1788 — Virginia ratifies the U.S. Constitution and becomes the 10th state.
1876 — The Battle of the Little Bighorn (popularly called Custer’s Last Stand) is fought on June 25-26 near the Little Bighorn River in eastern Montana Territory. Combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes killed Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and virtually all of his forces.
1947 — “The Diary of a Young Girl,” better known as “The Diary of Anne Frank,” is published in London.
1950 — The Korean War begins with the invasion of South Korea by Communist North Korea.
1991 –- Croatia and Slovenia declare their independence from Yugoslavia.
Meeting at Quigley’s Restaurant 593 Columbia Turnpike East Greenbush, NY June 23, 2016
Members Attending (16): Terry Brewer, Debbie Rodriguez, Murray Forth, Bill Dowd, Jim Leyhane, Andy Leyhane, Geoff Brewer, Charlie Foote, Roberto Martinez, Carol Orvis, Ray Hannan, Becky Raymond, Phil Kellerman, Stewart Wagner, Dick Drumm, Julius Frankel.
Guests (5): District Governor Milan Jackson, Shiela Jackson, Fred Daniels, Mike Stangl, Chuck Rodriguez.
MEMBER INDUCTION & AWARDS PRESENTATION
New Rotarians (from left), Phil Kellerman, Becky Raymond, and Julius Frankel.
Tonight we welcomed our 13th, 14th, and 15th new members of the 2015-16 Rotary Year, a club single-year record.
Board member Jim Leyhane performed the induction of Phil Kellerman, Becky Raymond, and Julius Frankel, in the presence of two visiting dignitaries, District Governor Milan Jackson and Fred Daniels, who will become DG-elect when the new Rotary Year begins on July 1.
Although we had a strong overall turnout, just one of the previous 12 inductees, Andy Leyhane, was in attendance.
DG Milan, making his third visit to the club this year, presented two awards to President Terry Brewer on behalf of the club:
• A Presidential Bronze Citation authorized by K.R. Ravindran, president of Rotary International, in recognition of the many and ongoing public service efforts the club has undertaken locally and internationally in a wide range of areas.
• A special citation from District 7190 in recognition of winning its membership drive, by a large margin. We had the largest “Class of ’16” of any of the district’s 41 clubs.
PROGRAM: “ROTARY NEXT GEN”
Fred Daniels, who will serve as District Governor in 2017-18 and is working on membership initiatives before then, presented a program called “Rotary Next Gen,” an analysis of marketing studies of the “Gen X” and “Millennial” generations and their attitudes toward organizations and public service.
Fred Daniels speaking to the club.
He noted that while Rotary tends toward pre-Baby Boomer and Baby Boomer generations for the core of its membership, we need to be aware of changing attitudes and desires of the estimated 126 million members of the younger adult generations — Gen X’ers (born between 1965 and 1976) and Millennials (born between 1977 and 1998).
“They, too, believe in service, but not in the same way we do,” he said. He noted that studies have shown that, rather than joining an organization then finding ways through it to serve, those generations tend to identify a need or a cause first, then join a group that addresses it.
“So, while ‘Service Above Self’ still is good as a motto, we’d probably be more relevant to potential members by emphasizing ‘Service To Others’ as a mantra. And, we need to provide an experience that will let these people learn, network, and have entrepreneurial opportunities. Those outcomes speak more to that huge piece of the population’s values system.”
• If you missed this presentation and would like to see the PowerPoint version, go to our Program Presentation Archive.
ANNOUNCEMENTS/BUSINESS
SUMMER CASUAL SCHEDULE — Terry noted we still have one summer date available — August 4 — and asked Andy Leyhane to work with other new members of the club to come up with an activity for that date. The event chart is available by clicking here. Bill Dowd will be coordinating via e-mail the attendance at the events because, as has been pointed out several times, with a much larger member base we have the potential for large turnouts and need accurate headcounts for the event hosts and planners.
PRESIDENTIAL CHANGEOVER — The 2015-16 Rotary Year will end on June 30, the same day we will hold our annual “Presidential Changeover” event, hosted this year by Murray and Maggie Forth at their East Greenbush residence. They’ll provide salad, entree, and beverages. Attendees are asked to bring an appetizer or a dessert large enough to feed six. (Those with surnames A through K are asked to bring apps; L through Z to bring desserts.) And, Murray notes, the pool will be open!
OFF THE GRID — That’s the name of a new ShelterBox challenge that will take place the weekend of July 16-17. Bill Dowd, our SB liaison, explained that the relief organization is asking people to “unplug” for any 24-consecutive-hours period that weekend to gain some small insight into what happens to people struck by disasters. He said this could become an opportunity to get away from video games, cellphones, etc., and reconnect with family, friends, and neighbors. Two methods of personal fundraising (hosting a backyard cookout; collecting walkathon-style pledges) are available during that period. Full details of the program are available by clicking here.
DUES ARE DUE — The deadline for submitting dues for the new year is the same day as the abovementioned event — Thursday, June 30. Please see Treasurer Murray if you have not yet paid.
1509 — Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon are crowned king and queen of England.
1717 -– The Premier Grand Lodge of England (now called the United Grand Lodge) is founded in London as the first Masonic Grand Lodge in the world.
1844 — Charles Goodyear is granted U.S. patent #3,633 for vulcanized rubber.
1916 –- Mary Pickford becomes the first female film star to sign a million-dollar contract.
1964 — The Federal Trade Commission announces that, starting in 1965, cigarette manufacturers will be required to include warnings on their packaging about the harmful effects of smoking.
Rotary International’s Council On Legislation has made a number of changes affecting individual clubs in a variety of ways.
A few examples:
• Clubs now may hold fewer meetings, but no fewer than twice a month.
• Dues have been increased by $4 per member for each of the next three years, a $12 total increase.
• The distinction between regular clubs and e-clubs (those that meet exclusively or most of the time online) has been removed. Each is equal to the others.
• Clubs can have in-person meetings, online meetings, allow online participation in an in-person meeting, or switch between any of these formats.
This could be an interesting family experiment, seeing that even though you’d have no power you still would not be powerless. By taking part, you’ll get a sense of what life is like for families who lost everything when disaster struck — the kind of people your ShelterBox contributions help around the world. They are forced to live without electricity, no light, no safety, no place to cook and keep warm. No shelter over their heads.
If you, or you and your family, decide to “Go Off the Grid” it will mean no texting, no downloading, no videos, no tweeting, no music, no TV, no video games, not even lights, for a period of 24 consecutive hours during the designated weekend. But, that doesn’t mean you’d have to sit around like stunned sheep. You can download tips or order an “Off The Grid Survival Box,” packed with BBQ recipes, games, activities and other ideas from the folks at ShelterBox to keep the whole family connected — to each other.
The intent of the challenge is to raise awareness of just how difficult life is without the many everyday things we take for granted, and in doing so to increase interest in donating to ShelterBox. Of course, you can always do that without taking the challenge, but it’s a fascinating idea that your entire family will remember.
You don’t have to be a Rotarian to support ShelterBox. Throw a backyard cookout — call it an “OFF THE GRIDdle BBQ”), invite friends and neighbors (be sure to tell them no phones, tablets, etc., allowed.) Here’s an official invitation …
… and, you can download free copies of it by clicking here. Then, simply send the donations along to ShelterBox. (You also can direct your invitees to our website where they can find details on what ShelterBox is all about.)
Another way to raise funds for ShelterBox is to use the 24-hour event the same way you would a walk-athon, a bike-athon, etc. Get sponsors. Here’s what the official pledge form looks like …
… and, you can download free copies by clicking here. Then, just as you would with cookout donations, send the money along to ShelterBox.
The 2016-17 Rotary Year, which begins on July 1, will have a distinctly American look to it.
The annual Rotary International Convention will be held in Atlanta, GA. The Rotary Foundation, which was created by an American — RI President Arch C. Klumpf, will celebrate its 100th birthday. And, an American will become RI president for the first time in many years.
The current issue of The Rotarian magazine, which should have reached your mailbox in recent days, is tracing a major chunk of Rotary history with a fascinating timeline on the Foundation and what it has accomplished over the decades; is providing a look ahead in its cover story on John Germ, the Tennessee Rotarian who will become president; and, is presenting a lot of other interesting articles, photos, and reports.
1314 — In the First War of Scottish Independence, the Battle of Bannockburn is fought near Stirling Castle, with Scottish forces defeating the English.
1683 — Founder William Penn signs a friendship treaty with the Lenni Lenape (a/k/a/ Delaware tribe of Indians) in the Pennsylvania colony.
1912 — Alan Turing is born in London. The English mathematician and computer scientist became a leading member of the Bletchley Park team of cryptographers that cracked the Germans’ Enigma coding machine, a turning point in World War II.
1926 — The College Entrance Examination Board conducts the first Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
2013 -– Nik Wallenda becomes the first man to successfully walk across the Grand Canyon on a tight rope.
This week, we will induct three more members of Rotary. Next week, we will complete the 2015-16 Rotary Year when we gather at the Forth residence for the annual “Presidential Changeover” event.
After that, we’re on to our usual busy summer schedule of picnics, cookouts, baseball, wine tasting dinner, summer stock theater, etc.
For your planning purposes, the chart shown above has one open slot left. Anyone interested in hosting an event or coordinating a field trip should contact incoming club president Debbie Rodriguez ASAP.
For each event, it is absolutely imperative that we have a correct headcount for planning food, seating, etc. To accomplish that, Bill Dowd will be handling the summer reservations schedule. He’ll be sending out regular requests for RSVPs, with a deadline based on what we’ve had throughout this Rotary Year. As always, guests are welcome, especially for these family-friendly events, but WE NEED YOUR HELP in keeping track of the headcount.
The 2016 Class of Rotary Peace Fellows included Americans (first two from left) Ahmed Mohibbi and Kate Lonergan, as well as students from Gambia, Australia, France, Canada, Japan, and Somalia. (Two graduates are not pictured.)Lonergan
Rotary International encompasses many more venues and efforts than you might be aware of. The Rotary Peace Center is one such example.
The master’s degree-level program, headquartered in Uppsala University in Uppsala, Sweden, recently graduated a class of nine young professionals who had completed the two-year course of training, study, and practice in peace building and conflict resolution.
“Uppsala has prepared us to meet the headwinds of today’s winds of madness.”
— Krystal Renschler, a Peace Fellow from Canada
The Rotary Peace Fellows joined 30 other students at a graduation ceremony in the town’s medieval cathedral attended by friends, relatives, host families, and members of the local Rotary clubs. The Peace Fellows’ studies were supported by The Rotary Foundation, and a lineup of Rotary clubs and individual members. A U.S. student, Kate Lonergan, was honored with the department’s Mats Hammarström Prize for “Outstanding Essay in Peace & Conflict Studies.”
Although the Uppsala class is the latest to graduate, it is not the only one. Each year, Rotary selects up to 100 individuals from around the world to receive fully-funded academic fellowships at one of its peace centers. The fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field study expenses.
In just over a decade, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 900 fellows for careers in peace building. Many of them go on to serve as leaders in national governments, NGOs (non-government organizations), the military, law enforcement, and such international organizations as the United Nations and the World Bank.
It offers master’s degree fellowships at premier universities in fields related to peace and conflict prevention and resolution. Programs last 15 to 24 months and require a practical internship of two to three months during the academic break. The institutions involved (fact sheets, further information, and application information on each are available here):
• Duke University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• International Christian University, Japan
• University of Bradford, England
• University of Queensland, Australia
• Uppsala University, Sweden
If you know any young professionals interested in this field, you can point them to the Rotary Peace Centers’ Facebook page to get current activity information.
1611 — English explorer Henry Hudson — namesake of the Hudson River — along with his son and several other people exploring North America aboard the ship Discovery for a Dutch company are set adrift in present-day Hudson Bay, Canada, by mutineers.
1633 — The Holy Office in Rome forces Galileo Galileo to recant his view that the sun, not the Earth, is the center of the universe.
1772 — Slavery is outlawed in England.
1942 –- The U.S. Congress formally adopts the “Pledge of Allegiance.”
1969 — The Cuyahoga River catches fire in Cleveland, OH, drawing national attention to water pollution and spurring eventual passage of the federal Clean Water Act and creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Meeting at Quigley’s Restaurant
DG Milan, making his third visit to the club this year, presented two awards to President Terry Brewer on behalf of the club:
SUMMER CASUAL SCHEDULE — Terry noted we still have one summer date available — August 4 — and asked Andy Leyhane to work with other new members of the club to come up with an activity for that date. The event chart is available by 
OFF THE GRID — That’s the name of a new ShelterBox challenge that will take place the weekend of July 16-17. Bill Dowd, our SB liaison, explained that the relief organization is asking people to “unplug” for any 24-consecutive-hours period that weekend to gain some small insight into what happens to people struck by disasters. He said this could become an opportunity to get away from video games, cellphones, etc., and reconnect with family, friends, and neighbors. Two methods of personal fundraising (hosting a backyard cookout; collecting walkathon-style pledges) are available during that period. Full details of the program are available by
Rotary International’s Council On Legislation has made a number of changes affecting individual clubs in a variety of ways.
• Scroll down to see invitations and sponsorship forms.
There’s a way to find out on the weekend of July 16-17. Take the “
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 