We have a great opportunity this Thursday, November 10, 2022. Our club meeting will include members of the SUNY Albany School of Public Health Rotaract club. Come meet Cathy, Meghan, and Monica, the new Rotaract officers and hear about plans for this year, find out about their studies and work, and talk about how our club can support Rotaract.
The menu this week includes:
Looking forward to seeing everyone this Thursday at 6:00 pm.
SRC Rotary Minutes, October 27, 2022
Moscatiello’s Restaurant
Attendance:
Kevin Leyhane, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Terry Brewer, Dick Drumm, Charlie Foote, Dick Drumm, Phil Kellerman, Andy Leyhane, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Becky Raymond. – 12
Theme of the Year; “Growing Fellowship and Service Locally and Globally” President Kevin reminded us that this theme should be the focus of our speakers as much as possible.
Hybrid Meetings: Please let Kevin, Roberto or Jim know if you wish to attend meetings remotely each week.
Proxy Votes: We are reminded that proxy votes can be submitted to Kevin or other Board members and may be submitted on the Remind app.
Remind App. Send text to 81010, Text this message; @srcrot Limited to 150 characters.
World Polio Day: Four members attended this event at the School of Public Health on October 24th: Roberto, Becky, Jim and Peter. Rotary member John Justino was the moderator and Rotaract organized the event. 10 people attended and in included 2 speakers, there is a link on the web site and see below.
Roberto suggested that we invite the Rotaract members to attend our meeting at our expense and suggested dates are November 10th and 17th. Becky will extend that invitation.
Link to the presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qclNuCOyQBY&t=3s
Student Exchange Program: Peter reported that he and Jim attended a meeting at Maple Hill with two teachers who work in Social Studies and English as a Second Language programs. They are very interested in pursuing the exchange idea. They plan to meet with teachers and students and hope for beginning in 2023.
East Greenbush has sent out material on Exchange students, but no response yet.
Terry recommended having a fund raiser to support the exchange program and raise $2,000 to $2,500. He suggested having sponsors for the Café Capriccio dinner and use raffle ticket proceeds towards the Student Exchange. The members agreed.
Phil suggested holding a Bowl-A-Thon in the winter as an additional fund raiser.
Peter suggested we wait for confirmation that the Exchange Program will be in place before going further with fund raising.
CLINK: Murray and Kevin have taken over the management of CLINK program and Jim has stickers if anyone needs them.
Gift of Life: November 11th at 5:00 pm there will be a dinner, more information soon on this – see below.
We are still looking for a new home for the collection box. The company will remove it in the meantime.
Shelter Box: Larry Jones is now the rep. for Shelter box and a virtual meeting will be held on Nov. 3rd about the situation in Ukraine. Link is: https://paybee.io/virtual-event/sbusa/7?bblinkid=263921077&bbemailid=42811401&bbejrid=-1815378754
District Foundation Dinner: Saturday, November 11, 2022, cocktails at 5:00 pm and Dinner at 6:00. Theme is; Denim and Diamonds.
What: Denim and Diamonds Rotary Foundation Benefit
Where: Settles Hill Banquet House, at 721 Old Settles Hill Road in Altamont. The location is just off Highway Route 20, a 15-minute drive from Crossgates Mall or 3.5 miles from the Duanesburg exit off I-88.
When: Friday, November 11 at 5pm.
How: Come dressed in your comfortable denim, or most dazzling diamonds – or maybe a bit of both!
To Reply: denisemdinoto@gmail.com
Next Meeting: Thursday November 3, 2022 at Moscatiello’s
Menu: Chicken Ceasar Salad
Chicken Marsala
Manicotti
Member’s In attendance: Kevin Leyhane, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Jim Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Dick Drumm, Charlie Foot, Roberto Martinez, John Justino, and Pat Bailey.
Hybrid Meetings:
Kevin thanked everyone for their patience while we work out all the kinks in the Zoom/hybrid meetings. If you wish to join via Zoom, please let Kevin know as much ahead of time as possible.
Club Calendar:
Dates are open for speakers, contact Becky Raymond or Peter Brown if you have an idea. The theme this year is; “Growing Fellowship and Service Locally and Globally”
Gift of Life:
The collection box now near the Tractor Supply still needs a new home. Dick has determined that his parking lot is not suitable. Peter will approach the town about their large lot across the street.
Membership:
The club has been notified that long time member William Dowd has resigned as of the end of 2022. Best wishes to Bill for his future endeavors.
World Polio Day:
The SRC Rotary Club has been invited by ROTARACT to participate in the Monday, October 24th World Polio Day. The event will begin at 1:30 pm at the School of Public Health. If you can attend please notify John Justino.
Student Exchange Program:
Peter reported that Maple Hill has expressed interest in the Exchange Program and has requested a meeting on Thursday, October 27th at Maple Hill. He and Jim hope to attend.
Next Week – October 27, 2022:
Meeting will be hybrid at Moscatiello’s restaurant and on Zoom. Dinner meeting starts at 6 with the Zoom portions starting at 6:15.
Menu will include: Chicken Caesar Salad, Spaghetti and Meatballs, or Portabella Ravioli.
Additional Information:
At the request of our Boy Scout Troop, Jim Leyhane will attend a Child Safety Course. This will satisfy BSA
This week’s meeting features a return to Moscatiello’s with a hybrid option to join the meeting remotely using Zoom. If you would like to join the meeting remotely the link will be posted on our calendar page and the start time for the remote portion of the meeting will be 6:15pm. If you plan on attending in person, the meeting will start with a club social at 6:00 pm. The menu choices for this week are Chicken Ceasar Salad, Beef Lasagna, or Cheese Ravioli with Meat Sauce. Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow night.
This week’s program will feature our very own Phil Kellerman speaking about LEAD, The Foundation for Language Education and Development. The Foundation “engages in campaigns and programs that promote education, language development and overall well-being for English learning and bilingual students, families and communities.”
The meeting will start at 6:00 pm at Moscatiello’s and will feature a menu choice of Chicken Ceasar Salad, Beef Lasagna and Ravioli with meat sauce.
They Hybrid option for this meeting may not be available this week due to Covid complications, pleased stay tuned is it becomes available the link will be posted on the calendar page.
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles recently approved the production of customized Rotary International license plates. As we look for new ways to promote our fellowship, here is a new way to increase our visibility. For further details, click the link below to NYS DMV website.
MEMBERS ATTENDING (16): Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Dick Drumm, Andy Leyhane, Pat Bailey, Phil Kellerman, Terry Brewer, Debbie Rodriguez and Ray Hannan. By Zoom: Kevin Leyhane, Charlie Foote, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, and Murray Forth.
GUESTS: None.
President-Elect Peter Brown called the meeting to order.
MEETING NOTES:
Theme for the Year – “Growing Fellowship and Service Locally and Globally”. Service projects and guest speakers should relate to this theme.
Hybrid Meeting – Tonight is our first hybrid meeting. Thank you to all involved for making this possible especially Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez. We ask for patience as we work through the technology challenges. Roberto Martinez reported that he called Denise DeNoto (District President) to inquire about other Clubs using the hybrid meeting model. Ms. DeNoto will check to see if there are any District funds available to help offset the cost of a hybrid meeting startup.
Proxy Votes – Reminder, if unable to attend at meeting, proxy votes can be submitted to President Kevin Leyhane. We will look at amending the by-laws to expand the number of members who can accept a proxy vote.
Remind App – Per Kevin Leyhane, nine members have joined the group. The Remind App allows group texting for quicker sharing of information in the case of rescheduling, proxy voting, and may serve as a quick reminder for events. To join the group:
Send a text to the number: 81010
Text this message: @srcrot
Scheduling of Speakers – We can begin to start scheduling speakers for the upcoming year. We are looking for speakers that relate back to our theme for the year. If you have an idea for a speaker, contact Peter Brown or Kevin Leyhane. Ray Hannan will contact Judge Young to check availability for speaking in late November or December. Roberto Martinez noted that we are looking into getting a Club Zoom subscription.
ShelterBox Update – Please continue to contribute using Clynk donations.
Gift of Life Update – The update from the Golf Tournament and the Raffle it not yet available. Kevin Leyhane reported that he was contacted by a real estate agent about removing the clothing donation box located in the Schodack Plaza. Jim Leyhane provided a contact for removing the box.
NYS Approved Rotary International License Plates – From Bill Dowd, the Rotary license plates are now available. Kevin Leyhane will post information and how to order a plate on the website this weekend.
NYCR Danes Rotaract – Reminder, Rotaract is planning a seminar to be held on World Polio Day (October 24, 2022) on Campus at 1 pm.
Exchange Student Program – Peter Brown reported that he, Jim Leyhane and Suzanna Bernd (Rotary District Exchange Program representative) met with Jeff Simon (Superintendent of the East Greenbush Central School District) and Michael Harkin (Principal of Columbia High School) about re-establishing the exchange program. Both Mr. Simon and Mr. Harkin were receptive. Ms. Bernd will put together information on the program to share with Columbia High School and Maple Hill High School. Next steps will include meeting with school clubs that might have interested students. It was noted that four host families are required per student. Each family will host the student for three months.
Currently there are seven international exchange students in our District. There are thirty-seven countries in which exchange is available. Along with the yearlong exchange program, there is a shorter one-month summer program. The U.S. State Department added requirements for host families and students. Rotary has partnered with Essex (Eastern State Student Exchange). Essex does the work to make sure that Rotary is in compliance with the Federal requirements.
Boy Scouts – Jim Leyhane reported that Alex Manning is the first Eagle Scout since Covid started. He will order the Eagle Plaque. The Eagle Scout ceremony will be held at Schodack Town Park on October 10th at 5:30 pm. Jim will also sign the Scout Charter on behalf of SRC Rotary to sponsor the Scouts next year.
Richard Drumm DAF – Phil Keller will call a meeting and report back on the status of the endowment.
Next Meeting – Thursday, October 6, 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. Please note: all meetings will now be at 6 pm unless otherwise notified.
MEMBERS ATTENDING (16): Kevin Leyhane, Charlie Foote, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Phil Kellerman, Becky Raymond, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Dick Drumm, John Justino, Pat Bailey, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Murray Forth, Debbie Rodriguez.
GUESTS: None.
President Kevin Leyhane called the meeting to order, noting the presence of a quorum.
MEETING NOTES:
• HYBRID MEETINGS — Members viewed a short video on hybrid meetings produced by one of the Upstate New York Rotary Clubs. The hybrid meeting option allows members to meet in person or join the meeting via Zoom. Next week, September 29th, the Club will attempt its first hybrid meeting. The login for the meeting is still located on the website Calendar Page. Equipment requirements for a hybrid meeting include a laptop, cell phone used as a camara, a microphone and speakers. Roberto Martinez and Jim Leyhane purchased the microphones and portable speakers needed for the hybrid meeting.
• PROXIES — According to the Club’s by-laws, proxies are to be sent to the Club President. Kevin Leyhane will look at amending the by-laws so proxies can also be submitted to other Club Board members and look at what should constitute a quorum based on current membership numbers. Once the proposed changes are drafted, the changes will be posted for membership review for 10 days prior to membership vote.
• REMIND APP— The app was introduced at last week’s meeting. President Kevin Leyhane asks that members who have not yet done so to please sign up. The app allows for group texting for sharing of information faster in the event that meetings are canceled/rescheduled, proxy voting and may serve as a quick reminder for upcoming events. Text is limited to 150 characters. To join the Rotary Group:
Sent a text to the number: 81010
Text this message: @srcrot
• EXCHANGE PROGRAM — Peter Brown reports that Jim Leyhane has arranged a meeting with the Superintendent and the High School Principal of the East Greenbush School District for next Monday. The Rotary District Representative for the Exchange Program, Suzanne Burne, will also attend. There has been no definitive response to date from the Schodack School District.
• GUEST SPEAKERS — As a reminder, the SRC Rotary policy is not to have any political speakers scheduled prior to the election day. Please schedule political speakers any time after election day.
• ROTARACT — John Justino reported that Rotaract has four new members (three students and one alumnus). They held an informational session on Rotaract. They had five/six students attend the session. Several of the students expressed interest in joining Rotaract. They are planning a seminar to be held on World Polio Day (October 24, 2022) on Campus at 1 pm.
• NEXT MEETING — Thursday, September 29, 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. Please note: all meetings will now be at 6 pm unless otherwise notified.
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 