ROTOSCOPE March 10, 2014

Announcements: 

RI / Club Member Candidate:  On March 3^rd, Catherine Dulmus’ application for RI / Club membership was E-mailed to the Active membership of the Club.   The intent is to induct Catherine at next week’s Club meeting, March 17^th.

Annual Celebration:  The date is Saturday – March 29, 2014, 7PM-10PM at the Park Country Club.  Tickets for the event have been distributed to members for both the Event tickets at $35.00 each and the Grand Prize Raffle Drawing / Wegmans Groceries for 1-year ($35.00 per raffle ticket).   Mark your calendars to attend this major Club event date.  As Tim would say, to “break even” on the Wegmans prize alone, we need to sell a minimum 148 tickets.”  If each member sold 10 (actually 8, since the member and wife or significant other would be 2 of the 10), the Club would have net proceeds from this alone of $12,250.   This would provide approximately $7,000 for Club donations.   If 15 tickets per member were sold, this would increase to $13,175.  Sponsor donations would further enhance the “donation pool.”  Wegman’s and Global Wines and Spirits are two sponsors to date.  To see the impact of ticket sales, sponsors, etc., see the “What if ….”   Analysis sent by email to all members and the event goal. SELLING ALL 400 PRINTED TICKETS WOULD HAVE A NET $$$ EFFECT FOR CLUB DONATIONS ON THE ORDER IN EXCESS OF $20,000 --- 3X’s the impact of doing just the minimum.   Please, Go Out and Sell Those Tickets!!!!

WINE WALL DONATIONS NEEDED!!!!! Please remember to bring a bottle of wine or a gift certificate (UP TO $25.00 in value) to the March 17^th Club meeting.  If you have any questions, please E-mail Carolyn Leed at Carolyn@cleedlaw.com.  If you would prefer to make a cash donation towards the Wine Wall, Carolyn would be happy to make the purchase of bottles of wine or gift certificate(s) on your behalf.   Thank you for your generosity!

SLAPSHOT Event: For youths aged 15-18.   Do you have an interested candidate?  Since the SLAPSHOT event (April 25-27, 2014) is in Canada, the candidate must have either a current U.S. Passport or a NYS Enhanced Driver’s license for entry into Canada (Ancaster, Ontario) and back into the U.S.  SLAPSHOT = Student Leadership Award Program for Students High On Training. Registrations must be in by 3/31/2014.

Meeting Attendance Option:  Mark April 28^th on your calendar to attend the Club meeting and learn of an option to Rotary Club meeting attendance.  Liz Kovacs of the Rotary E-Club of SO/WNY (Southern Ontario-Western New York) will present information on how you can “attend” using your computer, while on an island in the South Pacific or at home at 1:30 AM in your pajamas. Learn how you can improve your RI reported meeting attendance.

DRAM - $310 Million Settlement: Would you qualify for $10 - $1,000 or more?  Did you buy electronic products containing DRAM between 1998 and 2002?  See  http://dramclaims.com/ for all the details.

District Assembly:  May 3^rd, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM at the Conference Center, Niagara Falls, NY (101 Old Falls Street).  Pre-Registration or on-line registration will be required.  Mark your calendar for this event.   See Preliminary 3/6/14 Program, Workshops, Topics sent by Ed S. to all members by email.

RYLA Event: The District’s RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) committee is pleased to announce that RYLA will be taking place June 8-14 at SUNY, Fredonia. Don't miss the opportunity to send a candidate(s) to this exciting week-long leadership program for 19-25 year olds.

Ed S. sent out by email the 2014 application form, poster, and a document to provide members with some background information about RYLA. This information can also be found on the District’s website. The fee is $ 750 and the early bird (April 22, 2014)discounted fee is $ 675. Former exchange students, Rotaractors, and SLAPSHOT alumni make great candidates for RYLA.

A few clubs have been creative in funding this program. There are businesses, government organizations and charitable/not-for-profit organizations that have some bright, promising young people on staff demonstrating great leadership potential. Some of these organizations have gladly paid the fee for RYLA. It is an amazing deal for such a fantastic week-long leadership program. Check it out on the District website at www.rotary7090.org, click on New Generations/Youth Services or go to www.ryla7090.com.

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.

Would you please seriously consider an annual commitment to the EREY program?   There is an aspirational goal of $100 per year per member. Please see the attached EREY form whereby you can make this commitment for a tax-deductible contribution (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.  Ed S. will have each member’s membership number at the Club meetings for information and ease of reference.       Thank You! 

Program Schedule: The February 21st issue of the Speakers’ Schedule was distributedby email to all members. We have openings for speakers.  Doug Littlewood can provide you with the current schedule and available openings.  We have quite a few openings for a speaker after February and the remainder of the year.  If you have a potential speaker, it is suggested that three (3) 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.  This will eliminate any conflict with other confirmed speakers. It will also keep the Program Schedule accurate for dates where speaker dates have been reserved.  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); Maria Lehman (Peace Bridge); and Brian Kulpa, Mayor-Village of Williamsville.

Meeting Attendance:  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.  A map of District 7090 (sent previously by Ed S. by email to all members) indicates the relative location of the various District 7090 Rotary Clubs.  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 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 (Liz Kovacs, President of this Club will be our speaker on April 28). Be sure to let Vern Anderson know of your “attendance.”

2014 Calendar Marks:

Club:March 29^th-- Club’s Annual Celebration; June 2^nd – Mix ‘N Mingle (Williamsville is the Host Club); June 18^th–  our 14^thStrawberry Festival; August 10^th – Classic Car Show; September 22^nd– Annual Golf Outing.

District:March 21^st – PETS Training; March 31^st – Registration Closes for SLAPSHOT; April 25-27^th – SLAPSHOT; May 3^rd – District Assembly; June 8-14^th – RYLA Event; October 25-26 – The Buffalo Bash Event –District Conference /// (See District 7090 web page for details on all District events.)

Fines: Vern Anderson, Fine Master.

·         Richard Wojtowicz--$3 for his attire at a fish fry and Lucky Luciano

·         Larry Read--$1—no pin

·         Joe Fiorella--$1—no pin

·         Bob Chur--$1—cell phone ringing

·         Visiting Rotarian Akhtar Mirza voluntarily  paid a $1 fine for being late

·         Bob Chur--$1—no pin

·         Doug Littlewood--$1—late

·         Kevin Flint--$1—no pin

·         President Ed Stachura voluntarily paid a fine for messing up Bob Chur’s name

·         Joe Fiorella--$1—for an offense not captured by the Secretary

·         Paul Banas and Bob Chur--$1 each for talking during the meeting

·         Doug Littlewood, Gary Skalyo, and Bill Thuman--$1 each for talking during the meeting

Happy Dollars:

·         Roger Gross--$1—Son Tom in San Jose was elected President-Elect of his Rotary Club

·         Tim Henderson--$1—someone in a restaurant mentioning Lee Broad as the Youth Exchange Officer

·         Lee Broad--$2—for Rotarian generosity in donating to Rotary Polio Plus as part of the “Bucks for Books” program that Mary Biddle-Widman and he are rolling out.

We missed you this evening: 

Ron Axelrod, Mary Biddle-Widman, Mike Burns, Tony Cangialosi, Shirley Carnall, John Crawford, Norm Mattar, Mike Prinzback, Frank Ralabate, Ed Rath, Jim Rumsey, Michael Sirianno, Mark Storch