Newsletter 5-26-09

Needham Rotary Club Bulletin

May 26, 2009

Bill Paulson Presiding

Opening: Song - Miriam Kronish.  Prayer - Darrell Minnich

Guests: Rich Forte, Bill Rosenthal, Steve DeCesare, Chris Teachout 

Announcements:

Jon Kleiman's Trip to Ethiopia:  Jon is leaving today to work toward the improvement of education for girls in Ethiopia. He will be visiting schools, conducting interviews, and making a video of his experiences, which he will show us upon his return. Jon thanked Rotary for their support for his project. We wish him Bon Voyage!

Rich Forte's Induction: June 2^nd

Needham Street Fair: June 6^th is the date. We will have a booth and people are asked to volunteer to man the booth throughout the day. Please contact Bill Paulson and let him know when you can be there.

Rotary Scholarship Recipients' Reception: June 9^th. We are awarding two $10,000. scholarships this year.

Wine Tasting and Silent Auction: Friday, June 12^th at the Needham Historical Society from 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. The committee is looking for donations to the silent auction. Karen Wetmore asked for people to display our flyers in store windows throughout town. Next week sign-ups for working at the event will be circulated. It is hoped that each member will sell at least four tickets. Raffle tickets for a 50" LG HD Plasma TV are on sale and will also be sold at the Street Fair. The TV is now on display at Gold's Gym in Needham, along with a Power Point Presentation explaining Rotary's goals.

Care Packages to Military Personnel: Bob Welling has been sending care packages to people serving in the armed forces. If you know of someone who is serving overseas, please contact Bob and he will follow through with a very generous care package.

Thank You Letter: Oscar Nava, Alyssa's father, wrote to thank us for hosting Alyssa as an exchange student at Needham High School this year. She has received a full scholarship to nursing school in the Philippines.

50/50: No winner yet, but we currently have $349. in the pot.

Happy Belated Birthday: Darrell Minnich!

Happy Dollars:

People wished Jon Kleiman well, were happy to attend a wedding, graduation, a visit with a new grandchild, sorry to have missed meetings - but glad to be here today, 'will miss Alan Waltzman, go Red Sox, to honor our veterans, in honor of Penny Kirk - our guest speaker, appreciation for everyone's help with the Wine Tasting event, for moving a business across the street and putting a second floor on his building, for returning from a trip to Paris, and just for the beautiful day.

Guest Speaker:

Penny Kirk, Needham Housing Authority's Resident Service Coordinator

The Needham Housing Authority oversees 350 housing units. Cook's Bridge houses families and people with disabilities, Linden and Chambers houses seniors. Penny's responsibilities make your head swim:

Children - tutoring, social events, camps, boating, supplies

Adults - parent meetings, mediation, social events

Elderly - Birthday parties, exercise classes, furniture, organizing volunteers for clean-up and socializing

Disabled - inclusion and visitation

Non-English speaking - providing translators

Entertainment, fundraising, art activities

Pet Project: Penny's goal is to enable children to attend the Community Boating program in Boston. For just $1.00 for the whole summer, a child can learn to sail and participate in group activities and sailing from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily. The problem is transportation. We brainstormed about how to get the children there without exorbitant costs. Penny invited us to visit her learn more about the Needham Housing's opportunities and challenges. Volunteers are needed and most welcome. Thank you, Penny, for enlightening us about your most important work. Needham is fortunate indeed to have Penny Kirk enriching the lives of its citizens from age 9 months to 104 years of age.