TUESDAY, September 13, 2005
Last Wee k (9/6): Exploring the This Week ( 9/13): Big Brothers/Big Sisters Next Week (9/20): TIB Business Award,
Serotta Competition Bicycles Sept
15: Gift of Life
Golf and Bocci Tournament Oct 22: Apple Run Nov
8: Apple Pie Festival Rotary Minute: Greeter: Ken
Crotty
Calendar of Events
Events Coming Up:
Invocation
Suggestions for future programs may be given to Linda LeTendre
Bill McClary offered the following Rotary Minute during a recent meeting. His remarks are repeated below because Club Service Chair Mark Gasparovic has organized a bridge demolition work project at Cloverpatch next Saturday (September 24) at 8:30 a.m. All with a knack for destruction are welcome.
McClary Rotary Minute: Mention
of
One day I
noticed in the paper that The Niskayuna Rotary Club was getting a lot of
publicity for the time and effort they were putting into
So, the Club decided
to approach Cloverpatch, and see if there was something WE could do. And that
was the beginning of our “Work Month.” We discovered that when we sweat
together, that was the bond that helped build our friendships and the strength
of the club.
Cloverpatch was THE
work month for many years, the only
place we worked. In fact, when we stopped working there, and began to diversify,
there was a lot of discussion and concern that by dividing, we would become too
fragmented in our effort, and lose the purpose of the work month. But I don’t
think that’s happened. I think that our bonds with the community have
strengthened because of the diversification.
The first thing that
Cloverpatch asked for was a ramp to the campers could get down to the Alplaus
Creek and play in the water. We bought an aluminum ramp, about 15 to 20 feet
long, wide enough and sturdy enough to carry a wheel chair. Then we cleared a path,and built the foundation
piers on which the ramp would be based. In subsequent years, we began to repair
the tent platforms and erect the tents, the old Army squad tents, just like
MASH. They put them up and took them down
every year. Then, we began, year-by-year, to build concrete tent platforms,
(much better than the dirt floors) with wooden sides and frames up about 3
feet, and a roof frame, and they’d put up a canvas cover each year. We built
the paths between the tent platforms. We tarred the roofs on the permanent
building. We painted the buildings. We did gardening. We took down trees. Lots of things.
Cloverpatch WAS our project in the 80’s and early 90’s. SWEAT, we did,
and it was good for us – in many ways! Some things didn’t work. We held an
abortive fundraiser down there that not anyone will remember, thankfully.
And perhaps the best
things was, once each summer we had our club meal down there and then we went
to one of the camper’s campfires! That was wonderful. Some guys couldn’t bear
to go. Some stood at the edge of the campfire and watched. Some, a few, joined the campers, sitting
around the fire, singing songs, playing games, telling stories etc. The kids
were so warm and hungry for attention. It made the sweat of the work of the
month all worthwhile.
Anyway, mention of Cloverpatch brought back some memories. It’s part of our roots. I wonder if Cloverpatch would be willing to host us, sort of an “alumni visit.” Might be good for the club to see where we’ve been
Club members traveled to
of a vision for preserving the city’s unique engineering
heritage that aspires to one day rival the Smithsonian. Thurston Sack and John Harndon
conveyed with the passion of true believers the Edison Exploratorium’s goals
for an interactive display of artifacts from
on television tour of the larger spaces in the remainder of
the museum.
Glenville Rotary is organizing a bus trip to
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
Reported
by Dick O’Rourke