Club Meeting June 4
ROTARY CLUB MINUTES, Catonsville
Sunrise – June 4, 2008
Russ Witzke was greeter.
Ed Tolzman provided the
inspiration.
President George Brookhart
opened the meeting.
Guests included Charter Guest
Alan Ray, Scott Paris (Karen’s
husband), Doug Morton (Bank of
America), Chris Thomback (Career
Coordinator, Catonsville High
School), Beth Pittman (Asst.
Principal, CHS) and Mark
Silvestri. 16 members were
present
New Business:
-
Bruce Siddons discussed the
upcoming 5 K race. A
contract has been signed and
deposit made with Charm City
for race management.
Sponsor sheets are being
prepared.
-
Richard Hiteshew discussed a
change in receptacles for
used printer cartridges
Happy Dollars:
-
Brent gave dollars for the
ending of the presidential
primaries, for two
presidential candidates he
admires and for his
post-millennial students
whose concerns focus on
solving problems instead of
on a person’s race, gender
or ethnicity.
-
Richard Hiteshew gave
dollars in appreciation for
our “youthful” Rotary club
which have seen several
weddings, births and
children.
-
Joe Loverde gave dollars for
his daughter Nicole’s
initiative and work ethic in
graduating college, quickly
finding a job, buying a home
and now entering a graduate
program at Towson
University.
-
Guest Mark Silvestri gave
dollars in recognition of
the graduation he attended
for a niece at West Point,
the U.S. Military Academy,
recently and for his son’s
13th birthday.
Speaker: Deborah Bittner
– Principal, Catonsville High
School
-
Ms Bittner is in her first
year as principal of CHS,
but she has 38 years of
experience teaching in
Baltimore County schools
She has four children and
three grandchildren
-
She noted that CHS is
meeting all Maryland State
standards for high schools
-
CHS has some 1750 students,
among which 31% are in
programs for the gifted and
talented.
-
She discussed the many
awards the school and its
students have won, including
18 Advanced Placement (AP)
courses, ranging from art to
world history, its 805 pass
rate and $11 million in
scholarships to this year’s
graduating seniors.
-
CHS has 5 National Merit
Scholars and is the top
school in Baltimore County
for this over the past 5
years.
-
CHS is on the Newsweek
list of the 1300 top high
schools in the country,
which will be honored in an
award ceremony with the
County School Superintendent
Thursday this week
-
Ms Bittner discussed the
range of activities
available at CHS, including
sports and the steel band
-
She described plans for
expansion and renovation of
stadium facilities. The
quality of the field turf at
CHS is said to be equal or
superior to that enjoyed at
the stadium of the Baltimore
Ravens.
-
Plans are underway to
renovate classrooms. The
last such renovation
included the 10-year-old
science and technology wing
of the CHS building.
50-50 Drawing: Richard
Hiteshew won BOTH the 50-50
drawing.
The meeting was closed by
President George Brookhart.
Submitted by Brent
Tolbert-Smith, Assistant Scribe,
6-5-08
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Club Meeting June 11
ROTARY CLUB MINUTES,
Catonsville Sunrise – June
11, 2008
Cal Oren was greeter.
Karen Paris provided the
inspiration.
President George Brookhart
opened the meeting.
Guests included Edson Tecto,
a neighbor of Richard
Hiteshew’s retired from NIH,
and a priest, Father
Nelson. 17 members were
present
New Business:
-
Cal Oren, reading an
issue of the Rotarian
magazine, raised the
possibility of having a
pancake breakfast as a
fundraiser on July 4,
borrowed from Bar
Harbor, Me. (the idea,
not the pancakes).
-
Steve Arum distributed
forms and solicited help
for sponsors for the
Fall into Fitness 5K
run.
Happy Dollars:
-
Brent Tolbert-Smith gave
dollars for 2 pleasant
and entertaining flights
he took via Airtran to
Rochester over the
weekend, as well as for
the graduation there of
his nephew Alex’s (Chao
Chiu’s) from the
University of Rochester
with an MBA in finance.
-
Tom Medicus gave dollars
in appreciation for his
grandson’s coming visit
next week and for the
victory of the Oriole’s
(alleged by some to be a
local professional
baseball team).
-
Rosemary Wright gave
dollars for her
daughter’s return from
vacation to free
Rosemary from bondage to
a destructive pet dog.
-
John Monck gave dollars
in appreciation of his
time with his
granddaughter while on
vacation in North
Carolina and for the
start of his wife’s new
job with United Way
here.
-
Cal Oren gave dollars
for the return of his
wife from a week’s visit
with her parents. Cal
greeted her with a clean
kitchen and roses
liberated from a
neighbor’s garden.
Speaker: Mary “Mendy”
Nitch, Director of
International Affairs for
the Office of the Secretary
of State of Maryland
Ms. Nitch was raised in
Academy Heights and
graduated from St Mary’s
College in Indiana. She
took a M.A. from UMBC in
teaching. She spent 8 years
as an ESOL teacher (English
as a Second Language), and
worked as an English
language teacher trainer in
Japan, Ecuador and the
Dominican Republic before
entering the Office of the
Secretary of State.
The International Affairs
office promotes “sister
states” programs between
Maryland and other provinces
of the world, arranging
region to region exchange
programs. Maryland has
sister states in Anhui
Province, China, South
Korea, Japan, Liberia,
Poland, Russia and Mexico.
Connections with France and
Belgium are pending.
One example of an
International Affairs
exchange is the coming visit
in late June of 15
university presidents from
China, who will participate
in various cultural
activities in Maryland that
meet their interests
Another is the visit
arranged in July of Japanese
students who will give
performances in singing,
calligraphy and dancing for
the Children’s Home in
Catonsville, a repeat visit.
The International Affairs
office is anxious to
publicize its work to Rotary
and other civil venues
because its activities are
unfunded by the State of
Maryland, apart from Ms
Nitch’s salary. The office
formerly was part of the
State trade and economic
development program, but was
moved to the office of the
Secretary of State where it
could promote broader
cultural exchanges.
Participation by local civic
groups like Rotary are
encouraged.
50-50 Drawing:
George Brookhart won the
drawing.
The meeting was closed by
President George Brookhart
(having collected his
winnings).
Submitted by Brent
Tolbert-Smith, Assistant
Scribe, 6-12-08
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Board
Meeting June 17
Present: President
George Brookhart;
President-Elect Cal
Oren; Treasurer-Elect
Bruce VanDervort
-
The Board recommends
the proposed
budget be adopted
for the Fiscal Year beginning
July 1, 2008.
-
With regards
to the 2008 budget, the
Board recommends that
the commitment for
funding the Catonsville
Emergency Assistance
Network be linked
directly to the proceeds
from the Bull Roast.
However, there is no
linkage between any
other funding commitment
and any other
fund-raising event. The
funding for all
commitments is
contingent on the
success of the
fund-raising events.
-
The Board
approved the temporary
advancement of funds for
the purchase of three
round-trip airline
tickets to Bani, for
members Rosemary Wright,
Susan Souder, and Steve
Arum. These three
ambassadors have agreed
to make up the shortfall
between funds available
and the cost of the
tickets - approximately
$125 each. Donations
from other club members
toward this shortfall
will be gratefully
accepted.
-
No current
financial report was
available.
-
Bruce will
set up a meeting with
Richard Hiteshew and
Larry Haynes as soon as
possible to assume
responsibility for the
Treasurer function.
-
The Board
wishes to remind all
members of our Visitor
Fee policy. All guest
speakers will receive a
complimentary breakfast.
All first-time visitors
will also have the
visitor fee waived for
them.
After the first free
breakfast, the Visitor
Fee is $10 per visitor.
-
5K Chairman
Bruce Siddens will be
asked to make an
extended presentation at next
week’s Club Meeting on
the status of the 5K
event in September.
-
Although
current efforts will be
directed towards the 5K event, we need to
convene at least an
initial organizational
meeting for the February
Bull Roast. Bull Roast
Chairman Richard
Hiteshew will be asked
to schedule an
organizational meeting
in the near future for
this purpose.
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Club Meeting June 18
ROTARY CLUB MINUTES, Catonsville
Sunrise – June 18, 2008
Karen Paris was greeter.
Cal Oren provided the
inspiration.
President George Brookhart
opened the meeting.
Guests included Rebecca Paris
(Karen’s lovely daughter,
plugging the Catonsville HS
Speech & Debate Team and giving
thanks for past and future
support), Karen Gatsby
(Catonsville Express office);
Sandy March; Toni Hiteshew
(lovely wife of what’s his
name), Colleen Oren (ditto,
different guy), Pete Bible
(Catonsville Times) and
Charter Guest Alan Ray.
21 members were present (we have
21 members? Who knew?)
New Business:
Happy Dollars:
-
Brent Tolbert-Smith gave
dollars for the blue birds
nesting in the old pussy
willow tree on the front
lawn of his Cumberland farm
house and for the wonderful
day he spent Saturday with
his son tooling around
Charlottesville, the Blue
Ridge and John Monroe’s Ash
Lawn for Father’s Day
-
Tom Medicus gave dollars for
the merry chase GPS led his
grandson and him over the
mountains and around the old
steam engine on Rt 33 in
West Virginia.
-
Alan Ray gave dollars for
the fine year he thinks
Catonsville Sunrise Rotary
has had and for Father’s Day
with his son.
-
Cal Oren gave dollars for
his wife’s presence and a
birthday party.
-
Larry Aaronson gave dollars
for (yet another) Baltimore
Co. taxpayer supported
junket he took (ostensibly
on behalf of CCBC) to New
Orlenas.
-
Susan Souder also gave
dollars in appreciation of
the 3 days the State of
Maryland gave her in sunny
Linthicum, for a nephew’s
school graduation and the
prospect of seeing the
Broadway play, “Thurgood”
(presumably about one of
Baltimore’s own).
-
Karen Paris gave dollars for
her daughter Rebecca’s
upcoming seminar on human
rights at Princeton (New
Jersey). and for the fine
beer garden event Friday
night at Jennings Café.
-
Peter Sonntag gave dollars
for his Hawaiian trip and
for an Oriole’s game
-
Sherry Welch gave dollars
for the St Agnes 30th
Annual Golf Tournament,
which raised $110,000 and
for her daughter’s
experience of seminary in
Lexington, Ky.
Speaker was Paul Frey,
President of the Frederick
Rotary Club, representing Rotary
District 7620 at the
installation of the 2008-09
officers
Mr. Frey’s comments were
suitably succinct and mercifully
brief.
Thanks were given to outgoing
officers: George Brookhart
(President); Joe Loverde
(Vice-President), Richard
Hiteshew (Treasurer) and Susan
Souder (Rt. Hon., Secretary).
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New officers took the oath of
office, after a fashion: These
included Cal Oren (President),
Joe Loverde (Vice-President),
Bruce VanderVort (Treasurer) and
Brent Tolbert-Smith (you got to
be kidding, Secretary)
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Awards were given to John Monck
and George Brookhart.
John won the Club’s annual Paul
Harris award for the Rotary
Foundation for his 5 years of
service as Executive Director of
the Catonsville Emergency
Assistance Network, CEAN, a
major local charity sponsored in
part by the Club.
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George Brookhart was given a
plaque of appreciation for his
two years’ service as President
and many more future years of
volunteer service anticipated in
the future.
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50-50 Drawing: Rick
Martel won the drawing.
The meeting was closed by
President George Brookhart
Submitted by Brent
Tolbert-Smith, officially
indicted Scribe (er,
inducted, sigh), 6-19-08
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Club Meeting June 25
ROTARY CLUB MINUTES, Catonsville
Sunrise – June 25, 2008
Tom Medicus provided the
inspiration.
Cal Oren presented a “Rotary
moment”
President George Brookhart
opened the meeting.
Guests included Yvonne
Kumojidarko and David Tettey,
Treasurer and past President
respectively of the Rotary Club
of South Accra, Ghana (1 of 18
clubs in Ghana), who graced our
meeting (along with our other
guests, of course), and
explained something about their
club. One of their projects was
to adopt a nearby village,
providing annual medical
examinations, medications,
clothing, shoes and books for
the school library. They plan a
second village adoption, to
include hospital renovation.
They also wore a striking Rotary
print shirt and dress. In a
short ceremony, they presented
the flag of their club to us.
Other guests included Harvey
Davis of the Pikesville Rotary,
Christen, a recent college grade
and niece of Cal Oren (but
apparently a fine and attractive
young lady for all that) and
Charter Guest Alan Ray (hey,
can’t we give this guy some kind
of award for attendance? He
comes more than some of our
members).
13 members were present
Happy Dollars:
-
Brent Tolbert-Smith gave
dollars for the multitude of
fireflies at his farm, for
the semi-permanent blister
on his thumb from hoeing and
the visit of his cousin and
wife from New Orleans.
-
Bruce Siddons gave dollars
on behalf of the 5K Race and
for Sam’s Club of
Catonsville passing the mark
of $2 million in sales for a
week.
-
Alan Ray gave dollars in
honor of outgoing Treasurer
Richard Hiteshew’s years of
service to the club and for
the recent successful
symposium at Johns Hopkins
on Autism Spectrum Diseases
(sponsored by a foundation
on whose board Alan sits).
-
Tom Medicus gave dollars on
behalf of the recent tour
with his grandson.
-
Susan Souder appreciated the
performance of the play, “Thurgood”,
she saw recently on
Broadway, depicting the life
of J. Thurgood Marshall
starring Lawrence Fishburne,
for the presentation on
Abraham Lincoln at the
recent judicial conference
at Linthicum and for
pictures of the Columbia
Rotary Club in the
Washington Post in a
charity parade in Columbia.
-
John Monck gave dollars in
appreciation of the Club’s
award of the annual Paul
Harris award to him
-
Tom Medicus gave more
dollars for seeing member Ed
Tolzman’s collection of
model trains and cars with
his grandson.
-
Harvey Davis gave dollars in
appreciation of attending
the breakfast meeting.
-
Richard Hiteshew gave
dollars for school being out
and the chance to go to the
beach in Florida while
visiting his son, who is
adding to his reputation as
a specialist in
Neiman-Marcus store security
(catching 30 shoplifters in
the past month).
Business Meeting:
-
Treasurer’s Report.
Richard Hiteshew reported
that the Rotary Foundation
account has $1900 in cash
and a certificate of deposit
of $5300 for a total of
$7500.
The Club account has some $3800.
-
Budget. Bruce VanderVort presented the
new budget, proposing to raise
quarterly
dues from $125 to $150
to provide a cushion of funds
and more money for promotion
and discretionary funds.
Members who cannot attend, but
wish to be affiliated will pay
$85.00, the same amount as members
sans the cost of
breakfasts.
A motion was made and
seconded to accept the new
budget. The budget was accepted
in unanimous vote.
-
Membership. Eric Lamb
discussed the potential member
survey.
-
5K Race.
Bruce Siddons discussed
preparations for the 5K Race in
September and relations with the
co-sponsor, the St. Agnes
Foundation, which has been most
generous in terms of both
funding and organization
efforts.
It costs $25 for each runner.
The goal is to have 1000
runners, representing $25,000.
Sponsors pay $500 to be included
in the race brochure. Race
T-shirts are planned.
-
Joe Loverde
presented a special award to
Richard Hiteshew, an outsized
(and remarkably accurate)
caricature of Richard sitting in
one of his fleet of automobiles
signed by club members and a
gift basket of food and
beverages.
50-50 Drawing:
Richard Hiteshew (suitably)
won the drawing.
The meeting was closed by
President George Brookhart; his
final Presidential duty.
Submitted by Brent
Tolbert-Smith, rising (and
resigned, but not resigning
yet) Scribe, 6-27-08
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