Scituate Rotary - Member News

MARCH 26, 2008

PRESENT: Dietrich, Lew, William, Walter, Beatrice, Mary, Joe, Alden, Bart, Donna, Bob P., Judy, Bob S. Sandi, Janet, Dennis, Ben and Lisa

GUESTS: Connie Mitchell, Alfred Kohler and Paul Welch

Past District Governor, Paul Welch was with us to open the meeting by leading the Pledge and Ben gave our Invocation. President-Elect Bob welcomed our guests Connie and Alfred Kohler. Mr. Kohler has been a member of his Kansas City Rotary Club for over 32 years!

Elisabeth von Trapp will be in concert on Sunday, April 6th. Our club has 600 tickets circulating, so please promote them, so that we can fill St. Mary’s Parish and make our fundraiser a great success. Our proceeds will go between the DARE program and the Scituate Scholarship fund.

Lisa gave us the heads-up for SERVICE ABOVE SELF DAY this Saturday, March 28. We are to meet at 1:30 (not 9:30), due to inclement weather predictions. Meet at the Driftway Conservation Park to help pick up debris and beautify the walkway. Wear gloves and outdoor clothing and plan to work until 4:00 p.m.

Our Fine Stein was filled with (mostly) Happy Bucks to have Judy with us tonight and for Lew’s great recovery, for Janet’s new position on the Rotary Foundation and the news that Bill Gates has given Rotary International $100,000,000 ( yes, that is 100 MILLION DOLLARS) as matching funds for us with a three-year window. So plan to help us MAKE DREAMS REAL!

Alden introduced our Past District Governor, Paul Welch. He was glad to be with “one of his favorite clubs”, and encouraged us to make reservations for all or part of the upcoming ROTARY WESTFORD ROUNDUP, in Westford, MA. It is our District Conference with a Western theme, held on May 2-4.

Lisa reminded us to come to the Town Hall Meeting this Saturday, the 29th, as it will include a ballot for water conservation. The NSRWA (North South River Watershed Association) is asking supporters to vote YES to its proposal to “control and clean storm water runoff to comply as the EPA mandates”. A very good response for clean water preservation!

Dennis Snyder gave us much to contemplate as he presented the marvelous work he does with Medical Missions For Children. He has been involved with surgical missions for 18 years and has brought relief and healing to many overlooked and outcast children in the impoverished areas of Equator, Guatemala, India, Mali, Philippines and most recently, Rwanda.

His last medical container to Rwanda was filled with $500,000 worth of medical equipment and supplies and our club has contributed to the shipping costs. Right now the container is in Gitwe and soon to be delivered to the local hospital that has over 2 million patients in its borders. The work for Dennis and his team is to operate on patients with cleft lip deformities, ear and face deformities and severe burns.

Dennis’ work is never done and yet his dream is to increase the number of MMFC containers that he sponsors from 13 to over 20! We pledged to continue our support and we agree his closing words: “Never doubt what a great change can come from a small group”.

Janet and Bart invite all to a NIGHT OF BINGO at their home at 9 Ladd’s Way next week as a MILLION DOLLAR MEAL in lieu of our regular meeting at the SCC. Bring a
friend or spouse and an hors d’oeuvre to share. See you there!

Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Schipul

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Top Left: Mary on the Jenkins Family in Scituate
Top Right: Past, Present and Future Presidents
Bottom Left: President Elect Bob Schipul reporting on P.E.T.S.
Bottom Right: St. Patrick's Dinner by Friend of Rotary Maureen

MARCH 19, 2008

PRESENT: Captain Mike, Dietrich, Lew, William, Maryanne, Bill, Candace, Walter, Beatrice, Mary, Joe, Karen, Bart, Bob S. Sandi, Janet, Ben, Lisa and Diane

GUESTS: Lyle Jenkins and Don Massa

What a great turnout, despite the blustery evening winds and rain! We were thrilled to welcome the return of Lew, accompanied by son-in-law, Don Massa. Lew looks fantastic and has healed remarkably. Mary’s husband Lyle was also on board for the presentation. Walter gave us assigned seating, for a new table twist!

Lew led the Pledge and Ben inspired us to further service and outreach by his Invocation.

Lisa gave directions for Service Above Self Day on Saturday March 29th. We are meeting at the picnic area of the Driftway Conservation Park, across the street from Widow’s Walk Golf Course. We will meet at 9:30 for coffee and doughnuts and begin the clean up at 10 a.m. and continue until noon. Please wear long pants, boots, and gloves. Bring a ski pole, or fireplace poker to help pick up the paper litter. Lisa will provide trash bags.

The Club’s Spring Fundraiser – the Elisabeth von Trapp Concert is being held at St. Mary’s Church on April 6th from 3p.m. until 5p.m. We passed out 10 tickets to each member to sell to family and friends to ensure a successful turnout. Please continue to promote this awesome event! We are so privileged that Elisabeth comes to Scituate to share her musical heritage with us! Tickets are available at the Scituate Library, Front Street Book Store, The Village Market, and St. Mary’s Church.

President –Elect, Bob Schipul gave his overview of PETS weekend in New Hampshire. It was inspiring and should provide us with much new energy and ideas for the new Rotary year, which begins in July. $31,000 was raised for The Rotary Foundation by the PETS attendees!

And now, the highlight of our evening was presented by our own Mary Jenkins, giving a very insightful and personal history of her family and how they arrived in Scituate from Nova Scotia to make a foothold in the mossing tradition of our town.

Her passion for Irish history led to uncovering many strange skeletons in the closet, which added a new dimension to the MacDonald/ Flynn lineage. One tame fact that was hidden behind a historical closet was the insight that Scituate’s Irish moss became gold to its harvesters and sustained our town during the Great Depression and kept Scituate from becoming a ghost town. Mossing was very difficult then, as there were no roads to First Cliff, no houses for comfort or shelter, marshy swamplands to navigate and windswept grasslands to conquer.

Also a little known fact was that Mary’s beautiful and petite Mother was named “The Mossing Queen” for her fearless and determined skills of mossing right beside the strongest men who were experienced in harvesting this crop. Irish moss is no longer harvested as a industry in Situate, but is familiarly know as carrageen in many of our food products and in plastics, beer, toothpaste and ice cream.

We certainly understand through Mary’s family insight, that the Irish are strong-willed, and are wondrously resilient because of their fearless and intuitive outlook on life.

Next week, Dennis Snyder is on board to share his passion for serving Medical Missions For Children. Be on deck to join us!

Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Schipul

MARCH 12, 2008

PRESENT: Pres. Mike, William, Bill, Candace, Walter, Beatrice, Mary, Joe, Karen, Bart, Bob P., Bob S., Sandi, Janet, Dennis, Ben and Diane
GUESTS: Speaker Arthur Roberts, Stephen Roberts, Peter Cramer and Robert Letsche

It was great to welcome: Beatrice back with us again, Dennis who is state-side this month, Peter Cramer as spouse and guest of Candace, as well as author Arthur Roberts, his brother Steve and special guest, Robert.

To get us started, Bob P. led the pledge, followed by an inspiring invocation by Beatrice.
Bob S. updated us on the status of Elisabeth Von Trapp’s Spring Concert on April 6th at St. Mary’s Church from 3-5pm. He continued to ask the support of the whole club to help with publicity, ads, ticket sales and word of mouth to all of our family, friends and co-workers to make this fund raiser a big success. We would like to apply these monies to our many projects!

Speaking of projects, Dennis let us know that the Medical Missions container that we sponsored for shipping had been delayed in its route from Houston to Gitwe, Rwanda as it passed through the conflict in Kenya. It is soon scheduled for delivery to its destination- a local hospital serving 2 million people! The container holds over $500,000 worth of donated equipment and medicine. However the delays have caused additional expenses, over and above our gift of $4,000 and therefore Dennis is obligated to raise over $6,000 for the difference. We will see what Rotary can do and hope that the community can support him.

President Mike let us know that the Conflict Resolution Presentation in Bangkok, led by Ray Helmick was so successful that the presented film on S. Africa may be requested to use to help resolve the conflict in Kenya, facilitated by Dan and Patty Schmelzer.

As author of “Boston: From Before the Beginning to the New Millennium”, Arthur Roberts gave a very interesting preview or his new book. It will be presented in a unique format to encourage young readers! It will show how Boston evolved from the upheavals of the glacial ice age, to the ancient Indian populations, to the founding fathers and many conflicts of growth. All of these historical facts are presented via the time zone travels, experienced by its main characters, a young brother and sister who become an eye witness to the The Ice Age, and move fast forward to meet John Hancock, see the Boston Tea Party and even Meet John F. Kennedy at the famous Boston Oyster House.

Mr. Roberts also gave us great insights on the history of Scituate from his published book “The History of Scituate, A New England Seaside Town”. We would never have known that our founding fathers Hatherly and Cudworth were jailed for hiding Quakers to save them from being shot by the townsmen. At that time the Quakers were being banished from Scituate because of their conflicting religious beliefs. Then he presented the amazing history and legacy of Chief Justice Cushing. To learn all about our famous townsman, be sure to read Mr. Roberts book!

We all had many questions and wanted our speaker to linger after the meeting.

Next week, Mary Jenkins will be our featured presenter and we look forward to more of Scituate’s history through her family’s perspective.

Submitted for Rotary,
Sandra Schipul

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Top Left and Right Photos: Suzanne presenting a water project for the club to adopt with the SHS and the Watershed Association, which the club accepted

Bottom Photo: Y Down The Drain

ROTARY NEWSLETTER MARCH 5, 2008

ATTENDANCE: President Mike,ATTENDANCE: President Mike, Dietrich, William, Walter, Suzanne, Joe, Karen, Alden, Bart, Janet, Bob P., Chris, Bob S. Sandi, Ben, Lisa, and Diane

GUEST: Connie

For a Club Night, our meeting was super-charged with energy and ideas. Suzanne presented a comprehensive Water Outreach program that will incorporate liaisons among: the Scituate Rotary Club, the Scituate High School students and the Environmental Club, the Norwell YMCA, the First Herring Brook Water Initiative, and the North and South River Water Shed.
What a tremendous job Suzanne has done on our behalf to organize such an ambitious and all inclusive project for us to be a part of.

Interesting facts on water usage:
• Average day usage: 1,657,000gal/day
• Summer usage: 2-2,500,000 gal/day
• 80% of lawn sprinklers - evaporation
• Summer 2007: main reservoir down 99”
• Dropping 2” /day before ban on water lawns.
• Well water drains the aquifer
• All well water drains the water system

The impetus of this program stems from three main objectives:
1. To protect our local water supply and neighboring tributaries
2. To educate, encourage and promote stewardship of our water system
3. To restore the quality of our water

Suzanne’s proposal was to offer support to two related programs to facilitate the above:

1. $1,000 for the North and South River Watershed Association to develop a curriculum
to integrate with the Scituate School system, beginning at the 5th grade level
2. $3,500 to provide workshops, materials, programs
3. $500 -SHS Environmental Club, YMCA: Youth Leaders, Earth Service Corp, NSRWA, FHBWI.

This idea all came into focus with the presentation that Suzanne scheduled at the South Shore YMCA, in Hanover, on February 29th! It was a water awareness program attended by 50 area youth and had interactive water demonstrations and was titled “Y – Down the Drain?” Mr. David Bernardi from the Scituate High School and the Environmental Club participated.

The proposed project was approved and unanimously passed as presented. What a wonderful and challenging local Rotary service this will be. Thank you, Suzanne!

A motion was made and passed last week, escaping my minutes! We moved that Honorary Rotary memberships for State Senator Robert L. Hedlund, as recommended by Bob Price and for State Representative Frank M. Hynes, as recommended by Ben Summers. Ben also offered to invite Rep. Hynes to attend our meetings and consider becoming a member. Thank you, Ben and Bob for your good suggestions! Ben is also working on getting a Rotary Sign on the new Scituate road “rotary” on RT. 3A and RT. 123. We hope that the town, state and powers that be will approve our suggestion.

The Phone Book is practically ready to go to print, pending a few delinquent checks, but should be good to publish next week and will be ready for delivery in April.

“Service Above Self” Day is close at hand on March 29th. We have a local water-related project in mind and will announce it when confirmed.

The Elisabeth von Trapp Concert is also coming up soon- April 6th to be exact, from 3-5pm. Please mark calendars, invite friends and lend a hand with our publicity and advertising so we can make this club fundraiser a great success!

Respectfully submitted,
Sandra Schipul