Our friends at Circles of Mercy are teaming up with students and staff at Maria College for a “Walk for Mercy” and they are inviting you to join them as volunteer walkers.
The flyer, cover letter, and signup sheet below have plenty of details, but the gist of it is:
The walk will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, September 28, starting at the Albany school located at 700 New Scotland Avenue. Proceeds earned through pledges will go to supporting programs and services at Circles and at the college.
Goal No. 1 for SRC in the 2021-22 Rotary Year is to regain some semblance of normality by resuming personal interaction among members, and continuing our record of 60+ years of community service.
To that end, resuming a schedule of in-person events among our fully vaccinated members was a major component. It gained some momentum during the “Summer Casual” period, and will ramp up as of this coming Thursday, September 16.
That’s when we will gather at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant on Route 4 in North Greenbush, just south of Hudson Valley Community College. (Allow for a bit of traffic at the under-construction traffic circle there; for those coming from the south, we advise trying I-90 Exit 8.)
Arrangement have been made to meet there on that date as well as on Thursday, September 30, when our new District Governor Bruce McConnelee will visit us. The details are the same for both events — a $25 fixed price covering dinner (your entree choice this week of chicken marsala or cheese lasagna), a social period beginning at 5:30 followed by dinner and meeting at 6:15 p.m. No advance reservations necessary.
In between these two in-person events will be a Zoom meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 23. Just check our club website’s calendar page for the hyperlink that gains access to the session.
We hope to see the people we haven’t seen in a long time as well as the regulars we always enjoy seeing. Please join us.
A sparse crowd watched the ValleyCats fall to the New York Boulders.
After a year off caused by you-know-what, SRC’s annual “Summer Casual” visit to Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in Troy for a pavilion picnic and a professional ValleyCats baseball game resumed on Thursday.
Yeah! Normalcy, of a sort.
A group of Rotarians, friends, and family, enjoyed menu of hot dogs, pulled pork, chicken, macaroni salad, etc.
Who attended? Rotarians Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Ray Hannan, Tony Morris, Kevin Leyhane, Andy Leyhane and 10 guests showed up despite the rainy weather that prompted some attendees to head for the exits when rain picked up in the second inning.
The final “Summer Casual” event of our July-August period is set for 6 p.m. next Thursday, August 26 — a cookout at the residence of Debbie and Peter Brown. If you would like to attend but haven’t yet submitted your RSVP, the deadline is Friday. Call 518-732-7178 or email mdbrown@nycap.rr.com. All fully vaxxed adults plus youngsters are invited.
Meanwhile, courtesy of Roberto, here are more images from Thursday’s damp gathering:
Thanks to Ray and Lois Hannan for hosting a “Summer Casual” dinner at the Schodack Diner on Thursday evening, one of the final July-August social events of SRC’s summer.
Next up is our annual picnic/baseball game outing at the Joseph Bruno Stadium at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. a Frontier League professional game between our own ValleyCats and the New York Boulders on Thursday, August 19, featuring a post-game fireworks show! (Tickets for that event have been sold out for some time.)
In addition to the Hannans, SRC members and guests who attended the dinner included Debbie Rodriguez, Pat Bailey, Phil Kellerman, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Jim Leyhane, Murray Forth, Roberto Martinez, and Mary Drumm.
We have just two events remaining before we resume in-person and Zoom weekly meetings. Please be sure to RSVP for the final “Summer Casual” social as shown on the following event chart.
As you can see by the above chart, we’re zipping right through our July-August “Summer Casual” schedule of events. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
• If you plan to attend the pizza and ice cream social set for Pat Bailey’s residence next Thursday, the deadline for giving her your RSVP is Tuesday. Food and some beverages will be provided. Attendees may bring any desserts or apps they wish to share. All fully vaxxed Rotarians and friends are invited, along with the kids. You can contact Pat by calling her at 518-766-0215 or emailing her at baileyps26@gmail.com.
• Anyone with reservations for the “Dinner & a Show” outing on Thursday, August 5, in New Lebanon should plan to arrive at Mario’s Restaurant in time for the 5 p.m. dinner. Tickets for the Theater Barn musical performance afterward will be distributed at the dinner.
• Ray and Lois Hannan are hosting a dinner at the Schodack Diner, 1842 Columbia Turnpike in Castleton, on Thursday, August 12. The RSVP deadline is Friday, August 6. You can contact them by phone at 585-315-1385 (note this is NOT a 518 area code number) or by email at ray110b@yahoo.com
• We still have Thursday, August 26, available if anyone wishes to host or plan an event. Just let Debbie Rodriguez and/or Bill Dowd know if you’d like to do so.
SRC Immediate Past President Phil Kellerman has set up a Go Fund Me page to aid an acquaintance in Nicaragua who is a polio survivor in need of assistance.
“Berta Zamaro, age 50, needs physical therapy and a new brace,” Phil says. “She is suffering falls and injuring yourself. Berta is the sister of a very good of mine who is an ESL [English as a second language] teacher in Georgia.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation to the effort may do so by clicking here. Phil has set a goal of $7,500 for Berta.
Also, anyone wishing to donate to Rotary International’s efforts to continue its global polio vaccination efforts that have helped to nearly eradicate the dreaded virus from the world may do so by clicking here. Donating this way will result in having your dollar amount tripled.
While some people have paid their 2021-22 dues, this is a friendly reminder for everyone else that your dues for the upcoming Rotary Year must be submitted by June 30.
Checks, payable to “SRC Rotary,” may be given to Treasurer Murray Forth, or mailed to Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club, P.O. Box 71, East Greenbush, NY 12061. Please be sure you mail your dues in enough time for them to be received by the deadline.
Dues remain at just $175 per individual member or $350 for “Family” or “Corporate” group memberships covering an unlimited number of members (although such entities have only a single vote on matters coming before the membership). If it is easier for you, dues may be paid in two equal installments, no later than June 30 and December 31. The initial partial payment for individuals is only $87.50, or $175 for “Family” and “Corporate” groups.
As explained in our Club Bylaws: “Club annual dues will be based on dues levels set by Rotary International and District 7190 plus a Club membership fee of $20 above RI and District dues for first-year members and $30 above RI and District dues for all members after their first year. A $5 deduction from each member’s dues will become an annual contribution to the Rotary Foundation. All club fees are subject to modification by subsequent votes of the membership. Fees are payable annually no later than the last day of June, or semiannually no later than the last day of June and no later than the last day of December. Per Rotary International regulations, a portion of each payment shall be applied to each member’s subscription to the RI official magazine.”
RI reminds us that non-dues-paying members may not be counted as Rotarians until at least the next six-month cycle, assuming they then have paid their dues by then. Thank you for your cooperation.
We have just two dates remaining to be filled on our July-August “Summer Casual” schedule, and two events are at or near capacity already.
• The August 5 “Dinner & A Show” event in New Lebanon that will include dinner at Mario’s Restaurant and a musical play at The Theater Barn both are fully reserved. We were limited to 12 people because of pandemic-era seating restrictions.
However, anyone wishing to make a reservation at the theater for “Night and Day: Love Lost and Found Through the Eyes of Cole Porter” — a romantic musical set in a Berkshires mansion circa 1930, told entirely through songs by the iconic composer — may do so on their own by contacting the theater online or by calling 518-794-8989.
• The August 19 picnic and ValleyCats ballgame at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, which is capped at 20 people for our group, is just about filled. If you are interested in attending you can check with Debbie Rodriguez at debannrod@yahoo.com to see if any spots are left.
We have two dates remaining for anyone wishing to host or arrange an event: August 12, August 26. Remember, you can host or arrange events any time during the weeks of those dates if something other than a Thursday works for you.
MEMBERS ATTENDING (14): Debbie Rodriguez, Bill Dowd, Kevin Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Murray Forth, Maggie Forth, Peter Brown, Pat Bailey, Debbie Brown, Ray Hannan, Phil Kellerman, Becky Raymond, Andy Leyhane.
GUESTS (4): Stewart Wagner, Lois Hannan, Jeremy Forth, Mike Stengl.
This was our first in-person meeting since March 12, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to Roberto Martinez and Jim Leyhane co-hosting the meeting at Roberto’s residence. Despite overcast skies, the group enjoyed a picnic dinner on the deck and some long-anticipated reacquainting with each other.
We will revert to virtual 7 p.m. meetings via Zoom for our next two sessions — June 10 and 17, at which this year’s SRC Rotary Scholarship students will join us — then gather for an outdoor Presidential Changeover event on June 24 at the Drumm farm when President Dick turns over the reins to Debbie Rodriguez for the 2021-22 Rotary Year.
• DINNER-AND-A-PLAY — Bill Dowd is arranging a dinner-and-theater outing on Thursday, August 5, in New Lebanon. We will have dinner at Mario’s Restaurant at 5:30 p.m., followed by a performance of “Night and Day: Love Lost and Found Through the Eyes of Cole Porter.” It’s a romantic musical set in a Berkshires mansion circa 1930, told entirely through songs by the iconic composer. Because of seating limits all around, we are limited to 12 people — as explained to members in various emails and website postings. Ten spots already have been claimed, so the last two will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis no later than June 10. Although the restaurant party is limited to 12, Bill can try to make theater reservations for anyone who wishes to attend the theater but not attend the meal. (Click here for details.)
• MEMBER-HOSTED “SUMMER CASUAL” EVENTS — Debbie and Peter Brown will host a cookout at their residence at 6 p.m. on July 8; Dean and Doris Calamaras will host a meal at their residence on July 15; Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez will co-host a pool party picnic at Jim’s residence on July 22; Pat Bailey and Debbie Rodriguez will co-host an event-to-be-decided on July 29.
• VALLEYCATS OUTING — Debbie Rodriguez is coordinating a pavilion picnic and ValleyCats baseball game at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on August 19. Attendance for our group is capped at 20, and we are very close to that number already. So, if you’re interested in getting one of the last remaining spots, contact Debbie at 518-766-3451 or by email at debannrod@yahoo.com as soon as possible. First come, first served. (Click here for details.)
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 