With Julie Ritchie unable to attend the meeting this Thursday we are switching to another general club assembly to discuss end of the Rotary year projects as well as the summer schedule. I will work to try and schedule another guest speaker for May 25th which was also scheduled to be a general club assembly.
As always we will do our best to provide a hybrid option for our meetings, with the link posted on the calendar page of the website.
Menu choices this week include: Antipasto Salad, Chicken Lemon, Baked Ziti
Looking forward to seeing everyone again this Thursday.
MEMBERS ATTENDING ( 11 ): Dick Drumm, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Andy Leyhane, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Ray Hannan, Terry Brewer and Phil Kellerman.
By Zoom:
GUESTS (2) Michael Bennett, Joe Corr
President Elect Peter Brown called the meeting to order.
Theme for the Year: “Growing Fellowship and Service Locally and Globally.”
Hybrid Meeting: Please let Kevin Leyhane, Jim Leyhane or Roberto Martinez know if you plan to join the weekly meeting via Zoom.
Proxy Votes: If unable to attend please submit your proxy votes to President Kevin Leyhane or any board member who will be attending the meeting. Proxy votes can also be submitted using the Remind App. Text to the number 81010.
MEETING NOTES
Website updates: We are still updating club information on MYRotary (International), Club Runner (District), SRCRotary.org. A Zoon meeting with 3 Rotary District officials; Sue Austin, Denise DiNoto and Marissa and club members; Peter Brown, Roberto M., Jim L. and Pat B. went well and several problems were resolved. Jim stated it was a very helpful session.
Albany Water Project Video Presentation: No change
Exchange Program: No updates but things are progressing
Gift of Life: The District Rotary is once again offering the barrow of booze raffle. See Jim Leyhane for tickets. Tickets are $20 for one and two for $30. The drawing will be held live on Facebook on May 26th. Proceeds will go to the Gift of Life. Jim reported the deadline is next week.
Gift of Life 25th Annual Golf Tournament: Will be held Thursday, September 14, 2023. The brochure and link to register can be found on a post on our website.
Student Scholarship Update: Per Terry Brewer, Columbia High School has selected a student. Maple Hill and Rensselaer will send in their nominations. The student recipients, one parent and a school administrator are invited to attend the Club meeting on June 8th. He repeated that things are moving forward.
Music in the Park: There are four Movie Nights in the Park scheduled to be held on Fridays. We are approved by the town to do both the Music in the Park and the Movie Nite. We will be selling popcorn and soda and possibly penny candy. Signup sheets are being circulated. We all need to participate. Please check the schedule for spots still open.
Dues: A reminder from our Treasurer, Murray Forth, that our yearly membership dues of $175.00 should be paid by June 1st or you can opt to make two payments of $87.50 each.
Summer Program: Schedule is now updated and available and will be posted and updated to calendar on our website. Slater visit was discussed as an outing for this summer. Kids would be welcome date is tentative August 10, 2023.
New Member: Top Form is now a corporate member.
Presidential Changeover: Will be held on July 6, 2023 at Peter and Debbie Browns house.
Officers for the coming year: Peter invited all to volunteer. New jobs include Public Relations as well as President Elect. Next week we will vote on this next week..
Next Meeting: Thursday, May 11, 2023 dinner 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.
Speaker: Mike Bennett Superintendent
Terry introduced Mike Bennett and explained about the shooting at Columbia H.S. 19 years ago. He spoke about the recovery efforts after the event on Feb. 9, 2004. Also that John Romano, the shooter, has been released from prison. The incident took just 8 minutes, but everything changed!
Mike explained he is now Superintendent at Greenville CSD . Before that he was at several other schools as both teacher and principal.
How do you recover from such an occurrence?
It started as a normal day at Columbia High School, but during the 5th period he heard a noise and another one and he and John Sawchuck went out into the hall. John approached the shooter and tried to grab him, the gun discharged and Mike was shot in the leg. John had disarmed the shooter. Police arrived quickly and two nurses on staff treated Mike’s before he was transported to the hospital.
After treatment Mike was not able to return home due to media attention. His photo on the stretcher was on all the news stations constantly, life had change forever.. School resumed the next day for staff and students, but he was advised not to return to school right away and especially not until after the Grand Jury met. Going forward; sounds like doors slamming and other loud noises had an effect on him and he had difficulty retuning to the school. Then 2014 Sandy Hook happened and it also had repercussions. 2018 another school shooting happened. Each event took a toll. Also Mike had become an interim building supervisor and then Principal. With time kids began to become involved asking for changes. Mike has also written an article about the experience.
NASSP (National Association of School Principals) invited him to become involved. People involved in school shootings all around the country and 13 originally met outside Washington DC. He was in a room of people that understood the experience, but he was the only one who was shot!
Mike decided he needed to be part of an advocacy group as well as helping to support to others. He has had an annual trip to DC to promote and plan and the reception has been good. They have developed a program of Best Practices for school shootings including a Guide to Recovery. He spoke about what is in the guide. Section 1 is about securing support and responding to officers, Section II includes reopening the school, Section III is dealing with the kids and staff and attending student’s ongoing needs, Section IV is Holding Commemorations and annual Remembrances, and Section V is listening to students. The guide includes testimonials from others who have experienced this or something similar. He explained how he hopes to continue to address the problem.
Please join us this week at Moscatiello’s at 6:00 pm on Thursday May 4, 2023 to hear former East Greenbush Teacher a current Greenville Central School District Superintendent Michael Bennett. Michael will be speaking on “A Guide to Recovery to a School Shooting”
As always if you are unable to join us in person you can still view the meeting remotely using the Zoom link posted on the Calendar page.
Menu choices for this week include: Rustica Salad with Chicken, Chicken Marsala, or Manicotti.
This Thursday, April 27, 2023 join us at Moscatiello’s at 6:00pm where we will be joined by Rotary District Governor 7190 Denise DiNoto and Assistant District Governor Marissa Multari. Denise and Marissa will be speaking about Rotary District 7190 and the future merger of Rotary districts to create a CNY Rotary District. If you can not join us in person you can join us via Zoom using the link on the calendar page.
Dinner choices will include Chicken Ceasar Salad, Chicken Florentine, or Portobello Ravioli.
Mark your calendars, the date has been set for the Gift of Life’s 25th Annual Golf Tournament on Thursday, September 14, 2023. The location of this year’s tournament has been moved to The Fairways of Halfmoon.
Once again Rotary District 7190’s Gift of Life is raffling off a wheelbarrow full of booze. Tickets are one for $20 and two for $30 and are available from Dean Calamaras and Jim Leyhane. The drawing is May 26, 2023 and tickets are limited to only 500 sold this year.
Gift of Life promoters urge all club members to invite non-Rotarians to participate as as well, and say they will accept cash donations from those who do not desire that much booze. It is all for a good cause, to date the Gift of Life has healed over 46,000 children to date.
At this week’s meeting at Moscatiello’s this Thursday at 6:00 pm, Schodack Town Supervisor Charles Peter will be joining us as a guest presenter. Dinner menu choices include Antipasto Salad, Spaghetti with meatballs, and Cheese Ravioli with Marina Sauce. Looking forward to seeing everyone this Thursday.
With the recent success of of our bowling event, Phil Kellerman delivered donated food to The Anchor Food Bank in Castleton-on-Hudson. Phil also presented the food bank with a check for $544 also raised during the bowling event this past Sunday. Paula, the Director of the Anchor Food Bank and her volunteer Sallyann were very appreciative as the demand for food in the Castleton and Schodack area has increased.
On Monday, our partnership with the East Greenbush YMCA, paid off as 30 Easter Baskets were delivered to Circles of Mercy by Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Member Shannon Romanowski. Richard Zazycki, Executive Director of Circles of Mercy was extremely thankful for the continued support of his programs by the SRC Rotary Club.
This past Saturday, members from the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club along with Administrators, teachers, and students from the Schodack Central School District gathered at the East Greenbush Bowling Center to raise funds for two worthy causes. Money raised from the event was split between The Anchor Food Pantry and Maple Hill’s Water for the South Sudan fundraising project. Non-perishable food items were also collected for the pantry.
Members and guests bowled for two hours while sharing many laughs along with the fellowship of Rotary. Thank you to everyone who donated their time and resources to the event. A special shout out to Phil Kellerman for taking the lead and organizing such a wonderful and successful event.
This week’s meeting will feature Jimmy Thomas from the Glenville Rotary Club. Jimmy’s presentation “4000 Miles by Kayak and Bicycle: Doggie Paddle for Veterans’ Service Dogs” will focus on his kayak and bike trip down the East Coast of America to highlight the need for service dogs to support veterans.
Dinner choices will include Chicken Florentine, Chicken Caesar salad, or Manicotti.
This week’s program presented by Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club’s own member, DR. Andrew Leyhane. Dr. Leyhane will be speaking about recent advancements towards a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Dinner choices will be a choice of antipasto salad, chicken lemon, or portobello ravioli.
This is the last meeting to bring gifts to stock the Easter Basket’s for Circles of Mercy’s Easter Basket Drive. Gifts and donations may also be delivered directly to the East Greenbush YMCA.
Anyone sponsoring a lane for our bowling event on April 2, 2023, please bring a check payable to SRC Rotary. Looking forward to seeing everyone again on Thursday.
Our weekly meeting at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant will feature recently retired school superintendent Joe Corr. Joe will be speaking about the state of public education in NYS. We are expecting some recently befriended guests from the Rotary Club in Little Falls NY, who will be joining us via Zoom, to experience a hybrid meeting.
Please continue to shop for gifts for the Circle’s of Mercy Easter Basket program. We are partnering with the YMCA of East Greenbush to purchase the baskets and set up a basket assembly session. Items to place in the baskets include: coloring books, crayons, color pencils, facial tissues, toothpaste and toothbrushes, dental floss, hair combs and brushes, age appropriate (1-12 years old) small stuffed animals, toys, small games, reading book, and of course different types of candy.
The menu this week will include a choice of Rustica Salad with Chicken, Chicken Marsala, or Baked Ziti.
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 