July 24, 2008

UPCOMING PROGRAMS...

STRATFORD: - Meets Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. at Forsyth Country Club
July 31: President Ellen Coble will present her ideas and goals for 2008-2009
Aug. 7: Senator James T. Broyhill, “An Insider’s Look at the U.S. Capitol; Stories you have seldom heard about”
Aug. 14: District Governor Charles Allen
Aug. 21: Penni Bradshaw of Contangy Brooks & Smith, “Challenges of Immigration”
Aug. 28: Dr. Susan Phelps, Dean Educational Partnerships, FTCC, “College in High School”
Sept. 4: Michael/Ben Hough, “Taking a Company Public”, how Hatteras Financial became public and listed on the NYSE
Sept.11: “ Laugh Out Loud” – Enjoy a “laughter workout” – a stress technique that increases the oxygen in your body and leaves you feeling better than ever. Dr. Bob Plemmons of Wake Forest University

WINSTON-SALEM ROTARY: - Meets Tuesdays at 12:30 p.m. at the Benton Convention
July 29: Florence Corpening, CEO of the YWCA, “Gateway AY and Community – One Year Later”
Aug. 5: Mike Rowand, Duke Energy, “Plug in Electric Hybrid Vehicles”
Aug. 12: Brent McKinney, PART, “Light Rail”
Aug. 19: Peter Marsh, Workplace Strategies, “Sustainable Design and Growth in Our Community”
Aug. 26: Rence Callahan, Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce, “Building and Owning a Green Building”

REYNOLDA: - Meets Fridays at 12:30 p.m. in the Assembly Room of the LJV Coliseum
Aug. 1: District Governor Charles Allen
Aug. 8: Sam Seifert, participant in the 2008 GSE Team to Taiwan
Aug. 15: Betty Taylor, CEO of CenterPoint Human Services, “Mental Health Reform”
Aug. 22: Doug Edgeton, COO of WFU Health Services, “Triad Research Park”
Aug. 29: Nikki Byers, Executive Director of IMPRINTS, “Building Strong Families and Strong Communities”

CLEMMONS: -Meets Tuesdays at 7:00 a.m. at the Village Inn - Clemmons
July 30: TBA
Aug. 6: Purple Daze
Aug. 13: District Governor Charles Allen
Aug. 20: Don Timmons, “School Kids Chronicles”
Aug. 27: Classification Talks

DATES TO REMEMBER:
August 14 – District Governor Charles Allen Visits
August 21 – Board Meeting 11:00 to 12:30
September 11 – Rotary Foundation Membership & Youth Services Seminar at the Village Inn, Clemmons
September 18, District Golf Fellowship, Pinewood Country Club, Asheboro

ANNOUNCEMENTS, NEWS & INFORMATION................

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY…As many of you are aware, Margaret, after approximately 18 years of loyal service to our club has tendered her resignation. However, out of the goodness of her heart, she has agreed to work with us during the 2008-2009 Rotary year assisting us in finding and training a suitable replacement.

Patty Mead and Gerry Malmo are leading the effort to find a new secretary. While they are interviewing candidates and executing our due diligence, we would welcome recommendations regarding viable/interested candidates. Also, a copy of the job descriptions can be obtained from either of them.

Your kind and considerate efforts on their behalf would most certainly be appreciated.

WELCOME to the new Rotary Club in town. The Lewisville Rotary Club was chartered as the newest club in our area. They meet on Tuesdays at lunch (12:30 p.m.) at Big Shotz Tavern in Clemmons. Their 2008-20009 President is Ben Sessions. I will keep you up on their meeting and speaker information as soon as I get it.

RI PRESIDENT STRESSES DIVERSITY. Rotary International President Dong Kurn Lee stressed that a diverse Rotary is a strong Rotary during a visit to the Rotary Club of Chicago on 1 July. As part of a long-standing tradition for RI presidents, Lee addressed members of the Chicago club, the birthplace of Rotary, as one of his first official acts. He stressed the need to bring in new leadership two take over for the old as part of 2008-09 RI them, Make Dreams Real.

“Every Rotarian that we bring into our cubs helps to Make Dreams Real,” Lee said, to a packed second-floor room in the elegant Union League Club in downtown Chicago. “Every single one is another pair of hands, and another mind, and another heart to do Rotary’s work” . Lee called on every district to increase membership by 10 percent and to add two clubs during this Rotary year. “If we do not bring in younger members, we will miss out on a great deal of energy and expertise”, he added. “And we will not be training a new generation of members to become club presidents, district governors, and senior RI leaders in the years to come.” Lee said the membership of a healthy Rotary club is made up of men and women of different ages, vocations, professions, skills, and talents.

A club that is not diversified is less able to conduct ambitious projects and has a narrower range of resources. As part of the push for growth, Lee asked Rotarians to be creative in promoting membership and to expand their quest for new members.“ There are many qualified professionals who may simply be overlooked because their professions are not typical for Rotary members,” he said. At the International Assembly in January, Lee unveiled the 2008-09 theme and service emphases, urging Rotarians to become involved in clean water, literacy, and health and hunger projects aimed at reducing child mortality. He also encouraged them to contribute to Rotary’s US$10 Million Challenge to eradicate polio.

CONGRATULATIONS:

Programs……
July 10 – Today we had Kevin Terry, President of Baseball Downtown, speak to us on the progress of the new stadium. He showed us pictures of the current status and the different stages and the end result. Mr. Terry talked about the different features and ticket packages. Opening Day is April 1, 2009. The ballpark will be more special than we could ever imagine. There will be something for everyone. There will be suites, stadium seats, and even be a grassy area where you can buy a ticket at the gate and throw your blanket on the ground and enjoy the game. We look forward to the first game.

July 17- We were lucky to have Eric Kerchner, Executive Director of The Children's Museum speak with us today. They recently had their 4th anniversary, gearing their exhibits towards children birth to 8 years. They will soon have large scale exhibits visiting from other museums, to entice new and repeat visitation.
Eric graduated from The Hill School in Pottstown, PA. He has worked with the Steppenwolf Theater Company in Chicago, in development and as a Production Assistant. He has acted in 22 films with the School of The Arts, and has even been in a film nominated for an Academy Award! His production experience lends well to his position with the Museum, they are lucky to have him as well.
Our second speaker was Tony Potter, Director of Public Safety. Tony has been a Rotarian since 1971. Before getting involved with Public Safety he worked in Law Enforcement working as a Police Chief for many years. Tony explained how the work he does with Public Safety ties into his experience in Law Enforcement. He told us of the close relationship his department has with Forsyth Medical Center, Law Enforcement, and Local and Federal Agencies. He brought to our attention that mental health care in our area is in crisis. The mentally ill don't have a lobby. Public Safety spends a lot of time with this issue. Thanks to Tony for speaking on an issue not many people know much about.

July 24 – Justin Cantanoso, Executive Director of Triad Business Journal, entertained us today taking about his new book, My Cousin the Saint; A Search for Faith, Family and Miracles. Like millions of other Italians in the early twentieth century, Justin’s grandfather immigrated to America to escape poverty and hardship. Nearly a hundred years later, Justin, born and raised in New Jersey, knew little of his family beyond the Garden State.

In 2001 that changed when he discovered that his grandfather’s cousin, Padre Gaetano Catanoso was a Vatican-certified miracle worker. After a life of serving the poor and founding an order of nuns, Gaetano had been approved by Pope John Paul II to become a saint, the first priest from Calabria ever to be canonized. A typically lapsed American Catholic, Justin embarked on a quest to connect with his extended family in southern Italy and, ultimately, to awaken his slumbering faith.

My Cousin the Saint charts the paralled history of two relatives, Justin’s grandfather, Carmelo, and his sainted cousin, Gaetano. While Carmelo leaves his homeland to pursue New World prosperity, Gaetano stays behind to relieve Old World misery. Justin reunites the two halves of a family by both exploring the life of the saint in Calabria and uncovering the untold story of his grandfather’s family, raised in New Jersey between two world wars.

ROTARY FOUR WAY TEST:

Of the things we thing, say, and do…
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?