Members in Attendance (15):  Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Pat Bailey, Dick Drumm, Murray Forth, Ray Hannan, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Andy Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Charlie Foote, Ron Annis, Phil Kellerman, Terry Brewer and Debbie Rodriguez.

By Zoom (1): Ruth Russell

Guests (3): Freek Lapré and Frank van Dillen, from the Netherlands and Dr. Michael Sabir, Speaker.

President Roberto Martinez called the meeting to order.

Theme for the year: Grow membership, do good in the world, leverage social capital, & have fun!

Meeting Notes:

Summer Outings and Fundraisers: Per Roberto Martinez, we raised over $1900. Thanks to everyone.

Website Updates: The website needs some updating. Kevin fixed the entry page.

Grant Update: The Global Grant was submitted on time under the previous district. Peter Brown received questions from Rotary International. The answers are to be provided by Jennifer Grymm of the Rotary Club in Kenya. He hopes to have the questions answered over the next two weeks and then receive final approval.

District Grants: Roberto Martinez reported that the 24-25 grant was approved for $1000.

East Greenbush and Social Capital: The Club is proposing a cornhole tournament to raise funds for a school project. Peter Brown reached out to Jeff Simon, Superintendent for the East Greenbush School District regarding some potential projects. Terry Brewer, Jim Leyhene, Roberto Martinez and Ron Annis will mee Monday, September 23rd to discuss the project.

Tax Status: Per Terry Brewer, he looked back at the Club’s financial status over the last five years. He will fill out the IRS Forms. An accountant will review prior to resubmitting to the IRS. There will be a $600 fee.

Member Dues: According to Murray Forth, there are 2 outstanding.

Viking Gym: The Grand Opening is Saturday 9/14/24 at 1 pm at the Schodack Town Park. Members will be providing hot dogs and beverages. Rotary will submit a check to the Town. Rotary, Kiwanis and Top Form will look a purchasing a piece of equipment next year.

Rotary Leadership Institute ( rlinea.org ): The next training is in Verona, NY. Per Roberto Martinez, the Club will pay the $75 fee for any member who wants to attend.

CNY Event: Took place this evening at Huck Finns. The Rotary Area 22 Event included Albany, Cohoes, Colonie-Guilderland, Southern Rensselaer and the Delmar Club.

Gift of Life Golf Tournament: The Club will follow-up with Dean and Doris Calamaras.

Membership: Membership is ongoing. The Club had a successful drive in April ending up with five new members. Terry Brewer suggesting thinking about other membership activities and holding them twice a year.

Speakers: Needed for this year.

World Polio Day: It is on October 24th. The Club will check with John Justino about doing something this year.

Benefit Concert: Phil Kellerman has a local and a band from Florida. He has contacted a venue for availability.

Cafe Capriccio: Andy Leyhane and Jim Leyhane are contacting the Cafe regarding a fundraiser.

Next Meeting: Thursday, September 19 at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. There will be a Club Assembly.

Entry Choices will be Antipasta Salad, Veal Parmigiana and Penne Alfredo.

Dr. Michael Sabir is a teacher, human rights defender and social worker. He has a PhD in Sociology from Karatchi University in Pakistan and a master’s degree in social work. He was the first blind person to receive ah PhD in Pakistan. He also worked at the University and at the National Catholic Institute of Theology also located in Karatchi, Pakistan. Dr. Sabor was a lobbyist and advocate for the religious minority. He met both Pope John Paul and Pope Francis and has visited all seven continents as a lecturer.

Religious minorities are second class citizens in Pakistan. They hold menial jobs. No minority can hold a position in high offices. The Pakistani government nationalized all minority health and education institutions. Extremism is high in Pakistan. Dr. Sabir He resigned his position last month due to threats of mob lynching after attacks on himself and his family and has applied for political asylum. Per Dr. Sabir, the jihadis were recruited by the US to fight the Russians. They were given money and weapons. The jihadis persecuted Christians after 911 for their religious similarities to the US.

Dr. Sabir faces many challenges as a legal asylum seeker. There is no support for a legal asylum seeker until they get a social security number and a work permit, and their case is approved. There is a 150 day waiting period after applying. It takes years to get a green card. Illegal immigrants get all sorts of support.

Freek Lapré and Frank van Dillen, from the Netherlands, are partners at DVA Dementia Village Associates (https://www.dementiavillage.com/) and work on a consultancy assignment for Eddy Memorial Geriatric Center, ‘The Eddy’. They work on converting a classical nursing home into small households making up a village.

Mr. Lapré is a member of the Rotary Club Altena-NL (www.rotary.nl/altena). He is a nurse by training and has a Doctorate in Business Administration. He consults in the Netherlands and teaches in China. The Altena Rotary Club projects include a wishing tree in nursing homes where Rotary fulfills the wishes. They also provide scholarships for technical skills. The Club has 30 members, and he is the incoming president.

Mr. van Dillen is a member of the Rotary Club Hertogenbosch -NL (www.rotary.nl/shertogenbosch). Mr. van Dillen is an architect. His Club has 60 members. They have projects around ALS. Their swim against cancer project raised 35,000 euros.

They presented Roberto Martinez with their Rotary Club banners.

Members in Attendance (14):  Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Pat Bailey, Dick Drumm, Murray Forth, Ray Hannan, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Carole Heaney, Dick Drumm, Andy Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Charlie Foote and Debbie Rodriguez.

By Zoom (0):

Guests (0): 

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order.

Theme for the year: “Building Community”

Meeting Notes:

Website Overview: Kevin Leyhane gave a brief overview of the website. There is a lot of information on the website. It is searchable. The most used are the member contact information, the calendar and meeting minutes.

Water for Kenya Global Grant: Per Peter Brown, there is no update. Same status as last week.

District Grant: Roberto Martinez reported that the final written report for last year’s grant was submitted. The Club should get $1150 in reimbursement. The grant for 24-25 was submitted to the new District.

501C4 Status: No update.

Dues: Murray Forth reminded members that Club dues of $175 are due by July 1st.

Viking Gym: The Viking Gym is open. Debbie Rodriguez contacted Kevin Konig to clarify who is providing the peace pole. He is checking on it. She also emailed and Ron Annis about a hard opening but has not heard back yet.

Fund Raisers: Some suggestions are hosting a pickle ball tournament, Cafe Capriccio raffle, summer outings, plant swap, game nigh, a talent show, silent auction, raffle, cornhole tournament, car show, solicit businesses and fitness fair.

Speakers: We will need speakers for the fall. Carol Heaney attended the Capital District Initiative for Mental Health for Adolescents. She suggested having someone come and speak in the fall.

Summer Schedule: Check the calendar for the latest updates. Please let Debbie Brown know if you will be attending Capital Rep on August 1st. Please let Debbie Rodiguez know if you will be attending the Valley Cats game on August 8th.

Next Meeting: The changeover will be held on Thursday, June 27th at 6:00 pm at Peter and Debbie Brown’s home. Please bring a salad or an appetizer. If you have not done so, please let Debbie know if you will be attending.

The District 7190 Celebration was held on June 19 at 5 pm at Wolf Hollow Brewing in Schenectady. We bid farewell to District 7190 and welcome District 7180.

Members in Attendance (10):  Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Pat Bailey, Dick Drumm, Murray Forth, Ray Hannan, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Carole Heaney and Debbie Rodriguez.

By Zoom (1): Charlie Foote

Guests (0): 

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order.

Theme for the year: “Building Community”

Meeting Notes:

Water for Kenya Global Grant: Peter Brown reported that the District number was fixed. He was just informed that the the Rotary Club of Enkare Naroch needed 25 members for a Global Grant. The Club did not meet this criteria so they joined with another Club to continue the Grant. The new Club will have to set up the bank account to pay the contractors. Both Clubs are working on a different project to provide water tanks to schools. Peter received the contact information from the new Club but neither of the contacts were listed as Club members. Peter is in the process of clarifying the information.

Per Roberto Martinez, the final written report for last year’s grant is due at the end of July. The grant for 24-25 was submitted to the new District and is dependent on the tax status.

501C4 Status: No update.

Dues: Murray Forth reminded members that Club dues of $175 are due by July 1st.

Viking Gym: The Viking Gym is open. Carol Heaney drove by and observed people using it. Per Murray Forth, the mock-up of the sign is done, was submitted to the Town of Schodack and Mr. Peters, the Town Supervisor, approved it. Debbie Rodriguez will contact Kevin Konig to clarify who is providing the peace pole and Ron Annis about a hard opening.

Fund Raisers: Some suggestions are hosting a pickle ball tournament, Cafe Capriccio, summer outings, plant swap, game night and a talent show. Murray Forth will talk to someone in Latham about structuring a pickleball tournament. Debbie Brown will contact Capital Rep about attending on August 1st.

Changeover: Will be held June 27th at 6 pm at Peter and Debbie Brown’s home. Please bring a salad or an appetizer.

District Meetings: The District 7190 Celebration will be held on June 19 at 5 pm at Wolf Hollow Brewing in Schenectady. Carol Heaney is willing to drive. Please contact her if you are interested in attending.

Speakers: We will need speakers for the fall.

Summer Schedule: Check the calendar for the latest updates.

Next Meeting: Thursday, June 20th at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. The will be a Club Assembly and a brief presentation on arts participation with Emma Leyhane.

Entry Choices will be Antipasta Salad, Spaghetti with Meatballs and Eggplant Parm.

Tracy Pitcher is the Executive Director of St. Paul’s Center. She has a master’s degree in social work and building bridges to a brighter future is her goal. She has been at St. Paul’s for fourteen years. Her dedicated staff has been there almost as long.

St. Paul’s Center was opened in October of 2006 as an emergency shelter. It is the only shelter in Rensselaer County dedicated to mothers and children. Over the years, it has helped over 1,373 families facing homelessness. Poverty leads to a culture of poverty resulting in generational poverty and homelessness. 64% of the mothers experienced homelessness as children and 40% did not finish high school.

St. Paul’s Center also provides support, guidance and advocacy. They offer workshops on skills building, finance, nutrition, cooking, parenting and other topics. Community partners offer workshops on various health issues, childcare contraception and empowerment. Childcare and tutoring are available. The Bridge Program, established in 2017, offers case management for six to twelve months after the families leave the shelter. Of the families served, 97% have not returned to homelessness.

Their new program is a 16 one bed unit for homeless seniors on Wolf Road. It is near Colonie Senior Services and the Center for Wellness. There are employment opportunities in the area and shopping and pharmacies are nearby. Their headquarters will move there, freeing up room to house more families in Rensselaer. For more information go to https://stpaulscenter.com/.

Members in Attendance (13):  Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Charlie Foote, Pat Bailey, Dick Drumm, Murray Forth, Ray Hannan, Kevin Leyhane, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Carole Heaney, Ruth Russell and Debbie Rodriguez.

Guests (0): 

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order.

Theme for the year: “Building Community”

Meeting Notes:

Water for Kenya Global Grant: Peter Brown reported that the grant was submitted last week for $50,000. The District ID was incorrect, but the app is locked. Peter is working on correcting the ID. Sue Austin approved the grant application. Waiting on the remaining approvals. Peter would still like to send two members of the Club to Kenya which would require an additional $7,000. Carol Heaney suggested the individuals fundraise.

501C4 Status: No update.

Dues: Murray Forth reminded members that Club dues of $175 are due by July 1st.

Viking Gym: Carol Heaney will contact Ron Annis. Debbie Rodriguez will contact Kevin Konig, Schodack Parks Supervisor.

Fund Raisers: Some suggestions are hosting a pickle ball tournament, Cafe Capriccio, summer outings, plant swap, game night and a talent show.

Changeover: Will be held June 27th at 6 pm at Peter and Debbie Brown’s home. Please bring a salad or an appetizer.

District Meetings: The District 7190 Celebration will be held on June 19 at 5 pm at Wolf Hollow Brewing in Schenectady. Carol Heaney is willing to drive. Please contact her if you are interested in attending.

Speakers: We will need speakers for the fall.

Summer Schedule: Check the calendar for the latest updates.

Next Meeting: Thursday, June 13th at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. Tracy Pitcher, Executive Director of St. Paul’s, will speak.

Jim Leyhane gave an overview of Rotary International (RI) and the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club and their activities. Rotary began in 1906 in Chicago. There are now over 2 million members. There are 40,000 Rotary Clubs in the world in 160 countries. Districts are comprised of 40 to 100 clubs. Rotary is the largest non-government charity in the world. Over 5 billion dollars has been raised to eradicate Polio. With 2 to 3 cases per year, we are almost there. New projects will focus on water. Everyone has the right to clean water. Rotary is also involved in literacy, maternal health, peace and economic stability. Rotary is a partner to Shelter Box. A Shelter Box is an emergency tub that holds everything 10 people need to survive 10 weeks. Each box costs $1,000. Shelter Box has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize the last three years. Our members contribute to Shelter Box and each of our local high schools has sponsored at least one tub.

The East Greenbush Rotary Club, renamed to the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club (SRC), was established in March of 1960. Our district has recently regrouped with 100 clubs with over 1,000 members into the Central New York District. We have sponsored Boy Scout Troup 41 since our inception. This Troup has produced over 100 Eagle Scouts. Members contribute to Gift of Life, established in the 80s, to fix the hearts of children with congenital heart disease. Surgeries cost $10,000 and the SRC sponsored one child’s surgery by itself. Now RI provides grants to countries to learn how to do the surgeries themselves. The SRC has sponsored water buffalos for Pakistan. We contribute to the local food pantries. We provide Easter baskets, school supplies and adopt a family for the holidays for the Circle of Mercy. We contribute to the YMCA’s Thanksgiving food drive and are trying to restart our exchange program.

Welcome to Carol Heaney and Ruth Russell.

Members in Attendance (16): Ray Hannan, Peter Brown, Dick Drumm, Debbie Brown, Kevin Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Pat Bailey, Debbie Rodriguez, Murray Forth, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Phil Kellerman, Carole Heaney, Dick Drumm, John Justino and Charlie Foote.

By Zoom (0):

Guests (1): David Gittleman

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order.

Theme for the Year: “Building Community”

MEETING NOTES

Website: Kevin Leyhane has been updating contact and sponsor information on the website. Pat Bailey has been updating the information in Club Runner.

District Budget: Peter Brown discussed the budget. Roberto Martinez will push the button letting the District know that the Club accepts the budget.

Leadership Team: After the vote, the following have been elected as club officers for 2024 through 2025.

• President: Roberto Martinez
• President Elect: Phil Kellerman
• Secretary: Pat Bailey
• Treasurer: Murray Forth

Peter Brown will move to Past-President. Terry Brewer will continue as Membership Chair. Jim Leyhane will continue as Vice-President and Foundation Chair. Kevin Leyhane will continue as Publicity Chair. Debbie Rodriguez was voted in as a Board Member.

Vacation Coverage: Debbie Brown and Phil Kellerman will cover meeting notes in May. Kevin Leyhane will post the minutes.

Iron Giraffe Bowl-a-Thon: The bowl-a-thon was held on Sunday, April 14th. Phil Kellerman sent a check for $655 to Water for South Sudan on behalf of Maple Hill. Christine Fowler, of Maple Hill, received acknowledgement of the donation. Phil, Jim Leyhane, Peter Brown and Roberto Martinez visited Maple Hill.

Water for Kenya: Per Peter Brown, there is no update this week.

Viking Gym: Jim Leyhane will obtain a picture of the peace pole and Murray Forth will create a proof for the sign and both the peace pole picture and sign proof will be submitted to the Schodack Town Supervisor for approval.

Speakers: There are still a few open dates for speakers. Check the calendar.

Fundraisers: Fundraising ideas are needed. General consensus is that the summer socials will continue and could be used as fundraisers.

Rotary Multi-District Conference: Will be held on Friday April 26 through Sundary April 28th at the Double Tree in Binghamton.

Next Meeting: Thursday, May 2nd at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. Michael Stammel, Mayor of the City of Rensselaer, will provide updates.

Entry Choices will be Antipasta Salad, Lasagna and Eggplant Parm.

David Gittleman is a Clinical Associate Professor in Health, Policy and Management at the SUNY Albany School of Public Health. He teaches Introduction to Global Health. David obtained his undergraduate degree in Foreign Service at Georgetown University and his master’s degree at UCLA. He is a returned Peace Corp volunteer and retired from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta after working in global health for 32 years. He worked in child health, the eradication of malaria and measles control.

Malaria is preventable and treatable. The disease is transmitted by the female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria is found in sub-tropical and tropical countries, usually in low altitude areas in warmer regions with higher rainfall. Transmission is aided by poverty and war. Symptoms include fever, chills, headache and malaise. Children under the age of five account for 3/4 of the deaths caused by malaria.

Prevention measures include vector control by spraying and the use of pesticide treated nets. Nets cost ranges from $2.50 to $4.30 and remain effective for 3 years. They are highly effective and reduce mortality by 30%. However, they can rip or come apart and would then need to be replaced. Chemo prevention can also be used for children. A vaccine has been available since 2021. It is 75% effective and decreases child mortality by 13%. A new, lower cost vaccine has been developed. There is the issue of drug resistance developing over time.

Happy World Malaria Day!

Members in Attendance (14): Ray Hannan, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Kevin Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Pat Bailey, Debbie Rodriguez, Murray Forth, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Phil Kellerman, Carole Heaney, Dick Drumm and Charlie Foote.

By Zoom (0):

Guests (0):

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order.

Theme for the Year: “Building Community”

MEETING NOTES

Membership: Kevin Leyhane updated member information on the website. Welcome to our new members: Carole Heaney and Kevin Flanigan. Peter Brown recommended that we make the membership meeting a yearly event.

District Budget: Peter Brown discussed the budget. Roberto Martinez will push the button letting the District know that the Club accepts the budget.

Leadership Team: The following have been nominated for club officers for 2024 through 2025. Voting will be held next week.

• President: Roberto Martinez
• President Elect: Phil Kellerman
• Secretary: Pat Bailey
• Treasurer: Murray Forth

Peter Brown will move to Past-President. Terry Brewer will continue as Membership Chair. Jim Leyhane will continue as Vice-President and Foundation Chair. Kevin Leyhane will continue as Publicity Chair.

Vacation Coverage: Debbie Brown and Phil Kellerman will cover meeting notes in May. Kevin Leyhane will post the minutes.

Iron Giraffe Bowl-a-Thon: The bowl-a-thon was held on Sunday, April 14th. Per Debbie Brown, Mr. Wilkerson, father of last year’s scholarship winner donated $50. There were 37 bowlers. The Club raised $1311. Phil Kellerman sent a check for $655 to Water for South Sudan on behalf of Maple Hill. Christine Fowler, of Maple Hill, received acknowledgement of the donation. Phil delivered a check for $655 and the donated canned goods to Paula at the Anchor Food Bank. The Food Bank serves 65 families per month. Phil also sent a press release to the Our Town magazine.

Water for Kenya: Peter Brown, Pat Bailey, Phil Kellerman, Becky Raymond and Debbie Rodriguez were on a conference call yesterday with our Kenyan partners. They will hold a bidders conference and review the proposed specifications. The next step will be to submit a grant application for the hydrogeological study.

Girls Inc: Pat Baily made a motion to donate $250 to Girls Inc. Debbie Rodriguez seconded the motion. The motion was passed. Pat will email Carol.

Viking Gym: Per Jim Leyhane, once ordered, it will take 4 to 6 weeks to get the peace pole. Murray is working on the signage. Per Ron Annis, the QR codes have been received.

Speakers: There are still a few open dates for speakers. Check the calendar. Ray Hannan mentioned that May is ALS month. He will look for a speaker.

Speaker: Robert Schulman was scheduled to speak on the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). He was unable to attend and will reschedule sometime in the fall. Phil Kellerman gave a general overview of CERT. Their mission is to assist local emergency management services in disaster, crisis and emergency response and to promote community safety education and disaster and emergency preparedness. We look forward to hearing more about CERT in the future.

Summer Program: General consensus it that the summer socials will continue.

‘Rotary Multi-District Conference: Will be held on Friday April 26 through Sundary April 28th at the Double Tree in Binghamton.

Click->District Conference Information– for more information on the event and speakers

Click-> Register to get signed up (does not include hotel reservation)

Click-> Hotel to reserve your room under room code “ROT” 

Next Meeting: Thursday, April 25th at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. David Gittleman will speak on World Malaria Day.

Entry Choices will be Chicken Caeser Salid, Lemon Chicken and Penne Pesto.

Members in Attendance (13):  Ray Hannan, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Kevin Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Pat Bailey, Debbie Rodriguez, Murray Forth, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Phil Kellerman, Becky Raymond and Terry Brewer.

By Zoom (0): 

Guests (8): Carole Heaney, Tanya Hotalen, Peter Buckley, Dan Wagner, Janet Poole, Kevin Flanigan, Dan Vazquetelles and Dina Sevagega.

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order. 

Theme for the Year: “Building Community”

MEETING NOTES:

Iron Giraffe Bowl-a-Thon: The bowl-a-thon will be held on Sunday April 14 from 2 pm until 4 pm. The cost will be $13 per person. Proceeds will go to the Anchor Food Pantry and to the Maple Hill water project. We will also ask participants to bring a food item for donation. Bowlers are needed.

Water for Kenya: Per Peter Brown, they are waiting for bids on unified specifications.

Speakers: We still have open dates for speakers.

Rotary Multi-District Conference: Will be held on Friday April 26th- Sunday April 28th at the DoubleTree in Binghamton. Standard Rooms Rate: $129/night Single or Double Occupancy, $139/night Triple Occupancy or $149/night Quad Occupancy. 

Click ->District Conference Information– for more information on the event and speakers

Click-> Register to get signed up (does not include hotel reservation)

Click-> Hotel to reserve your room under room code “ROT” 

Next Meeting: Thursday, April 18th at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page. Robert Shulman will speak about Community Emergency Response Teams.

Entree choices will be Chicken Rustica Salad, Chicken Parmesan and Penne Alfredo.

Rotary was started in Chicago, Illinois 116 years ago. Rotary’s structure is comprised of Rotary International, National, local Districts and the club level. Internationally, there are 1.2 million members in over 200 countries. There are 33,000 clubs. Rotary International, through the Rotary Foundation, and the Districts supports club initiatives through grants. The international conventions provide connections on a worldwide basis. Our District is 7190. Districts must have greater than 1000 members. Over the years our District has lost membership, therefore, the district has been reorganized into a larger Central New York District starting in July. Terry Brewer has served as the District Membership Chair. The average club has approximately 20 members. People join Rotary for many reasons such as the ability to participate in community and international service, leadership and to form friendships.

Our Club was started in 1960 as the East Greenbush Rotary Club and renamed the Southern Rensselaer County (SRC) Rotary Club. We have had anywhere from 15 to 50 members but now have approximately 30 members. Over 64 years, the SRC Rotary Club has raised and donated over 1.2 million dollars for various initiatives and organizations. Internationally, some of the things we support are Polio eradication, fresh water in Kenya, Shelter Box and Gift of Life. Among the many local activities we have done, we have supported the Boy Scout Troop since its formation. We have contributed to over 100 Eagle Scouts and over 20 Gold Star Girl Scouts. We have held recycling drives and supported local food banks. We have partnered with the Nassau Library and the East Greenbush School District to provide books to both and a therapy dog for Bell Top School. We have partnered with Circles of Mercy to provide school supplies, holiday gifts for families and Easter baskets. We have also worked with the Town of Schodack on Viking Gym for outdoor physical activity. We are open to any ideas to help make our community better. Our organizational involvement is membership driven. Peter Brown pointed out that since the 1950s, there has been a continuous decline in social capital (people coming together and interacting other than work). We would like to change that trend.

We discussed the many reasons current members joined and stayed with Rotary and different programs and activities our guests were interested in.

For further information on the Southern Rensselaer Rotary Club go to https://srcrotary.org/.

Members in Attendance (8):  Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Pat Bailey, Debbie Rodriguez, Murray Forth, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez and Charlie Foote.

By Zoom (2): Becky Raymond and Ruth Russell.

Guests (1): Ashley Fragomeni, Director of Girls Inc.

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order. 

Theme for the Year: “Building Community”

MEETING NOTES:

Viking Gym: Rotary, Kiwanis and Top Form members assembled the gym equipment on March 21st. The equipment has been installed. The cement has to set for a month before further landscaping can be done. Jim Leyhane is still working on ordering the peace pole.

Iron Giraffe Bowl-a-Thon: The bowl-a-thon will be held on Sunday April 14 from 2 pm until 4 pm. The cost will be $13 per person. Proceeds will go to the Anchor Food Pantry and to the Maple Hill water project. We will also ask participants to bring a food item for donation. Phil Kellerman contacted Christine Fowler. She has 17 students signed up to bowl. Per Phil, he has obtained gift certificates for the raffle and ran an ad again in the Our Town magazine. Bowlers are needed.

Membership: The membership meeting is next Thursday, April 11th. Terry Brewer has developed a presentation. Roberto Martinez obtained a count of people who were invited and and responded that they would attend. We have met the goal of keeping the total count of members and invitees to just below 30.

Water for Kenya: Peter Brown has a signed MOU with the Ms. Kenara and members of the Rotary Club of Enkare Naroch. He has also sent a draft of the specifications to the Enkare Naroch Club for review. The next steps will be to ask for bids based on the specifications and apply for funding for the hydrogeological survey. Peter responded to the email from Edith about the possibility of collaborating on other smaller projects. The Club is interested in future collaborations but will focus on the water project first.

Speakers: We still have open dates for speakers.

Rotary Multi-District Conference: Will be held on Friday April 26th- Sunday April 28th at the DoubleTree in Binghamton. Standard Rooms Rate: $129/night Single or Double Occupancy, $139/night Triple Occupancy or $149/night Quad Occupancy. 

Click ->District Conference Information– for more information on the event and our speakers

Click-> Register to get signed up (does not include hotel reservation)

Click-> Hotel to reserve your room under room code “ROT” 

Next Meeting: Thursday, April 4th at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page.

Entree choices will be Antipasta Salad, Spaghetti with Meatballs and Linguini with Baby Clams.

Ashley Fragomeni is the Executive Director of Girls Inc. of the Captial Region. Girls Inc. was established in 1938 but was known then as the Girls Club of Albany and Schenectady. The name was changed to Girls Inc. in 2001. They are located at 80 Central Avenue in Albany, 962 Albany Street in Schenectady and 265 River Street in Troy. They offer free after school programs in all three locations. They feed the participants and provide homework help and evidence-based curriculum programs on STEM, leadership, and financial, arts and media literacy. The school districts provide transportation. There are around 150 girls in the program: 55-70 girls in Schenectady, 40 to 50 in Albany and the rest in Troy. Girls Inc. also offers summer camp for girls in kindergarten through eighth grade. They are currently turning it from a fee for service into a free program. 81% of the participants are girls of color and 57% are at or below the poverty level.

The free Eureka Program is a five-year program that starts in 7th grade. There is a four-week summer camp at the University of Albany during the first two years. The girls are exposed to STEM programs and personal development. The girls are placed in internships during the third and fourth years of the program. During their fifth year they work on collage and carrier readiness. There are 70 girls enrolled in the Eureka Program.

50% percent of Girls Inc. funding comes from grants, 30% from corporate donors and 20% from private donations. Of the funds raised, 83 cents of each dollar go to the programs. More information can be found on the Girls Inc. website at https://girlsinccapitalregion.org/.

Members in Attendance (13):  Peter Brown, Andy Leyhane, Phil Kellerman, Debbie Brown, Pat Bailey, Debbie Rodriguez, Murray Forth, Kevin Leyhane, Ray Hannan, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Dick Drumm and John Justino.

By Zoom (0):

Guests (0): 

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order. 

Theme for the Year: “Building Community”

MEETING NOTES:

Viking Gym: Rotary, Kiwanis and Top Form members assembled the gym equipment on March 21st. The Town of Schodack’s Park Department has decided to hire a contractor to finish the installation of the Viking Gym at the Schodack Town Park. Jim Leyhane is still working on ordering the peace pole.

Easter Baskets for Circles of Mercy: Lois and Ray Hannan obtained a gift certificate to purchase candy. Shannon Romanowski and the YMCA put the 25 baskets together and delivered them to Circles of Mercy. Thank you to Lois Hannan for coordinating the collection effort and to all who donated.

Iron Giraffe Bowl-a-Thon: The bowl-a-thon will be held on Sunday April 14 from 2 pm until 4 pm. The cost will be $13 per person. Proceeds will go to the Anchor Food Pantry and to the Maple Hill water project. We will also ask participants to bring a food item for donation. Phil Kellerman contacted Christine Fowler. She has 17 students signed up to bowl. Per Phil, he has obtained gift certificates for the raffle and ran an ad again in the Our Town magazine. Bowlers are needed.

Membership: Each SRC Rotary member is asked to bring a friend to the Rotary meeting on April 11th. Terry Brewer will put a program together about Rotary, what the Club does and what we can do for individuals to interest them in Rotary. The Club will cover the costs for guests. Please let the Club know next week if you are bringing a guest so we can let the restaurant know the dinner count.

Water for Kenya: Peter Brown has a signed MOU with the Ms. Kenara and members of the Rotary Club of Enkare Naroch. He has also sent a draft of the specifications to the Enkare Naroch Club for review. The next steps will be to ask for bids based on the specifications and apply for funding for the hydrogeological survey. One of the employees who works for Kevin Bailey (Ken) was in Kenya and met with Edith Kanara about the project. Peter also received and email from Edith about the possibility of collaborating on other smaller projects. The Club will focus on the water project first.

Speakers: We still have open dates for speakers.

Rotary District: Roberto Martinez and Jim Leyhane attended the in-person PETS training held March 15th through 17th at the Double Tree in Syracuse. They will do a presentation for the Club about what they learned at the meeting.

Grants Management Training: The next training will be held via Zoom on Monday, April 1st, at 7 pm. Register for grant training at https://cnyrotary.org/.

Rotary Multi-District Conference: Will be held on Friday April 26th- Sunday April 28th at the DoubleTree in Binghamton. Standard Rooms Rate: $129/night Single or Double Occupancy, $139/night Triple Occupancy or $149/night Quad Occupancy. Deadline to book: March 26, 2024  DoubleTree Binghamton, (607) 722-7575.

Click ->District Conference Information– for more information on the event and our speakers

Click-> Register to get signed up (does not include hotel reservation)

Click-> Hotel to reserve your room under room code “ROT” 

Next Meeting: Thursday, April 4th at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page.

Entree choices will be determined.

Members in Attendance (13):  Peter Brown, Phil Kellerman, Debbie Brown, Debbie Rodriguez, Murray Forth, Ray Hannan, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Ron Annis, Monica Annis, Charlie Foote, Dick Drumm and Becky Raymond.

By Zoom (0):

Guests (0): 

President Peter Brown called the meeting to order. 

Theme for the Year: “Building Community”

MEETING NOTES:

There will be no meeting at Moscatiello’s next Thursday. Instead, we will meet at 1 pm Thursday, March 21st at the Schodack Town Park to assemble the Viking Gym equipment.

Viking Gym: Per Ron Annis, there is a container of gym equipment at the Schodack Town Park. This Sunday, the holes will be dug. We will meet at 1 pm on Thursday, March 21st to assemble the equipment. If able, please bring a 1/2 inch and 9/16 inch socket wrench. Thanks to Dick Drum, concrete is being donated. Ron will find out early next week what the date and time will be for setting the concrete and equipment. He is trying to schedule it for Saturday, March 23rd. Help will be needed. The grand opening will probably be held sometime in May. Stay tuned. Per Jim Leyhane, the Peace Pole will not arrive in time and will have to be installed at a later date.

Iron Giraffe Bowl-a-Thon: The bowl-a-thon will be held on Sunday April 14 from 2 pm until 4 pm. The cost will be $13 per person. Proceeds will go to the Anchor Food Pantry and to the Maple Hill water project. We will also ask participants to bring a food item for donation. Phil Kellerman has been checking with Christine Fowler regarding the number of students who will attend. Pat Bailey has volunteered to staff the entry table. Bowlers are needed.

Membership: Each SRC Rotary member is asked to bring a friend to the Rotary meeting on April 11th. Terry Brewer will put a program together about Rotary, what the Club does and what we can do for individuals to interest them in Rotary. Members should be prepared to talk about why you joined Rotary. The Club will cover the costs for guests.

Water for Kenya: Peter Brown consulted with Mike Stengle (Becky Raymond’s husband) about anticipated specifications and recommendations on what is needed. Kevin Bailey, previous speaker from High Peaks Solar, is in Nairobi, Kenya now. He has offered to look at the well site. The Club voted to pay up to $300 to purchase a round-trip plane ticket for that purpose. Peter is putting together a consolidated specification list. It is complicated. He would appreciate help. Peter anticipates that the project will cost approximately $50, 000.

Easter Baskets for Circles of Mercy: Today was the last date to drop off items at Moscatiellos. Ray Hannon spoke to management at Price Chopper. He will bring a letter from Peter Brown, along with Lois and Shannon and Price Chopper will issue them a gift card to purchase candy. If you still want to donate, please drop off any items at the East Greenbush YMCA next week.

Speakers: We still have open dates for speakers.

Rotary District: The in-person PETS training will be held March 15th through 17th at the Double Tree in Syracuse. Register early to secure a hotel room. For further information go to  http://www.RotaryEmpireMDPETS.org. The majority of the meeting will be held on Saturday if you are considering attending for one day. Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez will attend the District PETS training.

Grants Management Training: The next training will be held via Zoom on Monday, April 1st, at 7 pm. Register for grant training at https://cnyrotary.org/. Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane and Debbie Rodriguez completed the training offered on February 7th.

Next Meeting: Thursday, March 28th at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant, Route 4, North Greenbush. Also, you can join the by Zoom using the link on the websites calendar page.

Entree choices will be determined.

Ron and Monica Annis are fellow Rotary members. They own Top Form in Castleton. They provide personal health, fitness, performance training and rehabilitation. Top Form also provides coaching license courses and certifications in CPR, AED and first aid. All schools have AEDs. When playing school sports, students can get hit in the chest and go into ventricular fibrillation, a heart arrythmia. Coaches then need to know how to use the AED.

Ron and Monica provided a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) refresher to fellow Rotarians. The first thing you do is gently shake the person and ask if he/she is OK. If there is no response, ask someone to call 911 and get the AED (automatic external defibrillator). Next, check to see if the person is breathing, moving or making any noises. If not, start chest compressions. Compressions should be an inch to two inches and compress to the song “Staying Alive” for the rate of compressions.

Turn on the AED. The machine will tell you what to do. You will apply the pads to the upper right and lower left of the chest. The machine will analyze the heart rhythm. Do not touch the patient. The machine will tell you if you need to shock the patient. If so, push the orange button and the shock will be administered. In New York State, sixty people have been saved using AEDs. Two of these people were saved by Top Form.

If you are interested in CPR and AED training, or any other services provided by Top Form, go to https://www.topformeastgreenbush.com/. You can contact them at 518-477-2700.