Stories

• T-signs unlimited @$75
• Water 8 @$125
• Dirt 6 @$175
• Mud 4 @$300

• Acknowledgment on all social media and print materials (for print sponsorships must be finalized by Sept. 6th)
• A "T" sign along obstacle course
• Placement of an information table at the event (you must provide your own table, tents permitted no larger than 10x10)

• Promoting Peace
• Fighting Disease
• Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene
• Saving mothers and children
• Supporting education
• Growing local economies
• Protecting the environment

                                 

• President - Margie Hochkeppel
• President Elect - Charles Wrubel
• Co-President - Stu Herrmann
• Secretary - Adele Puccio
• Treasurer - Patricia LaRocco
• Sgt. At Arms - Jeffrey Simon

• Fair Lawn Rotary Book Sharing Project Book Kiosks throughout the Borough
• National Geographic Middle School Geography Bee Championships
• Scholarships to FLHS Graduates continuing their education
• Sponsorship of FLHS Juniors to attend RYLA leadership program
• Sponsorship of FLHS Interact Club
• Project R.E.A.L. (Rotary Encourages Academic Learning)
• Sponsorship of Memorial Middle School Career Day
• Fair Lawn Maurice M. Pine Library donation of Children's Area Computer, "diner style" seating area at Teentastic Reads Teen Space, and the lobby globe
• Rotary Grove @ Memorial Pool & Park
• Fair Lawn Avenue Clock @ Maurice M. Pine Library
• Fair Lawn Arboretum signage
• Adoption of Beaver Dam Park
• Assistance to Fair Lawn Food Pantry and Fair Lawn Health Center
• Holiday celebration for clients of the Fair Lawn Opportunity Center
• Supporting improvements at the Fair Lawn Opportunity Center

• Pedals for Progress Used Bicycle and Sewing Machine Collection
• Alliance for Smiles
• ShelterBox USA
• Eradication of Polio - End Polio Now 
• Gift of Life
• Fighting to end child slavery
• Supporting education
• Supporting installation of water wells and water filtration devices
• Supporting sanitation facility installations and upgrades
• Purchasing livestock

• Promote Peace
• Fight Disease
• Provide Clean Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
• Save Mothers and Children
• Support Education
• Grow Local Economies

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn has been active in our Fair Lawn community since 1948. You’ve seen our signs announcing the time, date and location of our weekly meetings; you’ve seen the Rotary logo all over town – the new clock in front of the library, the bulletin board in front of the School District Offices; on the “adopt a park” sign at Beaver Dam Park; and inlaid in pavers are Memorial Park and the Arboretum sign on Fair Lawn Avenue as well as other places locally, regionally and internationally.

So who are these men and women that volunteer their time to serve those in our community? Who are these people that travel around the world to fight polio and drive across town to help their neighbors in need?

Our twelfth ninth installment of this continuing series brings us to Dr. Robert Kahn, an optometric Physician whom resides and works right here in Fair Lawn with his family.  Rob’s office is located on Fair Lawn Avenue in the Radburn area of town.  Rob has been treating patients for over thirty years and has also been a Fair Lawn Rotarian for just as long.  Rob joined Rotary as a way to volunteer his time for the betterment of our community; he also found it as a good vehicle to meet people and for business networking.

Throughout his tenure in the Club, Rob has served in every position in the Club, at least once; he served as Club President in 1990 and once again in 2008.  Rob enjoys his time as a Fair Lawn Rotarian, his favorite activities are talking with fellow Rotarians, taking part in hands-on projects and he is especially proud to have had his kids grow up with Rotary.  Rob has also been the driving force for our Club’s 4^th Grade Spelling Bee Championships; he is our point person in organizing this annual literacy event.  Rob also serves on the Fair Lawn Library Board and has used that position to strengthen the ties between the Library and our Club. 

Outside of Rotary, Rob’s interests include wood working, biking and the theatre/symphony.  Rob is also known for traveling to wonderful places to explore and enjoy with his family.  Despite him being known for carrying around a “dinosaur” phone, Rob does have an iPod which appears to be loaded with a variety of musical tastes from Springsteen, to Sade, to Broadway show tunes.

Pat and Rob at the 2015/16 Installation Dinner

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn prides itself on holding interesting and topical speakers at our meetings.  Recently, Fair Lawn Rotarians welcomed Lorraine K. Mackin, CFRE, New Jersey Area Director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention AFSP).  AFSP’s mission, as a not-for profit   organization, is exclusively dedicated to understanding and preventing suicide through research, education and advocacy, and to reaching out to people with mental disorders and those impacted by suicide.  In New Jersey, AFSP’s volunteers build relationships with public officials and advocate on behalf of sound prevention policy.

Some Suicide Prevention Programs and Initiatives in New Jersey include:

                In 2004 the New Jersey legislature established the Youth Suicide Advisory Council to advise and make recommendations to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) for youth suicide reporting, prevention and intervention.

                The Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Program at Rutgers-University Behavioral HealthCare is an interactive, statewide network that offers collaboration and support to professionals working with school-aged youth.  The program is funded/overseen by the DCF Division of Children’s System of Care and operates as a county-based collaborative.

                New Jersey law (§18A:6-112) requires that public school teaching staff members complete at least 2 hours of instruction in suicide prevention in each professional development period.  The instruction must be provided by a licensed health care professional with training and experience in mental health issues, and must include information on the relationship between suicide risk and incidents of harassment, intimidation, and bullying and information on reducing suicide risk in students who are members of high risk communities.

                The New Jersey Youth Suicide Prevention State Plan for 2011-2014 was completed in 2010 and is accessible at http://www.state.nj.us/dcf/documents/behavioral/prevention/preventionplan.pdf.

Lorraine also shared with the Club some statistics and warning pertaining to this important subject matter.

            The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn presented a check in the amount of $500.00 to St. Anne School, Fair Lawn for the purchase of a Smart Board.  Fair Lawn Rotarians Michael Agosta and Vicki Padovano presented the donation to Principal Loretta Stachiotti, MA.  Rotary believes strongly in providing educators and students the tools necessary to obtain a quality education in order to create better citizens.  Fair Lawn Rotarians also provides dictionaries to 3^rd graders in Fair Lawn Schools and sponsors the 4^th Grade Spelling Bee Championships.

            To find out how you can be part of Rotary and help children here in Fair Lawn as well as across the globe, join us at one of our Thursday meetings which are at 12:15 for lunch and a speaker/program at Caputo's Catering, Fair Lawn Athletic Club, across from the municipal building on Parmelee Avenue. More information contact Todd N. Malkin, Public Relations fairlawnrotarians@gmail.com and visit us on the web at www.clubrunner.ca/fairlawn. Rotary International can be found on the web at www.rotary.org.

            On October 30^th, The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn presented to Rotary-MFAC (Military Family Assistance Center) $600.00 from money raised at the October 5, 2014 Pancake Breakfast.  Accepting the donation on behalf of Rotary-MFAC is Rotary District 7490 Governor Calisto J. Bertin.

            The Rotary Military Family Assistance Center (Rotary MFAC) is run by Thomas Shea and Carl Hassett. The primary goal of the center is to provide food and supplies to military families that have found themselves in financially difficult situations. Finding jobs for those veterans who are currently out of work is also very high on the list.

            The center opened in February 2012 and provided assistance to six families. With each passing month the number of military families in need has grown. Tom and Carl can be found packing orders on the second and fourth Friday of each month at the warehouse in Rutherford. The food and supplies are then distributed the next day at the Rutherford American Legion Post at 58 Meadow Road.  Contact Rotary-MFAC at info@rotary-mfac.org or Tom at topoftheday@att.net and Carl at info@chairsnmore.com

Fair Lawn Rotary gained a new member on October 30, 2014.  Bryan Hicks, a business teacher at Fair Lawn High School and the Senior Options Coordinator joined Fair Lawn Rotarians in giving back to the community.  Bryan lives in Haledon with his wife and children and is also a member of the Haledon Board of Education.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn welcome’s Bryan’s enthusiasm and commitment to the ideals of Rotary as we work together to “Lend a hand to those in need around the corner and across the globe.”

Bryan was installed as Fair Lawn Rotary's newest member by Rotary District 7490 Governor Calisto J. Bertin. 

To find out how you can join Bryan and other members of Fair Rotary and be part of the world’s oldest service organization comprised of over 1.2 million other like-minded individuals that believe in the commitment of “Service Above Self” speak with a Fair Lawn Rotarian or join us at one of our weekly meetings. The local Club level is where it all starts.

            Meetings are held every Thursday at 12:15 for lunch and a speaker/program at Caputo's Catering, Fair Lawn Athletic Club, across from the municipal building on Parmelee Avenue. More information contact Todd N. Malkin, Public Relations fairlawnrotarians@gmail.com and visit us on the web at www.clubrunner.ca/fairlawn. Rotary International can be found on the web at www.rotary.org.

On October 5^th, over 100 persons attended the Rotary Club of Fair Lawn Annual Pancake Breakfast and Food Drive held at the American Legion Hall located at 17-08 River Road, Fair Lawn.  Community members were treated to a hearty breakfast of pancakes, sausages, coffee and tea while helping the Fair Lawn Food Pantry and the Rotary Military Family Assistance Center (Rotary-MFAC).  Breakfast was served by members of the Fair Lawn High School Interact Club and children of local Rotarians.

With the community’s support, Fair Lawn Rotarians collected 14 bags of food for the Fair Lawn Food Pantry, located at the Fair Lawn Municipal Building, and raised funds for Rotary-MFAC as it continues its mission to assist the families of locally deployed and returning military men and women.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn would like to thank everyone for their support as Rotarians provide assistance to those in need around the corner and across the globe.

The Fair Lawn Rotary Club would like to thank the many local businesses that supported its recent Pancake Breakfast and Food Drive by taking a “placemat ad”.  Several local businesses took an ad to support Rotary’s efforts to assist those in need; these placemats were seen by the over 100 persons that came in throughout the morning to enjoy this wonderful community event held on Sunday October 5^th.

With the help of these businesses, Fair Lawn Rotary was able to collect 14 bags of food for the Fair Lawn Food Pantry and raise funds for the Rotary Military Family Assistance Center (Rotary-MFAC).

The please visit the following civic minded businesses and support them as they support Rotary in our community:

He we are, month two of the 2014/2015 Rotary Year under the guidance of our newly elected Club President Jerry Slavik.  Fair Lawn Rotarians are looking forward to another exciting year helping those in need around the corner and across the globe!

Club members are in the midst of finalizing some of our annual programs and fundraisers and others ae set!  This month, Club Members will be enjoying each other’s company with their families at our annual BBQ at Memorial park.  As a proud sponsor of the Summer Concert Series, members will be enjoying a BBQ and listening to some great music afterwards.  We will also be working with the Fair Lawn Interact Club in developing a plan for both service organizations to start a food drive to help the Fair Lawn Food Pantry,

September brings us to our Annual 3^rd Grade Dictionary Distribution, a part of Project R.E.A.L.  Fair Lawn Rotarians will be delivering dictionaries to all Fair Lawn 3^rd graders to promote literacy and a greater appreciation of the written word and education.   In October, Rotarians will be found flipping flapjacks at our Annual Pancake Breakfast & Food Drive on October 5^th – please visit our website for details when finalized!  Also in October, Fair Lawn Rotarians will be at the Fair Lawn Chamber of Commerce River Road Street Fair on October 19^th handing out DNA testing kits and answering any and all questions about what Rotary does locally, nationally and globally – come on down and stop by!!

Liz Twiggs, Director of the Fair Lawn Human Services Department, visited the Rotary Club of Fair Lawn to give an update on the needs of the community food bank that is housed in the Fair Lawn Municipal Building.  Liz has been working with the Fair Lawn Food Pantry for the past 5 years; during the ensuing years, she estimates that the pantry has filled 3,000 bags of food to those needing help right here in Fair Lawn - in 2013 70 families were receiving assistance from the FL Food Pantry.

Fair Lawn is one of the few local municipalities that offers this much needed service; the pantry also assists those affected by fire and has provided assistance to those impacted by Super Storm Sandy.  Recently, the food pantry received donations to renovate the area when food and sundry items are stored in the basement of the municipality building; new shelving was installed to better organize the facility and there were repairs to the walls, ceiling, floor and windows.

This important service in our community is sustained by private donations and volunteers that help in the preparation of the bags of food for the clients of the pantry.  When possible, the food pantry will also assist in emergency payment of utility bills.  The Human Services Department also provides assistance by providing backpacks filled with school supplies, and runs a special Holiday Gift Drive.

The pantry is always in need of donations of food and sundry items, please visit the Fair Lawn municipal website at www.fairlawn.org or call the Fair Lawn Human Services Department at 201.794.5333 for more information on donations and volunteering.  The Fair Lawn Department of Human Services is located in Room 112 of the Fair Lawn Municipal Building, 8-01 Fair Lawn Avenue, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410.

Fair Lawn Rotarians will be lending a hand to those in need of the services of the Fair Lawn Food Bank, by holding a food drive during the Annual Pancake Breakfast & Food Drive scheduled for Sunday October 5^th.  Please visit our website and Facebook page as the details of this important fundraiser will be released shortly.

According to one Legend, coffee was discovered in Ethiopia by a goat herder, who noticed that his goats became hyperactive insomniacs after consuming the plant.  By the 15^th century, coffee was being cultivated in Yemen, where people gave it the Arabic name qahwa.  To maintain control over coffee production, Arab rulers banned the export of fertile beans.  The Dutch smuggled out some plants, however, and by the 1600s had begun growing coffee.  Soon, much of Europe’s supply came from the Dutch colony of Java – an enduring nickname for coffee.

Coffee Beans are seeds, located in the center of the coffee cherry – the fruit that grows on coffee plants.  There are dozens of coffee plant species, but commercial coffees use mainly two: arabica, which represents 70 percent of all coffee sold, and robusta.  Robusta has about 50 percent more caffeine that arabica and is often used for instant coffee and coffee blends.  The most expensive coffee, kopi luwak, is harvested from the dung of a civet, a nocturnal cat-like animal in Indonesia.  The civet eats the coffee cherries, which ferment in its stomach acids.  The excreted beans, after cleaning and roasting, can cost up to US$600 per pound.

Michael Baer, a twenty year practicing attorney from Fair Lawn with his office in Lyndhurst joined The Fair Lawn Rotary Club in 2009 at the behest of Fair Lawn Rotarian Stu Herrmann.  Michael saw joining Rotary as a way to give back to the community and network with other like-minded individuals.  Since becoming a Rotarian, Michael has been very involved with our Third Grade Dictionary Distribution project and is our FLHS Interact Club Liaison.  In speaking with Michael, you can hear his excitement in working with children of all ages and guiding them to become the best they can be.  Michael also enjoys our annual pancake breakfast fundraiser and the tricky tray and beefsteak event.  When asked what position he has within the Club, his answer was usually left side of table near the flag; this is typical of his sense of humor.

Outside of Rotary, Michael enjoys scuba diving, travel, golfing and biking.  He is also a big fan of Jimmy Buffett - take a look at some of his shirts – and the music of the 70’s and 80’s.  He does his work on a PC, but for some reason is still checking e-mails and texts on a Blackberry.

Julia Baer was sponsored by The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn to attend the 2014 RYLA leadership program.  Julia was kind enough to share her experience with members of our Club at a special meeting held in June.  This is her experience - Julia, thank you for sharing!!

“R.Y.L.A. It's a noun, a verb, a state of mind. I'm going to RYLA. I'm going to RYLA this challenge. When I think I can't, I think of RYLA and then know I can” (Mama RYLA). As I packed my bags for RYLA, I could not imagine how it would live up to the “life-changing” expectations that past RYLAtiers had set up for me. Those six days, 8,640 minutes, 518,400 seconds, have completely changed my outlook on being a leader in my life, school, and community.

            “Hi! Welcome to RYLA!!” yelled a short and overly excited counselor wearing a cheesy grin on her face, a rainbow feather boa around her neck, and a bedazzled visor on her head. At this point in time, her excitement was almost annoying, but little did I know, I would leave RYLA with that same excitement. Walking on to a school bus where you know absolutely no one is terrifying. This was how the week started. Little did I know that six days later, these people would become my new family, leaving me feeling empty as I arrived to my home on Friday night. About an hour and a half into the bus ride, the counselors, including the overly peppy one, began ice breakers for the entire bus to break the ice and help the anxious high schoolers get to know each other. As the bus pulled into Indian Head Camp three hours after departing from New Jersey, our hearts all sank as our phones read No Service and our connections to our outside lives were dramatically severed. What did I get myself into? I thought as I began to realize that this week would not be like a normal week at FLHS, and boy was I right.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn has been active in our Fair Lawn community since 1948. You’ve seen our signs announcing the time, date and location of our weekly meetings; you’ve seen the Rotary logo all over town – the new clock in front of the library, the bulletin board in front of the board of education offices; on the “adopt a park” sign at Beaver Dam Park; and inlaid in pavers at Memorial Park as well as other places locally, regionally and internationally.

So who are these men and women that volunteer their time to serve those in our community? Who are these people that travel around the world to fight polio and drive across town to help their neighbors in need?

This installment of the series brings us to Joanne M. Kwasniewski a member of the Fair Lawn Rotary Club since 2002.  Joanne is our Club Secretary and also served the Club as President in the 2009/10 Rotary Year and is on the scholarship committee.  Joanne also serves the community as the Chair of our 3^rd Grade Dictionary Distribution Project.  She is not only known for handing out dictionaries at each of our elementary schools, Joanne can be found at Fair lawn Borough Hall, where she is the Municipal Clerk and Assistant Borough Manager.

Joanne joined Rotary to represent the Borough of Fair Lawn and the give back to the community.  She also enjoys the camaraderie of belong to Rotary.  Joanne’s favorite Rotary activities, besides enjoying the dictionary distributions days, are the pancake breakfast and the beefsteak and tricky tray.  Outside of Rotary, Joanne enjoys readings, traveling and spending time with her grandchildren.

When it comes to music, Joanne enjoys “Don’t You Want to Stay”, “Rock-n-Roll” and “Jersey Boys” on her IPOD.

Joanne and fellow Rotarian Alan Dubin at the 2014 Beefsteak & Tricky Tray

On Sunday April 27, 2013 The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn’s Peneno Pedals for Progress Used Bicycle Collection was held at the Edison school in conjunction with the Pedals for Progress organization (P4P).  Fair Lawn Rotarians collected 27 used and servicable bicycles to assist those in third world countries needing basic transportation to get to and from work and school. We were also lucky enough to have collected two sewing machines; in 1999, P4P sent its first sewing machine and discovered that these machines are in demand in the same places where the donated bicycles have changed so many lives for the better. Plenty of unwanted portable sewing machines exist in people’s homes. And like the bicycles, they’re often headed for a landfill. By collecting these sewing machines, Fair Lawn Rotary and Pedals for Progress can piggyback them onto the bike shipments destined for recipient projects. Once there, seamstresses and tailors alike can acquire their most valuable tool and begin a business. Students can learn to sew—many of these machines will outfit programs in schools, teaching people a valuable skill they can use anywhere.

These bikes and sewing machines are shipped overseas and are given to P4P partner agencies and distributed at low cost to poor working adults. The bikes provide them with reliable transportation for commuting to work, transporting produce to market, or accessing health care and other services.  Steady employment for these adults is vital to the development and success for these growing economies. More information about pedals for progress can be found at the Pedals for Progress website: www.p4p.org.
 

Peneno Pedals for Progress Used Bicycle Collection is one of the many international humanitarians programs undertaken by The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn that have a direct impact in improving the lives of people across the globe.

Learn more about The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn and how you can help others around the corner and across the globe at www.clubrunner.ca/fairlawn or visit us at our weekly Thursday lunch meetings, which start at 12:15 pm at the Fair Lawn Athletic Club, next to the library on Parmelee Avenue.

To contact the Club: E-mail: fairlawnrotarians@gmail.com or US Postal Service: PO Box 831, Fair Lawn, NJ 07410

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn has been active in our Fair Lawn community since 1948. You’ve seen our signs announcing the time, date and location of our weekly meetings; you’ve seen the Rotary logo all over town – the new clock in front of the library, the bulletin board in front of the board of education offices; on the “adopt a park” sign at Beaver Dam Park; and inlaid in pavers at Memorial Park as well as other places locally, regionally and internationally.

So who are these men and women that volunteer their time to serve those in our community? Who are these people that travel around the world to fight polio and drive across town to help their neighbors in need?

Our sixth installment of this continuing series brings us to Charlie Wrubel a member of the Fair Lawn Rotary Club since 1967 and is currently our Rotary International Foundation Chairman.  Charlie also served the Club as President in the 2003/04 Rotary Year and is on the nominating committee (new members and Club officers).  Charlie has been in the newspaper business for 25 years, currently he is the principal of Wrubel Communications, a newspaper consultant and broker located at 12-32 River Road, Fair Lawn. Charlie joined Rotary for the important community service role it plays in our local and international communities; he also enjoys the camaraderie that comes from being a Rotarian and learning more about the world and other items of interest from other Club members.  His favorite Rotary activities are our weekly lunch meetings, the annual pancake breakfast and our growing 4^th Grade Spelling Bee Championships.  Outside of Rotary, he enjoys singing in a cabaret, swimming, traveling, reading and gardening.

When it comes to electronics, Charlie is all Apple, preferring Mac and IPhone over PC and Android platforms.  His IPod favorites are The Beatles (I Want to Hold Your Hand), The Beach Boys (California Girl) and The Platters (The Great Pretender).  Charlie can be contacted via e-mail at chasnews@aol.com.

(l-r - Charlie Wrubel and Dr. Rob Kahn at the Inaugural Fair Lawn Rotary 4th Grade Spelling Bee Championships in 2012)

On January 29^th 30 of Fair Lawn’s finest spellers took to the bleachers at the Fair Lawn Community Center to vie for title of 4^th Grade Spelling Bee Champion.  These 30 4^th graders represented each of the six elementary schools in Fair Lawn; Henry B. Milnes, John A. Forrest, Lyncrest, Radburn, Warren Point and Westmoreland.  Due to their hard work and dedication as well as the support of their parents and teachers, each child was well prepared to tackle an extensive list of words to spell in front of an audience filled with their family, friends, teachers and principals.

The format for this year’s Championship was changed for the winner has the opportunity to move on the Bergen Passaic Spelling Bee and "up the ladder" to possibly qualify for the Scripps National Championships.  Fair Lawn Rotarians worked with the elementary school teachers and principals as well as the Language Arts Supervisor in bringing the entire program together.  This program of a 4^th Grade Spelling Bee Championship is an outgrowth of the Fair Lawn Rotary Third Grade Distribution Project.

After 7 rounds, the field was reduced to two excellent spellers working hard and not missing a beat as they moved towards the Championship.  The two finalists were Jaelyn Greer from Radburn Elementary and Sarah Rachel Abraham from Warren Point Elementary. They continued amazing the audience with their spelling ability; belting out the letters for words such as cavalier and juxtapose.  The final wining words were matriculation and smithereens.  In the end, after a tough emotional battle, Sarah Rachel Abraham was crowned Fair Lawn Rotary 4^th Grade Spelling Bee Champion for 2014.

(Vicki Padavano prepping the contestants prior to the start of the Spelling Bee - more photos of this event can be found by clicking Photo Albums on our home page)

Rotary at a Glance



Rotary

Membership:       1,220,115
Clubs:                      34,558

Rotaract

Membership:       140,990
Clubs:                      6,130

Interact

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn has been active in our Fair Lawn community since 1948. You’ve seen our signs announcing the time, date and location of our weekly meetings; you’ve seen the Rotary logo all over town – the new clock in front of the library, the old bulletin board in front of the high school; on the “adopt a park” sign at Beaver Dam Park; and inlaid in pavers are Memorial Park as well as other places locally, regionally and internationally.

So who are these men and women that volunteer their time to serve those in our community? Who are these people that travel around the world to fight polio and drive across town to help their neighbors in need?

Our fifth installment of this continuing series brings us to Elizabeth Miazga, better known as Liz to her fellow Rotarians.  Liz has been with the Fair Lawn Rotary Club since 2009 and is currently our Treasurer; she credits her position as the River Drive (Elmwood Park) Branch Manager of Spenser Savings Bank as the reason for joining Rotary – this is also the reason why she is our Treasurer, whom better than a banker?  Liz’s interests in our Club activities revolve around the many projects geared towards the youth in our community – specifically the scholarships the Club provides to graduates of Fair Lawn High School and the opportunity for high school juniors to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards leadership camp held each spring.  This interest ties into her out-of-Club interests; a lot of her off-Rotary time is spent with her children.

Liz claims that she doesn’t have an iPod, but if she did it would be filled with Polish songs, a nod to her Polish heritage.  And since she doesn’t have an iPod, she is not a Mac user. 

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn has been active in our Fair Lawn community since 1948. You’ve seen our signs announcing the time, date and location of our weekly meetings; you’ve seen the Rotary logo all over town – the new clock in front of the library, the old bulletin board in front of the high school; on the “adopt a park” sign at Beaver Dam Park; and inlaid in pavers are Memorial Park as well as other places locally, regionally and internationally.

So who are these men and women that volunteer their time to serve those in our community? Who are these people that travel around the world to fight polio and drive across town to help their neighbors in need?

Our fourth installment of this continuing series brings us to Bruce Rosenberg, a practicing attorney for the past 25 years, currently with Winne Banta Hetherington Basralian & Kahn, PC of Hackensack.  Bruce resides in Fair Lawn with his wife Martha and two sons.  As a father, Bruce’s top Rotary activities are the Annual Spelling Bee and Pedals for Progress.  He also enjoys our weekly lunch meeting where he can catch-up with fellow Club members; which is important as one of the main reasons for his joining Rotary is for the camaraderie experienced by all Rotarians.  Bruce also joined for the opportunity to participate in the many philanthropic activities undertaken by the Club locally, nationally and internationally.  Another reason he enjoys our weekly lunch meetings is the educational information shared by our weekly speakers.  Each week, Fair Lawn Rotarians are treated to speakers of a variety of topics and we all come away with an appreciation of what happens right in our town as well as internationally.

Outside of Rotary, Bruce enjoys travelling and hiking which is a great lead in to his map collecting hobby.  As an attorney, Bruce appears to prefer e-mail over snail mail and is a disciple of Apple - preferring MACs and Iphones.

(Bruce serving as the Time Keeper at the April 24, 2013 4th Grade Spelling Bee w/Irv Kleinberg)

Ellen Glassett and Kerri Albonico, co-president s of Fair Lawn Association for Special Education (FLASE) joined members of the Fair Lawn Rotary Club and gave a presentation as to what FLASE is and how it assists those families with children with special needs.  The objective of FLASE is to provide information to parents of our exceptional “children and youth”, ages 3 through 21, who require special education services. Our mission is to serve as a source of support to those families, to advocate when necessary, and to promote public awareness of Special Education issues.

There are approximately 1,000 children in Fair Lawn that are classified as needing special education services of various types.  FLASE is a district-wide (Fair Lawn) non-profit Parent-Teacher Organization that provides assistance and support to the Special Education students, parents and programs within each school in the Fair Lawn Public Schools.  FLASE is active in each of the six elementary, the two middle schools and Fair Lawn High School. 

Whereas PTOs are typically single school based, FLASE works to assist all special education students throughout the school district.  As one of the many PTO volunteer organization in the Fair Lawn School District, FLASE fundraises to support the various activities they sponsor.    FLASE provides workshops through their speaker series for parents and many programs for students, including a story-teller, yoga, music, and therapy dogs.  FLASE also sponsors activities during the Extended School year program.

(Ellen Glassett, Irv Klienberg & Kerri Albonico)

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn and the Fair lawn Police Department recently completed another successful Horary for Helmets helmet safety awareness campaign.   Fair Lawn Rotary and the FLPD teamed up with Yogurt Plus, Rita’s Ice Cream, Carvel, Haagen-Dazs, and Baskin Robbins to promote the safe and effective use of helmets by kids when they were while out and about, riding, skating and boarding.

Detective Boone, of the FLPD spoke with members of Fair Lawn Rotary to discuss this on-going project and the success of it over the past several years.  The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn has also presented Certificates of Appreciation to each of the participating ice cream and yogurt shops in Fair Lawn and Glen Rock.

(Detective Boone and President-Elect Jerry Slavik)

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn has been active in our Fair Lawn community since 1948. You’ve seen our signs announcing the time, date and location of our weekly meetings; you’ve seen the Rotary logo all over town – the new clock in front of the library, the old bulletin board in front of the high school; on the “adopt a park” sign at Beaver Dam Park; and inlaid in pavers are Memorial Park as well as other places locally, regionally and internationally.

So who are these men and women that volunteer their time to serve those in our community? Who are these people that travel around the world to fight polio and drive across town to help their neighbors in need?

Our third installment of this continuing series brings us to Glenn Stubaus, a local architect based out of Molinari-Stubaus, Architects whose office is at 26-02 Broadway, Fair Lawn.  Glenn has been a practicing architect for the past 40 years; for the past 21 years he has been a Fair Lawn Rotarian.  Glenn says that his partners are the ones responsible for having him join Rotary; actually his quote is, “My partners made me join!”

Glenn has served the Club in many capacities over the years; he is a past President serving as the Club’s leader in 1996/97 and in 2011/12. Glenn is also a long serving member of the Board of Directors and is our current Finemaster and weekly gossip as editor of the weekly Rotaview. Glenn is also our unofficial Club Jester, his favorite 3 Rotary activities are: 1) making people laugh, 2) making people moan; and 3) making people cry – and if you come to our meetings you will see his act in person where he is successful in all three.  All joking aside, Glenn is a treasure to the Club, filing in when and where necessary and more than willing to share his passion of giving back to the community as a Rotarian.

(Glenn as Master of Ceremonies at the 2013/14 Induction Dinner)

Outside of Rotary, Glenn likes to jog, enjoys railroads and hand splitting firewood.  When asked about his musical interests; he stands by his old LPs, no portable Walkman or iPod for this Rotarian and he is just fine with his “dumb” phone – all he needs to do is send and receive phone calls – no text or data package necessary.

On August 22^nd, Fair Lawn Rotarians presented a check in the amount of $577.50 to Marianne Pettineo on behalf of Fair Lawn’s ADA Advisory Committee.  These funds were a portion of the proceeds from Fair Lawn Rotary’s Fuel Your Summer Adventures Mini 50/50 Cash Raffle.  Marianne made a presentation to the Rotary Club outlining where the Committee stands with the construction of the 1^st Phase of the Inclusionary Playground to be constructed at Berdan Grove.  Construction of Phase 1 is expected to commence in the spring of 2014.

The funds presented are earmarked for the 2^nd Phase of playground construction, which is geared towards younger children aged 2 to 5 years old to complement the play-structure for older children envisioned for Phase 1. 

The play equipment is designed to allow children with different abilities to play with each other, side-by-side.  This area will also include a smooth surface to allow wheelchairs and carriages/strollers to easily roll to the play structures. 

“Fair Lawn Rotarians are glad to be part of this endeavor to open up play facilities to all children regardless of their abilities”, stated Irv Kleinberg, current Club President, “Rotary is always seeking ways to improve the lives of those living in our local community”.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn will also be hosting a Pancake Breakfast on October 13^th at the American Legion Hall from 8:00 AM to 12 noon; a portion of the proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit the Fair Lawn ADA Advisory Committee.  Tickets are $7/person and now on sale from Fair Lawn Rotarians and ADA Advisory Committee members.

Michael Saudino, Bergen County Sheriff visited The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn on August 8^th.  Sheriff Saudino gave an overview of the responsibilities of this law enforcement agency; an agency which is established under the New Jersey State Constitution.  The core job functions of the Sheriff’s Department are security of the courts and jail, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the service of process within the County.

Sheriff Saudino also discussed how the Sheriff’s Office, the largest law enforcement agency in Bergen County, works with local and county police departments.  Rotarians were given an overview of the work and responsibilities of members of the Office and the Sheriff’s thoughts and vision of the future of the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office.

(Sheriff Michael Saudino and Rotarians Michael Agosta)

The Sheriff’s attendance as a guest speaker at our meeting is an example as to how Rotarians seek out to have relevant speakers come to our weekly meetings to inform us of trends, issues and other important information.  These speakers allow Fair Lawn Rotarians to gain a wide perspective on the issues surrounding our local and world communities that may spur a Rotarian into action to find a way to assist those in need around the corner or across the globe.

The Mayor and Council and the Fair Lawn Recreation Department are pleased to announce that through generous donations from the Rotary Club of Fair Lawn and the Sunrise Rotary of Fair Lawn, a Mobile Aquatic Chair has been placed into service at Memorial Pool.

The Mobile Aquatic Chair or M.A.C. is a wheelchair that can be operated on the handicapped accessible pool ramp and onto the platform and take a person into the water.  The pool ramps go from zero depth entry to 26" of water at the maximum depth at the landing platform.  This Mobile Aquatic Chair allows a person to enter the water and continue down the ramp onto the landing platform and into the pool.

A sign has been posted at the Pool’s Administration Office and all pool staff members have been educated to advise the public of the chair’s availability.

For additional information, please contact Memorial Pool at 201-794-5370 or the Recreation Department at 201-796-6746.

Once again, thank you to the Rotary Club of Fair Lawn and the Sunrise Rotary of Fair Lawn for your donation.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn has a motivated and active membership.  As with any organization, some members have gone above and beyond the call, doing what is right, acting live a Rotarians never saying no and helping wherever they can.  Each year Fair Lawn Rotarians recognize one of their own through the awarding of The Walter D. Head Foundation Award and a Paul Harris Fellowship.

The Walter D. Head Foundation Award is named after a District Rotarian whom exemplifies the qualities of Rotarians, lending a helping hand whenever and wherever asked to do so.  In recognition of her hard work during the 2012/2013 Rotary Year; The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn awarded the Walter D. Head award to Victoria Padovano.  Vicki joined The Fair Lawn Rotary in early 2012 and immediately jumped into the role of program/speaker coordinator during this past Rotary Year.  She has coordinated each member’s suggestion for a program/speaker and has completed the job in a wonderful manner.  Vicki is an Assistant Branch Manager with a local bank.

The Paul Harris Fellowship is an award recognition program named after the founder of Rotary, Paul Harris.  Rotarians and non-Rotarians can be nominated for this award.  For the 2012/2013 Rotary Year, Fair Lawn Rotarians has bestowed this honor to Stuart Herrmann.  As President during this past year, his second time in the chair, he has reinvigorated our Project R.E.A.L. and made all of our programs assisting our youth a strong priority.  His leadership in our dictionary distribution project and the Spelling Bee has been contagious as well as his overall enthusiasm for all things Rotary.  Stu is a financial planner right here in Fair Lawn for the past 34 years.  He became a Rotarian in 1989.

The last meeting of the 2012/2013 Rotary Year was a busy one for The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn.  President Stu Herrmann presided over a special Rotary Meet & Greet Event open to those that are interested in giving back to the local, national and global community.  Club members Jeff Simon and Michael Agosta coordinated this special event.  A large part of what made this event special was the attendance of our Rotary Scholarship recipients and RYLA attendees.

During the June 19, 2013 Fair Lawn Rotary Installation Dinner, local Rotarians and guests had the opportunity to meet the incoming officers of the Fair Lawn High School Interact Club and spend time with the Club’s exchange student prior to his departure to his home country.

The FLHS Interact Club will continue their support and participation in the Alzheimer’s Walk fundraising event this Fall and is looking forward to once again bringing holiday cheer to the students in Paterson’s School Six.  The Interact Club is very active in the school as well as our local community.  Michael Baer is the liaison between the two Clubs.

Mateus L., our exchange student from Birigui, Brazil will soon be leaving his host family and friends from Fair Lawn.  Mateus was originally an exchange student from Amityville, NY, however Super Storm Sandy forced him to leave Long Island.  Fair Lawn Rotarians were happy to welcome him to Fair Lawn as the LaRocco family opened up their home to Mateus.  Mateus has become a large part of the LaRocco family and will be sorely missed; not only by his host family, but by all the friends he has made during his year abroad in Fair Lawn.

Michael Baer, Mateus L., Nicole D - Interact Pres. 2013/14, Pat LaRocco & Kateryna K. - Interact Secretary 2013/14

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn has been active in our Fair Lawn community since 1948. You’ve seen our signs announcing the time, date and location of our weekly meetings; you’ve seen the Rotary logo all over town – the new clock in front of the library, the old bulletin board in front of the high school; on the “adopt a park” sign at Beaver Dam Park; and inlaid in pavers are Memorial Park as well as other places locally, regionally and internationally.

So who are these men and women that volunteer their time to serve those in our community? Who are these people that travel around the world to fight polio and drive across town to help their neighbors in need? Well, our new feature will introduce Fair Lawn Rotarians each month.

Well, our second installment of this series is Club Secretary Stephanie Codey who hails from New Providence, NJ.  Her State Farm Agency located at 12-45 River Road is what brings her into our fair town each and every day.  Since joining the Rotary Club of Fair Lawn in 2008, after being asked by our man around town Charles Wrubel, she does more than sell insurance and related products in Fair Lawn.  Stephanie found that Rotary was a great way to give back to the local and global community and also found it a great way to meet other business leaders and residents of Fair Lawn.

You will find Stephanie (and her husband) behind the grill during our annual Pancake Breakfast fundraiser. Some of her other favorite FL Rotary activities include our annual Holiday Party for the Opportunity Center and our weekly Thursday meetings at Caputo’s Catering at the Fair Lawn Athletic Club.

Outside of Rotary, Stephanie enjoys cooking, gardening and spending time with family and friends. She is an Apple convert, using her Mac and iPhone as well as her iPod; which by the way is filled with audio books. Also, don’t send it snail mail; e-mail all of your insurance questions to her for a prompt response!!

(l-r Pat LaRocco, Glenn Stubaus & Stephanie Codey at the 2012 4th Grade Spelling Bee)

Edouard-Leon Scott De Martinville made the first known musical recording, called a phonautogram, on April 9, 1860.  While trying to capture a visual representation of sound waves, he recorded himself singing the French song “Au Clair de la Lune”.

In 1877, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph.  It used recordings created on tinfoil, which was wrapped around a cylinder.  These recordings lasted only a few plays.  Ten years later, Emile Berliner patented a recording device that used discs instead of cylinders.  These first records were made of glass, then zinc, then rubber, and eventually shellac.  Berliner called the device a gramophone.  The discs he created were the first sound recordings that could be mass produced.

Around The Turn of the 20^th century, Berliner persuaded several musical artists, including Enrico Caruso and Dame Nellie Melba, to record on his machine.  He also worked with Eldridge Johnson, who in 1901 founded Victor Talking Machine Company (later acquired by RCA).  Johnson chose a trademark depicting a Jack Russell terrier named Nipper listening to a phonograph.  It became one of the most recognized logos in the world, and is still in use today.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn has been active in our Fair Lawn community since 1948.  You’ve seen our signs announcing the time, date and location of our weekly meetings; you’ve seen the Rotary logo all over town – the new clock in front of the library, the old bulletin board in front of the high school; on the “adopt a park” sign at Beaver Dam Park; and inlaid in pavers are Memorial Park as well as other places locally, regionally and internationally.

So who are these men and women that volunteer their time to serve those in our community?  Who are these people that travel around the world to fight polio and drive across town to help their neighbors in need?  Well, our new feature will introduce Fair Lawn Rotarians each month.

Our first member to be “Spotlighted” is Stu Herrmann, our current Club President.  This is Stu’s second time in the command chair; he served as Club President in the 2000/2001 Rotary Year.  During his first stint as Club President, Stu initiated Project R.E.A.L. (Rotary Encourages Academic Learning), a project to provide those Fair Lawn elementary students in need with the tools to maintain their education.

Stu lives and works here in Fair Lawn as a Financial Planner; his office is located at 32-16 Broadway.  Stu has been in his field of work for 34 years and has been a Rotarian since 1989.  Stu’s 3 Reasons for joining Rotary: 1) To give back to the town I grew up in; 2) Was asked; 3) To help others and teach my daughter about giving back.  Stu’s Favorite Rotary Activities: 1) Annual Beefsteak & Tricky Tray; 2) Project REAL; 3) Memorial Day Parade; 4) Pancake Breakfast; and 5) Pedals for Progress.

Rotary is a big part of each member’s life, but we do have lives outside of Rotary; Stu’s Interests Outside of Rotary are: Family Genealogy; Poker; and Relaxing Down the Shore. Stu’s IPOD apparently has music from the 50s, 60s and 70s and he prefers a PC to Mac as well as e-mail to snail mail.  What we in the Club found interesting is that he hasn’t caved into the Apple IPhone crowd or even the Android party, his smart phone is still a trusty Palm based phone.

Stu marching in the 2011 Memorial Day Parade in front of the Rotary Clock on Fair Lawn Ave.

Natural Gas is a Blend of hydrocarbon gases, primarily methane.  Like oil and coal, it is a fossil fuel that can be refined to produce energy.  Scientists believe fossil fuels are formed when the remains of plants, animals, and microorganisms are compressed under high pressure beneath the earth’s surface for a long period.  Unlike oil and coal, natural gas is considered clean burning; it produces lower levels of potentially harmful emissions.

Oil is Created at lower temperatures than natural gas.  Natural gas tends to be more abundant than oil as you go deeper into the earth.  In the 1820s, scientists knew that large deposits of natural gas were embedded in shale, and commercial drilling was first attempted, with limited success.

Fair Lawn Rotarians recently got together at Rob Kahn’s house for the 1^st social of the New Year.  Members had a chance to relax and enjoy each other’s company with their spouses.  The theme was an ethnic covered dish, so there was a delicious range of food from German brats to frank and beans and various seafood and other salads as well as wonderful potato latkes.

Being a Rotarian isn’t all work, there are many times when we get together and enjoy strengthening the friendships forged as we work together for the betterment of our local and global community.

To find out how you can be part of the world’s oldest service organization, have some serious fun and join with the 24 Fair Lawn Rotarians as well as over 1.2 million other like-minded individuals that believe in the commitment of “Service Above Self” speak with a Fair Lawn Rotarian or join us at one of our weekly meetings. The local Club level is where it all starts.

Meetings are held every Thursday at 12:15 for lunch and a speaker/program at Caputo's Catering, Fair Lawn Athletic Club, across from the municipal building on Parmelee Avenue.

Just in time for Oktoberfest, members of the Rotary Club of Fair Lawn had a presentation of the history of beer and a home brewing.  David Colin, a local Rotarian and avid home brewer came to the Club to give Fair Lawn Rotarians a taste of beer’s history.  David traced beer to even before medieval times, however modern brewing is mostly associated with Bavarian brewers of 1841. 

(Brew Master Daivd Colin and Glenn Stubaus)

The genesis of Munich’s Oktoberfest from an informal horse racing affair to its current international brew fest was also discussed.  Oktoberfest started out as a decidedly informal affair, probably sometime in the fifteenth century.  The brew was the Bavarian’s summer beer and the fest was the Bavarians’ excuse to polish off any leftover summer beer in the fall. Over the course of time, this event has grown; its greatest transformation can be traced back to October 12, 1810 when Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hilburghausen.  To allow commoners to partake in the ceremonies, the noble couple decided to organize a grand wedding party for its subjects on some grazing land outside of Munich city gates.  Some 40,000 happy Bavarians showed up for fun and the rest of history with 1.75 million gallons of beer freely flowing and oompah-bands playing in the background as 400,000 sausages are devoured.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn recently heard a presentation by Mr. Michael Weaver, Principal of Forrest School, of the 5^th Annual Breast Cancer Basketball Challenge which is scheduled for Saturday January 5, 2013 at Fair Lawn High School.  This is the Challenge’s 2^nd year at FLHS.  The Breast Cancer Basketball Challenge was developed in 2006 to raise breast cancer awareness among female high school athletes (and their fans) throughout North Jersey.  This event was recognized in April 2011 for its “exceptional contribution to the community” with the NJ Governor’s Jefferson Award for Health & Wellness.

This event will feature girls’ varsity teams from ten North Jersey high schools playing five games throughout the day.  The day isn’t only about basketball; the 300 participating student-athletes will learn more about this disease.  The key speaker at this event will be Kim Tanis, a breast cancer survivor and Head Coach of the Indian Hills Regional High School Girls’ Varsity Basketball Team. Coach Tanis will be in attendance for a fourth consecutive year to speak with each team during the post-game receptions about her diagnosis and battle against the disease to date.  By sharing her story of survival with participants, it becomes more than five games for a cause, it becomes an educational event.

Coach Tanis’ words will be augmented by a gift bag at the end of the event that includes a “Breast Cancer Basketball Challenge” t-shirt and a variety of breast cancer awareness/educational items courtesy of Leigh Hurst, a breast cancer survivor and the founder of “The Feel Your Boobies Foundation”.

More information about this special educational event can be found by contacting the event coordinator Michael Weaver at mweaver@fairlawnschools.org or at prhsbreastcancerchallenge@live.com.

(Vicky Padovano & Michael Weaver)

Each year for the past 30 years, The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn has shared the holiday spirit with the clients of The Opportunity Center located in Fair Lawn.  Close to 30 of the Center’s clients joined Fair Lawn Rotarians for lunch and live holiday accordion music by Irv Weinberg at the Fair Lawn Athletic Club on December 13^th.  The highlight of the luncheon was a visit by Santa Claus.

The Opportunity Center, located on Fair Lawn Avenue, is a day program for physically and developmentally challenged adults.  This private, non-profit center is open all year with the goal of providing a life-enriching day program for 25 to 35 clients with a broad range of disabilities including autism, mental disabilities, Down Syndrome and cerebral palsy.  The Executive Director of the Opportunity Center is Nadine Kaiser.  Information about The Opportunity canter can be found at www.theopportunitycenter.org.

(Clients of The Opportunity Center with Club President Stu Herrmann and The Opportunity Center Executive Director Nadine Kaiser)

Rotary District 7490 has been appointed the lead coordinator of relief efforts to assist those impacted by Hurricane Sandy throughout the tri-state area.  The District has been working with VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Assisting in Disasters) to coordinate efforts among many organizations in Bergen County and working with local Rotary Clubs in the disaster areas. This area includes Long Island, Ney York City Boroughs, Westchester County and all of New Jersey.  Updates on Rotary’s Relief Efforts can be found at: http://nynjrotary.org/

This website will provide you with the latest updates and provide information as to how you can help our immediate neighbors recover from this widespread disaster.  Recovery will take months, but there still is an immediate need for:

• Baby Food, formula and diapers
• Non-perishable food
• Bottled water
• Toiletries
• Generators for some areas
• New clothes
• New beds, cots, linens and pillows
• Cleaning supplies*
• Batteries, flashlights
• Non-fabric furniture (no sofas or upholstered chairs
• Gift cards to Lowe’s, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Target universal gift cards
• NO USED CLOTHING OF ANY TYPE

You can also make a secure cash donation to the relief efforts at this website.

Fair Lawn Rotarians once again open their arms to promote peace and understanding throughout the world by once again hosting a foreign exchange student.  Rotarians recently welcomed Mateus L., an exchange student from Birigui Brazil.  Mateus will be joining the senior class at Fair Lawn High School to learn about American culture and customs.

Mateus originally commenced his Student Exchange in Amityville, Long Island, NY; however due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy Mateus’ year abroad would have come to a halt and he would have had to return to Brazil.  Through Rotary District-wide efforts, The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn was able to coordinate bringing Mateus here to Fair Lawn to complete his studies.   

Stu Herrmann, President 2012-2013, receives Rotary Club of Birigui Cidade Perola's banner from Mateus

On November 15, 2012 The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn inducted its newest member, Michael Agosta.  Michael and his wife of 17 years, resides on Elliott Terrace here in Fair Lawn.  Michael is retired from the US Army; he has also served as a US Air Marshall.  Michael has a Masters is Applied Science in Emergency Management.  Mike is also active in the American Legion, Catholic Was Veterans, Fair Lawn Athletic Club and the Cosmos Club.

The induction ceremony was conducted by The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn’s Assistant District 7490 Governor, Andrew Garlick.  Michael’s Rotary pin was presented by Fair Lawn Rotarian and fellow Cosmo member Joseph Daloisio.  Members of The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn are looking forward to working with Michael as Rotarians around the world work together to make our communities, nations and the world as a whole a better place to live.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn was organized on August 2, 1948. This Rotary Club, like all of the 36,000+ Clubs organized in 200 Countries around the world, was established to provide services, initiate projects, donate goods, offer material and generally to lend a hand to people in need. Since the inauguration of our Rotary in Fair Lawn in 1948, literally hundreds of projects have been completed to benefit the Fair Lawn Community.

On September 13^th Rotary District 7490 Governor for 2012/13 Bonnie Sirower visited The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn to acknowledge the long service of Rotarians in this Club as well as others throughout District 7490.  The Governor created The Jubilee Club to honor Rotarians for their years of service to Rotary.  Certificates are presented to members that have reached 25, 30, 40, 50 and 60+ years in Rotary. 

Several members of the Rotary Club of Fair Lawn have received their Jubilee Club Certificates. 

L->R: J. Simon, T. McGinnis, Gov. Bonnie, R. Kahn & J. Daloisio

Dr. Alvin Seligson & Gov. Bonnie

On September 13^th Rotary District 7490 Governor for 2012/13 Bonnie Sirower visited our Club to detail her plans for her term as District Governor.  As we went through her ideas and Fair Lawn Rotary Club’s action plan, she shared the story about a young man who was picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.   When asked what he was doing, the young man replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”

The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?”  To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out.

 If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”  Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, “But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.”Governor Bonnie related how that story is Rotary in action, how all that we do as Rotarians do make a difference to those we serve locally and globally.

Governor Bonnie’s visit to our Club was a great way to fire up the membership for the on-going Rotary year.  Fair Lawn Rotarians are looking forward to working with each other and Rotarians around the world to do good deeds and lend a hand to those in need.

 Photo: l-r: Assistant Governor Andrew Garlick, Governor Bonnie, Fair Lawn Club President Stu Herrmann

In 7 out of 19 countries researched by the Center of Applied Linguistics, children begin learning a foreign language by age eight.  Some European nations are considering a requirement to study four languages in school.

The United States does not require elementary or secondary school students to learn a foreign language.  Foreign-language study is required for high school graduation in about 10 states.  In 2008, 57 people earned a bachelor’s degree in Arabic language and literature from U.S. colleges.

Bilingual People are better than monolingual people at ignoring distractions, and a new study has fond that the more proficient someone is in a second language, the later the average onset of dementia.  A University of Chicago study found that those who make decisions while processing information in a second language are less likely to be affected by emotion-based cognitive basis.

A Yale University economics professor theorizes that speakers of languages with no explicit future tense, including German and Mandarin, are healthier and save more money than other people.

French and English have had equal status in Canada since 1867.  Papua New Guinea is the world’s most linguistically diverse country, with over 800 native languages.  North Korea is the least, with one.  Residents of Cook County, Ill., USA, home of Rotary International headquarters, speak 109 languages.  Illinois ranks first in the United States in the percentage of Lithuanian, Polish and Serbian speakers.

When Columbus arrived in the New World, people in the Americas spoke as many as 1,000 languages, with nine major language groups in North America alone.  A common system of sign language was widely used among Native Americans of the Great Plains, who spoke hundreds of distinct languages.

Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, USA, maintains online “talking dictionaries: for several endangered language, including Chamacoco (Paraguay), Ho (India), Siletz (Oregon, USA), and Tuvan (Siberia, Russia).One of the world’s 7,000 languages does out every two weeks, on average.

Microsoft is translating its operating system and software into endangered languages including Basque, Inuktitut, and Welsh.  Ninety percent of people in Paraguay can speak the country’s indigenous language, Guarani.

The United Nations has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russiand, and Spanish.  Rotary International has one official language, English, and provides materials in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Hindi, Japanese, and Korean.

-  Jenny LLakmani

the Rotarian, Rotary’s Magazine

September 2012

You are interested in Joining The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn, now what??

Taking the step to become a Rotarian is a commitment to lend a hand to those in need around the corner and across the globe.  Current Rotarians are looking forward to sharing Rotary ideals with you and to listen to your ideas on how we, as Rotarians, can help those in our community and further Rotary’s goals locally, nationally and globally.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn meets weekly, each Thursday for lunch, a program and camaraderie.  We hope to have you present at each meeting, but as business professionals it is understood that you may not be able to make each and every meeting due to work and/or family commitments.  Don’t let the inability to make each and every meeting deter you from joining Rotary as a way to give back to the community.  We are seeking members that will bring energy, vitality and leadership to our Club.  Just because you can’t be at a meeting doesn’t mean that you are not participating as a Rotarian.  You can “make-up” Club meetings anywhere in the world.  We had a member that had perfect attendance for 60 years by making up meetings wherever he was travelling in the world – a different city, another country, even on a cruise ship!  Members have made up meetings in Montreal, Canada, St. Louis, MO and Wurzburg, Germany to name a few locales. 

Meetings are only a part of being a Rotarian, we look for people that will be active as the Club holds many events throughout the year and we feel that it is important that you attend these events and lend your ideas and enthusiasm to them – whether they are fundraisers, community projects, club board meetings, social gatherings or other events the Club participates.  Attending these events count as “meeting make-ups”.

Being a part of Rotary is a commitment, but one that is well worth it as we work together to improve the global community, starting right here at home!

Dedicationn of Rotary Grove at Memorial Park, Fair Lawn - September 2007

What is Rotary?  Who are the members?  How does it work?  When and Where does your Club meet?  These are some of the questions that I and other Rotarians in the Fair Lawn Club, as well as in local clubs around the world, are asked on a regular basis. 

On August 15^th , members of The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn donated food and sundry items to the Fair Lawn Food Pantry located at Fair Lawn’s Borough Hall. Fair Lawn Rotarians reached out to the staff of the Fair Lawn Human Services Department to determine what food and other items were necessary to assist local families in need.  Items such as canned fruits, meats and vegetables as well a personal hygiene products, cereals, soups and pasta meals were dropped off to “Lend a Helping Hand to Those in Need” in our local community.

The Fair Lawn Human Services Department assists borough residents who need help getting through hard times. Funded entirely by private donations, Fair Lawn’s food pantry and Human Services Trust Account is utilized on a regular basis by many Fair Lawn families who receive food, grocery store gift cards, and assistance paying for past due utilities when necessary.


Fair Lawn Rotary President Stu Herrmann and Liz Twiggs of the Fair Lawn Food Pantry

The History of Rotary in Japan begins with Umekichi Yoneyama and Kisaji Fukushima.  Yoneyama was president of the Mitsui Trust Company and visited the United States as a member of a Japanese financial delegation in 1918.  During the trip, he was introduced to Fukushima, director of the Dallas branch of the Mitsui Trading Company and a member of the Rotary Club of Dallas.  In 1920, Fukushima returned to Japan, and the two men established the Rotary Club of Tokyo, which was charted the next year.

In 1922, Fukushima moved to Osaka.  That year, business leaders in the city formed Japan’s second club.  Yoneyama was appointed Rotary International special commissioner in 1924 and organized the third and fourth clubs, in Kobe and Nagoya.

4^th Graders throughout Fair Lawn Elementary Schools recently participated in a series of spelling bees in their schools in order to compete in the inaugural The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn’s 4^th Grade Spelling Bee Championship.  The program was held on April 18^th at the Fair Lawn Community Center.  Each fourth grade class sent two representatives to participate in this first ever event; 34 children were vying for the title of Fair Lawn Rotary 4^th Grade Spelling Champion. 

 Each of the 34 students worked hard to get to this event and they worked even harder at the Championship round as they competed for a chance to be named The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn’s 4^th Grade Spelling Bee Champion and take home a color Nook e-reader donated by Columbia Bank.  The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn created this event as a natural offshoot of its 3^rd Grade Dictionary Distribution program.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn celebrated the 107^th Anniversary of Rotary International in one of the best ways possible.  Fair Lawn Rotary Members inducted two new Rotarians and accepted the transfer of a Rotarian from another Rotary Club.  On February 23, 2012, Victoria Padovano and Jerry Slavik became Rotarians, sharing their compassion and drive to make the world community a better place through service to those around the corner and across the globe.

Vicki is the Assistant Branch Manager of the Saddle River Road (Fair Lawn) Branch of Columbia Bank. She has been with Columbia for 13 years starting as a part-time teller and eventually moving into her current position.  Vicki resides in Elmwood Park with her family. Vicki was also a member of the Saddle Brook High School Interact Club.

Jerry is an Assistant Vice President Store Manager of the River Road (Fair Lawn) location of TD Bank. Jerry makes the daily ride down to Fair Lawn from Pompton Plains where he resides.  Prior to joining TD Bank he was a branch manager with Wells Fargo/Wachovia Bank and has a professional background in mortgage lending.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn also accepted the transfer of membership of Geoffrey Garlick. Geoff was a Rotarian in the Allendale (NJ) Club. Geoff transferred to the Fair Lawn Club due to scheduling conflicts; this transfer with allow him to be able to make more meetings and become even more active on the Club level. Geoff is an IT Specialist as well as a student at Bergen Community College.

The 107^th Anniversary of the founding of what is now Rotary International is an even more special day to the members of The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn.  Please welcome our new members and consider discovering Rotary as your vehicle to give back to those around the corner and across the globe.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn was Chartered in 1948 as part of Rotary International, a global humanitarian organization comprised of 1.2 million people in over 34 thousand Clubs around the world.  The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn meets Thursdays, 12:15 PM at the Fair Lawn Athletic Club, Parmelee Ave., Fair Lawn.  For more information contact Todd N. Malkin, Public Relations at fairlawnrotarians@gmail.com or visit the Club on the web at www.clubrunner.ca/fairlawn.  Rotary International can be found on the web at www.rotary.org

THE FAIR TRADE MOVEMNET traces its origins to 1946, when Edna Ruth Byler, a woman from Pennsylvania, USA, took action after witnessing poverty in Puerto Rico.  She brought back handicrafts made by Puerto Rican artisans and began selling them from the trunk of her car.  By 2000, Byler’s efforts had evolved into a nonprofit called Ten Thousand Villages.  It has since grown into one of the world’s largest fair trade organization, supporting artisans in 38 countries with a network of nearly 400 U.S. retail outlets.

IN THE 1950s, the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (Oxfam) began to sell crafts produced by Chinese refugees, marking the start of fair trade in Europe.   In the 1960s, the organization Fair Trade Original was founded in the Netherlands; it later imported the first “fairly traded” coffee from farm cooperatives in Guatemala.  A formal worldwide movement began in 1989 with the establishment of the International Fair Trade Association, which eventually became the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO).

Members of The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn  took February 23, 2012 as a day to set aside regular club business and introduce Rotary to specially invited guests.  Several guests were invited to join Fair Lawn Rotarians for lunch in order to meet the members and learn more about how Rotarians provide “Service Above Self” locally, nationally and globally. 

Club members spoke about how Rotary offers them an avenue to provide service to our neighbors around the corner and improve the lives of those across the globe.  Guests were introduced to the “Object of Rotary” and the “4 Way Test”; the guiding principles that bring all Rotarians together as we work to improve the world community.  These VIPs were also given a flavor of the many local projects that have been undertaken by Fair Lawn Rotarians since the club’s founding and how Rotarians continue to volunteer their time to help those that live in our community.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn was Chartered in August of 1948 to provide “Service Above Self” locally and globally.  The Fair Lawn Club is part of Rotary International a global humanitarian service organization founded in 1905 consisting of over 1.2 million individuals in 34,164 Clubs throughout the world.  We ask that you consider discovering Rotary as your vehicle to give back to those around the corner and across the globe.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn meets Thursdays, 12:15 PM at the Fair Lawn Athletic Club, Parmelee Ave., Fair Lawn.  For more information contact Todd N. Malkin, Public Relations at fairlawnrotarians@gmail.com or visit the Club on the web at www.clubrunner.ca/fairlawn. Rotary International can be found on the web at www.rotary.org

IN 1996, A COMMITTEE of Rotary Foundation Trustees considered opening an educational center, institute, or university dedicated to Paul Harris on the 50^th anniversary of his death.  The committee ultimately recommended the creation of Paul Harris Centers for International Studies at universities worldwide, where fellows would obtain graduate degrees in international relations, conflict resolutions, and peace studies.

THE TRUSTEES APPROVED the plan for the Rotary Centers for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution in 1999, and the first Rotary Peace Fellows began pursuing master’s degrees in 2002. As of 30 June 2011, over US$35 million in fellowships had been awarded to more than 590 fellows from over 90 countries.

Analysis: India's polio victory fuels endgame vaccine talks 

By Kate Kelland, Health and Science Correspondent

LONDON | Thu Jan 12, 2012 5:06am EST 

(Reuters) - When the clocks strike midnight in New Delhi on January 12, India will mark the first year in history it has recorded no new cases of polio.

It's a huge milestone for a country many experts thought would be the last place on earth to get rid of the crippling virus. And it's an exciting step forward for global health workers battling to make polio only the second human infectious disease after smallpox to be eradicated.

"If all the data comes in clear over the next few weeks, then India, for the first time, will show up as an unshaded area on WHO polio maps," said Sona Bari of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

"This is a great start to the year for India."

But while India celebrates, global health authorities are debating how to reduce the risk that vaccines containing live viruses may reintroduce the disease to places only just becoming polio-free.

It's a tricky judgment of timing, risk and cost, but the fact it's being discussed is a sign of how far the polio fight has come.

THE NUMBER OF Internet users in developing countries ballooned between 2005 and 2010, from 408 million people to 1.2 billion, outpacing the growth in developed nations, which went from 606 million users to 850 million.  Nonetheless, there is a widespread perception that Internet use in developing regions still lags far behind that of developed countries.

ACCESS TO MOBILE PHONES and mobile broadband also has increased significantly in developing countries.  In 2005, about 1 in 4 people in these nations had a mobile cellular subscription; as of 2010, the number was 7 out of 10.  In 2007, there were 0.8 mobile broadband subscribers per 100 people; by 2010, the figure had soared to 5.3 per 100.

The First Rotary Fellowship started informally in 1928, when a group of Rotarians got together to champion Esperanto, the language created by Ludwig Zamenhof.

In 1947, Rotarians interested in boating began flying the Rotary flag from their vessels, and took to calling themselves the International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians.  That group is now the longest continuously operating Rotary Fellowship.

Although FELLOWSHIPS conduct their activities independently from Rotary International, they must follow certain procedures to be officially recognized by the RI Board of Directors.  Each fellowship has its own rules, dues requirements, and administrative structure.  But membership in all of them is limited to Rotarians, their spouses, and Rotaractors and members must come from at least three countries.

As proud sponsor of Interact in Fair Lawn, The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn is happy to share the following message from Mark Schaefer, President (2011-2012) of The Fair Lawn High School Interact Club:

Current philanthropic activities are as follows:

        I.            Teddy Bear Drive:            For $5, you can purchase a teddy bear to dress up and bring back to Interact.  The Teddy Bears will then be donated to a hospital during the holidays to sick children. 

      II.            Alzheimer's Walk-a-Thon:          We are raising money to donate to the Alzheimer's foundation.  Each member is raising their own money along with bake sales that we are holding as a club and canning at ShopRite Oct 14-16.  We will participate in the walk-a-thon at Van Suan Park, Paramus, on Sunday, Oct. 23. Use this link to help support our Interact Club as they raise funds for this worthy cause: http://2011walktoendalz.kintera.org/faf/search/searchTeamPart.asp?ievent=456670&lis=1&kntae456670=C2464111BC864019B56F4579B522872C&supId=0&team=4852763&cj=Y

    III.            Holiday Toy Drive:          This program delivers toys to children at Paterson’s School 6.  We will be starting our toy-raising in November.

The local club is the hallmark of Rotary INTERNATIONAL; this is where the many international projects Rotarians around the world participate in sprang. The local club is a close group of like-minded individuals working together to make our local and global community a better place.  The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn is one of over 34 thousand local clubs worldwide and is one of two clubs here in Fair Lawn.  For over 60 years many Fair Lawn business, professional and community leaders have come together to help in our backyard. 

The FLHS Interact Club is up and running and looking forward to another successful year of service to the local and global communities.  Rotarians Dr. Pat LaRocco and Todd N. Malkin visited with the Club at their October 7^th meeting.  The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn, as FLHS Interact Club’s Rotary sponsor, once again affirmed its commitment to work with these future leaders as they strive to serve the greater good.

Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 12 to 18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but they are self-governing and self-supporting.  Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. Through these efforts, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs and learn the importance of:

• Developing leadership skills and personal integrity
• Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others
• Understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work
• Advancing international understanding and goodwill

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn recently had two interesting speakers at our meetings.  Ellen Elias, Director of The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources enlightened Club Members about services available needing treatment for addictions in the youth in our community.  The Center is located in Hackensack and is a program of Children’s Aid and Family Services.  Director Elias had a unique interactive presentation for members to take part of while learning more about this important subject and ways to keep kids healthy and safe.  For more information on The Center for Alcohol and Drug Resources, contact them at either 201-488-8680 or on the web at www.tcadr.org.

Our other recent speaker was Michael R. Dressler, Esq., Bergen County Surrogate, Mr. Dressler is Judge of the Surrogate’s Court of Bergen County.  Judge Dressler explained the many duties of the Surrogate’s Court, including the probating of Wills, appointing of estate administrators, supervising the appointment of guardians and administering adoptions.  The duties of this important office are more involved than one would think and Mr. Dressler provided excellent information about his office to members of the club.  He also gave information on the importance of the proper preparation of a Will and case-studies of incidents of what happens when a Will is not prepared.  The Surrogate’s Court is located at the Bergen County Justice Center, Room 211, 10 Main St., Hackensack, NJ 07601 and can be reached at 201-646-2252 or at www.co.bergen.nj.us/surrogate/Index.htm.  

Meetings are held every Thursday at 12:15 for lunch and a speaker/program at Caputo's Catering, Fair Lawn Athletic Club, across from the municipal building on Parmelee Avenue. More information contact Todd N. Malkin, Public Relations fairlawnrotarians@gmail.com and visit us on the web at www.clubrunner.ca/fairlawn. Rotary International can be found on the web at www.rotary.org.  

Becoming a member of Rotary International is becoming a part of something larger than an individual.  When you become a Rotarian, you join with over 1.2 million like-minded individuals around the world seeking to improve the lives of their neighbors around the corner and strangers across the globe.  Rotary allows you to do more locally and globally to benefit the greater good; Rotarians are ambassadors of world understanding, goodwill and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn welcomes Jessica F., a Rotary Youth Exchange Program Student from Switzerland.  Jessica’s exchange visit is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Zurich-Dietikon, Switzerland and Fair Lawn, USA through Rotary’s Youth Exchange Program.  Jessica will be staying in America for the entire school year, attending Fair Lawn High School as a member of the Class of 2012.  Jessica will be living with three Fair Lawn families during her time here in order to fully experience life in America as an “AmericanTeenager”. 

Pertussis, A Highly Contagious respiratory tract infection, gets its common name from the high-pitched intake of breath, or “whooping” sound, that follows a severe, hacking cough.  The Chinese call it the 100-day cough because it can last up to three months.  Whooping cough is caused by a bacterium found in droplets that are released into the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs.

Whooping Cough was a leading cause of childhood illness and death in the United Stated during the first half of the 20^th century.  BY the 1940s, widespread use of a vaccine developed by Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering resulted in a sharp decline in U.S. whooping cough cases, which reached an all-time low during the mid-1970s.

The World Health Organization estimate that in 2008, vaccinations against whooping cough saved roughly 700,00 children worldwide, but is also estimated that about 195,000 died from the disease.

For the 2011-2012 Rotary year which commenced on July 1, 2011 the following Rotarians were named to leadership roles within The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn:

President:                     Glenn Stubaus

President-Elect:            Stu Herrmann

Secretary:                     Stephanie Codey

Treasurer:                     Liz Miazga

Sgt. At Arms:               Jeffrey Simon

Past President:              Todd N. Malkin

Director:                       Robert Kahn

Director:                       Pat C. LaRocco

Director:                       Marty Etler

Director:                       Joanne Kwasniewski

Charlie Wrubel will remain as Rotary Foundation Chair for the Club and Public Relations, Membership and Webmaster duties will continued to be undertaken by Todd N. Malkin.  Other members will be appointed to various Club Committee Chairs to continue The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn’s over 60 year tradition of “Service Above Self” to those living in Fair Lawn and around the world.

It is the end of the 2010/2011 Rotary Year, the end of my stint as President of The Rotary Club of fair lawn.  It was a great experience, something that is hard to describe, but it is something that is felt in your gut.  Being a Rotarian is a wonderful experience, you get to see the world in a different way, not as a banker, not as a member of the local planning board, not as a trustee of a corporation, but as an individual that is part of something larger than himself.  What is done on the local level is something that is multiplied thousands of times over and is given the opportunity to make a greater impact than if it was done on its own by one person.  As a Rotarian, I found that one person can and does make a big difference in the community around the corner and across the globe.

On June 30^th, The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn hosted some of the Fair Lawn High School Seniors that received scholarships to continue their educational goals after graduation.  Also in attendance was one of the junior year students that participated in the 2011 RYLA program.  Each student gave a brief introduction of them self and described their aspirations for life after Fair Lawn High School.  Each scholarship winner had an interesting story as to how and why they choose their school and field of study.  These students will be continuing their education in a variety of locations around the country and will be undertaking thought-provoking and exciting course work this Fall in a very diverse range of subjects.

Our RYLA attendee described how this program enhanced her leadership skills through the many challenges presented to the entire RYLA group.  There was discussion as to how these challenges have prepared her to take leadership roles in the activities she participates in and how it has prepared her for her senior year of high school and beyond.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn awarded $6,000 in scholarships to 4 FLHS students continuing their education.  Fair Lawn Rotarians are proud to be one of the largest scholarship providers to our students.  Each of the four FLHS Juniors selected to attend the Annual RYLA Program were fully sponsored by The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn as well.  Both of these programs, scholarships and RYLA, are an important aspect of how Rotary serves the youth of our community.  Each of these programs assists our youth as they grow to take leadership roles in our community. 

Rotarians around the world are celebrating the start of the new Rotary Year; throughout the world President-elects are starting their presidency that will run from July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012.  Globally, the President of Rotary International is Kalyan Banerjee whose Rotary Theme is “Reach Within to Embrace Humanity”.  President Banerjee has asked all of us to search within ourselves to understand that all of us, everywhere, have the same dreams, the same hopes, the same aspirations, and similar dilemmas.  It is President Banerjee’s belief that when we understand, and truly feel, that others’ needs are the same as our own, we begin to understand how important our work is as Rotarians. 

In the year ahead Fair Lawn Rotarians will work under President Banerjee’s vision to see how we, as individuals, can work with Rotarians around the world to bring peace, harmony and friendship to bring positive change to all around us.  This year’s Club President, Glenn Stubaus will be taking the helm of The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn for the second time.  His last Presidency was the 1996/97 Rotary Year and all members of the Club are looking forward to working with Glenn during his second Presidency as we work together to provide a helping hand to those in need locally and globally. 

WITH A LAND MASS ABOUT 1/3^rd the size of the United States, India is the seventh-largest country in the world.  Its population of 1.2 billion, second only to China’s, accounts for more than 15% of the world’s population, on 2.4% of the world’s land.  The country’s median age is 26.  Three in 10 Indians are 14 years old or younger.

ABOUT 81 PERCENT of Indians are Hindus, 13.4% Muslims, 2.3% Christians and 1.9% Sikhs.  The Indian government recognizes more than a dozen official languages.  About 41% of the population speaks Hindi.  English is widely spoken throughout the country.

INDIA’S ANNUAL per capita income of US$3,400 ranks 163^rd among the world’s countries.  Twenty-five percent of the population lives below the poverty line, but India has the second-largest labor force, 478 million people.  About 52% of Indians work in agriculture, which accounts for 16% of the country’s gross domestic product.  About one-third of the people work in service industries, which accounts for 55% of GDP.  Fourteen percent work in industry, which represents 29% of GDP.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn is once again proud to be a sponsor of the Maurice M. Pine Library Children’s Summer Reading Program.  A donation in the amount of $500 from Club was presented to Kate Nafz, Children’s Librarian by 2010/2011 Club President Todd N. Malkin and 2011/2012 Club President Glenn Stubaus.

Support of the Children’s Summer Reading Program is one of the many ways The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn supports the youth of our community.  Local Rotarians work with the school district in providing school supplies to needy children in the elementary schools.  The Club also distributes dictionaries to all of Fair Lawn’s Third Graders.  The Fair Lawn High School Interact Club is sponsored by The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn; Rotarians also provide scholarships to FLHS seniors continuing their education after graduation and sponsors FLHS juniors to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Award six-day workshop. 

Memorial Day is a day where we pause to give thanks to the people who fought for all that we enjoy as Americans.  Without their belief in serving the greater good, we would not be able to enjoy the rights we have as Americans; freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to congregate and freedom to practice your religious beliefs.  Members of The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn, give thanks to our veterans.

As a way of showing our thanks to the men and women of the armed forces, both of the Rotary Clubs serving Fair Lawn participated in Fair Lawn’s Memorial Day Parade held on Monday, May 30^th.  The event started with a Rotary sponsored breakfast at the Cadmus House, the kick-off location of the parade.  From the Cadmus House the parade route followed Fair Lawn Avenue down to River Road; taking River Road, all participants turned down Berdan Avenue towards Memorial Park.  The route was lined with many cheering on the different groups participating in the parade and giving thanks to the Veterans that were either marching or riding in this annual event.

Rotarians were proud to be a part of this important show of support to our troops. 

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn and the Fair Lawn Lions Club are bonded by their commitment to the Fair Lawn community as well as giving back to the world community.  Each local Club is part of a larger global organization made up of volunteers that seeks to help people in need wherever and whenever needed. 

Members of both Clubs get together each year to enjoy the bond of volunteering in our community.  Each of these Clubs is over 60 years old; The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn was organized in August of 1948 and the Fair Lawn Lions Club was founded in 1950.   

RYLA, Rotary Youth Leadership Award, is a Rotary District 7490 program open to high school juniors.  RYLA participants attend an all expense paid, six-day workshop focusing on leadership, team building, and professional development topics. They join other talented young people selected by other Rotary Clubs of District 7490, in Northern New Jersey.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn received several applications from FLHS Juniors interested in learning more about Rotary and leadership.  After much deliberation, four students were sponsored to attend this year’s RYLA Program.  This year’s RYLA program was held at Indian Head Camp in Honesdale, PA. from May 22^nd to May 27^th.

RYLA is…

     an opportunity…

               a challenge…

                    an award. 

On May 22^nd Rotarians and the Fair Lawn Community came together to support the Fair Lawn Heavy Rescue Squad at the Annual Rotary Pancake Breakfast.  The Rescue Squad was chosen as this year’s beneficiary of this annual community event.  The funds from the pancake breakfast will assist the Squad in outfitting their new storage garage currently under construction across the street from their headquarters on Romaine Street.

Pictures from this event, including some apparatus and the garage are now on our home page.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn recently held its annual used bike collection for Pedals for Progress.  P4P is an international organization that takes old repairable bicycles and sends them to emerging countries.  These bikes are used to teach a trade and create microbusiness opportunities to stimulate the economy of areas around the world.  These repaired bikes are then but to good use, providing mobility allowing people to ride further to find work or attend school so they can improve their lives and the lives of their families.

The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn collected 19 used bicycles this year.  If you have used bicycles, think about donating them instead of having them fill up precious space in our landfills.  Contact a member of The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn to find out how you can donate your used bicycles.

Used bikes can be put to use to help others improve their lives. 

Leaders of the Fair Lawn High School Environmental Club visited the Rotary Club of Fair Lawn updating local Rotarians on the initiatives this student organization has undertaken to improve environmental awareness at the high school.  The FLHS Environmental Club received a Clean Communities Grant to distribute aluminum water bottles to the school population.  Each student was given a reusable water bottle with their class year and school logo on it; each class’ bottle is in a different color.  This program was put in place to eliminate plastic water bottles in the school.

Recently, members of The Rotary Club of Fair Lawn were treated to a ballroom dancing exhibition by two-time National Latin Dance Champions Adriana Bezmenova and Georgi Kanev, owners of Dance A Lot Ballroom Studio right here in Fair Lawn.

THE 12 JANUARY 2010 EARTHQUAKE in Haiti killed 222,570 people and injured 300,572, the Haitian government estimates.  It left more than one million people homeless.  The quake registered 7.0 in magnitude; a tremor of that size had not hit Haiti in more than 200 years.  The shocks were felt in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

ShelterBox was founded by Tom Henderson, a Rotarian and former Royal Navy search and rescue diver.

He saw that the aid response to most disasters was in the form of food and medicine to help people survive the immediate aftermath.

Little or no assistance was given in terms of proper shelter to help them through the first few days, weeks and months as they tried to rebuild their lives. ShelterBox was launched to fill that void.