Rotateller Rotary Club of Owego, NY
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Gary Williams, Editor

Everyone has the power of greatness, not for fame, but for greatness, because greatness is determined by service. Martin Luther King, Jr.

VISITORS AND GUESTS:
Janna Rubler, whose daughter will be representing us in Slovakia. She is leaving on Saturday.

Carol Pierson

Amy Karlgut, who is Jan and Carol’s daughter

Ilya Karlgut, Amy’s husband

PROGRAMS: Al Bingley

August 19: North Korea

August 26: our exchange student who was in Russia

BIKE TIOGA:
Al reported that (without rain) there was a record number of bikers registered (180).

YOUTH SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING tomorrow morning at the Treadway.

FINES:
Orv had another team-building exercise based on information about Binghamton.

STUDENT EXCHANGE:
Laura announced that our student from Belgium will be landing in Binghamton this Sunday at 7:30 PM and that our student from France will be arriving in Binghamton at 7:30 PM on the following Saturday.

PRESENTATION:
Amy Karlgut raised money in honor of her father, Jan, who was very involved with out student exchange program. Amy and her sister Jennifer were both exchange students to France. Jan was always a strong proponent of education and Amy presented a $500 scholarship to Janna Rubler for her daughter.

PROGRAM:
Orv introduced Lana Rouff. We have had some exceptional District Governors over the years, but Lana probably made the best presentation that I have heard. She talked about her early experiences volunteering and her experiences through Rotary. Rotary raises our awareness and makes it more difficult to ignore what is going on in the world. It also provides a vehicle through which we can all make a difference. Lana told about her experience with a young girl who came here from the Sudan and how, when she was one of 44,000 Rotarian in Chicago, she met a Rotarian from the Sudan who offered to help her find the young girl. He contact Lana again two years ago when we had wide-spread flooding in our area asking if he and his Rotary Club would be able to help us in some way.

Last year at the meeting in San Diego to train the incoming District Governors, she heard of a man who was dying who went from England to Africa to use the rest of his life to make a meaningful difference. The statement of one of the local men was that “When the Rotarians came, our children stopped dying.” Lana shared how we can help to make a difference. Ordinary people working together can make an extraordinary difference.

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