Arlington Rotary Club

February 10 Update

2011-02-09T14:11:00.000-05:00

THIS WEEK’S MEETING

Our guest speaker this week is Jim Zumwalt, retired Marine, author, speaker, and business exec. His talk is entitled “Contributing Factors to the Evolution of Modern Day Islamic Extremism” and includes stories and examples on the factors that have generated an ideal environment which fosters hostility, intolerance and violence within the Arab world. Jim heads a security consulting firm named after his father—Admiral Zumwalt & Consultants, Inc. He also writes extensively on foreign policy and defense issues, with hundreds of articles for newspapers, including USA Today, Washington Post, NY Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Parade magazine and others. He covers issues of major importance, often providing readers with unique perspectives that never appeared elsewhere. His work has been cited by members of Congress and entered into the US Congressional Record. He is the author of "Bare Feet, Iron Will - Stories from the Other Side of Vietnam's Battlefields" and he is currently working on a biography of his father.

ARLINGTON ROTARY SPEECH CONTEST
We continue to look for high school students who live in Arlington or go to school in Arlington that will participate in the Arlington Rotary Speech Contest that will be held on 10 Feb at the Education Center next to Washington-Lee High School. We have sent the word out to the high schools, but we still need members to make prospective contestants and their parents aware of the contest. Competitors can apply to me or to Kim Durand by email or by filling out and dropping off an application form. If a contestant wants more information, they can email me or call me (contact details below).

AREF BOARD MEETING
Tom Kerwin will preside over a meeting of the Arlington Rotary Education Foundation (your club’s 501c3 arm) on 10 Feb at 11 am at our La Cote d’Or meeting location. All AREF board members are requested to attend. The meeting is open any member of the club. If you need an agenda or have any questions, contact Tom.

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
All members are asked to invite prospective Rotarians to the Arlington Club. Your club needs you to find those people who would benefit from being Rotarians and who would make our club better by their participation in Rotary. Bring a friend, colleague, or relative to lunch to introduce them to our club. Or, ask them to attend our club’s membership mixer on Tues, 15 Feb from 5:30-7:00 at One More Page Bookstore across the street from our La Cote d’Or meeting location. A perfect opportunity for those who want to learn more about Rotary to get to know us in a casual setting.

DISTRICT 7610 CONFERENCE
Just a reminder that registration is open for District 7610’s conference on April 7 - 10 in Gettysburg, PA. Registration for the full conference is $215 per person until February 28. On March 1, registration jumps to $250 per person. Go to “Calendar” on the Club and District Database at www.rotary7610.org, and sign up now!

RECAP OF UPCOMING EVENTS
10 February - AREF Board Meeting at La Cote d'Or
14 February - Speech Competition
15 February - ARC Wine & Cheese Mixer at “One More Page” Bookstore
3-5 March - Sister Cities International Conference at Crystal City Marriott
5 March - INOVA Blood Drive at Arlington Public Library
19 March - Finals for Dist 7610 Speech Contest
31 March – Club Spring Luncheon with speaker TBD
7-10 April - District 7610 Conference at Wyndham Hotel in Gettysburg
29 April - ARC Theater Night - "The Real Inspector Hound" at Metrostage Alexandria
21-25 May – Rotary International Conference in New Orleans
23 June – Club Installation Dinner (location TBD)

January 20th Update

2011-01-18T10:35:00.000-05:00

THIS WEEK’S MEETING

Our guest speaker this week is Paul Bosworth whose talk is entitled Brain Injury: A Survivor’s Perspective. Paul sheds light on US soldiers returning from war with brain injuries as well as the NFL’s stance on concussion awareness amongst players. Paul represents the silent majority of survivors outside of the military and professional sports.

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
Now is the time to introduce prospective Rotarians to the Arlington Club. Do your part and find those people who would benefit from being Rotarians and who would make our club better by their participation in Rotary. Bring a friend, colleague, or relative to lunch who would benefit by learning more about Rotary.

BASKETBALL TICKETS
In appreciation for our help with the Inova blood drive, the club has received two free basketball tickets for the George Mason vs Towson game on 26 Jan – Wed at the Patriot Center. If you are interested in attending, they could be yours. First come first served. I’m a college basketball fan and would be happy to attend the game if someone wants only one ticket. Just let me know.

ARLINGTON CHAMBER 87TH ANNUAL BUSINESS GALA
As our club is a member of the Chamber, we have been invited to a black tie reception, dinner, and silent auction at the Pentagon City Ritz Carlton on 29 Jan – Sat. Cost is $180 per person with RSVP by 21 Jan. Please contact me if you would like details or would like to attend.

PROGRAM ON JOUNALISM ETHICS
The Society of Professional Journalists has invited members of our club to attend this program to be held at Marymount’s Ballston Center on 22 Jan – Sat from 10-noon. This is the second in a 3-part series on “The Press and the Public” and will feature discussion by a panel made up of prominent journalists moderated by former White House correspondent Steve Taylor. Please contact me if you would like details or would like to attend.

ARLINGTON ROTARY SPEECH CONTEST
A jointly sponsored Arlington speech competition for Arlington high school students is tentatively planned for 10 Feb. We have sent the word out to the high schools, but we still need members to make prospective contestants and their parents aware of the contest. Please find time to promote this contest. The theme for each contestant’s talk is “Building Communities, Bridging Continents” and the talk should be 5-8 minutes in length. Top 3 winners will receive a monetary prize and go on to Area competition in March with those winners going on to a District competition in April. More about this event in the weeks ahead.

DISTRICT 7610 CONFERENCE
Registration is open for District 7610’s conference on April 7 - 10 in Gettysburg, PA. Speakers have been selected, exciting events are planned for Rotary fellowship, learning, and just plain fun. Registration for the full conference is $215 per person until February 28. On March 1, registration jumps to $250 per person. Go to “Calendar” on the Club and District Database at www.rotary7610.org, and sign up now!

RECAP OF UPCOMING EVENTS
22 January – Program on Journalism Ethics at Marymount’s Ballston Center

26 January - GM Patriots vs Towson at Patriot Center - Free tickets

27 January – ARC Meeting – Rick Kiernan, VP for Communications, L3

29 January - Arlington Chamber Gala at Ritz Carlton

10 February – Rotary Speech competition for Arlington High School Students

3-5 March - Sister Cities International Conference at Crystal City Marriott

5 March - INOVA Blood Drive at Arlington Public Library

19 March - Finals for Dist 7610 Speech Contest

31 March – Club Spring Luncheon with speaker TBD

7-10 April - District 7610 Conference at Wyndham Hotel in Gettysburg

29 April - ARC Theater Night - "The Real Inspector Hound" at Metrostage

21-25 May – Rotary International Conference in New Orleans

23 June – Club Installation Dinner

November 11th Meeting Pictures

2010-11-15T17:27:00.000-05:00

President Joe welcomes Bruce Allen from Canada.

Lisa Aneiva was our speaker.

Monte Carlo Night - November 5th

2010-10-28T09:57:00.001-04:00

Rotary's Monte Carlo Night is on Friday, November 5th!

$60.00 to get dressed up, have great food, enjoy gaming, a silent auction, great live auction items, and a chance for a $500.00 door prize! If you're interested in tickets, contact me and I'll get them to you. All proceed from this event go to the good works of Rotary, local and international projects of the four participating clubs: Arlington, DunnLoring, Tysons and Vienna.

Let me know if you're interested: kdrotary@hotmail.com

6:30 Silent Auction Opens—Cash Bar

7:00-9:00 Food Will Be Served
7:15 Dancing To Music By Loudoun Jazz Ensemble Throughout The Evening
8:00 Casino Games Open
9:40 Silent Auction Closes
10:00 Live Auction Followed By Raffle Prizes, Door Prizes, 50:50 Drawing, & $500 Grand Prize
11:00 Evening Concludes

Black Tie Optional.

SPEAKER NEWS: Corinne Gregory!

2010-10-18T15:45:00.001-04:00

Thursday - October 21 at 12:00
La Cote D'Or
(2201 Westmoreland Street, Arlington, VA 22213)
Lunch & Speaker $25.00

This week at the Arlington Rotary, Corinne Gregory will be our guest speaker. She is a Rotarian from Redmond, WA who has developed SocialSmarts®, a system that teaches children from preschool to high school about manners, values, and ethics. She will discuss how our educational system is failing our children, the common underlying thread of failure, and changes needed to adequately prepare our youth for the job market beyond school. Her concept incorporates real-world application of the 4-Way Test and gives a perspective on this hallmark of Rotary that you probably never considered. This would be a good meeting to bring a friend who is a parent or grandparent. Corinne was featured in the Rotarian magazine earlier this year.

Check-out Corrine's Blog at: http://socialsmarts.wordpress.com/

Corinne Gregory is the President and Founder of SocialSmarts®, a nationally-recognized program for developing strong social skills, positive character and values in children and adults.

Corinne is an author, speaker, advisor, and a leading authority on education, business and family-development topics. Her media appearances include The Today Show, CNN, Time Magazine, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Parents Magazine, and many more. She was recently awarded Phi Delta Kappa's Distinguished Educator Award for Innovative Leadershp and Dedication.

Besides her previously published technology and business-focused books, she is working on several books related to the SocialSmarts program, parenting, and education reform. Her most recent, "It's Not Who You Know, It's How You Treat Them - Five SocialSmarts® Secrets Today’s Business Leaders Need to Stand Out and be Successful" is available now.

Join us on Thursday, October 21 at 12:00 at La Cote D'Or.
2201 Westmoreland Street, Arlington, VA 22213.

2010-09-21T10:11:00.000-04:00

Join us for
Rotary on Tap!

‎October 5, 2010

5:30 – 7:00 pm

Sangam Restaurant

1211 N. Glebe Road

Arlington, VA 22201

This is a fun fellowship event to learn more about Rotary,

or if you’re already a Rotarian, to meet members of the other clubs in Arlington.

WHAT IS ROTARY?

Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

There are 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are nonpolitical, nonreligious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the motto “Service Above Self”, Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.

Guests, beer or wine is on us! Free appetizers for all.

For more information check us out at:

http://www.rotaryclubsofarlington.org/

Upcoming Events!

2010-09-13T11:14:00.000-04:00

We have so many different things going on, I thought I would take a moment to post them all here:

24 September – Healthy Families Picnic at Glencarlyn Park (Volunteers Needed)

25 September – Clarendon Days Chili Cook off fundraiser at Clarendon (Volunteers Needed)

1 October – Crystal City-Pentagon Club Golf Classic at Ft Belvoir

5 October – Rotary on Tap at Sangam Restaurant

29 October – Arlington Academy of Hope Gala at Key Bridge Marriott

5 November – Monte Carlo Night Fundraiser at Marriott Fairview Park

20 November – Help the Homeless Walk in DC (Volunteers Needed)

16 December – Club Holiday luncheon

Rotary at the Arlington County Fair

2010-08-26T21:03:00.000-04:00

Did you know there are three Rotary clubs in Arlington? Rosslyn-Ft. Myer, Crystal City-Pentagon, and the Arlington Rotary Club. Each year, we join together to participate in the Arlington County Fair. I don't know how many people we talked to this weekend, but I truly enjoy the company of all of the very interesting people at the fair. But mostly, I enjoy the company of my fellow Rotarians. We take the time to chat with one another about how we became Rotarians, and what it means to us. The stories and the people are amazing. Thank you to all of the folks that volunteered to sit at the booth.

We'll be hosting a Rotary on Tap soon. Stay tuned for further details!

July 22 Meeting

2010-07-28T08:51:00.000-04:00

Our speaker was former Congressman George R. Nethercutt, Jr., a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2005, now the founder and chairman of the Nethercutt Foundation (www.nethercuttfoundation.org), a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution that exists “to develop in young adults an understanding of government, business, public policy issues and civics, and to foster leadership qualities that will add value to their communities.”

Nethercutt stressed how much of our common heritage of history and civics has seemingly been lost these days through disinterest and simple failure to teach it. In one survey conducted by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, university students at some of the best schools in the country almost unanimously flunked a simple test of basic civics questions; and amazingly, a group of public officials scored even lower. (Try the test yourself at http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/resources/quiz.aspx).

The Nethercutt Foundation works to support and restore this common fund of knowledge about our country through programs like its summer-in-Washington fellowship program. In addition, Cong. Nethercutt has recently written a book, In Time With America, that uses music from the Revolutionary period as a framework for valuable historical and civic fundamentals. Available through your favorite book dealer.

Winner of the Arlington Education Foundation Scholarship
We were also pleased to meet this year’s Arlington Rotary Education Foundation scholarship winner Zoe Ballars and her mother Arlene. Zoe is an outstanding student, a member of the honor society, active in chorale and in the ACLU; she plans to attend the University of Virginia, concentrating on

English and music, and move on to law school.

Important Announcements at Today's Meeting!

2010-07-15T15:12:00.002-04:00

LEADERSHIP CHANGE: Due to unforeseen work circumstances, Michael Ba has had to step down as President of ARC. He will return to our club in 4-6 months, and we look forward to his return.

In the mean time, it is with great pleasure that we announce our new President for the 2010-11 Year: Joe Lott. Assistant District Governor PJ Maddox was on-hand to make this very special announcement on behalf of the ARC Board. District Governor Ron Marion handled the swearing in ceremony. Congratulations Joe!

If you missed this week's meeting, you also missed:
This week's speaker was DG Ron Marion with his goals and vision for our District, and for Rotary International. In this picture, PJ, Joe and Ron pose in front of this year's theme: Building Communities, Bridging Continents.

AND
Several members received Attendance Awards from DG Ron.
1 year of perfect attendance: Kim, Grant & Joe
2 years of perfect attendance: Steve K.
38 years of perfect attendance: Carl
and 51 years of perfect attendance: Hugh H.
CONGRATULATIONS - and remember, there are lots of ways to make-up a meeting!

Inova Blood Drive

2010-07-15T14:56:00.000-04:00

Everyone had fun participating by manning the front desk or donating their blood!

Lorna reports, "first shift was fine, Rotary t-shirts worn, and the Rotary Banner was up. Steady traffic and walkin-ins. Joe was a great partner."

Kim says, "they got my blood on the first stick!"

Later in the day, Hugh chimed in, "from my vantage point, it was a great success. I think the final total of signups was 65. Only 2 were rejectd (they had recently visited Costa Rica!)".

NEXT BLOOD DRIVE: October 9, 2010

Werner Fornos educates ARC on world population

2010-07-08T15:42:00.000-04:00

Today's guest speaker was Werner Fornos (left, with Joe Lott). Mr. Fornos is with the non-profit Global Population Education, and with the world's population on the rise, he taught us that education is the key to stabilizing this growth.

Within the next year, the population could reach 9 billion people, all of us competing for the same resources. 1 million people will go hungry this year. But with the grim realization that we have climate issues, we're losing forests, and we have dwindling resources. Mr. Fornos offers some ideas to help:

Educate women around the world - in countries where the women are educated, the number of children they have is cut in half.
Reduce infant mortality - in the countries with high rates of infant mortality, families feel they need to have more children to ensure the family continues.
Universal access to birth control - this does not condone abortion, but makes birth control equally available to everyone who wants it.
Greater male responsibility - in countries where men take responsibility for their actions, there are less unwanted pregnancies.

European countries have stabilized their population growth and the Central American countries are getting there, but India is still growing, more than 2 million people per month.

Rotary has an action group on Population & Development. The key to take away from all of this is Education.

Werner Fornos is author of Gaining People, Losing Ground, which will be available in December.

Arclight On-Line - July 1 Meeting

2010-07-06T09:37:00.000-04:00

July 1st Program Speaker:

Fr. Jean Claude Atusameso with the Jatukik Providence Foundation spoke to us about his work in Congo building EcoVillages that focus on Community, Education, Environmental Stewardship and Self-Sustainability, a program that can be adapted and duplicated as needed.

Fr. Jean decided to be a priest at the age of 10 so that he could make a difference in his world. At the age of 12, he went to the seminary. The foundation name comes from the letters in his own name and for him, it means being a provider to those in need.

The mission of the Jatukik Providence Foundation is to care for children so they’ll have a future, help with medical aid, provide job training, and develop the model EcoVillage Project.

Upcoming Events/Programs:

July 10th Inova Blood Drive 9:30 – 2:00, we need volunteers!

August 19 -21 County Fair

Guests and Visitors

Joe with the Vienna Rotary Club: www.treedocjoe.com

Happy Talk

Kim was happy to have watched fireworks last weekend at Tim’s Rivershore.

Joe Visitor was happy that their club project “Viva Vienna” may have raised as much as $160,000.00

Henk gave several dollars – 2 for Tripoli donations, 1 for the Dutch doing well in the world cup, 1 for our Speakers from the Congo whose Independence Day just past, and finally, several more to the Education Foundation for his Birthday!

Joe L. gave a dollar because his realtor gave $25.00 to the Rotary Foundation.

Walter’s son’s wedding went well this past weekend. There was an all day brunch that went from 10am – 7pm, but Walter was happy to report he still had some $$ left for happy talk.

Patty wasn’t happy her husband broke his collar bone, but she was happy that he was wearing a new helmut. And he is happy that while in Wintergreen, all he’ll be able to do is rest.

John W. went to the Zoo with his son, his grandson and his great-grandson, and reported that it was GREAT.

Linda was happy about the break in the humidity and grateful for the beautiful day.

Michael is having surgery on his finger, a soccer injury. Not sure why he was happy…

Club Business/Announcements:

President Michael stressed that meetings will be in French from now on. Just Kidding! But he did indicate these following points:

1. Membership – he would like to grow by 3

2. Projects & Programs “a la carte”

3. Networking & Fellowship

4. Fundraising! Monte Carlo Night in November is a possibility.

Kim announced the need Arclight Editors – let her know if you can help.

Steve K. passed out invoices. Some changes are being implemented, but if you see something that could be improved, let him know.

Meet Michael Ba, 2010-11 ARC President

2010-06-29T13:24:00.000-04:00

Michael Ba will assume the presidency of the Arlington Rotary Club on July 1, 2010. We asked Michael to answer a few questions about himself and his goals for ARC:

What are you main goals for your year?

Recruit new members by executing our Club Marketing plan
Provide fellowship & networking opportunities to members, through multiple weekly/monthly events and joint-meetings with other clubs
Provide “A la Carte” project participation so each member can pick a project they would be passionate about
Raise funds through major fundraisers and signature projects

What attracted you to the Arlington Club in the first place?

The meeting time, the location, and the fact that I already knew the owner of La Cote d’Or, our meeting place. I also approached the Rotary clubs after my mom’s advice that Rotary was a better fit than the Lions clubs. Ironically, my mom is a former Lions club President.

You've held other positions within Rotary, what are they? What did you do?

I held the position of Secretary of ARC and was the GSE Team Lead.
I coordinated the trip of 5 Brazilian professionals in the Arlington/Fairfax area
District GSE Chair: I prepared the schedule for the districts’ 30+ clubs as part of the visit of Indian and Jamaican professionals
Club President-Elect: tried to bring great speakers from both the for-profit and non-profit worlds!

What are you most proud of with regards to Rotary?

The ability to impact the community and do something different than the work-life routine!

What else would you like us to know?

I would like to make the Arlington Rotary Club a place you can:

have fun giving to the community,

execute and manage fantastic projects,

make friends,

have a nice weekly 3 course meal,

and why not make business contacts

…all for the weekly price of a couple of nice drinks in a bar!

Thanks Michael - we look forward to your year!

Photos of Installation Dinner

2010-06-25T11:00:00.000-04:00

Arlington Rotary Club Leaders pose after a lovely meal at La Cote D'Or.

Installation Dinner

2010-06-24T09:27:00.000-04:00

June 24, 2010 - Installation Dinner at La Cote D'Or. 6:00 for reception, 7:00 dinner. Join us as we install Michael Ba as the president of the Arlington Rotary Club.

Officers:
President - Michael Ba
President Elect - Joe Lott
Administration - Steve Klemp
Past President - Linda Valentino

District Conference

2009-04-05T07:54:00.002-04:00

What a great opportunity to meet area Rotarians and hear about all the great projects. The only dilema, is how to focus on our club? What are our passions? What should we focus on?

We could help support the Tangier Island project, very worthy.
Shelter Box is an easy way to aid those in need.
There are literacy projects, water projects, youth projects.
We could sponsor students at RYLA, in contests, in so many ways.

But what is our passion?

Personally, I like the partnerships that we are cultivating:
Supporting the Northern VA Healthy Families Anti-Gang Soccer Tournament
Arlington Food Assistance Center
Inova Blood Drives
The Arlington Free CLinic
The Sister City Reims project in Lebanon
The Arlington Acadmey of Hope in Uganda
Our partnerships with Crystal City and Rosslyn Clubs

I'm excited to see where our passion will lead us. No matter where we go, we will make a difference!

Rotary on Tap

2009-03-24T10:43:00.004-04:00

What a fun event last night! March 23rd marked the second Rotary on Tap in partnership with the Crystal City/Pentagon Rotary Club, and I'm counting it as a huge success. We had 8 members, and many brought guests with them, but most impressive were the number of non-Rotarians! I think we had about 15 attendees who either saw the flyer or recieved an e-mail about the Rotary on Tap event. Overall, I believe we had over 30 people attend. We'll see if that equates into MEMBERS, but it was fun and a great way to get the word out about Rotary.

Inova Blood Drive

2009-03-21T16:21:00.003-04:00

Thank you to the folks who came out to support the Blood Drive at Central Library today.

Hugh Barton, Grant Clowery, Kim Durand, Steve Klemp, Carmel Nance, Linda Valentino volunteered at the table.

Kim and Linda donated blood.

Pete Arntson came with his son Eric to donate as well.

We hope to see more of you next time!

Happy Talk!

2009-02-26T16:05:00.005-05:00

I have to say, that my favorite part of every Rotary meeting is Happy Talk. There have been weeks when I paid in quarters, and some weeks when I had to write down my Happy Talk to remember it, but I don't think I've been to a meeting where I didn't have SOMEthing happy to say.

Today, I was thrilled when Treasurer Elizabeth highlighted how much money we've generated from Happy Talk - $238.00. That all goes to our ARC Education Fund for scholarships to Arlington High School Seniors.

$238.00 means we've had 283 Happy Talks from members this year. That's about 12 Happy Talks per meeting (we've had 19 meetings where Happy Talk was recorded).

We are a happy crew, aren't we? No wonder its my favorite part...

I guess I'll owe a dollar for this post. Oh and one more dollar for the fact that Steve H. caught me the other day singing at the top of my lungs in my car. He had to YELL out his car window to get my attention. I'll gladly pay a dollar for that - cuz I was happy!

Have a great day.

Working with Schools

2009-02-11T18:45:00.003-05:00

Did you know that I work for Arlington Public Schools helping organizations start partnerships with our schools? Its a wonderful job, working with businesses, organizations and individuals who want to help make a difference to the youth in our community.

I often hear from Service Clubs (Kiwanians, Rotarians and Lions come to mind) the words, "we want to have a club in the schools."

However, working for the school system, I can say, "it isn't that easy!" You can't just say, "let's start a club" and have it work.

I know it has worked out just fine in other districts, but in Arlington, I want to encourage you to work with a school, perhaps even adopt a school, prior to approaching a school with the words "let's start a club."

Teachers, staff and administrators, all have too much on their plates to start something new. Instead, why not offer to help support their exsisting programs? Support their efforts as a way to develop a relationship, built on trust, respect, and friendship?

As an example, I hold up the Cryrstal City/Pentagon Club. They have an amazing PARTNERSHIP with Gunston Middle School. The coordinator at the school told me that at least once a month, Rotarians help with something going on at the school. Today, I was there for the Science Fair and ran into at least 6 members of their club who were acting as Science Fair Judges. They will be there next month during Career Day; they help with Teacher of the Year Awards and more. They have made a name for themselves as caring individuals, making a difference at Gunston Middle School.

The kids who attend Gunton have all been touched by Rotary. Isn't that the purpose of our efforts. To make certain that the youth learn the values of the 4-Way test and the idea of "Service Above Self?" What better way than to PARTNER with a school.

I might be a bit biased, since my job is all about PARTNERSHIPS, but it just feels right. Making a difference where a difference needs to be made.

Then, down the line, a teacher might surprise you by saying those magic words..."let's start a club."

Rotary Times Cable Program

2009-02-04T08:25:00.005-05:00

I was interviewed for the Falls Church Program called "Rotary Times." It was a lot of fun, but after the shoot, I remembered all the things I meant to say! They sent me 19 questions that I wrote out some answers to, in hopes that I would remember to mention them on air. Here's a bit of what I meant to say (and I still didn't remember everything!):

1.Tell us about your background and your “life before ROTARY”
Born in Indiana, but grew up in Arlington.
JMU – Majored in Communications with a concentration in Theatre
Sold Computers, worked in Arts Administration
Currently work for APS in Volunteer & Partnership Program
Speak to a variety of Service Clubs

2.How did you get involved in ROTARY; and why did you join the ROTARY Club?After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, I worked with Rotary to hold a potluck dinner for the families that had been relocated to Arlington.

3.Could you tell us a little about the Arlington ROTARY Club?We have 44 members. We meet on Thursdays at La Cote D’Or on Washington Blvd.
We have a lovely three course meal each week. Our club has a mix of ages - we have 21 members over 55 and 23 members under.

4.How many women members does your club have?
We have 7 women

Are they in leadership positions?
All of the women have taken leadership roles in the past. This year, the past president, me and the president elect are all women.

5.Tell us about some of the programs your club does in CLUB SERVICE?We have a great web-site at www.arlingtonrotaryclub.org. I have a Blog that is a space that I try to write down thoughts and things that we’ve done, or to post notes for members to read. We also have a Facebook Group for members who are interested in keeping touch that way. Our guest speakers include leaders from the community – we have had the County Manager, the School Superintendent, the Garrison Commander of Ft. Myer Military Community, along with folks like this week – we’re hearing from Army Captain Dawn Halfaker with Wounded Warriors.
We utilize e-mail and electronic communications as much as possible, every Monday I send out a note to folks with a meeting update and announcements.

6.Tell us about some of the COMMUNITY SERVICE programs that your club is involved in?
We support a variety of local non-profits with donations – like the Arlington Free Clinic, Arlington Food Assistance Center, and the Healthy Families Program, but our service includes Ringing the Bell for the Salvation Army, helping with Inova Blood Drives at the Arlington Central Library 6 times per year, helping sort and bag food for the Arlington Food Assistance Center, and helping the Arlington Academy of Hope folks with their special events.

7.Tell us about some of the VOCATIONAL SERVICE programs that your club is involved in?
We have an Education Fund and we give a 4 year scholarship each year to an Arlington student. We invited the scholarship winners to attend meetings when they’re home on breaks. We work with the high schools to help students earn their community service hours by inviting them to help us with our Community Service projects, so we’ll work along side of students at AFAC or at the Healthy Families Picnics. It’s a chance to show them, not just tell them, what its like to be a Rotarian.

8. Tell us about some of the INTERNATIONAL SERVICE programs your club is involved in?
We work closely with a school in Uganda called the Arlington Academy of Hope and we routinely have the director to our club to speak. Its amazing when he can tell you exactly where your donations, no matter how big or small, have gone – you can see you’ve really made a difference. That’s a partnership we have with the Academy.
Our most recent international project was just completed and installed – a dialysis machine in St. Martin.

9. Which of these (or other) projects that you’re “hands-on” personally involved with do you get the most personal satisfaction from?It would be had to pick just one project. I love Ringing the Bell because we always work in pairs and its so nice to chat one-on-one with a fellow Rotarian, but its always so cold. I love helping at AFAC, especially now, since they have such a strong need. But the Healthy Families Picnic is so much fun because we’re outside, watching the kids play and the families relax and enjoy themselves. I guess that would be the best.

10.Does your family support you in your ROTARY involvement? Do they get involved in projects with you?
Most of my family had never heard of Rotary before, so they’re not quite sure what its all about, but they know I’m excited about it, and of course they support me. My husband attends the special events and meetings, and enjoys meeting my friends in Rotary. He has come with me to make-up meetings when we travel – our favorite was a make-up in Las Vegas.

11.Has the ROTARY motto “Service Above Self” been helpful to you in the conduct of your business? In your life? In what way?Working for the school system and a Volunteer coordinator capacity, I meet with people all of the time who embody “service above self” – the volunteers and the organizations that give so much of themselves, it is inspirational. I’ve also enjoyed volunteering, but through Rotary, I can see how my small efforts can make changes around the world.

12.Have you used the ROTARY “Four Way Test” In your business dealings? Not directly, but I’d like to think that I live that way in all my dealings.

13. What can we, as Rotarians, do to help ROTARY INTERNATIONAL grow?PR! What you do with this program I think is a great step. We can grow by letting folks know who we are and what we do, who wouldn’t want to be a member?

14. What do you recommend to help our local clubs grow?I don’t have any great recommendations, we’re like every service organization, and we’re struggling. We have joined the Chamber of Commerce, we’ve partnered with the other Rotary Clubs in Arlington to host an event that was originated at the Crystal City Club – Rotary on Tap. We all invite and publicize the event in hopes that we’ll meet some future Rotarians. We had a table at the County Fair and got quite a few members from that event. It’s a matter of getting out in the community.

15.Does a Rotarian’s responsibility (in recruiting) end with proposing a new member to the club?There has to be follow-up, and not just from the member who proposed the new person, but from anyone who sat with or talked with the proposed new member. And if they do join, it still doesn’t end – people need to be involved to feel the fellowship, and that is what is important.

16.Does your club have a formal program of introduction and indoctrination for a new member? We hold fireside chats periodically for new members. We also have a mentor program where “old” members are partnered with “newer” members to help them with the history of our club.

17. What are the key elements to retention of old (existing) members?
Keep them involved. It seems like we’re all about the new members and getting them involved, but don’t underestimate the importance of the HISTORY and experience that is in the room. If no one asked me to participate, why would I, and then why should I bother to attend?? Everyone wants to make a difference.

18. Any other areas that you’d like to cover ?
Just that its important to work with other Service clubs in your area too. In Arlington we have an ISCC and we all hear about the various projects that each of us is working on. I know that the Lions collect used glasses and cell phones. Our club can help them with that. We worked with the Kiwanians and the Lions on their Hearing and Vision Screening tests this year too. It’s a nice way to promote all of our clubs – and easier to get publicity too.

19. What closing words do you have to say to those young professionals who have an interest in becoming rotarians?Attend a few of the clubs close to you and find the one that fits. You have to feel comfortable and engaged. If you’re not, then go to a different club. Talk to a few Rotarians outside of the meetings, to ask the hard questions to make sure it’s a good fit for you.

I was asked to join many clubs prior to meeting this group. I work with them all on various projects still, but the Arlington Rotary Club is where I felt at home.

50 Years and Counting!

2009-01-27T14:25:00.003-05:00

From the Sun Gazette:
Two Arlington Rotarians Combine for a Century of Membership
by SCOTT McCAFFREY, Staff Writer
(Created: Friday, January 23, 2009 9:56 AM EST)

Herman Obermayer and Hugh Heishman were joined by their wives, Betty Nan Obermayer and Barbara Heishman, at the awards program. (Photo by Scott McCaffrey)

The opening days of 1959 were filled with plenty of consternation and change.

Nikita Krushchev announced that the Soviet Union now had intercontinental ballistic missiles, further rattling nervous Americans. Closer to home, Virginia’s state government was trying to prevent integration of the commonwealth’s schools.

And in Tokyo, drivers were putting up with a new innovation from the U.S.: Japan’s first parking meters.

Around that same time, the Arlington Rotary Club welcomed two new members who would, over time, make their mark on the organization in different, but important, ways.

On Jan. 22, the club honored Herman “Obe” Obermayer and Hugh Heishman for 50 years of service, during the club’s weekly meeting.

“I don’t know why they joined - the important thing is, they stayed,” said Chuck Davidson, Rotary’s district governor for the local area. “Somebody looked out for them, nurtured them.”

Obermayer has the slight edge in seniority, having joined the club in December 1958. Heishman came on board a month later.

Both names may ring a bell with Arlingtonians: Obermayer was the longtime publisher and editor of the Northern Virginia Sun, while Heishman ran a car dealership in Crystal City that sold (and still sells) Porsches and other upscale vehicles.

“These guys are men of character, men of kindness,” said Herb Hopwood, a former president of the Arlington Rotary. “I’ve considered both of them mentors.”

Heishman has been the more active of the two in Rotary, achieving perfect attendance over his half-century of participation, and rising to the leadership post of district governor.

Heishman joked that he was a very young man when he joined. “Instead of taking me to day care, my mom dropped me off to Rotary,” he quipped.

Heishman said it was the camaraderie among members that made the experience so special.

“Every Thursday, I’ve looked forward to coming to Rotary - why wouldn’t you want to come?” he asked. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that friendship.”

Obermayer said Rotary “enriched and enhanced our lives,” and rattled off several amusing anecdotes about how Rotary affiliations served him well several times while on overseas trips.

“It changed my life, made my career,” he said. “I am so grateful.”

The Arlington Rotary Club was chartered on July 4, 1929, with 25 members. For generations, members met at Washington Golf & Country Club; today’s meetings are held at La Cote D’Or Cafe on Lee Highway.

Hopwood said Obermayer and Heishman had more in common than longevity.

“When you talk to both of them, it’s a lot more than about business,” he said. “They have a zest for life. It’s one thing to be successful - they give back.”

The Arlington affiliate is one of 32,000 Rotary clubs across the globe, with a total membership of about 1.2 million. The organization was founded in 1905 in Chicago. Women were first admitted to membership in the 1980s, and now comprise almost a quarter of the total U.S. Rotary membership.

“The best part of Rotary is fellowship,” said Kim Durand, who is serving as president of the Arlington club.

The 50th-anniversary celebration attracted a large crowd of members, visitors from other Rotary clubs and friends and family members of the two recipients.

President's Retreat

2009-01-10T15:44:00.002-05:00

What a great exchange of ideas! President Elect Linda and I sat together with folks from 5 other clubs to talk about a variety of issues, challenges and successes. It seems we're right on track with other clubs in our district - which is great to know.

We got some good ideas for fundraisers, membership and foundation. They're going to compile all of the ideas and e-mail them to us. Stay tuned for great things to start happening :)

Proof

2009-01-04T14:16:00.003-05:00

Rotary Resolution Run!

Rotary Resolution Run

2009-01-02T13:35:00.002-05:00

I heard about the Resolution Run last year, and really loved the idea. I've wanted our club to do something like a 5K or 10K, thinking it would be such a great fund raiser, while also raising awareness. Wow, it looked like a lot of work!

First, personally I had a great time. There were about 500 runners, a nice warm area to sit and chat with other folks, some nice music, coffee and doughnuts. It started at 10:45, so it was also a reasonable hour. The park was open only for this event. I was able to finish in 1:10:46, in spite of all of the hills! It was a beautiful sunny morning, horses all around, a herd of deer running through the woods - absolutely beautiful.

Now, Rotary wise - they must have had the entire club there helping. There were about 2 people per table - pre-registration, on-site registration, t-shirts, food, people outside at various stops cheering people along, handing out water, and who knows how many people to get all of this set. There were several police on hand for a few road closings. There was entertainment too. It was a very well run event, and a great turnout.

What a great event for that club. Something we could do, maybe on a smaller scale to begin with, but wouldn't that be wonderful? Something to aspire too.

In the mean time, I had a great time and look forward to bettering my time next year!

Picture from Stuart, FL Meeting

2008-12-05T11:18:00.003-05:00

Make-Up Meeting in Florida

2008-12-01T14:43:00.003-05:00

Over Thanksgiving, I was in sunny Stuart, Florida visiting my father, brother and family. I am usually in Stuart twice a year, but this is the first time that I've had the opportunity to make-up at the Rotary Club in Stuart. What a treat!

The club meets at a restaurant called the Golden Buffet, and it certainly was! There was all manner of food from sushi to pizza, sweet treats and more. They had a separate meeting room filled with over 40 members.

They were collecting food for a food drive and two tables were loaded with canned items, cereal, pasta, and peanut butter.

Their speaker was from the Maritime Museum, which is currently under construction and something that my father and brother were very interested in hearing more about.

They had a very unusual method of collecting fines/happy talk - a bright pink BED PAN attached to a long broom handle that the Sergent at Arms passed around the room in order to reach everyone.

It was a lively group of folks and I had a great time! I have to say, the next time I go to Stuart, I'll make sure to plan lunch with the Rotarians for sure.

I wonder what someone would write of making up at our meetings?

Where have you made-up? I'd love to hear your story.

Attendance Ideas

2008-11-01T17:57:00.003-04:00

Our attendance has dipped a bit. I don't want members to feel pressure to attend when there are so many other pressures we face every day, but attendance is part of membership.

The attendace goal as established by RI is attendance for at least 50% of meetings.

But I believe that if there are circumstance (work or otherwise) that can not be avoided, that members should not feel bad about missing a few more than that. Especially if they are paid and otherwise in good standing.

I would instead like to focus on projects that are outside of the normal meeting times as a way for them to make-up meetings. For example, any opportunity to attend an event with the Rotary Shirt or Rotary postcards to hand out; anyway that we can spread the Rotary Word and possibly get new members could be considered a make-up.

I know that many of our members do not feel the same way. For some, attendance is very important, and some of our members have perfect attendance for as many as 50 years. This is so impressive, and I do not want to diminish their accomplishment, however, I'm afraid if we put too much pressure on attendance in the traditional sense, we'll only lose members!

I would like to consider the whole body of (Rotary) work of each member, rather than a statistic at the end of each month.

That's my two cents!

Fundraising

2008-10-17T07:52:00.003-04:00

After a blogging hiatus, the Board convinced me that I should try this blog idea once again. So, here it is. This one is about Fundraising.

I am sorry to report that the Wine Tasting set for next week was cancelled. This is the only "fundraiser" that we have for our Education Foundation. I believe this is something that our club needs to focus on. We have so many projects that we would like to fund, but some of the newer members (and older members too, during this economic downturn) can't just dip into their pockets to help.

There have been a few people who have indicated that they would be interested in working on this, but we have to yet to establish a committee. Perhaps this can be done in establishing the New Board - appoint someone specifically for Fundraising. I think it will require someone in the club to take the bull by the horns and just do it!

I've met with some folks and do have some ideas -

Very Easy: Work with a local restaurant for 20% of the proceeds night, and then get everyone you know to go there. I've seen this done at some small chains like Baja Fresh or Noodles and Co. May not be big money makers, but easy and little effort on our part.

Very Easy: Have in-home dinners (not unlike the Fireside Chats) but have them be potluck, and invite neighbors and friends and ask for $10.00 donations, could also have silent auction items at the event that help increase the money.

A Bit More Work: Pancake Breakfast or Spaghetti Dinner - not too expensive to put on, but charge $10.00 at the door and then have raffles or a 50/50 for more money.

Lots of Work, But I Want To Do It! - A 5K Fun Run/Walk. This could become a big annual event where we actually make lots of money, but it will take a lot of cooperation and effort.

There are so many other ideas out there - we just need to find the right fit for our club. I'll be attending a Non-Profit Forum next week about Fundraising - at the Walter Reed Community Center on October 22 at 11:30 - 1:00. If anyone wants to join me, go to www.arlingtonchamber.org to sign-up. If not, I'll take notes and report!

So that's the blog for now. Make comments if you'd like!

DG Visit

2008-07-27T13:24:00.002-04:00

Chuck Davidson and his wife Nita came last week for the 'official' visit. We met with him before the regular lunch to lay out our year goals and plan. I'm very excited about all of the iniatives.

He was particularly impressed with the way the three clubs in Arlington are working together - he mentioned it several times. I am proud of that effort and am excited to see what happens at the County Fair.

We've had a good response from members about several items, like joining the chamber, the county fair, and the Rotary on Tap event. We'll see how it all plays out by our next board meeting.

I am going to miss the next meeting, as I will be visiting family in Florida, but I should be at all of the meetings in August.

Meeting Number 3

2008-07-17T15:07:00.003-04:00

Well, I'm not quite polished yet, but I'm getting a bit more comfortable ringing the bell.

Several NEW ideas have me thrilled:
1) We're joining the Chamber of Commerce.
2) 7 People signed up to sit at the County Fair Booth (we still need lots more!)
3) We had plenty of folks interested in the Rotary on Tap with the Crystal City Club.

These three things alls passed through the board and were met with enthusiasm of the members. I was so happy.

Now, I just need to keep my fingers crossed for the web-site. If I don't hear from LogicIT, I'm going with 1&1, and getting something on-line.

We had two potential members at today's meeting, one from BB&T, Hector, and the other an Alexandria Rotarian who lives very close to our club meetings, Don. We'll see what happens, I'd love to start the year off with two new members.

Next week, we'll be meeting with DG Chuck. I am looking forward to that!

Installation Dinner

2008-06-30T13:02:00.005-04:00

What a wonderful event - and how honored I am to be a part of such a wonderful group.

We had two members inducted into the Paul Harris Fellowship - Henk Knipscheer and Michael Ba - for all of the work they've done this past year.

Michael Ba got the Avenue of Service Award for his contributions in GSE among other things.

I had the honor of introducing the incoming board and almost everyone was there!

From left to right: Pete Arntson, Hugh Barton, Ginny Dilley, Tom Kirwin, Steve Holmes, Linda Valentino, Steve Klemp, Michael Ba, Bill Cox, Henk Knipscheer and ME down in front!

Thanks to everyone for making my installation so much fun!

Pictures

2008-06-30T13:00:00.004-04:00

Healthy Families Dinner

2008-06-30T12:56:00.003-04:00

What a fun event on a beautiful day! It was on June 24th and the weather couldn't have been better - it was in the low 80s and not too humid. The perfect evening. I'll try to post a few pictures.

Tuesday's Highlights!

2008-06-17T22:06:00.003-04:00

Dr. Young-Woo Kang, who spoke at our club early in this Rotary Year, was the recipient of the 2007-08 Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award. It was inspirational!
There are 33,094 Rotary Clubs across the world!
The focus of the morning was Polio Plus. The three partners with Rotary are UNICEF, WHO and CDC, all of whom were present for the first time together on one stage!
Ann Veneman, with UNICEF
Dr. Julie Gerberding, with CDC
Dr. Margaret Chan, with WHO
Each had amazing words of praise, while motivating us to DO MORE. At a minimum, each club should raise $1,000 for Polio Plus for the next three years. How will we do that?
Strategic Planning - Vision, Goals and an Action Plan!
Should answer "Why do we exsist?"
PR!
Need a brochure, a message, look into corporate partners, look at the RI Web-Site for more guidance!
Look for the "This Is Rotary" Brochure and the "What's Rotary?" Wallet Card.

Another great day!

RI Convention - Monday!

2008-06-16T22:19:00.002-04:00

I'm met a lot of great people so ar, its amazing how many different countries are represented! I've talked with folks from Nigeria, Mexico, Korea, and of course people from all across the USA. DG Chuck Davidson and his wife held a lovely reception this afternoone with some other VA districts and I had a chance to see some old friends from other clubs as well. I'm getting lots of great ideas - I can't wait to share them all with you!

A few highlights:
Rotarians are "ordinary people with a passion to make a difference."
Heard all about a book called "A Century of Service," it sounds like a great read!
Ethics & the Four Way Test - how are we doing as individuals? Do we apply them to all areas of our lives?
Club Leadership Plan could help increase membership.
What could we learn from a survey of members? Should we do that?
We should create a long-term plan - a 3-5 year strategic plan.
"Don't just say what you have to do, do what you have to do!"
Create a press release about our new strategic plan highlighting the local efforts - great way to build interest!

I know there will be more to follow - I have 2 more full days!

My Year as President!

2008-06-13T08:59:00.003-04:00

I thought I would journal my year as President of the Arlington Rotary Club, starting with the Rotary International Convention Trip.

I'll be heading to Los Angeles tomorrow morning (Saturday, June 14th). My first session will be on Sunday at 3:00. I am looking foward to The Hall of Friendship. Everyone has said that the Hall is the highlight of the Convention.

There are several other folks from our area going that I know: Vance Zavela (he spoke to ARC 2 weeks ago), Chuck Davidson (the new DG), and Ron from the Rosslyn Club. There are some other folks that I know I'll have a chance to meet and work with.

So, I look forward to the coming year. I will try to post pictures and thoughts about ARC and the office.

Here we go!