Cogitator Oct 3, 2012

Assistant District Governor and Wakefield Rotarian Russ Bertrand joined us, along with his wife Karen. 

GUESTS                                              

Bill TenEyck proudly introduced the Rotaract officers from New England Tech, who were also with us for lunch: Dathan Newton, President; Ramone Wong, Vice President; Carenique Turner, Rachel Johnson, and Lacey Williams, who together share the role of Secretary; and, Director at Large, Jermaine Brown.

BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARY         

A very happy birthday wish this week on October 5^th to Robert Allen Greene! 

And Chub Clement announced his (and Saint Florence’s) 60^th wedding anniversary took place back on September 6^th.  Congratulations, Chub and Florence!

CLUB ANNIVERSARIES

Happy club anniversary to President Ken Colaluca who joined the Rotary Club of East Greenwich twelve years ago on October 4^th.  Also, our second in command, President-Elect Jodi Gladstone (re)joined the club on October 3^rd, five years ago. 

PHONEBOOK

Richard Waterman announced that the committee’s grinding work of the last month or so has truly paid off, as we near our revenue goal of $62,000.  He also made another pitch for anyone who might be interested in a last minute bargain—a center page glossy ad, for a great last-minute price.  See Richard if you, your company, or someone you know might be able to take advantage of a fantastic deal.  Those pages need to be filled anyway, and just one or two more ads would push us over the $62,000 mark.  Please see Richard as soon as possible if you’re interested.

Chuck Sauer announced that the board approved funds to help young Janice Wray, an East Greenwich resident and URI nursing student who was left paralyzed after a car accident in April, 2012.  The club plans to help with renovation work in the Wray home.  Wil Yoder and Chub Clement have volunteered to oversee design and plumbing work, respectively, while helping to make the home handicap accessible and more functional for Janice.   

Chuck also announced that there will be a fun-for-the-family ‘Pumpkin Patch’ fundraiser on Saturday, October 13^th at the United Methodist Church.   A truckload of pumpkins will arrive that day at 1558 South County Trail, and net proceeds from pumpkin sales will go directly to the Wray family.  Chuck needs Rotarian volunteers to unload the 500-1000 pumpkins when they arrive on the 13^th, and, volunteers to help with various sales shifts. 

http://eastgreenwich.patch.com/announcements/pumpkin-patch-to-benefit-the-wray-family

MILLION DOLLAR MEAL

Vin Meola announced that on Wednesday, October 24^th we will travel to New England Tech (Division Road) for the year’s first Million Dollar Meal.  It should be a great time, with some great food prepared by the New England Tech staff, and a tour of the beautiful new campus after lunch.  (Please note…even when you can’t make a Million Dollar Meal, the club still collects from you the weekly amount of $15.  All Million Dollar Meal funds are used toward the club’s annual donations to the Rotary Foundation.) 

THANKSGIVING EVE MEAL 

Jane Boynton passed on word that this month’s Rotary After Dark will be at Café Fresco on Thursday, October 18^th, from 5:30-7:30pm (or so).  Please make sure to be there this month!  Cost for light appetizers—only $10.  A night out after work with fellow Rotarians—priceless.  Don’t miss it!

Pat Lenihan is really ratcheting up efforts with her committee to put on a very special event this spring, one worthy of our club’s 50^th birthday!

Sue Dorne will lead the charge to find an interesting and profitable project for the club.  She will be holding a brainstorming session on Thursday, October 25^th, at Ken Colaluca’s law office (1050 Main Street, East Greenwich).   Please see Sue or Ken if you’d like to pitch in and volunteer for the new committee.

John Wolcott has announced that this year’s Election Day Breakfast will be traditional.  It will be held on Election Day (Tuesday, November 6^th), and, it will be at St. Luke’s.  Tickets will be available next week and the following week for Rotarians to spread the word and gain advance sales.  Sign-up sheets will be passed out by John two weeks before the big event.  And, President Ken Colaluca will be handling sales for $25 business-card-sized placemat ads.    

Rotary Night at the Dunk will be Friday, November 2^nd, as the P-Bruins will gear up for battle with the Worcester Sharks.  Tickets are only $13, of which $5 will go toward Rotary Polio Eradication efforts.  President Ken is passing around a sign-up sheet these next few meetings.  Please make an effort to be there for a fun Rotary night in Providence. 

Rotaract President, Dathan Newton, thanked the club for the invitation to lunch, while extending a pledge to continue helping in all of our charity events.  The Rotaract members were there in force for last year’s ALS 5K and Taste of the Town events, while currently volunteering to help the Wray family in the months ahead.  Dathan promised, ‘Call us, and we’ll give our best effort!’

HAPPY BUCKS

-Jane Boynton was happy to see great enthusiasm with the newly formed Rotaract Club, and she said everyone should be on hand for the Million Dollar Meal to sample the fine New England Tech fare.  ‘If it’s like the officers’ installation, it will be fantastic!’

-Bill TenEyck was excited for the upcoming tennis ‘grudge match’ between Toll Gate and Classical which will feature a rising Toll Gate tennis star, Bill’s daughter Schuyler.

-Bob Miller thanked the Red Sox, and Sox fans, for playing dead and rolling over, allowing the Yankees to waltz into the playoffs.  (You’re welcome.  Go Orioles.)

-Vin Meola advised Yankee Bob of an old saying in his family, ‘One should never spit up in the air.’  (In other words, go Orioles.)

-Richard Waterman had a great time last weekend doing not much of anything on the perfect island for just such a thing, Cuttyhunk, where his sister has a house.

-Chub Clement attended a Pilgrim High School reunion recently…for the Class of 1949!

-Jim Essex was glad to see Chub back for lunch. 

-Bob Greene gave a ‘glad to be here!’ birthday buck.     

PROGRAM/SPEAKER

Caroline Bradshaw, Classification Talk

Caroline Bradshaw, born and raised in East Greenwich, is a product of local schools--Frenchtown, Eldredge, Cole, and East Greenwich High.  Back then she was known as Caroline Monti.  Today, she is known as Mrs. Bradshaw, an involved and well respected guidance counselor at Cole Middle School. 

Her dad is a professor at Brown University, and her mom works at Rhode Island Hospital’s Infection Control Department.  Caroline has two sisters, one local and one who lives in Los Angeles, as well as a brother who is a talented musician.

Caroline first attended college in Charleston, South Carolina before transferring to Providence College where she majored in elementary and special education.  After two years of teaching in Boston, Caroline moved back to Rhode Island and worked for the North Kingstown School Department for four years.  She achieved two master’s degrees during these teaching years, her first from Emmanuel College in Boston and a second, in counseling, from Providence College.

Caroline said she found a love and passion in counseling, in communicating with young school children and helping them with basic problem solving.  She truly loves her job at Cole and her 300 kids with whom she gets to work on a daily basis. 

Caroline noted that she is always engaged with Cole kids, helping with issues such as ‘girl drama’ and bullying, while often providing one-on-one counseling.  She also works closely with the school psychologist.  Caroline also praised Cole Middle School’s environment of freedom which allows counselors to help their kids in various creative ways.

Married to Matthew Bradshaw, also from East Greenwich and co-founder of MEB Landscaping, Caroline and her husband have two young children of their own.  Cecilia, her ‘fashion girl,’ is 3 years old, and her two year old son Matthew is nicknamed ‘Sonny.’  (She proudly held up last month’s North Kingstown Magazine, which had Cecilia and ‘Sonny’ on the cover.)

Bob Miller was instrumental in bringing Caroline into Rotary.  Dr. Bob and Caroline’s predecessor at Cole, Cy Cybulski, worked closely in connecting Rotary with troubled kids at Cole through ‘NYPUM’ and other means of involving kids in need of a guiding hand during junior high school years.  Cy’s work opened Caroline’s eyes to ‘the power of Rotary.’ 

Finally, Caroline invited Rotarians to join her and her Cole kids during ‘Mix it up Day,’ which will be held on October 30^th.  The goal of this day is to help kids break down barriers and mingling with others who they might not know or regularly ‘mix.’

*Bonnie Sauer thanked Caroline for her stellar work, and that of Cole Middle School, in the club’s most recent Feinstein Hunger Challenge.     

Nice work, Caroline!  And welcome to the club...