Cogitator Aug 15, 2012

GUESTS

Stacey Cormier, Sue Dorne’s sister and proprietor of Stacey’s Place on Main Street, joined us.

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES

Happy birthday wishes this week go out to Caroline Bradshaw on August 20^th.  Also this week, the club passes on happy anniversary wishes to Bill (and Marie) McHale who celebrate August 16^th, as well as Sally Russell (and husband John Prendergast) who celebrate August 19^th.   

CLUB ANNIVERSARY

Happy second Rotary anniversary on August 18^th to Steve Lombardi.  Steve also heads the East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce. 

PAUL HARRIS AWARD

George Popella reminded us that the Rotary Foundation is the second largest charitable foundation in the world today, while handing Bob Sloan his fifth Paul Harris Fellowship award.  Bob is an Old Fogies Team Two recipient, and this newest distinctive Paul Harris pin contains four sapphire chips.

ROTARACT OFFICERS’ INSTALLATION

New Generations Chairman Bill TenEyck invited the club to a Caribbean Installation party at the East Greenwich New England Tech campus on Saturday, August 25^th.  It will be a milestone for Bill and our club.  Our first-ever-sponsored Rotaract club will install 2012-2013 officers, and the party will follow immediately.  Eleven Rotarians are signed up already, but all are invited as we make a strong showing in support of New England Tech’s young Rotaract-ers.  The event is scheduled from 3pm to 5pm.  Tickets cost $15 for individuals and $25 for couples.

PHONEBOOK

Our budgeted revenue goal was $70,000.  Today, we’re at $52,000 in revenues.  With several accounts likely to renew, Kathy Brown and her Phonebook committee hope to end the campaign with no less than $61,000.  The final deadline for all ads before printing begins--August 31^st.  So…please…if you haven’t already, why not invest one last burst of effort and energy.  Reach out to a local business, someone you know, someone with whom you do business, a friend in town who owns a store, etc.  Let’s finish with a strong flurry and reach that $70,000 goal…together.

MAIN STREET STROLL

Steve Lombardi announced that East Greenwich’s Main Street Stroll and Taste of East Greenwich will be on Thursday, August 23^rd, from 5pm to 8pm.  

HAPPY BUCKS

-Sue Dorne was happy that her son, Jeff Pluta, was able to visit the club and present his charitable organization ‘Amped for Education’ last week.

-Jane Boynton was in the Catskills with the TenEyck and Inkley families last week, enjoying ‘too much food and drink,’ and, unearthing yearbooks with then-classmates (Past President) Kevin Inkley and Sue (Fallon) Dorne.

-Stacey Cormier invited folks to stop by her new business, Stacey’s Place, during the Main Street Stroll on the 23^rd. 

-Steve Lombardi’s son is off to college in New York for his senior year. 

-Ron Winde was thrilled that Agave, home to a recent Rotary After Dark, took out a full page Phonebook ad!

-Bob Petrucelli was in Minneapolis for his wife Shirley’s family reunion. 

-Yours truly thanked Ron Winde and Sue Dorne for their kind Cogitator encouragement, and, praised Sue’s 25-year-old son for his charity and education efforts in Nicaragua. 

SPEAKER/PROGRAM

Girl Scout Gold Awards, with Kathleen O’Rourke, Megan Windle, and Tayler Knoop

Kathleen O’Rourke, a Girl Scout once herself, had a wonderful time years ago.  She has also thoroughly enjoyed the past years of watching her daughter, Taylor Knoop, and others Girl Scouts from East Greenwich achieve their Gold Awards. 

In the progression from Daisies, to Brownies, to Juniors, to Seniors, Girl Scouts are constantly working on various projects and badges.  The girls who stick with it through their high school years have a great deal of rigorous activities as the possibility looms ahead of prestigious Silver and Gold Awards.

The Gold Award is achieved through 80 hours of project work.  Girls work with a mentor and follow a serious application process.  Only upon submission of a final report is the Girl Scout’s individual project approved.

Five of Kathleen’s local troop 547 stuck with it, learned a lot about themselves, persevered, and worked with others in gaining the highest Girl Scouting distinction, the Gold Award.

Megan Windle said it ‘was the hardest project she had ever done.’  Her first project was actually rejected.  Devastated, yet determined, she continued working with her mentor, Ms. O’Rourke.  Her second proposal was accepted, and off she went, successfully completing a softball clinic for local Crossroads youth of North Kingstown. 

Megan had to deal with a low initial turnout and plenty of rain.  When she was done, however, she had befriended and taught softball lessons to five enthusiastic girls.  One girl, sad that the clinic was over, asked after the final session, ‘But…will…we see you at Christmas?’

Taylor Knoop spent one semester abroad in Northern India, which gave her a great idea.   Why not begin to compare various high schools, in India and back in the states? 

In India, Taylor discovered that a standardized S.A.T.-like test had only a 3% pass-ratio.  This meant that 97% of the kids in the region she visited were usually consigned to a harsh fate, being unable to go on with higher education studies.  To Taylor this was astonishing, to realize that such a ‘corrupt’ process could exist.

Back in the states, she visited local schools and observed various education styles and programs.  She met with lots of young students as well, passing on a message of how lucky we are in America, in general, with a fine general system which encourages all students to excel.  Taylor also pointed out that those simple things like heat, electricity, and basic supplies…aren’t quite so ‘simple’ in other parts of the world like India. 

Congratulations Taylor, Megan, and all the Gold Award Girl Scouts of Troop 547!

Megan Windle, Taylor Knoop, and Kathleen O’Rourke