Cogitator July 14, 2010

Cogitator, July 14, 2010
VISITING ROTARIANS Charlie Murphy, District 7950 Governor, Fairhaven, MA. Valerie Perry, Governor Murphy's assistant, Fairhaven, MA. Russ Bertrand, Assistant District Governor, Wakefield, RI.

GUESTS Steve Lombardi, Executive Director, East Greenwich Chamber of Commerce.

BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES: none this week.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT
President Ed Neff presented Sergeant at Arms Jim Essex with a proper Rotary Sergeant at Arms armband. (If you still can't figure out which one Jim is, he's the guy who takes your money and then keeps us all in-tune during our patriotic song each week.)

Ed reminded the club that Monday, August 16th is Rotary Night at McCoy Stadium, where the Pawtucket Red Sox will take on the Buffalo Bisons. The Bisons are division rivals, and the way things are going in Boston, it looks like it should be a good night to see half the Boston team playing down here in Pawtucket. Also, there will be the traditional local Rotary Clubs' on-field presentation of banners, and District Governor Charlie Murphy will throw the first pitch. Let's get a good East Greenwich crowd there to see if he can zing one in there. Please see Mike Balsamo for details.

Ed mentioned that the Club donated, at last Thursday's Board Meeting, $2500 toward the East Greenwich Summer's End Concert, to be held Labor Day Weekend. Our club has been a long time supporter of the Summer's End Concert, which is always a great night and a terrific great concert, right here in East Greenwich.

Finally, Ed also reminded the club that he's looking for a new Serve leader.

NEW MEMBER INSTALLATION
Always a happy occasion, we gained a new member thanks to sponsor Bob MacKenzie. Corey Guglietti, Operations Manager at the Kent County YMCA, joined our ranks as he was 'sworn in' by District Governor Murphy. Not bad for your first day in Rotary, getting the District Gov' come down to preside over the ceremony. Nice work, and welcome Corey!

ROTARY FOUNDATION MINUTE

John Wolcott introduced Stephanie Sharkey, our club's candidate for District 7950's Group Study Exchange, to be held this year in Scotland. District 1010 in Northern Scotland will host the District GSE Team from October 1 to October 29, 2010. (Apparently, the mother of Rotary Founder Paul Harris came from this area of Scotland, and thus they consider themselves 'the original District 1!')

Stephanie graduated from URI's College of Pharmacy and has been a practicing pharmacist for over a year. She is also still studying for her MBA. Her GSE interview will be on July 26th, and we will find out shortly thereafter if she has been selected.

HAPPY BUCKS
In a sign that our club's Red Sox fans are going soft after 2004 and 2007, OR, more likely, Rotary's ability to bridge great divides and heal old wounds, Ken Colaluca (Sox), Bob Miller (Yanks), Richard Waterman (Sox), Dave Iannuccilli (Yanks), and Vin Meola (Sox) all paid tribute to George Steinbrenner, the late 'Boss' of the Evil Empire, excuse me, New York Yankees.  OK, even the editor has to admit Steinbrenner was pretty good at what he did, including torturing Sox fans for many years.  Rest in peace, George Steinbrenner. 

Assistant DG Russ Bertrand reminded us that the South County Balloon Festival is coming up, Judy Pratt's son Alex won his baseball league championship, Amy Levin's son is off to Italy to paint, and Dave Iannuccilli's son is off to UCLA Medical Center for his fellowship.

PROGRAM, DISTRICT GOVERNOR CHARLIE MURPHY
Charlie Murphy, from the Fairhaven Rotary Club, was actually president of his club three times before becoming 'DG.'  And, he became the youngest governor of our district, ever, at the age of 42. 

He praised our East Greenwich club for all the phenomenal work it has done in the past, and, and urged us all to continue our efforts this coming year and beyond.

Charlie noted that 2010-2011's 'Building Communities and Bridging Continents' is an excellent theme for Rotary International, and, for our district, and it will be a personal theme for him over the next year as he visits each club in our district.

Charlie, a man of energy and determination, is married and has three children. He also happens to work three jobs while he continues his district governor duties.

One of his jobs includes working with the disabled. This brought him to the story of his friend Maximo. Charlie told the story of great difficulty in getting a wheelchair to Maximo, a polio survivor from Honduras.

Charlie secured his first wheelchair for Maximo. He later found out that the wheelchair was stolen. Undaunted, he found a second wheelchair. Sure enough, number two chair was stolen as well from Miami Airport.   

Charlie took matters into his own hands and...well...he stole a wheelchair FOR Maximo.  With the help of a mysterious 'disabled' woman, he charged a gate past armed guards.  The mystery woman miraculously walked off the plane later when they arrived in Honduras, a real head turner for the flight attendants. 

(ROTARY LAWYER SIDEBAR...Was this really stealing? It was for Maximo, right?  Let's refer to my 4-Way-Test wallet card.  OK.  Yep, stealing.  Sorry, Charlie.  But we're all hopeful you receive a Governor's pardon next year as you leave office.)

In the end, through great effort and perseverance on District Governor Murphy's part, Maximo finally got a wheelchair, and Charlie showed the grit and determination with which he'll lead District 7950 this year.   

Epilogue: Charlie ended up receiving a $500 check from the airline whose Miami employees apparently steal things marked for Honduras and/or for the disabled. That money is now pledged for his legal defense, er, other worthwhile Rotary causes. 

Good luck, District Governor Murphy, in all of your efforts this Rotary year!

GC