| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Formed
in 1974, the Rotary Club of North Bethesda,
MD., has a diverse membership of 50
business and professional men and women.
The club is part of Rotary International
with over one million members in 26,000
clubs in 175 countries. North Bethesda
Rotary meets each Friday morning at
Hamburger Hamlet in North Bethesda to
enjoy a hearty breakfast, camaraderie,
and to plan activities and fund-raisers
for Rotary causes and ideals. We invite
all interested individuals to come to
a meeting, see what Rotary is all about,
and learn how we contribute to the community.
|
|
|
|
|
May. 18: Paul Rockower - American Voices
May. 25: Ambassador Wegger Chr. Strommen - Downfall of the Euro
June 1: Jamie Franklin - Humanitarian Mine Action
June 8: Elaine Rose - Classification Talk
|
| |
| Potomac Scouting & North Bethesda Rotary Rock Creek Bike Ride |
| June 16, 2012 |
Join the Rotary Club of North Bethesda and the Potomac District Boy Scouts in bike rides down various trails in Rock Creek Park centered at the Veirs Mill Park Activity Building in Wheaton.
Follow the progress and get all the details on the main event website www.rotarybikeride.org
|
 |
| |
| Paul Rockower - American Voices |
| May 18, 2012 |
Our breakfast speaker today is Paul Rockower,
the Director of Communications for “American
Voices” which is a nonprofit that conducts cultural
diplomacy to countries emerging from conflict
or isolation. Paul previously served as Press
Officer for the Consulate General of Israel of the
Southwest, directing media and public diplomacy
outreach across the five-state region. He has also
been a Visiting Fellow at the Taiwan Foundation
for Democracy, where he researched Taiwan’s
public diplomacy.
Paul graduated with a Master’s of Public Diplomacy from the University of
Southern California and his journalism and traveling endeavors have taken him
to nearly 55 countries! |
 |
| |
| Chris Perlick - Youth Exchange Program |
| May 17, 2012 |
Chris Perlick of the Leonardtown Rotary Club in St. Mary’s County was our
breakfast speaker last week, and used the occasion to talk about “the experience
of a lifetime—the Rotary Lifetime Exchange.”
To be a part of the “Lifetime Exchange”
a participant must be between
15 and 18 and a half, above average
in academic achievement, and
outgoing and flexible by nature.
Those who are selected will spend a
full year with two or more host families
in a foreign country where they
will attend school just like the teenagers
of their host country.
Forty-nine foreign countries are involved in the program. The participants start
with the shock treatment of learning the language of the foreign country they
are in, which usually takes about three months during which time they make
lifelong friends of the host students.
Teenagers who are sons or daughters of Rotarians may qualify, and anyone interested
in applying for participation should contact the Rotary Club of Essex. |
 |
| |
| Dave Fitzwilliam - U.S. Progressivism |
| May 11, 2012 |
Last week’s breakfast speaker was club member Dave Fitzwilliam who talked
on “the birth of Progressivism in the early 1900s.” Its objective was the redistribution
of wealth by Big Government run by scientists, engineers, and intellectuals.
Before the 16th Amendment (income tax)
in 1913, the U.S. had limited, free market
capitalism, and a GDP growth of 6%. After
1913, Dave said “we had Big Government
and Progressivism that limited GDP
growth to 2%.” In the 50 years before
1913, U.S. free enterprise grew the economy
from 1/3 of the Brits, to 8 times the
Brits. Since 1900, only 3 presidents have
not been Progressives (Harding, Coolidge,
and Reagan).
|
 |
| |
| Rick Bradley - Time for Fitness |
| May 3, 2012 |
| Richard “Rick” Barry was last week’s breakfast speaker and
used a lot of humor in talking about his company, “Quick Fit”
which has developed a 15-minute no-sweat exercise program.
The company deals with a large number of business firms and
professional sports teams, and has published a book and DVD
describing the program. Rick’s association with the
Washington Redskins resulted in an unusual story which took
the form of a dialog between coach Joe Gibbs and Redskin
player, John Riggins, who kept saying “I aint gonna do it!”
but finally agreed to when the time was reduced to two minutes. |
 |
| |
| Chris Warner - Reverse Mortgages |
| April 26, 2012 |
Chris Warner was last week’s speaker, and
set about to tell what family members should know
about reverse mortgages. ”First of all,” he said, “it is
not a loan of last resort. It is a way for adults 62
years of age or older to tap into their home equity
and receive loan proceeds for what they might need
while they continue to live in their homes so long as
terms of the loan are met.”
The terms of a reverse mortgage must be met, and they are not for everyone.
Changes in terms have been made over the past 50 years, and are important to
understand. Our speaker then cited the cases of Home Equity Conversion
Mortgages (HECM) that can make it easier to purchase a new home. |
 |
| |
| Last Week |
| April 19, 2012 |
For the first time in your editors memory,
neither our breakfast speaker or 3-minute
speaker showed up last week (although Kent
Mason appeared on the scene about half way
through the meeting). All of which meant that
club President Gary Lett took time to report
on the process of selecting students for
scholarships, and the continuation of our very
popular program at Thomas Edison High School which rewards students $50
for academic achievements.
Gary cited two students who have done well. The first is a young woman who
had lost interest in school, had not been attending classes, and enrolled at
Thomas Edison where she revived interest and won a $50 reward. The second
was a young man who went the way of a gang, moved to Edison, and also won
an award. |
 |
| |
| Pete Minderman - Boy Scouts of America |
| April 12, 2012 |
Last week’s breakfast speaker was Peter Minderman who is the volunteer Boy Scout District
Chairman of the southwest third of Montgomery
County (about 3,000 Scouts), and is one of about
1,000 volunteers in the area. He has three sons
who are dedicated scouts.
“How do you raise a boy?” is sometimes a vexing
question, and his sons have come up with a few
ideas on the subject—learn to fail, learn from mistakes,
think on the fly, and dedicate yourself to
serving others remembering that leadership can’t
be learned from a book.
Only two percent of those who enter scouting become Eagle Scouts, and there
are a million scouts. The number is declining, but the number in Montgomery
County remains rather constant. |
 |
| |
| Donna Marie Thompson. PhD - Meeting Goals |
| April 05, 2012 |
Last week’s breakfast speaker was Ms. Donna Marie Thompson, who spoke
of “Meet Every Goal Every Time.” Having lost her mother, her husband, her
money, and her health all within several month’s time, she is well-qualified to
describe how she overcame the trauma of her losses.
A printed “wheel” was distributed to the club
members, showing the steps to be taken while
on the way to starting and attaining individual
goals. Ms. Thompson then said that “there are
two kinds of people—those who are willing to
give up on their search, and those who overcome
obstacles that are in the way of reaching
goals.. She presented a sort of key with the letters
“YES” for Yearning-Effort-Success.
During the Q & A session, Donna stressed that
a proper goal must be set, in order to foresee how obstacles can be overcome
and finally enjoyed. |
 |
| |
| Merlyn Reineke - Montgomery Community Media |
| March. 29, 2012 |
Merlyn Reineke, the new Executive Director of Montgomery
County Media, was last week’s breakfast
speaker, and presented a review of plans designed to
transform the organization. He began by pointing outthat
41% of the adults in the county interact with local
news agencies, and that use of media is at an all-time
high.
Newspapers are struggling but citizens want more and
broader news reports, and are willing “to cover”
events. Currently, the
county is comprised of a diversified population
which is served by two TV channels (19 & 21).
MCM is setting up a new web site and training people
to cover events. |
 |
| |
| Victoria Ivan Feldman, Ph.D. - Last Spring in Venice, Florence, Rome |
| March. 22, 2012 |
| Victoria Feldman, who visited Venice, Florence
and Rome last spring, told of her twoweek
tour with an extensive collection of photographs.
As an architect, she was struck by
the design and construction of ancient buildings.
While in Venice, she photographed the
Piazza San Marco, and the near-by Doges Palace
and the Winged Lion of St. Mark with its
two great columns. In Florence, Victoria was fascinated by the imposing cathedral,
Santa Maria Del Fiore in the center of the city with its cupola and bell
tower. The last stop was Rome where the “grandeur that was Rome” is preserved
in the ruins that are left in the Forum Romanum, and its statuary.
|
 |
| |
| Grace Yao - Shen Yun Performing Arts |
| March. 15, 2012 |
Last week’s breakfast meeting featured Ms. Grace Yao (below), who serves
with the Asian Community Service Center in the Washington area, and who told
us about the Shen Yun performances to be held at the Kennedy Center Opera
House, from March 21-April 1.
Shen Yun performers are among the top
classical artists in the world, and its artists
turn an intensively difficult art form into
something beautiful and effortless, inspired
by China’s 5,000 years of civilization.
The orchestra blends Chinese and
western traditions, the bel- canto soloists
are an integral part of each performance,
blending with the classical phases of the
performance in an all-new show.
|
 |
| |
Tom Walsh, RA -
Landmark Destinations / sneak peak of Westfield Montgomery Phase 1 Expansion |
| March. 08, 2012 |
| Thomas Michael Walsh, who serves as Design
Director for Westfield’s Southeast region,
was last week’s breakfast speaker and
told of the founding of these highlysuccessful
shopping centers, and plans for the
future of the Westfield Center (Montgomery
Mall) in our area. Westfield was founded in
late 1950 in Sydney, Australia, and today consists of 124 centers, world-wide.
The emphasis is upon strategic locations, and the UK center is at the gateway to
the upcoming summer Olympic Games, and the U.S. center is at the World
Trade Center. As for the local center, plans call for a showcase of fashion and
one-stop shopping with an expanded food court and possible addition of two
Cosco stores. The Montgomery Mall location contemplates a large moving picture
installation on top of the current parking garage.
|
 |
| |
| Ms. Pi-Hsien Yu - Embassy of Singapore |
| March. 01, 2012 |
Our breakfast speaker last week was Pi-
Hsien Yu, the First Secretary of the
Embassy of Singapore, who spoke of the
island republic she represents. About the
size of Long Island, its population is about 5
million, and comprises a financial and trade
center. In 1965, Singapore became
independent from Malaysia after breaking
free from Great Britain two years earlier. It functions under a parliamentary
government with a president and a prime minister.
Singapore’s economy is open, with a free market. It faces a degree of pressure
from China with a major portion of its population having come from that
country. Its cleanliness is a matter of great pride, its art has seen freedom of
expression, and overall has become open in many areas.
|
 |
| |
| 2nd Annual Wine Tasting & Silent Auction |
| Feb. 23, 2012 |
The club’s Wine Tasting and Auction fundraiser
at Kenwood Country Club last Saturday
was an artistic success, and well-attended by almost
100 members and guests. The financial figures
are not yet available and presumably will be
“made public” in due course.
Special thanks are in order for those members who
worked long and hard in putting the event together– particularly Carmela
Carr, Rob Follit, Elaine Rose, Gonzo Accame, Jim Manley and we hope we
didn’t miss anybody! A collection of photos taken by Gonzo can be seen here.
Photo Gallery - CLICK HERE
|
 |
| |
| Mr. Kent W. Mason - Mountain Light – The West Virginia Allegheny |
| Feb. 23, 2012 |
Last week’s very interesting breakfast speaker
was Kent Mason, a charter member and past
president of our club, and perhaps equally important,
a conservationist in the mountains of
West Virginia (where he has a second home).
Kent’s program featured photos of the mountains
and landscapes in the Alleghenies with
appropriate background music plus Kent’s observations of the parkland and
wilderness, scenes of West Virginia mountain tops, Norfolk mountain, the Eastern
Continental divide—all of which is only about a four hour drive from the
Washington area. The mountains are numerous and at one point in history
were the highest in the world. It is an area of beauty that is worth that four hour
drive!
|
 |
| |
| Kristin Panier- Rotary Amb. Scholar |
| Feb. 16, 2012 |
Our breakfast speaker last week (courtesy
of member Bruce Fowler) was Ms. Kristin
Panier—a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar
and Fulbright scholarship recipient from
Dresden, Germany who is studying at
Johns Hopkins University in Montgomery
County.
Kristin’s talk included a Power-
Point presentation about her native city, as
well as some newsworthy items of current interest. The first pictures were photos
of World War II damage to Dresden, a city that is known as the “Florence of
the Elbe.” Next came scenes of Christmas buildings and decorations, followed
by reports of newsworthy events.
The first event dealt with the mayor of Dresden,
Christian Wulff, who apologized for a private loan he had received. The
second was a news story about the phase-out of a nuclear power facility which
had been postponed, and the third concerned the renewal of another plant that
was delayed. The nations of Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Portugal have, in
her view, placed the euro under great pressure. Kristin is planning on completing
her studies in International Relations by 2013.
|
 |
| |
| Michael Fonte - Update on Taiwan |
| Feb. 09, 2012 |
| Our speaker was Michael Fonte,
and his subject was Taiwan,
his”favorite place in the world.”
He pictured the history of the
island and its significant place in
Asia today, and finished by saying
we have little cause to turn
our eyes away from China and
the Orient
|
 |
| |
| William Klein - House Appropriations Committee |
| Feb. 02, 2012 |
Last week’s breakfast speaker was William (Bill) Klein, who is a member of the
“Surveys and Investigations Staff” of the House Appropriations Committee. He
gave us an inside look into what he described “as the research arm of the committee.”
S & I was defined by statute in 1943, with a Director
and Deputy Director. It is said to be “programspecific
and its investigations cover a wide range of
requests from committee members. Once a matter
is brought to S & I, it is given to a team leader for
investigation.
The point was strongly made that little may be
learned if you go to Google in an effort to learn the
inner workings of the committee or its investigative
arm. Bill Klein spent more than ten years with the
National Criminal Investigative Service, and now
spends much of his time with defense and government
matters.
|
 |
| |
| Rachel Simko - Youth World |
| Jan. 26, 2011 |
Last week’s breakfast speaker was Ms. Rachel Simko, who has served as a missionary
and art teacher in Ecuador for the past year. Her talk was about the country
and her work in the capital city of Quito.
The country is roughly the size of
Colorado and sits astride the equator,
hence its name, and Quito is at an altitude
of 9,500 feet. It is a beautiful
country but impoverished, follows
traditions, speaks Spanish, and is Roman
Catholic. It schools are poorly
furnished, and our speaker uses her
own funds to buy supplies.
Rachel’s photographs displayed few
desks, one computer that does not work, and a Christmas tree for the holidays.
From her conversations, it was apparent that she has a deep affection for her students,
and they in turn for her. She was graduated from the Maryland Institute
College of Art, and has become proficient in Spanish. She welcomes the support
of churches and service clubs in the area.
|
 |
| |
| Lobna "Luby" Ismail. - Cross Cultural Relations |
| Jan. 19, 2011 |
Last week’s meeting featured Ms. Lobna “Luby” Ismael, an American-born
Muslim of Egyptian descent who is the President of the “Connecting Cultures”
organization which is dedicated to helping people connect across cultures and
faiths. She presented an absorbing study
of “Cross Cultural” relations, beginning
with the idea that you must know your full
name as a tribute to your forebears.
Luby grew up near Gainesville, Florida,
and quickly learned that barriers exist to
human relations, with language the most
obvious, plus traditions, genders, religions,
and non-verbal actions. To illustrate,
she had two members of the club (Nick
Martinez and Kent Mason) stand facing each other about six feet apart, and then
asked each one to step toward the other. Each felt the other was in his face, and
became uncomfortable.
Hand gestures vary from country to country, the concept of time is either exact or
whenever, and eye contact can bring approval or confusion.
|
 |
| |
| Lincoln Smith - Forest Gardening |
| Jan. 12, 2011 |
Lincoln Smith, a tall young man with a passion for protection of the environment,
spoke to the club last week on the subject of “Forest Gardening”, which is
based on ecosystems that are layered and polycultural. Roots grow in various
forms which has been found to help each other.
Lincoln cited the work of Dr. Norman
Borlaug as one of the outstanding men in
the forefront of the “green” movement.
Forty percent of the land in the world produces
our food, but today yields have increased,
providing more pounds per acre.
Oak trees provide acorns for flour, and
plants are adaptable for every type of soil.
What may be the most important development
is that a sense of moral pressure is
today been found in the way our forests
and fields perform.
|
 |
| |
| Curtis E. Huff, Club Director - International Service Update |
| Jan. 05, 2011 |
Curtis Huff was last week’s breakfast speaker in his capacity
as the club’s Director of International Service for many
years (a duty he will be turning over to Jim Manley). He
presented an update on what he has been doing lately and in
particular his concentration on a school for girls in Kenya
and the two girls who have been awarded scholarships in a
private school. Our club has provided funds of $1,800 per
year for tuition and living expenses. They have responded
with good grades (all A’s and B’s) and have kept in touch
with a Rotary club in the area.
Curt feels that Kenya will benefit as a developing country,
and it is a good idea to work with these two girls, and a
value in building relationships there. He also went on to explain some of his duties
at the State Department, notably Fulbright scholarships and Leadership programs
by which visitors are invited to the U.S. for three week tours.
|
 |
| |
| Gonzo Accame - Christmas Wishes |
| Dec. 29, 2011 |
Richard Bray led off our Holiday celebration
with his guitar and rousing singing
Jingle Bells, to be followed by members
recalling childhood memories of
holidays in years gone by. The idea was
set up by Gonzo Accame , who
came equipped with his professional camera and sound system.
Gonzo’s memory was the time he hid in a closet in order to see Santa Claus, fell
asleep, and woke up in his own bed where he assumed Santa had moved him.
Aaron Overton was next, and related that when he was a child in Alaska he received
one glove for Christmas, and the other one was a present on his birthday a
week later. Ellen Gillis remembered that her
brother got a BB gun, and used it to break a window
in the house next door. Dave Fitzwilliam
(who was living in Brazil) received a Lionel electric
train which had to be set up on a dining room
table. John Warden was in South Africa where it
was summer was stricken by an upset stomach,
and used watermelon as a cure.
Then there was Carmela Carr, who was from a
large family, unwrapped gifts one at a time, amid many jokes. Chuck Boteler
received a wrapped Christmas present in a Christmas eve ceremony, and when he
unwrapped it the next day, there was a notation on the wrapping “For a 6 to 8
year old girl.”
And so it went, with further anecdotes from Glenn Blong, Jim Manley, Ron
Sigelman, Joe Bunker and Bob Fangmeyer.
|
 |
| |
| Annual Meeting - Election of Officers |
| Dec. 22, 2011 |
It may not have been legal, but the club managed last week to put together an acceptable
and approved slate of officers and directors who will take over next July
1. The following members were elected:
President: Gary Lett.
Vice President: Joe DiPietro,
President-Elect: Nick Martinez,
Secretary: Aaron Overton,
Treasurer: Steve Vaccarezza.
Directors: Carmela Carr, Gonzalo Accame, Claes Ryn, Brent Kynoch
Sergeant-At-Arms: Kevin Flynn
(Immediate Past President Jim Manley continues as a director)
Following the election, reports were made by Treasurer
Steve Vaccarezza (“We’re solvent to the tune of $10,000
less Holiday Brunch expenses”), Fund Raising Chairperson
Carmela Carr (“Auction and wine tasting will be held February
16 at a cost of $45 per person”), Vocational Director
Claes Ryn (“We should reach out to business leaders as well
as young people through Rotary Youth Leadership”), Curt
Huff (“We’re continuing support for two students in
Kenya”), and Director Ellen Gillis (“Dictionary project
moving well”).
|
 |
| |
| Jay Davies- Rotay Curling Championship |
| Dec. 15, 2011 |
Last week’s breakfast program was put on by Jay Davies and Bob Pellitier (past President of Elkridge Rotary, past
member of Columbia-Patuxent Rotary, now member of
Wheaton Rotary) who related the history of the Curling
Championships to be held April 1 to April 6 at the National
Capital Curling Center in Laurel. Canada has won the
championship eight times, with Scotland taking the title
seven times and the U.S.A. twice. “Now that we have been
awarded this championship, we have to make it a success,”
he said, and followed with ways that Rotarians can help.
They can volunteer as drivers, purchase sponsorships, sign up as “friends, and
buy advertising spots throughout the championship site. They can even “make
up” at the Laurel Rotary Club on Wednesday, April 4, at the Sheraton Washington
North Hotel.
|
 |
| |
| Louis P. Soloman - Your Story is Their Story |
| Dec. 08, 2011 |
Louis Solomon, who holds three degrees in including a
PhD, was our speaker and currently concentrates on a
new venture which he described by the title, “Your
Story is Their Story.” He maintains that everyone has
a story to be told and that now is the time to tell it. Start
with photographs or letters or memoirs of any kind, but
the important thing is to start now, spending time every
day to the effort, not just now and then. Our speaker
has a firm called “Life Echoes” and publishes books
with hard covers and acid-free paper which is put together by a company named
“Copy General” near Dulles Airport.
|
 |
| |
| David O. Stewart - American Emperor |
| Dec. 01, 2011 |
David O. Stewart made his third visit to our club, this
time to talk about his latest book, American Emperor,
Aaron Burr’s Challenge to Jefferson’s America. Burr had
been active in politics and served as vice-president under
Jefferson who dropped Burr from the ticket in 1804. Predictably,
animosity between the two men deepened.
Burr joined with General James Wilkinson
in an effort to separate the western part of
the United States, seize other territories to
form another nation presumably with Burr
at its head—all of which came to be
known as the “Burr Conspiracy.” In time, he became nearly delusional
about forming a nation in the west. He had been lass than
exemplary in his dealings, “a very ambitious man with lofty ambitions.”
|
 |
| |
Older news >> |
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
