Scituate Rotary - Member News

On Wednesday evening, July 26^th, the Scituate Rotary Club had their annual High School Scholarships Award Ceremony in the Rose Garden of Charter member Alden Mitchell and his wife Connie. The weather was perfect, the setting was perfect, the guests were perfect, the food was yummy and the winners were truly special. Of 31 attendees, 17 of us were Rotarians.

This is such a fun evening. We get to meet the students who on paper presented themselves as recognizing the beauty of helping others. And we get to realize that they really do get it! They will be making ripples of goodness in their lives and the world for years to come. We were not disappointed! Each student presented him or herself and spoke of their aspirations. These are like our local ambassadors of goodwill.

I am hopeful that in the coming year, perhaps by virtue of the Interact Club, we can clarify our expectations of applicants so that the Jared E. FitzGerald Scholarships awarded by the Scituate Rotary Club Foundation become special indeed. Not only because the amount is worthy of note but because the winners are citizens of note.

Our heartfelt congratulations go our winners – Danielle Sides, Veronica Pozas and James Smith. Likewise, our congratulations go to their proud parents and siblings who joined us at our picnic.

We meet again at the Scituate Country Club on August 2^nd with our District Governor, Terri Fitch. Please join us for an enlightening evening.

Respectfully submitted,
Janet Schmitz, PP, AG

WOW! That is my one word to describe how I felt after listening to the presentation of the four High School Juniors speak of their experience at the 30^th Annual World Affairs Seminar 2006.

After attending this year’s topic of “Global Leadership Rising Powers: Who Counts?”, Jill O’Connor told us that she has grown as a person from this eye opening experience. To meet people from all over the world and to have a room mate from another country is what Heidi Sheehan shared with us. Diana Crawley thanked Scituate Rotary for the opportunity to hear and analyze differing perspectives on Leadership. The week at the University of Wisconsin , gave Kelcie Sweeney the opportunity “ to learn and think globally not just locally”.

Remember the book by Tom Peters The Pursuit of Wow! We found it this afternoon in these four future leaders of the high school , community and beyond. For the Rotarians that missed this event; it was a beautiful, relaxing, warm afternoon looking out over the North River . It was a very nice lunch.

The Rotary Club of Scituate : 2005/6 Rotary Year in Review
President's Dietrich's final speech as President
July 5, 2006:

The Motto that gave this Club its focus during the Rotary Year 2005/6 was the Rotary International Motto: “Service Above Self”, chosen by Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammer, as Rotary International remembered its roots in its first year after its Centennial.

To give this motto specific direction for action within our club, we defined it further to:

“Service above self
Wherever there is a need
Locally, in the region,
Nationally or in the world”.

During this last year or 15 months we harnessed the resources this club has always had, have attracted talents this club has always sought, and have developed programs to let them thrive and to give them scope within the spirit that Rotary International stands for and in a way this club can be proud of.

I wanted this to be a “happy club”. Happy through its true accomplishments through empowered people, defining and pursuing programs of service in the community in the region, nationally or in the world and programs in pursuit of peace that matched their talents and visions.

Some of you may recall a quote from Aristoteles I used in my “acceptance speech” a year ago. It is his definition of “Happiness”:

“Happiness: The exercise of vital powers along lines of excellence,In a life affording them scope”

It is interesting to note that “Happiness” is not being defined as being able to be idle as mostly suggested today but to be active and to do well what you can and like to do.

I was trying to bring together in my year as President the ideals and resources that embody Rotary with the visions that many of you harbor, the talents that you have, and to encourage programs based on them that would never have been possible without this fusion.

I sought to ensure that all the new programs we would take on would be programs where everybody involved in them would benefit from them (I called them win, win programs), be it on the developing side, administering them, or on the receiving side.

The Arts, Culture and Literature Program, developed under Rotary’s literacy program worldwide is such an example. Through the promotion of local authors by having them read or present at our meetings, we have a program that benefits the author, the local bookstore, the Rotary Club, the library and community institutions that receive the books and through them the community as a whole.

The programs to support Dr. Dennis Snyder’s Medical Missions for Children, that are developed alongside Rev. Robert Schipul’s projects for Kenya, Dr. Michael Johnson’s film programs on conflict resolution, the cultural exchange and youth programs under development with Shoumen, and last but not least among others, the creation of an Interact Club at our high school under the leadership and cooperation of Suzanne Kavanagh, Maryann Cohen and Donna Nuzzo-Mueller, all fall into this category.

Even our new fund raising activities like the Scituate Film Festival and the Elizabeth von Trapp Concerts fall within this category, as we give back to the community as we are raising funds for our programs.

If people can pursue their vision and can find an avenue to come closer to their goals by applying their talents to the resources that Rotary can bring to bear, then we are creating opportunities and synergies that give members a sense of happiness through accomplishment that makes them proud to be Rotarians

I hold this to be one of the reasons why this club has grown from 13 to now 30 members within the last 15 months.

Thank you all for a wonderful Rotary Year you have given me as President of this Club.

I promise the new management of this club that I will not “just fade away” as McArthur has suggested old soldiers should do.

I also promise that I will not take Bart’s advice, for a change, that he e-mailed me recently and I quote:

“Normally a past president is unhappy someone else stole his job and does nothing but criticize his successor, refusing to participate positively in the things that have to be done

Thank you Bart, but that as a member of this club I will continue to provide service above self as much as I can do, as it was the motto during my year as President, and to continue to be part of Rotary as it “leads the way”.

Suzanne, I think you have a good club at your hands! Good luck for Rotary Year 2006/7!

Attendance: President Dietrich Bilger, Bob Price, Mike Johnson, Bart Nuboer, Alden Mitchell, Bill Coulter, Beatrice, Chris Ryan, Janet Schmitz, Lisa Thompson, Judy Rego, Jim McInnis, Donn Sladen, Mary Ann Cohan, Ben Summers, Joseph Kelley, Karen Kelley, Walter Heller

Family of Rotary, Carol Sladen; Guest, Mike McCarthy, Rotarian from Pottstown , Pa. ; Speakers: Walter Heller and Mike Johnson, Report on Rotary International Conference in Copenhagen 2006

The Allegiance to the Flag was lead by Donn Sladen, and the Invocation and Blessing by Beatrice.

The meeting then began with the usual words of welcome by President Dietrich to all present.

Bart made several announcements: He reminded us that the installation of the new President Elect of Scituate Rotary Club ,Suzanne Kavanagh, for the year 2006/2007 will be next week, July 5th starting at 6:30 P.M. He also thanked President Dietrich for a fantastic year, due to his "outstanding performance in favor of the Rotarian Ideals".

We received a thank you letter from the SHS students that were awarded scholarships. Another letter came from, Friends Without Borders, thanking us for our generous membership contribution which has helped to improve the lives of Cambodian children, and the Cambodian's Medical infrastructure. They sincerely hope that we will continue to give them our support.

Jim McInnis gave us an update on the Live Auction that is being organized, and will be held at the Scituate Country Club on Saturday, August 19th, 2006 started with preview at from 7:00P.M. to 8:00P.M. The actual Auction beginning at 8:00P.M. Proceeds will go to benefit Scituate High School Scholarship Fund. Jim informed us that Tickets to this event have been printed, plus posters, fliers and invitations. All which have to be distributed or mailed out. He will give us more information on what we can do to help make this event successful on our Wednesday meeting, July 12th.

Bill Coulter, instead of the usual WOW, gave Dietrich, our outgoing President, what I would call - a unique, friendly ROAST - he had everybody laughing, including Dietrich who showed good humor. Bill ended by saying; "in spite of numerous complaints....everybody agreed that he did a good job. I enjoyed working with him, and was proud to be his Vice-President".

Mike Johnson, one of our speakers for the evening, shared some of his experiences while attending the Rotary International Conference in Copenhagen . He said he enjoyed very much the opportunity to meet with so many different people, learning from them, making important contacts, and making many friends. He promoted The Conflict Resolution Project, and the films on

Ireland

, Kosovo , Sicily , and

South Africa

. He learned that there is a Peace Conference Program starting in Bangkok ,

Thailand

, and he contacted one of the persons in charge of the program, who was very excited about the Conflict Resolution Project, and asked to borrow the film on

Ireland

. We will definitely be hearing more from them. Mike also expounded on his efforts to help establish a permanent Rotary International Club in Mainland

China

. To this effect he made some important contacts in high places that showed definite interest, and will follow up on this .

Attendance: President Dietrich, Ben Summers, Karen Kelley, Jack Borror, Janet Schmitz, Candace Cramer, Liza Tompson, Judy Rego, Rev. Robert Schipul, Walter Heller, Jim McInnis, Beatrice

After the Pledge to the flag by Jim McInnis and the Invocation by Rev. Robert Schipul, President Dietrich welcomed all present at the lunch meeting, and thanked Candice for organizing the Cohasset Arts Festival, and for the success of the children's tent which was sponsored by the Scituate Rotary Club.

Walter then gave us a brief report on his experiences at the 2006 International Rotary Convention in Copenhagen . He said , "it was amazing; a trip of a life time ".

on the subway was an experience in efficiency, it ran on time, and you never had to wait long to get on the next train. There are also thousands of bicycles, and everyone that use this mode of transportation looked healthy and fit. Cars are very expensive. For example: you can buy a car for $30.000, and then add to that another $60.000 for registration forms, taxes, and possibly duties, and your car ends up costing $90.000. Walter said that his whole experience was a positive one, and he came away with a humble feeling, for at the Rotary Convention there were one hundred and forty countries represented , and everyone was very friendly toward each other, and accepted each other, regardless of coming from different backgrounds. The atmosphere was warm and there were lots of activities, lectures and entertainment, there was always something to do. One thing that was emphasized very much was the Rotary Logo- The Four Way Test - 1st. IS IT THE TRUTH ? 2sec. IS IT FAIR TO ALL CONCERNED ? 3rd. WILL IT BUILD GOOD WILL AND BETTER FRIENDSHIPS ? 4th. WILL IT BE BENEFICIAL TO ALL CONCERNED ? They also stressed the fact that Rotary Clubs will not go into any connections involving political agendas, or religious causes, keeping in mind that the emphasis is always on Service Above Self, to help those less fortunate, and make a positive contribution to mankind. This explains why Rotary International Club Members are highly respected all around the globe, and why Rotary International has been honored with humanitarian awards for the last 100 years .

Last, but not least, Walter brought some mementos from the Convention which he shared with everyone. The lunch meeting ended with an auction of a rare Bulgarian Wine Reserve, won by Jim McInnis. He was pleased with his purchase, and I can understand why. To go to

Bulgaria

and buy this wine would cost a lot more.

The month of July is coming up fast. Time for someone new to step forward and enjoy writing the Rotary Newsletter. I am sure there is someone just perfect for this. Is it you?

President Dietrich, Beatrice Hurwitch, Donn Sladen, Lewis Burridge, Bart Nuboer, Ben Summers,,Karen Kelley, Jack Borror, Janet Nuboer, Alden Mitchell, Suzanne Kavanagh, Eric Foote.Candice Cramer, Liza Tompson, Mary Jenkins, Judy Rego, Joe Cerra, Rev. Robert Schipul.Mary Ann Cohan, Joseph Kelley.

After the Pledge to the flag and the Invocation, President Dietrich welcomed all present at the meeting

President Dietrich informed us that he has received an e-mail from Dr. Snyder telling us that on June 26th,a Charity Golf Tournament will be held at the Marshfield Country Club, staring at noon , and that it would be nice to go and give our support.

He also praised Austin Crumpton for starting the Interact Club for " thanks to Austin , there are some roots planted among the youth of Scituate High School ; he did a great job, against many odds and obstacles." Austin was given an award in the sum of $500, in recognition of his hard work, dedication and efforts.

Claire McArdle, our speaker shared with us one of her goals...to give back to others the kindness and support she has received in her struggle against breast cancer. She is a registered nurse who has been familiar with pain and suffering. Her last work was with Hospice. From her own experience, she knows what women go through when confronted with cancer, and this prompted her to start a business where she would be in a position to help women facing this traumatic experience. Doctors can refer a patient to the Spa Harbor where they will receive gentle massage with oil and lotions which help keep their dry skin hydrated. Dry skin ,being one of the side effects of chemo, and radiation treatment. This program is called Carefree Tuesday, and is free of charge, thanks to Claire McArdle, and her willingness to reach out to help those who suffer.