Tuesday, August  31, 2004

 

                Calendar of Events

Last Week: Local Food and Local Growers

This Week: Beth Palmer  “Shelter Box USA, Inc.”

Next Week: Mary McSwegan  “Bagpipes”

              

Coming Up:                                                   

September 14  Matt Gilbert   “New Investigative Role of NYS Police”

September 21  Ed Warren  “Election Memorabilia”

September 28  Club Assembly    

               Suggestions for future programs may be given to Rey Whetten or Linda LeTendre

 

Other Events Coming Up:

               September 9   Gift of Life Golf Tournament at Antler’s Golf Club

               September 28  @ 5PM  Board of Directors & Chairs meeting.                       

               October 16  BH-BL Apple Run at the Middle School

 

Greeter/Invocator/Minute for Rotary Schedule

 Date                                     Greeter                              Invocator                       Minute for Rotary  

August 31                           Rey Whetten                      Need a volunteer              Steve Caine

September 7                     Bill Lonergan                     Need a volunteer              Len Porter

September 14                   Mary Anderson                 Need a volunteer              Garry Morrow

September 21                   Mitch Frasier                     Dan Stec                           Walt Grattidge

September 28                   Ken Crotty                         Need a volunteer              Mary Anderson

 

WEBSITE:  www.bhblrotary.org    Communicate news items, program information and scheduled events to Dick O’Rourke at 372-8287 / robrwo@aol.com       or Ed Warren at 663-7669  /  ewarren@nycap.rr.com

 

Kyle Greenleaf Talk      

            Incoming BH-BL High School junior, Kyle Greenleaf reported to the Club on August 17 on his participation early this summer in the Rotary Youth Leadership Program at the College of St. Rose.  Speaking enthusiastically about his experiences with fifty other Rotary-sponsored students, Kyl described the highlights of his five days of leadership training.  The RYLA Conference, new to our District, focused on ways students can use leadership and spread it community wide.  The training emphasizes many small group activities as well as several personal and communal challenges on which the participants worked together.  Kyle thanked the Club for making this special program available to him.  He hopes to return next summer as a participant or counselor-in-training.  A past class president, Kyle will be Student Government Treasurer this school year.

 

Food Growers Describe Their Enterprise

               As speakers at the August 24 meeting, three local growers described what they do and why.  Anna Mae Clark has develop a jam making business, selling 100 different flavors at farmers’ markets and my mail order.  90%of the fruits she uses are grown on her own local farm.  Rick Green has been a beekeeper for more than a decade on his Ashdown Rd. farm and sells a variety of honey products.  He also delivers educational programs about the importance of bees to agriculture in area schools.  Karen Hess runs a Community Supported Agriculture Program on her Glens Falls farm.  People buy shares in her farm at planting time and then share proportionately in the harvest.  For the occasion, the Old Homestead served a delicious meal made entirely of local food products.

 

Dinner Costs for Member Guests and Visitors

Your Board of Directors has noted there may be confusion about the term Guest(s) and who pays for a non-club member’s dinner when someone is joining us for a meal.  Naturally, we always provide our Speaker a meal.  In an attempt to be good stewards of club members’ money, clear up any confusion, and to keep better attendance and financial records, the Board wants to adopt the terms Member Guest(s) and Visitors to more clearly define the status of a non-member, and who pays for dinner.

Member Guest(s) are defined as those person, potential new members, invited to dinner specifically for the purpose of being introduced to Rotary.  Other than Speakers, only Member Guests receive their dinner free (paid by the Club), and that is just for their first visit.  Visitors are defined as all other persons in attendance for reasons other than a specific introduction to Rotary.  Visitors or their hosts are expected to pay for the dinner costs.  We want to clear up any confusion in this regard, and to be good stewards of our club members’ money.  We believe this fair approach strikes the right balance.  Dinner costs at both the church and the Old Homestead will be $11 per person in 2004-05.

 

News Briefs

Dues Reminder:

               Semi-annual dues of $60 are due on January 1 and July 1 each year.  To date all but a handful of members have met their July dues obligation.  If you have forgotten to pay your dues in July, please take care of the oversight as soon as possible.

 

Christmas Party:

               At the 8/17 Club meeting the membership approved a recommendation from the Board of Directors that the annual Christmas party be held at the Glen Sanders Mansion on Tuesday, December 14.  Dinner will be $29.95 per person.  Put the date on your calendar.

 

Website Revision:

               Ken Crotty has upgraded the club website with new information and additional features, including links to District 7190, RI, and town governments.  The Rotateller will be available each week for absentees.  Give it a try at www.bhrotary.org.

 

Ron Serapilio Is Keynote Speaker:

               At the request of the District Governor, Club Membership Chairman Ron Serapilio spoke at the August 24 District Membershi8p Seminar at Coburg Village, Clifton Park.

 

“Entertainment ‘05” Available:

               The annual Entertainment Book fundraiser commenced last week.  The Club made over $700 on last year’s sale.  The price is unchanged at $40 per book, and the book can be used at once.  Books to sell can be obtained from Dick O’Rourke at any Tuesday meeting.