Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061

Members Attending (11, no quorum): Andy Leyhane, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Terry Brewer, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Bill Dowd, Dick Drumm, Jim Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Debbie Rodriguez.

Guests (1): Kevin Pogge.

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NOTES — We now are in the final week of selling $20 raffle tickets for the Cafe Capriccio Wine Dinner for 12. The drawings for that prize as well as 2nd prize (a custom quilt made by local artisans) and 3rd prize (a pair of tickets to a Capital Rep performance of “Shakespeare In Love”) will be made at our January 24 dinner meeting. … Details and potential dates were discussed for several upcoming annual events — the Community Awards Dinner, Bowling for Vets, and Rotary Recycling Day. We will be attempting to space out the events since the dinner and bowling events in particular rely on sponsorships to make a profit and we do not want to “go to the same well” too often in a short period. …

… Terry Brewer reported that he attended the latest District Membership Committee meeting on Wednesday evening. Plans are being made for a “Back to Basics” program to help clubs attract and retain members. He also reported that although SRC is the lone remaining Rotary club in Rensselaer County now that the Lansingburgh club has surrendered its charter, there is the possibility of the defunct Troy club being revived, with Troy realtor Kareem Jandali heading up the effort. Terry volunteered SRC to be the sponsor of the new club, and Bill Dowd volunteered to be our liaison to the incipient group since he lives in Troy. … We have collected more than 4,300 redeemable cans and bottles for the Clynk program, which means several hundreds dollars for the club treasury. Bill reminded members that the specific plastic bags and bar code stickers needed are always available at dinner meetings or, if someone cannot make it to a meeting, he will see to it that they receive the materials if they notify him.

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Kirk Pogge, president of the Colonie-Guilderland Rotary Club, was the guest speaker. He provided details of the Pure Water for the World program in Honduras his club has been supporting. Colonie-Guilderland is working on a Rotary Global Grant in conjunction with District 7190 and several other clubs here and in several other states.

He also shared details of the “Amazing Race to Recovery” event (click here for details) his club is holding on Saturday, January 26, at Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, It is a fundraising event to support the organization Second Chance Opportunities Inc. that is planning to open a community recovery center in Albany.

Kirk said more than 60 people have signed up to compete in the event, which is modeled on the long-running “Amazing Race” TV series, with detours, roadblocks, pitstops, etc. Teams will earn points for completing tasks throughout the mall and some tasks may be judged on time. Note: This is not a foot race, and no running is allowed in the mall.

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SRC Third Thursday Breakfast Meeting
Greenbush YMCA
20 Community Way, East Greenbush

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Members Attending (4, no quorum): Murray Forth, ]im Leyhane, Shannon Romanowski, Marco Koshykar.

Guests: None.

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A quartet of SRC Rotarians braved the 11-degree weather this morning to attend the initial Third Thursday breakfast meeting of the new year. Unfortunately, that is our lowest-ever turnout for the monthly events.

The next scheduled breakfast meeting is 7 a.m. Thursday, February 21. No program has yet been set for that date.

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Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061

Members Attending (18): Andy Leyhane, Murray Forth, Phil Kellerman, Pat Bailey, Terry Brewer, Geoff Brewer, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Bill Dowd, Dick Drumm, Ray Hannan, Jim Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Carol Orvis, Becky Raymond, Roberto Martinez, Charlie Foote, Dean Calamaras.

Guests: None.

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Tonight’s meeting was a Club Assembly, with Terry Brewer presenting the results of the recent member survey he conducted.

Terry noted that 25 people responded, which is more than 50% of our total membership list and a solid number to statistically present a cross-section of opinions.

He presented responses grouped into categories:

• Membership background and interests

• Membership and meetings

 Membership projects and participation

• Club leadership and new members

• General comments on increasing membership, participation and engagement

The presentation was followed by a general discussion.

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We have two weeks remaining to sell Wine Dinner for 12 raffle tickets. The drawing for winners of the dinner, the handmade quilt, and CapRep theater tickets will be held January 24. … Phil Kellerman reported that the holiday period sales of coffees raised $80 for the Capital Region Nordic Alliance. … January meetings: 17th– 7 a.m. Third Thursday breakfast meeting at the Greenbush YMCA, with Y Executive Director  Shannon Romanowski speaking on “My Life With the Y.” 17th — 6:15 p.m. dinner meeting at Quigley’s with Kirk Pogge of the Colonie-Guilderland Rotary Club speaking on his club’s upcoming  “Amazing Race” event at Crossgates Mall.  (Click here to see the event flyer.) 24th — Drawing for the Cafe Capriccio Wine Dinner raffle and other prizes at our 6:15 p.m. dinner meeting at Quigley’s.

 

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Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061

Members Attending (18): Andy Leyhane, Murray Forth, Phil Kellerman, Pat Bailey, Ron Annis, Terry Brewer, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Bill Dowd, Dick Drumm, Ray Hannan, Jim Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Debbie Rodriguez, Carol Orvis, Becky Raymond, Roberto Martinez, Jeff Simons.

Guests (2): Brad DiPietro, NYS Mentoring Program; Amy Lent.

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We’re near the time for our latest social event — the annual Holiday Party & Themed Gift Basket Silent Auction, set for 6 p.m. next Thursday at Quigley’s. Event coordinator Debbie Brown is accepting reservations until Monday evening via email to mdbrown@nycap.rr.com. Please note, that is a day earlier than usual. The price is just $25 each for a loaded buffet — roast beef and eggplant parm entrees, chef’s choice of side dishes, mashed potatoes, antipasto salad, bread, an assortment of desserts, and a surprise appetizer — PLUS a self-serve bar with wine, beer, and soft drinks. Guests are welcome as always, but an RSVP is necessary. … Phil Kellerman continues to sell three different kinds of specialty coffees for the holidays as a fundraiser for the Capital Region Nordic Alliance which offers adaptive sports for disabled vets and others. …

… Bill Dowd thanked all who contributed to our annual Adopt-a-Family project in conjunction with Circles of Mercy. He reported that even though only about a third of SRC members got involved, with the assistance of some non-members we managhed to exceed  both the family’s wish list and our target number of 50 personal hygiene kits for Circles of Mercy to distribute during the holiday period. … President Andy Leyhane said we are considering holding another raffle for a private wine dinner for 10 at Cafe Capriccio in Albany in the winter. The initial raffle this fall grossed more than $4,000 in sales, with a net to the club of about $2,700. The consensus of those present was that it would be good to proceed, and Andy said we would do so, with Pat Bailey and Debbie Brown working on obtaining items for additional drawing prizes. …

… Calendar: Because of the busy holiday period, this was our final regular meeting of 2018. We will, of course, have our holiday dinner event, but there will be no December breakfast meeting, and no dinner meetings during the Christmas and New Year’s weeks.

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Brad DiPietro, eastern director of the New York State Mentoring Program, was our guest speaker. He described the program and his efforts to recruit and retain more adult mentors for the East Greenbush Central School District.

As the Mentoring Program explains it, children who succeed despite overwhelming personal, economic and social obstacles often do so because of a caring adult in their lives. Mentoring outcomes include greater participation in school, improved attendance, higher graduation and college admission rates, and better overall performance.

The program creates supportive mentor relationships for students at risk of dropping out of school or having difficulty succeeding. This unique program takes place in a school-based setting, one-to-one between the mentor and mentee with a school coordinator present who is selected by the principal. The current aim is to find mentors for Bell Top Elementary.

The program provides background checks and training for volunteer mentors and mentees. Brad said once past the training period, mentors contribute about 45 minutes to an hour once a week from October through May at the school. The program also supports the mentors with activity ideas and materials to help generate relationships with the children.

Anyone interested in being a mentor can begin the process by filling out an online application or calling 844-337-6304.

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Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061

Members Attending (17): Andy Leyhane, Murray Forth, Ron Annis, Pat Bailey, Terry Brewer, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Bill Dowd, Dick Drumm, Charlie Foote, Ray Hannan, Phil Kellerman, Jim Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Debbie Rodriguez, Carol Orvis, Jennifer Felts.

Guests (1): Tom King, NYS Pistol & Rifle Association/NRA.

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NOTES: Bill Dowd reported that the needs of the 2-person family in this year’s Adopt-a-Family effort with  Circles of Mercy have been met. However, we’re barely at the halfway point of the creation of 50 personal hygiene kits, and responses from the membership at large have been lacking despite several requests for donations and pledges. The deadline for giving them to Bill is next Thursday’s (December 13) dinner meeting. Still not sure of the details on creating kits? Simply click here. (We also have been assured by SRC member/school principal Mike Harkin that Columbia High School is on track to adopt a family of five as part of the effort as requested.) …

… Phil Kellerman continues to sell specialty coffees for the holidays, with a portion of sales going to the Capital Region Nordic Alliance adaptive sports organization our club regularly assists. … Debbie Brown said plans are advancing for the annual Holiday Party & Gift Basket Silent Auction, to be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 20, at Quigley’s. She and Terry Brewer are working with Quigley’s for an upgraded menu for the event. A self-serve wine/beer/soda mini-bar will be available in the meeting room, with cocktails available as always at the main cash bar. Debbie needs registrations ASAP (via email to mdbrown@nycap.rr.com) from all who hope to attend, and asks that anyone bringing guests be sure to notify her of that as well. Proceeds from the basket auction will go to the club treasury to support our many community activities. …

… Next week’s program will be presented by Brad DiPietro, speaking on the New York State Mentoring Program, how it works in the schools, and how individuals can get involved. As always, please RSVP no later than next Tuesday evening to Debbie Brown if you pan to attend.  And, click here for an advance look at the program.

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Tom King, president of the New York State Pistol & Rifle Association (NYSPRA), spoke about the numerous activities undertaken by his organization across the state in the areas of gun safety, gun avoidance for children, legislation, women’s self defense and gun training, shooting competitions, Second Amendment issues, and other items.

He also answered questions from the audience, and responded to comments from some,  on the activities of not only the state organization but the National Rifle Association (NRA) of which he is a board member.

Tom, a resident of East Greenbush, noted that the NYSPRA — founded in 1871 — has recently moved into new headquarters on Columbia Turnpike, where it has been renovating a long-vacant building.

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Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061

Members Attending (17): Andy Leyhane, Ron Annis, Pat Bailey, Terry Brewer, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Dean Calamaras, Dick Drumm, Charlie Foote, Ray Hannan, Phil Kellerman, Jim Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Becky Raymond, Debbie Rodriguez, Carole Spencer.

Guests (5): District Governor Tammy Heckenberg, Assistant DG Jack Faddegon, Donna Vickery of Blue Star Mothers, Bill Nathan, Mike Stangl.

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THE PROGRAM —  District Governor Tammy Heckenberg paid her first official visit of  the 2018-19 Rotary Year to speak about current affairs of the district. She presented an RI presidential citation to SRC for excelling in five areas, one of just three clubs in the district so honored. And, she presented President Andy Leyhane with this year’s official RI pennant, with the “Show Gratitude” motto.

Among other topics, Tammy also stressed that she is asking clubs undertake a project that helps seniors; said SRC has “by far” the best website in the district;  plugged the district conference which will be held in Woodstock, VT, and said the keynote speaker there will be a polio survivor who crossed Canada on a handicap bike to raise awareness for polio prevention.

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NOTES — ADG Jack Faddegon was in attendance to receive the final check in our fund drive for ShelterBox to Jack, who also is the district chairperson for ShelterBox. Combined with checks delivered during the holiday period by fundraising coordinator Bill Dowd, SRC members and one former member contributed $6,340 in total to the international disaster relief agency. Jack noted that SRC not only is the heaviest contributor in District 7190, but indeed in the Northeast, and has contributed about $23,000 since 2010. … Phil Kellerman again is selling specialty coffees for the holidays as a fundraiser for the Capital Region Nordic Alliance (CRNA), the adaptive sports training organization. Details are available on the website….

… Our annual Adopt-a-Family effort in support of Circles of Mercy is underway, with Bill and April Dowd again coordinating the effort. This year, we are adopting a family of two as well as creating personal hygiene kits that Circles distributes each winter. Mike Harkin is leading Columbia High School, where he is principle, in partnering with us by adopting a family of five. Terry Brewer is acting as liaison between club and school. We are a very short turnaround time, so donations should be brought to one of the next two dinner meetings. … Terry Brewer talked about the club membership survey and said he will be discussing the results with the SRC Board. He also talked about the latest meeting of the district membership committee which he chairs.  He wanted us to consider a “sub club” that would, in essence, support the district’s “failing” clubs. …

… The Blue Star Mothers organization, with which we often work, is trying to put together another 1,000 holiday gift boxes for troops stationed overseas, at a shipping cost of $12.50 per box. SRC members have brought in supplies, but cash also is acceptable.  Andy announced that SRC will award $1.000 to the Blue Star Mothers to help this effort.  The money was raised during last winter’s SRC “Bowling for Vets” fundraiser. … Becky Raymond reported that she has been in contact with a Rotary club in Scotland with which we may be able to partner in trying for a Rotary Global Grant to help support the Freedom From Fistula Foundation. … Guest Rotarian Bill Nathan provided details about the Albany club’s annual auction to benefit Gift of Life. It is scheduled for noon Wednesday, December 5, at the Zaloga American Legion Post on Everett Road. … Our annual Holiday Party & Themed Basket Silent Auction will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 20, at Quigley’s. Debbie Brown and Terry Brewer will work with owner John Walsh to create an upgraded holiday menu and check on the possibility of having a mini bar in the room. Suggestions for themed baskets have been posted on the website. It is up to members to create and bring basket and establish a starting bid level. Proceeds of the auction go to the club treasury. …

… Next Thursday’s program topic will be “The Second Amendment,” with speaker Tom King of the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association. He also is a member of the national board of the NRA.

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SRC Third Thursday Breakfast Meeting
Greenbush YMCA
20 Community Way, East Greenbush

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Members Attending (8): Murray Forth, Terry Brewer, Pat Bailey, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Jim Leyhane, Shannon Romanowski, Ron Annis.

Guests: None.

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• Vice President Terry Brewer provided an update on current Rotary activities — The club survey, Circles of Mercy Adopt-a-Family holiday effort, the Thanksgiving food basket drive in conjunction with the Greenbush YMCA,  the latest Recycling Day update ($970 profit for our scholarship program), Rotary partnerships with schools in a mentoring program, and the annual SRC Holiday Party & Basket Silent Auction, scheduled for Thursday, December 20, at a location to be determined.

• Secretary Pat Bailey suggested that the second raffle for a private wine dinner for 10 at Cafe Capriccio in Albany be expanded to include a quilt donated by East Side Quilters, and a $50 cash prize. The thought is that bundling more prizes into the raffle could help expand ticket sales. Pat and Jim Leyhane will work out the details for the February 9 raffle drawing.

• Shannon Romanowski, Rotarian and Greenbush YMCA executive director, will speak at next month’s breakfast meeting, scheduled for 7 a.m. Thursday, December 20, at the Y.

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PROGRAM — Rotarian Ron Annis, CEO of Top Form Inc., provided an overview of the business.

Ron began his career with the East Greenbush Central School District as an athletic trainer and has expanded into owning and operating a premier athletic training center with several locations in the Greater Capital Region.

Ron has developed a business model with a focus on working with both students and adults that promotes a healthy body and mind.

Among the many aspects he has incorporated into that business model are such things as student mentor programs, nutrition and health, coaching certification, CPR and AED training, injury rehabilitation, and partnerships with many community service programs.

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Breakfast Meeting
Greenbush YMCA
20 Community Way
East Greenbush, NY
December 21, 2017

Members Attending (8): Terry Brewer, Geoff Brewer, Murray Forth, Jim Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Becky Raymond, Shannon Romanowski, John Justino.

Guests (1): Kaitlin Driesse.

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CLUB ACTIVITIES — Terry Brewer provided updates on club programs and events such as the holiday party set for tonight, donations to Circles of Mercy for the club’s annual “Adopt-a-Family” drive, the upcoming Bowling for Vets fundraising event, indoor simulated golf tournament, and the progress on revising the club’s committee structure.

ROTARACT PROGRESS — New member John Justino discussed the Rotaract chapter being formed at the UAlbany School of Public Health where he will be the faculty adviser, and grad student Kaitlin Driesse, a chapter founder, reported that 15 to 16 students have expressed interest in participating.  John said it would be good to schedule an SRC breakfast meeting for the group at the School of Public Health and suggested a joint program. A potential date is March 22, 2018, to coordinate with the school’s international event. Rotaract liaison Becky Raymond and John will follow up on this activity. Terry and Jim Leyhane will schedule a breakfast meeting in the near future with the Rotaract group.

YMCA — Shannon Romanowski spoke on “Y” services as they relate to community activities. She is looking to connect Rotary, the “Y” and other community groups to an events calendar that will create partnerships and working together to support community programs.

NEXT MEETINGS — The next dinner meeting is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Thursday, January 4, at Quigley’s. The next breakfast meeting is scheduled for 7 a.m. Thursday, January 18, at the Greenbush YMCA.

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Meeting at Quigley’s Restaurant
593 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY
December 14, 2017

Members Attending (15): Jim Leyhane, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Debbie Rodriguez, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Bill Dowd, April Dowd, Dick Drumm, Phil Kellerman, Ray Hannan, Terry Brewer, Charlie Foote, Kevin Leyhane, Marco Koshykar.

Guests (1): Dawn Vavala, Twin Bridges Rotary and Nite Owl Marketing.

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Announcements/Business

OPENING — Jim Leyhane presided in place of President Roberto Martinez who was on vacation. He opened the meeting and gave the invocation.

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CLUB OFFICER SUCCESSION — We are in immediate need of people interested in becoming President-elect or Vice President since current co-Presidents-elect Ron Annis and Jim Butterworth and VP Ray Hannan all are bowing out of the administration line of succession. We need to fill the President-elect slot as soon as possible because the annual PETS (President-Elect Training Session) workshops are scheduled to begin on January 25. In the process of juggling, it is possible we also will have one opening as an at-large Board member. Anyone interested in any of these slots is asked to contact President Roberto ASAP (rrmtz@aol.com, 518-396-7250).

BRANDED MERCHANDISE — Jim described the “insulated bag” project we are undertaking — purchasing club-branded carry-all bags with the help of a District public relations financial grant. We will give each guest speaker a bag, and sell the remainder to club members and friends at $10 each. Once the initial order of 100 bags is dispersed, the club should realize a profit of $250 as well as having yet another way to display the Rotary/SRC image publicly. … Dawn Vavala, a charter member of the Twin Bridges Rotary Club and owner of Nite Owl Marketing who has supplied branded items to numerous club members in the past, was in attendance to display and explain various items that can be branded with Rotary/SRC logos through her company — caps, shirts, fleeces, messenger bags, vests, pajama pants, etc. Many items also are available in children’s sizes. More can be seen on her company website.

ROTARY HOME COOKING — We have hosts lined up for five months of dinners and/or cocktail parties — all themes to be determined — as part of this series of events in 2018 intended to raise funds for the general treasury as well as strengthen social ties among club members. The first will be hosted on Saturday, January 20, by Debbie and Peter Brown, followed by events by Dean and Doris Calamaras in February, Terry and Geoff Brewer in March, Murray and Maggie Forth in April, and Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez in May.  The March and May events probably will be cocktails-and-hors d’oeuvres events. February through May dates to be determined.

EAGLE SCOUT INDUCTION — Several SRC members attended last Sunday’s Court of Honor at which Troop 41, which we help sponsor, inducted Leonardo Gonzales into Eagle rank, Scouting’s highest. His Eagle project, required along with earning 21 merit badges, was creation of the Viking Gym rustic outdoor installation at Schodack Town Park. Jim Leyhane said inquiries have come from several other communities in our area about having a similar project done on their grounds.

ADOPT-A-FAMILY DRIVE — Event coordinators April and Bill Dowd will deliver a huge carload of donated gifts from SRC members and several friends to Circles of Mercy this Friday. The annual drive this year was for a needy family with eight children, ages ranging from 18 years to 18 months. This is the fourth year SRC has adopted a family via Circles, a non-governmental local family services agency headquartered in Rensselaer but serving much of the same area our club serves.

STOCKING STUFFERS / YEAR-END DONATIONS — We still have books of Hoffman’s Car Wash tickets available from Murray (with 50% of the proceeds going to the club). … Jim reminded attendees that this is a good time of year to make tax-deductible donations to various Rotary programs such as ShelterBox, PolioPlus, Gift of Life, and the Rotary Foundation. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation continues to offer a 2-for-1 match for every dollar donated via Rotary to PolioPlus.

ROTARACT UPDATE — Club liaison Debbie Rodriguez reported that as many as 16 graduate students at the UAlbany School of Public Health have expressed interest in being part of the charter group of a new Rotaract club (ages 18 to 30 eligible) being created at the school. She said she still is awaiting word of final approval by the school to be the host. John Justino, who is in the process of joining SRC, will be the club’s faculty advisor.

HOLIDAY PARTY & BASKET AUCTION — Any last-minute reservations for the annual “Holiday Party & Themed Gift Basket Silent Auction” should be made with Murray and Maggie Forth (mmforth51@gmail.com, 518-477-7433) by this Sunday. The party will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, December 21, at their residence in East Greenbush. Attendees are asked to bring a small appetizer for six people. The Talk of the Town catering service will provide the remainder of the dinner ($25). A reminder: The themed baskets are a major part of this social event, and all winning bids go to the club treasury to help support our many public outreach initiatives. We suggest baskets in the $15 to $45 range. And, of course, the more variety the better. Anyone needing an imagination jump start may want to revisit the suggestions we’ve posted in recent weeks on the club website. Check here, here, and here for some examples.

COFFEE SALES — Phil Kellerman reminded members he again is taking orders for 12-ounce packages of specialty coffees, with $5 from each sale going to the Capital Region Nordic Alliance (CRNA) adaptive sports organization on behalf of SRC.

NEXT MEETING — The monthly breakfast meeting is scheduled for 7 to 8 a.m. next Thursday, December 21, at the Greenbush YMCA. Please let Shannon Romanowski know if you plan to attend (Sromanowski@cdymca.org, 518-477-2570 extension 1200). That evening, the holiday party will be held in place of the weekly dinner meeting.

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Meeting at Quigley’s Restaurant
593 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY
December 7, 2017

Members Attending (20): Roberto Martinez, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Debbie Rodriguez, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Bill Dowd, April Dowd, Maggie Forth, Dick Drumm, Jim Leyhane, Ray Hannan, Terry Brewer, Carol Orvis, Jim McHugh, Jeff Simons, Dean Calamaras, Julius Frankel, Becky Raymond, Kevin Leyhane.

Guests (3): Michael Harkin, Columbia High School principal; Joe Corr, North Colonie Schools superintendent; Jeremy Forth.

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Announcements / Business

ROTARACT UPDATE — Debbie Rodriguez reported that John Justino of the UAlbany School of Public Health is checking with his administration about formal requirements for creating a Rotaract chapter there. She asked the club, as the Rotaract sponsor, to cover the $50 application fee and provide up to $200 in seed money for the startup, which may or may not be needed in full. President Roberto Martinez asked for the consensus of the club and, when given it, authorized such money. Debbie said plans are for the new club to begin meeting in January.

NEW COMMITTEES — Roberto said he still is working on the makeup of new committees and will release that information once the committee leads have accepted appointment.

COFFEE SALES — A reminder that Phil Kellerman will be selling specialty coffees at next week’s meeting, with profits from the sales going to help club support of the Capital Region Nordic Alliance (CRNA) which offers adaptive sports for disabled veterans and others.

COMMUNITY RECOGNITION AWARDS DINNER — Murray Forth and Terry Brewer reported that we had a sellout crowd for the second such dinner, held on Tuesday at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant. About 40 awards were presented to students, alums, educators, business people, military, and first responders. Our own John Sawchuk, who will be moving out of the area in the next few weeks, was one of the honorees for his work as an educator and Rotarian, and A.J. Amato was honored for his work on reviving our Rotary Youth Exchange student initiative. The club will realize $3,000 or more from the event, with the final tally to be reported at an upcoming meeting. The full list of honorees plus photos of the event are available on our website.

ROTARY HOME COOKING — Our annual winter-spring series of  monthly theme dinners will begin on January 20, 2018, at the residence of Debbie and Peter Brown. (Theme to be announced.) We have openings on any date in February, March, April, and May. The procedure is for a member or members to host a dinner (that is their financial contribution) and accept a limited number of guests on a first-come, first-accepted at a set price, with all proceeds going to the club treasury. Anyone interested in hosting such an event is asked to contact Roberto ASAP.

OTHER CLUBS’ ACTIVITIES — The Hudson Shores club is working with the Salvation Army on its annual bell-ringing fund, collecting in Troy (shopping strip opposite Hudson Valley Community College) and notified us to be sure it was not infringing on anything we are doing in the area. … The Cohoes club will host a bowling event at the Cohoes Bowling Center on December 16 and 17 to raise money for victims of the recent devastating fire in downtown Cohoes. … The district-wide “Drop the Puck On Polio” pro hockey game and fundraiser for polio programs is set for this Saturday in Glens Falls. Details are contained in the event flyer on our website.

ADOPT-A-FAMILY — April Dowd reported that pledges are going well for the eight-child family we have adopted this Christmas through the Circles of Mercy family services agency. Everyone is asked to double-check the wishlist spreadsheet on the club website and bring their donations — wrapped and tagged with the recipients’ names — to next Thursday’s dinner meeting at Quigley’s. That is the deadline for all donations.

HOLIDAY PARTY — Our annual dinner and silent auction of themed gift baskets (proceeds go to the club treasury) is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, December 21, at the Forth residence. Anyone wishing to attend who has not yet signed up is asked to call or contact Maggie and Murray at mmforth51@gmail.com as soon as possible. Please be sure to let them know how many will be in your party, including guests and kids. The dinner, at $25 each, will be catered by club member Jim Mendrysa’s Talk of the Town catering service. Maggie has asked that guests bring a small, and she stressed “small,” plate of appetizers. Everything else will be provided. Please make every effort to come up with a themed basket of some sort. The auction is a big part of the festivities. We have lots of theme ideas. Click here to begin.

NEXT MEETING — The monthly breakfast meeting is scheduled for 7 a.m. Thursday, December 21, at the Greenbush YMCA. No dinner meeting that day because of the holiday party.

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PROGRAM: “Visions for Columbia High School”

Club member Jim McHugh, assistant superintendent of the East Greenbush Central School District, introduced Michael Harkin, the incoming principal at Columbia High School.

Mike spoke briefly about his background — he presently is principal of the Knickerback Middle School in Lansingburgh — and his hopes for his tenure as successor to John Sawchuk at Columbia.

Jim then spoke about advances being made in research and implementation of programs and services to better prepare EGCSD students for college and careers. They are using “Clear Gov” for surveys of grads’ activities for up to five years out, and are experiencing a strong  62% response rate.

Jim cited examples of innovative efforts to get students in danger of dropping out to buy into career path training to supplement their regular classroom work; using companies in the community such as Gray Castle and the Center for Gravity as resources for broadening the possibilities of college, work study, and emerging career fields.

He noted that prospective employers have said many students lack the “soft skills” needed to succeed in careers — inability to communicate, weak teamwork skills, lack of understanding the responsibilities of being an employee, etc. He said EGCSD is working to improve such skills as part of the regular curriculum.

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