Cogitator October 13, 2010

VISITING ROTARIANS

Ed McLaughlin from the Wakefield Club joined us once again this week. 

GUESTS

And Bob Welch, all the way from Connecticut, was a guest of Paula Buckheit. 

BIRTHDAYS

Our club's most seasoned veteran, Charlie Winkler, celebrates his birthday this October 13th.  (I believe it's his 95th...?!) 

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Two dates--Thursday the 14th board meeting, same time/place, and, Friday the 15th Rotary Hockey Night at the Dunk. 

A quick Citrus campaign note--mailers went out in the mail this week.  Buy citrus!  And sell citrus!!!

Regarding the Election Day Breakfast, John Wolcott clarified all details a week later...

It will be on Election Day (I knew it), November 2nd.  Smart move. 

Each Rotarian will be given 6 tickets to sell, at $6 each.  Buy them all and give them away, or sell them to friends, family or co-workers.  John has plenty of posters for all to hang up at the office or around town.  Duty rosters were passed around, asking us to sign up and help out on the early (5:30am-8am) shift or the late (8am-10:30am).  'All hands on deck.'  Don't forget, John also needs some helping hands for the Monday night set up. 

A big thanks to Seth Wilson for his help this year in procuring food supplies for our breakfast.  (Maybe we can procure some of that venison sausage from his big freezer, too.) 

Also, you can advertise your business with a card-sized ad on each placemat for only $25.  (Now that's a bargain, all for a good cause.)  Please see Ken Colaluca to place your ad.

HAPPY BUCKS

-Bob Miller was happy to share an Election Day story about John Wolcott starting a fire in the kitchen 5 years ago.

-Jodi Gladstone thanked Bob Miller for saving her a spot at his table.

-Chub Clement fined the former membership chair (and current Cogitator editor) for not yet receiving this year's perfect attendance pin.  (Apologies to Chub.  Help is on the way...)

-And it was another fine day for fines...$1 each, for Rotarians NOT wearing Rotary pins.  (When will they learn?)

PROGRAM/SPEAKER

Dick Argys, Chief Administrative Officer, Boston Children's Hospital.

Dick is a good friend of President Elect Mike Gemma.  He's also, like Mike, a very active coach--soccer, basketball, lacrosse, and track--in town. 

In his youth, Dick lived in Colorado for quite a while and then moved to Brockton, MA with his family.  As an adult, he traveled back to his home in Colorado, where he was married.  But the East Coast, and at the time Women and Infants' Hospital, lured him back.  He now resides in East Greenwich and commutes daily to Boston where he's Chief Administrator at Boston Children's Hospital.

His landing in RI had a auspicious and wet start--rain and frozen pipes in the winter created a real disaster in his new East Greenwich home.  With Met Life to the rescue, and with a lot of patience during their rebuilding, he and his family still reside in that home today.

Dick worked at Women and Infants for some time, and he truly enjoyed his work there.  But Children's Hospital has been a dream job for him.  With professionals from all over the world, an annual budget of $1.3 billion, and thousands of employees all in the business of taking care of kids, Children's Hospital makes for a terrific and interesting work place each day.  

The hospital had been remarkably successful during Dick's tenure, including its managing a relatively healthy 3% margin annually.  The hospital for years would plug budget gaps, as high as $60 million, with endowment money.  Today, they are on much better footing and have really turned things around. 

The hospital performs an incredible 30,000 surgeries per year.   Patients come from all around the world, and Boston Children's maintains the largest international program in the world.  Greenland(!), Bermuda, and Italy all send kids for cardiovascular care.    

Boston Children's also has a solid relationship with RI's Hasbro Children's Hospital, especially for more serious challenges such as tumors and cardiovascular needs.  Children's Hospital has also purchased several other hospitals in MA over the years, and still looks to expand throughout the state.

Looking ahead, Dick noted that the current population of children in New England is actually statistically shrinking, which means the hospital will face significant changes and challenges in the future.  It also means they will need to be ever watchful about maintaining their small but healthy margin, so they can continue delivering the same superior care in the coming years.  Finally, Dick expressed his hope that Congress' Health Care Reform helps bring closer cooperation between hospitals. 

**Club Reminder**  Don't forget to see John Wolcott, who is organizing the Rotary Foundation dinner.  The Board has voted to subsidize 50% of the cost for Rotarians and guests.

**Also, notes from Last Two Board Meetings-Community Service Distributions**

The following Community Service Distributions have been approved by the board:

--$300, donation to American Red Cross

--$300, donation to Providence Rescue Mission

--$300, donation to The Salvation Army

--$2,500, authorization for The East Greenwich Historic Preservation Society, to purchase computer and scanning equipment for maintaining archives

--$500, donation to The Meeting Street School

--$300, donation to the Jimmy Fund/Dana Farber Hospital

--$1,000, donation to the RI Free Clinic

--$1,500, authorized for disbursement toward the EG Junior High School's 'NYPUM' Program