a gift basket for the upcoming Rotary Foundation Dinner.

• Debbie issued a reminder that Rotary shirts and sweatshirts are being sold as a Foundation fundraiser. Payment is not required until the items are delivered. Anyone wishing to order should contact her and use the order form that has been posted for some time on the club website.

• The matter of the size of a meeting quorum was discussed. Currently, 12 members are required to be present to achieve that status which is necessary to vote on any business coming before the club. With sporadic Zoom and in-person attendance in recent weeks, it has been suggested we consider lowering the number. Bill Dowd spoke against such a move, saying “I don’t want our club to be like the Postal Service which recently announced it is lowering its service standards so it could meet them. If we dropped to, say 9, as has been suggested, we might as well pack it in. I’d rather we made a stronger effort to improve attendance instead of tinkering with our Bylaws.” He pointed out that the Bylaws already allow members to be present by proxy, and proxies count toward a quorum. As he noted, any proxy must be specific that it is a “yea” or “nay” vote, and should be sent in advance to the President. In addition, Kevin Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, and Jim Leyhane are working on the details of streaming our in-person meetings via Zoom, which would give members a third way to attend and obviate any perceived necessity to lower our quorum. After more discussion, those present agreed by consensus with that stance.

• Bill and Debbie reminded members that our Clynk container recycling effort in support of ShelterBox continues. Bill asked anyone needing barcode stickers to affix to the collection bags contact him. The bags may be purchased at Hannaford supermarket customer service counters.

• Becky Raymond reported that she and Debbie R, have been involved in purchasing supplies for hygiene kits for a joint Rotaract/Graduate Student Organization project scheduled for October 28. Rotarians are invited to participate in assembling the kits in a session scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. at the UAlbany School of Public Health in Rensselaer. … Becky and Debbie will attend a Rotaract board meeting on Friday.

• In lieu of a speaker, Peter and Debbie Brown shared anecdotes of their recent 13-day trip to France in which they traveled across the Brittany peninsula and visited Paris.

• NEXT MEETING: 7 p.m. Thursday, October 21, via Zoom. Check the club website calendar page for the access link.