Rotary Club of Greensburg

A Flash from the Past

Rotary Flashes of 11-18-2003
ROTARY FLASHES
GREENSBURG ROTARY CLUB NO. 250 – CHARTERED OCTOBER 4, 1916
Volume 75, No. 21……………………………………………..November 18, 2003

Inside This Issue
Wise and Otherwise
Next Meeting’s Program Listing
Our Weekly Meeting and Birthday listings
Announcements

WISE AND OTHERWISE
Make sure you have finished speaking before your audience has finished listening.

Only the mediocre are always at their best.

TODAY’S INVOCATION was given by Al Lazar. “Heavenly Father, we ask Your blessing upon us as we gather around these tables in Rotary fellowship. Grant that our ideals and aspirations may be welded into one great concern for the common good. Give us courage in our decisions relating to others and endow us with wisdom and understanding that truth and justice, peace with honor may rule triumphantly in our human relationships. Amen.”

SERGEANT AT ARMS REPORT– (Jeff Branthoover) - One visiting Rotarian – Ron Pastor from the Latrobe Club. No guests of members, Bojana and our three students from Greensburg Central Catholic Sr. High School – Alexander Miller, Brandon Shutty and Kate Pomerleau. Thanks to Al Lazar for transporting the students to and from our meeting.

TODAY'S ATTENDANCE was 52. This included 46 members, 1 visiting Rotarian, 4 students and our speaker.

MAKE-UPS: Dave Robinson, Joe Cameron and Elinore McMahan (twice) attended the Rotary Club of Hempfield Township. Joe Cameron also attended a meeting at the Latrobe Rotary Club.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

THE GREENSBURG ROTARY CLUB FAMILY INVOLEMENT NIGHT WILL OCCUR ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6 WHEN THE CLUB WILL TAKE A MOTORCOACH TO SEE THE JOHNSTOWN CHIEFS FACE OFF AGAINST THE PEORIA RIVERMEN AT THE JOHNSTOWN WAR MEMORIAL. The cost is $20.00 each, which includes the admission and transportation. This looks to be a great night for families to get together in Rotary. Chuck Anderson is the man to see about reservations. The motorcoach will leave Greensburg at 5:00 PM. IT WILL BE A HOCKEY NIGHT IN JOHNSTOWN!

OUR ANNUAL CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY PARTY WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 9 AT THE SHERATON/FOUR POINTS. Invitations have been mailed out. There will not be a regular noon meeting that day. Please return you reservations to Jeff Malloy.

Update – Bill Kern reports that we now have 40 members who are currently participating in the Foundation Annual Giving Campaign. This is 35% of the members who have contributed at least $100.00 this year. It should be noted that our Club has donated over $178,800.00 to the Rotary Foundation over the years.

BECOME A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY – Ray Charley asked us to join with the Route 66 Shop N Save to help the Westmoreland County Food Bank. You can use your Rewards card between November 5th and November 29th to redeem 5,000 greenpoints in exchange for a $5.00 donation to the Food Bank. Ray’s store will match every dollar raised up to $5,000.00. Last year, the Rt. 66 Shop N Save sent over $16,000 of food to the Food Bank.

4 WEEKS IN BRAZIL – Gene James has volunteered to be the Group Study Exchange Leader for this trip.

BE MY GUEST cards are a great way to get your fellow businessmen and businesswomen to experience a Rotary meeting with you. Cathy Daversa has prepared business cards that invites them to a Tuesday meeting. Please see Cathy for several of these and hand one to a person who you think might want to know more about our Club and what Rotary is all about.

OPERATION SANATA CLAUS – John Mizikar is coordinating our Club's involvement in this project. December 10th is the date, volunteers are needed to either work the morning shift (8 AM to Noon) or the afternoon shift (Noon to 4 PM) to fill bags of groceries that will be given out to members of the community.

WE EXTEND OUR SYMPATHY TO DISTRICT GOVERNOR GEORGE OMIROS ON THE DEATH OF HIS MOTHER. You may wish to send a personal card to George J. Omiros, 73 Belmont Circle, Uniontown, PA 15401.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

November 25 – New Member Celebration meeting.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – Joe Cameron took to the podium to help the November birthday boys and girls celebrate their big day. Joe researched events that occurred on each of their special days years ago. We sang and ate cake!

OUR WEEKLY MEETING

"Long Term Care"- Robert Sewetz " – Bob stated that by 2030, there will be 70 million Americans over the age of 65, mainly due to longer life expectancy. There are now 76 million “baby boomers” which is 27 percent of our population. Currently Westmoreland County is listed as # 1 in regard to the oldest population in Pennsylvania. Extended Chronic Care accounts to 85 percent of persons in home care, adult day care and assisted living. Only 15 percent are in nursing homes. The cost of rooms is typically over $200.00 per day. He said that Medicare pays only 17 percent, some from Medicaid, private insurance 7 percent and 30 percent is paid out of pocket. He says that 1 in 2 people will need Long Term Care. Some insurance plans can cover Home Health Care only, while others will cover Assisted Living Expense. If you are looking for an insurance policy to cover most or all of the expenses, he advised looking for a more comprehensive policy……noting that the cost is rather expensive. Other items to look at in the policies are inflation riders, varying benefit periods, waiting periods and inflation adjustment riders. It is critical to make sure that the company is financially strong. Coverage can be obtained individually or through a group – such as AARP.

NOVEMBER'S BIRTHDAYS
Joe Petrillo…………..….November 1
Rebecka Hutchinson …..November 11
Dan Krezenski………….November 12
Terry Marolt……… …November 13
Don Waxter……………..November 14
Jim Thomas…………….November 16
Bobbi Watt Geer.………November 16
Bill Taylor………….….November 18
Chuck Anderson…… …November 21
Joe Cameron……….… .November 23
Ted Herrington…….. …November 25
Bobbi Clark……………November 25
Rich Rosky……….. ….November 26
Pete Dochinez…….… ..November 30

MONDAY
New Stanton/Youngwood…12:00………....Community College
Norwin……………………..12:00………...Banquets Unlimited
Jeannette…………………… 6:00PM…..DeNunzio’s Restaurant
Mountain View……………..6:15PM……………...Mt. View Inn
Rockwood………………….6:15PM……....Milford Grange Hall

TUESDAY
Ligonier……………………….7:00AM……………Casa Chapla
West Newton ………………..12:00….…..Presbyterian Church
Scottdale……………………..12:00……....Pleasant Valley C.C.
Mt. Pleasant………………….12:05………………..Elks Lodge
Blairsville…………………… 6:00PM….....Chestnut Ridge Inn

WEDNESDAY
Donegal/Laurel Highlands……7:30AM……Brady's Restaurant
Latrobe………………………12:10…………………Elks Club
Pittsburgh……………………12:00…..…...Hotel William Penn
Westmoreland…………………5:30……………….Bobby Dales
Murrysville-Export………...….6:45PM……..……..Lamplighter

THURSDAY
Delmont-Salem………………..7:00AM…….Touch of Country
Hempfield…..7:30AM….University of Pittsburgh @ Greensburg
Connellsville………………….12:00……….Highlands Hospital
Belle Vernon………………......6:30PM….Cedarbrook Golf Club

FRIDAY
Monongahela…………………12:05……..…Step II Restaurant
Somerset……………………...12:15…..Somerset Country Club
www.greensburgrotary.com
“Service Above Self”

Rotary Flashes of 11-04-2003
ROTARY FLASHES
GREENSBURG ROTARY CLUB NO. 250 – CHARTERED OCTOBER 4, 1916
Volume 75, No. 19……………………………………………..November 4, 2003

Inside This Issue
Wise and Otherwise
Next Meeting’s Program Listing
Our Weekly Meeting and Birthday listings
Announcements

WISE AND OTHERWISE
”Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” (Mother Teresa)

A problem is a chance for you to do your best.

If your ship doesn’t come in, swim out to it.

TODAY’S INVOCATION was given by Jim Steeley. “Dear Lord, we give thanks for all that we have - for the labor of our hands, for the gift to see and understand the needs of others around us and for the resources to respond to those needs. Let us continue to labor with dignity and to share with others the joys of life. We thank You for the privilege to work for the good of all people around this world. Thank you for the fellowship this day. Amen.”

SERGEANT AT ARMS REPORT– One visiting Rotarian - (Elizabethtown, KY). We had 1 guest – John Weir (Jeff Ruffner).

TODAY'S ATTENDANCE was 56. This included 54 members, 1 visiting Rotarian and 1 guest.

MAKE-UPS: Charles Strobel and Dan Krezenski, (Youngwood/New Stanton Club), Dave Robinson -twice and Elinore McMahan -3 times at (Hempfield), Michele Bononi (Irwin), Guy Davis (Latrobe) and Ed Meadows (Longwood and Gulf Shore-Naples).

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

THE ROTARY MINUTE by Gene James, presented on 10-25-03.
The 2002-03 budget for the combined expenses for Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is $184.6 million of which $62.9 million is the budget for Rotary International and $121.5 million is the budget for The Rotary Foundation.
As of June 30, 2002 there were 1,243,431 Rotarians, 31,256 Rotarian Clubs, 530 Rotary districts located in 165 countries.
In 2002-2003 fiscal year contributions from Rotarians and others totaled $81 million. The first Paul Harris Fellow was in 1957 today there are 807,915 Paul Harris Fellows. There are 57,608 total Rotary Foundation Benefactors.
PolioPlus Program started in 1985. It is estimated that by the year 2005 Rotarians will have contributed $500 million to the global polio eradication effort. In 2002 there were 480 Polio cases down from 350,000 in 1988. 122 nations have benefited from PolioPlus grants; $34 million was awarded in 2001-02.
AND THAT’S SOME ROTARY FIGURES AT A GLANCE…
(Update – Bill Kern reports that we now have 37 members who are currently participating in the Foundation Annual Giving Campaign)

THE ROTARY CLUB OF LATROBE HAS INVITED US TO JOIN WITH THEM FOR LUNCH AT ST. VINCENT COLLEGE. Basketball coach D.P. Harris will host this off-site meeting and give a presentation. November 5th is the date. Noon is the time. The cost is $9.00.

4 WEEKS IN BRAZIL - If this sounds interesting to you, consider applying for the position of Rotary District Group Study Exchange Team Leader. You would lead a team of professionals to Brazil – May 12, 2004 through June 9, 2004. An application can be obtained from the Rotary International website.

THE ROTARY CLUB OF GREENSBURG'S WINE TASTING EVENING WILL BE HELD ON November 7th at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. The cost is $100 per person.

THE DISTRICT 7330 FOUNDATION DINNER will be held on November 15th at the Greensburg Country Club.

From the meeting of 10-25-2003
Jeff Branthoover gave his mini-autobiography. Jeff was born and raised in Indian Head. His parents were both teachers and he grew up being taught honor and respect. He graduated from Connellsville in 1981 and then went to the US Air Force as a security specialist. He was stationed in Cheyenne Wyoming, which suited him well, since he is skier. He was sent to Belgium where he then had the opportunity to experience Europe. He told us that his military service was a very positive experience in his life. Jeff returned to Western PA and worked in Scottdale with a stainless steel company. He then worked full time for Teledyne while attending college, also full time. He graduated from St. Vincent College in 1994 and went on to work for Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh. The traveling to and from work was long so he took a position with Somerset Trust. He received a banking certification from Bucknell and in the beginning of this year became the Assistant Vice President and Trust Administrator for the Irwin Bank and Trust Company. He is married to Robin, his wife of twelve years. They have a daughter Shannon who is five years old. The Branthoovers reside in Indian Head. Jeff enjoys time with his family, hunting, fishing, skiing and plays the guitar. He says that he has been truly blessed and wishes to give something back to the community.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS
November 11 - "Changing Care in Westmoreland County" – David Gallatin
November 18 - "Long Term Care"- Robert Sewetz
November 25 – Mini-autobiography and the Birthday Table

OUR WEEKLY MEETING
Our own Dr. Bill McGrath, "Colon Cancer – A Preventable Disease"
Bill informed us that while heart disease is on the decline, cancer has an upward trend. The fourth most common cancer is colon cancer. It is also second in the cause of cancer deaths. There were an estimated 875,000 cases in 1996 and over 1,000,000 cases in 1999. He reported that there were over 230 new cases of colon cancer diagnosed in Westmoreland County last year. While it has been commonly thought that men are more likely than women to develop colon cancer, studies show that the lifetime risk is similar in both sexes. The five-year survival rate is now 60%. Sporadic cases are 70% while 25% are linked to genetics. Only 26% of the population has been tested for this type of cancer. Bill stressed that the Fecal Occult Blood Test is very easily performed and should be done when prostate exams or women’s annual exams are performed. There is a new test that should be available next year that measures for blood and also an enzyme that is an indicator of colon cancer. Anyone over age 50, or age 40 if family history dictates, should have an annual exam. A colonoscopy should be performed every ten years. Bill wishes to remind us all that this is COLON CANCER AWARENESS MONTH.

FRIDAY
Monongahela…………………12:05……..…Step II Restaurant
Somerset……………………...12:15…..Somerset Country Club
www.greensburgrotary.com
“Service Above Self”