Rotateller Rotary Club of Owego, NY
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 Gary Williams, Editor

He who allows a day to pass without practicing generosity or enjoying life’s pleasures is like a blacksmith’s bellows – he breathes but he does not live. (This was a motto adopted by a group including Lowell Thomas and appeared in So Long Until Tomorrow.

GUESTS:

• Colin Lounsberry, Steve and Wendy’s son
• Dick Brown, guest of Gary. Dick started teaching in Owego in 1952 (the year that Ed started Kindergarten) Dick was the Athletic Director when I was Club President and came to the club for a number of years to inform us of the programs at the school.

FINES:

John Spencer collected money from Steve for not introducing Colin, Ed for his attendance, and me for my guest introduction. There were many happy dollars including two from Sally Yablonski.

YOUTH SERVICES:

Laura passed around the sign-up sheet to get more involved in aspects of Youth Services.

PICNIC:

Steve reminded everyone that our annual picnic is next Tuesday at the Hickories – just come for a good time. Joao will be arriving that morning from Brazil.

ROTARY FOUNDATION MEMBERSHIP WORKSHOP: Saturday, September 29.

CHRISTMAS TRIP:

The show is Dec. 9, at 3pm in Lancaster American Music Theater. Price 69.00 per adult 51.00 children 3-17. The maximum for the bus is 30. 8 seats are currently taken. Please call Richard at 687-4144

PLANNING COMMITTEE MEETING: Thursday, September 6, at the Wright’s house.

LEADERSHIP TIOGA:

Matt presented Sally Yablonski with a check from our Club.

PROGRAM:

Bill Russell introduced Joe Paladino who is the new Athletic Director. Bill mentioned that Colin Lounsberry is a student-member of the School Board. Joe made an excellent presentation. I was actually so interested that I took fewer notes than usual. After graduation, Joe attended Ithaca College where he was part of a National Championship Football team and All-American. Joe’s primary goal is to increase student involvement in the athletic programs due to the benefits they can derive from sports and other extra-curricular activities. He spoke about the NY goals which include competent coaching, civility, character, and citizenship. Joe took time to research our Club and Rotary and related the Four-Way Test to the sports.

Faye asked about the current student involvement. 25% of the student body is participating this fall, with more girls involved than boys. We have more programs than many of the local schools which are larger. 261 students are on 32 teams in 8 sports.

Laura mentioned some of the benefits she has observed in her own family and in those she hires.

John asked about the community use of the pool. Both Joe and Bill stated that solving that problem has a high priority.

50/50 Carl

Good Evening Everybody by Lowell Thomas: Reading about someone else who lived in CO (Margaret Brown) made me think of this book which I remembered thinking that I should read again – sometime. I was surprised to discover that Linda had given it to me and I had read it exactly 30 years ago. It reads like the kind of historical fiction in which the protagonist meets everyone of importance who is alive during his lifetime and has gone everyplace there is to go and has done everything there is to do. Realizing that we will not all be stimulated by the same things, I do recommend it heartily. I hope that you are not disappointed. It started me on three decades of reading books by journalists; people who have met those who make the news, people who have traveled places I will never reach, people who can write, and people with perspectives worth considering.

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