You can join Saturday’s county food drive

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During a recent virtual meeting, SRC members discussed renewing support for several local food banks. It was agreed to urge members to make financial donations, but some expressed a desire to donate non-perishable food items as well.

Well, Saturday will be a perfect time to make such product donations. That’s when Rensselaer County will hold a collection effort at Hudson Valley Community College. (If you plan to do so, why not wear your Rotary hats and/or shirts to make a solid, if brief, statement?)

Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin today announced the effort, explaining that all non-perishable food items and comfort and hygiene items donated will be distributed to food pantries throughout the county, thereby extending the reach of donors.

McLaughlin said county officials are concerned about impending shortages at community food banks and pantries that service the county.

“We are appealing to residents who want to help their neighbors get through what may be tough times ahead,” McLaughlin said. “Our community food pantries do a great job serving those in need, and these donations will help in that mission.”

People are invited to drop off items in the parking lot near the Joseph L. Bruno Stadium on the HVCC campus from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The best route to the designated area is via the South Drive entrance off Vandenburgh Avenue (Route 4).

 

Another virtual social is in the books

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Screen Shot 2020-04-03 at 5.56.21 PMSRC’s latest virtual social hour drew 10 people Thursday night via Zoom: Dick Drumm, Phil Kellerman, Debbie and Peter Brown, Andy Leyhane, Kevin Leyhane, Charlie Foote, Pat Bailey, Jim Leyhane, and Roberto Martinez.

That means the Leyhanes topped the Browns by a 3-2 score, and everyone else tied for third place.

What did we learn in this first few days of the state’s reopening? That our members are their families seem to be doing OK in this time of COVID-19, keeping busy with gardening, lawn care, reading, etc., and a few still working.

The next official meeting via Zoom is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday, June 4. Members will receive via email the link to the meeting site.

Until then, as we head into the long Memorial Day weekend, a happy holiday to all!

 

Circle the date for Thursday’s virtual social hour

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Screen Shot 2020-05-07 at 7.56.16 PMAs all SRC members no doubt know from our website, Facebook page, and various emails, we have been meeting and socializing via Zoom video conferencing for the past month or so during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

For some of you, we’ve missed your presence, especially last Thursday when we voted on a slate of Board candidates for the 2020-21 Rotary Year.

Our next event is a social hour set for 6:30 p.m. this Thursday on Zoom — the new way for most people to connect with each other. Roberto Martinez will be sending out linking data on Wednesday. We suggest having a beverage of some sort at hand as you log on to catch up, trade anecdotes, make fun of each other’s hair, etc.

This also will be a perfect opportunity to socialize safely and reconnect with your fellow Rotarians. Please be on the lookout for Roberto’s email.

Bill Dowd
SRC webmaster

Meeting Clipboard: 5/14/20

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SRC ClipboardHeld at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061 Virtually

Members Attending (19): Phil Kellerman, Dick Drumm, Terry Brewer, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Bill Dowd, Jim Leyhane, Dean Calamaras, Doris Calamaras, Debbie Rodriguez, Roberto Martinez, Kevin Leyhane, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Carol Orvis, Ray Hannan, Charlie Foote, Geoff Brewer, Becky Raymond.

Guests (1): Merlin the Cat.

FOR THE SECOND TIME this spring, the club held a virtual business meeting via Zoom video conferencing. (We also held a virtual social hour last week, and will do so again on Thursday, May 21.)

• The main item on the agenda was the election of the Club Board for the 2020-21 Rotary Year. The slate provided to the membership a week earlier was accepted by those present without amendment or objection:

PRESIDENT: Dick Drumm
PRESIDENT-ELECT: Debbie Rodriguez
VICE PRESIDENT: Terry Brewer
TREASURER: Murray Forth
SECRETARY: Pat Bailey
AT-LARGE: Bill Dowd, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Dean Calamaras, Kevin Leyhane
IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT: Phil Kellerman

• President Phil updated members on progress in putting together the package of documents to be submitted to the Internal Revenue Service as part of our effort to regain tax-exempt status. The 8990 EZ forms have been completed, and the 1024A form is next. Within the next week, we hope to put all relevant documents on a password-protected web page. The current Board will have access to review the documents before final submission.

• Terry reported that we have received verifications from Columbia and Rensselaer high schools that scholarship recipients have been selected. We still need to hear from Maple Hill. The club subsequently voted to approve $1,000 individual scholarships for one graduating senior at each of those schools. Recipients will be invited to join us at a Zoom meeting, but the actual checks will be mailed to them.

• Roberto reported that we are on schedule to meet all requirements and deadlines for District Grants for the current and 2020-21 Rotary Years.

• Murray reported that a $1,040 grant check has been sent to the Freedom From Fistula Foundation, and that the same amount will be mailed to The Oley Foundation. The grants are funded by proceeds from our Foundation Bowl-a-Thon.

• Because of a lack of club activity, it was agreed to cease print advertising until September.

 

 

Oley Foundation chat-and-music event tonight

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Screen Shot 2020-05-13 at 12.27.52 PMThe Oley Foundation, which SRC has helped support for a number of years,  is staying in touch online with those on IV therapy or tube feeding during this pandemic.

On behalf of the foundation, I invite you to a special performance to support the work of the Foundation by musician and storyteller Roy George. Please join us at 7 o’clock tonight. Click on this link 10 minutes prior to the performance:

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php

— Phil Kellerman

 

Join us on Thursday for a Zoom and a vote

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Screen Shot 2020-04-03 at 5.56.21 PMWe will hold our second formal business meeting via video-conferencing this Thursday.

Among items on the agenda will be a vote on a slate of candidates for the 2020-21 Rotary Year. The list of nominees was sent to all SRC members by email last week, but here it is again:

PRESIDENT: Dick Drumm
PRESIDENT-ELECT: Debbie Rodriguez
VICE PRESIDENT: Terry Brewer
TREASURER: Murray Forth
SECRETARY: Pat Bailey
AT-LARGE: Bill Dowd, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Dean Calamaras, Kevin Leyhane
(The immediate past president automatically goes on the board for a year; no vote is needed on that seat)

To join the meeting, just before 6 p.m. go to this Zoom link —
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81236769649 — and log on to Meeting ID: 812 3676 9649.

SRC website keeps drawing foreign visitors

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Periodically, we like to review who visits the SRC website from other countries. As of today we have had visits in 2020 from the following 18 foreign nations:

France
Sweden
India
China
Belgium
Netherlands
Philippines
Lithuania
Greece
Brazil
South Korea
Serbia
Canada
Italy
Romania
Slovakia
United Kingdom
Bahamas

Socializing while still distancing

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A screen shot of Thursday’s virtual social hour.

Governor Andrew Cuomo’s edict banning group meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic remains in effect through next Friday, May 15. Until then, we’re playing it safe but still getting together.

Thursday evening we met for a well-attended virtual cocktail hour via Zoom teleconference hosted by Roberto Martinez and Jim Leyhane, sharing talk of spring gardening, grocery shopping, family hikes, summer camp cleanups, pets, and, of course, the pandemic.

Next up, a 6 p.m. business meeting via Zoom next Thursday, May 14. One of the items on the agenda will be voting for a slate of candidates for the SRC Board for the 2020-21 Rotary Year. Please mark your calendars and plan to join your fellow Rotarians then.

 

 

Board candidates announced for 2020-21

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Screen Shot 2020-04-30 at 8.17.32 PMOur Club bylaws require us to approve a slate of officers (collectively referred to as the Board) “at a regular meeting held at least one month prior to the end of the Rotary Year.”

Because of the ongoing restrictions on group gatherings, our next formal meeting will be via Zoom video conference at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 14. At that time, a vote on the Board will be on the agenda. (Should we not have the 12 participants needed to achieve a quorum, a vote by email will be requested the next day with a 48-hour limit on responses.)

The slate of candidates for the 2020-21 Rotary Year, which begins on July 1:

PRESIDENT: Dick Drumm
PRESIDENT ELECT: Debbie Rodriguez
VICE PRESIDENT: Terry Brewer
TREASURER: Murray Forth
SECRETARY: Pat Bailey
AT-LARGE: Bill Dowd, Jim Leyhane, Roberto Martinez, Dean Calamaras, Kevin Leyhane

(Note: The Immediate Past Present automatically becomes a Board member each year.)