Rotateller Rotary Club of Owego, NY
Tuesday, October 02, 2007 Gary Williams, Editor

Remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received…only what you have given: a full heart enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage. St. Francis Assisi

VISITORS AND GUESTS:

• Jack McCreary, guest of Merl
• Donna Townsend, guest of Janelle
• Elease Strauss, Fred’s assistant
• Mati
• Joao

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Vern, Bob Lawler, and Bob Kingston

MUSIC:

Carl and Carolyn led us in “Vive le Rotary”

FINES:

Orv fined everyone who is not signed up for the Chamber of Commerce event or the Foundation Dinner

INTERACT:

Carolyn addressed Clubs who were interested in getting Interact Clubs started. She did this in Milford. Carolyn also announced that the Newark Valley Interact Club organized a fund raising walk on short notice and raised $3619 for the Whittimore family.

Congratulations to Judy and Rob for their 37 years of marriage (and for their daughter getting married in the same church).

Mati was happy about the homecoming (and the 52 – 6 victory)

Laura needs 34 dozen cookies for the Passport Fair on October 14.

Mark shared that Jan Pierson is in the hospital.

Business Show: Judy could still use another volunteer for the business show.

SELL RAFFLE TICKETS!

Joao enjoyed his kayaking last week. His first month has been great and 2000 people watched him win a shoot-out in Binghamton.

We have 8 people signed-up and paid going to the Foundation Dinner.

CHRISTMAS TRIP:

18 places have been sold.

PROGRAM:

Laura introduced Mati who spoke about Germany and his home town of Stendal which is west of Berlin in the northern part of the country. Like here, the glaciers flattened the northern part of the country. The middle of the country has hills and the Alps are in the south. There are 82 million people in Germany which is about 2 ˝ times the size of NY. His city goes back to 1022 and it looks like a wonderful place to visit (even though there are only two women in his home club). Can we imagine that in Owego. I am pleased that we have gone beyond that. So much of the change we have seen in our lifetimes have made the world better (but there are exceptions).

Highlights of the September 27, 2007 Owego Rotary Board Meeting

August attendance: 61%; 16 with 100% attendance. Total – 58 members at the end of August. Inductions: none. Terminations: none. Applications received: Mike Ebbers, sponsored by G. Terry Steenburg, and Donna Townsend, sponsored by Janelle Malia. Letter of resignation received from Karla Johnson, due to job out of town. Thank you’s sent to Eric Niermeyer, Stackmore, for table for District Governor Dave Reynolds and to Deborah Kamlet, Cider Mill, for play tickets donated. Received: thank you from Virginia Milligan for donation to Rotary Foundation in memory of Tom Milligan.

New members/Foundation Dinner – special induction ceremony for new members with RI President Wilf Wilkinson. Owego Rotary to pay for dinner for each new member officially added from 7/1/07, able to attend the 10/24/07 ceremony, to a maximum of the seven new members expected by that date.

District Public Relations- $300 for the newspaper advertising supplement

T-shirts for PYLI –provide $150 for T-shirts for this youth leadership institute sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension, if PYLI leaders and/or students will make a presentation to Rotary.

2007-2008 Water Project –$500 to support a water project in partnership with Waverly Rotary, who have put $250 toward a project in Panama. Waverly has a relationship with someone to carry the project through in Panama.

Crop Walk – agreed to participate in some fashion. Perhaps some support also to be provided in conjunction with Interact Clubs.

OFA swimming pool community use - Bill Russell spoke about the history of the pool with Rotary. Due to developments over the years, the school board cannot sponsor community swimming. A group to sponsor community swimming would get community use of the pool once more. Funding is to be sought from other organizations besides Rotary. A Rotary pledge of $5,000 was made each year for the next two years, with funding from a fundraiser to be designated for the purpose of generating funds for community swimming pool use.

Bike/Walk Owego – Faye reviewed projects and requested support from Rotary for a future hands-on project to clear some areas, told about the recent request for a hard shoulder on Taylor Rd. for bicyclers and requested a letter of support for the project, and informed the board about the prospect of a multi-use path from Brick Pond through to the Hickories park.

Pantry for STAP, as requested by District Governor Nominee Sam Koury, we will be looking for personal care items for men and women to support a pantry for AIDS victims.

Eagle Scout project –agreed to support Eagle Scout Colin Lounsberry’s request for materials for a Booster Club storage building with a donation of $400.

Youth Exchange: Interviews for outbound Youth Exchange Students held 11/10/07, probably at OFA. Laura is looking for interviewers.

Membership – Merlin reported an Owego Rotary shirt order to be placed soon.

Next meeting Thursday, October 18, 2007 at 7:30 a.m. Owego Treadway Inn

YOUTH EXCHANGE:

sziasztok!

I have the most amazing rotary club in mateszalka. Other exchange students often complain about their rotary club being too strict or not being involved enough. I go to rotary meetings every week and whenever i need help with anything they are always right there ready to help. So far i hve gone on to a golfing tourne ( which i won...hungarians aren't big on golfing), a canoe trip and this weekend im going on a bike tour/ sports competition. From what i gather i believe we are competing against the other clubs nearby in sports like tennis and soccer. Mt family is also amzing. My host father has been teaching me tennis...but he speaks no hungarian so it is always one big constant laugh between him trying to tell be something and me hitting the ball over the fence into the neighbors yard. Did i mention that i have never played tennis in my life?..haha good times. we have gone on bike rides to the ukraine border and we plan on going to slovaki in few weeks to go site-seeing. My school is small in hungary but huge in my eyes. my school at home averages out about 80 students per grade here there are round 200 per grade. I am techniquely in the third year here but inorder to keep myself entertained i also take first year and forth year classes. I'm in a beginners german class and a fourth year math class along with all my other basic, third year, math, science, history classes. School here is extremely different. there is no dress code or attendancerecord . if you dont go to school you dont pass the final exams and you dont get a good job in life... a very simple and straigt forward rule. I also do not switch classes and classrooms every period. I stay with the same 30 kids all day. The teachers come to us; not us to them. Ive had one exchage orientation with the other students. they come from all over the world. since i am alone in mateszalka (no other exchange students) i have been "adopted" by nearby town called debrecen. It is the second largest town in hungary and has 5 exchange students from mexico, australia, canada and the US. Ther isnt much else to say right now. Ill try to keep you updated as much as possible but my day-to-day life isnt extremely exciting but I will try to keep you informed.

Emily

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