BRIARCRIER
June 22, 2012 Friday noon, Briar’s Restaurant. Briarcliff Manor Rotary Club
TODAY IN HISTORY
1611 – English Explorer, Henry Hudson, his son and others were set adrift in present day Hudson Bay, Canada by mutineers. Their fate remains unknown.
MEETING LEADER – President Dean Dykeman
PLEDGE – Sy Yuter PATRIOTIC SONG – Sy Yuter Prayer – Bishop John
HAPPY THOUGHTS AND BUCKS– Ken Shimazu – took scuba diving lesson; Mark Seiden – on time for meeting; Bob A for sun rise solar system; Rachel for her 50th birthday trip with twin sister; Sy - the difference between 49 and 50 is only one second.
ANNOUNCEMENTS – Please sign up for two or more committees for next year. Hang up Rotary Flag on Friday at the Briar’s.
GUESTS – Tom Laurenson – visiting Rotarian
SPEAKER AND SUBJECT – Andrew Speiser – Haiti Project
SUMMARY OF TALK
DOXA is a Christian organization that glorifies God and is building a school building in San Ped, Haiti. The remote village of San Ped has been deforested to make charcoal for cooking and coconuts to eat. Andrew Speiser is a volunteer who is helping to build a school where there are currently no roads and houses that barely protect people from the elements, with no water except from springs under ground. They have to walk a long way to get this water. People carry water cans on their heads for miles. Many people have low morals in this rural area, he is told. The water is used for drinking, bathing and cooking. They speak Creole, French and a little English. A usual question is “What can you do for me” instead of “What can I do for myself." Andrew discussed the differences in the US where we are expected to work and not look for handouts from others. The school building was put on hold for a time due to the heavy rainy season but is expected to be finished by the end of the year, and DOXA has had some help from local people from San Ped.
This Friday: Helping the Disabled -- Mr. and Mrs. Balusubramanian
Elinor Yuter, Reporter
Rachel Leihbacher, Expediter
