ROTATELLER

August 17, 2004

Calendar of Events

Last Week: Picnic at Charlton School (Walter Kessler Remembrance)

This Week: RYLA and Rotary Scholarship Students

Next Week: Local Food and Local Growers

Coming Up:

August 31 Beth Palmer “Shelter Box USA, Inc.”

September 7 Mary McSwegan “Bagpipes”

September 14 Matt Gilbert “New Investigative Role of NYS Police”

Suggestions for future programs may be given to Rey Whetten or Linda LeTendre

Other Events Coming Up:

August 2004 “Membership and Extension Month”

August 24 @ 5PM Board of Directors & Chairs meeting.

Sept 9 (Thursday) Gift of Life Golf Tournament at Antler’s Golf Club

Greeter/Invocator Schedule

Date Greeter Invocator

August 17 Earl Wilmot Dan Stec

August 24 Val Mosier Volunteer?

August 31 Rey Whetten Volunteer?

September 7 Bill Lonergan Volunteer?

September 14 Mary Anderson Volunteer?

September 21 Mitch Frasier Dan Stec

September 28 Ken Crotty Volunteer?

WEBSITES:

BHBL Rotary: www.bhblrotary.org

District 7190: www.capitalregionrotary.org

Friendly Botswana

August 3 Speakers Dave Gerhan and Anita Paul, friends of Linda LeTendre, reported on what a “welcoming and comforting place” the small desert country of Botswana in southern Africa was during their recent year-long visit. Dave was a Fulbright scholar who shared his practical experience as a Union College librarian with university students in this undeveloped country. His wife, Anita, accompanied him to Botswana, and worked as a Community Liaison Officer at the U.S. embassy during their stay. Among her duties, she taught cooking and sewing in small villages and served as a battered wife counselor. Botswana is a poor country of 2 million people, but not destitute because diamonds were discovered there after Britain had granted Botswana independence in the mid-sixties. It is a stable, democratic country that prides itself on the absence of graft in its government. A major concern, however, is a huge HIV/AIDS problem, caused not by a lack of treatment but by male promiscuity. Vast sections of the country are wild with a variety of wild animals. Anita described a close encounter with a lion on a visit to the bush country. While in Botswana, Dave and Anita, who are Quakers, assisted a Quaker effort in neighboring Zimbabwe to feed starving victims of a hostile government. Since returning home, they continue to raise funds for this humanitarian cause.

President’s Corner

*Questions:* What is one of the greatest contributions you can make to your community, world peace and understanding? How can you leave a legacy of giving that grows forever? What is one thing you can do that will never be forgotten?

*Answer:* Introduce and bring someone into our Rotary World. Just think about our club. The person who recruited and mentored Doc Garrison started a chain of new members and service that have

wonderfully shaped the lives of many in our area, and will continue to do so in the future. The Rotarian that recruited Bob Youmans started a chain of events that brings cheer and happiness to many needy folks during the holidays. Linda LeTendre's recruiter knows Linda has helped foster world peace and saved lives through her mine clearing efforts. The Rotarian that recruited Walter Grattidge should know about Walter's wonderful work in all of Rotary's four avenues of service. I could go on and on about members of our club. The point is,that every one of our great members at one time was fortunate enough to have someone invite them to look at Rotary. The amazingly positive results that flow from those invitations will go on forever.

At a Rotary Leadership Institute I attended, someone asked, "who could remember the name of the District Governor in 1995?" Maybe three folks in the room remembered. The next question was, "who could remember who introduced them to Rotary?" Every hand in the room went up! Why?

Because every person there knew that Rotarian had taken a risk, thought enough about them to ask, made themselves extend a hand, and consequently changed a new Rotarian’s life forever.

You can enrich someone's life and benefit the rest of the world too by taking a risk, extending a hand and inviting someone you think highly ofto look inside our Rotary World. Cheers! - Steve

Club Assists Youth Volleyballers

With financial support from our club and other community organizations, a group of 8^th grade BH-BL boys traveled recently to Austin, Texas for a volleyball competition involving the best teams in the country at the Junior Olympic National Championships. The ten BH-BL boys on the team played in two seeding rounds involving 48 teams in order to qualify for the 16-team finals and finished second in each round. In the finals, the team placed 13^th, and were one of only two teams from the East Coast to make it to the “sweet sixteen”. The boys played against teams from Puerto Rico, Hawaii, California, and other states and as their coach put it in a thank you letter to the club, “had the experience of a lifetime”.

Communicate news items, program information and scheduled events to

Dick O’Rourke at 372-8287 / robrwo@aol.com

or Ed Warren at 663-7669 / ewarren@nycap.rr.com