June 19 TRI-GEAR REPORT
6-12-14 CLUB MEETING AT RIVER VALE COUNTRY CLUB
Flag Salute: Master of Ceremonies Steve Fox
Invocation: Bob Balentine
Members Present: Michelle Albergo, Bob Balentine, Dick Beattie, June Bertini, Bob Bustard, Ryan Cangialosi, Irma Chazotte, Pat DiRosa, Jan Doornbosch, Ray Falcon, Steve Fox, Stuart Gold, Bob Guller, Linda Hanlon, Steve Hopper, Pete Jacobsen, Ann Kilmartin, Pat Little, Kelley O’Donnell, Mary Ellen Offer, Cindy Rose, George Sherman, Nancy Swales, Brittany Vozza, Peter Wells, Phil Wells, and Vlad Zherenovsky.
Visiting Rotarians and Guests: Howard, guest of Michelle, Pat Beattie, Fran,guest of June, Rosemary Bustard, Joe DiRosa, Annelien Doornbosch, Debbie Falcon, Elena and Ariana Guller, Joan Jacobsen, Nancy Kilmartin, Pam Sherman, Linda Wells, and Marina, Alan and Sophia Zherenovsky. Musicians Jessica Fleming and Jeff Little and were also in attendance.
Mark Your Calendar with these UPCOMING EVENTS:
Th., 6/26 – BBQ at Lehmann Gardens – 5:00-7:00. SET UP BEGINS AT 4:00 (THERE WILL BE NO MEETING AT THE CORNERSTONE THURSDAY AFTERNOON.)
Fri., 7/4 – NO MEETING
Th., 7/11 – Club Meeting at Domani – Ellen Elias from the Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources will be our guest speaker.
Program:
by G. Sherman
On Thursday, June 19, the Park Ridge Rotary Club installed Patrick Little as the club’s president for 2014-15. The ceremony was held at the River Vale Country Club. Club member Steve Fox served as Master of Ceremonies before a group of nearly 50 members, family and friends.
After Bob Balentine gave the invocation, outgoing President Bob Bustard proudly reviewed the events of the past year, thanking one and all for the support he had received. Much had been accomplished including our first 5K race, working with PHHS Interact on a “Feed the Hungry” project, A&P food drive, dedication of a park bench to the memory of 50 year member Bob Spearing, and providing meals to an Americorps work crew as they helped restore Sandy stricken facilities in Moonachie. All of that was on top of our traditional projects including the fruit sale, the sale of Lord & Taylor shopping tickets, the distribution of dictionaries to over 350 third graders, the annual holiday party at Lehmann Gardens, RYLA scholarships for 5 high school juniors, the distribution of $6,000 in scholarships to ten graduating seniors, and successfully raising another $7500 with our 50/50 Cash Raffle. All in all, it had been a very busy and rewarding year, and one that President Bob will always treasure.
Next, our soon to be District Governor Elect Peter Wells did the honors of dismissing the 2013-14 officers and directors from their duties and proceeded to install the incoming officers and directors, reminding them of the great responsibility they were assuming and encouraging them to make the most of the great opportunities for personal growth and community service that lay ahead.
Officers for 2014-15: Patrick Little - President; Vlad Zherenovsky – President-elect; Philip Wells – Vice President; Ryan Cangialosi – Secretary; Patricia DiRosa – Treasurer; Brittany Vozza – Sgt. at Arms; Robert Bustard - Immediate Past President.
Prior to the distribution of pins to the new officers, Peter alerted members to the special honors that had been afforded our club by District 7490. The first was recognition of having been one of 20 of the District’s 54 clubs to have achieved a Presidential Citation as a result of having completed a rigorous set of requirements. Even more impressive was the club being awarded the Presidential Citation WITH DISTINCTION – one of only two such awards being given by the District this year.
The second citation was presented to Phil Wells and Ryan Cangialosi for their work in becoming actively involved in using RI’s Club Central, an online mechanism by which clubs can set goals and monitor progress toward meeting them.
Once District AG Dr. Stuart Gold distributed the pins, Past-President Bob announced that Jan Doornbosch was being awarded this year’s Walter D. Head Award in recognition for all the support he had offered Bob during the course of the year. Ray Falcon was then called upon to present a special Paul Harris recognition to Pat DiRosa for her tireless efforts as Club Treasurer and keeper of the desk for the past several years.
Once the awards had been presented, President Pat Little spoke enthusiastically about his hopes and goals for the coming year. Thanking the club for the honor of allowing him to serve as our president, he reminded us that he is counting on everyone to help increase the number of members we have in the club. More members will allow us to do more good and to raise more money for the benefit of more people. Proposing the motto “Think New; Think Big; Think YES”, Pat described several initiatives he hopes to bring to fruition. Among them are a Senior, Senior Prom, a club Vocational Service Award to be given to a community member for outstanding service through his or her vocation, and a greater emphasis on club participation in local “hands on” projects. Thinking big will bring new emphasis to connecting and collaborating with other service organizations for mutual benefit. Adopting a mind-set of thinking YES will allow us to accomplish more than we ever thought possible.
President Pat is well prepared for taking on his new position, having moved through the chairs with the club over the past three years, having attended numerous District training events and having experienced being a club president with the Nutley club during the 1990’s. During his years in Nutley, Pat sponsored 9 new members, travelled to Chihuahua, Mexico to implement a matching grant water project (for which he was named a Paul Harris Fellow), and having chaired local District’s committee for The Rotary Foundation.
President Pat closed out his talk and the program by promising that he would do all in his power to make the coming Rotary year productive and fun for all.
