March 8, 2005

                                                        Calendar of Events

Last Week:  David Wagner  Chuck Smith  “A Child Is Missing Alert”

This Week:  Speaker had to postpone because of weather

Next Week:  Marie Kanatsio of Kanatsiohareke, Mohawk Indian Community

Coming Up:  March 19   Pancake Breakfast

                        March 22   Patty Rutland   “Wedding Cake History”             

March 29   John Caldwell, internationally known cartoonist

        who lives in Ballston will speak on how he gets his ideas.

Give suggestions for future programs to Rey Whetten or Linda LeTendre

Other Events Coming Up:

March 19  Gift of Life Dinner Dance - Albany Marriott, Wolf Road

March 22  BOD and Chairs Meeting  5PM

April 15     Chili Supper for TOB

Invocation:  Garry Morrow, Dan Stec or Bob Youmans              

Minute for Rotary:  Ron Serapilio

     3/15/05 Bob Youmans  

Sign Up to Help at the March 19 Pancake Breakfast

                Linda LeTendre and Sandra Kominoski, Co-Chairs for the Saturday, March 19 Pancake Breakfast, distributed a sign up sheet to recruit helpers for the

event at our previous meeting.  Tickets to sell for the event have been distributed at the last two meetings.  If you haven’t signed up or received your tickets, please

do so as soon as possible.  Mike Welshhans asks also that you let him know if  you have any music requests for him to play that morning.

       “A Child is Missing Alert” Organization Explained

                Chuck Smith and David Wagner described the role the “A Child Is Missing Alert” (ACIM) organization plays in locating missing children, the elderly,

or disabled persons.  Organized in Florida in 1997, ACIM uses a high technology telephone alert system to canvas a neighborhood with personalized phone

messages describing the missing person and asking anyone with leads to call the police at the local number provided.

                The presenters noted that a child is reported missing every 40 seconds in the U.S. and that 1 of every 42 children in the country will be

reported missing at one time or another.  Only a law enforcement agency can activate the ACIM program.  An officer calls an ACIM technician and provides

information about the missing person, including description, clothes worn, and time/place last seen.  Within 15 minutes the technician records an individual

alert message and phones it out to the specific area where the child was last  seen. 

With its high tech equipment, ACIM can place up to 1,000 calls in 60 seconds.  There is a 98% answer rate by residents or businesses answering

the phones.  The system can process multiple cases at the same time and in multiple languages.   Police agencies report there have been 83 recoveries

in the past three years.  The fastest recovery time was 23 minutes and the average time was 90 minutes.

Mr. Smith and Mr. Wagner’s role in ACIM is to train police officers in using the system.  There is no cost to law enforcement; the program’s sole

purpose is to assist law enforcement in the recovery of missing children, the elderly, and the disabled.  Funding is obtained from federal, state, and local grants; forfeiture funds; corporations; foundations; and private donations.  ACIM’s tax designation is listed as 501 c (3) not-for-profit.  ACIM is currently available in 16 states, and the presenters expect the program to be available in all 50 states in 2005.  

Quotes About Rotary.

"In 1988 the World Health Assembly agreed that it would commit to eradicating polio in time for the world to be certified polio-free by 2005. Since then, Rotary International, the United Nations Children's Fund, the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been leading this massive undertaking."— Mia Farrow, UNICEF Special Representative "Thank you, Rotary, for recognizing that a world without polio is possible. You have been the catalyst for the world to accept and carry out the challenge of eradicating polio from the earth."— Bill Gates, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation "Rotary's PolioPlus Program is a shining example of the achievements made possible by cooperation between the United Nations and non-governmental organizations."— Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations

                                                WEBSITES:

                                        BHBL Rotary:  www.bhblrotary.org                                                                                                         District 7190:   www.capitalregionrotary.org

   District 7190:  www.capitalregionrotary.org