President Joseph M. Behson                                                                              Secretary David E. Booker

President-Elect Gerald Tysiak                                                                      Treasurer Robert S. Pasquarelli

Vice President Sarah M. Tripp                                                         Immediate Past Pres Robert R. Loveridge
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Christopher R. Blais, Roland B. Wagner, Eve M. Ward

Bryce M. Cutler, Deborah McSherry, James E. Rogers

John C. Brownrigg, James M. Colabelli, Margaret R. Weiss

CLUB BULLETIN COMMITTEE

Sandpiper Editor Margaret R. Weiss        Photographers - Kevin Sarsfield & Jim Rogers       Web page Editor  David E. Booker

MEETING OF JANUARY 7, 2008

PRESIDENT Joseph M. Behson presiding

GREETINGS & INVOCATION by Deacon Bob Pasquarelli

GUESTS:  of Jim Parslow, his wife Terry

WELCOME BACK, Bruce Perry!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ø       Mikki McSherry thanked Jim Colabelli, Barb Fioravanti, and Bill Whipple for unloading the food truck at DOORS OF HOPE on Fri Jan 4^th.  Next session is Tues Jan 15^th (Booker, Parslow, Pasquarelli).  Thanks also to those who staffed the Red Cross BLOOD DRIVE:  (Pasquarelli, Ward, Colabelli, Patton, Hacker, Whipple).

Ø       Mikki also requested SLKs to attend upcoming PTO meetings.  Wed Jan 9^th 6:45 @ Geo Wash Elem (Mikki), and MH/SL Elem @ 7 PM (???).  Mon Jan 14^th 7 PM @ Algonquin MS (Mikki).  Tues Jan 15^th 7 PM @ APHS (Mikki).

Ø       Eve Ward reported a most successful and enjoyable SENIOR HOLIDAY LUNCHEON at Brookside Community Center, and thanked those who provided homemade cookies for it.

Ø       Fred Wurtemberger on INTERCLUBS: Tues Jan 8 Albany Club’s Charter II Night at the Crowne Plaza:  Booker, Loveridge, McSherry, Wurtemberger.  DIVISION COUNCIL Wed Jan 23^rd at Moscatiello’s:  Behson, Booker, Hall, Loveridge, Pasquarelli, Rogers, Weiss.

Ø       Sec Booker:  The current CLUB ROSTER is now available on line at the Club Management Software:  Log on (password protected) then click Committees>>View Committees>>Club Roster (committee)>>Details>>Minutes>>Download.  Got that?  Here’s more!

NY District Directories are now available either by downloading from NYD website or on a CD (see Booker for a copy).

Ø       Bob Pasquarelli read a poignant letter mourning the passing from our club of a most important member, Someone Else, who will be desperately missed, since many in the club relied on him to do all of the work! (the obit can be found at the end of this page)

Ø       Woodie Hacker announced the sale of the discount coupon book, Enjoy The City, which is being sold by Salem UMC for $20.

Ø       Request from NY District Gov Don for contributions to a Disaster Relief Basket to be collected at the Mid-Year Conference in Feb.  Non-perishable items will be stored for use by victims of future disasters.

Ø       HOLIDAY FOOD & GIFT BOX PROJECT:  Kudos to Mikki McSherry for taking on a gargantuan task, and efficiently re-organizing it!  By offering the 54 families the choice of picking up their own boxes or having them delivered (16 families), unwrapped or wrapped (7 families), she saved many hours of Club members’ labor.  However it is VERY necessary to have MORE help in the preparatory stages.  Collecting and sorting is a big job, and hopefully next year more members will give of their time.  Our thanks to Mikki for the many hours she spent on all phases, and to the following folks for completing one of our most important projects.  Donations of money were made by Poestenkill Elementary School, the Boy Scouts, and Kevin Sarsfield.  Toys were provided by the Marines, Boy Scouts, and Kathy Evensen.  The Girl Scouts wrapped gifts, Chet Melius and Botsy donated the use of their trucks, and Botsy stored food and toys for over a month!  Thanks to those who transported, assembled, and delivered:  Chet, Meg & Joe Melius, Bob & Joan Pasquarelli, Bob & Ray Loveridge, Bob Reiter, Skip Patton, Jerry Tysiak, Barb Fioravanti, Joe Behson, Jim Stacey, Joe Trupia, Jim Rogers, Chris Blais, Kelly Stone, Jim & Terry Parslow, John Brownrigg, Woodie Hacker, Dave Booker, Botsy Rosenberger and Jim Colabelli. 

Mikki read two very emotional thank you letters from families who received holiday boxes, expressing their gratitude for helping them weather some hard times.

Ø       Pres Joe reminded the Club that next week is our monthly Invite a Community Guest Night, and that in a few weeks, there will be an award to the member who brought the most guests!

PERFECT ATTENDANCE AWARDS

          To Skip Patton for 1 year, Mikki McSherry for 2 years, & Jim Rogers for 9 years!

JANUARY BIRTHDAYS: (below)  Skip Patton, Jim Colabelli, Dudley Dorr, Ray Loveridge, Bob Loveridge, and (absent) Pablo Martinez

JANUARY ANNIVERSARIES: (absent) Joe & Meg Distell, and Jeremy & Jennifer Vosburgh

          We sang (pretty well this time) to those present, and enjoyed Eve’s snowmen cake!

PROGRAM

    Senior Services Chair Joe Trupia described the activities of his committee.  The Senior Luncheon will be the 3^rd Thursday in March at the Church of the Covenant.  The Holiday Luncheon at Brookside Community Center is served between Christmas and New Year’s, and is important to these folks who are often lonely and in need of company.  The AMBA Blood Analysis Clinic will be Sat May 17 at the high school.  The basic fee is $32, with other options available, and we will be asking a small fee for cost of refreshments/EMT/printing and other administrative costs, since they no longer can reimburse us.  A few SLKs are trained to help with HICAP (Health Insurance Counseling Assistance Program) and have saved Rensselaer County seniors considerable money on their health insurance options. 

HAPPY DOLLARS

$       Pres Joe, for Mikki and the Community Services Committee!

$       Jim Rogers:  Thanks to Jim Colabelli for taking care of my citrus orders, and to Kevin Sarsfield for taking pictures at meetings, all while I was enjoying 6 weeks at Myrtle Beach!

$       Clayton Besch:  I had a clogged artery on the starboard side of my neck, but they cleaned it out, and now I am fine!

$       Jim Colabelli:  Thanks for Jim Rogers’ orders—very organized with names & numbers and even an aerial photo map!

$       Peg:  Had almost 3 weeks in North Carolina visiting my almost all grown up grandkids; spent New Year’s Eve with Rose Marie Young, widow of former SLK Roger Young.

$       Dick Johnsen:  Unity Prayer Breakfast 9 AM Sat Jan 19^th at COC.  All are welcome—free will offering—RSVP to Dick.

$       Brownrigg, for Mikki’s re-organization of the food & toy project!  My new Buick now has 3450 miles on it in just 4 weeks!

$       Fred:  I don’t have so many miles, but lots of George Washington School memories.  I’m a 1945 graduate of the one-room school that had 2 outhouses, a hand pump for water, and a coal fired potbelly stove for heat.

$       Joe Trupia:  I’m happy to come and be able to stay for the whole meeting!  Usually on Mon I take the money, and then leave to conduct rehearsal for the Colonie Town Band.

$       Dale Hall:  The Senior Services Committee was started by John Brownrigg, and Joe was the first chairman.   I had my picture in the ESK, and I’m wearing 5 pins!

$       Booker:  On New Year’s Eve I reported to the Rensselaer County Public Safety Building to be on call for driving people home as needed.  Several asked for rides to bars—NO!

$       Botsy:  I gave a gift certificate for a haircut to a certain president, and it hasn’t been redeemed yet, but he got a haircut—somewhere!

$       Joe Cub:  Thanks to Booker and Bob Reiter for their help on New Year’s Eve!

$       Gary Meislin:  I’m so happy, I’m smiling!  Barak beat Hillary in Iowa!  And I hope he will again tomorrow in NH!  But who’s this guy Huckabee?  Where’d he come from?

DOOR PRIZE, provided by Joe Trupia, was won by John Brownrigg!

50/50 for $29 was won by Jim Colabelli!

MEGA 50/50, worth $311.60 tonight, defeated the best efforts of – John Brownrigg, again – who picked the 9 of Clubs from the remaining 30 cards.  The odds are getting better each week!

NEXT WEEK    PROGRAM Chair Bob Carpenter – INVITE A COMMUNITY GUEST!

JAN 14          Speaker Robert Pasinella, Jr., Director of Economic Development and

Planning, and the Industrial Development Agency of Rensselaer County

                   GREETER/INVOCATOR/CERTIFICATE:  Skip Patton

JAN 21          PROGRAM:  Jim Rogers   

                             GREETER/INVOCATOR/CERTIFICATE:  Fred Wurtemberger

JAN 28          PROGRAM:  John Brownrigg

                             GREETER/INVOCATOR/CERTIFICATE:  Dudley Dorr

FEB 4                     PROGRAM:  Mikki McSherry, Community Services Chair

                             BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

                             GREETER/INVOCATOR/CERTIFICATE:  Barb Fioravanti 

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

“The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world’s joy.”

                                                            --Henry Ward Beecher

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

ROLL CALL:  All officers and directors present except Sarah Tripp and Ron Wagner.

SECRETARY’S MINUTES were approved as posted.

TREASURER’S REPORT Balance $41,271.45, but have about $8000 in bills to be paid.

HIGHLIGHTS OF COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Community Services (Mikki):  Lots of stuff, lots of hours, lots of people!

Educ & Membership (Deacon Bob):  1 new member, several prospective members

Publicity (Joe Cub):  Lots of articles, lots of pictures, mainly about citrus and tree sales!

Spiritual Aims (Colabelli):  Lots of spirits, lots of people, lots of aims!

Sponsored Youth (Barb):  3 Key Club mtgs @ AP, Holiday Fast, 3 mtgs @ CHS.  Dale went to

                   Plattsburgh & Glens Falls to interview possible lt govs.

Ways & Means (Jerry):  Scores of trees, tons of citrus, loads of SLKs!

Young Child #1 (Col Bob):  For Bells of Life campaign, received $858 from Hannaford WSL, and

 $250 from Kevin’s Ravena Shop N Save!

OLD BUSINESS

1.      Pres Joe reported that Sand Lake Kiwanis had a very busy December, performed admirably, and that he was very proud of this Club!

2.      Next week Friends of Sand Lake Kiwanis will be bestowed upon Hannaford of WSL, and two representatives will be present to receive it.

3.      Brownrigg:  Requested $200 to reimburse the GOOFS of COC for sewing Kiwanis logos on another batch of “Kiwanis Kritters”.  These will be given to the more remote ambulance and fire companies in our rural areas in March.  John needs names at the various ambulance companies for contacts.  APPROVED.

NEW BUSINESS

1.      $25 approved for the Mid-Year Conference Lt Gov’s basket.

2.      $5 surcharge approved (separate from blood test cost) to make up for discontinued reimbursement from AMBA.  Clinic to be held on Sat May 17 at APHS.

3.      $240 approved to reimburse member for lunch for 24 Marines delivering toys.

4.      $200 approved for yarn to make lap blankets for VA hospital by Schodack Seniors.  Will suggest this become a Division project in future.

DIVISION COUNCIL meeting 6:30 on Wed Jan 23^rd at Moscatiello’s on Rt 4, North Greenbush

DISTRICT:  Mid-Year Conference at Hudson Valley Resort Feb 22-24, 2008

INTERNATIONAL:  Read Changes for Kiwanis Future by the new CEO of Kiwanis International, Rob Parker in the NY District Kiwanis Magazine

Obituary - Someone Else

Our club was saddened to learn last month of the death of one of our most valued members, Someone Else.

Someone's passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person's share of the work.

Whenever there was a job to do, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone's list, "Let Someone Else do it."

Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results; "Someone Else can work with them." It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the most liberal givers in our club. Whenever there was a need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference.

Someone Else was a wonderful person; sometimes appearing superhuman. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else. Now Someone Else is gone!

 We wonder what we are going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did?

When you are asked to help this year, remember - we can't depend on Someone Else anymore.

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