Reporting Meeting of September 10, 2007

(For Distribution September 17, 2007)

• President Ron began the meeting with a moment of silence in memory of our deceased club members and the victims of 9/11. Ron also asked Mary Anderson to tell us about her daughter’s recent outdoor wedding near Lake Placid.

• Fred Baily was inducted as a new Paul Harris Fellow. Rotary Foundation Chair Ken Crotty presented Fred with his Paul Harris certificate and medallion.

• Len Porter provided a Rotary Minute in which he described how his use of Rotary’s 4-Way Test diffused a tense situation at a Back-to-School night.

• Bob Youmans announced that a committee formed to develop a procedure for awarding the Jack Wolfe Scholarship has decided to involve the Interact Club at the High School in the process. The committee is also seeking ideas on how to replenish the scholarship fund that now amounts to over $1600.

• Laura Linder introduced her graduate school Public History intern, Amanda Lanne.

• Entertainment ‘08 books are now available for distribution. The books cost $30 each and our club makes $6 (20%) profit on each book. Last year we made $800 from this fund raiser. The books can be used immediately. Among the fine dining restaurants accepting Entertainment ‘08 are: The Vista at Van Patten, Glen Sanders, Turf Tavern, Panza’s, and Spa Brahaus. There are also 350 casual dining or fast food establishments offered including Marcella’s, Old Bryan Inn, and Longfellows.

The travel section offers 20% discounts at over 20 hotel chains and up to 50% off at a variety of hotels in almost every state. Free days or cash discounts are available from a half-dozen major car rental companies. The entertainment and sports section provides numerous discounts including movies, Proctor’s, Capital Rep, and SLOC; for golf courses including Pioneer Hills, Galway GC, and Tee Bird; and for concerts, museums, and other attractions. Retail and services discounts include stores like Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Rand Window Fashions in Burnt Hills; grocers like Hannaford and Grand Union; car washes; florists, including Country Florists in Burnt Hills. Entertainment ‘08 books are practical Christmas gifts. Out-of Town Editions are available for towns in 42 states at $30 or less and can be ordered through the club without shipping or handling costs.

China: The Economic Experiment or Two Steps Forward, One Step Back"

Based on his stay in China as a MBA graduate student in 2005, our own Chris Nyhan provided an assessment of the many complex problems confronting present day China. Chris began his talk with a display of photographs depicting scenes that illustrated the contrast between modern and ancient China. He outlined the challenges inherent in managing an economy growing at 15% a year in a country where 80% of all business were state owned 15 years ago compared with only 33% currently. Chris identified the following key challenges:

• Negotiating with the bureaucracy is very difficult.

• Local management compensation is based on growth with environmental and labor concerns often pushed to one side.

• Chinese banks continually make loans to state owned enterprises that are unprofitable without a real expectation of repayment.

• The press is 100% controlled by the state.

• China’s automobiles run on coal-fired energy and create major air pollution.

• Urbanization: By 2010 half the immense population will live in very

large cities exacerbating serious transportation and health problems.

Chris observed that China is making a Herculean effort towards making the 2008 summer Olympics an outstanding success. He predicts that facilities will be ready on time and the staging entertaining and exciting.

Next Week’s Program: “Travel Issues for People with Special Needs”

Mike Welshhans will share with us the special challenges experienced by those with special needs when traveling. These difficulties along with those Mike faces on a daily basis, will provide new insights for all of us into the world of those with serious handicapping conditions.

Reported by Dick O’Rourke