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Cogitator May 22, 2013
Myrna George, President/CEO, South County Tourism Council
VISITING ROTARIANS
None.
GUESTS
Jon Soule, President of Inspired Giving, was a guest of Chuck Sauer once again. Looks like Jon is on track for a classification talk in the near future!
BIRTHDAYS/ANNIVERSARIES
Happy birthday wishes from the club go out to Steve Lombardi on May 23rd.
ROTARY ANNIVERSARY
Happy Rotary induction day this week to Jon TerMeer who celebrates his second full year in the club on May 25th.
INSTALLATION EVENING
Sally Russell reminded everyone to please sign up for the annual Installation of Officers banquet at Restaurant 1149 on Wednesday June 5th. The evening begins at 6pm with appetizers and cocktails, with dinner to follow. President Ken Colaluca will have a chance to review another stellar year for our club, and President Elect Jodi Gladstone will take the oath of office for the 2013-2014 year. Finally, the club will announce the 2012-2013 Bipin Pancholi Rotarian of the Year recipient, honoring the club member whose ‘Service Above Self’ stood well above the crowd this year. It should be a great night, as always.
Tickets are only $35 per person. Please be sure to register with Sally by next Wednesday, or, visit www.EGRotary.org as soon as possible to make your reservation.
PAUL HARRIS FELLOWSHIP AWARD
George Popella reminded newcomers and guests that the Rotary Foundation is currently the second largest charity fund in the world today, able to do great things for those in need, especially children, throughout the world.
Under George’s guidance for many years, our Rotary club has continually put together several teams of five members who individually pay $200 per year for five years. This guarantees that each of the five members, upon contributing $1000 over that span, will earn a Paul Harris Fellowship Award. George went on to announce one team’s most recent selection ‘from the hat’—yours truly.
A sincere thanks to George for the work he has done for so many years with our club’s Paul Harris teams, and, for keeping our club so connected to the important work of the Rotary Foundation.
ALS EVENING OF HOPE
Judy Pratt and several committee members attended the 2013 ALSA of Rhode Island Evening of Hope on Saturday, May 18th. If you haven’t been to one, you should do your best to attend next year’s event. There is always a terrific silent auction, an exciting live auction, a delicious dinner, excellent speakers, and extraordinarily touching speeches from local families engaged in the serious battle against a terrible disease, ALS.
For 13 years now our club has brought net proceeds checks from our Scott Carlson Memorial ALS 5K ranging from $10,000, to last year’s record $62,000, to this year’s wonderful $53,000. All told, the Rotary Club of East Greenwich, since 2001, has contributed to the local ALSA chapter more than $440,000!
Congratulations once more to all involved—committee members, club members, volunteers, and families and friends of our 5K event. And most of all, we give our sincere thanks to the incredible leadership of Judy Pratt, who as Dr. Bob Miller perfectly notes, ‘is the glue that keeps us all together every year.’
PERFECT ATTENDANCE
Wil Yoder started attending Rotary meetings in the spring of 1978. Jimmy Carter, Bee Gees, The Deer Hunter, Grease…plus a pretty big snowstorm in February…you remember, right? Well, since then, Wil hasn’t missed a Rotary meeting. Not a one. And so, this week, Ed Neff presented Wil with a well deserved perfect attendance pin…for 35 years. Congratulations, Wil!
TASTE OF THE TOWN
Pat Lenihan reported on a ‘wonderful night for Rotary’ in both fellowship and fundraising on Friday, May 17th. ‘It was a fun evening, with great support from the club, family and friends, local restaurants, and St Francis de Sales Church. Taste of the Town has truly become a signature social event each year, and it has helped the Charity Fund coffers tremendously, thanks to Pat and her committee’s great leadership and dedication.
Pat said she ‘can finally sleep well through the night,’ now that our 50th Anniversary Gala and Taste of the Town are successfully completed. From the club, to Pat and both of her committees, a heartfelt ‘thanks’ and ‘congratulations’ for their superb efforts and accomplishments!
ROTARIAN OF THE YEAR
John Wolcott asked for final Bipin Pancholi Rotarian of the Year ballots and noted his committee will soon meet to determine this year’s selection.
HAPPY BUCKS
-Gill Thorpe was happy that his wife Nancy is ‘up and around’ after her hip replacement surgery. He’s especially grateful that Nancy’s cooking meals again for the family, since spam and eggs gets boring after a while. (OK, Gill didn’t actually say spam and eggs…I’m projecting…that would be my house if Lisa ever went under the knife…)
-Ed Neff praised Chuck Sauer as an ‘unsung hero’ of the club, always behind the scenes working on the one Rotary function or another, and always helping out with our web presence and various software applications. (Hear, hear!)
-Bob Miller was happy to have attended another Evening of Hope and to have proudly witnessed another huge ($53,000) donation from our club to a great local organization, ALSA of RI.
-Beth DeGerlia had a great time at Taste of the Town, and like Pat Lenihan, she’s glad to be finally sleeping through the night again, too!
-Jane Boynton gave a ‘here we come, Bermuda’ buck, as she and her family happily prepared to get away for a few days.
-Wil Yoder was very happy about the start of another summer break (from classes at Rhode Island School of Design).
SPEAKER/PROGRAM
Myrna George, President and CEO, South County Tourism Council
The South County Tourism Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the towns of Charlestown, Coventry, East Greenwich, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, West Greenwich, and Westerly as a leisure travel destination. The SCTC’s promotional efforts include publication of a 100-page vacation guide; a year-long advertising campaign directed at our leisure tourism market; targeted sales efforts; public relations strategy; participation in numerous trade shows; and a comprehensive website. (*From website below.)
Not long ago, the RI General Assembly enacted legislation to promote enthusiasm for non-Rhode Islanders to visit the Ocean State. Since 2004, Myrna George has led the South County Tourism Council, an organization charged with just that task.
Tourism success in Rhode Island is attributed to saving RI homeowners nearly $1,300 in taxes each year. With that in mind, Rhode Islanders should become ‘ambassadors for this beautiful state.’ Myrna encouraged everyone to ‘spread the good word…since there is so much to be proud of, and so much to enjoy in our state!’
Once a state representative, Myrna knows a thing or two about integrated marketing campaigns. Her work today is one of ‘campaigning’ for Rhode Island, trying to get more people and more dollars into our state. The South County Tourism Council spent last year over $200,000 in promotional ‘media purchases’ in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and Yankee Magazine.
The Ocean House in Watch Hill is, per Forbes Magazine, Rhode Island’s stand alone five-star hotel. ‘It’s busy, it’s beautiful, and it’s an amazing destination for those lucky enough to stay there,’ said Myrna.
Several members agreed that we are lucky as Rhode Islanders. We do indeed have a marvelous state to tour, take in, and enjoy. This little state of ours is so rich in vibrant history and tradition, so full of character and life, and it truly is a wonderful home for us, as well as a grand destination for thousands of visitors from elsewhere each year.
Nice work, 'Ambassador' Myrna!