Rotary Club of Greensburg

Meeting Flash

Rotary FLASH of 03-14-2006
Greensburg Rotary Club FLASH – March 14, 2006

A Few Irish Blessings this St. Patrick’s Week:

May your right hand always
Be stretched out in friendship
And never in want.

May your past be a pleasant memory,
Your future filled with delight and mystery,
Your now a glorious moment,
That fills your life with deep contentment.

May you get all your wishes but one
so you always have something to strive for!

The meeting of the Greensburg Rotary Club, held at Westmoreland County Community College, was called to order by President CATHY BAUMANN with the Pledge of Allegiance, “God Bless America” and the Invocation lead by WILL BROWN.

Sgt-at-Arms BILL McGRATH announced a current Club membership of 108, with one new member application ready for publication. The day’s attendance was 43 members plus the following guests: DEBBIE NYE (Bill Taylor), BRETT MAILLOUX (Jack Waite), and Exchange Student JORGE GARCIA.

Visiting Senior students from Hempfield Area HS (driver JIM STEELEY) were: JOSIANE MERLINO, KRISTIANNA ELIAS and GORDON VANSCOY.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

March 21 Club meeting will be “at home” at Four Points Sheraton.

March 28 Club meeting will be at Mt. View Inn.

The Board of Directors has approved the following membership proposal for publication. Any objections must be submitted in writing to the Secretary within 7 days.
Amelia “Millie” Love, Assistant Manager at PNC Bank at 1106 E. Pittsburgh Street in Greensburg. Millie resides in Delmont. She is a past Rotarian with the Lower Burrell Club and the Penn Hills Club. Cesare Muccari proposed her for membership.

A Thank You note has been received from the Westmoreland-Fayette Boy Scouts for the grant from the Greensburg Rotary.

CHUCK ANDERSON called attention to the letters for Golf Outing sponsorships at the tables. This event is beginning to take off and some sponsorship responses are arriving, but more are needed. Anyone needing additional letters should let Chuck know.

Referring to a recent e-mail from REV. BOB WILSON from sunny FLA, ED NEMANIC asked the membership to make plans and respond to attending the May 3rd Rutter Scholarship Dinner. RSVPs for attendance are currently at 80, while planners anticipated more in the range of 400 to attend. Ed asked that all please turn out, encourage others in this evening to honor Dr. Rutter. On a more positive note, Ed shared that donations to the Rutter Scholarship Fund have reached $24,000.

BILL TAYLOR called attention to the sign-up sheet for tickets to the 84 Lumber Golf Tournament scheduled for Sept. 11 – 17. Tickets are $15 each, 4 for $40 and the Club enjoys a 100% return on the ticket sale proceeds.

SPECIAL PRESENTATION:

The Greensburg Rotary Club’s Exchange Student JORGE GARCIA received the very special surprise honor of becoming our Club’s newest Paul Harris Fellow, perhaps a distinction he may now share with his Ecuador Rotarian father. MARK BARNHART made the presentation to Jorge.

PROGRAM OF THE DAY:

Our Program chair for the month of March, CHRIS RIZK, introduced DR. JOANNE BOYLE, the ninth President of Seton Hill University, a capacity she has served since July, 1987.

A native of Charleston, WVA, Dr. Boyle holds a BA in English and History from Seton Hill, a MA in teaching English from Harvard University and a PhD in English from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Boyle has enjoyed numerous honors and awards, has served a variety of organizations with distinction. Only a few of them include: Pennsylvania “Professor of the Year” from Council for Advancement and Support of Higher Education, the Medallion of Distinction from University of Pittsburgh, and recognition from Nanjing University, China for contributions to international education. She has served as Chair of World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, Board of Directors of Council for Independent Colleges, trustee of Sewickley Academy and University of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Boyle has been an actively involved witness to the transition and transformation of Seton Hill from a 400 student women’s undergrad college to a coed university with an enrollment of over 1800 men and women. Under her leadership, the education program of SHU has grown from BA degrees in arts, science and music education to include MA degree graduate programs in eight areas, including Business Administration, Writing Popular Fiction, Special Education and Family Therapy.

Dr. Boyle’s program presentation related to her most recent initiatives involving SHU partnership with local governments – city, county and state – to develop education and the Performing Arts as catalysts in economic development. Her PowerPoint program concentrated on the current plans and progress of downtown Greensburg initiative that partners in downtown revitalization and development of the city’s cultural district in the neighborhood of the restored and renovated Palace Theatre and Train Station. One of the goals of that partnership is to provide a place and to invite and encourage SHU students and citizens to the downtown area.

Since the growth of malls on the outskirts of Greensburg in the 70’s, SHU has been an isolated cluster of buildings “on the hill” to which people came. The new building plan, destined for the corner of Rt.30/Otterman St. and Harrison Avenue, will bring students into the city via the Seton Hill University Center for Performing Arts. The architecture of the facility is designed to blend with and enhance that cultural district, promote a safe and enticing nighttime environment and attractions. There will be a 450-seat recital hall (available not only to SHU performances but to smaller capacity events than work well in the 1400-seat Palace Theatre) and a “flexible theatre” (aka theatre-in-a-box”) with seating for 180. Also included will be studios, rehearsal rooms, classrooms for all the university’s performing arts, workspaces for set construction, costume and set storage and faculty offices.

Dr. Boyle addressed the timing for the project during the Q & A period: Once the county completes acquisition of additional property along east Otterman, demolition and discovery of existing buildings will require 60 – 120 days, most likely in the fall of 2006, spring of 2007. Rumors for the discovery phase include a gas station and a hotel beneath the properties.

President CATHY adjourned the meeting in the usual manner with the recitation of The Four Way Test.

FINAL NOTE: District Chair for Youth Exchange KATY DORAN offers a sincere thank you to the Greensburg Rotary Club Board of Directors. Their unexpected and generous donation of $300 toward the purchase of tools, supplies as needed for the Youth Exchange Hurricane Katrina Relief Service Project, March 18 - 25 in Bayou la Batre, AL, will be applied wisely and well!

DON’T FORGET: Contact CHUCK ANDERSON about participating in the Greensburg Rotary Club Golf Event at the Greensburg Country Club, Monday, June 5, 2006. Individual golfer fee: $150.00 each. Dinner only fee: $50.00 each. SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES:
GOLD ($2500) – Banners at Club entrance & hole of choice, 4 golfers, recognition at dinner.
SILVER ($1500) – Banner at Hole #9, 2 golfers, recognition at dinner.
GOLF CART ($2000) – Banners on ALL golf carts, 2 golfers, recognition at dinner.
HAPPY HOUR ($1000) – Banner in Happy Hour area, recognition at dinner.
POWER POINT ($200) – Name/logo projected all evening.
TEE SPONSOR ($150) – Placard with name/logo on a tee box.
SILENT AUCTION/GOLF PRIZES – recognition at dinner.

Rotary FLASH of 03-07-2006
Greensburg Rotary Club FLASH – March 7, 2006

“It is well for people who think to change their minds occasionally in order to keep them clean.”
"For those who do not think, it is best at least to rearrange their prejudices once in a while." Luther Burbank (1849 – 1926)
The meeting of the Greensburg Rotary Club was called to order by President CATHY BAUMANN with the Pledge of Allegiance, “God Bless America” and the Invocation lead by GENE JAMES.
Sgt-at-Arms BILL McGRATH announced an attendance of 47 members plus the following guests: LINDA SHANER (Al Lazar), SUE HALLQUIST ( Eric Hallquist’s mother), DOUG MARKS (Mark Barnhart), BEN POLICASTRO (Bill McGrath). Bill concluded his report with a challenge to all to work on recruiting “a few good men and women” toward the goal of increasing the current membership role from 106 to a level more in keeping with the 1980’s of 120 members.
Visiting Greensburg-Salem HS seniors (driver JACK WAITE) were ASHLEY LINDEN, ROSS DRUJEVIDA and ALLISON LAWRENCE.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
REMINDER – March 14 meeting will be held at WCCC.
Board of Directors asked to gather briefly immediately following the day’s meeting.
MARY CLYMER needs final reservations to the Dr. Rutter Scholarship Dinner ASAP.
CHUCK ANDERSON asked members to encourage sponsorships for June’s Golf Outing; copies of solicitation letters are available to send out to prospects.
KATY DORAN announced she will be chaperoning the District’s Youth Exchange students on a Hurricane Katrina relief service project in Bayou la Batre, Alabama, joining a team from 1st Presbyterian Church of Irwin March 18 – 25. Members are asked to contact Jorge and Julie to loan personal tools for their use and stay tuned for a report on the students’ experiences.
MARK BARNHART called attention to final call for sign-ups to join 4 other clubs in the Family Outing to Johnstown on March 18.
TOM JACHIMOWIZ called attention to the get-well card circulating for membership good wishes to Dr. Steve Ender as a result of surgery and 3-4 week recovery at home.
CARL ROSSMAN announced that the Greensburg Rotary will be the host club for the annual 2006 RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) conference for high school students. This 3-4 day event, consisting of seminars on problem solving and developing leadership skills, will be held at UPG mid to late July. Members will be needed to volunteer their participation.
KEVIN METZGER called attention to pamphlets and sign-up sheet for the Health Screening. Meetings are going on with the hospital to clear up past glitches, increase attendance, and solve the issue of offering “healthy” muffins vs. participants’ preference for donuts.
NEWEST MEMBERS:
BOB BLOOM led the Induction Ceremony for the newest members of Rotary International and the Greensburg Rotary Club, BEN POLICASTRO (sponsor Bill McGrath) and DOUG MARKS (sponsor Mark Barnhart).
PROGRAM OF THE DAY:
Continuing the focus on the theme of Literacy, CHRIS RIZK, managing director of the local acting academy “Stage Right,” introduced the “Books Come Alive” performance troupe and their regional contribution toward encouraging children to read.
This 3-year old program began with the encouragement of Greensburg-Hempfield Library’s CESARE MUCCARI as part of their children’s programming. During the summer of 2005 the “Books Come Alive” enactments of popular children’s books were presented to over 8,200 students in approximately 70 performances. Current presentations are being held in 13 local libraries, including Norwin, Penn, New Kensington, Ligonier, Latrobe, Union town, New Florence, Mt. Pleasant, Murrysville, Manor, Scottdale, Youngwood and Monesson. Some of the books featured are “Click, Clack, Moo,” “Give A Mouse A Cookie,” “Eloise,” “Captain Underpants” and “Where the Wild Things Are.”
In honor of the March 5 birthday anniversary of Dr. Seuss, the Club was treated to a performance of “Are You My Mother” by students ALEX ETTLING, MEGAN DORAN, MAURISSA AUER and PATRICK SHEFFLER.
“Stage Right” director Tony Marino closed the program by thanking the Club and sharing how these performances encourage reading books, appreciating of theatre and the arts, in general. Plans are in the works to team the young actors with authors for live presentations at The Palace Theatre such works as “Fractured Fairy Tales” and “The True Story of the Three Little Pigs,” creating plays that can be made available to other children’s theatres.
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The meeting was adjourned by President CATHY in the usual manner with the recitation of The Four Way Test.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Sincere apologies for the delay of this edition of the FLASH.

Rotary FLASH of 02-28-2006
Greensburg Rotary Club FLASH – February 28, 2006

“One kernel is felt in a hogshead; one drop of water helps to swell the ocean;
a spark of fire helps give light to the world. None are too small,
too feeble, too poor to be of service. Think of this and act.”
Hannah More (1745 - 1833) English writer

“Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.”
Georg Wilhelm, 19th C. German philosopher

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The monthly Club Assembly of the Greensburg Rotary Club was called to order by President CATHY BAUMANN, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance, “God Bless America,” and the Invocation lead by ED MEADOWS.

Sgt.-at-Arms BILL McGRATH announced a member attendance of 54 and introduced visiting Rotarians JOE HORENCY (Latrobe), TIM BASSETT (Murrysville/Export) and the following guests: DOUG MARKS (Mark Barnhart), MILLIE LOVE (Cesare Muccari), BEN POLICASTRO (Bill McGrath), visiting Exchange Student from Turkey BAHAR EGE (host club Johnstown Rotary) and her friend SEDA SUNER, Exchange Students Jorge Garcia and Julie Mala.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

· President CATHY announced the Board of Directors meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 2nd.

· Reminder – March 14 club meeting will be held at Westmoreland County Community College.

· MARK BARNHART called attention to the sign-up sheets for “Rotary Family Night” on Saturday, March 18 to Johnstown. Guest Exchange Student, BAHAR from Johnstown assured members the City Grill Restaurant is “excellent!”

· President CATHY reminded members to get their RSVP reservations and donations for the RUTTER SCHOLARSHIP kick-off dinner to MARY CLYMER as soon as possible.

· KEVIN METZGER called attention to the sign-up sheets for the Spring Health Screenings to be held April 8 and April 22. An appeal was directed to our club’s newest Rotarians - - this project is good for the health of others and YOURS, too!

PROGRAM-OF-THE-DAY: Monthly Club Assembly / Birthday / Anniversary Celebration

CHRIS RIZK presented the following birthday honorees for February with celebrity birthday matches: JIM STEELEY (2/03), RICHARD CHELSTED (2/05), MARY CLYMER (2/06), DICK McNEEL (2/11), CESARE MUCCARI (2/12), BOB OTTAVIANI (2/15), FRANK CASSELL (2/23), DAVE ROBINSON (2/27).

The following club membership anniversaries were recognized: CHUCK ANDERSON (3 yrs.), STACY CLEMMER (2 yrs.), TOM HEADLY (3 yrs.), MIKE LANGER (2 yrs.), ALEX LIMA (2 yrs.), DICK McNEEL (24 yrs.), CHRIS RIZK (4 yrs.), GEORGE ROSS (2 weeks), CARL ROSSMAN (4 yrs.), DARRIN SHAFFER (1 yr.)

The club’s investment guru ED NEMANIC had the pleasant responsibility of thanking the Grant Review Committee for its deliberations and announcing and presenting a variety of grants from the Greensburg Rotary Club. These grants are made possible by the club’s being the beneficiary of the Madeline Nichols Memorial Fund, a trust created by Harry Miller at his death in 1997 (25% of the trust income is received in perpetuity). Since 1998, the Greensburg Rotary Club has earned approximately $63,000 income, from which it has funded such projects as the St. Clair Park amphitheater renovation, the After-School program, Greensburg-Hempfield Library, the Ministerial Association and the Intermediate Unit. Recipients present as guests at the meeting expressed their appreciation and spoke of their organization’s intentions for applying these grants in service to others.

Grants for 2006, totaling more than $14,000 were announced for presentation to the following organizations:
Special Olympics of Westmoreland County, Greensburg YMCA, Westmoreland-Fayette Boy Scouts of America, Westmoreland County Blind Association, Westmoreland Human Opportunities, Inc., Westmoreland County Food Bank, City of Greensburg, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Laurel Region, Community Foundation for The Rutter Scholarship, Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Christian Laymen Corps.

Past-president JEFF MALLOY spoke to the membership about up-coming conference and convention events, promising additional details in the weeks and months ahead:

· District Conference for 7330, “Magic on the Mountain,” will be held Mother’s Day weekend, May 12 – 14, 2006 at Seven Springs. A change in the usual schedule of conference events will have the awards banquet presentations taking place on Friday evening instead of the usual Saturday. The remainder of the conference will focus on a combination of the serious business of Rotary during the day on Saturday followed by an evening of family fun and fellowship (i.e., a volleyball tournament, fireworks), and closing with a special Mother’s Day breakfast on Sunday morning.

· Rotary International’s 97th Annual Convention, June 11-14, 2006, will have the unique distinction of being hosted by both Malmo, Denmark and Copenhagen, Sweden. District 7330’s own IVAR BERGE (Johnstown Rotary), a native of Denmark, is offering special accommodations options by host Danish Rotarians for our district’s participating members, along with a post-Convention multi-country Euro-tour (approximately $2,400 per person).
The meeting was closed by President CATHY in the usual manner with the recitation of The Four-Way Test.