ROTOSCOPE
Door: Matt Balling
Pledge: Vern Anderson
Anthem: None
Four Way Test: Lee Broad
Grace: Joe Fiorella
50/50 Ticket Sales: $438. Doug Littlewood drew the two of clubs and won $2. He donated it to the Rotary Club Foundation.
Visiting Rotarians: None.
Guests: None.
Note: President-Elect Kathy Behan presided over the meeting in the absence of President Ed Stachura.
Program:
This week’s speaker was David Rust, Executive Director from the Say Yes to Education organization.
The Buffalo community’s commitment to providing a tuition scholarship for a postsecondary education—be it a trade certificate, 2-year or 4-year degree— to every graduate of the city’s public and charter schools is what attracted David Rust to lead Say Yes to Education’s work in Buffalo since the Summer of 2012.
Since taking the post in Summer 2012, he has overseen the implementation of one of the most significant community transformation efforts undertaken in the region’s history. Through leveraging the promise of the locally funded scholarship program, Say Yes Buffalo scholars are eligible to attend more than 100 private and public institutions, including Harvard, Duke, Medaille, Northwestern, the University at Buffalo, and many more. Using the power of these free tuition scholarships, Mr. Rust’s team has brought together private and public sector partners to engage in action to reform the city’s public education system and how services and supports are delivered to low-income families.
Prior to joining Say Yes Buffalo, Mr. Rust served as Deputy Commissioner for Youth Services/Social Services for Erie County where he managed a staff of 120 with a $14-million budget, and a primary focus on juvenile detention and diversion services, runaway-homeless youth, and funding community based positive youth programs. He also served the Department of Social Services on numerous interdepartmental projects with county agencies such as Family Court, Mental Health and Probation, and numerous community based collaborations for youth.
Prior to Erie County government, Mr. Rust was the program director for the Youth Character Development Foundation, a non-profit foundation of Dale Carnegie of WNY and also as associate director, dean of students and resident director for The Francis E. Kelly Oxford Program at Somerville College in Oxford, Great Britain.
He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University where he earned both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Business Administration Marketing/Management from the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Mr. Rust also volunteers his time with numerous youth-based agencies throughout the City of Buffalo.
Highlights of his presentation included:
- Have raised $19 million for scholarships
- Say Yes to Education pays for tuition
- A wide range of institutions partner with Say Yes to Education, including UB, Buff State, RIT, RPI, and many Ivy League schools.
- Technical institutes are also part of the program
- Students have to meet the admission requirements of the partner institutions
- Students must meet the school’s requirements in terms of minimum QPA’s and behavior.
- The partnership with the Buffalo community is wide and deep with an Operating Board consisting of educational, political, and business leaders.
Announcements:
Foundation Annual Meeting: The Foundation’s Annual Meeting was held at this Club meeting. The Foundation’s Annual Report was distributed by Foundation President William Thulman and Vicky D’Angelo. Discussion of the Report followed. There was also an election for members to the Foundation Board of Trustees, which was handled by Thulman and D’Angelo.
The terms of three existing members of the Williamsville Rotary Foundation Board expired at the end of the Foundation's fiscal year on April 30, 2014. The terms which expired are for: Larry Read, Frank Ralabate and Mary Biddle-Widman.
The Foundation Board of Directors recommended that Frank Ralabate be re-appointed to serve another 3-year term on the Foundation Board in the category of a Board Member appointed by the Rotary Club Board of Directors. Frank was re-appointed at the April 17, 2014 Board meeting.
The other two Foundation Board members were placed up for election at this Annual Meeting of the Foundation. Those positions are as follows: Larry Read, was elected to another 3-year term as a Past President of the Club; and Mary Biddle-Widman, was elected to another 3-year term as a member of the Club for over 10 years.
The current members of the Board of Trustees are: William Thuman, Lawrence Read, Vern Anderson, Michael Prinzbach, Frank Ralabate, Victoria D’Angelo, Robert Chur, Mary Biddle-Widman, and Ron Prazmark.
Strawberry Festival Event: Planning has continued for this year’s SF event (June 18th 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm for guests) at Island Park. Chairman Kevin Flint is seeking volunteers for the numerous planning activities. On the day of the event, activities will begin in early morning picking up supplies, shucking strawberries, and setting up the Pavilion and the adjacent park. Clean up after the event will continue for at least 1½-hours after the closing of the event.
To make this event successful, this event, as all of our events, needs sponsors. See 2014 Strawberry Festival Sponsor Program information sheet previously distributed by email to all members.
Club’s Facebook Page: Take a look at the Club’s Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubOfWilliamsville) page that was developed by Gary Skaylo and “Like” our page.
Local Parades: We didn’t have time to organize and seek volunteers for this year’s Memorial Day Parade (5/25/14), but there is time for the next parade – Old Home Days Parade, July 8th at 6:00 PM. We have the horizontal Rotary banner (9-foot x 3-foot) to carry and show off our Club. The parade route is just under 1-mile in length from Williamsville South High School to Los Robles . We did not have time to discuss this or to reach a decision.
Rotary Park & Circle Clean Up: Eight Rotarians spent 3-hours on Saturday May 17th doing the annual cleaning up of Rotary Park & Circle. A volunteer citizen, who just moved into the area from Georgia, also spent 1½ hours staining the two redwood benches. The area looks great!!!! Thank you to all who shared their time and helped to improve the area.
Our next activity at the site will be to spread some #1A stone over the area along the stone wall overlooking Ellicott Creek and in the area where there are stone steps. With enough members, this should take 1-1½ hours.
Polio Plus – Your Donation Matters: Ed S. sent information from District 7090’s Polio Plus Chair previously by email showing what your donation to Polio Plus provides. Every $1.00 you contribute becomes $3.00 thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Club Web Site Advertising: Did you know that advertising on the Club’s web site is $100/year, July 1 to June 30? That’s approximately $0.27 per day, and is seen by everyone visiting the Club’s web page. Pro-rata is also available. Interested? Ask Vern Anderson for the details and join other Club members who are already using this form of advertising ….helping their business and their Club.
Every Rotarian – Every Year (EREY): Wow!!!! Did you know that for $0.27 per day, less than $2.00 per week, and $8.33 per month you can be an active participant and be recognized in Rotary International’s (RI) EREY Program? And you can do this with a simple authorization to RI to charge a credit card account for the recurring period (month / quarter / annual) amount you designate. This is simple and straightforward.
Your commitment provides grant funds for RI and our District 7090 for projects that are used to fund local and international service projects, scholarships, and vocational training teams
Please see Ed or Vern Anderson for an EREY form whereby you can make this commitment for a tax deductible contribution (this is a 501.c.3 charity) as a recurring monthly, quarterly or annual donation using a credit card (www.rotary.org/contribute). You know the good that Rotary and its members accomplish; please seriously consider your participation in EREY. Our Club number is 4756, District #7090, and your individual member number can be found on the mailing label of the Rotarian magazine, an 8-digit number preceded by “#” just above your name. I will have each member’s membership number at the Club meetings for your information and ease of reference. Thank You!
Program Schedule: The April 10th issue of the 2013-2014 Speakers’ Schedule and the April 24th 2014-2015 Schedule were distributed by email to all members. We have openings for speakers for the 2014-2015 Club year. Doug Littlewood can provide you with the current schedule and available openings. If you have a potential speaker, it is suggested that two (2) open dates, in order of speaker preferred priority, be confirmed with Doug Littlewood or Vern Anderson, who will confirm the specific date, and “lock” that date for your speaker. Please keep Doug and Vern updated if changes need to be made. In our social and business lives we may know of individuals who have an interesting background, career, or story. Ask them: “Would you share this with my Rotary Club?”
Future speakers: Discussions are taking place for speaking engagements with the following: Mark Thomas (Western Regional Director – NYS Parks); and Maria Lehman (Peace Bridge).
Meeting Attendance: In an email to all club members, Ed S. reminded us that the Club’s and RI’s requirements are attendance at a minimum level of 50% of the scheduled meetings, which can also be met by make-ups at any of the District’s 69 clubs throughout the southern Ontario-western New York area. Attendance at Club and/or event committee meetings, Board meetings, and Foundation meetings also count to your attendance requirement. If you do this, ensure that you receive a Make-Up post card from the Club that you visited which you will turn in to either Matt Balling or Vern Anderson. Missing four (4) unexcused meetings in a row are the basis for RI membership termination. If you have a Smartphone, there is a Rotary app that provides detailed information on each of the worldwide Rotary clubs, contacts, meeting location data, etc.
Ed noted that for the period July 2013 through April 2014 the attendance percentage is 54.5%. Our 2 highest months were January and March, at 57.61% and 73.50%, respectively. The lowest attendance percentage was during February 2014 at 45.3%.
Ed S. also noted that members can make-up a meeting anywhere in the world and via the District’s new eClub (www.rotaryeclub7090.org), Rotary E-Club of SOWNY. Be sure to let Vern Anderson know of your “attendance.”
2014 Calendar Marks:
No Meeting on June 16: Strawberry Festival is that Wednesday
Club: June 18th– our 14thStrawberry Festival; August 10th – Classic Car Show; September 22nd– the Club’s 3rdAnnual Golf Outing.
Other Rotary Club Events: Rotary Club of Lancaster-Depew / August 11, 2014 – Jack Newhouse Memorial Golf Classic. Materials and flyers for these events were distributed previously by email to all members. (Also see Club websites for information for each event.)
District: June 8-14th – RYLA Event; October 25-26 – The Buffalo Bash Event –District Conference– District Conference being held at Buffalo’s Convention Center /// (See District 7090 web page--http://www.clubrunner.ca/portal/home.aspx?did=7090--for details on all District events.)
Fines: Richard Wojtowicz, Fine Master.
- Norm Mattar--$1 for being late; $1 for a new (used?) boat
- Tim Henderson--$1 for phone ringing during meeting
- Lee Broad--$1 for messing up the third point on the 4-Way Test
- Vickie D’Angelo--$1 for a trip to Rhode Island
- Matt Balling--$1 for coaching a 12-0 team
- Doug Littlewood--$1 for not paying for Richard Wojtowicz
- All who missed the June 2 Mix ‘N Mingle--$1
- Mary Biddle-Widman--$1 for talking during the meeting
Happy Dollars:
- Matt Balling--$1 for the inane escape in a bright green helicopter from an Ottawa prison.