January 3, 2006

Calendar of Events

Last Week: 12/27 Club Assembly

This Week: 1/3/06 Fred Kersten “The Versatile Recorder – It’s Not Just

Medieval Anymore”

Next Week, 1/10/06: Spouse Night

US Secret Service, Scott Gullie “Identity Theft”

Coming Up:

1/9: New Member Orientation

1/24: BOD 5 P.M.

2/14: Annual Dinner at SCCC

Invocation: Garry Morrow, Dan Stec or Bob Youmans

Rotary Minute: Linda LeTendre

Greeter: Ron Serapilio

Suggestions for future programs may be given to Linda LeTendre

BH-BL’s Horatio Alger Story

Introduced by Linda as her “favorite Republican” and a man who “pulled himself up by his bootstraps”, Terry Morris told us at the December 20 meeting how he did this. Terry began his entrepreneurial career with a job at a fruit and vegetable store while a junior at the BH-BL High School. After a time the owner offered to sell the business to Terry. To finance the purchase and make the store profitable, Terry had to get up at 3 a.m. daily, travel to the Menands farmers’ market to pick up his supply of produce, and be at school by 8 a.m. He got permission from his high school principal, Bill Sewell, to leave school by 10:30 a.m. to run the store.

Terry subsequently sold his produce business at a profit and took a job as a bookkeeper with Carl King at a Ballston Spa car dealership. He said he accepted the job at a $49 weekly salary, though he made $100-$200 each week from his store, because he wanted to learn a new business. Mr. King sold his business 7 years later, and the new owners wanted Terry to manage the dealership for them. Terry turned down the offer because he wanted to work for himself. Several years later he began his first Ford dealership in Burnt Hills. Not long afterwards, a tornado wiped out that dealership, but Terry used the insurance money to rebuild it and buy the Ballston Spa dealership as well. In 1986 he started a Chrysler dealership across Route 50 from his Ford enterprise.

Terry spent 35 years in the car business. About his experience he said, “If you like what you’re doing, it’s not work, it’s fun”. After his son Charley assumed added responsibility for the dealerships, Terry devoted more time to giving back to the community that he said had made Morris Ford a success. He was a town councilman in Ballston for 9 years. He also bought and upgraded a deteriorating property on Route 50 that was then able to attract businesses and later sold for a profit. After leaving the Ballston Council, he became Board Chairman for the NYS Insurance Commission, a position he still holds.

When asked after his presentation if he had any life advice for others, Terry said, “There is no free lunch. You have to work for what you want. Put your mind to what you want and work hard, and you’ll find a way to get there.” Terry Morris has become a community icon whose rise as a self-made business man is truly reminiscent of the Horatio Alger story.

Christmas Party Highlights

• A good time was had by all (40+) as chief organizer Linda LeTendre conducted

an amusing song writing contest, distributed prizes, and administered

the fun-filled gift exchange without serious incident, all with her legendary savoir

faire. Disco Mike Welshhans once again provided the music for this gala affair.

• Chuck Alsdorf, Mali Naksanga, and Ade Osunmo were inducted as

new members by their respective sponsors Rey Whetten, Gini Whetten, and Ron Serapilio. There now are 49 persons listed on the club’s recently distributed Membership List.

• Gini Whetten became a Paul Harris Fellow as Stan Garrison did the pinning

honors. Husband Rey observed that Gini had said “it’s the only thing she wanted

for Christmas”, and he expressed the hope that she meant what she said.

• A silent auction of a limited print portrait of Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide

and a picnic basket laden with wine and goodies netted $100 for the Rotary Foundation.

• Steve Caine was awarded an honorary fire marshal’s badge and a package of water balloons at the 12/20 meeting for his heroic fire-fighting action

at the Christmas Party.

President Rey announced that club members had made contributions to

the Education Foundation totaling more than $2,000 toward achieving the club goal

of $4,500 in 2005-06. Additional contributions can be given to Ken Crotty. Make your checks out to The Rotary Foundation. Garry Morrow reported on the impact of club funds, together with Matching Grant funds available from The Rotary Foundation, have had on the enabling humanitarian projects throughout the world. Garry learned at a recent Foundation seminar that 38 service projects from 12 different District

7190 clubs (including our own Water Buffalo project) had generated total $347,578

of support in 16 countries. Charitable donations to the Rotary Foundation support RI’s mission to promote world understanding and peace.

News Briefs

• Bob Youmans reported that the final total contributed by the club and its members for the support of needy families during the holiday season came to $2,286,

• Dick O’Rourke celebrated the end of a successful Entertainment ’06 book sale. He noted that 103 books were sold, generating a $816 net profit for the club.

• Gini Whetten noted that there was a new back page for the Rotateller. Because the membership list no longer fits on the page, it has been replaced by the Four-Way Test and a statement of the “Object of Rotary”. The membership list will be published separately on a monthly basis.

WEBSITES:

BHBL Rotary: www.bhblrotary.orgDistrict 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 As reported by Dick O’Rourke