Here’s what we’ll be doing as a club — including family and friends — in July and August. We hope you’ll be interested in taking part in as many activities as possible.
Please note we still have one date open in August, and we’re looking for someone or several someones to step forward to host or coordinate an event. Please contact incoming President Debbie Rodriguez if you’re interested in doing so.
On June 28 in …
1778 — Mary Hays McCauley, wife of a Colonial artilleryman, carries water to the American soldiers during the Battle of Monmouth against British troops in Monmouth County, NJ. She becomes known as “Molly Pitcher.”
1894 — The U.S. Congress approves legislation making Labor Day an official national holiday.
1914 — Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Duchess Sophie, are assassinated in the city of Sarajevo, helping touch of World War I. On this same date five years later, the Treaty of Versailles is signed, ending the war.
1971 — The Supreme Court of the United States overturns the draft evasion conviction of boxing great Muhammad Ali.
2007 — The American bald eagle is removed from the endangered species list.
It may sometimes seem like all the good public service ideas have been taken. Don’t fool yourself. Energetic, imaginative Rotarians around the globe keep coming up with ways to improve the world.
The impact tracker shown above gives you an idea what has been accomplished in just this Rotary Year. And, we’re always looking for ideas large and small that we can put into action. As SRC Board member Jim Leyhane usually explains to new members during their induction, “No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
If you’re looking for ideas for a project that may interest you, one you’d like to discuss with your club, check out the “Rotary Showcase” website for inspiration. It has a slideshow of projects, and an easy-to-use dropdown search facility that lets you browse the database by category, topic, location, and other terms.
Are you familiar with RadioRotary? If not, you may want to tune in to see what the weekly program is all about. Hint: It’s never the same thing.
The weekly series of 30-minute interviews is sponsored and presented by our neighboring Rotary District — 7210, covering Columbia, Greene, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan and Ulster counties.
Professional radio hosts Sarah O’Connell (a member of the Millbrook club) and Jonah Triebwasser (Red Hook club) chat with Rotarians and non-Rotarians alike, people who live by Rotary’s motto, “Service above Self.”
As RadioRotary explains it, “Guests are humanitarians who work on many levels in programs that address such important issues as poverty, education, health, the environment, and employment and vocations. Each interview provides timely information that focuses on improving the quality of life for everyone, both here and abroad. Our guests’ stories of their humanitarian work are uplifting, showing how caring people strive to do good in the world.”
This weekend’s program is “Solar Power for Your Home.”
RadioRotary is accessible through a number of platforms each Saturday, with replays on Sundays. The lineup:
• WTBQ 93.5 FM and 1110AM Saturdays at 11:30 a.m.
• WTBQ.com on WBPM 92.9 FM Sundays at 7:25 a.m.
• WBPM FM and on Real Country 1260 and 1420 AM Sundays at 9:30 a.m.
• Real Country HV.com
• anytime on RadioRotary.com
• by iTunes subscription
On June 27 in …
1844 -– Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saints movement (Mormons), and his brother Hyrum Smith, are killed by a mob at the Carthage, Illinois, jail.
1880 — Helen Adams Keller is born in Tuscumbia, AL. A childhood illnesses rendered her deaf, mute, and blind, Nevertheless, she went on to greatness with the assistance of educator Anne Sullivan who taught her to read Braille and to sign. She graduated from college, became an inspirational speaker, and was one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
1929 — Scientists at Bell Laboratories in New York reveal a system for transmitting television pictures created by Herbert E. Ives and colleagues. The first images to appear were a bouquet of roses and an American flag. A mechanical system was utilized to transmit the 50-line color television images between AT&T in New York and Washington.
1973 — Former White House counsel John W. Dean tells the Senate Watergate Committee about an “enemies list” that is being kept by the Nixon White House.
2013 — The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launches the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS), a space probe built to observe the sun.
Many of you will recall that last summer we conducted a club drive to collect school supplies for needy students in the Rensselaer City School District. There is a particular need there because the poverty level is so dire — the worst in Rensselaer County.
Nearly half the district’s 1,100 students qualify for meal assistance; more than a third of them live at or below the poverty level, which is 10% more than the national average. There is no indication things will get better before the next school year, so Bill Dowd again will be coordinating an SRC Rotary Club drive, beginning this Friday, July 1. The concentration will be on items for high school and pre-school students, based on a survey of needs.
Such a drive is in keeping with one of Rotary’s six stated areas of concentration:
Improving basic education and literacy.
“Last summer, we had a successful drive in a very short period — about four weeks,” Bill said. “This time around we’re starting earlier, plus we’re coordinating distribution via the Circles of Mercy family services agency that has tacked an extra week onto the drive period. That extra time, plus the addition of 15 club members since last summer, should assure us of a very successful effort — if everyone pitches in.”
Participation is simple: Purchase or otherwise donate supplies from the following list. Then get them to me over the course of the next six weeks or so, no later than August 21. You can do that by bringing the items to one of our club events, or by volunteering to be a drop-off point from which Bill will pick up the final donations.
The needs:
• pencils (regular lead #2 and color)
• pencil sharpener
• erasers (for pencils)
• pens (black or blue)
• markers (dry erase and color)
• pocket folders (assorted colors)
• 3-ring binders (in 2” and 3” sizes)
• loose leaf paper (college ruled)
• graph pape
• spiral subject notebooks (1, 3 and 5 subject in college ruled)
• subject dividers
• plastic zipper pencil cases/boxes
• 3”x5” index cards
• highlighters (yellow)
• rulers (regular with metric)
• Kleenex or other brand) tissues
• hand sanitizer (small bottles)
• Post-It notes
• backpacks (no rollers/wheels)
• Spanish-English dictionaries
• flash drives (1 to 4gb sizes)
• scientific calculators
Thanks, as always, for your generosity to others.
We have just received word today from Shannon Romanowski that her brother died in a tragic accident on Thursday. Shannon said she will remain with her family in Massachusetts at least through the week.
We have sent her the club’s condolences and best wishes, and told her not to hesitate to call on us if there is anything we can do for her or for her family.
This Thursday, we will hold the final event of the 2015-16 Rotary Year — the “Presidential Changeover.” It will begin at 6 p.m. at the Forth residence in East Greenbush, and we’re hoping you will join us and bring the family as Terry Brewer hands over the presidential gavel to Debbie Rodriguez.
It will be a cooperative meal: antipasto salad, pasta dish, and beverages supplied by Murray and Maggie Forth; appetizers serving six supplied by members with surnames A-K, and desserts serving six supplied by members with surnames L-Z.
We need a correct headcount, including guests (who always are welcome, and kids will like the fact the pool will be open!). To accomplish that, PLEASE RESPOND TO THE CLUB EMAIL ADDRESS ( SRCrotary@gmail.com ) with a “yes” or “no” and number of guests NO LATER THAN TUESDAY of this week.
Here’s what we have so far.
WILL ATTEND
WILL NOT ATTEND
REPLIES STILL NEEDED BY TUESDAY
Thank you for your cooperation. We’re looking forward to a great turnout, and the long-range weather forecast is great.
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On June 26 in …
1483 — The 12th of 13 children of Richard Plantagenet, the 3rd Duke of York, and Cecily Neville, is crowned Richard III, King of England.
1804 — The Lewis and Clark Expedition — also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition — reaches the mouth of the Kansas River after completing a westward trek of nearly 400 river miles. The group was the first American expedition to cross what now is the western portion of the United States, departing in May 1804 from near St. Louis and making their way westward through the Continental Divide to the Pacific Coast.
1844 — John Tyler of Virginia weds Julia Gardiner, thus becoming the first U.S. President to marry while in office.
1945 — The United Nations Charter is signed by 50 nations in San Francisco. One of the major non-governmental organizations (NGO) assisting in the creation of the organization is Rotary International.
1997 — J.K. Rowling’s book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” is published in the United Kingdom, the first in the Harry Potter series. (It later was released in the United States under the title “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”)
We’re gearing up for our annual “Presidential Changeover,” a special major event set to begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 30, at the Forth residence in East Greenbush.
(And, the pool will be open, a nice touch since the long-range weather forecast is for temperatures in the mid-80s.)
Terry Brewer will be welcoming the 2016-17 Board and presenting several awards before handing over the presidential reins to Debbie Rodriguez. Then, we’ll all chow down and socialize till the Forths get tired of us and turn off the lights.
We are hoping for an excellent turnout — particularly from among our newer members who have been self-limiting themselves to just our monthly breakfast meetings.
We’d love having you join us to become more involved as Rotarians who make a difference in the world rather than just being members of a club.
This event, plus our “summer casual” July-August schedule of family-oriented events, outings, and service efforts, is intended to help you get to know your Rotary family and serve your community in a much more satisfying way. Spouses and kids are always very welcome, and so is your participation.
Here’s the deal. The meal will be a cooperative one. Hosts Murray and Maggie Forth will take care of entree and salad, plus beverages. Appetizers and desserts will be brought by the guests.
Murray’s & Maggie’s Rule: If your surname is A-K you bring an appetizer suitable for 6 people; L-Z brings a dessert suitable for 6. (Each member is asked to bring something; so, member-couples each should bring a dish.)
Here’s who we have so far, and what they’ll be bringing. (If your dish is not listed, please reply to SRCrotary@gmail.com to let us know what it will be so we can avoid duplications.)
And, please, please, please, RSVP to SRCrotary@gmail.com in response to our request for reservations — specifying how many in your party — NO LATER than Tuesday evening, June 28. We need a very accurate headcount for planning purposes, as we’re sure you can understand.
ENTREE/SALAD
• Murray Forth — Antipasto salad
• Maggie Forth — Pasta Alfredo
APPETIZERS (Surnames A-K)
• Pat Bailey —
• Debbie Brown —
• Peter Brown —
• Jim Butterworth —
• Bill Dowd — Mixed tomato basil salad
• April Dowd — Honeydew/Virginia ham bites
• Dick Drumm —
• Charlie Foote
• Andy Leyhane
• Jim Leyhane
DESSERTS (Surnames L-Z)
• Len Leonidas —
• Roberto Martinez —
• Debbie Rodriguez —
• Rommel Tolentino —
If your name isn’t here, we need to know your intentions. Thank you!
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 