| Meeting Flash Rotary FLASH of 04-24-2007 Greensburg Rotary Club FLASH – April 24, 2007 QUOTES-OF-THE-DAY “The true test of a first rate mind is the ability to hold two contradictory ideas at the same time.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald The Tuesday, April 24, 1007 meeting of the Greensburg Rotary Club was called to order by President MARY CLYMER with the Pledge of Allegiance, “God Bless America,” and the Invocation by Dick McNeel. Sgt.-at-Arms, DENNIS CREMONESE announced an attendance of 53 members and the following Guests: Visiting Rotarian, Father Gilbert (Latrobe Rotary), John Sproull’s guest Vince Scirotto, Anne Peagler’s guest Dawn Roberts, Dick McNeel’s guest Janet McNeel. DOUG ARNDT of Commercial Bank and Trust, sponsored by ED NEMANIC was inducted by JOE PELUSO and become our newest member. Welcome DOUG, we are glad to have you. JEFF LONG was presented a Paul Harris Recognition by MARK BARNHART and joined the honored ranks of our Paul Harris Fellows. Thank you JEFF for your support of Rotary International. GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: MEMBERSHIP PROPOSAL: President MARY encouraged the membership to register and attend the May 4 – 6 District Conference, to take advantage of the Seven Springs location to commute, if necessary. Members may participate in as much or as little of the weekend as desired, learn what other clubs in the District are doing and support our club’s many accomplishments as may be recognized during the conference. GSE Team from Turkey arriving this week. Anyone who would like to meet/greet the team please let Mary know. TOM HEADLEY is reported to be “on the mend.” His cast is off and he will be starting physical therapy this week. Stay the course Tom, we miss you. Plans for the First Annual Rotary Club of Greensburg Third Grade Spelling BEE are progressing well. BEE winners will be invited to participate in the Greensburg City Holiday Parade. We’re looking for a yellow Volkswagen Bug with a black convertible top, or a similar vehicle, for them to ride in. Also searching for a CD of We Believe the Children Are Our Future, by Whitney Houston. KEVIN METSGER, Thanked all those early risers for coming out to help with the Blood Screening. It was a great success. Thank you Kevin, for chairing this event all these years and giving us all an opportunity to be part of a community service that helps so many of our fellow neighbors and friends stay healthy. PROGRAM-OF-THE-DAY: MARY CLYMER introduced and welcomed DAVE MINTZ, Director of Education, from the Pittsburgh Zoo. Our club was introduced to four interesting critters. Can anyone remember the proper and/or nick names of our new friends? NEXT WEEKS MEETING: President MARY adjourned the meeting in the usual manner with the recitation of The Four-Way Test.
Rotary FLASH of 04-17-2006
Membership -100 Invocation by Guy Davis Board action report given by Secretary Bob Bloom Membership Proposal Publication: President-Elect C. Rossman gave report on “Community Days”, May 24th – 27th. Menu; chili, nachos No exchange student next year Past President, Jeff Malloy, reported on District Conference at Seven Springs Resort, May 4th – 6th Word of the week; dragoon – force someone to do something Autobiography by Leah Shilobod Next meeting will be held at Four Points Sheraton on April 24th Respectfully submitted, Bill McGrath
Rotary FLASH of 04-10-2007
QUOTES-OF-THE-DAY: “Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts.” ~ William Hazlitt (1778 – 1830) The Tuesday, April 10, 1007 meeting of the Greensburg Rotary Club was called to order by President MARY CLYMER with the Pledge of Allegiance, “God Bless America,” and the Invocation by BOB OTTAVIANI. Sgt.-at-Arms, DENNIS CREMONESE announced an attendance of 48 members and the following Guests: RON PASTOR (Latrobe Rotary), DAN STILLWELL (Tom Jachimowicz), ISABEL BLOOM (Don Bloom), DOUG ARNDT (Ed Nemanic). Hempfield Area HS Visiting Students were: KATIE SHERAW, BENJAMIN IMHOFF, CHRISSIE CARRERA WORD-OF-THE-DAY: “abecedarian” (ay-bee-see-DAIR-ee-uhn), a noun meaning “a beginner” or an adjective meaning “rudimentary or elementary.” GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: President MARY encouraged the membership to register and attend the May 4 – 6 District Conference, to take advantage of the Seven Springs location to commute, if necessary. Members may participate in as much or as little of the weekend as desired, learn what other clubs in the District are doing and support our club’s many accomplishments as may be recognized during the conference. Board of Directors meeting was rescheduled from last week’s Maundy Thursday beginning of the Easter celebrations to this week, April 12 in the Hempfield Room at UPG at 5:30 PM. CHUCK ANDERSON, speaking for KEVIN METSGER, requested more Rotarians sign on to help with the 2nd Blood Screening this coming Saturday, April 14 in the Greensburg-Salem HS cafeteria, 5:30 AM. CHUCK also called attention to sign-ups continuing for the June 11 Annual Golf Outing. Sponsorships are still needed and foursomes will be limited to 100, so registrations need to be made! KATY DORAN backed up our President’s encouragement to attend District Conference by suggesting there are 3 things every Rotarian should do to have a better understanding of the meat & bones of Rotary: host a Rotary Exchange Student (!!), serve on the Club Board of Directors and attend District Conference, especially Saturday, May 5th 9:30 – 10:30 AM for the Youth Exchange portion of the District Conference weekend. TOM JACHIMOWICZ offered an update on TOM HEADLEY’s continued progress: Tom’s wrist cast has been removed and an April 19 doctor’s appointment will help determine how much longer he’ll need to wear that leg cast. Phone calls and cards continue to be most welcome! PROGRAM-OF-THE-DAY: BILL McGRATH introduced and welcomed Congressman TIM MURPHY, a fellow Rotarian (Bethel Park Rotary) and a familiar guest to all, who spoke on issues of immigration being addressed by the US Congress and administration. The Congressman began by calling attention to the major immigration issues existing in Europe, primarily Great Britain and the 80 years of conflict that have preceded the hopeful peace process announced for Northern Ireland last week. More than 80,000 Irish people are currently living in England with expired visas, not wanting to return to their native Northern Ireland. Here in the US, Mr. Murphy cited the examples of how our Border Patrol is overwhelmed, particularly at one of the largest cargo ports-of-entry, Laredo, TX: Long lines of all vehicles (cars, trucks, buses) must pass through X-ray security and DO result in the discovery of criminal activity ($29 million in cocaine found hidden in a lead-lined container in the wheel-well of a bus). However, one lane, having virtually no traffic, was reserved for pre-cleared and emergency vehicles. As mandated by the UN, patients must be transported to the nearest ER facility, which in that region of Mexico, is within the USA – American ERs must admit and treat patients brought to them via a steady stream from Mexico into the US. At the same time, those emergency vehicles cross the border without having to pass through x-ray security checks or verification of actual medical emergency passengers. Meanwhile, just hundreds of yards from official crossing check points, are other accessible and unmanned locations for crossings. In some crossing areas, our Border Patrol are literally face-to-face with corrupt, armed and threatening Mexican military, while the Mexican government provides would-be-illegals with information advising how and where to manage successful crossings. While all of us are descendents of immigrants at some point in history, there is a great need to solve today’s issues of illegal immigration, not the least of which is the critical strain on the health care, education and judicial areas of our nation’s economy. In Pennsylvania alone there are more than 90,000 undocumented aliens who cost PA more than $200 million in health care. That cost is many times greater in a state such as California where the illegal immigrant number is much higher. In California 3 of every 4 law enforcement warrants issued are for illegals. Bills and ideas being considered in Congress include such things as a $2,000 fine for every 3 years an illegal has remained in the USA and to allow immigrants to stay employed in this country as long as they regularly and routinely cross back and forth through official ports-of-entry. Another idea is to re-create an Ellis Island-sort of entry process that will permit screening for employment skills, health, criminal background checks, etc. The problem is massive and begs the question “How far are we in the USA willing to go for resolution?” While changes must be made, there are equally massive hurdles and it is not possible to predict what measures will ultimately be taken or what might happen with the next presidential election. Following club member comments and observations on the subject of illegal immigration, Congressman Murphy encouraged everyone to visit his website www.murphy.house.gov and to subscribe to his office’s weekly e-newsletter to stay informed on this and other issues. ______________________________________________________________________________ President MARY adjourned the meeting in the usual manner with the recitation of The Four-Way Test. REMINDER: Next week’s meeting, April 17, will be held in the Hempfield Room at Univ. of Pitt/Greensburg. Respectfully submitted, Katy Doran
Rotary Flash of 04-03-2007
QUOTES-OF-THE-DAY: Every ceiling, when reached, becomes a floor, upon which one walks as a matter of course and prescriptive right. ~ Aldous Huxley If you don't know where you are going, you'll end up someplace else. ~ Yogi Berra Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is. ~ Vince Lombardi The Tuesday, April 3, 2007 meeting of the Greensburg Rotary Club was called to order by President MARY CLYMER with the Pledge of Allegiance, “God Bless America,” and the Invocation by JIM STEELEY. Sgt.-at-Arms, BILL McGRATH announced an attendance of 53 members and the following Guests: BILL LINHART (Jim Boggs), DONNA PACELLA (Chuck Anderson), DOUG ARNDT (Ed Nemanic). Visiting Students, driven by JACK WAITE , seniors from Greensburg-Salem HS : TRUDY JACKSON, JOHN DUMNICH, ERIC MUNDEN, ELLIOT SWAUGER WORD-OF-THE-DAY: “napier,” a noun meaning the person in charge of table linens (in an obviously wealthier household or establishment than any of us enjoy!). GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: President MARY called attention to the following: Sincere reporter apologies to TONY MARTINO for missing everything of significance about his Italian to English letter translation regarding Tony & PAUL HOCHENDONER. KEVIN METSGER called on members to sign up for the next Health Screening on Saturday, April 14 and reported in excess of 500 individuals were screened on March 31, thanks to the veteran Rotarian volunteers and despite some issues to be resolved with the hospital. JEFF MALLOY encouraged many club members to register for District Conference, May 4-6 at Seven Springs, to help support the club’s hosting a Hospitality Suite, something not done by the Greensburg Club for many years. Other good reasons to attend: a chance to broaden Rotary awareness of what other clubs do, enjoy the treat of seeing, hearing, and meeting all this year’s Inbound and about-to-be Outbound Youth Exchange Students, Golf Outing at 1PM Friday and another possible for Saturday, a Fashion show at 2PM Saturday. While deadline for Registration was originally today, April 3, it has been extended to the end of this week. GENE JAMES, who was not able to be present at last weeks Grant presentation meeting, thanked the club, on behalf of the 20,000 who attend the Summer Concerts in the Park series, for that grant award. President MARY announced a change of location for the club’s Board of Directors meeting this coming Thursday, April 5 at 5:30PM– Chef Dato’s Tin Lizzy Restaurant located off 982, Youngwood. In addition to the regular monthly meeting, the Board will enjoy taste-test sampling Dato’s chili,which will be served from the club’s booth at Greensburg Community Days. Pinch-hitting at a moment’s notice, CHUCK STROBEL presented a program on the topic “Quality Vs. Luxury.” Although the presentation was designed and intended for the cleaning service industry, the principals are appropriate for all businesses. The program began using the examples of cars and corporate jets planes. The Mercedes that may be top-of-the-line in luxury, and therefore quality, but sits in the garage, while the basic Ford or Chevy gets regular use. The jet may have all the trappings of luxury, be deemed quality as a result yet crashes every 10th time it flies. Price and appearances of luxury may give a perception of but do not actually equal quality. Measuring quality by perception and performance can be problematic when a supervisor is uptight, the customer is upset or having a bad day or is “testing” performance. Perception is 80% in the eyes of the person doing the evaluation and judgment of either poor or good performance may be an opinion of the moment and based on feelings. Therefore, and an absolute is necessary to determine quality, and that would be conformance to specifications, a measure of whether or not the job was done or not. How to conform to specifications is made up of 4 elements: The future results are that demonstrably quality programs will grow. When customers are looking good to their own bosses, they will continue to need you, will take you along as they grow and get more responsibility. Respectfully submitted, Katy Doran
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