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.
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.
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.”
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Special events during the festival include a Corvette Car show hosted by the Costal Corvette Association. This will be in the square across from the Village Library. The Library will host a books sale and face painting for children.
The Landings Art Association will be hosting a large Art Show along the length of Skidaway Village Walk.
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.
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.
I am happy to announce that we successfully met our fundraising goal for Rotary Year 2013-14. While it is important to celebrate our success, we recognize that we still need to raise funds and awareness for polio eradication.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
Laos, the Ho Chi Minh Trail and the Search for Americans Missing in Action
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
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.
The Skidaway Island Rotary Club welcomed Roger Moss, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the SavannahClassicalAcademy, at its breakfast meeting this week..
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!...
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...
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
2. President Elect --Dave Sweeterman
3. New -- Vice President --Darrel Snuggerud
4. Sect. --Phil Turek
5. Treasurer -- Jim Eleczko
6. Sargeant-at-Arms -- Lee Weiner
7. Past President -- Doug Powelson
Directors:
8. New -- Eddie Ambrose -- 3 year term
9. New -- Allison Parsons -- 3 year term
10. Larry White -- 2 years remaining on term
11. Chuck Koepke -- 1 year remaining on term
12. Andy Starr -- 1 year remaining on term
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bob Neumann gave us some updates on our social calendar:
Our own Oktoberfest party is 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.
The Holiday Party will be December 7th at Deer Creek.
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.
Kathy Anderson introduced Linda Herdina, Director of METS (Medical Equipment Transportation Service) on Wednesday, October 3rd. Linda, a former president of a Rotary club, has been in charge of METS for three years. METS is a unique service of Rotary in Georgia (District 6920), is funded by Rotarians' monthly dues, and is largely supported by Rotary volunteers.
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.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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.
Ed Bremer was inducted into membership on September 19th. Ed was proposed by Jim Eleczko.
Ed and his wife Meg live at the Landings and have two adult children, Suzanne and Edward Jr.. He retired as president of Nature's Aide Vitamins, Inc. and is currently active in this industry. Ed attended the University of Main and Union College.
Ed looks forward to exercising his marketing skills to benefit club service activities. He is also passionate about early childhood education. Ed holds the classification of "Vitamins".
- There is a TGIF party at Lloyd Wood's house on Friday September 14th. It's membership month, so guests who might be interested in Rotary are welcome at the party. Members are asked for a courtesy fee of $5, prospective members are free. Hors d'oeuvres needed.
- 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.
Jon Peterson introduced Howard Paul, President and CEO of Benedetto Guitars Inc., of Savannah, to members on Wednesday morning. Howard has been playing the guitar since he was fourteen years old. Over a long career of playing in bands, teaching music, graduating from UNC, serving in the army (Desert Storm) and working for Chatham Steel, Howard is now the president of his own company. He is a board member of the Coastal Jazz Association and reminds us that the 31st Annual Jazz Festival comes to Savannah at the end of September; he will be playing in it, and its locations will be at Blowin' Smoke and Forsyth Park.
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.
Our member Lloyd Wood told us, briefly, about his life. Born in Cincinnati, Lloyd soon moved to Chicago with his parents. His father worked for Crossley, then the Admiral Corporation and Lloyd went to High School in Park Ridge, Illinois. Lloyd went on to the Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, where he graduated and met his wife, Judy. They moved back to Chicago where Lloyd began his career as a stockbroker on La Salle Street. Lloyd and Judy have three daughters, Suzy, Cindy, and Katy. In 1980 the family moved to Atlanta, where Lloyd worked for Robinson Humphrey as an international stockbroker. Through his clients he became very familiar with London, Edinburgh, and Zurich. Lloyd's hobbies are, golf, gardening, and fishing; now in the Landings, Lloyd is selling his house, looking for a smaller one, and - we all fervently hope - will be our member and friend at Rotary for a long time.
At the last meeting 5 members were recognized for achieving Paul Harris Fellow and PHF+ Status. District Governor Bob Griggers made very special presentations.
On Wednesday morning we proudly received District Governor Bob Griggers and his wife Brenda as our guests. Assistant Governor, Paul Meyer, introduced our District Governor, whose home club is in Centerville, Georgia.
Bob is a former Marine, semi-retired from his auto parts business, extremely proud to be a Rotarian, and is active in his local community as a Peach County official and a former member of the Lions Club. Giving back to the community has been a way of life for Bob.
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.
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.
Tom Thomas introduced Mark Bennett, Director of Community Relations at Gulfstream, to members at our Wednesday morning meeting. Mark is a native Georgian who spent many years at Delta Airlines before coming to Gulfstream last year. Gulfstream, Mark told us, is proud to call Savannah home, makes substantial charitable contributions, and helps out with Civic affairs.
President Doug told members that the Board of Directors meeting last week, with 10 members present, was a great success and produced a number of ideas for the future. In particular, ideas for new membership and future fundraisers were discussed. The details will be given next week at the Club Assembly on Wednesday morning. Chairs of our various committees will give us an account of their activities at this time.
Tom Macek told us that October 27th will mark the 25th anniversary of the Fall Festival. Gary Griffin and Lloyd Wood are already busy and Tom needs volunteers. Please call him. The festival will run longer than in previous years, it will be from 10am till 3pm.
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.
We welcomed Dr. Susan Timna to speak to us on Wednesday morning. Susan graduated from UGA with a masters in audiology in 1979 and received a Clinical Doctorate Degree from the Arizona School of Health Services in 2003. Susan worked for several years at St. Joseph's Hospital's Otoneurology Department as a clinical audiologist and in 1992 became the Director of Ear Nose and Throat of Savannah (ENT Savannah) Audiology Department. This organization started as a one room site and now has five offices, one in the Village. She has worked there for 22 years. There have been enormous changes in the field since she first started, Susan told us, and went on to tell us about the practice of audiology.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
- Lee Weiner tells us that the date has changed for us to defend our golf trophy in a game against the Kiwanis; the new date is Tuesday, October 2nd.
- Our Fall Festival will be on Saturday, October 27th.
Toni Marwitz introduced Dr. Paul Pressly to members on Wednesday morning. Dr. Pressly is a graduate of Princeton and Oxford Universities, teacher of European history, former principal and headmaster of Savannah Country Day School, currently the Director of Ossabaw Island Educational Alliance and of the Symposium on African American life in Georgia. His presentation told us of the land, the activity and the trade of our area in the eighteenth and the nineteen centuries.
The Wall Street Journal published an article on its opinion page on Wednesday July 25th titled "How To Eradicate Polio Once and for All". Rotary International was credited in the article for its contribution to the effort to eradicate the disease, along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and various others including the G8 countries, the countries themselves where polio still persists, and Unicef.
The article indicates that there are three remaining countries with polio cases, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria, and lists the stumbling blocks that still stand in the way of complete eradication. The newspaper was delivered late to some in the Landings, including the your editor, so the article may have been missed by some who want to read it.
President Doug reminded us of:
- GRSP student Clare McDevitt will arrive August 2nd, party August 4th.
- Board of Directors retreat August 11th
- District Foundation meeting, August 18th, Dublin, Ga., carpool available.
- September 25th, we defend our golf trophy against the Kiwanis
- Laura Robinson advised the next (earliest) METS sorting Day will be in December. Hank Croci will coordinate the volunteers needed when he returns in October.
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.
We welcomed George Sedberry as a new member of our club this Wednesday morning. President Doug performed the induction ceremony to Rotary and George received his Rotary pin from Dave Sweeterman, his sponsor. George is Sanctuary Superintendent at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. His classification will be 'Marine Biologist.' George lives in The Landings with his wife Joan and they have an adult son. Jonathan.
Toni Marwitz introduced Col. George Bowen, a Retired Air Force Colonel to us on Wednesday morning. Col. Bowen spoke to us about W.W. Law, whom he knew when he was young, and deeply admired. Westley Wallace Law died on July 29th, 2002.
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.
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.
Our club member Alison Parsons introduced our speaker, Dr. Bill Savidge, to us on Wednesday morning. Bill lives at the Landings with his wife and his two teenaged daughters. He has a doctorate in chemical oceanography from North Carolina State University, and his special interests include the animal populations that live in the seabed and the geochemical processes in marine sediments. Bill spoke to us about our salt marshes and their contributions to our environment, our lifestyle, our safety and well being, and to our financial bottom line. Bill and his wife Dana are both members of the faculty at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography.
Brenda and I hope all of you enjoyed a safe and happy 4th of July. This is an American holiday where families and friends can relax and be thankful for this unique country in which we live. July also brings the beginning of another Rotary Year and I can only begin to tell you how much I appreciate the opportunity to serve you as District Governor.
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.
This past Wednesday morning we welcomed a new President for our club, and honored the outgoing one. At a ceremonial breakfast we enacted the annual "Changing of the Guard". Tom McGoldrick, president for the year 2011-2012, handed over the gavel and president's pin to Douglas Powelson, the incoming president for 1012-2013.
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.
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.
Doug Powelson introduced our club member Darrel Snuggerud to us on Wednesday morning. Darrel told us of an idyllic vacation cycling through the French countryside recently.
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.
John Sobke reminds us of the Savannah Winds Annual Patriotic Concert earlier in the day... 3 PM July 1 at the AASU Fine Arts Auditorium.
The first Board of Directors meeting for RY 2012-2013 will be on July 9th at the Lakeside Center.
Teddy Adams, Jane Ogle and Ben Tucker, renowned Jazz musician an member of the Downtown Rotary club, made a visit to the meeting. We are invited to support the Coastal Jazz Association events. There is a concert at The Weston Hotel on Father's Day at 6 PM, A free Jazz Festival on September 24th in Forsyth Park and a golf tournament at the Savannah Harbor golf course. It's an old tradition in Savannah, and many famous names in Jazz have participated.....look in the newspaper and online for details.
We will meet to honor the Changing of the Guard at Lloyd Wood's house on Sunday July 1st at 5.30pm, all are welcome with friends and spouses. Tom McGoldrick will pass the baton to our incoming president, Doug Powelson. Volunteers to make hors d'oeuvres wanted.
If you are planning to attend the patriotic concert by the Savannah Winds that same Sunday afternoon, July 1st, please just come to Lloyd Wood's as soon as you can make it.
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.
Susan Kleine, Past President and Allocations Committee Chair, presented to members the distribution of monies to charities for this year. Every year our club donates monies raised by fund raisers held during the past fiscal year. This year we are proud to be able to distribute $12,500 in grants to support programs focused on literacy, leadership and health. Representatives from each of the six charities joined us for breakfast. A list of the charities, their representatives, and a brief description of their work appears below. Pictured above are (L-R) Keith Kilgore, Tom Oxnard, Susan Kleine, Andrea Dove, Jeremy Akin, Shenita Ferguson, Cheryl Branch, Doug Powelson, Sister Pat Baber, Mary Jane Crouch and Vincent Del Monte.
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.
Jon Peterson introduced Gerry Phalen to us on Wednesday morning. Gerry has been with the TSA in Savannah for two and a half years and before that he was in Tampa. He was a V.P. of Evergreen Aviation and in the Army for some twenty years, in the military police. He thanked us for our invitation to speak to us, and remarked that he had been touched by the Polio Plus presentation at the District Meeting; his father, he said, was a polio victim and suffered from the consequences of the disease during his lifetime.
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.
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.
Turning our attention to club matters after a period of social and Rotary business, we have several items for our attention:
President Tom had many thanks to: The registration committee for its help for the District Conference; John Sobke for presiding over last week's gala breakfast and welcome to Maj. Gen Abrams; Tom Schendorf for the polio and the GSE articles from the District Conference publication; and all who made the winning of the Gold award possible this year.
There will be a "TGIS" (Thank God it's Sunday) party at Lloyd Wood's house on Sunday afternoon July 1st, 5.30 - 7.30 pm, courtesy $5 per person. This party will celebrate the changing of the guard as the Rotary presidency passes to Doug Powelson from Tom McGoldrick. Larry White tells us that Doug will be the 16th president of our club.
Andrea Dove from Bethesda Academy reminded us of the Georgia State Tax Law that allows us to allocate a portion of our state taxes each year to a public or private school of our choice. We are asked to plan our tax returns so that this allowable portion can be directed to Bethesda Academy. The state program provides children throughout the Peach State with Greater Opportunities for Access to Learning - "GOAL". Click the link to learn more or to access forms.
We are pleased to have welcomed Stratton Leopold , owner and operator and family member of Leopold's Ice Cream Shop on Broughton Street, to talk to us this Wednesday morning. Stratton has had two major professional loves in his life: Ice Cream, and Hollywood. After setting out, and then rejecting, medical school at Georgia Tech and Vanderbilt, he worked his way into the film industry, where he was very successful; he was a producer and V.P. Production at Paramount Pictures. But the call of the family business proved strong and Savannah drew him back.
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.
"We had a full house at the District Conference and celebrated the lives of four Heroes Among Us - Rotarians in 6920 who inspire us to serve in exceptional ways as they do.
We were privileged to host Major General Robert B. Abrams, the Commanding General of the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield at a gala breakfast at the Plantation Club on Wednesday. The gathering honored Memorial Day and all the military who have served and are currently doing so; it made particular reference to those who gave the supreme sacrifice, who died in the course of serving their country.
Paul Fisher, a member of Rotary South and President of the Savannah Early Childhood Foundation. Has an recent update on the Program he presented at the Club meeting on April 18th.
With the formation of the Savannah Early Childhood Foundation that represents all area Rotary Clubs, we moved from the research stage to the implementation phase.
The first two action items were to complete a Parent Skill Pilot Program (which launched Nov. 2011 and will conclude next month) and document a Strategic and Financial Plan. The Foundation is currently planning a community awareness campaign based on the plan. Plans are being made to present to Chamber of Commerence, SEDA, Council of CEO's, United Way, School Board, City Council, County Commisioners, several Ministerial Alliances, 100 Black Men, and the NAACP.
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.
Eevi Haonperä bade farewell to us on Wednesday morning. She has been a student at Armstrong for this past academic year, a resident of its campus, and has managed to see a lot of Savannah and the other parts of the U.S. along the way. On May 18th she will return to her home in Finland. The GRSP program under which she came is sponsored by the Georgia Rotary Clubs and some sixty students arrive every year to attend one of the Universities in the state of Georgia; the intent is that they see the U.S. firsthand and get an understanding of how our country works, politically, socially, and educationally.
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.
We were privileged to hear a talk by Judge Stone at our meeting on Wednesday morning. She has a law degree from Mercer University, is the Chairperson of the Delinquency Committee of the Georgia Council of Juvenile Court Justices and is on the advisory board of the Georgia Supreme Court Committee on Justice for Children. She serves also on a myriad of other committees within the purview of the Juvenile justice system, and is the recipient of many awards. All her work concerns children caught up in the system either as offenders or as victims of adult crime, cruelty, or neglect. The juvenile system is totally different from the adult system, she said, it's about rehabilitation, not punishment.
Doug Powelson introduced Tom Baldacci on Wednesday morning. A former Rotary member and resident of Skidaway, Tom is well known to many of us. He has been researching and writing articles about Savannah for most of the eight years he has lived here, with more than seventy essays and articles about our history and legacies. Tom is a raconteur, with stories and anecdotes from his searches of the historical archives and documents, from his conversations with Savannians, and from his observations of our beautiful city and its environs. "Savannah is more like a tapestry than a painting," Tom said, "it is actually a series of stories about the people, whose legacies woven together are far more interesting than even our beautiful oaks and squares."
There are several affairs we should have on our calendars:
- Spring Fling, Saturday May 12th, Village
- Barbara Fertig announces a visit to the Pin Point Museum, May 25th.
- The Kiwanis ask our support for the Concert on the Green, on May 5th
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
We had two matters of interest presented to us on Wednesday morning. One was a plea for us to note the importance of defibrillators in saving lives, perhaps even our nearest and dearest.
The second was a presentation by Jim Rich, President, and Shari Haldeman, General Manager, of the Landings Association, giving us the details of the finances of our community and the philosophy supporting them, and through this, some of the answers to questions we might have concerning the assessment packages we have received in the mail.
We are reminded of several dates:
- Play It Forward, Bamboo Farm and Coastal Garden, May 5th
- Spring Fling, Saturday May 12th, a couple of volunteers still needed.
- District Conference May 18-20, volunteer, registration, sign-up to attend, call Susan Kleine, info, www.rotarydistrict6920.net
- Visit to Gullah location "Exploring the Geechee-Gullah Heritage, April 21st, contact Doug Powelson.
We have two stories about DeRenne Middle School this week: an account of our breakfast meeting there on Wednesday morning, and an article by Cliff Lindholm telling of our achievements there over the eight years of our partnership with the staff and the pupils of the school. Cliff's account will also appear in the District newsletter.
At breakfast with Mrs Karyta Byers, principal, and her staff at DeRenne, we were thanked by Mrs. Byers for our work at the school, for the dictionaries donated to all her students, for Career Days, and for the Junior Achievement Partnership. The students themselves thanked us; their band played for us under the direction of Miss Daniels, giving us "Apollo Overture," "Valley Circle March," "Hard Rock Blues," "Ode to Joy," and a couple of chorales. A trio of students recited rhyming phrases of thanks for our work, and a duet of student "rappers" gave spoken thanks as they roamed among us.
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.
Chuck Koepke introduced Kirsten McDonough to us this Wednesday morning. Kirsten, a CPA and a practising attorney specializing in deeds and trusts, is the Tournament Chairperson for the upcoming Challenger Event. She told us about the Tennis Tournament to be played at the Landings Club, Franklin Creek, on April 21-29, 2012. This is a series of tournaments on the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Pro Circuit; The Pro Circuit is a critical component of the USTA. It is the professional tournament for pros beginning their career, for former pros returning to the professional game, and for top ranked junior players. It is owned and managed nationally by the USTA, promoted and sponsored by local communities. This tournament is hosted by the Landings Club.
Cliff Lindholm gave members a report on the various Vocational Services conducted by the club 2011-2012; this endeavor is under its budget of $9,050 for the year. Two successful Career Days at the DeRenne School are on-going, with an assortment of careers presented by Savannah businesses and services. 18 Rotarians presented Junior Achievement programs to certain classes at two schools, DeRenne and Pulaski. 250 dictionaries were given to incoming students at DeRenne last September. Outstanding teacher awards will be presented at DeRenne in May and June. The partnership with DeRenne is well established and strongly supported by the administration; it was first established by John Billingsley.
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.
In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, which happens this week, we welcomed some twenty young women from St. Vincent's Academy. Accompanied by their teacher and tutor, Bernadette Winters, they serenaded us after sharing breakfast with us. Their twelve songs were: "Wearin' of the Green," "Peg O' My Heart," "Mick McGilligan's Bull," "Irish Lullaby," "Dear Ole Donegal," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," "Mother MacCree," "Danny Boy," "An Irish Blessing," "How Are Things in Glocca Mora," "A Great Day For The Irish," and "St. Patrick's Day in Savannah."
There were four soloists, Elise Spellman, Maggie Sinclair, Gail Anderson, and Katelyn Whelan, who were charming as well as delightful singers. The performance made a lovely introduction to the one week of the year when everyone is Irish. We thank them for coming to our club and raising our spirits that morning.
We are pleased to have three new members:
Eddie Ambrose, Barbara Fertig, and Nichole Ware.
They were welcomed into our club at our meeting this week with a brief ceremony by President Tom McGoldrick.
Toni Marwitz introduced Claire McCluskey to members at our meeting this week. Claire is the newly appointed Security Director for the Landings. She is a native of Florida, a graduate of the University of Florida and of the Armstrong Atlantic State University, and has served the Savannah Chatham Metropolitan Police Department for 32 years in many capacities. As a member of the police department, Claire has been a patrol officer, criminal investigator, plain clothes officer; she served in the Patrol Bureau as a Sergeant, Lieutenant, and as a Precinct Commander. She has also been involved in Counter Narcotics and the Regional Intelligence Center. She retired in April 2011 as a Captain. Claire brings a wealth of experience and training to the Landings at a time of changing demographics in the area, ever-increasing traffic, and recently, of road and access construction and change.
There will be a TGIF party on Friday April 13th at Chuck Koepke's house. All members, spouses and friends, prospective members and anyone else interested in Rotary, is invited. There will be hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine, fellowship and good cheer; $5 is asked toward the cost, payable into the kitty at party time. There is no need to register.
The purpose of our TGIF parties is to get to know each other, to become familiar with the fellowship and interests that are Rotary, and to have our spouses and friends know about us and what we do. The party honors John Billingsley, member and past President of our club, who will be leaving us to return to Michigan in the very near future. The party will be from 5.30-7.00pm. Questions, volunteer for making food, contact Bob Neumann.
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.
This week's meeting concerned our club matters, and there were a number of items of significance for us to learn about.
A summary of our finances appears on our website; members need to log in to examine it.
Doug told us that we should sell as many tickets for our fundraiser as we did last year. He needs to know the number of tickets sold for a head count by early next week.
Cliff tells us that a Wells Fargo 'red wagon' will appear at our party to collect the gold. A shotgun rider is needed.
Cliff also tells us we will meet for breakfast at DeRenne on March 28th.
Doug Powelson introduced Holly Holdsworth, Superintendent of the Skidaway Island State Park, on Wednesday morning. Holly holds a BS in Education, specializing in Recreation and Leisure Studies, from the University of Georgia. She began her career with the GA State Parks and Historic sites in 2004 and moved, later that year, to Skidaway. Holly told us about the Park, comprising 588 acres, and its amenities. It offers hiking trails, biking, kayaking, birding, camping, picnicking, and programs run by her staff dealing with the site's natural, historical, cultural, and recreational resources; the Park has a swimming pool, nature center, playgrounds, and a group shelter which seats 150; bikes may be rented.
Robin Gold and Stephanie Duttenhaver brought us news of the Savannah Book Festival at our meeting Wednesday. The Festival is to be held in various locations in Savannah spanning the President’s Day weekend, including a session at Plantation on the Wednesday prior to the weekend, when Brad Thor will speak. There are many other authors in attendance, including Pat Conroy and Stephen King. This is the fifth year of the festival, which began in 2008. Stephanie told us that the support of the Landings is key to this event. She mentioned an article, “Losing Ourselves in Books” which appeared in the Savannah Morning News on Wednesday February 1st, written by a local doctor and booklover, emphasizing the importance of books to him and to everyone who would be informed, touched, and beguiled by the written word. Stephanie said the mission of the Book Festival is to promote reading, writing and civil discourse. It is mostly free to the public, and holds a couple of fundraisers every year to defray expenses. She paid tribute to the generosity of companies and individuals. It is also possible for an author to be sponsored.
Robin told us that many volunteers have made the festival possible (in excess of 100) many of whom are Landings residents. Authors come and give their own time, no honoraria are given; during the festival, authors sign books and there are refreshments. For a full schedule, authors, and locations contact the website, www.SavannahBookFestival.org This festival is independent of the Children’s Book Festival.
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.
John Porter spoke to us about the financial markets and the outlook for 2012 on Wednesday morning. John is a graduate of the US Marine Academy, a world class sailor, and trained for his financial career with Merrill Lynch. He is currently a Branch Manager for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Over the immediate past there has been one “bubble” after another, housing, technical, financial, so what to do? Real estate became a favorite investment, because borrowing was easy, some loans were available for 100% of the value of the house. Need money? Just refinance the house, its value went nowhere but up. As the increase in real estate values went up, personal savings rates went down. Then came the huge changes in technology, which affected everything from the nineties onwards; this new industry increased efficiency everywhere.
We welcomed Linda Herdina, Director of METS (Medical Equipment Transportation System) at breakfast on Wednesday morning. The next medical shipment will go to The Demographic Republic of Congo, and Linda thanked us for our help in sorting and packing items for shipment. She showed us the very unsavory conditions in which women give birth in the Tandala Hospital there - no electricity or running water, a "birthing bed" old, broken, dirty - and that is the only bed available.
Hank Croci thanked members Bill West, Ann Dauray, John Szlasa, Tom Macek, and Cliff Lindholm and his son, for being at the distribution center last Saturday to help.
This Wednesday morning a story was told by Doreen Higgins, a member of our club. Her parents were schoolteachers in London when Britain declared war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939. Her mother, father, brother, and herself were residents of London at that time and her father was teaching at a school in the center of London. The British government believed that when war was declared, bombing of London would start immediately and accordingly made plans for the evacuation of children from those areas it deemed most at risk, that is, central London. Other cities in Britain put similar programs in motion, but this a London story. The teachers were the key to the plan.
Several members had messages for us on Wednesday morning:
- Toni Marwitz reports that residents are all back in the SAFE SHELTER. - Wendell asks us please to pay our dues, some are overdue, and bills are waiting; details of each account are available, ask Wendell or Barbara. - Doug reports that ticket sales for our fundraiser are selling well, and asks each member to try to sell four tickets. When a ticket is sold, the donor should receive a donor contribution form for tax purposes. - Tom Oxnard told us there is a banquet in behalf of Horizons Savannah on March 2nd, speaker will be Paula Wallach of SCAD, more details next week. - We are invited to the Kiwani's breakfast on Saturday February 4th at the Presbyterian Church, 7 - 10 am.
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.
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.
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.
An so opens the December 2011 newsletter from our International Service project on the island of Lagonav, Haiti. Click the link below to open the Newsletter.
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. - Tickets for this fundraiser are available. Members are asked to sell as many as they can; envelopes of four have been given to those present on Wednesday morning. Please sell what you can - there is no obligation to pay for those four tickets unless you sell them. Tickets are also for sale at our breakfast meetings, brochures are available too. - Also for the fundraiser, members of the silent auction committee are needed. - Doug reminds us to respond to the second of his two member surveys. - There is a seven day letter out, concerning the application for membership of Barbara Fertig. - We are invited to the Kiwani's breakfast on Saturday February 4th; no, it's not a freebie! - METS needs a couple more volunteers, call Hank Croci.
Toni Marwitz introduced Mal Welch, Board President of the Skidaway Island Audubon Chapter, on Wednesday morning. Mal is retired from a career in the publishing industry; she and her husband came to live at the Landings and she became involved in the wonderful world of our island. The Skidaway Audubon chapter is devoted to the preservation of Skidaway Island. Most people think of birds when they hear "Audubon" and there is an Audubon chapter in the area devoted primarily to birds: the Ogeechee Audubon Chapter. Our Skidaway Chapter started as a part of the Landings Golf Club, of which it is now independent, celebrating its 15th anniversary here on Skidaway. Many golf courses in the US are Audubon certified, as our six courses now are, as shelters of wildlife, preservers of native plants, and conservers of water resources. Certification must be renewed every two years.
- We welcomed our District Governor, Gordon Matthews, at breakfast on Wednesday morning. - Tom McGoldrick reminded us that assistance is needed for our February fundraiser. - There will be a board meeting on Monday January 9th. - Accommodation is still sought for a visiting lawyer from New Zealand. - Doug told us there is a service program at the SAFE Shelter in January. - Lee Weiner wished us all a Happy New Year, and gift certificates as "Thank You's" were given to the staff who serve us breakfast every week. - There was an impromptu Christmas singsong of Jingle Bells and Silent Night featuring Toni Marwitz and Kathie Anderson, among others.
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.
We were honored on Wednesday morning by a visit from Brian Kemp, the Secretary of State for the State of Georgia. Introduced by Doug Powelson, Secretary Kemp gave us an account of the responsibilities, activities, and efforts of his office and its staff. Brian Kemp is a lifelong resident of Athens, Georgia, and a graduate of the University of Georgia. He has been the Secretary of State since January 2010, and was a member of the State Senate in the years 2002-2006. He has spent his career to date in the area of small business, and is currently the owner of Kemp Properties, a small business specializing in real estate investments and property management.
Toni Marwitz introduced Barbara Fertig, a Professor of History from Armstrong Atlantic State University, to us on Wednesday morning. Dr. Fertig has a PhD from George Washington University and lists her research interests as current African-American landscapes of the low country. She has been on the Armstrong faculty for twenty years. She talked to us about PinPoint, its history, its people, and its museum. The University (AASU) and the Coastal Heritage Society became interested in the PinPoint area in 1994 and started to explore it. They found old buildings, built with concrete and crushed oyster shells, built for oyster and shrimp processing for trade up and down the east coast including Washington DC.
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. - A condominium on Maui is available for two weeks in May 2012, sleeps six, make a bid, call Tom McGoldrick - We are all very pleased to see Tom Baldacci back at our meeting; come back to us, Tom. - Accommodation is sought for a lawyer visiting from New Zealand; call Tom McGoldrick for details. - Tube stuffers are needed for announcements of our February fundraiser, "The Wild, Wild West." Also, we are soliciting items for the silent auction.
We mentioned last week that the SAFE Shelter building suffered a flood; Toni Marwitz has some news and a plea:
SAFE Shelter's residents are temporarily housed in a hotel close to the shelter and shuttled three times a day to the building for their meals. There is an urgent need for paper products (towels, napkins, plates, toilet paper, disposable cups and glasses), diapers of all sizes and toiletries (regular size bottles of shampoo, body lotion and bars of soap.)
Rotarians interested in making a monetary donation should bear in mind the club's policy of matching any donation up to $200 for designated charities such as SAFE Shelter. The matching grant application form can be found on this website. For more information please contact Toni Marwitz, President of the SAFE Shelter board.
Kathie Anderson introduced Pat Helbig, Director of Outplacement at the Savannah College of Art & Design, on Wednesday morning. Pat is a retired executive of the American Express and the McKinsey Companies and has a bachelor's degree from NYU and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Pat gave us a brief account of the requirements, degrees available, and employment opportunities for students at SCAD.
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: - On behalf of Cliff Lindholm, Tom told us that the new training program at the Pulaski School will start in January. - There is a board meeting next week. - There is a new form for those who wish to propose a new member, it is now available from Laura Robinson and will soon be up on the website. - Our annual club survey will be available for completion by members over the next 2-3 weeks.....please complete it. - Tom wishes us to know that negotiations between Horizons and the Bethesda Academy are on-going. - There WILL be a breakfast meeting on December 21st.
Doug Powelson introduced Tak Argentinis, Chairman, President, and CEO of Elan Technology located in Midway, Georgia, on Wednesday morning. Tak was elected to his present position in May 1990. He had previously been the Vice-Chairman of American Express Bank's International Corporation, and President and CEO of the General Electric Trading Company. Tak has a mechanical engineering degree from Western New England College and a masters in Industrial Administration from Union College.
Tak talked to us about the 200 Club, of which he is the president. It is a group of people whose primary impetus is to take care of the families of police officers and firemen who lose their lives in the course of duty.
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.
Toni Marwitz introduced David Santos, Supervisory Officer, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, to us on Wednesday morning. David was born in Puerto Rico, raised in Brooklyn New York and is an army and police department veteran. David has worked on road patrol, investigation of property crimes, violent crime, and narcotics in high profile, inter-agency cases and undercover. He joined the U.S Customs and Border Protection Agency in 2003, is certified as a Counter-Terrorism Response Officer and now supervises Savannah's Radiation Portal unit and Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team. This agency was formed in response to 9/11 and is a consolidation of functions from the Department of Agriculture, Justice, Treasury, and the U.S Border Patrols; many government agencies look to it for assistance, including the DEA, ATF, Treasury, Commerce, and State. The agency's mission is fighting terrorism. The Port of Savannah is a major concern. It is the largest container port in the U.S. and 3 million containers have come through it so far this year; 100% are scanned, going in and out.
- Tom thanked participants in Career day yesterday at DeRenne Middle School. - There is no meeting next week, have a Happy Thanksgiving. - Alice Jean may appreciate some help from us - a card circulated - call her, visit, or ask if the business needs some resources. She is at home. - Tom asks, as the year closes, that we remember that we can donate some or all of our state taxes to schools.
Eevi, our GRSP student from Finland for the current academic year, was introduced formally to us by Bill West on Wednesday morning. We were delighted to see her and she treated us to a description of Finland with pictures which showed it to be a beautiful place. It is officially the Republic of Finland, has a blue and white flag - an offset blue cross on a white background - lies on the Baltic Sea with Russia to the east and Sweden to the west. It has 5.4 million people and its capital city is Helsinki, with a population of 600,000; its language is mostly Finnish with some Swedish, it is mostly Lutheran and has been a member of the EU since 1995.
Phil Turek announced new Paul Harris awards; some of these members are new fellows, some are multiple donors. Phil called Tom Thomas, Kathie Anderson, Bryan Springthorpe, Karen Cassard, Bill West, Rolf Hilden, Darryl Snuggerud, and Larry White to come forward for the presentations of the award and thanked them for their donations to Rotary International. He noted that 3 billion children have been vaccinated against polio.
This week we have a number of club matters for our attention.
- Our Fall Festival was a great success, thanks to Doug Powelson and many helpers. Doug reports that $5400 was raised, $2400 of it in raffle tickets. John Kleine won the first prize, the IPad, John Billingsley second prize, Anne Koepke third prize. Doug said the affair went smoothly though it was not without some hitches; he enjoyed it enough that he will do the Spring Fling! Doug thanked all his helpers who came early and stayed late. An accounting will be given next week. - Tom McGoldrick added that the Baptist Church's program for the kids was terrific, and voted thanks to Gary Griffin for his contributions to the affair.
Members of our club went to breakfast at the Bethesda Academy on Wednesday morning. The President and principal, Dr.Tribble, was introduced by our member Dave Smith, who is President of the Board at the Academy. Dr. Tribble welcomed us all with a delicious breakfast and told us about the aims of the school and its operation. Dr. Tribble came to Bethesda in 1991; his doctorate is in divinity, and he told us of the mission of the school. It is to give its students a love of God, a passion for learning, and a strong work ethic.
Tom Macek, whose group of eight singers serenaded us at our picnic yesterday, tells us that the 13th Colony Chorus will present an original musical comedy "The First Dance" on Friday November 4th, and Saturday November 5th, 7pm, AASU. Info, contact Tom.
Andy Starr, his sous-chefs and other assorted assistants gave us a delightful picnic yesterday, Thursday, at the Landings Marina. Tom Macek and the 13th Colony Sound serenaded us, drinks were poured and delicious food was eaten. The sun was just setting and the river scene was lovely. Thanks to all who worked, cleaned up, and came to share a fine evening.
We convey our sympathy to our former member, John Nooney, who has left the Landings and gone to live with a daughter in Maine. John has recently had foot surgery which has been incapacitating but he is able to get around the house. His wife Brigitta has had a paralyzing stroke and is, at present, in Memorial Hospital; when she can be moved, she will go to a care facility near him in Maine. We send our warmest regards to John and Brigitta and hope to hear from him. Bob Neumann has John's current address.
Jon Peterson introduced Thomas McElveen, owner of Atmosphere Aviation, to us on Wednesday morning. Tom's company is the one that gave flying trips to students and teachers of DeRenne last year, and will do so again this year, under the sponsorship of our club. Those trips, Jon said, were tremendously popular with the students and staff, and make a powerful incentive to do well at school. Tom came to flying at an early age, and planned, after military service, to be an airline pilot. But marriage and family persuaded him he should remain closer to home; Atmosphere Aviation is the result; it is located in Springfield, Ga.
The proposed GRSP golf date last week was rained out; there will be a game next Tuesday, please contact Tom McGoldrick.
Breakfast next week will be at Bethesda Academy, in the new Cafe. When you turn into the access road, follow the signs; we are asked to arrive at 7.15am.
Tom McGoldrick introduced Stuart Soule, our speaker, on Wednesday morning. Stuart, a former Landings resident and former Rotary member, presented a saga of training, navigating, and living in a place most of us will never see, at the two Poles of the world. Stuart is a retired member of the US Coast Guard, a former deep sea diver and lighthouse keeper; he is now a resident of downtown Savannah, a part time resident of Michigan, a Savannah Coast Guard Auxiliary member, former EMT and Fire Department volunteer. Stuart spent time during his professional career in the Arctic and in Antarctica and told us all about it.
Doug Powelson spoke to us about the Festival on October 29th. There were flyers on our tables for information and distribution, and we were given tickets to sell for the raffle.
Of course, we only pay to Doug the proceeds from tickets we have actually sold. If we wish we can charge ticket sales for ourselves to our Rotary account. The raffle tickets are $10 each or three tickets for $25, and the prize is an iPad 2. There is a Second prize of a $200 Gift Certificate to the Bona Bella Yacht Club.
- Karen Cassard has consented to be our correspondence secretary, for which we thank her.
- There is a summer school program in Oslo next summer; if you know a student who is interested, ask Tom McGoldrick for more detail.
- Lee Pierce reminds us there is a Rotary picnic at the Landings Harbor Marina, at the end of Priest Landing Drive, on Thursday October 20th at 5.30pm. Hamburgers, hot dogs, beer, wine, and soft drinks. We are asked for $5 in the pot when we get there.
- Breakfast at Bethesda will be on Wednesday October 26th.
- Last but certainly not least, we welcomed Greg Stinson, President of the Kiwanis who came to breakfast bearing the golf trophy which we won. We are invited to the Kiwani's for their chili cook-off on November 5th.
Our presentation this week was given by our member, Allison Dowdy. Tom McGoldrick introduced Allison, and spoke for himself and for many members when he recalled the days of working with selectric typewriters (and before that, manual machines when a typist actually had to be accurate) and Xeroxes, and carbon paper.......and then, when Allison went to work, all this was gone. Allison has a degree in marketing from Georgia Southern, has banking and marketing experience, loves Georgia football, will soon be married....and took it upon herself this Wednesday morning, to enlighten those of us who were not born with a computer along with the baby food.
On Wednesday morning Wells Hood told us of progress on the educational activity for the children of Matenwa, LaGonave Island, Haiti. The Skidaway Island Rotary Club has had programs in place to assist the people who live on this island, particularly its children, for some years. The purpose of these endeavors has been to promote literacy in an environment where living conditions are primitive, with no electricity or running water, and opportunities for the children and young people of the island are very limited. Wells, who is the Chairman of our International Committee, has been the spearhead of these efforts from the beginning. He reported to members today that substantial progress has been made. Of recent times, Dave Sweeterman, one of our board members, has been very active in helping Wells and the people of Matenwa.
We have events, functions, and parties in October.......but first of all, remember to go to Marshwood next Wednesday morning, there won't be any breakfast at Plantation, only women golfers!!
October 4th, (Tuesday) We are invited by Rotary South club to go to Carey Hilliards, Southside, at noon for lunch to hear the Chairman of Georgia Power speak, contact Tom McGoldrick. October 5th, (Wednesday) Meet for breakfast at Marshwood. October 10th, Board meeting. October 14-16th, GRSP students arrive in town, transportation and accommodation needed, contact Susan Kleine. October 18th, GRSP Golf event at the Westin. October 20th, Rotary picnic, Landings Harbor, 5.30pm, good drinks and cooking. October 26th, Wednesday breakfast meeting at Bethesda Academy. October 29th, Fall Festival in the village at Smith Brothers, Doug Powelson still needs some volunteers.
Toni Marwitz introduced our speaker, Emily Markesteyn, this Wednesday morning. Emily is the Executive Director of the Ogeechee Riverkeeper Organization. A native of Savannah, Emily has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental studies from Emory University. She has worked for the Caretta Sea Turtle project on Wassaw Island, been a consultant to the Army Corps of Engineers, and worked for the Landings Association in its Public Works Department. In April 2011 she became the Executive Director for the Ogeechee Riverkeeper. Its mission, she told us, is to protect, preserve, and improve the water quality of the river and its basin.
John Sobke introduced Shari Haldeman, General Manager and COO of the Landings Association, to us on Wednesday morning. John is the immediate past President of the Landings Association, and he told us of the wonderful work Shari has done for the Association and for us in the four years of her tenure. Shari was accompanied this morning by Jim Rich, VP, the Landings Association and Marketing Committee Chair, and by Bill Houghton, President of the Landings Company, our real estate arm. Our three year assessment must be renewed for the years 2012, 13, and 14. In her presentation Shari told us of the process of determining what the assessments should be.
Toni Marwitz introduced Michele Wagner to us on Wednesday morning. Michele is the Development and Marketing Director of the Center. She holds a master's degree in Public Health from George Washington University and has 15 years' experience working with small and large non-profits. The Center is dedicated to empowering adults with development disabilities to realize their potential through supported day and employment services.
Dave Smith told us that school started last Monday at Bethesda. He introduced Andrea Dove who is a fundraiser for Bethesda; she reminded us that we can donate our state taxes to Bethesda if we wish. There is a maximum cap but no minimum, and every little bit makes a difference; businesses can also donate. She asks us to consider this matter when preparing our taxes, and to inform our accountants where necessary.
President Tom tells us that our new GRSP student Eevi Haonpera is scheduled to arrive in Savannah at around 11pm on Saturday August 6th. This is the same time that Tropical Storm Emily, currently hanging around Hispaniola, was due here. Looks like one is Finnish and the other is finished.
Our next meeting is at Marshwood, don't go to Plantation hoping for breakfast, it won't be served there.
Our Rotary/Kiwanis golf rematch is September 27th; Toni says it's our year....mark the calendar.
Skidaway Island Rotarian Kevin Hertzwig can offer you an opportunity to support the work of the Alzheimer's Association two different ways. For a $5 donation to Alzheimer's he will give you a coupon worth 25% off a purchase made at Macy's (in the store or online) on Saturday, August 27th. The coupon is also qualifies you for a chance to win a $500 gift card.
The other opportunity is to participate as a walker or financial backer of someone walking in the Alzheimer's annual walk on October 15th at Johnson Square. Read about it at alz.org/walk or talk to Kevin.
We are asked to make sure we have paid our quarterly bills; our enterprise needs cash flow like any other. Please put yours in the mail if it is still due.
The District Foundation/Membership Seminar will be held on Saturday August 13th in Dublin, GA. It will be held at the Oconee Fall Line Technical College (previously called Heart of Georgia Technical College), Dublin, starting at 9.30am. Note that any club that expects to apply for a District Simplified Grant must attend this seminar to be eligible. There will be a door prize of a weekend in Historic Savannah for two. See the District 6920 website for further details and registration.
Greetings from Governor Gordon In a recent conversation at the changing of the guard at one of our clubs, I was no longer in Savannah but was transported back to Bolivia where in 1999 l lead 6920’s Group Study Exchange team for a month....
Toni Marwitz introduced Dr. Moshe Dekel to us on Wednesday morning. Dr. Dekel is a graduate of the University of Bologna School of Medicine and has spent 30 years in conventional medicine as a surgeon, in private practice, and as a teacher. His specialty has been OB-GYN. He transitioned to holistic medicine in 2000. He was a member of Rotary in New York at one time, he said, but their midday meetings were not compatible with his work schedule.
The model of western medicine, he said, is diagnosis, followed by surgery and/or medication, but there is a better, healthier way.
Toni Marwitz introduced Lieutenant Ralph Salas to us on Wednesday morning. Ralph spent 22 years in the US army and then worked in Corrections and in the Professional Standards unit in Chatham County. Currently he is the Commander, Trainer, and Handler in the canine (K9) unit. He loves Savannah, he told us, but, like most other communities in the US, we have serious drug problems in our neighborhoods. Ralph came with his dog, a beautiful Belgian Malinois trained to sniff for drugs, called Briston.
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.
Tom McGoldrick, our new president, then took his oath of office, his
wife Molly placed the president's pin on his lapel, the gavel was
passed, and Tom made his acceptance speech.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Kathie Anderson introduced Chuck Smith and Sean Burgess on Wednesday morning, and the two told us of the magic of the Landings lagoons. Chuck is an active member of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), and Sean is The Landings Association Environmental Coordinator.
District Governor Elect Gordon Matthews introduced John Neely, both of whom are members of the Savannah East Club. John, who recently participated in the National Immunization Day in India, told of the role that Rotary plays in the elimination of polio there. Past Club President, Paul Meyer is in the middle, above.
Phil Turek introduced Jeanette Caneega of the Rotary Foundation at our meeting on Wednesday morning. Jeanette explained the organization of the Foundation, told us that it is separate from Rotary International, but the two go hand-in-hand to alleviate suffering everywhere. Our club is a generous donor to the Foundation.
Alida came to us from Lebanon last August under the sponsorship of the Georgia Rotary Student Program. She flew into Savannah after a long and tedious flight from her home, and was met by Anne Dauray, Bill West, and other Rotary members from our own and other Savannah clubs. Alida told us she wondered, setting her first step on American soil, what she would find and what awaited her.
In response to the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on 11 March, The Rotary Foundation has established the Rotary Japan 2011 Disaster Recovery Fund, which will support long-term recovery projects in affected areas
Rotarians and non-Rotarians can donate online. Clubs and districts can contribute cash and District Designated Fund (DDF) allocations to the fund. Click here to view the full RI article.
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.
Tom McGoldrick told us the Spring Fling will be May 7th in the village from 11am to 2pm. We have raffle tickets to sell, the first prize is an iPad2 with a value of $700. There will be rides for kids....volunteers are still needed. Grab your friends and neighbors and come to the village for a great time.
Introduced by Kathie Anderson, we were pleased to have Ryan Jarrell, Construction Engineer for Balfour Beatty Infrastructure (BBII) as our speaker on Wednesday. Balfour Beatty Infrastructure is the prime contractor for the 5th phase of the Harry Truman Parkway. Ryan’s home town is Spartanburg, SC and graduated from Clemson University with a B.S. in Civil Engineering.
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.
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.
Our member George Sedberry gave us a picture of his life this week - literally, with family scenes and ocean views. He is one of a large family, with six sisters and a brother. He was born in Tokyo, Japan, and has lived mostly in the eastern part of the U.S. He has always been interested in all things maritime, and studied marine science. He spent some time with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and has seen interesting marine scenarios all over the world. Based in Charleston, SC, he did work for the National Geographic and NOAA. In 1981 Gray's Reef was decreed by President Carter to be a Natural Resource and he has worked in connection with the reef and its care and preservation. George married his high school sweetheart and loves to play the banjo, although, he says, he's not very good at it.
Nicole Weller, Head Teaching Professional at The Landings Club (who spoke to the club a short time back) has informed us of 2 events that are planned and may have interest to our members who play golf and tennis.
It's a Stampede to the Wild, Wild West! Get your tickets now for
the Island's most exciting fundraiser, presented by The Rotary Club of Skidaway
Island! Enjoy the fun of casino type gaming , live music, the "Mother
Lode" of Silent Auction items, and a terrific buffet! It's all happening at
the "Skidaway Saloon" (Plantation Club)! Proceeds go to local Savannah
charities, including Horizon, Interfaith Hospitality, All Walks of Life, One
Hundred, Bethesda Home for Boys, Safe Shelter, Second Harvest, Royce Learning
Center, St. Mary's Community Center and Communities in Schools. Tickets on
sale now at the service desk at Smith Brothers' Market, from any Rotarian,
or call Doug Powelson (598-1768).
Susan will welcome everyone to her house on Friday June 17th for a TGIF party. Actually it's farewell to Susan as outgoing president and hello to Tom McGoldrick. Partygoers PLEASE note that the starting time is 6pm, not 5.30pm. Susan says, don't park on both sides of the road, she will have signs (and maybe a husband) out there to tell us where we may go..
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