Providence Rotary - Read Our Newsletter

OFFICERS
President
Richard B. Applebaum

President-elect
Cynthia Leonard

1st Vice President
Barry W. Fain

2nd Vice President
Barbara Harris

Secretary
Susan Johnson

Treasurer
Richard A. Kaplan

Asst. Treasurer
Peter M. Loescher

Sergeant-at-arms
Kevin M. Oates

Past-President
John A. Daluz

Directors to
June 30, 2010:
James Alexander
Richard P. Leone, Sr.
Jenny Miller
Arthur Norwalk
Kathleen A. Swann

Directors to
June 30, 2011:
Holly Applegate
Paul Borrelli
Patricia Germani
Steven M. Rotondo
James C. Scanlan

Barbara Harris awarded Happy Birthday Happy Bucks to happy past president John McGinn.

Kathy Swann celebrated her friendship with her friend and meeting guest Antonia Mendoza from Esperanza, D.R. and the latter welcomed all Rotarians traveling to Esperanza for the water filter project. "My house will be your house."

Linda Xavier loves Rotary and Cy Wyche continues to be happy.

Jim Gilcreast had two announcements of seemingly equal importance: Boston College won the National NCAA Hockey Championship and his first grandchild was born.

Jerry Cannon attended the Latino Business and Professional Leaders Network Friday evening and met many great people. He found the financial information at the District Assembly helpful and he also celebrated Past President John McGinn's birthday.

Terry Adelman introduced her dad to SKYPE and he now teaches her.

Richard Kaplan exulted over the date extension for Rhode Island tax returns and found time to take his wife to the Frank Sinatra show in NYC. They arrived for the evening show and found their tickets stamped for the 2 p.m. performance. The kindly manager found for them better seats than the original ones.

Dan Saracen's son finally got back in his house on Saturday, the flood waters having receded. AND he and Cheryll celebrated 41 years of marriage.

Jenny Miller took her 93-year-old granddad to lunch and her 4-1/2-year-old daughter scored 13 goals in a soccer match.

Stanley Sorrentino highly recommends Ed Achorn's new book on the history of baseball, 59 in '84. There will be a book signing at 2 p.m. on April 17 at Books on the Square.

Bill Gates, cochair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, thanked Rotarians for their hard work in the effort to eradicate polio and congratulated Rotary for surpassing the halfway point in meeting Rotary's $200 Million Challenge.

"The work you're doing to raise funds for the program is critical, especially given the tight government budgets and increasing costs for a very aggressive polio program," Gates said. "Your work as advocates is also very important. We need to keep this fight high on the world's list of priorities." More here.

The main program was a presentation by Art Norwalk regarding our Providence Rotary Club's website which serves three purposes: our face to the world, member recruitment, and member cohesion (collaboration, education, and fellowship).

Art described each page from the front page with its navigation area to the last with a calendar of events. One can find a history of the club on one page, another that welcomes visitors and has a link with Facebook, a "when and where we meet" with map page, and pages which describe what happens at meetings and provide information on qualifications for membership.

There is also a Members Area which can only be opened by a member's password. Each member can update his/her section when desired. One can even change the picture and Art will be happy to help with that process. There will be space for a brief autobiographical sketch if so desired. The webpage and the Newsletter will be linked so that recent, important items in one can be placed in the other, coming events being a good example.

Yellow one-page questionnaires were placed on each table for members to use to describe what they consider are the strengths and the weaknesses of the Newsletter. The overall designing of both the webpage and the Newsletter are works in progress but Art's presentation drew applause as the exciting potential of the Technology Committee's hard efforts became clearer and clearer.

As I start this week's blog, I am happy to report that Rev. Barlow is recuperating well, very appreciative of the plant we sent him, and hopes to make Monday's meeting. His presence, insightful remarks and questions for speakers, and inspiration is recognized by all of us.

Thanks again to Kathy Swann for all the work she has done with Esperanza, D.R. It was our pleasure to welcome guest Antonia Mendoza from Esperanza at our meeting, and the Clean Water Project contingent from Providence and Woonsocket will be pleased to receive her support, guidance and hospitality when we travel there on May 19^th.

I hope you have all - at least mostly all - navigated through our constantly improving web site since the webinar last Monday. The technology committee has done a great job, with lots of time and effort spent, to take us from one of the least to the best in the District! Take the time to express your thanks to them personally and direct any suggestions or questions you may have to Gary Kaufman, committee chair.

Check out this month's District Governor's newsletter (www.rotary7950.com), especially page 15, where the Hurley Middle School Donation and our Foundation Contribution to Shelter Box for Haiti relief is highlighted.

Keep bringing in your Peanut Butter. The statewide deadline has been extended to mid-May, I have just read, but let's try to make Pat's life easier and get it in by April 26 (the day the GSE team from Uruguay will visit us).

Welcome again new member George Burman.

Don't forget our next board meeting April 22, and Rotary After Dark at Mill's Tavern that evening starting at 5:30.

Finally, buy your tickets now for the May 13 Barker Playhouse production featuring our own Holly Applegate, Liz Messier and Walter Cotter, and contact Sue Johnson or me to sign up to attend at least a portion of the yearly District Conference, May 14-16 at the Cape Codder in Hyannis.

Yours in Rotary,

Richard

Jenny Miller of the Membership Committee related that we only had 5 new members in all of 2009 and already in 2010 we have 8. She thanked Art Norwalk because inquiries about membership have been coming in through the website. Jenny stated that we are looking especially for new members in the areas of education, religion, hospitality, and local business. Pres. Richard expressed great appreciation for Jenny's unfailing effervescence.

With similar enthusiasm Barbara Harris described the forthcoming trip to Esperanza in the Dominican Republic to set up 600 water filters. Eight to ten Rotarians will be in the group, including a member of the Woonsocket Club. Spanish to English dictionaries in bulk will travel with the group as well as about one thousand pairs of shoes. Still being sought is someone who will drive a van to take the group to and from Logan Airport.

New Member: George Burman of Bristol, sponsored by Don Saracen, was installed. George is an architect whose many buildings can be found far and wide.

Get Well: Phyllis Fern announced that Rev. Ralph Barlow is recovering from an appendectomy.

President Richard Applebaum had several announcements:

He urged members to attend at least some part of the District Conference on Cape Cod, May 14-16 at Cape Codder Inn and Resort in Hyannis.
The photo of our Club's $25,000 check to Shelter Box USA which was taken at the April 5 meeting and used in the Newsletter for that day has also gone into the District Newsletter.
A Rotarian group leader and team members are needed for GSE group to Scotland next fall. Any volunteers?

Holly Applegate encouraged Club members to join the fellowship of Rotarians who will be going to A Little Night Music at the Barker Playhouse on Thursday, May 13. A great play, beautiful music, three of our members performing in it.

Cynthia Leonard learned a lot and had a great time at the District Assembly on April 10^th at the Johnson & Wales Inn in Seekonk, noting with particular interest that the new District Governor is handsome. Barry Fain scooped up a lot of good PR ideas on the same occasion. Kris David talked with people about the Dominican Republic Water filter project and met some fine young people who made her optimistic about Rotary's future. Richard Applebaum had a wonderful time renewing old friendships.