We welcomed two teachers from Hesse Elementary School to a recent meeting. Our Rotary Club members have been reading volunteers at Hesse and Isle of Hope Elementary Schools for some time and continue to participate and enjoy helping children who need extra attention and reading assistance. |
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Dr. Richard Roth told us an extraordinary story of a medical and aviation career when he attended our meeting recently. He has practiced medicine in Savannah for many years. He was the program director of the infectious disease training program at Memorial Health University Medical Center and a Clinical Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine with the Mercer University School of Medicine for sixteen years. |
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The Rotary Clubs of Skidaway Island and Savannah have awarded Parent University a $3,580 grant to provide books to children participating in its programs. Every child who registers will receive an age-appropriate book by mail every month, from the time of registration until his or her 5th birthday. The monthly mailing includes a parent newsletter filled with ideas about reading aloud and nurturing a child’s interest in reading, including craft projects and other fun activities. First Readers provides and distributes the books. In support of Parent University’s goal to sign-up 100 children in the 2019-20 school year, Savannah Early Childhood Foundation has matched the Rotary grant.  |
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Dare Dukes visited us this week amid a flurry of local meetings and publicity for the DEEP CENTER, which advocates for public school youth, particularly those whose lives may be limited by circumstances of poverty and other disadvantages. Dare has an MFA in Creative Writing from The New School and an MFA in Theater from the University of Minnesota. He has been the Executive Director of the DEEP CENTER since 2014 and over this period has developed this organization from a local after-school program to a national leader in the fields of art education and youth development. |
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Skidaway Rotarians joined Atlanta's Freddy Falcon and two Falcon cheerleaders in packing over 550 boxes at Second Harvest Food Bank. We had a great time joining an inter generational group.  |
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We would like to introduce you and welcome our new members Captain U.S. Navy Todd Lacy and Asia Harold to the Skidaway Island Rotary Club. .jpeg)  |
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Our guest student, Ariel Samour, from El Salvador came to our breakfast meeting this week. She is one of about fifty students from all over the world who come to Georgia each year at the invitation of the Georgia Rotary clubs. These students come to attend the Georgia colleges for one academic year, and their tuition and dorm fees are paid by the Georgia Rotary clubs. GRSP is the “Georgia Rotary Student Program.” |
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We are privileged to have enjoyed a visit and talk by Katherine (Kate) Canavan at our recent breakfast meeting. Ms. Canavan entered the Foreign Service in 1976 and retired after her last posting in 2011. |
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Nick Deffley, the Director of the City of Savannah’s Office of Sustainability, talked to us about our environment this week. Nick has a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Organizational Effectiveness, and he works closely with the internal city operations, local, regional and national partners with the objective of furthering the sustainability of our region. So what, actually, is sustainability? |
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Dr. Clark Alexander, Director of the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, talked to us this week about our ever changing coastline, its history, forces that shape it, its present formation, and actions we might consider as we live in its immediate vicinity. |
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The Skidaway Island Rotary Club has multiple projects currently active or planned for the coming year. All benefit local children and youth in need of help, support and/or learning as they start out in life. |
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Dr. Kathleen Benton is the President and CEO of a local Savannah Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. She has a doctorate in Public Health Leadership from Georgia Southern University and was for some years the Director of Ethics and Palliative Care at St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital. She is the author of two books, “The Skill of End-of-Life Communication” and Daniel’s World. The former addresses end-of-life issues and the doctors whose patients are in this situation; the latter addresses acceptance of children with disabilities. |
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Jeff Garrison told us this week about his travels by kayak in the Okefenokee, about seeing the huge area of the swamp in the company of his father and friends over the years. The visual presentation which accompanied his talk opened our eyes to the vastness and the variability of the large and lonely area that is the Okefenokee. |
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Whitney Shephard came to tell us about her idea for a new collaboration between various local Rotary Clubs and the activities they might undertake together. Whitney is the Assistant Governor for District 6920, to which we belong. She has a degrees in architecture and civil engineering from Georgia Tech. She is the immediate past president of the Metro Rotary Club of Savannah and plays an active part in many local professional and charitable activities. |
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We enjoyed a visit and talk by Susan Dischner this past Wednesday. Susan is a manager and leisure travel advisor at Four Seasons Travel in the Village on Skidaway Island, and she gave us lots of very sound advice. Considering that most of us travel frequently, this advice was given to an appreciative audience. By the way, former “travel agents” are now “travel advisors” and their relationship with their clients has changed. |
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We welcomed a most distinguished visitor to our meeting this week, Lt. Col Elizabeth Baker. She came to talk to us about her career, her acknowledgement of her obligations in the military, and the importance of readiness to guard the safety of our country. Her educational background is in management and computer technology, and she has a Master’s Degree in Military Operations and Science from the Air Command and Staff College, Maxwell AFB, AL. |
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We welcomed Michael Walters to our meeting this week. Michael is a professional actuary, a Fellow and Past President of the Casualty Actuarial Society. He is a graduate in mathematics with a Master’s degree in Mathematics from the University of Notre Dame. |
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On June 26, the Rotary Club of Skidaway Island awarded $9,620 to five local children’s charities that are involved in improving reading and literacy skills, exploring creativity through music and art, and strengthening parenting skills that foster improved learning at home. The winning grant proposals emphasized programs that were (1) transformative, (2) sustainable, (3) scalable, and (4) preventive. Because these charities are homegrown and hands-on, they are expected to grow and do great things for Savannah’s children, families, and neighborhood communities. |
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Susan Kleine introduced Randolph Russell to us last week. “Three fourths of us cannot name the three branches of our government; we don’t know about senators and representatives; we can’t fathom the Electoral College.” Randolph told us of the depths of our ignorance and how it can be remedied. |
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Susan Kleine told us about our new student who will arrive at the beginning of August. She is Ariela Samour, and she will be among about 50 such students who come to Georgia each year to attend its universities. These students are selected by Rotary Clubs around the world. They must be academically qualified, speak fluent English, able to afford the air fare and the cost of medical insurance.
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Kim Tanner, Senior Director of Development and Engagement, United Way of the Coastal Empire, talked to us on Wednesday morning. Kim is a graduate of Leadership Savannah and holds an international certificate in volunteer administration. She gave us a very detailed and impressive account of all the activities of the United Way in Savannah and its surrounding communities. |
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Our member Dwight Feemster told us about juries, their selection, behavior, legal requirements, and issues as they attempt to understand the complexities of a trial and reach a verdict. Dwight is a partner in the law firm Duffy & Feemster in Savannah. Dwight graduated from Law School in 1982, is a member of the State Bar of Georgia and of the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. |
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Skidaway Rotary Club presents Lila Duke, Academic Coach at Hesse K-8 School, a check for $6,000. The funds will purchase a COW (Computers on Wheels). Since there are not enough computers for students in every classroom, a COW, which holds up to 32 Chromebooks, is shared among 4 or 5 classrooms. Hesse K-8 is just one the beneficiaries of the Rotary Club’s fundraising activities. Childhood literacy and educational enrichment are the Club’s primary areas of interest. Below is a photo of the check presentation with Lynn Gensamer and Lila Duke.  |
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Ron Medders of Utilities Inc. gave us a detailed interesting presentation of water supplies, issues, and problems, present and future, for our island on Wednesday morning. Ron is a Georgian born and bred and began his “water career” twenty-nine years ago in Baxley, Ga. He came to Utilities Inc. in 2007 and in 2011 became the regional manager for Ga operations. He has been involved with all the complexities of water usage and management in our area for close on ten years. |
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On Wednesday Paul Egan told us of the work and joy of a lifetime spent with the Salvation Army, first with his family and later as an officer working in it. The Salvation Army was first established in 1865 in London, England; its mission was to help with food, clothing, shelter, for all with such needs. |
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On February 13 we welcomed Dr. Richard Leighton, a retired cardiologist, former medical school dean and a professor of medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah campus. Dr. Leighton is the editor and co-author of a book entitled “From Guam and Beyond. Stories from the Men of VW-1.” VW-1 stands for Airborne Early Warning Squadron One and Dr. Leighton who was the flight surgeon for that Navy squadron in the late 1950s, related some of those stories. |
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We welcomed John Buckovich, a SCAD vice president, to our breakfast meeting this week. John is a Vice President for SCAD Savannah and University Safety. He comes with 30 years of law enforcement experience, public safety know-how and emergency preparedness. He brings expertise in leadership, critical thinking and crisis response. |
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We took a half hour’s journey into a new world on Wednesday morning. Steve Lowry told us the “where and when” we might expect to see and perhaps use these new devices. Steve is a distinguished partner in Harris Lowry Manton, LLP, with an impressive record as a trial lawyer. His practice areas are personal injury/trucking/defective-dangerous product situations, car accidents, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death. He is a graduate of the J.D. Lewis & Clark Law School of the Northwestern School of Law and “a passionate advocate for individuals who have been harmed by the actions of others.” |
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Our island and the Institute of Oceanography are tied together by their interwoven history. The Roebling family forms the interconnection. Dr. William Savage of the Institute told us of this piece of history on Wednesday morning. Dr. Savage, (“Bill,”) has a PhD in Oceanography from North Carolina State University and specializes in continental shelf oceanography and the interactions between the biology, chemistry and physics there. He researches how the extensive salt marshes of Georgia modify the water composition of water moving from our rivers to the sea. Bill’s talk spoke of the years from around 1935 to the present.
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Dr. Jay Brandes of the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, University of Georgia, spoke to us this week. Jay has dual BS degrees in chemistry and oceanography and a PhD in Chemical Oceanography; he is a professor at the Institute of Oceanography. “Microplastics” are defined as pieces of plastic material smaller than 5 millimeters. And, Jay told us, they are everywhere; they are even found in the Mariana Trench, one of the deepest ocean locations on earth. |
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Our speaker this Wednesday morning is a seasoned newspaper reporter; for the past 30 years he has covered sports, business and governmental affairs. This past January he assumed his current position as the Editorial Page Editor of our Savannah Morning News. Adam is a true survivor in one of today’s most stressful and volatile industries, he is an opinion leader, and he seeks to increase the paper’s digital footprint and usage. His talk to us focused on a key subject for him and for our club, that is, our local schools. |
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We welcomed Doug Chambers of the Law Enforcement Division of the Georgia DNR to talk to us on Wednesday morning. He gave us a detailed account of the many vital services provided to us in this state by the DNR and its departments. |
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The Rotary Club of Skidaway Island and the Kiwanis Club of Skidaway hosted “A Nashville Night,” benefiting the Savannah Early Childhood Foundation (SECF) on Wednesday, July 18. The fundraiser featured the Michael and Jennifer McLain Bluegrass Band and a live auction to benefit the SECF. Over 200 tickets were sold, and in combination with items auctioned, the event raised $11,000 for the SECF throughout the evening. |
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We welcomed Dr. Petruzzelli to our meeting last Wednesday. His presentation to us was at once interesting and disturbing. Dr. Petruzzelli is the Physician-in-Chief of the Curtis and Elizabeth Anderson Cancer Institute at Memorial Health and Professor of Surgery for Head, Neck, and Endocrine surgery at the Mercer University School of Medicine, Savannah, Georgia. |
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Nipuna is a university student who came to Savannah in 2015, sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Georgia. He talked to us this week about the business he is in the process of establishing. Nipuna was born and raised in Sri Lanka and was close to Rotary members and Rotary business in Sri Lanka for much of his young life. He is currently pursuing a business degree at Georgia Southern (Armstrong campus) and planning the future of his new business. The theme of his business is the importance of volunteerism in the world. |
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Jack Coderre told us that “Kairos,” from the Greek, means a ‘special moment’ and he described the many special moments offered by the Kairos Christian Ministry in its work among men in prison. Kairos is a “volunteer Christian Ministry,” Jack said, dedicated to helping men in prison in terms of love, hope, friendship, and support. |
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At our meeting this last week, Kathy Siler, Chair, Incorporation Steering Committee, The Landings, gave us an update regarding the proposed incorporation of Skidaway Island as a city in Chatham County. Overall, at the present time, the feeling on the part of committee members and of many of the Landings residents is that it should become a city. There are many doubts, questions, “what ifs”, and perhaps the greatest difficulty, uncertainty. There is uncertainty about finances, flood insurance, relationships with the county and the other entities on the island (Modena, South Harbor, The Marshes, etc.), ordinances, the necessity for our own employees, police, judiciary, and the responsibility and money that these services imply. |
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Herb Hubbard is the Chaplain of the Savannah YMCA organization. A native of Savannah and a graduate of its high school system, a pastor in Savannah and elsewhere, Herb told us how delighted he is to be back here. And what does he do? A myriad of things as a leader of the local YMCAs. He works with the Red Cross, Goodwill, Democrats and Republicans, FEMA, the Salvation Army, and faces issues with kids, work readiness, evacuations, medical problems, fund raising and legal issues. To put his work in perspective, Herb gave us a bit of background information for the YMCA. |
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The Cliff Dochterman Award has been awarded this year for the first time. It recognizes an individual Rotarian who acts as a role model and renders distinguished and dedicated service to Scouting through active service and leadership. Paul Meyer easily qualified for this award. |
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We welcomed Pat Youngquist, Director of the Union Mission, and her associate, Mark Toth, to our Wednesday meeting. The Mission has been in operation for 81 years in Savannah and its mission is to help all homeless people. |
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“Generally”, Steven Arkin told us on Wednesday morning, “Everyone will benefit.” He went on to tell us some of the many details involved. Steven is a CPA with accounting degrees from George Washington and Savannah State Universities. He warned us that when a government passes a tax law quickly, as this government did, there may be afterthoughts. There may be deficits which will then be rectified by further changes, perhaps not so benign as the original ones. |
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On Wednesday Steve Stirling, President and CEO of MAP International, told us how his company supplies medicines and health supplies wherever they are needed all over the world. Steve was born in Korea and is a victim of polio. He was abandoned as a child and was adopted from an orphanage by a family, of which he showed us pictures. He came to the US at the age of eleven, pursued an education and finished with a BS in Agriculture from Cornell and an MBA from Northwestern University. |
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Boy Scout Troop 51 Skidaway Island and Rotary Club of Skidaway Island presents the premier running of their Mothers Day 5k Trail Run / Fun Walk on Saturday, May 12, 2018. Starting time is 9:30 AM.   |
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The Landings Club will host over a hundred PGA Tour golfers competing for a substantial purse in the country wide PGA 2018 web.com Tour, of which the Savannah Golf Championship event is a part. The event will take place at the Deer Creek course from 3/26 – 4/1, and details were given to us at our meeting this past Wednesday morning by Cheyenne Overby, the Assistant Tournament Director for the web.com Tour. |
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Elizabeth Oxnard, American Traditions Vocal Competition’s co-founder, told us about this event on Wednesday. The Competition is celebrating 25 years of fun – and it’s still fun, Elizabeth said. It started out very small, and it grew, with more competitors and more followers, and we were asked to join the events which take place in Savannah throughout the month of February. The voices are getting better every year, and there is amazing talent; some of the competitors keep coming back, others are new voices not previously heard in Savannah. Elizabeth told us and showed us the stories of some of the competitors and played a tape for us. |
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Two of the visiting GRSP students, hosted by other area Rotary Clubs, told us about their lives and hopes on Wednesday. Mary Sharples is from Wales, UK., and Brendan Mungwena is from Zimbabwe. |
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Our member Ron Krannich gave us some sad statistics and sadder stories of struggles last Wednesday morning. Ron has a PhD from Northern Illinois University and has been a Peace Corps volunteer, a teacher, a professor, and a Fulbright Scholar; he is the author of more than a hundred books addressing the issues of reentry into society, both for the military and for those released from prison. It was the latter set of problems which he addressed for us. |
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We welcomed Mike Muldowney to our meeting this week. Mike is a member of the St. Simons Island Rotary Club who has had a lifelong interest in the betterment of young people. Mike will be the Governor of our Rotary District in 2019-2020 and he brings a long history of working with young students in schools, clubs, programs and other endeavors designed to help them and their communities. Mike urged us to participate in what he called “Entrepreneurship” among young people, and he gave us pointers on how best to achieve this |
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Dr. Longstreth told us of a long career as a surgeon, mostly in Connecticut, and in retirement as a teacher at Memorial Health University Medical Center. He graduated from Yale and received a medical degree from Columbia in New York. During forty-six years of training and medical practice, Dr. Longstreth told us of some of the situations and experiences he encountered, which bear out that ‘truth is stranger than fiction.’ In the course of experiencing these strange occurrences Dr. Longstreth started to make notes and short stories, finally extending his experiences into a book. |
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Hamsa Thota came to our breakfast meeting last week and told us of his joy in Rotary. He was accompanied by Andy Lohn from Savannah South and Mick McKay from Savannah Sunrise, our two Assistant Governors. Hamsa’s family grew up, he said, with Rotary as its background. He has been a Rotarian since 1978, when he joined the St. Simons Club. Since then he has started the Jeckyll Island and the Camden County Clubs. He told us a little of his early life and work experience and of his growing interest in Rotary and its common passion to serve. |
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We welcomed Dr. Miriam Rittmeyer this past Wednesday to talk to us about women’s status and health in Guatemala. Dr. Rittmeyer is the Board Chairman of Phalarope, a non-profit established in 2016; she is an MD, PhD, and has a master’s degree in Public Health. The organization is devoted to the cause of education and health of women, focused at present on Guatemala. Its mandate is to ‘empower women and at the same time involve men.’ She described her organization as “shoestring,” result oriented, operating in an environmentally sustainable and scientific manner. |
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Our member Tom Macek is a Major Donor to Rotary International, and was thanked by Pam Lightsey, past District Governor, at our last meeting. Tom has been a Rotary member for 26 years, and a Club President three times, twice in Hoboken, N.J., and once here at our Club. |
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Our Rotary Club was chartered on October 30th, 1997, and last week we celebrated its 20th anniversary at a party attended by some sixty people at the home of Steve and Diane Graham. The party was hosted by Toni Marwitz, our current President. We welcomed special guests District Governor Hamsa Thota and previous District Governor Pam Lightsey. Mick McKay from the Savannah Sunrise Club and Andy Lohn from Savannah South came to celebrate with us. |
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At this moment, worldwide, there are less than a dozen new cases of polio for the year 2017. Thirty years ago the world saw more than a thousand persons a day stricken with this disease. This most remarkable turnaround has been achieved by the efforts of many; among them Rotary Clubs around the world have been a proud part and a major financial contributor. This day (10/25) is World Polio Day and our club proudly wore “END POLIO NOW” shirts to our Wednesday meeting. .JPG) |
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Brenda Erickson told us last week about her program of teaching infants and toddlers to speak English with a letter-sound program with touchable symbols. The letter symbols the children handle, which are each about the size of a pretzel are, of course, shaped like the letter they represent and have touchable markings on them (perhaps a little like brail in intent) for the children to recognize by feel. The children are taught the sounds represented by each letter while seeing the form of the letter. |
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Saving Lives in Chatham County (SLICC) is a registered charity based in Savannah and staffed by volunteers. Bob Trencamp, its organizer and advocate of many years, spoke feelingly to us about the potential for saving lives through the knowledge, and practice of CPR and the use of the Automatic Electronic Defibrillator (AED). Bob’s organization conducts research, targets organizations, and offers instruction in order to spread his message. The message, basically, is that one’s chances of surviving a heart attack without very prompt and competent help are poor. |
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We listened to a story of a battle against crime in our city last Wednesday morning as we welcomed Meg Heap to our meeting. |
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We welcomed Mary Jane Crouch, the Executive Director of America’s Second Harvest, to our meeting this week. America’s Second Harvest is an organization that aims to help the hungry; it is a national organization, and its local function was described to us by Mary Jane. Her sphere takes in much of coastal Georgia where, she told us, there is substantial need. Mary Jane, a native of South Carolina, has lived in Savannah for the past 18 years and joined America’s Second Harvest in 2002; she became its director in 2004. |
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We were honored to welcome Mrs. DeLoach to our breakfast meeting this week. Mrs. DeLoach is married to Eddie DeLoach, Mayor of Savannah. She graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in mathematics and after moving to Savannah, taught math at Winsor Forest, Robert W. Groves, and Country Day schools. She has two grown children and grandchildren. |
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Five of our members were welcomed to a lunchtime program meeting at this club last week. Police Chief Joseph H. Lumpkin was the speaker. We were happy to meet and talk to members of this club, and listen to Chief Lumpkin’s assessment of the current state of affairs in our city. |
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We welcomed Julie Wade to our meeting on Wednesday. She is the director of the Park Place Emergency Center, a temporary residential home for at-risk youth aged 11-17 years. Julie has degrees, undergraduate and law, from UGA, has practiced law in Savannah, is a member of several education boards and of the Metropolitan Savannah Rotary Club. She has long experience in the criminal defense world of guns and drugs.
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The Social Committee is planning SIRC's 20th birthday party on Friday, October 27th. Anyone interested in providing Historical memorabilia or interesting stories is invited to contact Karen Jahn. We would also be interested in having yearbooks for display, if available. Mark your calendars now for this special fellowship event. Karen Jahn 912-414-2040 |
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Our member George Sedberry, who has had a distinguished career as a marine biologist, told us about a fish which was, until this week, largely unknown to most of us. It’s the “Wreckfish,” so called because it likes to frequent shipwrecks (and rock formations) which lie deep down on the ocean bottom.
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Joe Marinelli gave us a spirited account of the tourism industry in Savannah on Wednesday morning. Joe is the President of Visit Savannah and has had thirty years’ experience in this type of work. He describes his mission as destination marketing for Savannah, Georgia, and Tybee Island.
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Mark Dana spoke to us on Wednesday of an organization that he is passionate about. It is the 200 Club of the Coastal Empire, of which he is the President, which takes care of the families of those killed or injured in the course of their work “taking care of us.” |
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Mary Fuller, the Executive Director of the Savannah area for the Lutheran Services of Georgia, told us on Wednesday morning about the services provided by this organization. Mary has a Masters in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has extensive experience working with families with newborns to teenagers. |
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At our club meeting this week several members who attended this convention Atlanta shared their experiences and observations. Members contributing were, Bill and Karen Jahn, Judy Fifer, Jim Eleczko, Lynn Gensamer, Tom Stanley, and our president, Toni Marwitz. All were amazed at the number and diversity of attendees, and at the level of enthusiasm they perceived in everyone. “It was a four day opportunity to meet people from all over the world,” said Bill Jahn, our immediate past president. More than 33,000 members from 174 countries gathered in Atlanta to renew friendships, find inspiration, and celebrate The Rotary Foundation’s 100 years of Doing Good in the World. |
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Our speaker Wednesday, June 14, was Phil Turek, one of our own Rotarians and Past President, who gave us “The Natural Gas Story”. Phil spent 22 years in the natural gas business and his areas of responsibility covered 12 states ranging from Wyoming to New York. He opened with a list of hydrocarbon compounds that many of us had heard before but were described by the number of carbon atoms in each molecule: octane (8) which is a component of gasoline, butane (4), propane (3) and methane (1) which is called “natural gas”. The methane molecule has one carbon and four hydrogen atoms. |
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On Wednesday morning, May 24th, Dr. Jose da Cruz told us, “Iran cannot be ignored, like it or not.” Dr. da Cruz is the Professor of International Relations/Comparative Politics at Armstrong State University. He teaches courses in Latin American and African foreign policy, Third World National Security and Insurgency/Counterinsurgency. He is an Adjunct Research Professor at the US Army War College and Research Associate of the Brazil Research Unit at the Council on Hemispheric Affairs in Washington. He emphasized that the views he expressed to us are his own, and do not necessarily reflect official the policy or position of the Departments of Defense or the Army, nor of the US Government. |
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Every year the Rotary Clubs in the State of Georgia fund about fifty students from around the world to come to the USA. These students spend one academic year in one of the universities within the University of Georgia system. The Rotary clubs pay for their tuition and their dorm accommodation; they also host them during vacations. The students qualify by being of appropriate academic standing, having fluent English, and are able to afford air fare and medical insurance. The objective is to broaden international knowledge of the US and to offer a life changing experience to young people. This ongoing cultural exchange program is known as GRSP (Georgia Rotary Student Program). |
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On May 17th we listened to Jill Cheeks, and her associate, Chrystal Commodore, tell us of the work they do in helping to ameliorate, or avoid, conflict in a variety of places and organizations in our society. Jill Cheeks is the Executive Director of the Mediation Center; she is a Georgia registered Civil, Domestic and Domestic Violence Mediator with over 25 years’ experience. |
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Last Wednesday morning we welcomed Mary Ann Beil to talk to us about the future of medicine, where a new landscape of ethical issues and dilemmas is emerging. Some, but not all, of these are a result of the new information, electronic, and communication technologies which have arrived in short order over the past few years. We looked at issues in medicine which we may, and almost certainly will, face in the not too distant future. Some of these issues are not really medical, but they are peripheral to many medical outcomes, and their impacts on our lives touch upon diverse ethical issues. |
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Dr. William Wallace treated us at breakfast last Wednesday with a detailed presentation of how a defective aortic valve in the heart is now remedied; it is a substantial advancement on the previous methods, and Dr. Wallace is proud to have pioneered the introduction here in Savannah. |
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Jim Toedtman has had a 46 year career in journalism, as a newspaper man, a Washington correspondent and editor. For much of his career he has covered the White House and the Federal Government. He has traveled to 36 countries, traveled with 6 presidents and one of the Popes. He has a university degree, served in the US Army, did postgraduate work in Australia, and has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia. He is a Landings resident. In no uncertain terms, he warned us of the current state of the news media and painted for us the new media landscape. |
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Diane Lee, the Director of the Savannah Campus of “Georgia Tech” gave us a fact-filled talk on Wednesday. Diane has been at Georgia Tech for nine years and the Director of the Savannah Professional Education Campus for five years. Her previous professional experience was with GTE (now Verizon), in Health Care and the American Heart Association.
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We welcomed Tammy Mixon-Calderon on Wednesday morning and listened to an impassioned description of the activities and programs run by this Agency for children and families. Tammy joined the staff of the Agency in 1996 and became its Executive Director in 1998. Prior to her work at the Wesley Community Center Tammy served as the Program Coordinator for the Homeless Outreach Services at Tidelands Community Service Board and as an Epidemiologist/Disease Intervention Specialist with the Centers for Disease Control in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Tammy has direct and administrative experience working with the homeless and people living with HIV/AIDS. |
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The Savannah Theater Fundraiser was a success and our guests enjoyed the energetic performance that is a hall mark of The Savannah Theatre ensemble. The major beneficiary is the Savannah Early Childhood Foundation.
Click the image below for photos taken during the events.
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Kathy Love of the Savannah Technical College visited us last Wednesday morning and told us about the myriad courses offered at the college. Kathy has an Ed.D from Northcentral University, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business and computer sciences from Georgia Southwestern State. She and her husband are Landings residents. She has been the President of Savannah Technical College since January2009.
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Dan Malachuk, who spent some time as the Director of White House Operations on the staff of President Carter, joined us for breakfast last Wednesday morning.
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The Skidaway Island Rotary Club welcomed Ernest Ledesma, owner of Ledesma Sports Medicine in Savannah, to our breakfast meeting last Wednesday. Ernie graduated from the Physical Therapy program of Georgia State University and began his career in physical therapy with a University of Miami orthopedic group in 1992. Subsequently he came to Savannah to St. Joseph’s Hospital and after its merger with Candler Hospital he was appointed as the Outpatient Clinical Coordinator for the St. Joseph’s Hospital Campus Physical therapy Center. Ernest left this Center to work in the private sector in outpatient physical therapy practice.
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Celebrate Valentine's Day with your sweetheart at The Plantation Club on February 14 and 15. This will be a. special supper club experience featuring the cast of The Savannah Theatre, as they perform love songs in a program just for us. This year's buffet has a Greek theme, guaranteed to be delicious. Tickets are $125, available from Susan Kleine .
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On Wednesday morning we welcomed Dr. Mark Murphy to our breakfast meeting. Dr. Murphy has lived in Savannah since the age of five, when his father was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield as an army surgeon during the Vietnam war. Dr. Murphy has been a distinguished kindergartener, student, medical student, medical resident, doctor, and professional gastroenterologist from the time he entered school until the present time. His awards are legion and keep on coming; he currently serves on the Board of Directors of Memorial Health Medical Center and has been chosen for “Best Doctors in America” for twelve years in a row.
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We welcomed Patrick Bentley to our meeting this past Wednesday morning. Patrick is the Emerging Industries Project Manager for the Savannah Economic Development Authority (SEDA).
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It was our privilege to welcome Hamsa Thota, who will be the next District Governor for District 6920, to which the Skidaway Island Rotary Club belongs, to our meeting on Wednesday. Hamsa has had a long and distinguished career in the service of Rotary, both in the U.S., Sri Lanka, China, and India.
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Cathy Hill, Regional Vice President of Georgia Power, talked to us on Wednesday morning. It was an opportune time for this presentation, coming as it did on the heels of Hurricane Matthew. Cathy has a BS in electrical engineering and an MBA. She leads the 300 employees of Coastal Georgia Power in engineering, construction, sales, customer service government relations and community development.
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We recently welcomed Gena Taylor of the Greenbriar Children’s Center to tell us about her work with children at the Center. Gena is a graduate of South Carolina State and of Savannah State Universities. She has worked for thirty years in the public sector, with most of that time in non-profit administration work. She is a Rotarian, member of Savannah East Club, a Paul Harris Fellow and is active in the affairs of our Rotary District, 6920.
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Members of the Skidaway Island Rotary Club attended a reception hosted by our member Kathy Kleinsteuber, CEO, and her staff last week at the new Rehabilitation Hospital of Savannah, located on Seawright Drive.
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Our two members and recent retirees, Doug Powelson and Darrel Snuggerud rode across the southern part of the State of Iowa recently. They were a part of an annual bike ride, a tradition that started in Iowa in 1973, now known as RAGBRAI… “(Des Moines) Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa”. This also turned into a good fundraiser for Polio Plus.
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Our new member Lynn Gensamer, who has recently joined us from The Rotary Club of Savannah, (aka the Downtown Club) and who is newly retired as the Executive Director of the Humane Society for Greater Savannah, talked to us on Wednesday.
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At our breakfast meeting, we listened to a complicated and vital presentation showing our water needs and supply on our island. Sean Burgess, the Environmental Manager of the Landings Association, spoke to us on this essential subject.
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Bill Jahn, our new president for the coming Rotary year, presented himself, his officers, board, and programs to us recently. Bill is our president through June 2017; our president-elect is Toni Marwitz. Shown below is the passing of the gavel from Tom Macek to President Bill with Toni on the left.
 Other officers include vice-president Bob Murphy, secretary George Sedberry, treasurer Jim Eleczko, and sergeant-at-arms Kevin Hertzwig. Members of the board are Cliff Lindholm, Bob Neumann, Jim Hazel, Anne Dauray, and Karen Jahn. Toni Marwitz and Tom McGoldrick will support the club’s attendance and function at the Rotary International Conference in Atlanta in 2017.
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Our 2016/17 GRSP Student is Hammad Mansoor and is from Rawalpindi Pakistan and will be attending Armstrong University. He is sponsored by the Islamabad Renaissance Rotary Club.
Hammad is 22 years old and has been attending Lahore University of Management Science. He is interested in finance, accounting and the workings of the financial markets. A year ago he completed an internship at Deloitte. According to his information, he has been very active in his high school and at Lahore University. While at Armstrong his area of interest will be strategic business management, business ethics, portfolio management, and logical and critical reading.
Hammad will arrive the first week of August. As a club member,if you are interested in participating as a Host Family, with minimal commitments, Please contact Susan Kleine or Bill Jahn.
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Below is a album of pictures taken during the Changing of the Guard meeting on June 22 at the Pin Point Museum.
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We thank the Kiwanis for inviting us to share their breakfast meeting and their guest speaker, Mayor Eddie DeLoach, with us this past week. We enjoyed this personal meeting with the Kiwanis members and the Mayor.
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At our club meeting last Wednesday we listened to an impassioned speaker tell us about the terrible lingering effects of Agent Orange, used as a defoliant in Vietnam in the early 1960’s to help us win the war quickly. Mack Payne is a decorated veteran of two years in Vietnam. He is a graduate of the University of Florida, has an MBA, and is a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College. He has held elective office in Collier County, Florida, and owned and operated businesses in the state. He lives in Lake Placid, FL.
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On Wednesday morning Ken Double told us about the wonder of theater organs and the story of the Wurlitzer organ that used to be a feature of the Lucas Theatre in downtown Savannah. Ken is a native Chicagoan who now lives in Atlanta. He is president of the American Theatre Organ Society, an international non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and presenting these great organs.
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Our speaker, Paula Hudson, comes from the Maritime Provinces of Canada. She was born and raised in Newfoundland and graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island. She immigrated to the US in 1994 and lived and worked in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. In 2008 she moved to Savannah and began volunteering with Hospice Savannah.
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At our meeting on Wednesday Dr. Sylvia Fields, a Landings resident, told us of her lifelong association with the medical profession and the highlights of her many contributions to its philosophies and practice. Sylvia is a former member of the Rotary Club of Skidaway Island and a Paul Harris fellow. A native of New York, Sylvia told us briefly of a tough childhood in Brooklyn and of her subsequent training as a nurse at Adelphi College and Columbia University in New York; she received an Ed.D from Columbia.
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On Wednesday morning members of the Skidaway Island Rotary Club went to DeRenne Middle School. The occasion was a celebration of the winning students whose essays were deemed the best among many. The theme for these essays was, “Service Above Self,” which is the theme of service for all Rotarians. Students composed essays telling of the special meaning of the phrase in their personal lives.
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We welcomed Cheryl Noll, PhD, to talk to us about South University and the College of Business on Wednesday morning. Dr. Noll has a PhD from Ohio State University and came to South University in 2013 after a distinguished academic career at Eastern Illinois University. Dr. Noll has published numerous professional journal articles throughout her career and currently serves as a Program Reviewer for the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
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All large turnout of 23 Rotarians, family and friends participated in the quarterly service project at America's Second Harverst today. Ten pallets with 500 boxes were completed by the team in under 2 hours. Great productivity and a rewarding experience for all.
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We listened on Wednesday morning to one of our three GRSP (Georgia Rotary Student Program) students, Nipuna Ambanpola, tell us about himself, his family, his life, and his hopes for the future.
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For the 2nd year the Skidaway Island Rotary Club presented a two night performance of ‘Best of Savannah Theatre at Plantation’. This 2 hour show featured the 9 singers and 5 piece band of the Savannah Theatre. Many Skidaway residents are familiar with the Savannah Theatre as it has been the #1 attraction in Savannah, as rated by Trip Advisor, for the past 5 years.
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Bob Trenkamp is known to many of us; he has spoken to the Skidaway Island Rotary Club in past years. He joined us for breakfast last Wednesday and told us of the latest in CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation.) Bob is co-founder of the organization called SLICC, Saving Lives in Chatham County. This organization has trained 10,000 persons in CPR, and will “train anybody willing to sit still for an hour or two.” The activities of this organization are overseen by a Medical Advisory Board – five local physicians with specialties in cardiology, emergency medicine and neurosurgery.
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We welcomed Ms. Mobley at breakfast last Wednesday. She is the principal of DeRenne Middle School, with which the Skidaway Island Rotary Club has been associated for more than ten years. She was appointed as the principal of this school in September 2012 after a distinguished career in various schools in Florida. She has a bachelor’s degree in Health Education from Florida State University and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. She is very proud of the students of DeRenne Middle School and told us about their activities in some detail.
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Carolyn Zalesne attended our breakfast meeting on Wednesday and gave us a lively lecture on using our computers. Carolyn is a Landings resident, a graduate of Cornell University and of the University of Maryland, but her computer knowledge is 100% self-taught. She started a graphic design business and found herself constantly asked by friends and neighbors to help them with their computers. She reinvented herself as the IT girl – who makes Mouse calls – and became a very busy Landings resource. Her audience, not all of whom are totally at ease with their computers, listened gratefully to her presentation
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We welcomed Danielle Paul and Kate Dunnagan to our breakfast meeting this Wednesday. Danielle is the Resource Development Director and Kate is the Director of Mentoring Programs at the Frank Callen Boys and Girls Club.
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This past week some 45 Rotarians, spouses and friends participated in a combined work/social Pack “n” Play event at America's Second Harvest. During the first hour, we built, packed, sealed and palletized 200 boxes containing juice; cereal; canned vegetables, fruits and protein; and pasta. These particular boxes went out to seniors and families in Vidalia in Toombs County as part of the Mobile Food Pantry Program where Second Harvest trucks distribute this food on the spot at a prescheduled time and place. After packing, we then enjoyed a cocktail hour in the warehouse setting with excellent hors d’oeuvres prepared by their chef. This evening was a great start to our 2016 service project and social calendar.
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If you own or are starting a business, there are ten essential things you should know; Charles Bowen told us about these key points on Wednesday morning. Charles has a degree in Psychology and Political Science from Mercer University and a law degree from Georgetown University. He has practiced corporate law as a part of the Bowen Law Group in Savannah since 1995.
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Click on the Story Link above to open a page where you can see a link to the flyer that can be downloaded/printed for your use.
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Bill and Kyra Davis kindly hosted a social gathering so that Skidaway Island Rotarians could again enjoy the phenomenon of Halloween at The Landings.
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The United Way is known to all of us; but what does it actually do? Kim Tanner told us exactly what it does for our community this past Wednesday morning. Kim is the Senior Director, Resource Development and Engagement Programs of the United Way of the Coastal Empire. A graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Kim discovered Savannah with AmeriCorps and began a career in non-profit management. After eight years’ experience in non-profit business she has now relocated to Savannah to serve our community as an officer of the United Way; she is also President of the Georgia Association for Volunteer Administration.
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Our member Phil Turek introduced Harry Vickers on Wednesday morning. Every year the Georgia Rotary Student Program (GRSP) sponsors students from around the world for one academic year at colleges in Georgia. About 50-70 students come each year, sponsored by one or more of the Georgia Rotary clubs. The Skidaway Island Rotary Club, joined with three other Savannah area clubs to sponsor Harry, who is enrolled at Armstrong State University.
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Skidaway Island Rotary led the way in 2014-15 Shelter Box Donations with $4000. Under the enthusiastic leadership of President Darrel Snuggerud and Shelter Box Chair Toni Marwitz, Skidaway Isaland Rotary Club was top among the twelve D-6920 clubs donating to Shelter Box.
Here Toni and President Tom Macek receive the Shelter Box banner with four gold stars from Shelter Box Ambassador Bill Jahn. Can the club match this in 2015-16?  |
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Hanif Haynes, President of the Pin Point Betterment Association, Ossabaw Foundation Board Member, and guest of our member Dr. Tom Thomas, told us about the history of the people of Ossabaw Island and Pin Point communities. Mr. Haynes was born and raised in the Pin Point community. He attended Savannah State University, Savannah Tech, and is employed by Gulfstream. He was a radio announcer at Savannah State for many years.
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We welcomed Ed Conant, retired U.S. Naval Commander, to breakfast on Wednesday. Our member Phil Turek introduced Ed, who is a graduate of the National War College with a BS in Marine Engineering and a MS in Operations research, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. Ed told us of the development and capabilities of U.S submarines from their invention, their use in WWl and WWll, their increasingly deadly power, to the present time; “rarely seen or heard,” we must just be happy they are on our side.
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In the second week of February of this year our members Dr. Hank Croce and Dave Sweeterman, with their wives Suzanne and Judy, and a troop of doctors and helpers, went to the Dominican Republic. Their mission was to help local people who had eye problems.
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It was a beautiful day. Large crowd and fun for all. Thanks so much to Publix and Coke for donating ALL the food and drinks. Special thanks to Chris Scales, store manager, for coordinating the food service and serving refreshments in the Coke truck. Susan Kleine was the big winner of the 50/50 Raffle. Picture of the event follow.
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At our meeting on Wednesday April 22nd, members welcomed many guests and representatives of two charities to which the club made donations this year. The Major Fundraiser was successful and allowed for $12,000 to be donated to the Signature Charities.
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Our member Phil Turek introduced David Acuff to us on Wednesday morning. David is the Executive Director of Emmaus House. He attended Elon College as an undergraduate and the University of St. Thomas to do his graduate work. After graduate school he was the director of community work for the Union Mission.
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We watched with fascination on Wednesday morning while Rick Cunningham told us, and showed us, the events that led up to our "owl watch" which, this very week, may provide us with two brand new owl chicks. Rick came to the Landings in 2011 from Washington DC where he was VP of engineering for a start up that helped invent the field of reality simulators for training surgeons (like flight simulators but for doctors.) Mal Welch of Skidaway Audubon accompanied Rick to our breakfast meeting.
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Our former president, Susan Kleine, introduced Tracy Dolan on Wednesday morning. Tracy spent much of her working life in international development work and saw first-hand the plight of many girls in the world. Together with her sister Polly, Tracy founded Nurturing Minds in 2008; it is a US based non-profit organization that provides financial and technical support to SEGA school in Tanzania. Tracy told us that we would have a closer idea of what the school was like if we understood that it is not unlike the Bethesda Academy in our locality. The SEGA school is a residential school of 210 girls aged 12-15 years. In order to understand the mission and some of the problems of the school it is necessary to know a little about Tanzania. |
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On Wednesday morning we heard a presentation concerning the One Hundred Miles, the extent of Georgia's unique coast. Megan Desrosiers is the Executive Director of One Hundred Miles, a non-profit coastal advocacy organization with the mission of preserving, protecting, and enhancing this precious salt marsh. Even though the coast of Georgia is only 100 miles long, it comprises 30% of the remaining salt marsh coastline in the US. Megan showed us, and told us, of the efforts that are on-going to look after it. A map of this coastline showed us the areas which are now legally protected. These include most of the barrier islands (islands which front on to the sea,) land along the Altamaha and Satilla rivers,and other stretches of coastline from South Carolina to Florida. So why are we anxious about our coast? Many Georgians, especially those living inland, are unaware of the coastline and its issues. The marshlands provide home for varied wildlife, for people to hike and boat and look at, for barriers to storms and tidal surge; to appreciate them fully, it is necessary to get out there and experience them. Megan showed us maps of the population changes over a period of twenty-seven years from 1974-1991, and projections for 2050. We are growing, and worse yet, spreading out, and this spread is consuming land. As we seek places to live, the views and beauty of the coast attracts would-be residents (and therefore builders) who are putting pressure on the marshland and efforts to protect it. The six coastal counties are key; they are, from north to south, Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, McIntosh, Glynn, and Camden. |
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It is with the deepest regret that we report that Nancy Neumann, wife of our member Bob Neumann, has passed away. There will be a service in St. Peter's Church on Saturday December 13th at 10am. |
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At our breakfast meeting on Wednesday we welcomed Dr. Jay Howington, who told us everything we needed to know about strokes, who is most vulnerable, and what to do if we suffer the symptoms. The latter is key; don't delay, call 911. The prompt call may save your life. |
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Our Wednesday speaker, Cindy Murphy Kelley, is the Executive Director, since January of this year, of the Chatham Savannah Authority for the Homeless (CSAH), whose mission is to "lead the effort to build and sustain community practices to eliminate homelessness." There are 4193 homeless people in Savannah, she told us, and the number has not changed in the past 20 years. This number does not include 142 families who are living in hotels. Since the population of the city of Savannah has not changed much in that time (newcomers come to places outside the city), we must face the fact that we have an intractable problem which 20 years' efforts have failed to address with any success. |
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I want to take this opportunity to thank the sponsors of The Village Fall Festival. The support of Publix Super Market was key to the success of the food concessions fund raiser for the Rotary Club. Providing refrigerated/frozen storage for beverages, burgers and brats came in the form of a brand new, 50 foot, Publix refrigerated trailer. Coke donated all the refreshments and the roadside banner. Local sponsors included all five of the Merrill Lynch Wealth Management teams, Four Seasons Travel and Southern Motors Honda. Contributions funded "The Rogues" band, activities for kids and a raffle prize for the Coastal Corvette Club. The South State Bank provided volunteers as concessions cashiers. And a special thanks to all the Rotary Club volunteers and, especially, Bill Jahn for arranging to have the Shelter Box display. |
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Member Kathie Anderson introduced David Pratt to us on Wednesday morning. David is the Executive Director of the Philharmonic Association, the umbrella group that manages the music matters of the Savannah Philharmonic. David is a fellow Rotarian, was born and raised in Australia, has spent much of his career in the US where he lived for some time on the west coast; now he is a resident of Savannah. David used a video presentation to show us the highlights of the Philharmonic's activities, starting out with some history. |
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We welcomed Ozge Kantas from Turkey to our breakfast meeting on Wednesday. She is here for this academic year at Armstrong State University and is one of some fifty students sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Georgia who will study at the various state Universities this year. Students come from all over the world for this program, whose objective is to showcase our way of life to young men and women from other countries. A qualified student must have fluent English, be academically suited, and be able to afford the airfare to and from the US. The Rotary clubs pay their academic fees and dorm expenses. In vacation times, host families accommodate them and show them around. Most see many different parts of our country before they return home. |
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Come one, come all! Rotarians join with The Village Library and The Landings Art Association to bring you the Annual Fall Festival at The Village on Skidaway Island on Saturday, October 25, 10:30 AM - 3 PM. |
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We are privileged to have welcomed Ron May to our meeting on Wednesday. Ron has been the Chairman of District 6920 Rotary Foundation for the past three years and has been a Rotarian for 30 years. He is a native of Sandersville, GA., a graduate of Georgia Tech., and has spent his professional career in the building industry, in Savings & Loan work, and in the banking business. |
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On Wednesday morning we welcomed the Dwaine Stevens, Publix Jacksonville Division Media & Community Relations Manager, Jay Wilcox, Publix District Manager for our store, and Wistar Lewis, Skidaway Island Village's "landlord," to our breakfast meeting. Between the Publix managers, they gave us a brief history and background of the Publix group of grocery stores. The Publix stores grew from Piggly Wiggly origins and have become a part of many neighborhoods in the Southeastern part of the US. The message is one of neighborhood engagement and of interaction with local concerns and efforts; they told us they will continue, for example, to support our village festivals and fund raisers with the involvement and help from our new store. After this introduction to Publix our two speakers turned the meeting over to questions from the floor, and there were many. |
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As this Rotary year comes to its close, I want to thank you again for the honor to have served as your District Governor. I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate the experience. Brenda and I traveled over 28,000 miles to visit with our clubs and members on more than 225 occasions. We were honored to have been invited to return and participate in service projects, fund raisers, socials and special celebrations. We participated in new member inductions, Major Donor, Paul Harris Fellow, Bequest Society and Benefactor recognitions or presentations, as well as officer installations.
See article about Skidaway Island Club's donation to ASH Kids Cafe. Click here to download the June Newsletter |
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At our annual ‘Changing of the Guard’ meeting, outgoing President Doug Powelson presented this year’s ‘Rotarian of the Year’ award to Jim Eleczko. Jim has served Skidaway Rotary as Treasurer for the past year and has overseen the distribution of more than $20,000 to local community organizations in need of funds, including DeRenne Middle school, Pulaski Elementary school, Junior Achievement, Horizons, Bethesda Academy,and Second Harvest. In addition to participation in multiple club “hands on” service projects, Jim also manages the budget for our international efforts in Haiti and for Rotary’s international effort to eradicate Polio from the earth. Doug proudly passed the gavel to our incoming President, Jon Peterson, and presented awards for perfect attendance to the many committee members who make our community service possible.
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It was a pleasure today to welcome as a member into our club Barbara Anne Phillips, who was proposed by Kathie Anderson. Barbara will hold the classification of Retinal Surgeon.
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At the end of each Rotary year we take time to reflect on the good we do in service to our Club, the Community and Internationally. President Doug treated us to a year in review and highlighted the extraordinary contributions of many of our members. |
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Jon Peterson introduced Jack Dibrell to members on Wednesday morning. Jack, who has had a distinguished military career, is currently the civilian airport manager of Hunter AAF in Savannah and the regional airport at Fort Stewart. Jack is a graduate of the University of Alabama, served 30 years in world wide military service, retired as an Army Colonel with assignments in the Aviation, Special Operations and the Diplomatic communities. Late in his military career he led the US mission to account for POW/MIAs lost in Vietnam and Laos and served as the Defense Attache in Rangoon, Burma. Prior to moving back to Savannah and civilian life, he led the initial response to the tsunami that struck Thailand (and many other places around the world) in December 2004; he was based in Phukhet, Thailand. Jack's presentation was a grim one; it showed battle scenes, casualties, dreadful terrain, men in desperate situations, prisoners, torture, escape attempts (often unsuccessful) and death. Jack told us that the movie "Rescue Dawn" shows it all, and he showed us a short clip from the film. Jack's presentation showed "anecdotal vignettes and photos" (his description) to illustrate the efforts made to search for, and if possible identify, the remains of POW/MIAs known or believed to have been lost somewhere in Laos or Vietnam. President Reagan promised the American people a full accounting of the fate of men lost in operations in that most inhospitable part of the world, and Jack showed us how that promise was implemented. For every man located, the objective was to reclaim the remains or to obtain an acceptable reason why that was not possible. Jack said that some 1500 persons were missing at the end of the Vietnam war, of whom about 600 are now accounted for. A map of the area with red dots showing locations of missing men indicated that these locations were to be seen along the full length of Vietnam and Laos. As a part of his story Jack showed maps of the countries involved, Vietnam and Laos (the latter, he said, was neutral in name only.) The Ho Chi Minh Trail runs from the North country of Vietnam to the South down through the center of the country, and, no, it's not a road in our sense, it's bare dirt and, when the rains come, a sea of mud. So the main means of transport in those places is the aircraft, and more importantly, the helicopter. In order to start investigations, ads would be placed in the local newspapers for information, and when there was a response, members of the US team would talk to witnesses, many of whom had been very young at the time - or were very young now, but had information to offer. Many of the people interviewed had never seen a Westerner before. When exploration or excavation was needed the US army unit would take care of the workers it hired to do the work. Jack told us that all remains located were repatriated to the US via Hawaii. "No other nation," Jack told us, "Is as determined as we are to account for our missing servicemen." |
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Barbara Fertig introduced Christopher Scott, an Englishman now resident in the U.S., who managed several large estates as a Land Agent in England for the families who owned them, including the Astor estate. The subject of his talk this morning was the Astor estate, Hever Castle, in the county of Kent in the southeast corner of England.
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Learn about Rotary's efforts to eradicate polio, and follow a group of Rotarians on a life-changing trip to India for a National Immunization Day.
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Members voted on Wednesday morning for some changes in the new slate of officers for next year. The changes, which were approved by a vote of the members were:
Darrel Snuggerud: President Elect
Andy Starr: Vice President
Toni Marwitz: Director for 2013-2014, 3 year term.
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Two Important Meetings on Saturday, June 15, 2013 in Dublin
District Foundation Seminar/Grants Training - 9 a.m.- 4:15 p.m. District 6920 Change of Leadership and Awards Presentation - 6 p.m. -9 p.m. Want to Help Storm Victims in Oklahoma? Information on how to help is in the newsletter. Click here to download the June 2013 Newsletter. |
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SAVE THE DATE!!! When we welcome our current President Elect, Jon Peterson, as our next President, for the Rotary years 2013-2014, the ceremonies will be different from our usual way. We will have the "changing of the guard," and we will also have a party.
On June 28th, a Friday, at 5.30pm, at Tom Macek's house, Doug Powelson, our current President, will turn over the reins of office to Jon Peterson. The new President, the then Past President, all Club officers, and club members will celebrate the event with drinks and hors d'oeuvres and good cheer. There will be no charge for attendees, spouses and friends.
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District Conference Just Days Away. If you have not made the commitment to attend our District Conference, we certainly hope you will decide to do so and soon. Plans have been made for an exceptional Conference. See the nice article about Skidaway Rotary and America's Second Harvest Service Day.
Click here to download the May 2013 Newsletter. |
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Our visiting student Clare McDevitt bade farewell to our members on Wednesday morning. Clare, who comes from Scotland, has been our GRSP (Georgia Rotary Student Program) student this academic year. The program, funded by the Rotary Clubs of Georgia, enables students from outside the US to come to Georgia and study at various state universities for a year.
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Robert H. (Bob) Murphy was inducted into the club on April 3rd. Sponsored by Tom Macek, Bob hods the classification of Software Consultant. |
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Joel Zuckerman, who is the author of seven books on golf, introduced his new book to the Skidaway Island Rotary Club members on Wednesday morning. Joel told us that this is the first book written in celebration of the club professional, and features numerous Skidaway Island connections.
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Savannah attorney Cletus Bergen told us of a young life spent on the waters around this part of the Georgia coast. Cletus’ father came to Savannah as a young man on the railroad, and met and married a local Irish lass. His father fought in the Pacific theater in WWII, came to Savannah and earned a living as an architect; he designed Drayton Towers. The family made its home on Coffee Bluff, which at that time was the middle of nowhere. He spent time water skiing in the summer, but life on the bluff was lonely. His father decided that he should spend time with the locals on the water, and for two years he knew and worked with the black community fishing and crabbing.
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Our member George Sedberry introduced Michael Jordan, the Communications and Outreach Coordinator at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, on Wednesday morning. Michael is also a veteran broadcaster, filmmaker, and historian who has traveled around the world with local troops to gather material for his work on military history. Most of Michael’s award winning videos focus on local history, including Savannah’s role in the Civil War. This was his subject today, and his videos accompanied his presentation.
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Our member George Sedberry introduced Michael Jordan, the Communications and Outreach Coordinator at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary, on Wednesday morning. Michael is also a veteran broadcaster, filmmaker, and historian who has traveled around the world with local troops to gather material for his work on military history. Most of Michael’s award winning videos focus on local history, including
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The Rotary Club of Skidaway Island Sea or CityTRAVEL RAFFLE ($ 10 each/3 for $ 25)
WIN A TRIP FOR TWO*- The winner’s choice of a trip for two* to the city or the sea. You can immerse yourself in the southern charm of our nearby neighbor, Charleston, and relish all this vibrant city has to offer, with three nights at the Orient Express Charleston Place or you can enjoy the powdery white sand and azure seas of one of the South’s loveliest beaches when you spend three nights at the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island. (*Restrictions and blackout dates apply *Double Occupancy)
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Dave Legasse, a former president of the Rotary West club, spoke about the Play It Forward Rotary Fund Raiser on Wednesday morning. Dave is a marketing man and knows the value of awareness for our upcoming evening of music and dancing. Come off the island, he said, and you will be assured of a good time. |
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The The Skidaway Island Rotary Club welcomed Roger Moss, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the |
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Happy New Year to All! “Where has the time gone?” The question has been asked many times. One thing is certain, when you are busy,
it seems to go by a lot faster!...
Click here to download the January 2013 Newsletter. |
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Come join fellow Skidaway Rotarians, our District Governor, and guests for our annual Holiday Party.
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With mixed emotions, we completed our Official Visits on November 13th with the Rotary Club of Centerville. It was a good feeling knowing that we had shared President Tanaka’s message and theme...
Click here to download the December 2012 Newsletter. |
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Bill West tells us that there will be a vote for the slate of officers of our club for the Rotary year 2013-2014 at our next meeting on November 28th. The slate is given below. The following are the Annual elections, each serving a one year term: 1. President --Jon Peterson Directors: 8. New -- Eddie Ambrose -- 3 year term |
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Jon Peterson told members that the recent Career Day was outstanding. He said that the State of Georgia has the most dismal record for graduation of the southeastern states; only 60% of high school students graduate. The best state is Tennessee, with 80% graduating. He told us that it was emphasized to students that they must stay in school, must graduate, then they must go on. The more education they get, the better their paycheck will be, a novel idea, seemingly, to most of them. Tom Macek reminded us that the drawing for the Visit to Kiawah Island is next Wednesday, December 5th, at our meeting. He asks members to get ticket receipts and stubs to him ASAP, he will pick up if necessary. |
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 Dear Rotarians and other Friends... A week after the storm, things are slowly starting to return to what is now taken for normal. But we have another nor'easter that will hit our region tomorrow, bringing with it wet snow, heavy winds and flooding. We all fear that any progress made thus far will be undone by this new storm. |
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We were blessed by having Hurricane Sandy taking a track that kept her off our coast. No rain, moderate winds and the fun began at 8:30 AM. |
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Great success! Many thanks to Hank and Suzanne Croci for hosting the event. Hank, Andy Starr and Bill West were superb cooks! And .. the most important recognition and thanks goes to our social chair, Bob Neumann who planned/purchased food/drink/supplies and setup the event. I also want to thank those who stayed to the end to help clean-up. |
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October 15 marked the official start of early voting in Georgia for the November 6 general election. Early voting runs from through November 2
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On Friday afternoon, Oct 12, 55 GRSP students, from all over the state, met at the Marriott Riverfront hotel to begin a Conclave in Savannah. Our club hosted 10 of the students for overnight accommodations. Starting with a "Ghost Tour", the students went on to experience Savannah, including a visit to the Mighty Eighth Air Force museum and activities on Tybee Island. |
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Introduced by past District Governor Gordon Matthews, our speaker, Bill Eberlein, told us of a most unusual vocation at our meeting on Oct 17. It is the search for, and the subsequent marketing, of teeth from enormous prehistoric sharks which are to be found in the coastal waters and rivers of Georgia.
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Bob Neumann reminded members of the miniOctoberfest party on Tuesday October 23rd at Hank Croci's house. Drinking starts at 5pm. Wine and Beer will be available. At 5.30pm, food (Brats, Burgers and other assorted goodies) will be served. Hank and Andy will tending the grill. The cost is $10 per person for members and free for potential members.
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Bob Neumann gave us some updates on our social calendar:
Tom Thomas needs four more people for his Pulaski School Junior Achievement beginning in January. Spouses are encouraged to participate. That has worked well in the past. |
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Ryan Jarell, the project superintendent of the Truman Parkway, Phase 5, spoke to us on October 10th. Introduced by Kathie Anderson, Ryan is a graduate of Clemson University and the head engineer now in charge of the work we see as we head out along Whitefield Avenue or drive along White Bluff heading south.
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With over 8,000 miles of mostly two-lane roads behind us, Brenda and I have really developedan appreciation for our District and its members. We have visited over 50 Rotary clubs at least one time and some clubs more than once.
Click here to download the October 2012 Newsletter. |
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Wonderful News: We won the golf tournament played against the Kiwanis, so we will keep the trophy this year! It will be inscribed and Kiwani members will join us for breakfast one of these Wednesdays to congratulate us. Thanks to all our terrific players; we won 24:20. Bob Neumann announces a "mini-octoberfest" on Tuesday October 23rd to be held at Hank Croci's house from 5.00pm, featuring brats, burgers, beer, and wine. Potential Rotary members and guests are free, current members, $10. Hank's house is 11 Windwalk Lane, off Brandenberry/Morning Marsh. |
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The meeting on September 26th, Susan Kleine and Hank Croci were recognized for their continuing support to The Rotary Foundation as "Multiple Paul Harris Fellows".
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President Doug reported the TGIF party was a great success on Sept. 14th. Over 40 attended the event, including a number of former Rotarians and prospective members. A great amount of credit goes to Bob Neumann for organizing the event and personally inviting former members.
Fall Festival: Tom Macek had an update for us and indicated he is personally reaching out to members to fill the slots required to service the event. We will probably be serving a little longer as the hours for the event have been extended. Gary Griffin reported, after the meeting, that we will have press coverage from WTOC TV and the Savannah Morning News. Save the date... Saturday, October 27. President Doug read a thank you note from DG Bob Griggers to the membership. DG Bob made special mention of our service projects that are supporting children's education, leadership and GED programs for adults. He was very impressed with all the Club banners we had accumulated saying "Skidaway remembers 'International' is a big part of Rotary's name." He was also very pleased to take part in the recognition of new Paul Harris Fellows and continuing support for the Rotary Foundation. Board Meeting highlight: President Doug informed the members that the Board had reached a decision to focus fundraising on the Fall Festival and Spring Fling events for 2012-13 Rotary Year. A new service project opportunity, America's Second Harvest Kid's Cafe, has been submitted for District Grant participation which will provide opportunity for "hands-on" service and great publicity for the club. More details of the Board meeting will be presented at the Sept. 25th meeting. |
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We were pleased to welcome President Jordan Chase from the recently chartered Metropolitan Savannah (Metro) Rotary Club. Introduced by Paul Meyer, club member and Assistant Governor for District 6920, President Jordan is a 3rd Generation Rotarian. She currently serves as a consultant in the Organizational Development Department at Memorial Health University Health Center in Savannah.
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We are reminded:
- The Savannah Jazz Festival will be held on September 23rd-30th. See its website for details. - The Fall Festival in the Village will be on October 27th; Tom Macek is the coordinator and has already called many of us. |
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Lyn Gensamer, the Executive Director of the Humane Society, addressed us on Wednesday morning.
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The Skidaway Island Rotary Club was proud to have DG Bob Griggers and his wife Brenda attend a recent breakfast meeting.
Click here to download the September 2012 Newsletter. |
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Laura Robinson is looking for three METS volunteers, - the bank is sponsoring a METS session on October 6th. Available, please call her. At the TGIF party at Lloyd Wood's house on September 14th, guests (non-Rotarians) are free.......it's membership month and we are looking for interested people. Hors d'oeuvres needed too. Our golf tournament v the Kiwanis is on October 2nd, Palmetto, 1.30pm, shotgun, players still needed, men and women welcome. |
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At the last meeting 5 members were recognized for achieving Paul Harris Fellow and PHF+ Status. District Governor Bob Griggers made very special presentations.
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President Doug will be out of town for the next two week. President-Elect Jon Peterson will take the gavel. The Board of Directors meeting is being postponed until Monday, Sept 17th. |
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Our meeting this morning was devoted to reports to club members by President Doug and several Offices and Directors regarding goals and challenges for this year.
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Last year, our club members contributed $4,700 to the Rotary Foundation's Annual Fund through quarterly EREY contributions. Since the club's chartering, we have contributed over $167,000 to the Foundation, some of which was through fundraisers.
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President Doug Powelson showed pictures of the arrival of our new GRSP student, Clare McDevitt, at Savannah Airport last week and the party on Saturday to celebrate her arrival, see article and pictures in this newsletter. |
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Governor Offers $1,000 Challenge
As an incentive to encourage our clubs to promote President Tanaka's theme "Peace through Service”, we are sponsoring a contest. We will be presenting $1,000 to the club that makes the best use in promoting the International Theme for 2012-2013. Click here to download the August 2012 Newsletter. |
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On Wednesday morning five students who had recently participated in the RYLA course, shared our breakfast and their thoughts about the classes they took. The course took place at the South Georgia College in Douglas, Georgia, for a weekend, 9.15am - 4.15pm each day, with evening social get-togethers. These five students came from local (Savannah) schools; in all,some 65 students from all over Georgia took the classes. |
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 Representatives from four Rotary Clubs (Hinesville, Richmond Hill, Savannah Sunrise and Skidaway Island) were on hand to greet GRSP student Clare McDevitt as she arrived in Savannah on August 2nd. Clare will be attending Armstrong Atlantic State University. A Low Country Boil will be held in her honor on Aug 4th. Eddie and Caroline Ambrose are the host family representing Skidaway Island. We look forward to having Clare attend a club meeting at the end of September. |
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President Doug Powelson had a few items for us this week: - Our GRSP student, Clare McDevitt, arrives Thursday August 2nd, and there is a party to celebrate her arrival on Saturday at the home of the host family in Richmond Hill. For information, call our member Eddie Ambrose; Eddie and Caroline Ambrose will serve as the host family for our club this year. All are welcome at Saturday's party. |
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President Doug reminded us of: Some of our meetings in August will require us to enter the Plantation club for breakfast through the main entrance; even if we are sleepy, we should be able to locate that food and coffee. We welcomed Barbara Fertig back to our meeting on Wednesday. |
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President Doug Powelson announces that there will be a Board of Directors retreat on August 11th at which some major issues of importance to the club will be discussed. Outcomes will be presented to members at a breakfast meeting during the Club Assembly on August 22nd. |
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 President Doug told members that we had not yet had the opportunity to thank Tom McGoldrick for his year of service as president of our club. On behalf of the Board of Directors Doug presented Tom with a plaque commemorating his presidency and congratulated him on the continuation of our gold awards for activity, achievements and support of Rotary. Susan Kleine , Tom's predecessor, asked Tom to accept a special book of mementos and photographs which she had assembled, showing some of the highlights of his year. Susan also presented Tom with an interesting gift of Rotary glassware has been passed down from Past Presidents to the Immediate Past President. Bob Neumann took the opportunity to record these ceremonies. Tom thanked members for their support during his term. |
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We hear the word peace every day. We hear it in the news, and we talk about it a great deal in Rotary. But most of us spend very little time thinking about what the word really means.
On its simplest level, peace can be defined by what it is not. It is a state of no war, no violence, and no fear. It means that you are not in danger of hunger, persecution, suffering, or poverty. But we can also define peace by what it is, and by what it can be. Peace can mean freedom of thought and speech, freedom of opinion and choice, and the ability for self-determination. |
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This Wednesday morning witnessed the 'Changing of the Guard'. Tom McGoldrick, president of our club for the past year, passed the gavel to Doug Powelson, who will be our president for 2012-2013. The ceremony involved recognition and awards to members who had offered their time and effort to further the aims of Rotary and of our club, comments by Tom as he leaves the presidency, and expressions of hope for the future by Doug. Full details of the meeting appear in the article below. Please note that the party planned for July 1st has been cancelled. Due to illness in the family, outgoing President Tom and Molly McGoldrick could not attend. Paul Meyer tells us that we have a new District Governor, Bob Griggers, who spoke at the District Meeting recently. Gordon Matthews, our outgoing Governor, will remain very active in Rotary affairs. Bob Griggers is scheduled to visit our club on August 29th; we are asked to be sure to attend to welcome him. Paul also told us of the various Rotary clubs the he is "responsible" for as Assistant District Governor; these clubs do want to help with some of the programs we support. Play It Forward has helped to bring them closer to us, and RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership) is an effort in which they have expressed interest. Members please note there will be no meeting on July 4th. |
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As I look back over the last 12 months I know that our district has been blessed with outstanding Rotarians who have stepped up to volunteer their time, talent and energy in our clubs, in our communities and in District level responsibilities. I am grateful for the opportunity that this district has provided me over the years, beginning with our exchange with Bolivia in 1999, to grow and to know how Rotary is such a truly global organization.
You may recognize the fellow demonstrating the iron lung at the District Conference is none other than our own President Tom. And a BIG story about or club's annual awarding of grants to local charities. For the full June Newsletter Click here. |
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At our next meeting on June 27th we will witness the passing of the gavel from our present President, Tom McGoldrick, to our President elect, Doug Powelson. Doug will be our sixteenth president and will serve until this time next year. Be on hand to participate in the annual awards presentations. To celebrate Tom McGoldrick's year of service, and to introduce everyone to Doug, our new President, a "Change of Command - Pinning Ceremony", party will be held on Sunday July 1st at 5.30pm at Lloyd Woods' house. All are welcome, present members, spouses, friends, and prospective members, etc. Charge is $5 per person. |
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There will be no meeting on Wednesday morning July 4th.......happy fireworks!! Doug reminds us there is a District Assembly Meeting in Douglas Ga., on June 23rd, carpool available, call Doug. There will be a visitors days for Horizons Savannah. Come and see what the enrichment program is all about and visit both campuses. Details are listed in the Events section.. Our GRSP student for next year, Clare McDevitt, will arrive on August 2. Her hometown is Edinburgh Scotland. Anne Dauray is heading to Scotland to sing in a choral group and will arrange to meet Clare. Eddie and Caroline Ambrose will be the host family this year. Last but not least, Lee Weiner reminds us of the golf tournament versus the Kiwanis, we are defending the trophy, September 25th. |
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As part of our ongoing partnership with DeRenne Middle School, Jon Peterson arranged for 4 exceptional students to attend the FlightSafety International operation at the Savannah Airport on June 5th. The students experienced, first hand, a flight simulator and safety procedures. Jon deserves a big round of applause for making this such a special day for the students and a real incentive for their community service involvement that led to this opportunity. What follows is a thank you letter sent to the hosts at FlightSafety.
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Doug Powelson told us that the Spring Fling can be considered a substantial success, bringing in a goodly net sum (see pictures on our website.) Our member Mick Jenny won the top prize, an iPad (third generation.) Tom Oxnard announces that Horizons Savannah will have its tenth summer celebration on the campus of the Bethesda Academy on June 18th. Next year it is hoped to involve both Bethesda and Country Day, and after that, maybe St. Andrews and Savannah Christian. Tom thanks all those who contributed to this work to serve underprivileged children. On September 25th we defend our golf trophy, won last year from the Kiwanis. Lee Weiner asks that we mark our calendars as players or supporters. Dave Sweeterman tells us that a matching grant has been awarded to help a project in Mattenwa. Applied for some months ago by the San Juan Club, the Port au Prince club, and ourselves, it will enable the establishment of a publishing center on the island to produce books at very low cost for distribution in Mattenwa and elsewhere. (See article below.) Tom McGoldrick thanked Tom Schendorf for the Polio Plus presentation at the District Meeting; it was very moving. Tom Schendorf will keep us up to date on the efforts planned by the group to help people who have been disabled by the disease to modify their homes to accommodate their needs for access and mobility. Doug Powelson tells us there is a District Assembly meeting in Douglas Georgia on June 23rd, carpool will be available. |
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Please take the time to look at the pictures and accompanying text about the work and progress in Matènwa. It is so thrilling and motivating to me! Dave. |
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Turning our attention to club matters after a period of social and Rotary business, we have several items for our attention:
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Karita Byers, principal of DeRenne, together with two sudents, Timothy and Frankie, were our guests at breakfast. Mrs. Byers expressed her thanks to us for our strong bond with the school and our services to her pupils. Timothy and Frankie performed a rap session in praise of Rotary which was received with pleasure and applause.
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At the District 6920 Annual Conference, the Skidaway Island Club was awarded a Large Club Gold Award for achievement of Club and District goals during the 2011-2012 year.
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Our upcoming events are listed on our home page. They include, Play It Forward, this Saturday, for which Phil Turek still has tickets; the Spring Fling, Saturday, May 12th; and a visit to the Pin Point Museum. |
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There are several affairs we should have on our calendars: - Spring Fling, Saturday May 12th, Village |
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EVANSTON, Ill. (Jan. 13, 2012) — Rotary members worldwide are cautiously celebrating a major milestone in the global effort to eradicate the crippling disease polio: India, until recently an epicenter of the wild poliovirus, has gone a full calendar year without recording a new case.
Leaders of the humanitarian service organization see the Jan. 13 milestone as a testament to the determination of its international membership of 1.2 million – and especially the 116,000-plus Rotarians of India – to eradicate the infectious disease through the mass immunization of children, a goal Rotary took on 27 years ago |
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Can you imagine working in an office with pumpkin-colored walls and no windows? SAFE Shelter's finance manager has had to work in this depressing environment for more than a year and a half. Skidaway Rotarians Doug Powelson and Wayne Kuhn, ably assisted by Toni Marwitz who is also Board President at the Shelter, came armed with paint brushes, rollers, and other related equipment on Friday, March 23.
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Our ebulletin gave the wrong date for the Spring Fling last week; please mark your calendars for Saturday May 12th. Volunteers are sought for the various tasks for this event in the Village. The first prize in the raffle is the new iPad3. Breakfast is at DeRenne Middle School next week. Carpool from Methodist Church at 6.50am (!) please notify Doug if interested, for a head count. Tom Oxnard reports that the recent banquet for Horizons was very successful, attended by some 250 people. Horizons Savannah, chaired by Tom, is in partnership with Bethesda Academy this year and its activities will be conducted partially on the Bethesda campus. Previously its classes and other features were all to be seen on the Savannah Country Day campus, for which accommodations and help Tom extended thanks to Country Day. Tom told members that Bethesda is very enthusiastic about Horizons and its offer of summer academics, mentoring and sports for children, and there is hope that this type of work will be extended to other schools. Tom McGoldrick added that there will be greater involvement of our club with Bethesda in time to come. |
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President-elect Doug Powelson did a makeup this week at the Rotary Club of Gaithersburg, MD. President Adrien Halperin and Doug exchanged club flags. This is a small size (< 20 member) club that has been active since 1965. It was evident that all members were actively involved, the meeting was fun.
 The picture was snapped by Ken Weiss, Past President and Administrative Chairperson. |
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There will be a Board meeting next Monday February 13th. John Sobke asks us to support the Savannah Winds concert at the Lucas on March 26th, benefitting the scholarship endowment of AASU. Doug Powelson reports that ticket sales for our fundraiser are brisk; he needs an unsold ticket count for a head count for catering. |
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Doug Powelson reminds us to bring the stubs from ticket sales to him, or put them in his tube. The Kiwanis breakfast is at the Presbyterian Church on Saturday February 4th, 8-11am. The District Conference is in Savannah, May 18-20, info: www.rotarydistrict6920.net |
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Various members had information and requests for us this week. - Tom McGoldrick asked us to take a look in our attics for items for the silent auction for our Fundraiser, The Wild, Wild West. - Cliff Lindholm told us that the Junior Achievement program is under way at the new Pulaski Middle School (near Hunter Army Airfield) and will start next week at DeRenne Middle School. |
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Several members had messages for us on Wednesday morning: - Toni Marwitz reports that residents are all back in the SAFE SHELTER. |
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We are reminded that there is a District Meeting, to be held in Savannah, at the DeSoto Hilton, on May 18-20 this year. Our Club will be involved with registration activities. Cliff Lindholm told members that the Junior Achievement program is about to start at Pulaski and DeRenne Middle Schools. Fireside Chats will start again soon. Items for our silent auction at the February fundraiser are sought. |
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For Club Members Only. The link below opens a site page where you can download the Member Survey that was presented by Doug Powelson at the Jan 11th Meeting. You will need to Login to view these files. If you are having trouble with your Login, please contact Doug Powelson or Bob Rosen. |
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This is a report on the findings from a two part survey recently conducted by President-elect Doug Powelson and reported by him to our membership on Wednesday morning. Doug was pleased to tell us that, for the most part, members who responded to the surveys were very satisfied by the club's activities and its goals. There are some areas, however, where work is needed, notably in membership growth/retention, communications (particularly concerning district matters) and in public relations for the club. The full statistical results may be accessed by members from our web site, including the specific questions asked and the scales used to determine levels of interest and satisfaction. Forty six members responded to the surveys. Doug indicated that the results had been presented to the Board, earlier in the week, and small committee of Board members will be formed to review the data and make recommendations for actionable items. We thank Doug and those who helped him in conducting our surveys, for his report on the findings and his recommendations derived from them. |
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Tom McGoldrick and Doug Powelson had various matters for our attention on Wednesday morning: - Flyers for our fund raiser in February (see article above) are ready for distribution into tubes; volunteers picked them up and will be out and about this weekend. |
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- We welcomed our District Governor, Gordon Matthews, at breakfast on Wednesday morning. Toni Marwitz told us she is gratified by the community support shown for the SAFE Shelter during its recent woes (there was a severe flood.) The Savannah Board of Realtors has adopted eighteen families. |
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There were a number of items for our attention this week: - There will be a meeting of the club next week, December 21st; there will NOT be a meeting on Wednesday December 28th. |
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We thank Dave Sweeterman for a very thoughtful preamble to the prayer this Wednesday morning; he paid tribute to all those lost and injured in the attack on Pearl Harbor seventy years ago today, and to all who serve or have served in the military to keep us safe and free. Tom McGoldrick had several items for our information: |
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Our holiday party will be on Friday December 9th, at Deer Creek at 6.30pm. If you plan to attend and haven't told Lee Pierce, please contact him. Anne Douray tells us she has received a long letter from our GRSP student of last year, Alida. She is planning her wedding and wants us to know that we are welcome; before you put on your party clothes, be advised that the event is in Beirut. Toni Marwitz has been appointed to the Board of Safe Shelter. She tells us that her appointment coincided with a disaster at the Shelter itself, a flood - which necessitated the relocation of multiple families with children. Wendell Kraus is even happier than he was last week - he says that our Rotary club can pay its bills. |
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Tom McGoldrick had some items for us: - Tom thanked participants in Career day yesterday at DeRenne Middle School. |
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This Wednesday morning we sang "God Bless America" to open our meeting, in honor of the Fourth of July celebrations this weekend. This meeting marked the passing of the gavel, that is, the transference of the club presidency from Susan Kleine to Tom McGoldrick for the coming year. In a farewell speech to members and their guests, Susan thanked all those members who had rendered 'service above self' to the club and to the community during the year of her presidency. She thanked her board members for their support and dedication to the aims of the club, and most particularly her husband John who has helped her with advice and counsel throughout the year. She said her goals were to help the staff and students of DeRenne Middle School, to be the best GRSP host club, to have successful fund raisers, Spring Fling, Fall Festival, and the Love Boat, and from these, to allocate the funds wisely for the betterment of children's health and education. She wanted, she said, to make our club the one that everyone wanted to join. Susan thanked Dave Sweeterman and Bob Rosen for stepping up to join the board when other members left. She asked all her board members to stand, and gave each a gift as a token of her gratitude for their service and help. |
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At the District conference, Kathy Tucky announced 3 new grants were awarded in May for Alzheimer's research. A total of 69 applications were reviewed resulting in 15 finalists. Coins for Alzheimer's Research Trust (CART) has raised over $56M in the past year. The #1 club with total and per member contributions was Augusta ($14,600 raised, $85.38 per member.
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President-Elect and event chair, Tom McGoldrick reported a good turnout at lat Saturday's Spring Fling, despite competing area events. Food sales were brisk and Tom thanked all members who volunteered for for set-up, food preparation, ticket sales and clean-up. The iPad2 raffle winner was very (repeat) very excited to learn that she had won.
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John Sobke tells us there is a concert by the Savannah Winds at Armstrong (Fine Arts building) on May 1st at 3pm. Tickets, call 344-2801, or tickets.armstrong.edu The program will include favorites, Duke Ellington, My Fair Lady, Mamma Mia, Bugler's Idol, Barnum and Bailey Favorites.
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Phil Turek has four tickets left for the Play It Forward fund raiser, for this Saturday April 23rd, 4-7pm, Charles Morris Center. |
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Nine of the Rotary family took advantage of the opportunity to spend 2 nights on Sapelo Island in the Reynolds Mansion.
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President Susan recited the four-way test at our Wednesday meeting, and reminded us of Tom Macek's Challenge. Susan tells us that this is Rotary magazine month, so take a look at your copy and enjoy it. She also reminds us of the upcoming Rotary conferences. |
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The annual tennis tournament known as the Savannah Challenger will start on Sunday April 21st at the Tennis Center at Franklin Creek. This tournament features world-class players, many of whom, in the past, have gone on to play in World Cup matches. Each day's proceeds go to different causes, and Monday April 22 is devoted to America's Second Harvest. The other days are, respectively, Kids' Day on Sunday 21st, Ladies' Day Wednesday 24th, College Day Thursday 25th, Military Appreciation Day/Special Pops Friday 26th, Saturday 27th High School Teams' Day, and Singles and Doubles Finals on Sunday April 18th. Call the Franklin Creek Pro Shop for tickets and further information.
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Chuck Keopke told us of the current activities at the Thunderbolt Elementary School where the energy level of the kids is very high. We are the owner/sponsor/adopter of the Kids' Cafe at this location. It provides after school meals (well balanced and hot) five times a week. There is tutoring 3.30-4.00pm, which usually means help with homework. There is also an after school tutoring program which needs 4-8 volunteers, 4.35-6.15pm for April and May, then starting again in October, working with grades 2-5 on two afternoons with two or three kids. These volunteers are needed now for 4-6 weeks, this doesn't mean a volunteer has to commit further ahead. If interested, please contact Chuck Koepke or Cliff Lindholm.
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How can Rotary Attract New Members?
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