New Location! New Location! New Location

August. 26th meeting will be our last meeting at the old Briarcliff Recreation Building.     Starting September 2nd meeting, we will meet at our new location....Briar Restaurant on North State Road

Aug. 19, 2011 Briar Crier

BRIARCRIER

August 19, 2011, Friday at 12:00, former Briarcliff  Rec Dept, Briarcliff Manor NY Rotary Club

TODAY IN HISTORY

1882: Tchaikovsky’s overture had its premiere in Moscow.

MEETING LEADER – Dean Dykeman

PLEDGE  -  Sy Yuter  PATRIOTIC SONG – Sy Yuter  PRAYER –  Ken Shimazu

HAPPY THOUGHTS:  Zen – happy to be back and Doris doing well with physical therapy; Rod – family wedding; Kris – membership list completed, log into website and update and read news.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: August 26^th is the last Rotary meeting at the Rec Center and September 2^nd Rotary will begin meeting at the Briars Restaurant.  Community Day is September 10^th. Rachel – there will be a blood drive at the Fire House on August 31^st from 3 – 7:30; blood supply in Hudson Valley is dangerously low.

SPEAKER AND SUBJECT – Dr. Ken Shimazu – Tsunami update

SUMMARY OF TALK

Ken has been a member of our club for 25 years.  He said he has always had a strong fear of earthquakes.  There is an anti-nuclear generation sentiment in Japan.  After the disaster, there was a shortage of electric power throughout the country.  They did have disaster preparedness but many of the old houses are made of wood.  There is a strong building code for new concrete buildings.  The Japanese have a history of photographing their families, their surroundings and before and after shots.  People collected picture albums from the debris.  They strongly revere their ancestors.  Japan has one half of the population of the United States but live in a small area.  The Rotary Clubs in Japan are meeting again except for the Fukushima clubs near the damaged reactor.

Elinor Yuter, Reporter

Rachel Leihbacher, Expediter

Aug 12, 2011 Briar Crier

BRIARCRIER

August 12, 2011, Friday at 12:00, former Briarcliff Rec Dept, Briarcliff Manor NY Rotary Club

TODAY IN HISTORY

1981 – IBM introduced its first personal computer, the model 5150 at the price of $1,565, allowing for inflation it would be nearly $4,000 today.

MEETING LEADER – Dean Dykeman

PLEDGE  -  Sy Yuter  PATRIOTIC SONG – Sy Yuter  PRAYER –  Paul Rosen

HAPPY THOUGHTS  -  Shelley – great picnic at The Club with dedication of soccer field for the village; Rachel – sold more shirts; Kris – Ambassador scholarships

.ANNOUNCEMENTS -  September 2^nd Rotary will begin meeting at the Briar's Restaurant.  Community Day is September 10^th.

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SPEAKER AND SUBJECT – Dr. Sy Yuter on Obama’s Foreign Policy

SUMMARY OF TALK

All commentators agree that Obama is following a multilateral retrenchment foreign policy that requires UN Security Council support sometimes at the expense of US foreign policy interests, like in Libya.  An administrator supporter said “If you were to boil it down to a bumper sticker, it’s “Wind down these two wars, reestablish American standing and leadership in the world, focus on a broader set of priorities from Asia and the global economy to a nuclear-nonproliferation regime.”  A pro-Bush analysis of Obama’s foreign policy was “less assertive, less dominant, less power-minded, less focused on the American people's particular interests and less concerned about preserving U.S freedom of action.  It is true that he did not simply  pull the plug on the war in Iraq as he promised he would do, and that he increased the commitment of troops in Afghanistan.  But those comprises reflect the president’s pragmatic judgment about the art of possible, not his conviction about what kind of country America should ultimately become.”  An Israeli view is that he is pro-Palestinian, but his administration supports Israel financially and militarily, as Bush did.  He is willing to act unilaterally to defend against attacks against the US.

Elinor Yuter, Reporter

Rachel Leihbacher, Expediter

Aug.5, 2011 Briar Crier

BRIARCRIER

August 5, 2011, Friday at 12:00, former Briarcliff Rec Dept, Briarcliff Manor NY Rotary Club

TODAY IN HISTORY

1914 – Transcontinental telephone service in the U.S. began between New York and San Francisco

Meeting Leader – Dean Dykeman

PLEDGE  -  Sy Yuter  PATRIOTIC SONG – Sy Yuter  PRAYER –  Rachel Leihbacher

HAPPY THOUGHTS  -  Ken – Japan won in soccer; Eric – that Reverend Higgins is here.

GUESTS – Reverend George Higgins, Rachel’s father

.ANNOUNCEMENTS -  Ann Cargill is a new Rotarian.  Kris’s radio show went well.  September 10^th is Community Day.  Rotary meetings will  be moving to Briar's Restaurant.

SPEAKER AND SUBJECT – Bob Maher – Infinity and Beyond

SUMMARY OF TALK

Dr. Bob Maher is the executive director of St. Christopher’s School and the Clark Academy of the Greensburg – North Castle Union Free School District.  He told us about the students accomplishments and scholarships.  He proudly noted class academic achievements and scholarships awarded.  Clark Academy valedictorian is headed to LaGuardia Community College in Queens, NY and the salutatorian is headed to Manhattan Fashion Academy of Technology.  Clark Academy’s marching band received a donation for uniforms for their drum corps.  Students have been building relationships with senior citizens who attend the town’s senior lunch program.  They have been developing social skills and some have developed strong bonds.  A wonderful and positive environment for these students. 

Elinor Yuter, Reporter

Rachel Leihbacher, Expediter

 

Briar Crier July 29, 2011

BRIARCRIER

July 29, 2011, Friday at 12:00, former Briarcliff Rec Dept, Briarcliff Manor NY Rotary Club

TODAY IN HISTORY

1914 – Transcontinental telephone service in the U.S. began between New York and San Francisco

MEETING LEADER  – Dean Dykeman

PLEDGE  -  Paul Rosen  PATRIOTIC SONG – Sy Yuter  PRAYER –  Rachel Leihbacher

HAPPY THOUGHTS  -  Shelley – son happy at camp; Zen – Doris has had successful knee replacement; Paul –  college roommate visiting after many years; Ken – Japan won women’s soccer; Rob – son and daughter both engaged to be married

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ANNOUNCEMENTS – Shelley – The Club at Briarcliff will be hosting a barbecue on August 10^th; Kris – he will be on the radio and will be talking about Rotary

SPEAKER AND SUBJECT – Helen Lynch, District Governor, About Rotary.

SUMMARY OF TALK

Helen Lynch, nicknamed “the hugger”, is the District 7230 District Governor.  She spoke to us about the importance of the four way test which we recite at every meeting.  We were reminded by new International Rotary President Kalyan Banerjee of India to reach within ourselves to embrace humanity.  She emphasized three things this year. 

1. Family - where we let our hair down and feel most comfortable.

2. Continuity – when our habits are similar every year, but renew with new thoughts and ideas.

3. Change – this leads us with over 106 districts to work together and the future vision for Rotary local and international.

Future matching grants from International Rotary have to be over $25,000. So local chapters will have to combine big projects.

Elinor Yuter, Reporter

Rachel Leihbacher, Expediter