The Albany Rotary Club has invited members of nearby clubs to a luncheon talk on “Rotary’s Effort to Provide Clean Water to Schools in the Developing World.”
The speaker will be Bob Mohr from the Colonie-Guilderland Club, representing Pure Water for the World Inc. The subtitle of his talk is “The Right Way, the Wrong Way (What Works and What Doesn’t).”
The one-hour event will begin promptly at noon on Wednesday, April 20, at the American Legion Zaloga Post, 4 Everett Road Ext., Albany. Admission is $20. The menu includes sausage and peppers, vegetarian baked ziti, tuna salad, tossed salad, mixed fresh fruit and cookies.
Reservation deadline is this Friday. Call (489-4499) or email (nathanoffice@nycap.rr.com) Bill Nathan. The event is open to non-Rotarians as well.
• President Warren G. Harding
• Astronaut Frank Borman
• World champion boxer Manny Pacquaio
• James C. Penney, founder of JC Penney Co.
• Dr. Charles Mayo, founder of the Mayo Clinic
• Explorer Admiral Richard Byrd
• Nobel laureate Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the wireless radio
• Lebanese president H.E. Soleman Frangieh
• Poet Edgar A. Guest
• Carlos Romulo, UN General Assembly president
Here’s a message from District Governor Milan Jackson about the event:
Milan Jackson
“The annual Rotary District 7190 Conference is one of the highlights of the Rotary year. Our district with its wide and diverse geography presents challenges for Rotarians to gather together.
“The annual conference is the opportunity for all our Rotarians to come together to celebrate the success of our clubs, our projects, fundraising events and friendships.
“Our committee is planning a unique and different conference. The setting in Lake Placid and the High Peaks Resort is the perfect site for our conference.
“A great deal of discussion has gone into selecting our keynote speakers, breakout sessions and entertainment. You will not be disappointed. We look forward to seeing you at the conference.”
Meeting at Quigley’s Restaurant 593 Columbia Turnpike East Greenbush, NY March 24, 2016
Members Attending (16): Terry Brewer, Debbie Rodriguez, Murray Forth, Pat Bailey, Bill Dowd, April Dowd, Peter Brown, Debbie Brown, Dick Drumm, Bob Horan, Ron Annis, Charlie Foote, Geoff Brewer, Ray Hannan, David Taylor, Roberto Martinez.
Guests (6): Monika Annis, Becky Raymond, Julius Frankel, Madison Bryda, Emily Rollson, Ben Sherwood.
PROGRAM: “From Vikings to Swedes: A Strange People”
Ron and Monika Annis share a laugh during their presentation. The Gevalia coffee pouch comes from their Swedish hometown, where Ron says they awake each day to the aroma of roasting coffee.
Our speakers were club member Ron Annis and his wife Monika, who presented a PowerPoint program on life in Sweden — Monika’s home country and Ron’s adopted home, where they spend about half of each year and where their children live.
Ron initially used a humorous approach to explain some differences between Swedish and American tastes in food and drink, in lifestyle, and in government requirements of their citizens. (See accompanying photos, and click to enlarge.)
But, he also tapped into some serious observations about life in Sweden. For example, government there uses heavy taxation to try equalizing income among its residents, to curb alcohol consumption, and to carry out its efforts for a zero-carbon footprint nationwide.
While the government provides many no-charge or low-cost services — college education, medical care, transportation subsidies, etc. — they are not “free” as commonly believed. Rather, very heavy taxation pays for them. And, the government requires citizens and immigrants alike to be involved in all educational, language, and residency programs in an effort to have a balanced society and avoid ethnic enclaves that could foment the sorts of troubles experienced in other European countries due to immigration waves. Sweden has taken in about 100,000 Middle Eastern immigrants.
Ron said there are three Rotary clubs in Gävle, the city in which the Annises live, all roughly the size of our club.
Monika explained a darker side of the Swedish nature, and read a poem that touched on it. She noted that the general population, which once was heavily religious, now is largely atheistic.
BUSINESS/ANNOUNCEMENTS
Visiting RYLA students (from left) Ben Sherwood, Madison Bryda, and Emily Rollson.
• YOUTH PROGRAMS — Bob Horan, club member and superintendent of the Schodack Central School District, introduced three of the five Maple Hill High School juniors who just completed the 2015-16 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program with tuition paid for by our club. They were Ben Sherwood, Madison Bryda, and Emily Rollson. Each said a few words about how their six months of RYLA training already is helping them in their school lives and how they hope it will enhance their senior year. President Terry Brewer told the students we may call on them as we proceed with plans to create an Interact club at Maple Hill, and Peter Brown told them we are reviving our foreign exchange program with one Maple Hill student scheduled to study in Italy and perhaps some foreign students coming here.
• MEMBERSHIP — President Terry Brewer announced that Monika Annis and Becky Raymond have formally applied for membership in the SRC club, and noted that we have several other potential members in the pipeline. Once Monika and Becky join us, our membership will be 43, compared to the 30 we had at the start of the 2015-16 Rotary Year.
• ROTARY HOME COOKING — Pat Bailey hosted the most recent dinner in the series. Next up is the April 16 dinner at the Dowd residence, and all seats are taken.
• BUSINESS EXPO — We will have a table at the 2nd annual Business Expo hosted by the Capital Region Rotary Club on Tuesday, April 5 at the Radisson Hotel on Wolf Road in Colonie.
• GRANT TRAINING — Five club members have volunteered to participate in the annual District 7190 grant training workshop on Saturday, April 9. Participation by at least two club members is mandatory to be eligible for district grants each year. We will apply for a grant to help the Freedom From Fistula Foundation that operates in the African nation of Malawi.
• SUNSHINE PROGRAM — April Dowd has agreed to take on the duties of handling cards, baskets, flowers, and other needs for members with illness or hospitalization.
NEXT MEETING: 6:15 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at Quigley’s. Sharon Wheeler and Jennifer Kilinski will present a program on medical therapy at Albany Medical Center.
Third Thursday Breakfast Meeting
March 17, 2016
Greenbush YMCA
20 Community Way East
East Greenbush, NY
Members Attending (10): Terry Brewer, Ron Annis, Mike Dewey, Murray Forth, Andy Leyhane, Marco Koshykar, Jim McHugh, Shannon Romanowski, John Sawchuk, Matt Smith.
Guests (1): Monika Annis.
PROGRAM: “Why You Need An Attorney”
Marko Koshykar
New SRC Rotarian Marko Koshykar is an attorney in private practice with the Albany firm of Nolan & Heller. He specializes in banking and financing transactions; bankruptcy, insolvency and business reorganization; commercial litigation and arbitration, and creditors’ rights.
Marko provided an insightful program on numerous legal issues, based primarily on questions he is asked on a regular basis by friends, family, and people in need of representation at the last minute. Among them:
• He discussed property sales and ownership. Do you have the correct documentation to prove ownership? Not all documents are legal and 9/10th rule does apply if you do not have documentation of ownership.
• Do you need a will? What constitutes a legal one? Living wills and health care proxy. Getting your paperwork in order for your and your family’s protection is essential.
• Dealing with traffic tickets and how to settle them quickly. Some really good hints on reducing insurance costs associated with moving violations by being proactive.
• Are waivers of liability are really effective? A good discussion on what is an effective waiver and what is not.
BUSINESS
• President Terry Brewer reviewed with the group a variety of club activities. Among them were the latest indoor simulator golf tournament, the Easter basket drive, the upcoming Ronald McDonald House breakfast club volunteers will be cooking, and upcoming Rotary Home Cooking dinner dates.
• Discussion was held concerning potential fundraising events by the breakfast group.
NEXT BREAKFAST MEETING: 7 a.m. Thursday, April 21. Speakers will be John Sawchuk and Jim McHugh.
The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club salutes our ongoing and/or event sponsors and encourages you to patronize these businesses that help make our community a vibrant place to live.
They are individuals and businesses that have sponsored roadside signs during running events, program brochures for special dinners, and our recent “Bowling for Vets” fundraiser, and indoor golf events, in addition to ongoing general support of the club through in-kind assistance.
Plus, w]e added a few new sponsors for our recent indoor simulator golf tournament, as well as retaining a few regulars.
At this time, our sponsors roster includes such diverse enterprises as CPAs, veterinary services, security services, hardware supplies, construction companies, eateries, banking, flooring, autos and automotive supplies, appraisal service, physical therapy … and many more.. All that in addition to the generosity of many of our individual memebrs and their families.
For a list of who they are, simply go to the top of this page and click on
If you haven’t yet contacted Debbie Brown with your RSVP for this Thursday’s dinner meeting, please do so ASAP to her mdbrown@nycap.rr.com e-mail address. The deadline is this evening so she can provide Quigley’s with an accurate headcount first thing Wednesday morning.
After a dinner featuring Chicken Marsala, veggie, salad, bread, beverages and dessert, frequent SRC visitor Becky Raymond will present a talk on maternal healthcare in the African nation of Malawai where she spent some time volunteering.
And, a reminder that you should be turning in your donations for our Easter basket drive for needy kids ages 2 through 12 via the Circles of Mercy organization.
Everyone has been given the “wish list” for basket contents as well as details and deadlines for the drive to create 35 baskets. The deadline for getting donations to Len Leonidas either via dropping them off at the Greenbush YMCA or Community Care office is this week. And, the deadline for delivering the finished baskets to Circles of Mercy is Friday, March 18.
The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club on March 3 approved without dissent the modification of three sections of the club’s by-laws.
The changes:
• grant “official meeting” status to the breakfast meetings now being held on the third Thursday of the month;
• set specific numbers for quorums at regular and annual meetings rather than using percentage of membership which often results in partial numbers; and,
• approve a three-tiered schedule of annual dues for new members.
What? You’ve never read our by-laws? Treat yourself by clicking here to do so.
Our speakers were club member Ron Annis and his wife Monika, who presented a PowerPoint program on life in Sweden — Monika’s home country and Ron’s adopted home, where they spend about half of each year and where their children live.
If you haven’t yet contacted Debbie Brown with your RSVP for this Thursday’s dinner meeting, please do so ASAP to her mdbrown@nycap.rr.com e-mail address. The deadline is this evening so she can provide Quigley’s with an accurate headcount first thing Wednesday morning.
And, a reminder that you should be turning in your donations for our Easter basket drive for needy kids ages 2 through 12 via the Circles of Mercy organization.
The Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club on March 3 approved without dissent the modification of three sections of the club’s by-laws.
Southern Rensselaer County Rotary Club 