Next Meeting

When............ July 14, 2009 at noon

Where.......... The Franklin Hotel

Program...... Lenny Cross – Fort Rickey Game Farm

Coming Events

Jul 10........... Board meeting at the Savoy at noon

Jul 12........... RYLA Dinner at Cazenovia College

Jul 21........... Brother's Tonight — Rock Versace (Fundraiser for Polio)

Jul 31–Aug 2.. Canalfest

Aug 04......... David Lupinski — Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority

Aug 05......... District 7150 Youth Exchange Dinner

Aug 11......... DG Fred Cholet’s Official Visit

Aug 18......... Sandy Jones – Herkimer County Public Health, “It Takes a Man to Be a Dad”

Aug 22......... Arrival of Youth Exchange Student

Aug 25......... Rome Hospital, (Topic Pending)

Sep 01.......... Rome Bowl

Sep 08.......... Lauren Getek, Rome Art and Community Center

Sep 22.......... Rome Memorial Hospital (Topic Pending)

Sep 25–27.... Annual District Conference at the Desmond Hotel in Albany

Sep 29.......... Jim Brown, “The Future of Rome”

Oct 06.......... Denise Smith, Director of Patient Services at Hospice

Oct 13.......... International Students on ISD

Oct 24.......... International Student Day, Dr. Cantor

Dec 04......... Rome Rotary’s 90^th Anniversary Celebration at The Beeches (PDG Mike Occhipinti)

Attendance: Total Membership: 100. Absent or [Excused or Exempt]: Adamo, Bauer, Bird, Bottini, Burch, Burns, Butters, Carey, Casadei, Corbett, Costianes, Dailey, [DiPerna], [Donovan], Fariello, Fay, Fusco, Geller, Glasso, Graves, Hairston, Henry, Lockwood, Mammolito, Martin, Mattson, McMahon, [Mercurio], Miller, Mitchell, Moore, Neiley C, Nolan, O'Hair, [Pabon], Packer, Pendergrast, [Pfendler], Ramineni, Ramos, Reames, Recco, Riley, Rouillier, Schonewetter Do, Simons J, Simons K, Skogland, Speicher, Swinney, Taylor, Till, Toukatly, Townsend, Trela, Tuthill K, Tuthill W, Versace, Vescio, Waters G, Waters S, [Zaleski].

Guests and Visiting Rotarians: Guests: Richard Coon (Coon); Aaron Bahr (Bahr); and Cameron Kilpatrick (Mooney). Rotarians: Louis A. Steppello (Utica).

After-Work Meeting 7/2: Rotarians: Carey, Corbett, Herrmann WR, Neiley C, Neiley N, Packer, Schonewetter De, Townsend.

50/50: Fred Normand won the 50/50 and drew the Queen of Hearts for the pot. You have to play to win!

Make-ups: Graves, Schonewetter De (Canalfest 7/2); Corbett, Donovan, Graves, Herrmann WR, Kobernuss, Latimer, Schonewetter De (Canalfest 7/2); Donovan, Schonewetter De (Canalfest 7/4); Bahr, Bird, Donovan, Hearn, Herrmann V, Herrmann WR, Kahler J, Kahler R, Kobernuss, Mercurio, Mooney, Occhipinti, Puma, Riley, Schonewetter De, Schonewetter Do, Sperlik, and Tracy (Tomb Ceremony 7/4); Butters (DAR 7/7, 7/8, 7/9, 7/10, 7/11); Herrmann R, Herrmann V, Tracy, and Bahr (July 4 Memorial); Panara (KC Bingo 7/1); Matt (F-M 6/25); Donovan, Fusco, Glasso, Graves, Latimer, Schonewetter De (Canalfest 7/6).

Happy Birthday in July to: Ron Casadei (28); Vic DiPerna (31); Joe Fusco (27); Jerry Haritatos (26); Virginia Herrmann (31); Matt Miller (26); Fred Normand (2); Subbarao Ramineni (1); Bob Trowell (17); Bill Tuthill (9); Rock Versace (18); George Waters (4); and Ed ["Coach"] Weed (3).

Anniversaries of Rome Rotary Membership in July: Jim Brown (1989); Debbie Conway (2007); RoAnn Destito (2001); Joe Fusco (2002); Virginia Herrmann (2004); Bob Herrmann (2004); Joan Kahler (1999); Sandi Lockwood (2002); Cheryl Matt (2003); Laura Mead (2007); Matt Miller (1998); Ryan Moore (2006); Tony Picente (2007); Frank Puma (2002); June Sperlik (2002); Phil Trela (1989); and Karin Tuthill (2007).

Quote of the Week: "I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours." — Henry David Thoreau.

Rotary Information

Club Singing — Harry Ruggles was the fifth man to join Paul Harris in the conversations that led to the formation of the first Rotary club in Chicago in 1905. Harry was a fellow who enjoyed singing which was a popular activity at the turn of the 20^th century. At an early meeting of the fledgling group, Harry jumped on a chair and urged everyone to join him in a song.

Group singing soon became a traditional part of each Rotary meeting. The custom spread to many of the clubs in the United States and is still a popular fellowship activity in the Rotary meetings of such diverse countries as Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and Nigeria. Some clubs sing a national song as the formal opening of the meeting. Social singing, however, is seldom found in the Rotary clubs in most Asian countries, Europe, or South America. [Rotary ABC’s, RI 2006, P. 18]

New member Inducted

Joyce Midlam was inducted into the Club at today’s meeting. She was sponsored into Rotary by Bill Tuthill. Please seek out Joyce at our meetings and welcome her to our club.

Canalfest

· PP Greg Mattacola has again taken charge of selling advertising to local businesses as a Canalfest fundraiser. The signs are posted on the Canalfest grounds for the weekend and are $50 each. Greg would love to have help. The advertising is an “easy sell” since exposure is significant and the price much less than other media. Pick up forms at the meetings or see PP Greg to assist.

· Duck Race tickets for Canalfest have been distributed by Dave Kobernuss. Canalfest is our club’s biggest fund raiser, and the Duck Race is a major part of the event. Success depends on the participation of each member of the club. Please sell tickets and help Rome Rotary to provide the quality programs that we have brought to the community in past years. Contact Dave with questions.

· Canalfest now has a place on the web. Check it out! It is part of www.RomeRotaryNY.org or go directly to the site at www.RomeRotaryNY.org/canal.

· A sign up sheet for Canalfest is circulating at the meetings or call PP Dennis to let him know your preference. Let’s fill up those spaces!

· The Honor America Day Parade is approaching on 25 July, the weekend before Canalfest. Rotarians are needed to carry the American Flag & our banner and to hand out Canalfest brochures. About twenty-five people are needed, as the flag is quite large. Watch for the sign-up sheet. See Dan Faldzinski with your questions. The Syracuse Symphony concert at Fort Stanwix and a fireworks display will follow in the evening. We have permission to hand out Canalfest flyers at the concert, and volunteers will be needed. See PP Dennis.

· Kay DeSimone has Canalfest posters for display in the community. Put them in your own businesses or ask business owners in Rome and surrounding communities to display them. Posters are available at the meetings or contact Kay or PP Dennis.

Announcements and Events

· Joan Kahler collected $45 and two bags of goods for the area food banks today. Thank you Rome Rotary!

· PDG Mike Occhipinti brought us up to date on the Polio Plus Campaign. Rome Rotary Club contributed $4,500 to the District 7150 goal of $50,000 for the year 2008-2009. “Thank you” Rome Rotarians. We still have work ahead of us for the next calendar year.

· Juan Carlos Rincon Moreno, our newest RI Youth Exchange student, will arrive in Rome next month from Venezuela. Host parents are needed to provide a home and family for three to four months. Hosts families do not need to be Rotarians. Please contact Chris or Nancy Neiley, nneiley@aol.com, or 827-4303.

· Dues for 2009–10 are past due. The RRC will match the first $100 of any new Rotary Foundation Sustaining Member. (See Dennis for dues. See Bill Tuthill for information on The Rotary Foundation.)

· Correction on last week’s program. Eileen Foreman also has perfect attendance. Her name was omitted in error.

Program

Debbie Conway
Superintendent, Ft. Stanwix National Monument

(Emphasis on the Oriskany Battlefield)

Rome Rotary’s own Debbie Conway spoke to us today about the National Park Service, which provides management for both Fort Stanwix and the Oriskany Battlefield.

Debbie gave a brief summary of the Battle of Oriskany. By some it is considered a minor battle of the war. In reality it was a major factor in the defeat of General Burgoyne at Saratoga. With the Fort under siege the militia from Herkimer marched to give aid, and while stopped for water were ambushed by the British in one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolutionary War. While the British were thus engaged, Col. Willett (for whom the Willett Center at the Fort was named) succeeded in leading a raiding party out to the British camps and captured a large portion of their supplies — thus crippling their ability to sustain the siege. Within a short time the Indians withdrew their support to the British, and the western prong of the attack on Albany was severely compromised. Burgoyne failed and was defeated.

The second annual Commemoration of the Battle of Oriskany will be held at the battlefield monument on 26 Aug this year. Debbie noted that the program will last about an hour with some very unique and interesting speakers.

The National Park Service does rely heavily on volunteers, and Debbie encouraged those interested to visit the Fort and fill out a request to become a volunteer. There are many programs offered at the Fort, often ideally suited to children and youth. For more information see the web site at www.nps.gov/fost.

“Thank you” Debbie for a very interesting program.

Cindy Roubian, Editor

PP Dennis Schonewetter, Technical Editor