TEAM ROTARY. District 7510 Newsletter The Capital District - September Governor s Message - Hurricane Harvey Relief

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Esmond Morris
6 years ago
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But I do want you to put on your Rotary: Making a Difference hat and follow along. As District Governor and fellow Rotarian, I feel compelled to give some guidance on what we can do to help.

We are Rotarians in a Rotary club, part of a global network, so we are able to make a real difference.

1 TEAM ROTARY District 7510 Newsletter The Capital District - September 2017 Governor s Message - Hurricane Harvey Relief Hurricane Harvey is not breaking news, and I don t feel it necessary to report on the devastation it brought to Texas. But I do want you to put on your Rotary: Making a Difference hat and follow along. As District Governor and fellow Rotarian, I feel compelled to give some guidance on what we can do to help. Some may ask, As individuals, what can we do to help? Where do we begin? But we are not just people! We are Rotarians in a Rotary club, part of a global network, so we are able to make a real difference. Since we have a representative of ShelterBox USA right here in our district, I called Len Nemeroff of the Hamilton club for advice. He informed me that the best thing we could do would be to raise funds for ShelterBox USA which is waiting for word from FEMA to jump into action in Texas. According to Len, ShelterBox USA has 8,000 units ready to go, including Shelter Boxes (a large tent and survival materials) and Shelter Kits (survival materials only). For more information see NEWS FLASH!! Vocational Service Award will be presented to Diane Grillo of the Hamilton Township Club at the Vocational Service Award Assembly on October 4. Register for the Assembly at - search for New Jersey Vocational Assembly. Tickets are $60 each. My guidance is this: Please assign someone is your club as a ShelterBox USA liaison, and forward that information to Len Nemeroff at monkeylen@optonline.net. Len will update your club representative on ShelterBox USA's efforts to assist the disaster victims and provide additional information on how your club may help. Talk to your clubs about making a contribution to ShelterBox USA. Individuals can contribute as well. Involve your friends and family members. You know your money will be well-spent. Make checks payable to ShelterBox USA and send them to Len Nemeroff at 9 Deacon Drive, Hamilton, NJ According to Len, private contributions are tax deductible since ShelterBox USA is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Here is some of what ShelterBox USA has to say about their partnership with us: By working together with Rotary, we are able to collaborate and combine resources to ensure that we can support more communities in desperate need of shelter. Rotary: Let s make a difference! Bob Zeglarski, Governor Robert Zeglarski Governor Page

Foundation News... PDG D. Michael Hart Rotary Foundation Centennial The Rotary Foundation has thrived for 100 years due to the strong support among Rotarians throughout the world.

2 Foundation News... PDG D. Michael Hart Rotary Foundation Centennial The Rotary Foundation has thrived for 100 years due to the strong support among Rotarians throughout the world. We recently received a communication from Foundation Chair Paul Netzel that summarizes the successes of our Centennial Year. Everything The Rotary Foundation has achieved is a result of your support. We ve invested more than $4 billion in life-changing, sustainable projects that have made a real impact in communities near and far, like our ongoing campaign to eradicate polio. For more than three decades, members like you have worked tirelessly to host fundraisers for that campaign, vaccinate children, and raise awareness of polio. As of this writing, only eight polio cases have been reported around the world in Last year, there were 37 the year before that, 74. Our hard work is paying off. But we need your continued support to get us across that finish line, so keep raising awareness and keep raising funds. Your efforts will help us continue to protect the world s children from polio. The countdown to history is on. The centennial year of The Rotary Foundation ended on a high note, and it s one worth celebrating. Thanks to the support of Rotarians around the world, the Foundation broke records last year, surpassing our fundraising goal by raising $304 million in contributions! Your support makes a lasting impact on our communities because it empowers Rotary members to continue promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies all over the world. Rotary Foundation Year-end Report Helping others through our Rotary Foundation enables us to continue to Do Good in the World. The reward for doing good is feeling good, knowing that your contributions makes a difference in peoples lives all over the world. Remember that everything we give to the Foundation comes back to our district for District Grants, Global Grants and polio donations. Let s see if we can t get all of our clubs onto the list next year! 100% EREY Clubs: (Alphabetically) EREY means Every Rotarian Every Year - Every Rotarian in the club contributed something. These clubs will be presented a banner from the Governor: Berkeley Heights; Branchburg; Fanwood- Scotch Plains; Hamilton Township; New Brunswick - North Brunswick, Highland Park & Milltown; Princeton Corridor. Clubs who were close to 100% participation: Dunellen-Green Brook - 95%; Mountainside - 92%; Woodbridge-Perth Amboy - 92%; Somerville and Bridgewater - 88%; Westfield - 87%; Trenton - 84%. The table on the following page shows the clubs whose per capita contributions exceeded $100 per member. Congratulations to all of these high achievers, and to all who contributed to the Foundation last year. Page 2

Club Number Members Foundation $/member Club Number Members Foundation $/member Branchburg 24 $279.17 Somerville and Bridgewater 37 $144.62 Dunellen Greenbrook 25 $260.

3 Club Number Members Foundation $/member Club Number Members Foundation $/member Branchburg 24 $ Somerville and Bridgewater 37 $ Dunellen Greenbrook 25 $ Fanwood Scotch Plains 52 $ Berkeley Heights 18 $ Hillsborough 47 $ Trenton 46 $ E Club 7510 Horizon 12 $ Westfield 31 $ Springfield 19 $ Princeton Corridor 38 $ New Brunswick-NB,H,M 33 $ Roselle Roselle Park 12 $ Summit New Providence 45 $ Woodbridge Perth Amboy 13 $ Clubs who were close Princeton 39 $94.76 Carteret 11 $90.91 South Amboy-Sayreville 12 $91.67 Special Needs Kids at Hillsborough Fair An estimated 15,000 people passed through the colorfully lit entryway last week at the Hillsborough Rotary Fair, but no group of attendees was more special to the Rotary Club of Hillsborough members than those who visited on Saturday afternoon's Family Fun Day. Added to their annual Fair in 2012, Family Fun Day is an invitation-only event dedicated to special needs children and their families. Held from 1 to 4 PM, the Fair is closed to the general public so that children with special needs and their immediate family members can enjoy the rides, games and food free of charge. "We receive wonderful feedback every year from very grateful parents," commented Rotary Club of Hillsborough President, Anthony Franchini, "They tell us how much they enjoy attending an event catering to special needs children, as well as their families. Numerous local organizations serving special needs children, such as Gigi s Playhouse, Organization for Autism Research, and Mission Cognition extended invitations to attend the Fair to their membership on behalf of the Rotary Club of Hillsborough. The resulting crowd, estimated at 970, spent three hours enjoying all the Fair s offerings. The Rotary Club of Hillsborough wrapped up its tenth anniversary Fair on Sunday, raising a record amount of funds for their foundation, all of which are returned to the community in the form of contributions to a diverse array of programs and causes. ShelterBox Going to Houston!... Len Nemeroff, Chair ShelterBox tents have already become a home for thousands of families around the world who have lost theirs during natural disasters. They will provide safety for thousands more as a result of Hurricane Harvey in Texas, but only if we do our part! (Continued on page 5) Page 3

4 Awards and Recognition... M. Ann Walko, Director Summer has come to an end, but the Rotary season is gearing up for another great year. Our first offering is the Vocational Assembly which will occur on October 4 at the Pines Manor in Edison. During the summer, all club presidents and secretaries received nomination forms for the Vocational Service Award with a closing date of August 15. The awards committee, headed by Joe Spera, has been reviewing the nominations and will make a determination by September 1. An announcement will be forthcoming after this Team Rotary edition. Rotarians are encouraged to register as soon as possible for the Assembly due to an anticipated high turnout. Every club has received the Vocational Assembly flyer with all the information needed to sign-in for this event. Soon, your chair will be soliciting for ads for the journal. Please adhere to the deadline dates so that we can have the journal ready for the Assembly. The Awards and Recognition Committee is now fully staffed and I am pleased to announce that the following Rotarians will handle the major awards for the year: Outstanding Club of the Year Award - Robert Zeglarski, DG Jean Harris Award - Tricia Marciano, Hillsborough Club Service Above Self - Joseph Scandariato-Hamilton Township Club Vocational Service Award - Joe Spera-Dunellen/Greenbrook Club Care and Share Awards - Dr. Michael Toscani-Lambertville, NJ/New Hope, PA Club F. S. Mathewson Rotarian of the Year Award - David Breidinger-Trenton Club You can contact any of the chairs by going to their respective web pages on our District website - Use the Site Map to quickly find the page you seek. You will also find contact information for them in the new Directory which will come out shortly. I am looking forward to another productive year as we honor those Rotarians who have gone above and beyond in Service Above Self. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. Mahatma Gandhi Interact and RYLA... PDG Hal Daumé Each year, the Berkeley Heights Rotary Club sponsors two GLHS Interact student service club officers to attend RYLA. This year, the RYLA scholarships went to Rebecca Henderson and Grace Pitingolo. Becca and Grace visited with Berkeley Heights Rotarians at the club's regular meeting and reported on their weekend-long experience on the campus of Drew University, in Madison. The weekend, they said, was filled with icebreakers, team-building challenges, fellowship, and meeting and making new Interact and Rotary friends. "It was a more special weekend for us and for the more than forty other Interact leaders from north-central New Jersey that we could ever have imagined!" they both confirmed. RYLA--Rotary Youth Leadership Awards--is a youth leadership development and team-building weekend held each year for 11th-grade high school students. For the past several years, District 7510 representatives have attended the RYLA event that is sponsored by District 7470, our sister district with whom we expect to merge on July 1, Page 4

(Continued from page 3) ShelterBox has changed and has a new program that fits any size club.

Mail your checks, payable to ShelterBox USA, to Len at 9 Deacon Drive, Hamilton, NJ 08619.

The Interact Club at GLHS has over 250 members, making it one of the largest, and also most active, in the state, and arguably the most popular club at the high school.

5 (Continued from page 3) ShelterBox has changed and has a new program that fits any size club. Now is the time to send your club's and your own donation to Len Nemeroff, NJ ShelterBox Ambassador and a member of the Rotary Club of Hamilton, for the desperately needed assistance in Houston. Mail your checks, payable to ShelterBox USA, to Len at 9 Deacon Drive, Hamilton, NJ (Continued from page 4) The Interact Club at Governor Livingston HS is jointly sponsored by the Berkeley Heights and the Mountainside Rotary Clubs. The Interact Club at GLHS has over 250 members, making it one of the largest, and also most active, in the state, and arguably the most popular club at the high school. In addition to Rotary Club sponsorship, the Interact Club is guided by two exceptional faculty advisors: Doreen Ladinski and Sharon Leahy, both honorary members of the Berkeley Heights Rotary Club. Rotary President Elect Barry Rassin of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas has been selected to become RI President in Rassin s nomination follows the sudden and untimely death of Sam F. Owori, just two weeks into his term as president-elect. We are very sorry to share the news that Flemington Rotarian Ken Skowronek's mother passed away yesterday (August 28). Please keep Ken, Sharon and their entire family in your thoughts at this difficult time. The following is a link to her obituary as it appears on the Wright & Ford website: Happy Anniversary! Congratulations to our Anniversary Clubs!! The Rotary Club of Branchburg celebrates 29 years, chartered on September 2, 1988 The Rotary e-club of District 7510 Horizon celebrates 4 years, chartered September 12, 2013 Page 5

All the Club news that's fit to print! And we'd like to print it all, so please send your news articles to the Editor and we'll be sure to post them for all to read.

The Rotary Club of Roselle-Roselle Park executed a fast approval and delivered 15 elementary school book bags to the Roselle boro hall in a matter of three days.

Roselle Mayor Christine Dansereau was a guest at the regular club meeting on Thursday, August 17.

Secretary Scott Wands forwarded an email to the club's board that afternoon, asking approval for the expenditure of funds.

6 All the Club news that's fit to print! And we'd like to print it all, so please send your news articles to the Editor and we'll be sure to post them for all to read. Include photos, captions, web addresses, and any other information to make your story complete. The Rotary Club of Roselle-Roselle Park executed a fast approval and delivered 15 elementary school book bags to the Roselle boro hall in a matter of three days. The bags came stuffed with markers, pencils, notebooks, ballpoint pens, crayons and other school supplies. Roselle Mayor Christine Dansereau was a guest at the regular club meeting on Thursday, August 17. The Mayor mentioned the book bag program and asked if the club could help the town achieve its goal of amassing 200 bags. Secretary Scott Wands forwarded an to the club's board that afternoon, asking approval for the expenditure of funds. A majority of the board replied in approval within a day; supplies were purchased (some at sales prices) and delivered to the boro hall by Monday morning. "This was a quick turnaround on a project that was coming due within a week. I'm pleased that our board, and the members in general, were able to exemplify the Rotary qualities of service and expediency," said Secretary Wands The Rotary Club of Watchung-Warren s Dr. Barbara Resko (left), Superintendent of the Watchung School District, was sworn in as the vice president of the club for Lieutenant Governor Steve Goldberg, President of the Fanwood-Scotch Plains club, did the honors with Watchung-Warren's President Ann Walko. In addition, six members of the club received Paul Harris Fellow Honors, presented by Lieutenant Governor Goldberg. Left to right - Neal Drasin, second PHF; Mark Spinelli and Pamela Singh, first PHF; Steve Mluzan, second PHF; Ann Walko, third PHF; and Steve Kraus, fist PHF. The Rotary Club of Hillsborough s Annual Fair recently wound down, but for long-term Hillsborough resident Bruce Wayne (center) the fun was just beginning on Sunday as he collected his $2,700 in winnings from the Giant 50/50 Raffle. Pictured with Mr. Wayne are (left to right) Rotarians Josh Riding, Patricia Marciano and President Anthony Franchini. The annual Rotary Fair, now in its tenth year under Rotary s leadership, is the primary fundraiser for the Club. This year brought in record setting revenues to the Hillsborough Rotary Foundation, the club's philanthropic arm. All funds raised are returned to the community through contributions to a wide array of community service organizations and causes. We are very grateful for the overwhelming participation of the Hillsborough community, commented President Franchini. For many families, the Fair has become an annual tradition, and for our Club, it is a project near and dear to our hearts. Now permanently located on the grounds adjacent to the Hillsborough Promenade near the Lowe s parking lot on Route 206 in Hillsborough, the Fair welcomed an estimated 15,000 people this year, who enjoyed its 21 amusement rides, games, food, fireworks and music throughout the week. More photos are available on the club s website - Page 6 (Continued on page 7)

The Rotary Club of Elizabeth holds its 11th Annual Taste of Elizabeth on Monday, October 16 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM at the Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel.

7 The Rotary Club of Elizabeth holds its 11th Annual Taste of Elizabeth on Monday, October 16 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM at the Renaissance Newark Airport Hotel. Featuring forty or more restaurants and other food and drink purveyors, this popular event is only $35 per person. Get more information at The Rotary Club of Piscataway recently collected much needed school supplies for FISH, Inc. - Dunellen Area. The organization was founded in 1969 and is a service organization of volunteers who respond with compassion to the needs of the poor, the elderly, the homeless, and those who "fall between the cracks" of public assistance. Fish, Inc. is registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a nonprofit organization. The Rotary Club of Kenilworth welcomes all people to do extraordinary things to help their community and make a difference in someone's life...for almost four decades Rotarians in Kenilworth have been awarding academic scholarships to high school seniors through the Kenilworth rotary club/ Robert schlenker memorial scholarship fund. The club welcomes guests every Wednesday at Rinaldis. N. 20 th.. At 12:15... Learn more on Facebook or call Ceu at The Rotary Club of North Hunterdon sponsored the first Rotary Robotics Tournament, bringing fun and excitement to STEM in Hunterdon on May 13 at North Hunterdon High School. Forty-five students representing six schools participated in the first annual tournament. This team-vs.-team competition was created by Alexander Kmosko, together with the North Hunterdon Rotary, to be accessible and simple to take part in, while providing students with the ability to learn about robotics and have fun with friends. Robots designed and programmed by each team raced head-to-head throughout the morning, balancing speed and precision to tackle each course. The winning team was Delaware Valley s Bro- Bots with Dan Sullivan, Kyle Hassold, Miles Hudgins, Drew Bella, Ashley Diem and Team Mentor Justin Montgomery. They earned a $3,600 3D Printer for their school, together with individual trophies. Read the full article on MyCentralJersey.com. The Rotary Club of Branchburg recently welcomed District Governor Bob Zeglarski who presided over the induction of four members of the Rotaract Club of Raritan Valley Communiy College as full members of the Branchburg club. This new District 7510 initiative waives District dues for young members provided the sponsoring club also waives its dues, helping make Rotary more affordable to young members. And don't forget the club's up-coming Motorcycle Run, saluting our veterans. The event starts at Raritan Valley Community College with motorcycles riding through the County to the Central Jersey Regional Airport on Millstone River Road in Hillsborough. Fee is $20 per motorcycle and $20 per rider and $20 per festival attendee. There will be a 50/50 and plane rides available for $30 each. The flyer is available on our District website homepage - Pre-register and you'll be guaranteed a free glass commemorative mug - The Rotary Club of Berkeley Heights is one of the season-long sponsors of these free concerts, presented by the Berkeley Heights Recreation Commission's Special Events Committee, partnering with the Suburban Chamber of Commerce. The club's banner is prominently displayed on the bandstand, bringing Rotary into the public image. (Continued on page 8) Page 7

The Rotary Club of Fanwood-Scotch Plains' Wayne Zuhl spearheaded a project to provide telescopes to the Fanwood Memorial Library and the Scotch Plains Public Library as part of The Library Telescope

8 The Rotary Club of Fanwood-Scotch Plains' Wayne Zuhl spearheaded a project to provide telescopes to the Fanwood Memorial Library and the Scotch Plains Public Library as part of The Library Telescope Project! The telescopes will be available to township residents only and patrons will be able to borrow the instrument for one week. The telescopes were fabricated by members of Amateur Astronomers, Inc. (AAI) in Cranford. Several modifications were made to make the telescopes more user-friendly and to make it impossible to lose the covers. A zoom eyepiece was added, giving the telescope a low power of just under 20X to high power of 56X. There is also a moon port on the front dust cover to give better contrast when looking at the moon. Users will be able to see mountains and craters on the moon, Saturn s rings, Jupiter s moons and Great Red Spot and much more with these fine telescopes. The Rotary Club of Elizabeth enjoys two longstanding traditions that recognize public safety officers for their service to the City of Elizabeth. These officers are recognized at a special luncheon given in their honor. The Club was honored to recognize Elizabeth Rotary Club 2017 Firefighter of the Year Daniel Beirne. Fire Chief Thomas McNamara introduced Dan, who was selected not only for his work as a firefighter and union representative, but also for his involvement with the Fire Department s Hockey Team, which has raised over $100,000 for local charities. This year's recipient of the of the Elizabeth Rotary Club 2017 Police Officer of the Year was Detective Joseph Gramiak, pictured with Police Director James Cosgrove, Club President Art Lobdell, Joe's wife Marie, and Police Chief John Brennan. Club members also participated in a very special event, helping the Coalition to House the Homeless at a sandwich-making party on August 2 at the Coalition's headquarters. Rotarians jumped right in and slung the turkey and cheese and bread and the peanut butter and jelly, getting it all on the slices of bread - lots of practice over the years helped turn Rotarian sandwich-making into an art form, as demonstrated by club member Bill Mealia, seated in the photo below! Club President Art Lobdell reports that over 500 sandwiches were made at that one event! What a great community service project. The Rotary Club of Flemington has a great event planned for October, but it's not too early to announce it now. If you're an Oktoberfest-type of person, you may want to try out this fundraiser and thirst-quencher! Registrations required - only on-line at Eat, Drink and Share... PDG Elly Ezra Our fundraiser for the Rotary Foundation continues this year with another great event planned for November 13 at the Pines Manor in Edison. Clubs from District 7510 and District 7470 can purchase Gold Tables at $1350 each and individual tickets at $60 each in advance. See the flyer for more information, and reserve tables and tickets on the District calendar or via this link Page 8

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10 Contact Us Give us a call for more information. (908) editor7510@rotarynj.org TEAM Rotary c/o 165 Palmer Avenue South Plainfield, NJ Visit us on the web at Top Ten Clubs in Participation - June 2017 Congratulations to the #1 club for June - Plainfield-North Plainfield - with 91.54% attendance for the month! We count attendance at meetings and participation in club events, District events, committee meetings and the like in our definition of participation (formerly "attendance"). The rest of the top ten? Princeton (88.10%); Robbinsville- Hamilton (79.77%); Mountainside (77.77%); Bridgewater- Bound Brook (75.00%); Cranford (70.20%); Princeton Corridor (64.25%); Old Bridge-Sayreville (61.00%); Edison (58.00%); Hillsborough (55.00%). Secretaries, contact the District Secretary (Michael Townley) if you need help entering your club s attendance in the District and Club database (DaCdb). Secretary7510@RotaryNJ.org. And thank you to the fifteen club secretaries who took the time to report participation for June. TEAM Rotary c/o 165 Palmer Avenue South Plainfield, NJ PLACE STAMP HERE Page 10

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