8-7-14 CLUB MEETING AT DOMANI

Flag Salute: President Patrick Little      

Invocation: Vice-President Philip Wells

Members Present: Michelle Albergo, Bob Balentine, Dick Beattie, June Bertini, Bob Bustard, Ryan Cangialosi, Irma Chazotte, Jan Doornbosch, Stuart Gold, Steve Hopper, Pete Jacobsen, Pat Little, Helen Paul, Cindy Rose, George Sherman, Brittany Vozza, Phil Wells

Visiting Rotarians and GuestsGuest Speaker Katharine Frost, Pres. Teaneck Rotary Club; Scholarship recipients Lydon Kersting and her father Chris Kersting and Melissa Pittarelli and her father, Bergen Community College Rotarian Ed Pittarelli; Rosemary Bustard, Joan Jacobsen, Pam Sherman.

Make Ups:

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

Birthdays and Anniversaries – Congratulations to Bob and Rosemary Bustard who celebrated their 32nd anniversary with us tonight.

Sunshine:

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

Happiness:
by G. Sherman

Many happy dollars were spent celebrating our scholarship winners.

Bob Bustard gifted the club with lots of happy dollars for his 32 years of marriage.

June was happy for her son’s most recent visit.

Cindy was happy to have been able to recruit some sponsors for the 5K.

Ryan was happy that tomorrow is Friday.

Pete was happy to be here with Joan.

Brittany was happy to now be an aunt.

President Pat was happy to get to the meeting on time tonight.

Announcements:
by G. Sherman

Our 2nd 5K Run/Walk with the Halfway Hounds is fast approaching. September 21 is only 6 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.

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 Friday, Aug. 15 the club will be meeting at The Courtyard by Marriott. Bell rings at 12:15. The topic of guest speaker Ronda Benjamin will be Medicare 2014.

Mark Your Calendar with these UPCOMING EVENTS:
by G. Sherman

Fri., Aug. 15 – Club Meeting at The Courtyard by Marriott, 100 Chestnut Ridge Ave., Montvale – 12:15. Guest speaker Rhonda Benjamin on the topic of Medicare:2014.

Tues., Aug. 19 – Board Meeting – Pascack Historical Society, 19 Ridge Ave., Park Ridge – Dinner at 6:30; meeting at 7:00.

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 G. Sherman

Thursday evening, August 7 members of the Park Ridge Rotary Club distributed checks to two more of our 2014 scholarship winners. Lydon Kersting and Marisa Pittarelli, both Park Ridge residents were accompanied by their fathers, Chris Kersting and Bergen CC Rotarian Ed Pittarelli. Lydon, who graduated from the Academy of Holy Angels, will be attending Princeton University in September to study Chemical and Environmental Engineering. Marisa, a graduate of Bergen Tech in Teterboro, will study TV and Film Production at Ithaca College. Hard work and multiple talents allowed each girl to achieve great success in many areas throughout their high school years - success which is sure to follow them in the years ahead. To them we offer our sincere congratulations and good wishes.

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(l. to r. C. Kersting, L. Kersting, M. Pittarelli, E. Pittarelli, Club Pres. P. Little)

The main speaker for the evening was Teaneck Rotary Club President Katharine Frost. In a very moving presentation she spoke of her club’s participation in an RI Global Grant Project seeking to provide solar power to the Freetown Secondary School for Girls in partnership with the Rotary Club of Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The Sierra Leone Solar Paneling Project is an amazing story of how a simple plan to provide lighting to a girls’ boarding school became a major humanitarian effort that can change the thinking of an entire nation. With the installation of solar paneling, electric lighting and refrigeration, more girls from remote villages (where education for girls is non-existent) will be able to attend the school. Additionally, the school has come to serve as a safe-haven from the brutal practice of Female Genital Mutilation still practiced in many village secret societies. Through the efforts of world organizations and the government of Sierra Leone, efforts have begun to educate against FGM. It is the policy of the Freetown Girls School to enlighten girls about their personal health options and part of the funds being raised will be used to teach against FGM with a curriculum being developed by the Freetown Rotary for incorporation into existing studies.

It will cost $33,000 (US) to fund the solar panel project. To learn more about the project or to help the fund-raising campaign along, visit www.teaneckrotaryrotary.com

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