Here’s an invitation to SRC Rotarians to join a social event this week with the Danes Rotaract organization we sponsor at UAlbany.
May is a very special month for Rotary
Feel free to share this flyer on your social media accounts. Developing leadership skills and a commitment to community service among young people has long been one of Rotary’s priorities. Check this website’s inside pages list for links to information on RYLA, Rotary Exchange, Rotaract, and other Rotary-affiliated organizations and activities suitable for high school- […]
Meeting Clipboard: 5/2/19
Held at Quigley’s Restaurant
573 Columbia Turnpike
East Greenbush, NY 12061
Members Attending (13): Murray Forth, Jim Leyhane, Phil Kellerman, Bill Dowd, Debbie Brown, Peter Brown, Debbie Rodriguez, Dick Drumm, Charlie Foote, Ray Hannan, Pat Bailey, Terry Brewer, Becky Raymond.
Guests: None.
MEETING NOTES: Murray Forth and Phil Kellerman presided in the absence of President Andy Leyhane. … Terry Brewer and Bill Dowd reported on their participation in an organizational meeting for a Troy club. District 7190 has allocated $2,000 in seed money for startup costs, and SRC has been designated the sponsoring club. Another planning meeting and a public informational/recruitment event have been scheduled in May and June. …
Murray distributed a signup sheet for volunteers to staff the Saturday, May 18, Recycling & Shredding Day. … Phil Kellerman reported that plans have been completed for next Thursday’s special meeting, “An Hour of Live Music” fundraiser for the Oley Foundation. A pizza-and-wings member dinner will be held from 5:45 to 6:15 p.m., concert 6:30 to 7:30. The event is open to the public.
PROGRAM: “An Introduction to Yoga”
SRC member Becky Raymond, a certified yoga instructor, presented an introductory talk about the positive effects of yoga. That was followed up by a session of “chair yoga,” with Becky leading attendees in a series of stretching and bending exercises accompanied by a narrative of what such moves do physiologically and mentally.
Buy a ticket to India, get a no-strings free stay
To the Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club:
Greetings from the Rotary Club of Madras South in Chennai, India.
We were chartered in 1960 [like the SRC] and we are celebrating our diamond jubilee in 2019-20. To share our joy on this great occasion, we are organizing a four-day fun and fellowship event in Chennai from December 18-22. We are inviting all clubs across the world who were chartered in 1960 like ours to share this special bonding.
We are hosting this event at NO COST for the participants, except travel. We will take care of accommodation, food, transport, sight-seeing and fellowship during your stay at Chennai. And, we are working out post-tour options for whoever is interested, on a paid basis.
We organized a similar international fellowship event in in January 2000. Twenty-one Rotarians and Anns from seven countries — Argentina, Australia, France, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Malaysia — joined us. It was four days of great fun, fellowship, and bonding for lifelong friendships with visiting tourist and cultural attractions, service projects, and shopping expeditions.
Some feedback from Rotarians who came in 2000:
• Hans Setz from Switzerland said, “It wasn’t a travel agent waiting for us at the airport, but an ex-Rotary Governor and his wife.” Hans returned three years later to attend the wedding of a daughter of another Rotarian.
• Liz and Olof Madebrink of Sweden said, “Our trip was like a dream from start to finish. We had a wonderful host couple who did everything for us.”
We invite you and your members to join us in December 2019. Due to logistics and other constraints we will be hosting maximum of 30 members on a first-come, first-served basis.
We will send you more details soon, meanwhile communicate this to your members and let us know who are all interested to join us. Looking forward for your reply and see you all soon in Chennai to experience “Incredible India” and our hospitality.
Warm regards,
Rotarian K. Saravanan
President, Rotary Club of Madras South
Help wanted for our upcoming Recycling Day
We’re looking for volunteers to staff this important club fundraising event. If you can contribute a couple hours of your time, you’ll be supporting our scholarship program and community projects. Please see Murray Forth if you would like to do your bit.
Here’s your updated calendar for May
What’s coming up in May? Here’s the latest calendar update. If you want to get details of any events, simply click on the colored links.
MAY
02 — Dinner meeting, 6:15 p.m., Quigley’s, East Greenbush (Topic: “Exploring Yoga,” with Becky Raymond) Note: Dinner after the presentation.
03-05 — Conference of Clubs, The Essex Culinary Resort and Spa, 70 Essex Way, Essex Junction, VT.
05 — Work day for Regional Foodbank, Patroon Land Farm, 132 Ketcham Road, Voorheesville
06 — Ramadan begins
09 — Dinner meeting, Quigley’s, East Greenbush (Topic: “An Hour of Live Music,” Phil Kellerman & Friends) Note: Pizza-and-wings member dinner from 5:45 to 6:15 p.m., concert at 6:30.
11 — 2nd annual District Peace Summit for Youth, Schenectady (details here)
12 — Mothers Day
16 — Dinner meeting, 6:15 p.m., Quigley’s, East Greenbush (Topic: “The RYLA Experience,” with several student participants)
18 —Recycling & Shredding Day, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wainschaf Warehouse, Rensselaer (details here)
18 — Annual District Day of Service, three locations
18 — Armed Forces Day
23 — Dinner meeting, 6:15 p.m., Quigley’s, East Greenbush (Topic: Peter Berry, SRC’s newest member)
27 — Memorial Day
30 — Dinner meeting, 6:15 p.m., Quigley’s, East Greenbush (Topic TBD)
Rotaract looking for help down on the farm
The Danes Rotaract club is inviting SRC Rotarians to join them when they lend a hand at the Regional Foodbank’s farm from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, May 5.
Produce from the farm, officially known as the Patroon Land Farm, goes to more than 1,000 agencies in 23 counties throughout New York State. The farm is located at 132 Ketcham Road, Voorheesville. Click here for directions.
If you’re interested in investing an hour or two, or have questions about the project, please email Lindsey Riback of the Danes Rotaract as soon as possible.
Pre-dinner ‘chair yoga’ on Thursday’s menu
Feeling a little stressed? Come to this Thursday’s meeting at Quigley’s and let fellow SRC member Becky Raymond, who is a yoga instructor, lead you in a brief “chair yoga” exercise before dinner. Guaranteed to make you feel a lot better.
This particular form of yoga, while less physically strenuous than what we might think of as “traditional” yoga, is no less relaxing and can be as beneficial.
Following the session, we’ll enjoy a hearty dinner featuring eggplant Parmesan, antipasto salad, chef’s choice of side dishes, bread, dessert, and beverages.
If your name is not on the following list and you plan to join us — non-members are, as always welcome — please be sure to email dinner coordinator Debbie Brown at mdbrown@nycap.rr.com no later than Tuesday evening so we have sufficient food and seating for all who wish to attend.
Bailey, Pat
Brown, Debbie
Brown, Peter
Dowd, Bill
Drumm, Dick
Foote, Charlie
Forth, Murray
Hannan, Ray
Kellerman, Phil
Leyhane, Jim
Martinez, Roberto
Raymond, Becky
Rodriguiz, Debbie
Annual ‘Day of Service’ offers 3 choices this year
This year’s District 7190 “Day of Service” will offer Rotarians the opportunity to choose from among three different projects on Saturday, May 18.
• In Glenville, at the Animal Protective Foundation break room, we can paint and install new kitchen cabinets. The room is small, so we only need about three volunteers on this project.
• In Scotia, the Route 50 railroad bridge needs painting or applying graffiti-proof decals, depending on progress of the project. Volunteers will be working on a 15-foot-high platform lift, so be ready for that. We need about six to eight volunteers.
• In Saratoga Springs, the facilities that support the Back Stretch Community need our service. They provide housing for and support to Saratoga Race Course workers and their families during the racing season. We will provide a yard cleanup requiring 30 or more volunteers, plus painting projects on various buildings inside and outside for five to volunteers. There also is chainsaw work if you have your own chainsaw, plus demo work and wall re-construction for about six to 10 volunteers.
As always, you can come when you can and leave when you must, but the work programs start at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. A simple lunch will be served at all locations.
SRC website adds another name to visitors list
Over the past few years, the SRC website has received plenty of non-member visitors.
In addition to those from throughout the U.S., we have had visitors from such far-flung spots as Canada, Mexico, England, Scotland, Ireland, Israel, France, Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, Morocco, Ghana, the Netherlands, Hungary, Japan, the Philippines, and maybe a few others I’ve forgotten along the way.
Today, we can add another Middle Eastern visitor — two, actually — now that we’ve been visited by a pair of people from Jordan. To them we say, “HELLO, JORDAN!” and thanks for looking us up.
FYI, the first Rotary club in Jordan was created in the capital city of Amman, chartered with 25 members on April 13, 1956.
— Bill Dowd, webmaster
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 