The outdoor pizza party co-hosted by Pat Bailey and Debbie Rodriguez at Pat’s residence has been moved from August 27 to next Thursday, August 20, at 6 p.m.

We already have a lineup of “yes” responses, but we didn’t want anyone to miss the opportunity to contact Pat (pbailey7@nycap.rr.com) or Debbie (debannrod@yahoo.com) no later than this Sunday.

Social distancing and masks will be required. People are asked to bring their own beverages and lawn chairs if so desired.

Held via Zoom video conference

Members Attending (15): Dick Drumm, Debbie Rodriguez, Murray Forth, Bill Dowd, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Ray Hannan, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Kevin Leyhane, Charlie Foote, Phil Kellerman, Pat Bailey.

MEETING NOTES: President Dick called the meeting to order. … The main topic of discussion was assessing possible new meeting venues since John Walsh, owner of Quigley’s, has decided to sell his restaurant and has no plans to reopen in the meantime. Dick said he has made a preliminary inquiry at the Schodack Diner, which has a private meeting room. He, along with Debbie Rodriguez, Roberto Martinez, and Jim Leyhane, will re-visit the diner for a detailed discussion with ownership. Bill Dowd cautioned that selecting any new venue in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic could be problematic, given the state’s restrictions on group sizes. In particular, restaurants may not host parties of more than 10 people (which would prevent us from having a quorum); buffets are not allowed, etc. He also suggested we should look for meeting places that do not charge a use fee, and have wi-fi capability. Quigley’s did not charge for the meeting room, which saved the club about $1,200 a year. … Murray Forth will check on the possibility of leaving club property at Quigley’s until the building is sold. …

Roberto said he will contact the District about the status of reimbursements for our college scholarship awards via a District Grant. … Murray reported that a number of members have not paid 2020-21 dues. They will be contacted again. … Jim reported that at Wednesday’s Gift of Life committee meeting it was decided not to have the awards dinner that usually is part of the annual GOL Golf Tournament. As of this date, the Monday, September 21, event at Pinehaven Country Club in Guilderland will go on, however, with the raffle held while golfers still are on the course. SRC plans to sponsor a trio of foursomes. …

The outdoor pizza social to be co-hosted by Pat Bailey and Debbie Rodriguez at Pat’s residence has been moved from August 27 to next Thursday, August 20, at 6 p.m. While the majority of those attending tonight’s ZOOM meeting made their reservations, anyone else who wishes to attend is asked to contact Pat or Debbie no later than this Sunday. Social distancing and m asks will be required. People are asked to bring their own beverages and lawn chairs if so desired. Debbie reminded all that the event will be the final opportunity to drop off donations to our “School Supplies Drive.” Until then, donations can be dropped off at Drumm Veterinary Hospital during normal office hours.

WE’RE MEETING this Thursday, but you don’t even have to wear pants if you don’t want to.

That’s right, it’s a ZOOM meeting, via video-conferencing, and we’ll be logging on just before 6 p.m. We hope to have a quorum — at least 12 people — in case we need to vote on anything.

You can join in by clicking on this link to be involved and stay in touch with your friends and colleagues of Rotary. We’ll probably limit the session to about 30 minutes, so you’ll still have your evening free.

MEANWHILE, if you haven’t finished shopping for items for our annual “School Supplies Drive,” time is growing short. You can make your selections from the recommended shopping list, then drop off the items during normal business hours at the Drumm Veterinary Hospital on Columbia Turnpike through Wednesday, August 19, at the latest.

After that, project coordinator Debbie Rodriguez will be posted in the Quigley’s parking lot before 6 p.m. Thursday, August 20, the absolute final opportunity to accept donations. Please note she will not be attending the dinner meeting scheduled that evening, so be sure to look for her beforehand.

Meanwhile, enjoy the sunshine and the warm weather!

Our third outdoor “Summer Casual Event” took place Thursday at Jim Leyhane’s residence, co-hosted by Roberto Martinez.

About two dozen adults and kids showed up to enjoy the hot tub, the pool, the buffet, and the fellowship. All the social distancing rules were in place, and many guests dropped off donations to our “School Supplies Drive.”

Our next two SRC events are a ZOOM virtual meeting at 6 p.m. next Thursday, and a 6 p.m. dinner meeting at Quigley’s the following Thursday, August 20.

Debbie Rodriguez has delivered two loads of school items to Circles of Mercy, but more are needed and time is running short to donate.

If you still haven’t dropped off your donations from the recommended shopping list we’ve shared numerous times, you can drop them off (1) at the Drumm Veterinary Hospital on Columbia Turnpike during normal office hours through Wednesday, August 19, or (2) bring them to the meeting at Quigley’s on the 20th.

As to the latter, Debbie will not be attending the meeting, but she will be in the parking lot to accept donations before the meeting. She will deliver the final items the next morning to Circles of Mercy.

Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez are co-hosting a social event  at Jim’s residence at 6 p.m. Thursday. Here are some things to consider bringing:

• Your donations from the recommended shopping list for our annual “School Supplies Drive.” (The more the better.)

• Your own lawn chair if you want to enhance social distancing protocols. (Portability!)

• A face mask, as strongly suggested by health officials. (Guys, you don’t have to shave!)

• A bathing suit if you’d like to take advantage of the pool. (No skinny dipping.)

• A check made payable to SRC Rotary if you have not yet submitted your 2020-21 dues that were due on July 1. (You know who you are.)

See you on Thursday!

Free registration is now open for our annual Zone Institute, scheduled for September 23 through 25.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event this year will be a series of online opportunities to interact with Rotary’s movers and shakers, including breakout sessions for all attendees. All Rotarians and Rotaractors are eligible to participate on any or all of the event’s activities.

Rotary Zones 28 and 32 include all Rotarians in the northeast United States, Bermuda, Canada, and the French territory St. Pierre and Miquelon, located south of Newfoundland.

A special keynote speaker will be Shekhar Mehta, president-elect of Rotary International, live from Kolkata, India, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 23.

Shekhar Mehta’s Rotary passions center on membership and service, and he recognizes the interdependence of these two concerns: (1.) The more members Rotary attracts, the

Participation in the September program is available at no cost to all Rotarians and Rotaractors. CLICK HERE to link to the free registration page.

more service we can accomplish together. (2.) The communications tools we have become accustomed to during the pandemic will have a long-term positive effect in promoting both service and growth.

The service initiatives Mehta has led or been responsible for across his Rotary career include:

• Constructing 500 homes for tsunami survivors.
• Starting the Shelter Kit program in India. This has led to distribution of more than 15,000 Shelter Kits aiding 75,000 disaster victims in 20 or more natural disasters.
• The Healing Little Hearts program, which has resulted in 2,500 heart surgeries for children from across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Africa.
• Conceptualizing T-E-A-C-H, a holistic literacy program that has now reached more than 50,000 schools and 15 million children across India.
• Setting up 15 eye hospitals across India that result in nearly 50,000 eye operations each year.
• Initiating a scholarship program that has resulted in more than 1,000 scholarships to marginalized children.
• Building 6,000 toilets that have benefited 30,000 people in rural communities.

You can use the ZOOM video conferencing system to hear Mehta live, then join the Q&A and discussion afterward.

Here we are on a cloudy, intermittently rainy  Sunday afternoon, wondering what the weather will be on the most important day of the upcoming week.

That’s Thursday, in case it hadn’t occurred to you. That’s when Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez will co-host a “Summer Casual Event” at Jim’s residence. The Weather Channel is forecasting sunny, clear skies and a high of 81 degrees, an altogether pleasant summer day.

We’re looking forward to this family-friendly event with all the necessary face masks and social-distancing (bring your own lawn chairs if you want a little more seating flexibility). The pool will be open for anyone wishing to take a dip. The dinner menu will include roast beef, turkey, broccoli salad, and mac and cheese. Attendees are asked to bring their own beverages, although our in-house brew guru (brewru?) Andy Leyhane will make some craft beers available.

Some people made their early reservations during last Thursday’s ZOOM video conference, but we need a complete and accurate headcount no later than Tuesday morning. You can RSVP to Jim (leyhane@aol.com, 518-477-4881) or Roberto (rrmtz@aol.com, 518-479-0305). Price: $15 per person, kids under 12 free.

Also, don’t forget to bring along your donations to our “School Supplies Drive,” being coordinated by Debbie Rodriguez for Circles of Mercy. Items also may be dropped off at the Drumm Veterinary Hospital on Columbia Turnpike any day during normal business hours.

We’ve shared the recommended shopping list via email to all members, as well as numerous times on the club’s website and Facebook page. The absolute last day to make contributions will be Thursday, August 20, in the Quigley’s parking lot before our 6 p.m. meeting there. Debbie will not be participating in the meeting, so you’ll need to hand over your donations to her before it begins.

P.S. Anyone who has not yet submitted their check for 2020-21 dues, which were due by July 1, can do so at Thursday’s event.

Held via Zoom video conference

Members Attending (12): Dick Drumm, Bill Dowd, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Andy Leyhane, Ray Hannan, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Kevin Leyhane, Charlie Foote.

MEETING NOTES — President Dick called the meeting to order, with a quorum present. … Co-hosts Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez provided details about next Thursday’s “Summer Casual Event” at the Leyhane residence. All social distancing protocols will be in place, including individual serving spoons for the buffet line. The menu will include roast beef, turkey, broccoli salad, and mac and cheese. Attendees are asked to bring their own beverages, although Andy Leyhane will make some craft beers available. The pool will be open, and kids are welcome at the 6 p.m. event. Price: $15 per person, kids under 12 free. The reservation deadline is Tuesday morning, by contacting Jim (leyhane@aol.com, 518-477-4881) or Roberto (rrmtz@aol.com, 518-479-0305) …

Bill Dowd said he will have a supply of CLYNK bags and tags available for pickup at the Thursday event. … Member Julius Frankel is currently in Albany Medical Center for observation after a fall at home. All good wishes appreciated. …

Dick reminded everyone to bring donated items for our “School Supplies Drive” for collection next week. (Items also may be dropped off at the Drumm Veterinary Hospital on Columbia Turnpike any day during normal business hours.)

The shopping list recommended by our partners at Circles of Mercy:

• Pencils (regular lead #2 and color)
• Pencil sharpener
• Erasers (for pencils)
• Pens (black or blue)
• Dry-erase markers (assorted colors)
• Pocket folders (assorted colors)
• 3-ring binders (in 2” and 3” sizes)
• Loose-leaf paper (college ruled)
• Graph paper
• Spiral subject notebooks (1-, 3- and 5-subject, college ruled)
• Subject dividers (for 3-ring binders)
• Plastic zipper pencil cases / boxes
• 3-x-5” index cards
• Highlighters (yellow)
• Rulers (regular with metric)
• Kleenex tissues
• Hand sanitizer (small bottles)
• Post-It Notes
• Backpacks (no rollers/no wheels)
• Ear buds (inexpensive, for computer use)
• Flash drives (all sizes)
• Scientific calculators (Texas Instrument TI-84)
• Hole reinforcement labels
• Combination locks (for gym lockers)
• Sharpie markers (any color)

Event coordinator Debbie Rodriguez this week dropped off the first load of donations from SRC’s annual push to aid the “School Supplies Drive” at Circles of Mercy.

The last of our donations must be delivered to Circles no later than August 20 to allow time to package and distribute supplies to needy kids in the Rensselaer City School District. There are a number of ways you and your families and friends can participate in the effort before that cutoff date.

(1.) Drop off donations you purchased from the recommended shopping list at the Drumm Veterinary Hospital any time during normal business hours at 1639 Columbia Turnpike.

(2.) Drop off donations at any the next outdoor social, scheduled for August 6 at the Leyhane or Martinez residence.

(3.) Debbie will be in the parking lot of Quigley’s before our Thursday, August 20, meeting to accept donations. She will NOT be attending the meeting itself, so please be sure to look for her in the parking lot before 6 p.m.

(4.) You can send a check in support of the effort to Circles of Mercy, 11 Washington Street, Rensselaer, NY 12144. Be sure to write “SRC School Supplies” in the memo line of the check. Such donations are tax deductible.

Thanks to all who were among the earliest donors, and thank you in advance to those who still have to do their shopping. The shopping list recommended by Circles of Mercy:

• Pencils (Regular Lead #2 and Color)
• Pencil Sharpener
• Erasers (For Pencils)
• Pens (Black or Blue)
• Dry Erase Markers (Assorted Colors)
• Pocket Folders (Assorted Colors)
• 3 Ring Binders (in 2” and 3” Sizes)
• Loose Leaf Paper (College Ruled)
• Graph Paper
• Spiral Subject Notebooks (1, 3 and 5 Subject – College Ruled)
• Subject Dividers (for 3-ring binders)
• Plastic Zipper Pencil Cases / Boxes
• 3”X5” Index Cards
• Highlighters (Yellow)
• Rulers (Regular with Metric)
• Kleenex Tissues
• Hand Sanitizer (Small Bottles)
• Post-It-Notes
• Backpacks (No Rollers/No Wheels)
• Ear Buds (inexpensive, for computer use)
• Flash Drives (all sizes)
• Scientific Calculators (Texas Instrument TI-84)
• Hole Reinforcement Labels
• Combination Locks (for gym lockers)
• Sharpie Markers (any color)

The second of four SRC “Summer Casual Events” took place Thursday evening after some back-and-forth decisions that scheduled, then postponed, then reinstated the outdoor BBQ at the Browns’ Castleton residence.

A dozen Rotarians plus eight spouses and offspring were in  attendance, with appropriate masking and social distancing. And, as the saying goes, a good time was had by all.

• This was the first opportunity to drop off donated items for our annual “School Supplies Drive.” If none of the social-event dropoff dates works for you, you can drop off donated items any time through Wednesday, August 19, at the Drumm Veterinary Hospital, 1639 Columbia Turnpike, Castleton. You can find the recommended shopping list on the website.

Our next event is a brief Zoom video conference meeting at 6 p.m. next Thursday, July 30. Members will be emailed the links to participate.

Meanwhile, here are some scenes from Thursday’s event. Our thanks to Peter and Debbie Brown for organizing and hosting the cookout.