8-15-14 CLUB MEETING AT THE COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT

Flag Salute:  George Sherman    

Invocation: Phil Wells

Members Present: June Bertini, Joeen Ciannella, Bernie Cohen, Pat DiRosa, Jan Doornbosch, Steve Fox, Steve Hopper, Pete Jacobsen, Fay Logan, Mary Ellen Offer, Helen Paul, Cindy Rose, George Sherman, Nancy Swales, Phil Wells

Visiting Rotarians and GuestsGuest Speaker Rhonda Benjamin; Dr. Marilyn Miller (guest of June)

Make Ups: Bernie and Helen earned make-ups by attending the 5K Meeting on August 8.

(Please be sure to report your make-ups for our records and to improve our percentage of attendance!)

Birthdays and Anniversaries – Steve Fox celebrated his 19th anniversary last week.

Sunshine:

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who are currently contending with adversity of one type or another.

Happiness:
by P. Wells

Joeen Ciannella’s attendance today brought in LOTS of happy dollars.

Joeen was happy to be back with us and to announce that Tara and Bobby are expecting a baby in January.

Nancy Swales was happy for the birthdays of her daughter and her son.

Jan was happy to be visiting Holland soon.

Mary Ellen offered lots of happy dollars for the wonderful family reunion at the Outer Banks.

Helen was happy to have her basement cleaned out.

Fay was happy for the dinner cruise along the Hudson that he and Helen had enjoyed.

June was happy to have Marilyn with her today and to be a proud grandparent.

Pat D was happy for the chance to spend time down the shore.

Steve H. was happy for the fun time he and his family had at Hershey Park.

Announcements:
by P. Wells

Our 2nd 5K Run/Walk with the Halfway Hounds is fast approaching. September 21 is only 5 weeks away and there is MUCH TO DO. This event, so successful last year, can only succeed this year if EVERYONE in the club assists in some way. Posted in the Download section of the website to help you along are the SPONSORSHIP FLYER, REGISTRATION FORM, and LETTER TO SPONSORS. In the days ahead, attend a meeting; reach out for SPONSORS; get runners; secure donations of water and/or food; volunteer on the day of the event; DO SOMETHING TO ASSURE THE SUCCESS OF THIS EVENT! Let’s make this an event of which we can all be proud. Members should be sure to respond to Dick Beattie’s e-mailed spreadsheet to schedule themselves for a specific activity that day.

All members, but newer members in particular, are encouraged to attend the Vocational Assembly in Edison on October 7 and the Rotary Leadership Institute being held at our own Courtyard by Marriott on October 11. Stuart Gold is once again in charge of running the RLI program this year. Now in its 23rd year, the Institute serves as a training ground for upcoming leaders in the 28 districts of the northeastern part of the USA and Bermuda.

Both the Vocational Assembly and RLI provide members with an excellent chance to explore the dynamic WORLD of Rotary, to engage with Rotarians from numerous clubs around the state and region, and to learn first-hand of the many inspiring, rewarding and meaningful activities engaged in by fellow Rotarians as they work to make the world a better place.

President Pat has announced that Committee Lists are now available on ClubRunner. After logging in to the website, look for “My Commitments” in the My ClubRunner section of the Admin page. There you will find the committee(s) you’ve been assigned to and the committee(s) you’ve been asked to chair. If you have any questions or concerns about your assignment, contact President Pat.

Next Thursday, Aug. 21 the club will conduct a business meeting at The Cornerstone in Hillsdale. Bell rings at 6:00.

Mark Your Calendar with these UPCOMING EVENTS:
by P. Wells

Tues., Aug. 19 – Board Meeting – LOCATION YET TO BE DETERMINED - Dinner at 6:30; meeting at 7:00. Watch your e-mail to find out where meeting is being held.

Th., Aug. 21 – Club Meeting/Happy Hour at The Cornerstone. Bell rings at 6:00.

Fri., Aug. 29 – NO CLUB MEETING – LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Sun., Sept. 21 – 5K Walk/Run – Park Ridge Municipal Pool, 123 Colony Ave., Park Ridge.

Tues., Oct. 7 – Vocational Assembly – Pines Manor, Route 27 S. in Edison. Registration begins at 3:30, program at 4:00. $50.00. Featured speakers: PRIVP Anne Matthews (first woman to serve on the RI Foundation Board); Ken Blanchard (author of The One Minute Manager); Eric LeGrand (former Rutgers Univ. football player).More information – go to www.rotarynjva.org

Sat., Oct. 11 – District 7490 Rotary Leadership Institute – The Courtyard by Marriott, 100 Chestnut Ridge Road, Montvale. Doors open at 7:30 a.m. $95.00. Clubs sending 2 people to Level One will have the cost of the second person paid by the District. Register at www.rlinea.com

 

Program
by P.Wells

On Friday, August 15, Ms. Rhonda Benjamin, an attorney in private practice in Paramus and Pearl River, provided members with information related to the impact the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) is having on Medicare. For over 20 years Ms. Benjamin has been involved with Elder Law Planning, Estate Planning, Asset Preservation, Living Trusts, Medicare, Medicaid, Guardianships, Real Estate and Divorce.

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Key points of her talk included: 1) Medicare isn’t part of the Health Insurance Marketplace established by the ACA, so if you are currently on Medicare, you don't have to replace your Medicare coverage with Marketplace coverage;

        2)  The ACA expands existing coverage for seniors, including preventive care and wellness visits without charging you for the Part B co-insurance. Seniors now have better access to cancer screenings, personalized prevention plans, vaccines, flu shots and more;

        3) If your prescription drug costs have put you in the “donut hole”, you'll get a 50% discount when buying Part D-covered brand-name prescription drugs;

        4) If you are not yet on Medicare, the ACA prevents your insurer from charging you more or dropping you because of your gender or because of pre-existing conditions.

To learn more about Medicare, visit http://www.medicare.gov/about-us/affordable-care-act/affordable-care-act.html