MEMBERSHIP PROPOSAL
The Board of Directors has approved the following for publication:
Christopher “ Chris” Elliott, Head Wrestling Coach at Seton Hill University. Chris resides in Latrobe. He has attended the required 2 weekly meetings. Ben Policastro proposes him for membership. Any objections must be submitted in writing to the Secretary within 7 days.
John Kline reminded us that Operation Santa Claus is going on December 3rd from 8-12. Anyone still interested can come and help.
Ed Meadows announced that he saw an article in the newspaper about Chuck Anderson and his wife Nancy mountain climbing. He also mentioned that he saw Dennis Cremonese and Dave Delisi during the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trot. It’s good to see so many Rotarians active in our community and featured in our publications.
Dennis Cremonese announced that this coming Saturday is the day that interviews are being held for the Rotary Group Study Exchange to Argentina. Anyone interested should contact Mike Arnall at mbarnall@comcast.net (Please note Rotary GSE in the subject line) or call 814-241-3707.
Mike Lucotch announced that the Salvation Army bell ringing at Macy’s will be on Friday December 14. There will be shifts of two hours long, with two Rotarians at each shift. Anyone interested in helping out should contact Mike or signup during lunch when the clipboard goes around.
Katy Doran announced that the Maplewood Presbyterian Church is hosting an Alternative Gift Market. The purpose is to permit individuals to shop for items that will then be sent to others in foreign countries who have need of items more than we during this holiday season. All proceeds will go toward this charitable cause. Anyone interested should come this Saturday from 1-6 at the Maplewood Presbyterian Church.
Mary Clymer wanted to thank those who came to the Christmas parade in Greensburg last Saturday. Several Rotarians came and carried banners, drove vehicles, and walked the streets of Greensburg with bee wings on them. Thanks to all who helped make the parade a memory that Dr. Rutter and the spelling bee winners won’t forget.
Chuck Anderson wanted to remind anyone planning on attending the Christmas party to sign up soon. It will be at the Greensburg Country Club on December 11 at 6:00. Let Chuck know if you plan on attending.
Bill McGrath inducted a new member this week. Mark Marshall was sponsored by Ben Policastro as our newest Rotarian. Welcome Mark, and we look forward to getting to know you.
The word of the week was somnopolism. The word means sleep-walking, contrary to popular belief. You can look it up if you want.
Our speaker for the meeting was Patrick Lenz from the Boy Scouts of America. He is the executive director of the Westmoreland/Fayette Council. He spoke to us about the importance of scouting in the lives of many. The council serves over 9000 young people, including 25% of all boys age 6-10, and 22% of all middle school aged boys. 107 young men in the council earned the rank of Eagle Scout this year, and next year’s numbers are projected to be even higher.
Scouting affects the community very heavily. The Boy Scouts collected 43000 pounds of food for the Westmoreland County food bank this year. In addition to their contributions to the food bank, the scouts have also offered over 100,000 community service hours. All of these things are great for the community, but more importantly it teaches the scouts to become more service oriented, instead of self-seeking. It isn’t a coincidence that when Patrick asked who had been involved in scouting, a significant number of Rotarians raised their hands.
The Boy Scouts is an organization that does a lot of good, but cannot do it alone. They encourage financial contributions, but more importantly they seek more volunteers to keep the spirit of scouting alive and to help the boys advance through the ranks and to learn the skills that may save lives someday. Thank you Pat for giving us an update on the goings on at our local Boy Scout council.
Our meeting ended in the usual way with the Four Way Test. Have a great week everyone.

Rotary FLASH of 11-20-2007
Our meeting began with Carl Rossman leading us with the Pledge of Allegiance, God Bless America, and an invocation by Bill McGrath. Mark Parker reported that we had 52 members out of 97 in attendance. We had one visiting Rotarian, and that was Congressman Tim Murphy. Also, Leia Shilobod brought Robert Frye as a guest, as well as Dawn Roberts bringing her husband Michael as the “Driver of the Week.”
Our students were from Hempfield this week. Chatin Boscha, Rose Denning, and Chelsea Skonezny joined us for lunch. Thanks to Dave Delisi for bringing them to lunch and back safely.
We voted for the four new board members during the meeting. Mark Parker, Rod Booker, and James Boggs were voted as three of the new board members. The fourth spot is still up in the air, and will be voted on next week.
Bill McGrath announced that the Golf Committee has met and has chosen Monday June 9th for the golf outing next year. They are starting to look for sponsorships, so if you know anyone interested in sponsoring the event, please have them contact the committee.
Dennis Cremonese announced that the Rotary Group Study Exchange is looking for interested individuals to go to Argentina for 5 weeks, from April 16 to May 19, 2008. Applicants must be between the ages of 25 and 40, employed full time, and team oriented. Anyone interested in learning more about this should contact Mike Arnall at mbarnall@comcast.net (Please note “ROTARY GSE” in the subject line.) or call 814-241-3707.
George Ross announced that he is still looking for people to sign up for Operation Santa Claus on December 3 from 8-12. (Anyone who can stay until 2:30 would be welcome to do so.) Participation thus far has been good, but any other interested individuals would be appreciated.
Chuck Anderson announced the Christmas party to be held at Greensburg Country Club on December 11. Anyone wishing to attend should sign up with him as soon as possible.
We inducted a new member this week. Ron Barner was sponsored as a candidate by John Kline, and was inducted by Bill McGrath. Glad to have you as a new member Ron.
Our word of the week was dysphemism. Actually, as the opposite of euphemism, it refers to the usage of an intentionally harsh word or expression instead of a polite one.
Our speaker was Chuck Irvin of the Greensburg Police K-9 unit. He brought his “sidekick” Dax, the European German Shephard from the Czech Republic. Chuck is originally from Latrobe, and had the opportunity to come back in the area two years ago. He has been in law enforcement for 9 years, and started working with Dax about a year ago. Both new to police dog training and enforcement, they learned the commands together. Dax is a dual purpose canine, working as a patrol dog and as a narcotics dog. This means that he is not an explosive dog or a cadaver dog, as those are different specialties. A typical day for Chuck and Dax runs from around 7 PM until 3 AM. Dax rides in the back of the special police car that Chuck drives, and if he is needed, they get him out. Dax lives with Chuck, and is not vicious. Chuck’s 5 and 3 year olds will play with him just as any other house dog. An interesting note, Dax’s commands are mostly in Czech. This is not because he was trained in the Czech Republic initially, but because he was from the Czech Republic, it is tradition to use commands in his “original diatect.” Thanks to Chuck for bringing Dax in and answering a large number of questions about him.
We ended our meeting in the usual way with the four way test. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Rotary FLASH of 11-13-2007
Our meeting started with Carl Rossman’s ringing of the bell and our recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and “God Bless America.” Our invocation was given by Pete Dochinez.
Mark Parker reported 52 members of our 96 membership in attendance. We also had 5 guests. Bill McGrath brought Mark Marshall, Rod Booker brought Dr. Terry Foriska, and Gene James brought Michelle Bendih. Dawn Roberts also brought her Driver of the Week, and husband, Mike Roberts. And Dick Chelsted brought his lovely wife Barb. They both wanted to extend their thanks for all of the cards and prayers when Barb was recovering.
Ed Meadows brought some students from Greensburg Salem. William McDowell, Sarah Signorelli, and Emily Osborne joined us for lunch.
Carl asked anyone interested in serving on the board of directors to let him know as soon as possible. He also asked current board members to meet for a few minutes after the meeting.
George Ross announced the club’s Operation Santa Claus event. On December 3rd from 8-12, they are looking for volunteers to help unload boxes for the charity. They will be passing around the clipboard again, but if you’re still interested, please contact George or John Kline.
Denny Cremonese mentioned that the Rotary District is looking for a team leader and 4 team members to lead the Group Study Exchange, which includes aiding the Rotary District with incoming and outgoing students. The team leader should have experience with Rotary-related programs, be under 60 years of age, and knowledge of Spanish is helpful as well. Anyone interested should contact the Rotary District.
Ed Meadows wanted to compliment Dawn Roberts and the Courtyard Marriott of Greensburg for their grand opening. He attended, said that there was a large crowd, and said that the food and drinks were excellent. Congratulations to Dawn for a successful grand opening.
Chuck Anderson announced the Rotary Christmas Party at the Greensburg Country Club on December 11. Chris Rizk will be bringing her Stage Right Sensations for the entertainment, and it’s always an enjoyable event. Anyone planning on attending should sign up so they can have an accurate count soon. Also, Chuck mentioned that the Rotary Golf Outing Committee is meeting to begin planning for next year. They are looking for people to help out, so let Chuck or Bill McGrath know if you’re interested.
Our word of the week was dower. The definition is similar to a dowry. It is a provision to a wife for her support in the case that she becomes a widow. I think Carl fooled a lot of people with this one.
Our speaker was introduced by Dan Carr. Our speaker was Laura Kling, who volunteers with the American Red Cross. She spoke about the experiences that she had in 2005 when she was helping with Hurricane Katrina cleanup, and this year in Georgia helping to cleanup from the tornadoes that they had. She brought the official Red Cross photos from Georgia to share with the club, along with many stories about her experiences there. There are several services that people don’t think about during disaster recovery that are provided by the Red Cross. An individual’s house was totaled, and a week before, his wife committed suicide. They were able to provide counseling to him, despite the disaster around them. When a community’s pharmacy is devastated, it can be difficult for people to get medication. Often when peoples’ homes are destroyed, a lot of things like wheelchairs, glasses, and even dentures will be lost as well. These are things that the Red Cross also helps to remedy. She also showed pictures that words cannot describe about devastation of communities, but it is good to know that organizations like the Red Cross will take care of our community if we are devastated by a disaster.
Carl closed our meeting in the usual way with the Four Way test. See everyone next week.

Rotary FLASH of 11-06-2007
Our meeting began as Carl Rossman rang the bell, and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance and “God Bless America.” Rod Booker then led us in our invocation. As everyone was seated, Mark Parker gave his Sergeant-At-Arms Mark Parker then gave his report. We had 47 members in attendance of our 96 club members. We had 4 guests. Tom Jachimowicz brought Mike Dineca as a guest. Ben Policastro brought two guests, Mark Marshall and Chris Elliott. And Dawn Roberts’ “Driver of the Week” was Monica Sciullo (forgive my spelling).
Rod Booker announced a Poverty Neck Hillbillies concert at WCCC on Saturday, November 10 at 8:00 PM. The proceeds benefit the WCCC Community Choir and Orchestra. Anyone interested should contact the Founders Hall Lobby to order tickets.
Operation Santa Claus is being planned for now. On December 3. John Kline is looking for volunteers to help with unloading boxes from 8-12. He passed around a signup sheet for anyone interested in helping.
Mary Clymer made a guest appearance as Super Bee, announcing the Greensburg parade that we are participating in because of the Spelling Bee. The parade is on December 17, and she needs volunteers to help out the kids, and to march in the parade to represent our Rotary club from 10:30 to 1. Karl Eisaman was volunteered, but he’ll already be in another float. So between now and then, if you can’t sneak yourself into another float, you have no excuse. Come join Super Bee and the super spellers.
Dawn Roberts’ guest, Monica, announced again the Courtyard Marriott’s grand opening. It is on the 12th from 6-8. There will be a silent auction, an open bar, music, and it should be a festive atmosphere. Anyone and everyone is invited. Come on down and check them out. It should be a good time.
Carl provided us with our word of the week. It’s syzygy (and no, that isn’t a typo). Carl gave us another one of his tricky multiple definition words. It can mean when three celestial bodies are in alignment. It can mean any two things that are related to one another, either opposite or alike. And I cannot remember the third meaning. Look it up or ask Carl if you’re just dying to know.
Our speaker was Larry Larese from the Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation. Larry talked about some of the projects that have been going on for some time. He mentioned that things don’t just happen overnight with them. Sometimes, projects will take 15 years to complete. But they have indeed been busy in the last 12-18 months. They opened a new office building in May. Most of you have probably already seen it just behind the Courthouse on Pennsylvania Ave. They are currently leasing space to the Children’s Bureau, and they plan on handing over that space to them once the lease is up.
He wanted to talk about some of their newer projects. The first is with Westinghouse, and their planned expansion at Waltz Mill. The WCIDC aided in securing a $4.8 million grant for this expansion, which could create over 300 jobs. Westinghouse continues to build power plants, so the sustainable future of this endeavor looks promising. The second project was with Respironics Inc. They have announced that they are looking to expand, and thanks to the help of the WCIDC, they plan on building it here in Westmoreland County. They will be building this $32 million facility at the Westmoreland Business & Research Park in New Kensington, which should provide an initial employment of 575, which projected growth of 20% in 5 years time. Larry also entertained several questions from the club. Thank you for your work and dedication to bringing business into Westmoreland County.
Carl announced at the end of the meeting that it’s time to select four new board members. Anyone interested on adding his/her name to the ballot to be on our Board of Directors should contact Carl. Then we ended our meeting in the usual way with the 4 Way Test. Have a good week everyone.