Cogitator July 11, 2012

Posted by George Cooper

on Jul 11, 2012

The Good Samaritan Hospital, La Romana, Dominican Republic

VISITING ROTARIANS

Bill Palmisciano, Warwick Rotarian and financial advisor, joined us for lunch.

BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES

Happy 54^th(!) wedding anniversary to Bob (and Marilyn) Greene on July 12^th.

CLUB ANNIVERSARIES

Happy club anniversary, and cheers to our club’s good fortune. Past President and Community Service Chair Chuck Sauer was sworn into the club 15 years ago on July 9^th. Corey Guglietti also celebrates a club anniversary, his second, on July 14^th.

BOARD MEETING

The Board of Directors prepared to meet on Thursday, July 12^th, for the first time under new President Ken Colaluca. As always, meetings are at the East Greenwich Methodist Church on Route 2, and all members are welcome to attend.

PAUL HARRIS ‘OLD FOGIES’ TEAM

George Popella announced the most recent Paul Harris Award recipient for the ‘old fogies’ team. Congratulations this time to…Stan Reuter!

50^TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

Pat Lenihan is still at it, and she loves a great party. After her herculean Taste of the Town efforts, Pat is in full swing organizing the club’s 50^th Anniversary gala. The grand event will be in March of 2013 at the Crown Plaza. (Not so far away, is it?) Please see Pat if you’d like to volunteer to help put together a night to remember for the club on its 50^th birthday.

PHONEBOOK

Congratulations to Team 4, in first place for new phonebook ads ($2,650). Also, nice work Team 2, now in first place for renewals (136). August 15^th is the deadline, and it is fast approaching! We still have a long way to go at only 60% of our revenue goal. Folks, now’s the time. Dig into that folder Kathy Brown gave you, get those renewals and new ads in, and let’s make it happen!

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

President Ken Colaluca asked for club brainpower in putting together a new fundraiser for the club to help ensure our future success. He even noted a great idea gleaned from his PETS (president-elect training session) weekend last spring (which quickly woke him up from his nap at the time): a profitable $40,000 Christmas tree drive. ‘Let’s share ideas,’ and help President Ken put together a new signature fundraiser.

HAPPY BUCKS

-Sally Russell was on hand for Girl Scout Gold Awards recently, and she thanked the club for its support.

-Jane Boynton and Sue Dorne both welcomed President Ken in his first week at the podium.

-Alan Flynn and wife Emi were on board a brand new high speed ferry out of Quonset on July 5^th. Despite some delays, everyone was happy to make it safely to the Vineyard.

-Dave Iannuccilli had some salt for wounded Red Sox fans, noting the club’s Fenway Faithful have been awfully quiet this year.

-Judy Pratt thanked Dr. Bob Miller for his help with her nephew’s eye emergency. Judy was also happy that her son Alex was still at it, playing for Apponaug, in the state’s little league championship tournament.

-Pat Lenihan thanked Sally Russell, and Howard Russell Insurance, for some ‘emergency work’ recently. (Since she already gave earlier, we didn’t fine Sally for the nice promo spot…)

-George Popella was happy to have been Ken Colaluca’s sponsor years ago, and is now even happier to see him leading the club. He also reminded us all…we’re charged as Rotarians to do just that…invite good people we know into our club, so that our club can continue to thrive into the future.

-Vin Meola was happy to be part of history…again. He was present at the Newport Colony House’s reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 4^th. It has been read for some 235 years now, from those same steps at the Colony House.

-Dave Iannuccilli met up with Vin at a party later on the 4^th and was rolling his eyes as Vin continued to proudly recite the declaration from memory. (Nice work, Vin!)

PROGRAM/SPEAKER

John Wolcott, and the Good Samaritan Hospital of La Romana, Dominican Republic

Every other year over the past decade or so, our club has participated in supporting mission work on a small, humble hospital in the Dominican Republic. Many Rotarians, along with East Greenwich Baptist Church volunteers, have eagerly helped build this hospital which benefits the rural poor of La Romana. John Wolcott presented a terrific slide show of work done and progress made over the years.

By 1998, the Good Samaritan ‘Hospital’ was really a working clinic. Today, two full floors are completed, and it is now a true working hospital. Current work is being done on the third level, and the fourth floor is being framed.

Volunteers accomplish in a day what machines could do in a couple of hours. However, there are no machines available in this part of the world. And so, volunteers continue to travel to La Romana, and they continue their mission of bringing quality health services to those in desperate need. The hospital has been built brick by brick, slowly but surely over the years, through the dedication and service-above-self shown by hundreds of dedicated and tireless volunteers.

Poverty remains pervasive in the bateyes, or sugar workers’ towns. Haitian immigrants also come to the area, trying to escape even tougher living conditions in Haiti. Dominicans and Haitians of the bateyes together endure an indentured servitude of sorts while simply trying to make a living for themselves and their families.

John noted the joyful prayer of the local community in La Romana. The locals pray eagerly alongside, and form enduring friendships with, their charitable visitors.

Medical providers saw over 600 patients on their last trip. Also, a good deal of time is spent on education, from simple household medical care to family planning.

Lastly, there is a Rotary Clean Water headquarters next door to the hospital. In years past, John and company have been instrumental in building simple sand filters which provide clean water and truly save lives.

Thanks to members like John Wolcott, Andy Erickson, Jim and Janet Essex, Sally Russell, Ron Winde, Don Anderson, Jonathan Malone, and others as well, our East Greenwich Rotary light will continue to shine brightly in La Romana.

http://www.laromana.org/volunteers.html

The indefatigable John Wolcott, left, chatting with visiting Warwick Rotarian Bill Palmisciano.