Author: SRCrotary

A volunteer service club located in Rensselaer County, NY, that is part of Rotary International, the 1.23 million-member international organization of men and women serving their community and their world.

Coming to Fox Hollow? Here’s what to bring

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Screen Shot 2019-07-18 at 11.34.56 AMIf you are planning to attend “A Picnic at Fox Hollow” this Thursday, here are a few things to bring along:

• An appetizer or dessert to augment the food our hosts Dick and Mary Drumm will be supplying.

• Your donations of items for the annual “Back to School Supplies Drive.” This will be the final dropoff date. If you do NOT plan to attend this event, please contact President Phil Kellerman to arrange a dropoff/pickup for your donations so we can meet the necessary delivery schedule. (Haven’t shopped yet? Check the shopping list on the website.)

• Your check for 2019-20 Rotary dues if you haven’t already paid them. Just make it out to SRC Rotary Club.

The menu will feature that summertime favorite pulled pork, plus appropriate side dishes and beverages. The cost is just $15 per person, or $25 per family, with all funds going to the club treasury to support our many public service efforts.

Screen Shot 2019-07-18 at 11.39.43 AMAfter this week, we have a single get-together remaining on our “SRC Summer Casual Events” calendar — an ice cream social plus food, co-hosted by Pat Bailey (pbailey7@nycap.rr.com) and Debbie Rodriguez (debannrod@yahoo.com) at Debbie’s residence beginning at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, August 15.

If you have not yet emailed either of them your RSVP, please do so quickly. Cost: $15 per adult, children free. Proceeds will be split between the Freedom From Fistula Foundation Fistula and the Danes Rotaract club. The pool is open. No need to bring anything (except a bathing suit) to this family-friendly event.

Thereafter, we’re on hiatus until resuming our weekly dinner meetings at Quigley’s at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, September 12.

 

Kinderhook Rotary BBQ to support Electric Trail

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Screen Shot 2019-08-02 at 1.55.15 PMThe Kinderhook Tri-Vllage Rotary Club is planning a chicken barbecue fundraiser to benefit the Columbia Friends of the Electric Trail (CFET).

The event is set for 4 to 7 Saturday, August 24, at Rothermel Park, 15-19 Rothermel Avenue in Kinderhook. Tickets are $12 for the dinner that includes half a chicken, corn, roll, and dessert. Meals are for eat-in or take-out.

CFET is a group supporting the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail, a shared-use bicycling and pedestrian trail along the 35-mile Albany-Hudson Electric Trolley corridor from Hudson to Rensselaer, running through Rensselaer and Columbia counties, and now under construction.

AHET is part of the Empire State Trail, providing a key link between the Capital Region and the Mid-Hudson Valley. The Empire State Trail, when completed next year, will create a 750-mile biking and walking trail from New York City to Canada and from Albany to Buffalo.

Are you bagging your returnable Clynk beverage containers?

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In response to the headline question, we certainly hope so, for several reasons.

• The Clynk program we’re enrolled in via Hannaford supermarkets and the Clynk recycling company helps the environment through responsible recycling of beverage containers, and helps us raise funds for ShelterBox.

• Each container’s deposit return goes to the SRC treasury to support ShelterBox.

• The process saves you time and effort because you do not have to separate, rinse, and re-cap redeemable plastic, glass, and metal beverage containers.

We hope to present the club with a check of $400 or so by the time our first dinner meeting rolls around in September. Of course, we need your ongoing help to make that a reality since at a nickel or so per container it takes quite a while for the total to mount up.

Although we’ve told every SRC member numerous times how the program works, we’ll do it one more time to be sure everyone understands how easy it is to do good:

(1.) Only specific plastic bags and bar code stickers are usable with the Clynk program. You can get them at any dinner meeting at Quigley’s, or by contacting program coordinator Bill Dowd.

(2.) Simply put any plastic, glass, or metal beverage container on which a deposit has been paid in one of the bags. No need to rinse, uncap, or sort them.

(3.) When a bag is full, just put a bar code sticker in the appropriate place, take the bag to any Hannaford where you can scan it and drop it in the receptacle chute, and then be on your merry way.

That’s it! You’ve just helped the environment, the club, and ShelterBox. And, therefore, the world.

(If you’re curious about the Clynk process at its recycling facility in Maine, click here for a short video explaining it.)

 

Finish line near for school supplies drive

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Screen Shot 2019-07-12 at 12.04.19 PMSRC members, family, and friends are once again helping less-fortunate students prepare for their return to school — yes, it’s getting that close! — by participating in the annual Circles of Mercy Back-to-School Supplies Drive.

The program, as in other years, focuses on all high school grades (9-12) and on pre-school students, and SRC is always a major contributor. The shopping list recommended by Circles of Mercy:

• pencils (regular lead #2 and color)
• pencil sharpener
• erasers (for pencils)
• pens (black or blue ink)
• markers (dry-erase and Sharpies, 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
• 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/wheels)
• hole reinforcement stickers
• combination lock (for gym lockers)
• flash drives
• ear buds (for computer use)
• scientific calculators

We have one final drop-off date for your donations: 6 p.m. Thursday, August 8, at the Drumm residence in Valatie.

If you do NOT plan to attend that get-together, please contact President Phil Kellerman to arrange a dropoff/pickup for your donations so we can meet the necessary delivery schedule. We are hoping to at least meet the level of help we have provided in past years, but we can do it only with your generosity.

Fox Hollow picnic RSVP due, plus school supplies

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Screen Shot 2019-06-03 at 4.29.32 PMThe fourth event in our July-August “SRC  Summer Casual” lineup of social events is coming up fast.

It’s “A Picnic at Fox Hollow,” to be hosted from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, August 8, at Dick and Mary Drumm’s Fox Hollow family farm in Valatie. But, to facilitate planning, we need to know by noon this Friday, August 2, to rmdrumm176@aol.com if you plan to attend so the caterer can have an accurate headcount.

The menu will feature that summertime favorite pulled pork plus appropriate side dishes and beverages, plus whatever appetizers and desserts you bring with you. The cost is just $15 per person, or $25 per family, with all funds going to the club treasury to support our many public service efforts.

The location is 176 Fox Hollow Road in Valatie. If you’d rather phone Dick and Mary instead of emailing them, you can reach them at  518-339-7459.

What else can you bring? Folding chairs would be helpful. And, please bring your donations for Circles of Mercy ‘s annual “Back-to-Supply School Supplies Drive.” This is the final date to do so.

 

‘Pool Party & Cookout’ draws a nice crowd

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Screen Shot 2019-06-03 at 4.29.32 PMThe annual “Pool Party & Cookout” at the Leyhane residence — part of the “SRC Summer Casual” lineup of social events — drew nearly 50 Rotarians, family members, friends, and students Thursday evening.

Members attending: Co-hosts Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez, Phil Kellerman, Bill Dowd, Murray Forth, Maggie Forth, Debbie Rodriguez, Dick Drumm, Carol Orvis, Carole Spencer, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Ray Hannen, Andy Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Marco Koshyhar, Jeff Simon.

Next up on the “SRC Summer Casual” schedule is next Thursday’s trip to the Mac-Haydn Theatre in Chatham for a performance of “Ragtime: The Musical,” preceded by dinner at Yianni’s at the Chatham House. Reservations have closed for the event.

Then comes “Picnic at Fox Hollow,” at 6 p.m. Thursday, August 8, at the Drumm residence in Valatie. Please RSVP to rmdrumm176@aol.com no later than August 1. And, for the final event, it’s “Sundae Thursday (+ food),” at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, August 15, hosted by Pat Bailey and Debbie Rodriguez at the Rodriguez residence, 121 Lape Road, Nassau (Schodack). Reservation deadline via email to pbailey7@nycap.rr.com or debannrod@yahoo.com by August 9.

Meanwhile, here are more images from the pool party captured by Bill Dowd and Roberto Martinez:

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Bring your school supplies to the pool party

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Screen Shot 2019-06-03 at 4.29.32 PMIf you are planning to attend Thursday’s “Pool Party & Picnic” at Jim Leyhane’s residence, being co-hosted by Roberto Martinez, here are a few things to consider bringing with you:

• Your donations to our annual “Back-to-School Supplies” drive. This is the first of only two drop-off dates. Everyone has been supplied several times with the preferred shopping list, but if you have lost your copy just go to the club website and scroll down to find it. (SRCrotary.org)

• Your checks to cover the 2019-20 dues Rotary if you have not yet mailed them to Treasurer Murray Forth. (Please make them payable to SRC Rotary Club.)

• A simple appetizer or dessert to augment the catered barbecue.

Also, Bill Dowd is bringing a supply of the official plastic bags and bar code stickers to use with our Clynk beverage container recycling project. Please let him know at the event what you need.

See you at 6 p.m. Thursday. The weather forecast is for sunshine and low-80s temps. It should be a beautiful evening!

Tonight’s the deadline for pool party RSVP

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Poolside

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SRC Summer Casual

Tonight is the drop-deadline for making your reservations for the “Pool Party & Cookout,” set for 6 p.m., this Thursday.

The get-together is being co-hosted by Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez at Jim’s East Greenbush residence.

Details: Catered meal featuring grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, various side dishes, and beverages. Bring a simple appetizer or dessert if you wish.

The pool will, of course, be open for this family-friendly event, and we’ll welcome students from East Greenbush schools who participated in the recent fundraiser for the Honduras water project.

If you haven’t emailed your RSVPs, please do so tonight to leyhane@aol.com or rrmtz@aol.com so our hosts can give the caterer an accurate headcount for this event that is part of the “SRC Summer Casual” series for July and August.

 

Honolulu convention registration is open

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On a rainy, dreary day like today, one’s imagination often turns to visions of sunny places. How about Hawaii? It’s worth thinking about since that’s where the Rotary International Convention will be held in Honolulu on June 6-10, 2020.

Registration already is available online for Rotarians and Rotaractors alike, and earlybirds always are rewarded with discounted fees. Here are the key dates:

• December 15: Last day for early-registration discount.
• March 31, 2020: Last day for preregistration discount.
• April 30, 2020: Last day to request to cancel registration or tickets.
• June 10, 2020: Last day for online registration.

Save the date for ‘Rotary Day at the U.N.’ trip

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Screen Shot 2019-07-22 at 4.06.23 PMEach year, Rotary holds a special day at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, and any Rotarian is eligible to participate.

It has been several years since the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club has had representatives attend, so this would be an excellent time to resume our participation. Members’ expenses for the trip are paid for by the home club, which includes registration, transportation, and mid-day lunch in the main U.N. cafeteria.

Why the Rotary-U.N. connection? Rotary International’s ongoing efforts to achieve peace in the world have been part of the organization’s fiber since its inception, and RI has been part of the U.N. fiber since it began. In fact, in 1945 it was one of 42 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the U.S. invited to serve as consultants to the United Nations Conference on International Organization, the fledgling organization’s effort to write a constitution suitable to nations of differing philosophies, races, religions, and often-conflicting histories.

Today, Rotary holds the highest consultative status offered to an NGO by the U.N.’s Economic and Social Council, which oversees many specialized U.N. agencies. The Rotary Representative Network maintains and furthers its relationship with several U.N. bodies, programs, commissions, and agencies. This network consists of Rotary International representatives to the United Nations and other organizations.

Screen Shot 2019-07-22 at 4.04.12 PM“Rotary Day at the United Nations” each year celebrates the organizations’ shared vision for peace and highlights the critical humanitarian activities that Rotary and the United Nations lead around the world.

And, each year a delegation from District 7190 heads to New York to meet with Rotarians from around the world to participate in seminars and workshops on a myriad of topics of particular concern around the globe.

Click here to visit a site containing the complete history of the Rotary-U.N. connection.