Patch recently did a survey on Tax Preparers favored by subscribers and guess who came out on top?

Patch readers from Maplewood, Millburn and West Orange voted for Couto DeFranco of West Orange.

• Couto Defranco is a firm of certified public accountants and advisors. The firm handles accounts and taxes, estates and trusts and wealth management. It also provides consultation. They are located at 300 Executive Drive in West Orange. The firm is managed by partners Nelson Couto and South Orange Rotarian Anthony DeFranco.

 March used to be the first month of the year.  Great Britain and her colonies changed to the “New Style” or “Gregorian” calendar in 1752
and began celebrating it in January.

Like most months, March weather lore has many old sayings:

“When March comes in like a lion it goes out like a lamb.”

“A dry March and a wet May, Fill barns and bays with corn and hay.”

“As it rains in March, so it rains in June”

“March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers”

When the Anglo-Saxons converted to Christianity, they held their chief season of fasting at this time the month
'fast of lenet monet' which in time became 'Lent'.

Four U.S. Presidents. Andrew Jackson, James Madison, Grover Cleveland and John Tyler where born in this month.

FRIENDLY FIRE OF ROTARY

 Our friends and neighbors from the South Orange/Maplewood Kiwanis Club joined us on February 9 for a joint meeting. The men wore their green Kiwanis jackets (PDG Janice wore her blue Governor's jacket). 

As we opened the floor to discussion it was clear that we have many things in common when it comes to service. Members of both clubs discussed why they made the choice to join either Rotary or Kiwanis. Service was a predominant reason for many. While Rotary has a wide-range of service interests, the major one being the eradication of Polio in the world, Kiwanis focuses on the youth - in fact their website describes Kiwanis' "raison d’être is helping children. Children at risk. Underserved children. The children who need help most".

The major fundraiser for South Orange/Maplewood Kiwanis is their Duck Race, held annually on Memorial Day - after all the speeches.


Okay - the are not real ducks - rubber ducks - but they do float through the pond in Memorial Park and the winners get great prizes. This popular event has attracted as many as a thousand participants who urge on the ducks through six races.

The local Kiwanis meets at the Maplewood Country Club and we've been invited to visit for their lunch meeting which has soup and dessert!.

At the end of the meeting it was clear that Rotary and Kiwanis can come together for joint projects. Already we've planted the thought of how young people that they work with can take advantage of some of the youth-oriented programs Rotary offers. And of course there is helping out at the Duck Race.

 In keeping with the spirit of service in the observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Rotary Club of South Orange sponsored a Blood Drive in cooperation with the South Orange Rescue Squad. We did not get as many donors as we had hoped. Perhaps it was because so many people were away for the three day weekend. 

We learned that the Bloodmobile is self-sufficient with room for everything except volunteers and a bathroom. Thanks to the Rescue Squad for the use of their restrooms for donors. 

Many thanks to the Rotarians who volunteered to sit in the Rescue Squad - ready for questions. Many thanks to Stacey Borden for all her efforts to recruit donors and for putting up signs throughout South Orange and Maplewood.

This was only the first attempt - we look forward to doing it again.

Tanaka unveiled the RI theme during the opening plenary session of the 2012 International Assembly, a training event for incoming Rotary district governors. 

"Peace, in all of the ways that we can understand it, is a real goal and a realistic goal for Rotary," he said. "Peace is not something that can only be achieved through agreements, by governments, or through heroic struggles. It is something that we can find and that we can achieve, every day and in many simple ways."

Peace has different meanings for different people, Tanaka said.  

"No definition is right, and no definition is wrong," he said. "However we use the word, this is what peace means for us. 

"No matter how we use, or understand the word, Rotary can help us to achieve it," he added. 

Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman :where's the self-help section?" She said... If she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

If a deaf child signs swear words, does his mother wash his hands with soap?

If a Turtle doesn't have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?

Can Vegetarians eat Animal Crackers?

Why do they put braille on the drive-through bank machine buttons?

How do they get deer to cross the road only at those yellow road "deer crossing" signs?

How is it possible to have a civil war?

If one synchronized swimmer drowns...do the rest drown too?

If you try to fail, and succeed,...which have you done?

 Why is it called Tourist Season if we can't shoot at them?

Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?

Can an athiest get insurance against Acts of God?

 At a recent meeting we discussed potential service projects and how to choose what we could do. Here are some questions for consideration (courtesy of the Rotary Leadership Institute):

1. Can a Rotary Club do anything to help?

2. If so, can Rotarians do "hands on" or help? Remember that we are business owners and professionals and most important - Volunteers - there are limits to what we can do "hands on" - but "hands on" is can be more meaningful than just writing a check.

3. How much funding is required? Fundraising?

4. How can the project be designed? What is needed?

5. Will the project generate good publicity for the Club?

6. Can the members be "sold" on the project? Consider that unless the club "buys into" the idea, it can turn into a committee of one.

7. Is this a one-year project or a continuing project?

8. What other community resources are available or what other organizations should be involved?

9. What are the steps necessary to move forward?

The plus side to service projects is that they get members active and  involved. Membership becomes more than just coming for lunch and wonderful programs. Projects also introduce Rotary to the general community. Remember that Rotary is the best kept secret in town.

South Orange Rotary’s

fifth annual

service above self awards

We have our honorees for this year's Service Above Self Dinner:

S.Orange Police Chief Jim Chelel; Photographer, musician, and journalist Marilyn Lehren; Rotarian John Mousseau; the South Orange Rescue Squad and Bayonne Community Bank (formerly Allegiance Community Bank).

The event will have an entire new feel - we're ditching the fancy locale and getting ready to chow down on steak - served on rounds of french bread, accompanied by french fries and salad. The famous Nightingale Caterers will serve steak (and chicken for those who don't eat red meat) until you say STOP on Sunday, November 13, 2011 in the parish hall of St. Andrew & Holy Communion Episcopal Church, 160 West South Orange Avenue, South Orange. Beer and Wine will be available along with baskets for a silent auction and a 50-50 raffle. Tickets are $50 ($60 for Rotarians) and a reduced rate for students. For more information email info@southorangerotary.org. 

 Rotary District 7470 Governor Jim Allison visited South Orange on September 22nd. The Governor has long been known for his musical abilities and sure enough he brought a few songs for us to sing. If you missed it Dennis Borden was heard singing. However his visit was not uneventful - in keeping with what can only be considered the "Governor's Visit Curse" Governor Jim had a problem - arriving in the area early Gov. Jim pulled into the South Mountain Reservoir to catch up on phone calls and other Rotary business. When it was time to come down the mountain to our meeting his car did not start. Flash back to last year's visit by Governor Maurie who got splashed (I think we had to take care of his dry cleaning bill). For future reference, DGE Avi - prepare yourself - make sure you have sufficient fuel/energy in your car when you visit South Orange and if it is raining - step back from the curb.

Thank you Gov. Jim and Assistant Governor Maureen for your visit. Thank you also to our guest from Madison Rotary who accompanied the Governor.  

This weekend we will welcome Fall. Usually we are sad to see summer go but this past summer has been just a little too exciting. First there was the super hot temperatures - which were a factor in my decision to go "au natural" in the hair department. Then there was the rain, for which my front lawn is thankful. If you were on the third floor of an office building you got an interesting experience from the earthquake (yes 76 South Orange does sway) at the beginning of the week, followed by hurricane Irene at the end of the week. She threatened to cancel my trip to Florida, but we were spared - a few leaks and new firewood for next winter. When I was at Wallkill Valley Rotary last week a member give a happy dollar for the economic stimulus Irene - her distruction has resulted in new jobs cleaning and rebuilding. Then tropical storm Lee who did little to Florida while I was there made a mess of New Jersey. There is a theory that every time I go away New Jersey gets hit by the weather (remember the blizzards at Christmas and the end of January). Seems traveling in the summer is no less destructive. Now the temperature is dropping but after all - Fall is this weekend.

I missed two great programs. Tia Aery from the Interfaith Hospitality Network spoke about their theme of "Every Child Deserves a Home". On November 17 the IHN is hosting a breakfast meeting at Mayfair Farms at 7:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. The breakfast is free, the program is outstanding and Janice is a table captain - wouldn't it be nice to have a table full of Rotarians to hear about a program that provides temporary housing and services for homeless families. Then Tim Roebuck spoke about his travels - a program I really wanted to attend but I was in Florida - attending a 7 a.m. Rotary meeting in Lake Wales. For those who missed Tim, he was born in the UK, lived and work in the Republic of Ireland and France, and has been in the travel and tourism business for nearly all his career. Tim, for several years now, has operated Private Tours to Egypt, Jordan and East Africa. Tim had just returned from a fascinating trip to 'post revolution' Egypt. A Maplewood resident, Tim is leading a Volunteer Team of local participants to earthquake ravaged Haiti this coming November, for what will be Tim's second trip to Haiti.

For those who missed the President's Ball - a good time was had by all.

This week our District Governor Jim Allison is coming for his official visit. This would be a good time to invite prospective members.

In the coming months we are preparing for our Service Above Self Awards - this year we are having a Beefsteak Dinner close to home in South Orange - much less formal and much more fun. Everyonse is encouraged to sell tickets - our honorees are all distinguished in their specific areas and we want to fill the parish hall of St. Andrew & Holy Communion with friends and family - and raise funds to continue doing good in the community and the world.

Bright moments. 

 (Photo: Tia Aery, Executive Director of Interfaith Hospitality Network accepting the donation of school supplies from the Rotary Club of South Orange)

(The following letter was sent to Club President PDG Janice Teetsell) 

 PP Dennis Borden shared a bunch of interesting South Orange Rotarty artifacts. One interesting artifact is the theme for Rotary Club of South Orange:

 Come to South Orange,

We welcome you here;

Rotary is bound to be

A help and good cheer 

So here is our handshake,

We greet you till then;

Do your bit

with fine fellowship

that lasts to the end.

Can you help us by providing a tune??? 

 Dennis Borden, now our most senior member, shared his memories and memorabilia with the Club at a recent meeting. A primary artifact of our history was the original Rotary bell from 1926 which bears the names of the charter members of the Rotary Club of South Orange. Dennis displayed numerous newspaper articles about the Rotary Club of South Orange: "Rotary Restaurant" announces the move to Pagliacci's Ristorante at 74 First Street; "Just Clowning Around" featured a lesson in balloon art from Jack Laggan, a part-time professional clown; "S. Orange Rotary Club goes to bat for baseball-loving Dominican youths" describing our collection of sporting equipment that was sent to the Dominican Republic, thanks to the efforts of Doug Donovan, a former Peace Corps volunteer and past club president. Perhaps the most dramatic clipping referred to the time that former Village Administrator Joseph D'Arco (a Rotarian) was saved from choking on a piece of steak by two members who used the Heimlich Maneuver to save his life. Perhaps this is why we don't have steak at our meetings anymore. 

On August 25 Dennis brought the South Orange Monopoly game to the meeting to show off a former fund-raiser. Right now it is a chance to see the businesses that are no longer in South Orange. Wouldn't it be nice to do a new one for 2011.

 (Reprinted from THE PATCH, Marsha Worth reporting)

Mary Jo DeFranco, South Orange resident and owner of Signal Graphics, created the award-winning design for new signs that will appear in Village parks later this year.

(Editor's note: Mary Jo is the wife of our Club Treasurer, Anthony DeFranco and a long-time supporter of the Rotary Club of South Orange)

 It's the end of the year for the Youth Exchange Program and even now our YEP student, Lucia Simon Marcos, from Madrid, Spain, is traveling across the United States on a bus with YEP students from around the region. Only four of the nine D7470 YEP students went on the trip. Unfortunately Lucia lost her phone on her first night of the trip - in Washington, DC - so we have no reports on her visit - but we are hoping to get a full report before she returns home.

After a year of rigorous academics, studying for the college exams, and learning how to speak a language that was almost totally foreign to her when she arrived last August, Lucia, now 18 has grown up. This photo of Lucia and YEP student Sebastian (Mexico) portrays a much more grown up Lucia than when she first arrived last August. During the year her English improved dramatically, she experienced a night at Yankee Stadium, the King Tut exhibit. sleep-over parties, her first experience in the cold of the Poconos (which she described as Siberia), playing in the snow with other YEP students in Mount Olive, watching the cadets at Annapolis, visiting a college campus with her first host sister Lindsey Carter, and the hospitality of numerous people who offered Lucia a taste of New Jersey hospitality.

(reprinted from Patch)

 The boys of summer are the Couto DeFranco team, winner of the Babe Ruth Championship, 2011. 

The normally serious Anthony DeFranco, CPA, actually lit up as he gave his vocational talk on taxes. After testing the waters for other potential occupations, a young Anthony found that numbers were fascinating. And while his photo may suggest he is very SERIOUS, just ask Anthony about tax regulations and he gets almost giddy. 

Anthony established his firm, Couto, DeFranco and Magone (now Couto, DeFranco, P.A.)  in South Orange in 1992 at 15 Village Plaza, a location he maintained for at least 15 years before he moved to West Orange, across from Essex Green. He joined the Rotary Club of South Orange in 1992 - on the invitation of Sigrid Novak, Welcome Wagon Lady (there are other South Orange Rotarians can thank Sigrid for introducing them to Rotary). Anthony has served in various positions in Rotary, including Club President, and is now the Club Treasurer.

Anthony's firm not only handles taxes, but also handles estate planning and administration. His presentation offered insights into new regulation over the tax return preparer industry (as of December 2009 between 900,000 and 1.2 million individuals were preparing taxes for a fee - and a large share of those individuals did not have to pass any government or professionally mandated competency requirements before they prepared a tax return). New regulations will require registration of tax preparers, competency testing of all preparers who are not attorneys, certified public accountants or enrolled agents, and continuing professional education. 

Anthony also provided a Summary of Tax Relief regulations and some of the penalties that exist for those who want to bypass the regulations. Time ran out before Anthony could get further into the really interesting information - sounds like another program on taxes in the future. 

So. Orange Rotary Club President Stacey Borden and Past President Dennis Borden shared a fraction of their 500+ photos of their visit to Vietnam at a recent club meeting.

Like any good travel adventure, they opened with their presentation with photos from open air market and cooking class. The culinary delights of Vietnam were interesting - just what did the normally conservative Dennis eat? He was smiling in the photo and Stacey looked absolutely cheerful in her apron. The vivid photos of a lushly green landscape and a culture heavily dependent on water transportation, Dennis and Stacey shared their experiences of traveling from the south to the northern portion of Vietnam, meeting people, sharing experiences, making friendships.And of course no trip is complete without shopping. We've seen some of Stacey's elegant acquisitions of attire but apparently Dennis won the spending contest in apparel. A visit to the Borden residence will also reveal the two magnificent art pieces they purchased from a now world-renown artist.

Many thanks to Stacey and Dennis for sharing their adventures. 

 It's that time again - time to gather your pledges and put on your walking shoes for WALKFEST. 

What's WALKFEST? District 7470's annual walk in the park to raise money for END POLIO NOW and to help Rotary Clubs and local non-profit community organizations at the same time. For more than a dozen years the Rotary Club of South Orange has benefited from WALKFEST (formerly known as WALK FOR THE WORLD). We have received 50% of every dollar we collected back from WALKFEST and received Foundation credits for the other 50% that goes to the Rotary Foundation. For the last couple of years the Foundation share has gone to END POLIO NOW as we seek to meet the Bill Gates Challenge and raise $200 million to eradicate polio.

This year there are two locales for WALKFEST - Loantaka Brook Reservation in Morris Township and Waterloo Village in Budd Lake.  It starts at 9 am and ends at 2 pm. Refreshments are plentiful - Larry Ripley was the grill chef at Loantaka - making lots of delicious hot dogs. Baked goods are available as well as coffee and cold drinks. Loantaka is a beautiful park and its trail is great for walking, running, roller blading and biking. And yes you can bring your pet(s).

For more information visit www.walkfest.info, or contact Margit Rahill at 973-361 -2810 or at turul1@aol.com. Locally you can get more information from Susan Bonanni at sbonanni@allegiancebank.com

The South Orange/Maplewood Interfaith Holocaust Remembrance Committee and the Rotary Club of South Orange have teamed up to co-sponsor a Food Drive to benefit the Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges.

Collection sites are located throughout downtown South Orange, and new locations are being solicited.

Items needed include: baby formula canned meat, canned fish, canned fruit, rice, macaroni products, peanut butter, jelly, cereal, powdered milk, etc. No glass jars or perishable food please.

For more information contact Dr. Greg LaMorte at drlamorte@perio.org or the South Orange/Maplewood Interfaith Holocaust Remembrance Committee at rememberandtell@yahoo.com. 

District Governor Maurie Mader made a special visit to South Orange to officially welcome our newest member Susan Bonanni - a vice president at Allegiance Bank in South Orange. Susan, who started at Allegiance on February 1, immediately started coming to meetings in February.

Susan was born and raised in Boonton, NJ, and still lives there. She has two children, a 33 year old son and a 26 year old daughter. She has been in banking for 38 years.

 Gov. Maurie and Susan hit it off immediately - seems that Susan has been known to visit the bowling alley where Gov. Maurie and his team from Parsippany-Troy Hills have an on-going effort to outshine bowlers from throughout the District. An old acquaintance of Susan's is also a bowling Rotarian. No word as to whether South Orange will engage in District bowling.

Our apologies to Gov. Maurie - this was a more expensive trip for him than originally expected. Seems an inconsiderate driver drove through a puddle and splashed the Governor's grey pants. Then our eager traffic police ticketed his car for overstaying his meter - just when PP Dennis Borden announced he is now a commissioner on the Parking Authority!

Service Above Self is Rotary's principal motto, which means that every Rotarian is responsible for finding ways to improve the quality of life in their community and in those communities around the world through service. 

This column will periodically feature ideas for projects that the Rotary Club of South Orange can be involved in on the local level. If you have any ideas, please feel free to make a suggestion and we will add your idea to this column. The goal will be for our club to take on some of these projects - the more we do outside of our meeting room the more people will be aware of what Rotary is all about. 

The topic of last week's meeting was the importance of blood donations and Christine Schetelich of New Jersey Blood Services, joined by Rotarian Larry Ripley, left a lasting impression with a brief video of a small boy who needs regular blood transfusions as to why we should be involved in community blood drives.

Larry, a long time member of the Rotary Club of Morris Plains, (and a member of half of the committees in the District) discussed how his club sponsors 10 blood drives a year. He spoke of how easy it would be for a small club to organize a blood drive. All we need is a date, a location, and refreshments. NJ Blood Services assists with publicity, provides promotional materials and a mailing list of people who live in the area who are blood donors. Morris Plains mails out post cards to announce their blood drives. Denville Sunrise just sponsored a "Winter Blood Drive" on February 5 and attracted approximately 50 donors - a very good day. Registrations can be done through the Blood Services on line appointment line and we could provide refreshments for donors (there was a mention of Stacey's brownies).

It looks like we are aiming for a summer time blood drive - a large percentage of blood donors are college students and they are not around during the summer - a perfect time for outreach to others. Locations are currently being scouted. More information about the blood drive and facts about blood donations will be in future bulletins.

FACT: Close to 2,000 men, women, and children in our community, including cancer, transplant and surgery patients, trauma victims, newborn babies, and many otheres need blood transfusions each day. Blood donors can be as young as 16 and as old as 76 (older if their doctor says it is okay). 

When I first joined Rotary in 1961, I often heard Rotary leaders say “Keep Rotary Simple.” In fact, that phrase was part of the RI theme in 1956-57! However, as Rotary has grown in both the number of members and the number of programs during the last 50 years, simplicity has become more difficult.

The revised RI Strategic Plan for 2010-13 is a refreshingly simple approach to keeping Rotary strong and vibrant in the future. The three priorities of the plan are clear and brief statements calling us to (1) support and strengthen our clubs, (2) focus and increase our humanitarian service, and (3) enhance our public image and awareness.

It is a true strategic plan because each of the three priorities has a list of measurable goals, and in turn, there is a scorecard to track progress of all the goals. We are realigning the RI budget to reflect the new priorities, and we are trying to balance the priorities in all RI activities. Even the breakout sessions at the 2011 convention in New Orleans will be balanced between the three priorities. The new plan with the simply stated priorities will not be left to merely gather dust on an office shelf!

Please note the interdependence of the three priorities. We have recognized for many years that Rotary cannot provide exemplary service projects without strong clubs and that clubs cannot recruit and retain high-quality members without significant service projects. The third priority now recognizes that in the modern world, Rotary needs the support of our communities, of partner organizations, and sometimes of governments, to conduct larger service projects, which in turn build stronger clubs.

Rotary is now on the world stage due to PolioPlus. But we are still a grassroots organization, and our strength is dependent on the health of our clubs. The three priorities of the strategic plan remind us that the success of Rotary is based on a simple formula of strong clubs, significant service projects, and a favorable public image. Thanks to Paul Harris and other Rotary pioneers, it is a simple formula that produces extraordinary results – and a better world!  

RI President 
Ray Klinginsmith

We are very pleased to announce the inaugural Toyota International Teacher Program to South Africa! The program will take place July 24 – August 10, 2011. Full-time classroom teachers of all subjects and librarians, grades 7 – 12, are now invited to apply online.

The Toyota International Teacher Program is a fully-funded international professional development program for U.S. educators. Funded by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., and administered by the Institute of International Education, the program advances environmental stewardship and global connectedness in U.S. schools and communities.

The deadline to apply is January 23, 2011. The inaugural Toyota International Teacher Program to South Africa will provide teachers first-hand exposure to the social and environmental complexity of South Africa, focusing on sustainable development and emphasizing the links between history, culture, power, and the environment. Teachers will explore the country’s natural and cultural diversity through a range of site visits and hands-on activities.

Please help us reach out to educators by sharing this information with your members and constituents. If you post programs and professional development opportunities on your website, listserv, or newsletter, we would greatly appreciate you posting information on the program as well. The Toyota International Teacher Program greatly values diversity and encourages educators of all backgrounds, subjects, and school types to apply for this unique professional development opportunity.

Thank you for considering this request to help us spread the word about this unique opportunity. Teachers can visit our website at www.iie.org/toyota for application instructions, FAQs, and to apply online.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact MarDestinee Perez
by email at toyotateach@iie.org or by phone at (toll-free) 877-832-2457.

Many thanks to all the Rotarians and guests who made our 4th Annual Service Above Self Awards Dinner a success. Our honorees were:

• Pastor Molege Desir, South Orange/Vailsburg United Methodist Church, Service through Religion
• Nancy Heins-Glaser, Service through the Arts
• Patti Coleman, Service in Community Service
• PDG Janice Teetsell Esq., Service in Rotary

• The Domestic Violence Response Team, Public Safety Award

In addition to the Service Above Self Award, honorees received a Joint Legislative Resolution presented by Assemblywoman Jasey.

Proceeds from the dinner will go towards service projects, including the Honduras Project.

Pictures from the dinner are on our website.

South Orange Rotarians - it's time to deliver dictionaries to the third graders in South Orange and Maplewood.

We have been doing this for at least the last 8 years and it is important that we do not lose our enthusiasm for this project. A joint project with Maplewood Rotary, we have given out thousands of dictionaries over the years - and the expressions and reactions of the 3rd graders is worth the hour you have to take from work.

John Mousseau of Maplewood has been working with JudyLevy, director of communications for the Board of Education, to set up dates. Right nw we are shooting for dictionary distribution on Wednesday, October 27 and Thursday October 28 and November 1. Every member of the club is asked to contribute one hour during one of these date to distribute the dictionaries

For more information contact Janice Teetsell @ Jteetsell.com or by calling 973-953-6737.

For those who have been in the South Orange Rotary for a long time, the news of the passing of Harriet C. Connolly is particularly sad. When I first joined the So. Orange Rotary Club, Harriet was known as a former Rotary Ann who joined Rotary when women were allowed to be admitted. She was a dignified gentlewoman who was an inspiration for this writer.

South Orange has the distinction of having the Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator as a member. Lucky us. Which means that if any club should have 100% Every Rotarian Every Year, South Orange is it.

Every Rotarian Every Year is one of Our Rotary Foundation's methods of getting every member involved in the good works that Rotary is doing throughout the world. While we have been promoting every member being a sustaining member ($100 per year) it is equally important to have every member participate in giving to The Rotary Foundation. The new year started July 1. We hae credit for $214 raised through WalkFest that will go to End Polio Now. But we really need to give to the Rotary Foundation. Our goal for 2010-11 is $1000 - that works out to $91 per member. But in order to achieve 100% Sustaining Member status each of our members must give $100 before June 30, 2011. Okay, it's almost October - how do we do that? $11 per month? Please consider donating to Our Rotary Foundation. Every dollar that we give to Our Foundation benefits someone - no dollar goes to waste.

See PDG, ARRFC Janice Teetsell for more information about Our Rotary Foundation.

PDG Janice thanked everyone for making this one of the most successful school supply collection we've done. With the assistance of coupons and in-store sales, South Orange donated supplies worth at least $250 to St. Andrew & Holy Communion Episcopal Church. The ultimate beneficiary is Apostle's House in Newark, a shelter for families. In addition to donations from Rotarians, friends made donations to the cause. Jana Handwerk, a guest of Dr. Greg LaMorte, donated several backpacks.

Many thanks to everyone who contributed.  

(From the "ABCs of Rotary")

• Rotary became bilingual in 1916 when the first club was organized in a non-English- -speaking country--Havana, Cuba.
• Rotary established the "Endowment Fund" in 1917, which became the forerunner of The Rotary Foundation.
• Rotary first adopted the name "Rotary International" in 1922 when the name was changed from the International Association of Rotary Clubs.
• Rotary first established the Paul Harris Fellows recognition in 1957 for contributors of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation.
• The Rotary club which first held meetings on a weekly basis was Oakland, California, the Number 3 club.
• The Rotary emblem was printed on a commemorative stamp for the first time in 1931 at the time of the Vienna Convention.
• The first Rotary club banner (from the Houston Space Center) to orbit the moon was carried by astronaut Frank Borman, a member of that club.
• The first Rotary International convention held outside the United States was in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1921.
• The first head of state to address a Rotary convention was U.S. President Warren G. Harding in 1923 at St. Louis.

 

Districts may have up to 2 E-Clubs and all E-Clubs are now official - if you do a make-up at an E-Club your home club must accept it. The "Rule of 85" has been changed - you now must be at least 65 years old and have at least 20 years of Rotarian membership to be eligible for excused absences. An excused absence would not affect the attendance figure for the club.

At my South Orange Rotary meeting discussed our planned "Conversation with the Community on Cyberbullying--- Sponsored by BCB Bank" on Tuesday, July 29 at 7 pm at the Bank on Valley Street