Due to circumstances beyond our control, mainly poor weather combined with Covid exposures, has caused us to reschedule this week’s Steak and Swim at the Leyhane’s to August 25th. At this time, we feel that the most responsible course of action, while maintaining our fellowship in Rotary would be to switch this week’s meeting to a remote one using Zoom. As with previous Zoom meetings we will begin at 7:00. So mix up your favorite cocktail or pour your favorite pint and we look forward to seeing everyone this Thursday via Zoom.
With next week’s summer casual event being open, we have decided to make it a social event at Druthers Brewing Company in Albany located at 1053 Broadway. The plan is to meet at Druthers around 6 and order off their menu. Further details will be discussed on Thursday.
Our first summer casual, hosted by Peter and Debbie Brown was a success. Members and guests dined poolside all while enjoying the great fellowship of Rotary.
Items of Business:
The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club will continue its support of the Circles of Mercy with donations of school supplies for the upcoming school year. A list of requested supplies will be posted on the website in the near future and may be donated at any of our up coming summer casual events.
The Gift of Life Program is hosting a raffle as part of their upcoming golf tournament. The Grand Prize is $500, 2nd Prize is $200, 3rd Prize is $100, 4th Prize is $50, and 5th Prize is $25. Tickets are $10 each, 3 for $20, and 7 for $40. The Drawing will be held on Monday September 12, 2022 at 4:15. You need not be present to win, and winners WILL NOT be allowed to return the winnings to Gift of Life. Tickets are available from Dean and Doris Calamaris or Jim Leyhane.
Barrow of Booze raffle. We will be raffling off roughly $300 worth of quality liquor, wine, mixers, and ciders. Tickets are $5 each and 5 for $20. The earnings from this will go to the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club’s general fund to be used in future donations. The drawing will be held at our regularly scheduled Rotary meeting on September 15, 2022.
Debbie Rodriguez discussed an upcoming Gala to benefit the Blue Star Mothers. More information will follow in a future post.
The date of July 28, 2022 is still available for anyone wishing to host a summer casual dinner. In the event we do not have a host we are looking into the possibility of returning to Moscatiello’s Restaurant for one night, or meeting out for a drink at a local brewery.
Next week’s summer casual event will be hosted by Jim Leyhane and Roberto Martinez. Once again we are asking for a fee of $15 and an additional $5 for each guest, with a maximum of $20 per family. Next Thursday’s menu will feature the following: Filet Steaks, baked potatoes, vegetables, garlic bread and dessert. We ask guests to provide an appetizer. If you have not already signed up to attend please call 518-428-1732 or email Leyhane@aol.com to notify Jim that you plan on attending.
Looking forward to seeing everyone again on the 21st.
As we prepare for our first summer casual, graciously hosted by Peter and Debbie Brown, a few administrative notes. We are asking all Rotary members attending for a fee of $15 for themselves and $5 for any additional adult guests, with a maximum fee of $20. As always, kids eat for free. The Browns have asked for those attending to please bring an appetizer to share.
Hopefully the weather holds, so that those of you that so desire may take a splash in the pool. Looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday at 6:00pm!
As we change seasons, most of us sort through our clothing closets and drawers to see what we can do without. So, if you find unwanted clothes you’d like to get rid of, may we suggest one of the Gift of Life dropoff boxes?
The one closest to our area of service is behind the Mobil station just off Exit 10 of I-90 — near the Top Form facility.
GOL, the childhood medical relief organization, has many locations throughout District 7190 for its clothing donation bins. There are several in the immediate Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club area, but for those of you who live or work elsewhere — or want to encourage friends, relatives, and co-workers to drop off their unwanted items to help GOL, there are plenty of other options as well.
These bins are placed in conjunction with American Clothing Recycling Company, a Glens Falls business, with profits going to Gift of Life.
Here are the most convenient clothing bin locations (the list may change from time to time):
In the immediate SRC area:
As noted above, behind the Mobil station on Miller Road, Schodack
Tractor Supply Store, Schodack Plaza, 1649 Columbia Turnpike, Castleton
The National Weather Service predicts a 100% chance of rain on Thursday. Luckily, our weekly meeting is scheduled to be via Zoom, so you won’t have to get wet while traveling.
As always, simply go to http://SRCrotary.org/calendar and click on the link for April 14 to gain access to the session.
If you have an item to place on the agenda, please contact Prez Debbie by this evening.
Lois Hannan, who is coordinating this year’s SRC participation in the Easter basket drive by Circles of Mercy, will be accepting donated items during the pre-meeting social period this Thursday at Moscatiello’s.
The requested donation list from Circles, in addition to the traditional Easter candies, includes coloring books, color pencils, crayons, facial tissues, toothpaste, tooth brushes, dental floss, combs and brushes, age appropriate (1 to 12) small stuffed animals, toys, small games and books.
The Greenbush YMCA will be assembling baskets this year to facilitate delivery of completed baskets to Circles by the April 4 deadline.
If you didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to meet Rotary International President-elect Jennifer Jones back in November at the online Rotary Foundation Dinner, you’ll have another chance when we celebrate World Polio Day later this month.
Jennifer is scheduled to attend the in-person event, sponsored by four upstate New York Rotary Districts — including our own 7190 — on Friday, October 29, at the Ramada by Wyndham in the Syracuse suburb of Liverpool.
To make the event easy to attend, you can take the 7190 bus for just $30 per person. Seating is limited for the bus and the multi-district event itself. Register online before the October 25 deadline. Reserve a bus seat by email or call or text 518-944-3997.
All proceeds of the dinner event will go to the Rotary Relief Fund.
Here is the day’s schedule:
• 2:15 p.m. — The bus leaves Northway 11 Park & Ride
• 2:45 p.m. — The bus leaves Scotia for Liverpool
• 5 p.m. — Cash bar opens at the Ramada By Wyndham, 441 Electronics Parkway, Liverpool
• 6 p.m. — Dinner (four entrees from which to choose)
Members Attending (11, no quorum): Debbie Rodriguez, Dick Drumm, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Ray Hannan, Charlie Foote, Pat Bailey, Kevin Leyhane, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Phil Kellerman.
Guests: None.
Meeting Notes: President Debbie Rodriguez presided over the Zoom session. There were not enough members attending to constitute a quorum. Thus, no actions could be approved. Two motions reported as “passed” — a $100 donation to the Rotary Foundation for a gift basket to be given at the November 18 Rotary Foundation Dinner and $100 to the USS Slater in memory of our late member Bill Wyld — cannot, by our bylaws, be acted upon until passed at a meeting attended by a quorum.
• It was reported that the club is “paid up” for the year to RI. However, once again we have not collected dues from all people purporting to be members, so the club is in the negative as far as money sent to RI.
• Although it traditionally has been the purview of the president-elect to schedule a lineup of speakers, Kevin Leyhane has agreed to let Becky Raymond handle that chore for the remainder of the 2021-22 Rotary Year after she volunteered to do so. The club will continue covering dinner costs for speakers and student guests. Any others accompanying speakers will need to pay for their dinners. Becky will inform speakers of that policy.
• Treasurer Murray Forth, who underwent knee surgery and subsequent hospitalization, is home and recuperating. He now is able to resume his duties on behalf of the club.
• Kevin Leyhane, Jim Leyhane, and Roberto Martinez will meet with management at Moscatiello’s Italian Family Restaurant before our next meeting there (October 14) to firm up audio-visual resources for speakers and the club in general.
• Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) dates and registration information are available on the club website. As always, the club will reimburse our attendees for registration costs.
• Ordering information is on the club website for Rotary shirts of various types being sold as a Rotary Foundation fundraiser. Members are asked to bring their needs and orders to next Thursday’s meeting.
• Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 14, at Moscatiello’s (5:30 p.m. social period, 6:15 dinner and meeting). Entree choices: chicken Caesar salad, portabella ravioli, sausage and peppers. Cost: $25, no reservations necessary.
Did you know there is an organization called “Rotary Representatives to UN Women”?
One prominent member, Ana Cutter Patel, will be speaking at noon Wednesday via Zoom in an appearance hosted by the Albany Rotary Club but open to any interested Rotarian. (See Zoom link information below.)
Rotary Representatives to UN Women, an all-volunteer group, work to increase Rotary’s visibility and standing within the international community and seek opportunities to collaborate on and advance shared goals.
Ana, a Brooklyn Rotarian who also is a Rotary Peace Fellow, will be speaking on “RI’s Ecosystem for Peace.” Over the past 15 years, she has worked in a variety of areas such as the Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding as executive director and currently as senior consultant, deputy director of the International Center for Transitional Justice, and as a lecturer at the Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs from which she also earned a master’s degree.
The talk is open to all Rotarians at no fee. To access it, simply use this link to sign in before the noon start:
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 