Posted by Michelle Brandstadt on Feb 08, 2019

Here is What You Missed at This Week’s Rotary Meeting!

This will be the last Recap News emailed. Going forward, you can find the Recap News on our club website (https://uticarotary.org/) and on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/uticarotary/).
 
Here is What You Missed at This Week’s Rotary Meeting!
 
Meeting Recap 2/7/19         
 
A moment of silence was observed for Annabelle Calabrese and Geoff Wheatley (a long-time member who moved to South Carolina).
 
Visitors
  • Bart Hearn, Elizabeth Wratten, Seamus Gale – 2019 YE STEP students
  • Dan Gale – 2019 YE STEP family host
  • Ophelia Liu – 2018-19 YE student
  • Julianna Heselton – 2017-18 YE student
  • Leah Baykin, James Moore, Nicholas Gentile – Thomas R. Proctor High School students
  • Kerry Calogero – Thomas R. Proctor High School teacher
  • Mark Mullen - Thomas R. Proctor High School counselor
  • Travis Rabbers – former Rotarian from out of the area
50-50 Winner: John Howard
 
Rotarians in the News:
  • in the Observer-Dispatch: Father Paul Drobin Larry Calabrese, Sandy Soroka, Joanne Donaruma
  • on Facebook: Ophelia Liu
Announcements:
  • We celebrated Ophelia’s and Stephen Gannon’s birthday with song and cake
  • Stephen Turnbull introduced the STEP and YE students
  • Stephen T. reminded everyone about the upcoming Member Mixer, and that sponsorships are still available; contact Stephen for information (stephen@turnbull-insurance.com)
  • The Member Mixer will be held Wednesday, February 20 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Uptown Theatre for Creative Arts. All Rotarians are encouraged to attend and bring a potential new member as your guest and, if you do, you will be entered in a drawing to win $100. Hearty appetizers and beverages will be served. Tickets are $25 for members and free for potential member guests. The committee is also accepting The Rotarian magazines in good condition for the information table at the event. For tickets contact Michelle Brandstadt (michelle@fillableformdesigns.com) or buy them at a weekly meeting.
  • A benefit for former Rotarian Melissa Kehler, who is battling cancer for the third time, will be held February 10 from 2-6 p.m. at Daniele’s, New Hartford. Contact Deborah Burke (dburke@roadrunner.com) for details.
  • Save the date for SPRING 2019 DISTRICT 7150 CELEBRATION, May 3-5, 2019
  • Our new club website at https://uticarotary.org/ is up and running; still a work in progress (note: the online payments and donations feature is currently unavailable on the new website)
Outstanding Educators Awards:
Joe Caruso gave a short introduction of the Outstanding Educators Awards program and introduced the first group of local high school students to speak in the following weeks. This week’s group—Leah Baykin, James Moore, Nicholas Gentile—is from Thomas R. Proctor High School. Each student gave a short speech about themselves, including interests and school and extracurricular activities.
 
Meeting Program:
Shanice Nagel, an exchange student from Germany, talked about the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX) program. CBYX is a fellowship funded by the German Bundestag and U.S. Department of State that annually provides 75 American and 75 German young professionals, between the ages of 18½–24, the opportunity to spend one year in each other’s countries. The program consists of three phases: two months of intensive language training; one semester of classes in one’s academic or career field at a university, technical or professional school; and a three-month internship in one’s career field. Shanice has been staying with a host family from Whitesboro and did her academic semester in business administration at MVCC. She is currently looking for a paid internship. When asked about her transition from Germany to upstate New York, Shanice indicated that it wasn’t difficult because she felt the two areas are culturally similar. For more information on the CBYX program go to: https://culturalvistas.org/programs/abroad/congress-bundestag-youth-exchange-young-professionals/ .
 
Ophelia L. and Deb B.    Leah B.  James M.  Nicholas G.  Shanice N.
Pictured (left to right): Ophelia Liu, Deb Burke, Leah Baykin, James Moore, Nicholas Gentile, Shanice Nagel
 
Next Week’s  Program: Michelle Truett will speak about the Levitt Amp Utica Concert Series

We’re looking for additional people to help with the Recap News on a rotating basis. If you would like to help, contact Michelle Brandstadt, Tina Pavlot or Pres. David Bagley. Thank you and hope you enjoy the recap news!