It
was a sad day on Monday, August 2nd, when our Thai exchange student, Ora Sidhu, boarded
her flight for home and said "Farewell" to host families, friends, and Eastwood
Rotarians. Ora had just recently returned from the 4-week USA Tour, which was certainly a
highlight of the year for her. But many tears were shed at the airport when it came time
to say goodbye.
With her ready smile and engaging personality, Ora was indeed a shining light for the past year. Comprising the Rotary contingent at the airport to see her off were Linda and Bud Floor (who were also her first host family), Herb Jerry, Jenny Doane, Stan and Rosalie Rubensteins, and, on the other end of the camera, Al Kalter. Her other host families and friends were also there of course.
See more photos of Ora and friends at the airport.
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New District Governor Herb Jerry, left, accepts congratulations from his predecessor, Ed Paparella. |
For the first time in its 38-year history, the Rotary Club of Eastwood is the home club of the District Governor. As the new Rotary year began on July 1st, Herb Jerry took over the reins of Rotary in central New York, succeeding Ed Paparella in that office.
Herb has been a Rotarian since 1975, and is the only person ever to serve two terms as Eastwood Club President, holding that office in 1985-86 and in 1992-93. He is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow, first receiving that award in 1987, and is a Rotary Foundation Benefactor.
On the district level, Herb previously has served as District Treasurer, and member of the Group Study Exchange and Youth Exchange Committees, and more. He has attended District Conferences virtually every year, and enjoyed Rotary International Conventions in Melbourne (Australia), Indianapolis (Indiana), as well as this June's get-together in Singapore.
Eastwood Rotarians take pride in placing one of our own as leader of District 7150, and look forward to helping make this year a very successful one.
As the month of June came to a close, so too did the Eastwood Rotary administration of Rosalie Rubenstein, and with it began the year of the Katz. In the club's 39th year, Gary Katz becomes the 38th individual to serve as President. Other officers for 1999-2000 are Vice President (and President-Elect) Jenny Doane, Secretary Peter Crissey, Treasurer Mary Lou Gordona, and Sergeant-at-Arms Paul Stephens.
A former member of the Watertown (NY) Rotary Club, Gary has been an active participant since joining Eastwood Rotary. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment, and one he most certainly enjoys, has been the establishment of the club's Create-a-Book project, through which personalized beginning reading books are presented to kindergarten students in area schools.
Congratulations to Gary, his wife Pat, and daughter Jillian, for this great honor and responsibility. We all know the club will be in good hands for the year to come.
Rotary International President Carlo Ravizza has selected as his theme for 1999-2000, "Rotary 2000 - Act With Consistency, Credibility, Continuity". Here is his message, from the July Rotarian magazine.
On the eve of a new century, our thoughts naturally turn to the future. We ask ourselves: Where is Rotary going? Is our organization fully prepared to enter the 21st century? What direction should we take to become stronger and more effective?
The answers to these questions lie in the past and, even more so, in the present. The future is not an autonomous state, but one that we are constantly creating through the choices we make and the actions we take today. Let us begin now to ensure Rotary's success in the 21st century by applying the criteria of consistency, credibility, and continuity to all our actions and decisions.
Consistency requires that individuals adhere to their core beliefs and allow these basic principles to guide their actions. Rotary's mission is service, and for 94 years Rotarians have embraced this fundamental purpose and followed its ideals. Even as the world and our organization have changed so dramatically, our dedication to humanitarian service and international understanding has grown ever stronger. At the same time, however, we have seen how consistency with our mission in today's world demands new approaches and ideas. To remain consistent to the ideals of Rotary in the 21st century will require not only commitment to our founding principles but also the willingness and ability to change and grow.
Credibility means acting with honor in all our dealings — in our families, our businesses and professions, our clubs, and our communities. People believe in what Rotary does when Rotarians demonstrate their integrity and set an example of high ethical standards. Today, Rotary International stands at its highest level of credibility because Rotarians have proven their commitment to humanitarian service through PolioPlus. In the same way, each club will gain and maintain credibility in its community if all members always exemplify in their daily lives the ideals that Rotary espouses.
Continuity is essential to an organization in which the leadership changes annually. If each new team of leaders were to revamp a club or district program every year, little would be accomplished in the long run. But continuity requires a certain amount of humility and generosity. It asks incoming leaders to meet those goals that have already been established before beginning a new project. Therefore, they need to defer their own plans and ideas until those of their predecessors have been fully developed.
In presenting the award to Jim, President Ro mentioned the many contributions he has made and club projects he has participated in since joining the club. Some of those things mentioned included Jim’s work as publisher of the club Newsletter, his membership on the board and having served as club President. Jim also originated the club’s first Pride in Workmanship Award and the club’s receipt of The JC Penney Golden Rule Award. Jim is a member of the Board of Directors of the Club Foundation and participated in its formation through donation of his legal services. Jim has participated in all aspects of the club such as many years of service at the Dome, work at the Samaritan Center and most recently was instrumental in the clubs participation in the formation of the West African Eye Bank Foundation. The club extends it appreciation to Jim and extends its congratulations to him for his receipt of this award.
Congratulations
to Scott and Amy Wisner on the birth of their first child. Their newborn son, Kai
Scott Wisner, arrived Sunday morning, June 27th, weighing in at 6 pounds, 12
ounces. Mother and son are doing fine; father seems a bit overwhelmed!
A former member of Eastwood Rotary, Scott now belongs to the Skaneateles Club, where he is scheduled to serve as president in 2000-01. However, Eastwood still claims him as an Honorary Member, and he is a regular visitor at our meetings, where he is seldom neglected by friends and fining past presidents.
At the District Changing of the Guard Dinner on Friday, June 25, President Rosalie was presented with the prestigious Exemplary Service Award. The award was presented to Ro by District Governor Ed Paparella. The District Awards Committee consisted of District Governor Ed Paparella, District Secretary Jerry Kelly as well as several other PDG's.
The award is presented to the one club in the District whose record of service throughout the year sets an exemplary standard and provides a model of excellence for other clubs. In submitting this year's application, President Ro described the club's multitude of activities. These included the Club's on-going participation at the Dome, the Holiday Sharing Project, the Create- A-Book project, Samaritan Center, assistance with the formation of the West African Eye Bank Foundation as well as the many other club projects. The Club's excellence and District leading attendance record no doubt played an important role in receiving this award.
This was the second year in a row that the club has received this award. It was also a wonderful way for President Ro to end her year. The club members should take great pride in having received this award and should know that the work we do does not go unrecognized by our sister clubs and by our District.
The Samaritan Center was the beneficiary of Eastwood Rotary service this spring, with two different activities there. First, club members made what has become an annual appearance serving lunch at the facility on May 26th. In attendance working hard were Art and Sharon Schoen, Clara Woodall, Mary Lou Gordona, Bud Floor and his daughter Emily, Jeanne Morelli Williams, Jenny Doane, and Pat and Bennett Bishop, who coordinated the project. Turkey Tetrazzini, fruit, a vegetable, bread, and dessert was served to 106 guests, to whom 59 were sufficiently pleased to return for seconds.
A week later, Eastwood Rotary's construction crew made a difference of a different kind, rebuilding steps at the facility. In the photos below, at left, Ed Hinchey is in the midst of the project. At right, Jerry O'Donnell and Ed Hinchey are a couple of steps above Peter Crissey, who chaired and organized this effort for the club. Congratulations to all club members and their family members who contributed time and energy to this worthwhile project.
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by Gary Katz, Vice President & President-Elect
Earlier this month, Eastwood Rotarians performed our annual Create-A-Book project, during which over 200 kindergarten children were given customized books that encourage literacy skills and promote shape and number recognition. The books were given out at Elmwood Elementary School on Tuesday, June 8th and at Heman St. Elementary School on Wednesday, June 9th.
Each book is custom imprinted with the child's name, friends names, and other personal information built right into the story line. By incorporating this personalization, the will to learn is brought forward. Each child wants to read his name and the story, and be able to share this with friends. During the classroom session, each class is taught how books are made, parts of the book, such as the title page, are discussed, and a book is created from scratch for the teacher. Then each child gets their very own book. This is the third year Eastwood Rotary has given these books to children.
Kim Peek, the man Dustin
Hoffman based his Rain Man character on, was our special guest at the Eastwood Rotary
meeting of Tuesday, June 8th.
Kim was born in 1951 with brain damage. His doctors twice recommended to his parents that he be institutionalized. They rejected these recommendations and kept him at home. Kim's brain damage left him with some diminished motor abilities, but it also left him with an incredible photographic memory. He is characterized as a "megasavant", a distinction he shares with just 8 other people, including Albert Einstein.
Kim memorized his first book when he was just 16 months old. He can read two pages of a book simultaneously. His left eye reads one page and his right eye reads the other. His brain is able to take the information from both eyes and reassemble it in the correct order. What's even more incredible is that he has a 98.7% retention for what he's read.
Kim's photographic memory also enables him to recall detailed information from maps and phone books. If you give him the name of your home town, he can tell you the names of the surrounding counties, highways and zip codes. If you give him your birthdate, he will be able to tell you what day you were born on, and what day you will retire.
In 1982, Barry Morrow asked Kim's father, Fran, if he could write a screen play based on Kim. In 1989, the Movie "Rain Man" received four Oscars, including 'Best Picture'. Dustin Hoffman and Barry Morrow told Fran that 'he must promise to take Kim out into the world. Kim will grow. So will everyone else who meets him.'
Today Kim is an inspiration to others as he travels the world promoting his abilities rather than his disabilities.
At the annual
District 7150 Rotary Foundation Dinner on May 7th, Eastwood Rotarian Jenny Doane
was honored with the Rotary Foundation Award for Meritorious Service. This Rotary
International honor can be bestowed on only one person in each district, and Jenny was a
surprised but most deserving winner for District 7150. It recognizes the individual who
has done the most to promote the goals and programs of the Rotary Foundation within their
own District.
In addition to helping organize the event itself Friday night, Jenny's involvement with our District Foundation activities include working with the Group Study Exchange teams, the Foundation scholars, and fund raising efforts. And that represents just a portion of the effort that Jenny dedicates to Rotary - she is also a member of the District Youth Exchange committee, has been elected to Eastwood Rotary's Board of Directors, has served as a Governor's Representative, etc., etc.
There could not be a person more worthy of this recognition. The members of Eastwood Rotary proudly congratulate our fellow Rotarian Jenny Doane, who epitomizes the Rotary motto, "Service Above Self".
Eastwood Rotarians once again this year played host to District 7150's inbound foreign exchange students, during the weekend of April 16-18. The students come from more than two dozen different countries, and they were hosted in Eastwood Rotarian homes for the successful three-day event.
Highlighting the weekend were a trip to the Museum of Science and Technology (MOST) and a viewing of "Everest" in the IMAX Theater, plus the annual Pot Luck Supper on Saturday night at the American Legion Hall in East Syracuse.
On Saturday, March 20th, Eastwood Rotarians, families, and friends gathered at the Lafayette Country Club for the fourth annual Eastwood Rotary Foundation Dinner. The honoree for the evening was Past President Bob Batley.
The event was both a celebration and a fund-raising opportunity. The Eastwood Rotary Foundation Inc. was formed earlier this decade, to provide an opportunity for long term charitable growth and giving, and as a place where tax-deductible contributions could be made for the benefit of local causes and organizations.
The club chose to honor Bob Batley for his several decades of service to Rotary. Bob first became a Rotarian in 1955 in Johnson City, New York, just outside of Binghamton. When his career path took him to the Wilkes-Barre area of Pennsylvania, Bob became a member there. In 1980, he relocated to Syracuse, and Eastwood Rotary has benefited from his presence ever since. He served as our club president in 1984-85, and for many years has led our club efforts in terms of the Rotary Foundation, including hosting several Rotary Foundation scholars. Bob's interest in the Rotary Foundation has also led him to head up several of our District's committees in that area.
An excellent dinner, a wonderful performance by the Syracuse Children's Chorus, a competitive silent auction, and dancing to the music of Stan Colella added tremendously to the evening, but the focus was the tribute paid to one of our own. The event itself has become the highlight of our club's annual activities, and everyone is certainly looking forward to the 5th annual next year.