The Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent named the Rotarian of the Year at its annual meeting in July and recognized two other longtime members for accomplishment. Rotarian of the Year honors went to Laurie Reuben, while Cliff Feldwick received a Service Above Self Award and Dushyant Patel (with spouse Palli), a Legacy Award.Presentations were made by RCCP 2020-21 president Walt Mazzell.
Reuben, Club Service chair since 2015, joined Rotary in February 2010 and is a past club secretary and president.She’s also served on the Community Service Committee, Public Relations Committee, chaired the Service Above Self Award task force, and has been working with the Programs Committee to help automate the finding and booking of guest speakers for RCCP’s weekly meetings.
Mazzell said Reuben is “probably the most organized person I have met, who has an uncanny ability to ‘read a room’, is always smiling, eager to pitch in … we have spoken after meetings, during meetings, texting, e-mailing back and forth, (she) has been a sounding board for me all year.”
Reuben called her award a surprise but said “being recognized for doing what you love makes the honor even more special.”
I love my Rotary friends, those I’ve met in the club and those who’ve come into my world through my Rotary connections,” she continued.“I know that Rotary will always be an important part of my life.”
Mazzell said that Feldwick’s Service Above Self Award recognizes his record as “a standout Rotarian for many years and a standout member for many volunteer activities over the years.”
“Most recently, Cliff has been our Program Chair for about five years,” Mazzell added.“This is a crucial role in our club, keeping the weekly speaker series on track.”
Patel is a founding Columbia-Patuxent Rotary member and was one of five who contributed seed money for the club’s charitable endowment which now totals nearly a quarter-of-a-million dollars, Mazzell noted. Patel also is a Major Donor and Paul Harris Society contributor to Rotary International.
"Dushyant is very active, attends meetings, participates in our hand-on projects,” Mazzell said.“He is a model Rotarian, who has really dedicated his adult life to Rotary.His contributions throughout the years are more than I can count.”
Sixteen Howard County community organizations received program and project grant awards from the Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent (RCCP) at a breakfast meeting June 18. The awards, supported by fund-raising activities throughout the year, are part of Rotary’s focus on community service and commitment to giving back.
President Walter Mazzella (far right in group photo with recipients) said Grants Day is considered the highlight of the Rotary year by many club members. Grants for 2020-2021 went to:
The Howard County Conservancy promotes environmental education, preservation and stewardship. The RCCP grant supports nature preschool scholarship opportunities
Zaching Against Cancer aids patients, caregivers, family members and others affected by the disease. The RCCP grant supports Zack Packs filled with toiletries, snacks and creature comforts for medically fragile children.
Gilchrist Hospice is a leader in serious illness and end-of-life care. The RCCP grant is going for a blanket warming machine for Gilchrist’s inpatient unit.
Rebuilding Together Howard County provides free home repairs to low-income families. The RCCP grant helps meet even greater needs in today’s difficult economic climate.
Howard County General Hospital offers a full range of hospital and wellness services with more than 1,000 affiliated doctors in nearly 100 clinical specialties. The RCCP grant is earmarked for new units in the hospital’s campus construction project
Respite Retreats programs give periods of rest or relief for cancer patients, their caregivers and family members. The RCCP grant will help refuel the body, mind and spirits of those affected by cancer.
The Maryland State Dental Association Foundation works to provides free dental services to people who do not have regular access to dental health care. The RCCP grant supports mobile dental clinics throughout the state.
Grassroots offers 24/7 intervention/counseling services for anyone experiencing a personal, behavioral health, housing or situational crisis. The RCCP grant is supporting shelter programs.
Neighbor Ride improves health and quality of life for Howard County's seniors via affordable, passenger-focused and volunteer-based transportation. The RCCP grant is adding staff hours to expand services.
Living in Recovery helps individuals reclaim their lives and break the cycle of “addiction-rehab-relapse”. The RCCP grant contributes toward sober housing free of alcohol and drugs, with peer support and a climate of personal accountability.
The Howard County Autism Society seeks to improve the quality of life for people on the autism spectrum, their families and their communities. The RCCP grant supports the Patuxent Commons Housing Initiative, a mixed income inter-generational project to be located in Columbia’s Hickory Ridge Village.
Oakland Mills’ PTA advocates for students and their families so that every child’s potential for success can become a reality. The RCCP award contributes to scholarships for senior students and grants for teachers.
The college offers two-year degree and certificate programs preparing students for the workforce and built around careers that are in demand. The RCCP grant goes for entrepreneurial program scholarships plus a faculty speaker series open to local citizens.
The Community Action Council is the county’s designated antipoverty organization, active in early childhood education and assistance for food, housing, energy and weatherization. This was the RCCP’s “Darrell Nevin Memorial Award,” honoring a deceased longtime Rotarian who was a strong supporter of the Community Action Council and other Howard County non-profits.
A club committee considers applications for RCCP grants based on merit. Applications must be sponsored by a club member in good standing.
A mentoring program to help academically struggling, underserved students in Howard County has completed its pilot year and plans to expand when school resumes.That’s the message Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent members heard from June 25 guest speaker Steven Porter (shown in photo with Rotarian Wendy Letow).
Porter is a co-founder of Ohana Howard County (OhanaHC), a local non-profit modeled after a similar organization in Baltimore.“Ohana” means “family” in Hawaiian.The idea is to set up an “extended family” of volunteer mentors for at-risk 9th graders.Beginning with 10 students and 40 volunteers at Wilde Lake High last September, Porter said the pilot had encouraging signs of progress, especially in building trusting relationships for those involved.
OhanaHC’s goals are:
To help young people work toward removing any barriers that may stand in the way of their achieving success.
To build a diverse, equitable and inclusive community culture with more social, economic and educational opportunities for all in Howard County.
Porter said that in addition to Wilde Lake, the program is expanding to Long Reach, Oakland Mills and Hammond high schools for 2021-22, serving eight students per school, with a total of 140 volunteers.It’s a leap of faith because “it may be two years before we see a significant difference in how these students see the world and what they try to do in it,” he said.
The future growth for OhanaHC services is daunting, since about 400 9th graders enter the four high schools each year with deep academic needs, Porter added.“It really would take about 1,600 volunteers to mentor these kids,” he said.“But think what it would mean to help young people make good decisions about their future.It has the potential to change the lives of hundreds of Howard County students and the people who help them.”
A 28-year commercial real estate veteran has been inducted into the Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent.Will McCullough (at right in photo), senior vice president at the Lee and Associates office in Columbia, was welcomed by RCCP president Walt Mazzella at the June 25 meeting.McCullough is the club’s ninth new member for the 2020-2021 Rotary year.
Prior to joining Lee and Associates, McCullough was a leasing agent for St. John Properties, the 2018 Commercial Real Estate Development Association’s national developer of the year.He’s a past officer and board member for the development association, was named one of its “emerging leader” award winners, and worked as a commercial and industrial broker in the Baltimore-Washington market for 15 years.
McCullough earned a BS in Business Administration at Towson University.He’s a member of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors, is a Certified Commercial Investment Member and is a past member of the River Hill Village Board of Directors.
Sixteen Howard County community organizations received program and project grant awards from the Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent (RCCP) at a breakfast meeting June 18. The awards, supported by fund-raising activities throughout the year, are part of Rotary’s focus on community service and commitment to giving back.
President Walter Mazzella (far right in group photo with recipients) said Grants Day is considered the highlight of the Rotary year by many club members. Grants for 2020-2021 went to:
The Howard County Conservancy promotes environmental education, preservation and stewardship. The RCCP grant supports nature preschool scholarship opportunities
Zaching Against Cancer aids patients, caregivers, family members and others affected by the disease. The RCCP grant supports Zack Packs filled with toiletries, snacks and creature comforts for medically fragile children.
Gilchrist Hospice is a leader in serious illness and end-of-life care. The RCCP grant is going for a blanket warming machine for Gilchrist’s inpatient unit.
Rebuilding Together Howard County provides free home repairs to low-income families. The RCCP grant helps meet even greater needs in today’s difficult economic climate.
Howard County General Hospital offers a full range of hospital and wellness services with more than 1,000 affiliated doctors in nearly 100 clinical specialties. The RCCP grant is earmarked for new units in the hospital’s campus construction project
Respite Retreats programs give periods of rest or relief for cancer patients, their caregivers and family members. The RCCP grant will help refuel the body, mind and spirits of those affected by cancer.
The Maryland State Dental Association Foundation works to provides free dental services to people who do not have regular access to dental health care. The RCCP grant supports mobile dental clinics throughout the state.
Grassroots offers 24/7 intervention/counseling services for anyone experiencing a personal, behavioral health, housing or situational crisis. The RCCP grant is supporting shelter programs.
Neighbor Ride improves health and quality of life for Howard County's seniors via affordable, passenger-focused and volunteer-based transportation. The RCCP grant is adding staff hours to expand services.
Living in Recovery helps individuals reclaim their lives and break the cycle of “addiction-rehab-relapse”. The RCCP grant contributes toward sober housing free of alcohol and drugs, with peer support and a climate of personal accountability.
The Howard County Autism Society seeks to improve the quality of life for people on the autism spectrum, their families and their communities. The RCCP grant supports the Patuxent Commons Housing Initiative, a mixed income inter-generational project to be located in Columbia’s Hickory Ridge Village.
Oakland Mills’ PTA advocates for students and their families so that every child’s potential for success can become a reality. The RCCP award contributes to scholarships for senior students and grants for teachers.
The college offers two-year degree and certificate programs preparing students for the workforce and built around careers that are in demand. The RCCP grant goes for entrepreneurial program scholarships plus a faculty speaker series open to local citizens.
The Community Action Council is the county’s designated antipoverty organization, active in early childhood education and assistance for food, housing, energy and weatherization. This was the RCCP’s “Darrell Nevin Memorial Award,” honoring a deceased longtime Rotarian who was a strong supporter of the Community Action Council and other Howard County non-profits.
A club committee considers applications for RCCP grants based on merit. Applications must be sponsored by a club member in good standing.
A Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent donation drive for COVID-19 relief in India has earned Baltimore TV coverage plus more dollars for oxygen generators.The “breath of life” campaign was launched by club members two weeks ago to answer medical needs in the pandemic hotspot.
The club initially raised nearly $10,000 for the generators – devices that produce medical grade oxygen from ambient air and cost $550 each.That amount was matched by SEWA International, an India-based charity supporting humanitarian causes.
The campaign story was featured June 3 on WMAR-TV2 News in Baltimore. The club’s International Service chairman, Larry Newman, gave details in an interview with reporter Abby Issacs.Within an hour of the broadcast, RCCP received another $600 in donations attributed to viewers.
RCCP’s fund-raising has purchased approximately 45 oxygen generators thus far, while SEWA International aims to provide a total of more than 1,500.Disaster Aid USA – a Rotary-sponsored organization for emergency relief worldwide – has met its donation goal of $250,000 for this purpose.
Oxygenator distribution will be based on demonstrated need in all areas of India. That country’s more than 3,000 Rotary clubs will assist in placing the devices.
While the most recent COVID-19 news in the U.S. is positive, other places around the world face higher numbers of infections and deaths.This is especially true in India, with 400,000 new cases daily, severe vaccine shortages and a lack of lifesaving oxygen.
India has over 3,000 Rotary clubs.Many are working to support their communities as the pandemic takes hold.Area governor Temrah Okonski alerted Howard County Rotarians about the critical need for oxygen, noting that our clubs have many members who either immigrated from India or have relatives there.
Rotary Club of Columbia-Patuxent (RCCP) members are responding with a rapid-response “breath of life” initiative.In one week, the club has given nearly $10,000 for oxygen generators -- devices that produce medical grade oxygen from ambient air and cost $550 each.Purchase and delivery to India is being arranged by Disaster Aid International (DAI) – a Rotary-sponsored organization that provides relief for dire emergencies anywhere in the world.
A corporate interest in India is making a dollar-for-dollar match to RCCP’s donation, enabling shipment of 36 new oxygenators for distribution to the country’s rural hospitals.This match also applies to any future contributions.
We welcome additional “breath of life” donations in the spirit of international community service.Interested in giving?Visit our “Donate to the Trust” page and select theIndia Oxygen Generator pulldown. Thank you in advance.
Today, over 70 million people are displaced as a result of conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations. Half of them are children.
We refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotary projects provide training that fosters understanding and provides communities with the skills to resolve conflicts.
Rotary creates environments of peace
As a humanitarian organization, peace is a cornerstone of our mission. We believe when people work to create peace in their communities, that change can have a global effect.
By carrying out service projects and supporting peace fellowships and scholarships, our members take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.
Our commitment to peacebuilding today answers new challenges: how we can make the greatest possible impact and how we can achieve our vision of lasting change. We are approaching the concept of peace with greater cohesion and inclusivity, broadening the scope of what we mean by peacebuilding, and finding more ways for people to get involved.
Rotary creates environments where peace can happen.
Rotary’s Four Roles in Promoting Peace
Rotary and its members are:
Practitioners: Our work fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, improving the health of mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies directly builds the optimal conditions for peaceful societies.
Educators: Our Rotary Peace Centers have trained over 1,300 peace fellows to become effective catalysts for peace through careers in government, education, and international organizations.
Mediators: Our members have negotiated humanitarian ceasefires in areas of conflict to allow polio vaccinators to reach children who are at risk.
Advocates: Our members have an integral role as respected, impartial participants during peace processes and in post-conflict reconstruction. We focus on creating communities and convening groups that are connected, inclusive, and resilient.
Posted by Darren Easton on January 13, 2021 at 3:42am
Many people use the end of one year to reflect on things they would like to accomplish in the coming year. What better resolution than to sow the seeds of peace in 2021?
Peace underscores much of the work that Rotary members do in improving their communities around the world. Rotary’s peacebuilding initiatives seek to create environments where lasting peace is possible. We do this by continually investing in sustainable and measurable peace programs throughout our communities and across the globe; by creating an extensive network of peacebuilders and community leaders dedicated to peace and conflict prevention; and by providing Rotarians with several avenues in which they can actively participate in peacebuilding processes within their communities.
We believe that if Rotarians and concerned citizens mobilize locally to create peace, change can happen globally. Here are 10 ways you can be an everyday peacebuilder. (Check out an expanded list here).
Seek out any Rotary Peace Fellows who live or work in your district and invite them to collaborate on your club’s next peacebuilding project – they can offer invaluable help on the planning and implementation of the peacebuilding project.
Check out the Rotary Peace Fellowship Alumni Association website, where you can access the Online Speaker Database to find peace fellows globally who can give a virtual presentation to your club.
Posted by Darren Easton on October 28, 2020 at 6:45am
We refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotary projects provide training that fosters understanding and provides communities with the skills to resolve conflicts.
As a humanitarian organization, peace is a cornerstone of our mission. We believe when people work to create peace in their communities, that change can have a global effect.
By carrying out service projects and supporting peace fellowships and scholarships, our members take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.
Our commitment to peacebuilding today answers new challenges: how we can make the greatest possible impact and how we can achieve our vision of lasting change. We are approaching the concept of peace with greater cohesion and inclusivity, broadening the scope of what we mean by peacebuilding, and finding more ways for people to get involved.
Rotary creates environments where peace can happen.
Rotary’s Four Roles in Promoting Peace
Rotary and its members are:
Practitioners: Our work fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, improving the health of mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies directly builds the optimal conditions for peaceful societies.
Educators: Our Rotary Peace Centers have trained over 1,300 peace fellows to become effective catalysts for peace through careers in government, education, and international organizations.
Mediators: Our members have negotiated humanitarian ceasefires in areas of conflict to allow polio vaccinators to reach children who are at risk.
Advocates: Our members have an integral role as respected, impartial participants during peace processes and in post-conflict reconstruction. We focus on creating communities and convening groups that are connected, inclusive, and resilient.
Posted by Darren Easton on February 5, 2020 at 8:17am
Hear more about:
• Rebuilding Together is the nation's premier nonprofit community revitalization organization. There are 128 affiliates in 39 states.
• Rebuilding Together Howard County is the local affiliate. We are proud of our 28 year history of providing free home repairs to low income residents living in Howard County. We have repaired over 1050 homes free of charge in Howard County.
• Our mission is: Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives.
• We have a thousand volunteers who do the work as well as contractors who provide pro bono or reduced cost services.
• When the Ellicott City floods of 2016 and 2018 hit, Rebuilding Together became a board member of the One EC Recovery Project and provided major repairs to 14 homes. Currently we are building from the ground up a home of a Ellicott City flood victim.
• As well as providing team builds where volunteers from the community and corporate world repair homes, we also supply Urgent Repairs and Handyman Services. In addition, we have a Community Revitalization Program and Safe and Healthy Housing Initiative.
Posted by Darren Easton on January 14, 2020 at 3:00am
By Victor Barnes, Director of Programs & Grants
In 2013, Rotary set out on its new grant model under the Future Vision Plan, in the hopes that the approach would enhance the scope, impact, and sustainability of humanitarian projects. More than six years later, and with over $460 million invested in almost 7,000 projects across the globe, Rotary is ready to augment these critical investments with a new grant type. Beginning January 2020, Rotary International is introducing a highly selective, competitive grant model that empowers Rotarians to implement large-scale, high impact projects with experienced partners.
In support of Rotary’s Action Plan, Rotary International’s Programs of Scale grants will award $2 million to one approved project each year that responds to a community-identified need. These projects will benefit a large number of people in a significant geographic area using a sustainable, evidence-based intervention with measurable outcomes and impact. Each grant will support, for three to five years, activities that align with one or more of Rotary’s areas of focus.
This is an exciting opportunity to complement the international service Rotarians already undertake with a larger grant investment over a longer time frame. Time and resources that will be dedicated to help deliver service in communities that will live on beyond project implementation. And by focusing on documenting the metrics of our good works, we get a clearer picture of results, and the good Rotary does around the world.
To find out more about this ambitious opportunity, visit rotary.org/grants.
The Heartstrong Foundation focuses on raising funding and awareness around congenital heart defects. 1 in 100 babies are born with a heart defect, and it is the number 1 birth defect. Life with congenital heart defects (CHD) does not exist without intervention, most often open heart surgery within the first few months of life. It takes a lot of strength to be living with or be affected by CHD and our foundation draws so much inspiration from the families that don’t let circumstances dictate what they get out of life
The foundation focuses on the positive steps that are being taken in the CHD community. All of our fundraising goes to CHD research and family support, as well as educating the public about CHD. Our big event is coming up in September; the Feet for Beats 5K and 1-mile walk.
Our hope is to make a difference in the CHD community by contributing to the positive influences for these families.
The Heartstrong Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that is happy to accept tax-deductible donations to the extent allowed by law. The EIN is 82-1962070.
OTHER WAYS TO GIVE:
You can contibute to Heartstrong through Amazon Smile. A portion of your purchase will go to Heartstrong, and will incur no additional cost to you!
You can mail checks (made out to Heartstrong Foundation) to: Heartstrong Foundation, 10153 Maxine Street, Ellicott City, 21042
A native of South Burlington, Vermont, I love to fish, hike, cook, sketch, garden, bake, juggle, puzzle, putter and tinker. I aspire to renew my scuba certification and open a breakfast joint one day. I like taking the long route and stopping along the way. I’ve never regretted climbing a mountain or walking in a downpour.
Journalism takes you places you’d never expect. After I graduated from Stanford University, I moved to Boston and lived in a scrappy house of rabblerousers while I covered the Cambridge, Mass., City Council for the Sunday Boston Globe. My first full-time journalism job took me to the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Massachusetts, then the Associated Press in Boston, where in the crucible of reporting on 9/11, I met my wife, Audie Cornish. In 2005, we moved to Nashville, where I covered Tennessee and the South for the New York Times and other publications, then reported on state government for the Tennessean. We moved to Washington, DC, in 2009, where I’ve lived ever since. I earned an MFA in Creative Non-Fiction from Goucher College in 2014, and was a 2015 fellow with the Alicia Patterson Foundation. Hellfire Boys is my first book.
Established in 1971 in Howard County, Humanim is a non-profit organization supporting and economically empowering individuals through the areas of human services, youth transitional services, workforce development and social enterprise. Our organization was founded on the belief that every human being has potential and that work is transformative, with the goal of creating economic equity for individuals with disabilities and socio-economic challenges.
Judi Olinger, Vice President for Development Disabilities at Humanim and iHomes, President & CEO
Judi Olinger is the Vice President for Development Disabilities at Humanim, as well as the President & CEO for iHomes, Inc. (a Howard County private non-profit community housing development organization established by Humanim to provide affordable housing options to individuals with disabilities). Judi has over 30 years of experience providing services to individuals with disabilities. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, a two-year certificate from the University of Maryland in “The Development and Financing of Affordable Housing”, and most recently obtained her certification in Health Care Compliance. She is a graduate of Leadership Baltimore County (class of 2000) and Leadership Maryland (class of 2013). In addition, Judi is a national surveyor for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Most recently, Judi was appointed by the Howard County Council to the Commission for Transitional Youth with Disabilities.
Diana Ellis, Vice President of Advancement at Humanim
Diana is the Vice President of Advancement at Humanim. Diana has over 14 years of experience in nonprofits and fundraising. Born and raised in Romania, Diana earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and MBA from the University of Charleston (Charleston, WV). She is a graduate of Leadership Maryland (class of 2017). Diana is currently involved with the Program Committee of Leadership Maryland, Executive Forum at the Center Club, and the Program Committee of Women In Business at the Center Club.
Do you love to read? I’ve been surprised to learn that not everybody does, and in fact, for many its a chore. But for me, reading has always been a big part of my life. Nowadays I read almost exclusively for entertainment (the years of reading investment research certainly don’t count) and I divide my reading time into “serious reading” and “fun” reading. In fact, over the years I’ve offered book reviews here at Ready, Fire, Aim when I found something I thought was particularly relevant to Rotary.
But lately I’ve found something even more fun than reading. And that is discussing the books I’ve read with others who also love to read. I’ve learned that these discussions tend to be informed, rational, interesting, educational, and an absolute hoot. And guess who I’ve been discussing these books with? That’s right, the Rotarians in our new Rotary Book Club. [Full disclosure: We haven’t come up with a pithy name for the club yet so we seem to be sticking with the endlessly creative name of “book club.”] I did a little research to see if Rotary International has a book club fellowship, since literacy is pretty big on our collective “to-do” list, but I didn’t see one on the list.
If you Google book clubs, or ask the many millions of folks who belong to a book club, you will find that there are endless ways of organizing your club. Don’t feel obligated to do it our way, but just in case you’re interested, here’s how we set up ours:
We meet once a month on the first Tuesday of the month. This implies we are reading twelve books during the year. The meetings are hosted by yours truly at my home with participants gathering around 6:30PM. Discussions usually go from 7PM to 9PM.
We currently have ten official members in the club, but usually get six or seven attendees for any one meeting. Our Rotary club has 50 members or so and even though we are constantly asking others to join us, for the rest of the club a monthly reading assignment just isn’t their cup of tea. We think ten is a good number to manage a robust conversation. ( I have been reliably informed that if we changed the club to the “bourbon and book club,” membership would soar.) If you have more interest in your club you might want to split up the groups somehow. I leave that to you.
Each member gets to recommend a book when it’s his or her turn. Other book clubs decide on books in a much more democratic fashion with members voting on each month’s reading selection. For us, so far at least, it’s worked that a member recommends the book with the proviso that they’ve already read it. If the group hates the book (it hasn’t happened yet) it may be that the member’s choice of books next time around will be more carefully vetted. Anyway, we think this reduces the risk of reading a clunker book because everyone is time constrained and our book reading time is precious.
So far the book list has been very eclectic and I think we are getting a little more ambitious in our book selections as we’ve gone along. Our first four books were nonfiction but the last two were fiction, or at least historical fiction. So far we’ve read:
Hidden Figures, The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, by Margot Lee Shetterly
The Gatekeepers, How the White House chiefs of Staff Define every Presidency; by Chris Whipple.
Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart, Thirty True Things You Need to Know Now, by Dr. Gordon Livingston
Factfulness, Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – And Why Things Are Better Than You Think, by Hans Rosling,
Beneath a Scarlett Sky, by Mark Sullivan, A story about a forgotten hero of the Italian resistance during World War II.
And our current reading assignment – Educated, by Tara Westover
The person who recommends the book leads the discussion. That usually entails asking the group questions about the book. Everyone has their own style as discussion leader, but we’ve found it’s a pretty easy job because everyone is eager to join in and share their views. The conversation is wonderful!
Snacks in the form of a bottle of white, a bottle of red, and a 12-pack of beer, along with inexpensive munchies, are provided by the person who is “on deck” with the next month’s book.
So that’s pretty much it. If you are looking for a creative way to stimulate fellowship in your Rotary Club, to be able to offer another option to new members to get engaged with Rotary, and to actually do something to promote the 5th part of the Four Way Test (Have Fun!….but you knew that), then I highly recommend you start a book club in your Rotary Club.
Happy reading everyone and even happier fellowship!
Posted by Kenneth Solow on October 4, 2018 at 5:28am
Back in the day Rotary membership was a prized position for business owners in most communities in the United States. Membership was so competitive that Rotary rules limited the number of members from any one industry or profession (Rotary calls them “classifications”) in order to ensure that Rotary club membership included a broad and diversified exposure to the business community. To be a Rotary club president was to be at the very top of the business pyramid, both socially and economically, and only the true titans of industry were awarded the position. Business owners fully understood the value of Rotary membership in terms of prestige, public image, and networking. Perhaps more importantly, it allowed them to be a meaningful part of the solution to many issues and concerns in their local community.
Today things are different. Both Rotary International and business leaders have challenges with public image. Rotary is often lumped together with all of the other “old fashioned” fraternal organizations where the image of community service is somehow linked to wearing the lodge hat of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes last seen in the Flintstones. Business owners wrongly believe that the time commitment required for Rotary membership is inflexible, onerous, and consequently not feasible for busy executives. They don’t understand the value proposition that was so important to previous generations of business owners.
However, business leaders struggle with their own image challenge. In a world of ever increasing income inequality, and where the public perception of “one percenters” is becoming more negative on a daily basis, being a business owner is often lumped in with ugly connotations of being disinterested and disconnected with the local community. The “old fashioned” notion of corporate responsibility to local citizens is being replaced by the perception that businesses only care about shareholder value.
It’s time that Rotary and business reconnect for all the right reasons which, ironically, are the same reasons membership was so popular with businesses years ago.
The Rotary Club of Columbia Patuxent is offering Howard County businesses a new opportunity for corporate membership. The goal is to make membership affordable, flexible, and valuable to a Howard County business that wants to make a positive impact locally and Internationally by serving others in need. For many businesses, the CEO and other top executives will want to add Rotary membership to their resume, for the simple reason that they need to know the needs of the community if they are to serve it well, and because Rotary is the traditional organization to build business networks while doing community service. Since 1905 this recipe of service and networking has been a proven method of growing a business as well as enjoying the personal benefits of serving others.
Another way to take advantage of Rotary membership is to offer it to young professionals in your organization. Rotary provides invaluable opportunities for taking on leadership roles for ambitious young executives. And Rotary membership provides networking opportunities for future business leaders. Young business professionals can also find valuable role models and mentors in the local Rotary club, something that is so valuable that it’s hard to assign it a dollar value. In short, the “perk” of Rotary membership shows your young executives that you care about their business and personal growth.
The secret to our corporate membership is this: up to four members of a local business or other organization can join as full members but three of the four members pay significantly discounted dues of only $150 per year. The business typically pays the dues for Rotary membership. The arrangement works well for our Rotary club as we get to meet four members of a local business and consider them full members of our club. And the arrangement is terrific for a local business in Howard County because:
1) Any of the four members can attend a meeting or all four are welcome, adding temendous flexibility and reducing the time commitment of membership.
2) The price of membership is a fraction of the cost compared to all four executives paying full membership dues.
3) The business is well represented in the community and can participate in projects that they help design if they choose.
4) Executives get to meet and befriend other business leaders in the club, expanding their understanding of community needs and wants.
5) The networking opportunities in Rotary lead to important business contacts that can result in profitable business ventures in the future.
6) There is the personal benefit of knowing that you are helping others who may not have the means to help themselves.
Why not learn more about today’s Rotary? The Rotary Club of Columbia Patuxent meets on Friday mornings at 7:30AM at the Interfaith Center across from Wilde Lake HS. Be our guest for breakfast. Or, feel free to contact Membership Chair, Sandy Harriman, at 301-775-2853 or email at sharrima1@verizon.net.
Posted by Darren Easton on August 23, 2018 at 3:09am
Gilchrist is a nationally recognized, nonprofit leader in serious illness and end-of-life care. We provide counseling, support and care to people at every stage of serious illness, so they may live life to the fullest. Furthermore, we are deeply committed to giving people the clear information and loving support they need to make informed choices about their care.
Since 1996, the name ‘Gilchrist’ has become synonymous with quality, compassion, and leadership.
Our vision: We are deeply committed to giving people the clear information and loving support they need to make informed choices about their care.
Aging and Serious Illness
Since 1900, average life expectancy has increased from 47 to 78 years old.
The number of Americans over age 85 will more than double by 2030.
By 2050, people over 65 will outnumber people under 18 for the first time in history.
Need for Exceptional Care and Resources for Caregivers
To address the need for increased serious illness care in Central Maryland, Gilchrist has expanded beyond hospice, to provide comprehensive and coordinated care to people at every stage of serious illness.
Three main programs: Gilchrist Counseling & Support, Gilchrist Elder Medical Care and Gilchrist Hospice Care.
We offer a wide range of services, from early diagnosis through the end of life. Our staff; physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, hospice aides, social workers, music therapists, chaplains and volunteers find their work is not a job, but a calling.
In Howard County, we are caring for your friends, neighbors and family members. We provide medical care, psychosocial and volunteer support for 1,000 patients annually and grief counseling for over 800 patient families and community clients. We have served over 3,000 patients at Gilchrist Center Howard County since opening in 2011.
Gilchrist is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving anyone in need of care, regardless of ability to pay.
Posted by Darren Easton on August 16, 2018 at 3:15am
The Columbia Pro Cantare is a mixed chorus of over 100 volunteer singers which seeks to present the finest choral music to a growing regional audience.
Columbia Pro Cantare is a nationally recognized mixed chorus of auditioned volunteer singers based in Howard County which seeks to present the finest choral literature in concerts of high artistic quality to a growing regional audience. It aspires to provide enriching musical experiences for musicians and non-musicians alike
Since the Spring of 1977, the Columbia Pro Cantare has delighted Howard County and metro area audiences with its concerts of music ranging from the classics of opera, oratorio, and the concert stage to American and European folk and spiritual music. Founded by Director Frances Motyca Dawson, as a professionally trained volunteer chorus to sing nine times with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at its Howard County concerts and to bring high quality musical experiences to local audiences with its own independent performances, CPC has more than fulfilled its purpose over the thirty-six years.
Inspired by Jim Rouse's vision of Columbia as a place where people could grow and find expression for their artistic talents, Frances Dawson has built a choral group described by the Baltimore Sun as "one of the elite choirs in Maryland" and by the American Record Guide as one of the choral groups that are the "musical hubs of their communities." Not only has the Pro Cantare performed vocal and choral compositions from the 10th to the 21st centuries, but it has presented concerts devoted to the music of such diverse cultures as Polish, Swedish, Czech, Hungarian, Irish, Jewish, Latin-American, American popular, folk and classical, and - especially in three European concert tours, the final concert of the 2001-2002 season, and the 2009 Tribute to Paul Robeson - African American. In addition, CPC has performed 14 world premiers, (12 of which were commissioned works of Maryland composers) and 16 U.S. premieres of primarily East European works of outstanding quality from lesser known composers. Most of these latter were retrieved from Czech archives through Mrs. Dawson's efforts both before and after the fall of communism. On October 28, 1998, the Columbia Pro Cantare was privileged to present a concert of Czech music featuring the Jazz Mass of composer Karel Ružicka at the Washington National Cathedral to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Czechoslovakia in 1918.
CPC has given more than 12 free or benefit concerts in its lifetime. These range from one of its first concerts, which benefited St. John's Catholic Congregation (11/77) and the opening of Baltimore's Harborplace (7/80), to two Polish concerts which brought attention to the imposition of martial law in Poland (1982, 1983). Pro Cantare also helped celebrate Columbia's 20th birthday with the Hail Columbia concert at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in 1987 for which local non-profits received all the income from the tickets they sold. That concert featured Jim Rouse's premier as a performer, when he narrated Aaron Copland's A Lincoln Portrait. The chorus also sang at Howard County's 1990 Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration, the 1997 Naturalization Ceremony, the 2002 Howard County remembrance of 9/11, held at Centennial Park. In 1997, the CPC was featured in the inaugural concert of its home venue, The Jim Rouse Theatre, and on June 15, 2007, a group of 55 members of the Pro Cantare joined the Minnesota Dance Theatre in a much-praised, captivating staged production of Carmina Burana for The Columbia Festival of the Arts.
In addition to giving concerts at home, the Columbia Pro Cantare has performed in or near Washington D.C. (Kennedy Center, National City Christian Church, National Cathedral, National Presbyterian Church), and in Baltimore (Harborplace, Kraushaar Auditorium, Christ Lutheran Church, Holy Rosary Church, 2nd Presbyterian Church, Memorial Episcopal Church, Church of the Redeemer). In all, the Columbia Pro Cantare has thrilled more than 100,000 audience members and introduced them to some of the finest music composed in the western world.
Martin Schwartz of Vehicles for Change explains their program of taking donated cars and rehabbing them for low-income families. Vehicles for Change Inc. (VFC) empowers families with financial challenges to achieve economic and personal independence through car ownership and technical training.
