Carol Orvis (center), a longtime Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club member, recently was honored for her volunteer work in education by the East Greenbush Central School District. Included in this photo were SRC members Jeff Simons (far left), the EGSCD superintendent, and Jim McHugh (far right), assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
Dear Fellow Rotarians:
We are sorry some of you were unable to join us Thursday evening for a historic event — the induction of men and women new to SRC Rotary in 2017-18, plus charter members of the new Danes Rotaract club we sponsor at the UAlbany School of Public Health (scroll down for details). We had a strong turnout, including representatives from District 7190, for this first-ever joint induction in SRC’s 58-year-history.
However, you haven’t missed out on all the fun. SRC has several more unusual events coming up — save the dates! — that we hope you’ll definitely attend:
• On Thursday, May 17, Bill Dowd will host the “4th annual Great North American Whizbang Trivia Test” at Quigley’s, a fun event scored on the honor system, with prizes for the top finishers. Test your knowledge in such categories as television, American history, world geography, and odds & ends (let your imagination roam in that latter category). Have a friend or family member who likes trivia? Bring ’em along for the 6:15 p.m. dinner followed by the friendly, written competition. (Side Note: We have never had the same winner two years in a row, so the field is wide open.) Just be sure to RSVP when you receive your weekly dinner request on May 14 from Debbie Brown for that event.
• On Saturday, May 19, we will host “An International Wine & Cheese Tasting” that will include samples of eight unusual wine-and-cheese pairings, with a take-home program to help guide any followup purchases you may want to make in the future. The wines will be from Bill Dowd’s collection and the cheeses from The Cheese Traveler gourmet shop in Albany. Plus, there will be hearty hors d’oeuvres, other beverages, and things for the kids to make this a family friendly evening, beginning at 6 p.m. at Roberto Martinez’s residence. Please let Roberto know ASAP if you’ll be attending, and whether you are bringing adult and/or kid guests. so we can plan accordingly. Just $10 per adult (free for kids), with all proceeds going to support our many community service efforts.
We hope to see you at one or both events!
Meeting at Quigley’s Restaurant
593 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY
May 3, 2018
Members Attending (18): Roberto Martinez, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Jim Leyhane, Bill Dowd, Andy Leyhane, Debbie Rodriguez, April Dowd, Debbie Brown, Maggie Forth, Becky Raymond, Charlie Foote, Kevin Leyhane, Marty Mahar, Dick Drumm, Carol Orvis, Ray Hannan, John Justino.
Guests (13): John Mucha, Jack Faddegon, Nina Mucha, Jeremy Forth, Kaitlyn Driesse, Ashley Beaulieu, Carolyn Stover, Annette Highley, Liam O’Connor, Alexis Russell, Cydney Miazga, Emilia Carlino, Shannon Hastings.
PROGRAM: Joint Induction Into the Rotary Family
The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club marked yet another milestone in its 58-year history on Thursday evening at Quigley’s in East Greenbush.
Several of the numerous people who joined us in 2017-18 plus a contingent of charter members of the new Danes Rotaract Club that SRC sponsors at the UAlbany School of Public Health were brought into the Rotary Family in our first-ever joint ceremony attended by more than 30 people.
Jim Leyhane, SRC Board Member At-Large, served as emcee of the evening. Past District Governor John Mucha and Area 8 Assistant District Governor Jack Faddegon delivered remarks.
New Rotarians inducted included Kevin Leyhane, John Justino, and Marty Mahar, and in absentia, Adam Roberts, Kasie Burrello, Jeff Simon, Phil Nasca, and Bonnie Nasca.
Here are a few other scenes from the event:
BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
YOUTH ACTIVITIES — Information on our scholarship program has been sent to local high schools — Columbia, Maple Hill, Rensselaer, and Averill Park. In addition, preliminary information on the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program has been sent, and a followup notification mentioning the link to our website where the 2018-19 RYLA brochure has just been uploaded will be sent out. (Click here to see it.)
STAR OF HOPE — Volunteers are being sought to help in the Saturday, May 19, cleanup project at the Star of Hope memorial at the East Greenbush Public Library. The memorial is to Columbia High School students who passed away before they graduated. The Greenbush YMCA is participating in the effort.
ROTARY HOME COOKING SERIES — We need your RSVP if you plan to attend the Saturday, May 19, “International Wine & Cheese Tasting” event at Roberto’s residence in East Greenbush, co-sponsored by Bill Dowd and Jim Leyhane. Despite the name of the event, it is being planned as a kid-friendly one. Reservations are just $10 per person, kids free, with proceeds going to the club treasury. The hosts are underwriting the cost of the event. We will have eight international wines for the adults to try, plus nibbles and hors d’oeuvres, and stuff for the kids. Please be sure to make your reservations with Roberto ASAP. (Guests are welcome.)
RONALD McDONALD HOUSE MEALS — An SRC team prepared breakfast last Sunday for guests at the Ronald McDonald House in Albany. Click here for a look at it. This Sunday, another team will prepare dinner there for some 40 to 50 guests.
LEADERSHIP TRAINING — The annual Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is scheduled for Saturday, October 20, at the UAlbany School of Public Health. All Rotarians are eligible to participate at any level available, and participation is strongly urged by the club. The norm is a three-level course completed over three years, with occasional graduate level offerings. SRC will pay the tuition charge for any interested member. See President Roberto Martinez if interested; if you would like to learn more about the program, see recent three-year graduates Bill Dowd and Debbie Rodriguez. (Click here for official details on RLI.)
RECYCLING & SHREDDING DAY — We will hold our latest such event this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Wainschaf Associates headquarters in Rensselaer, behind Target. Volunteers still are need to staff the day. Please see Murray Forth if interested. Event details are on the flyer. Click here to see it.
CALENDAR UPDATES — Bill Dowd will represent SRC at District 7190’s Thursday, May 24, “Public Image and Social Media Seminar” in Clifton Park. If anyone else is interested in attending, please see Bill ASAP. … The deadline for applying for a Rotary Peace Fellowship is May 31. Click here for program details. … Registration is open for the annual District Conference, being held this year on June 1-3 at the new Rivers Casino in Schenectady. Click here for event and registration details. … SRC will be honored at the annual “Taste of Mercy” fundraiser for Circles of Mercy, scheduled for Wednesday, June 13, at the Shaker Ridge Country Club. Anyone who wishes to attend the gala is asked to contact Bill Dowd ASAP.
The 24-hour matching-funds online drive for ShelterBox began at noon today as scheduled. If you donate by clicking here before noon tomorrow (Wednesday, May 2), every dollar you donate up to $100 will be matched.
What this means is that even if you can afford only a few dollars, the impact can be doubled to help send relief emergency aid to people around the world who are victims of floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, terrorism, and other disasters.
So, please take just a moment to make your donation. Someone somewhere will be glad you did.
We’ll be making history on Thursday evening when we hold a joint induction ceremony at 6:15 p.m. at Quigley’s for all who have joined SRC in the 2017-18 year, and for all charter members of the new Danes Rotaract club we’re sponsoring at the UAlbany School of Public Health.
Not only will this be our first such joint induction, it is the first Rotaract (ages 18-35) club we’ve ever sponsored in the 58-year-history of SRC, plus it’s the only such organization in District 7190. We’re hoping for a very strong turnout to welcome all the newcomers to the Rotary Family, so please make a real effort to participate even if you don’t usually attend dinner meetings.
Dinner coordinator Debbie Brown (mdbrown@nycp.rr.com) needs to know no later than Tuesday evening if you plan to join us so she can arrange for the buffet and proper seating for all. The following people already have said they will attend:
Bailey, Pat
Brewer, Terry
Brown, Debbie
Brown, Peter
Dowd, April
Dowd, Bill
Drumm, Dick
Forth, Murray
Justino, John
Kellerman, Phil
Leyhane, Andy
Leyhane, Jim
Leyhane, Kevin
Martinez, Roberto
Raymond, Becky
Rodriguez, Debbie
A five-person crew of SRC members and family took over the kitchen at Ronald McDonald House in Albany to prepare Sunday breakfast this weekend.
And, in addition to the prep work by Murray, Maggie, and Jeremy Forth plus Andy Leyhane and Shannon Romanowski, handyman Murray repaired an oven fan at the facility to enable breakfast to be completed.
This Sunday, a seven-person team will be at Ronald McDonald House to prepare dinner: SRC members Bill and April Dowd, Julius and Effie Frankel, Phil Kellerman, and Danes Rotaract members Ashley Beaulieu and Annette Highley.
Here are a few scenes from the Sunday breakfast:
Meeting at Quigley’s Restaurant
593 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY
April 26, 2018
Members Attending (8): Ray Hannan, Phil Kellerman, Carole Spencer, Dick Drumm, Debbie Rodriquez, Roberto Martinez, Jim Leyhane, Murray Forth.
Guests (2): Alessandra Barbarossa and Paul Bednarczyk (host dad).
Business/Announcements
OPENING — President Roberto welcomed members and guests. There was an insufficient number of members in attendance to create a quorum.
NEW MEMBER INDUCTION NIGHT — Mike Harkin, the new principal of Columbia High School, is the newest person admitted to SRC Rotary membership. All club members are urged to make every effort to attend the scheduled induction of our new SRC Rotarians and Danes Rotaract members at our May 3 meeting.
RYLA — Shannon Romanowski and Matt Smith of our Youth Committee will contact all local high school officials about the program. We will again sponsor a number of students, but will make attendance at a Rotary meeting before and after the program a requirement for receiving sponsorship.
SUNSHINE & SHADOWS — All members are asked to remember to let April Dowd know if any Rotarians or their family members are ill or hospitalized, or of any deaths in the family, so she can send cards or flowers in a timely fashion.
MISCELLANEOUS — Bill Dowd will represent our club at the District 7190 “Public Image and Social Media Seminar” set for Thursday, May 24, in Clifton Park. … SRC will be honored by Circles of Mercy with the Sister Gail Rieth Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service at its annual “A Taste of Mercy” fundraising dinner. (Click here for details.) … SRC participated in the recent inaugural Gift of Life fun run held in Bethlehem. (Click here for details.)
RONALD McDONALD HOUSE MEALS — We have a full complement of volunteers to prepare dinner at RMH on May 6 (Bill and April Dowd, Julius and Effie Frankel, Phil Kellerman, and two Danes Rotaract members). … Anyone who would like to join the team preparing breakfast there on April 29 should contact Murray Forth or Shannon Romanowski.
SHELTERBOX MATCHING FUNDS — A reminder that a special online-only fundraising effort on behalf of the ShelterBox international disaster relief agency sill be held from noon May 1 to noon on May 2. Click here for details.
RECYCLING & SHREDDING DAY –– Our third such event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 5, at the Wainschaf Associates headquarters in Rensselaer (behind Target). Please continue to share the event flyer (click here to see it) via social media and/or bulletin board postings. Anyone who would like to help work the day should contact Murray Forth.
PROGRAM: ‘An Italian exchange student pays a visit’
Our speaker was Alessandra Barbarossa, an Italian student currently studying at Columbia High School.
She described her pleasure at being in the Student Exchange Program and how much she has learned since being here.
Alessandra said she enjoys meeting a diverse range of people and learning from them. She has visited Niagara Falls, Canada, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC, so far.
Back home in Italy, she is the president of her 22-member Interact Club that works in cooperation with Rotary and Rotaract clubs. In the past few years, they have completed multiple philanthropic events such as blood drives, collecting food for people in need including earthquake support, collecting toys for the holidays, and photography fundraisers. Last October, her Interact Club celebrated its 30th birthday.
The first time Alessandra visited our club she presented us with a club banner and we gave her an SRC tote bag. This evening we gave her one of our Rotary T-shirts.
Click here to access Alessandra’s PowerPoint program containing a multi-year look at some of her very busy Interact club’s activities.
Here’s your chance to safely dispose of outdated or unwanted prescription drugs rather than let them fall intoithe wrong hands or pollute the environment.
The new Danes Rotaract club at the UAlbany School of Public Health is setting a dizzying pace of community service activity.
The SRC-sponsored organization already has been involved in a fundraising dinner program for the international Save the Children organization, participated in SRC’s “Bowling for Vets” event, organized a happy hour social to benefit the Freedom From Fistula Foundation, worked on serving a Valentine’s Day dinner for the Miracle League, had members attend several SRC dinner meetings, will be part of the SRC kitchen crew cooking dinner in May at Ronald McDonald House in Albany … Now, it was heavily involved in the “Healthy Kids Day” at the Greenbush YMCA.
Numerous charter members of the Danes Rotaract club will be joining us for a special dinner event on Thursday, May 3, at Quigley’s when they and all Rotarians who joined SRC in the current Rotary Year will be formally inducted. We are hoping that as many SRC members as possible will attend this first-ever joint welcoming ceremony.
Participating in the YMCA event were Kaitlin Driesse, Annette Highley, Alexis Russell, Carolyn Stover, and Cydney Miazga who presented a heart health activity for kids. They put together a photo booth, heart health facts, and prizes.
Meanwhile, here are more images from the YMCA event.
If you’re in the mood for Italian, this Thursday’s dinner meeting at Quigley’s will be right up your vicolo. (That’s Italian for “alley.”)
After a dinner featuring Quigley’s popular Chicken Parmesan, antipasto salad, etc., we’ll hear from Alessandra Barbarossa, an Italian student currently enrolled in an exchange program at Columbia High School.
Some of you have met Alessandra, who has been a dinner guest of SRC several times, but this time as our speaker she will share her experiences with us.
As always, we need your reservations (plus those of any guests you’d like to bring) no later than Tuesday evening so we can arrange the proper buffet and seating. Again this week, Lois and Ray Hannan are handling those arrangements while dinner coordinator Debbie Brown is traveling, so please email them at ray110b@yahoo.com.
Here’s who already has signed up:
Terry Brewer
Dick Drumm
Murray Forth
Ray Hannan
Phil Kellerman
Jim Leyhane
Roberto Martinez
Becky Raymond
Debbie Rodriguez
Alessandra Barbarossa (guest speaker)
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 