December 19, 2007

At our weekly lunch on December 12, several of the many rewarding aspects of being a Rotarian made themselves clear. First of all, we had as our guests several members of the Hancock Rotary Club who came to share lunch and thank our club for inviting them to our Christmas party, which benefited the Food Pantries of each community. The presence of our Hancock friends was yet another reminder of the fact that the Rotary spirit of community service extends beyond our own club and is shared by Rotary members in virtually every community, in our own region, across the United States and throughout the globe.

It was wonderful as well to hear news of our local club's recent achievements. Our Christmas party yielded more for the Food Pantries than had I had originally reported—we raised $533 for each the Deposit and Hancock organizations. Sue Elinsky also informed us that the total result of our efforts during this holiday season was that $2,374 was raised for the Food Pantry Turkey Celebration. It's really amazing that an organization that has such fun times also accomplishes so much good work.

It was also a great treat to learn about the nation of Iceland from Rotarian Jim Ficurilli, who, along with his wife Ellen, had visited the country on their way to the wedding of a former Rotary exchange student from Finland who had stayed in Deposit for a year. We saw several stunning pictures of the Icelandic countryside, formed by volcanoes, and heard interesting details about the country and the people who inhabit it. Everyone seemed particularly fascinated to learn that many of the hot springs and natural baths that are huge tourist attractions are most often visited without bathing suits!

I'll see you back next week for the latest Rotary news and gossip!

December 12, 2007

I write this having just returned home from the Rotary Christmas party held at the Chestnut Inn on Saturday, December 8. Rotarians and guests were greeted by the Inn's beautiful holiday décor that was made even more charming by the homey ambience offered by the Chestnut's picturesque setting on Oquaga Lake . Everyone seemed to be in gracious holiday spirit as they warmly greeted old friends and happily met new ones. It was wonderful to see a strong contingent of Hancock Rotarians joining us for the evening.

After our delicious meal, the fun of our Christmas auction began. Wrapped gifts brought by the attendees were sold off by our own auctioneer, Smitty Axtell. I am very happy to announce that by the end of the evening, both the Deposit and Hancock Rotary Clubs had each taken in $475, which will be given to each community's respective food pantry. Can you imagine a more fun and rewarding way to give back to the community? Many thanks to Mark Tucker for making this party a wonderful reality!

In other Rotary news, our club was treated to a performance by the sixth graders of the DCS Elementary School chorus at our weekly meeting. Under the direction of Mrs Rae Turner, the students performed "Festival Sanctus," "When Christmas Comes to Town," "I've Got Rhythm," and "One Candle." I was astonished by powerful quality of the students' voices, their ability to handle complex harmonies, and their excellent pronunciation of Latin in two of the pieces they performed. Solo parts highlighted the talents of the individual singers and by contrast, demonstrated the immense sound of the full chorus. This variation of intensities truly demonstrates the artistic sophistication Mrs Turner instills in her students. It was also amazing to see how many students are part of the chorus! We extend our gratitude to Tina Strong for arranging for the chorus to visit our weekly meeting. Stay tuned next week for more news from the world of Rotary!

December 5, 2007

Our club's lunch meeting on Wednesday, November 28 was a busy and exciting one. First of all, it was announced that our club has raised $1,617 for the Deposit Food Pantry to buy Christmas turkeys for families in the local community. We were very excited and proud of this accomplishment. Many thanks go to Sue Elinsky for all of her work in helping our club raise this money!

Rotary is also looking forward to our upcoming Christmas party and auction on December 8 at the Chestnut Inn. I'm especially looking forward to spending that time with my fellow Rotarians in such a beautiful setting. Thank you to Mark Tucker for making it happen!

We were also treated to a visit from the DCS Girls Field Hockey Team and their coach, Mrs. Heather Conklin, and the team statistician, Mrs. Margaret Blaho. After our lunch, Coach Conklin introduced each player, her interests, accomplishments, and future plans, many of which included challenging and exciting college and career ambitions. It's clear that their coach really cares about the girls and maintains high standards of them both on the field and in the classroom, thus encouraging them to develop not only into skilled athletes, but well-rounded individuals of limitless potential.

During the meeting, Coach Conklin made two significant announcements regarding her team this year. First, Lindsey Wagner and Emily Cecere were named First Team All Stars and received field hockey player figurines. Coach Conklin was also very proud to announce that Deposit's JV and Varsity Field Hockey Teams received the Sportsmanship Award out of all teams in New York State 's Section IV. Our club was very happy to have the team join us and it was wonderful to be able to congratulate all the girls on their accomplishments and great season!

November 28, 2007

The Deposit Rotary Club is once again planning our annual Christmas party to be held on Saturday, December 8 at the Chestnut Inn on Oquaga Lake. I'm particularly excited for the party for a number of reasons. First of all, the menu sounds absolutely delicious with selections of prime rib, salmon, and stuffed chicken. I always can't wait to have the chance to hang out in that festive setting with my fellow Deposit Rotarians with whom I've come to really enjoy spending time every week.

Also, I'm excited to have the chance to meet some new people since we are also inviting our friends in Hancock Rotary Club to share in the event with us. Most importantly, we are planning a holiday gift auction at the party to benefit the Deposit and Hancock Food Pantries. As is always the case, Rotary has found a way to delightfully combine the fun and excitement of holiday socializing, complete with delicious food and a beautiful atmosphere with important and significant service to the larger community. Guests are always welcome at our events, so feel free to voice your interest to any of our club's members!

November 21, 2007

The Deposit Rotary Club was fortunate enough to have Lynn Hartz of the Deposit Foundation and Rural Housing Services, Inc. join us for lunch on November 14. After our meal, Lynn filled our club in on two very important topics associated with the Deposit Foundation: the new Deposit Community Center project and the Toys for Tots program.

Lynn informed us that the Community Center is currently having a professional feasibility study completed, which should give valuable information on how well our community could support and benefit from such a facility. Right now, the vision includes a meeting and banquet space which could accommodate more than 150 people and a commercial kitchen for catering events, preparing food for the Meals on Wheels program, and also the senior citizens program meals. There would also be space for smaller events and other organizations and a community room to house recreational activities and computers for people to use.

Filling us in on the Toys for Tots program, Lynn pointed out to us various ways that the community as a whole could help to make Christmas special for children of less-privileged families. Because the program prides itself on making the holiday as memorable as possible for these kids, they ask for specific wish requests from the families who register for the program to better ensure that each child will get exactly what he or she was hoping for. Because of this, cash donations are always appreciated and enable the Toys for Tots volunteers to purchase much-needed toys from major retailers, who provide discounts. However, donations of new or near-new toys are also appreciated. Specifically, there is much demand for new board games, toys for infants and toddlers, and drawing and artistic supplies. If you're looking for a way to really spread the holiday spirit, donating to Toys for Tots is an ideal gesture. If they receive your donation at the Deposit Foundation at PO Box 41 , Deposit by December 12, the program will make sure your gift gets to a deserving child for Christmas. Thanks to Lynn Hartz for joining us and educating us about these very important community projects.