Members in attendance: Dick Drumm, Charlie Foote. Deb Rodriguez, Peter Brown, Pat Bailey, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Phil Kellerman, and Ray Hannan.

Guests in attendance: Chuck Rodriguez

The weather was ideal for an evening on the farm, with our group set up underneath the tent. The event featured live music, two food trucks, and a separate bar run by the brewery. It was a family event with kids and people of all ages in attendance. A special thank you to Pat Bailey and Phil Kellerman for organizing and setting up the event.

School supplies delivered to Circles of Mercy. On Monday, September 22, 2022 over 13 bags of school supplies and 25 back packs were donated and delivered to the Circles of Mercy in support of their back to school program.

Raffle tickets to support the Gift of Life, and raffle tickets for the Barrow of Booze drawings are still available. The Gift of Life is also in search of items to raffle off at the upcoming Golf Tournament. Gift cards make fine donations for this raffle. If you are interested in purchasing raffle tickets or would like to donate please see Jim or Dean.

Our next meeting on Thursday, September 1st, will take place at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant at 6:00pm. The menu will feature a choice between chicken Caesar salad and spaghetti with meat sauce and meatballs. The cost will remain $25 with everything included except for bar costs. Looking forward to seeing everyone again as we return to Moscatiello’s, and a special thank you to all who hosted summer casual events.

Each June 30, we mark the end of another Rotary Year and look forward to the next 12 months of community and global service to others.

This year, June 30 coincides with our final meeting date of the year, and is designated as our “Presidential Changeover Dinner.”

Please plan to be on hand this Thursday to see President Debbie Rodriguez hand over the gavel to President-elect Kevin Leyhane for the 2022-23 term.

We’ll begin our session at 5:30 p.m. at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant with a social half-hour before dinner begins. As always, a cash bar will be available, and non-Rotarians are invited to attend the event.

We’ve had a change in our July-August “Summer Casual Schedule.”

The Drumms have moved their picnic date from July 28 to August 11, meaning we have that July date plus two August and one September dates open.

If you would like to host an event, or make arrangements for a “field trip” on any open date, please let incoming President Kevin Leyhane know which date you want to reserve and copy Bill Dowd on your note so the calendar can be updated.

Here’s the current schedule:

In April, the SRC Rotary Club hosted a speaker from Capital Roots, the current incarnation of what started out as a community garden project and has grown considerably in recent years to include feeding the hungry, improving nutrition in the region, and providing educational opportunities.

If that visit piqued your interest in the organization, you’re invited to the organization’s “Spring Donor Appreciation” event — SRC sent a check to Capital Roots — any time from 5:30 to 7 p.m. this Wednesday at the organization’s headquarters, 594 River Street in Troy.

Drinks and small plates will be served to attendees, but you do need to RSVP if you plan to attend. Contact Capital Roots by email at events@capitalroots.org to do so, or give them a call at 518-274-8685.

For those of you who missed the program in April, you can get filled in on Capital Roots’ many impressive activities by going to the organization website.

We’ve reached the point at which we have half of our “Summer Casual” calendar dates filled.

Save the latest date: Thursday, August 4.

That’s when we’ll be gathering at Bruno Stadium on the grounds of Hudson Valley Community College in Troy for a pavilion picnic followed by a Tri-City ValleyCats baseball game against the Ottawa Titans in their new Frontier League affiliation.

Details of time and price (parking remains free) will be shared soon. Event coordinator Debbie Rodriguez says the menu has changed this summer to include barbecued chicken, pulled pork, hot dogs, pasta salad, cole slaw, dinner rolls, and choice of soda or water. Children have the same menu. 

Here’s the SRC event calendar. If you want to reserve one of the remaining July-August dates to host or arrange a social event, please contact Bill Dowd to get on the schedule before someone else snatches up that date.

A late withdrawal by our scheduled speaker has created an opening for a program presenter for our Thursday, June 2, dinner meeting at Moscatiello’s.

If you have a program yourself or can supply a speaker, please contact Kevin Leyhane or Becky Raymond ASAP.

As always, the meeting will begin with a 5:30 p.m. social period, then a 6:15 call to order. The entree choices are linguine with white clam sauce or the ever-popular chicken Caesar salad. And, of course, the cash bar is always open.

We are looking into the possibility of sponsoring a one-day driver training workshop this summer. We need a minimum of 20 participants (non-Rotarians may sign up as well) to qualify.

Below are potential dates. If you (a) are interested in participating, and (b) prefer one of these specific cates, please respond to this email ASAP with that information. 

P.S. As anyone who has availed themselves of this opportunity in the past knows, successful completion of the workshop qualifies them for a discount on their auto insurance.

• Saturday, July 9

• Saturday, July 23

• Saturday, August 6

Thank you for your cooperation.