TUESDAY, August 2, 2005

Calendar of Events

Last Week (7/26): Visit of District Governor - Sam Hall

This Week (8/2): Civil War Period Rope Making Demonstration – Mike Speranza

Next Week (8/9): Dr Michael Black, who worked on Tsunami Relief

Events Coming Up:

Aug 16: BBQ at Charlton School Model Aircraft Demonstration - John Maggs

Aug 23: Club Assembly

Aug 30 Thoroughbred Breeding in Saratoga - Dennis Brad

Sept 15: Gift of Life Golf and Bocci Tournament

Invocation: 7/26 Mike Welshhans

Rotary Minute: 8/2 R. Whetten; 8/9 G. Whetten; 8/16 C. Linder

Greeters: 8/2 Steve Caine; 8/9 Linda LeTendre

Suggestions for future programs may be given to Linda LeTendre

District 7190 Governor Sam Hall’s Remarks

District Governor Sam Hall addressed the membership at its 7/26 meeting following an earlier discussion with the club’s Board of Directors. Governor Sam commended the club for its prior action on most of his priorities for the 2005-06 year, including major issues relating to literacy, clean water, health, and partnering with other service organizations. He characterized the BHBL Rotary Club record as one of “quiet” achievement and said his meeting with the Board had heightened his appreciation for the quality of the club’s community service over the years.

Governor Sam identified the recruitment of one or more new members for each club in District 7190 as another important goal for his administration. Before beginning his remarks, Sam had presented a certificate in recognition of the outstanding work with membership development and initiatives in 2004-05 of our club’s membership committee (Ron Serapilio, Gini Whetten, and Bill Lonergan). Ours was the only club in District 7190 to receive such an award. Governor Sam asked the committee members to join the District’s strategic planning committee to share their experience and insight.

The Governor also described his “Weightathon” project to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation. He said he currently weighs in at 266 pounds, and personally will donate $100 per pound of his weight loss when he weighs in again at the annual District Conference next April. He urged individual Rotarians to make a pledge of their own to The Rotary Foundation to be credited to the contributors as individuals for each pound Sam loses. Sandy Kominoski volunteered her services as a professional nutritionist for Sam as he pursues his weight loss.

Sam is a Past President of the Fort Ann Rotary Club. His wife, Gail, who was present, has been president of the fort Ann Rotary Club. She is the current Supervisor of the Town of Fort Ann. President Rey announced at the beginning of our meeting that the Board of Directors was recommending a proposal discussed at the 7/19 club meeting to make a contribution to a Fort Ann relief fund to help allay recent hardships in the Town. The Board proposed, and the membership agreed, that the receipts from the club’s “Happy Dollars” fund for the next two weeks should be donated to help alleviate the hardships. Gail thanked Rey, who made a generous first contribution to “Happy Dollars”, and the members for their concern for those families that have lost their

homes and everything in them when a state-mandated replacement dam collapsed.

News Briefs

Paul Harris Fellowships Awarded: The District Governor awarded The Rotary Foundation’s Paul Harris Fellowships to Ken Crotty and Steve Caine. Alice Crotty

and Catherine Caine “pinned” their respective spouses with the emblems of their achievement in support of The Rotary Foundation’s goal to better understanding and friendly relations among the peoples of the world. President Rey announced the club now has a total of 42 Paul Harris recipients, 26 of whom are active members.

Council Meadows Acknowledges Rotary Service: Bill Sewell distributed a copy of the “Council Meadows News” and several “action” photographs acknowledging club contributions to the beautification of the Rachel Ketterer Hall within Council

Meadows. The article in the “News” expressed appreciation for the $600 the club contributed to purchase shrubs for Ketterer Hall and to the Rotarians who physically planted the shrubs. Bob Youmans, Ron Serapilio, Steve Caine, Mark Gasparovic, Garry Morrow and Rey Whetten participated in the planting and were shown in Bill’s photographs.

Rotary Business Cards Distributed: Membership Committee Member Gini

Whetten distributed individual business cards to those who didn’t pick them up at the previous week’s meeting. The cards make every member a representative of the Membership Committee, whose goal for 2005-06 is a 10% increase (4-5 new members) in membership. When you talk with a person who could be a prospective member you can say, “Here’s my phone number and e-mail address”. The Rotary

logo and our club motto (“Serve with us…the world is waiting”) will convey a subtle message.

Entertainment ’06 Books: A letter from Entertainment ’06 indicates our books

should arrive in mid-August. There will be a new cover design on the book that will spotlight the “biggest benefits of buying the book”. But the biggest change in the

new year will be a reduction of the book price for a group fundraiser from $40 to $30.

The club’s profit will remain at 20% of the book price, which means a $6 profit per

book instead of $8 since the price has been reduced by $10 this year. The club has

to sell 20 more books this year compared with last year to make a similar profit. We won’t know what changes, if any, will be found in the “new” books until they arrive,

but they should be easier to sell at the lower price. Ron Serapilio and Dick O’Rourke will co-chair this year’s sale. You will hear more from them as soon as the books

arrive.

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

Please communicate corrections, news items, program information and scheduled events to:

Dick O’Rourke at 372-8287 robrwo@aol.com or Gini Whetten at 399-8905 giniwhetten@cs.com