BRIARCRIER
July 20, Friday Noon, The Briar's Rest., N. State Road, Briarcliff Manor NY Rotary Club
TODAY IN HISTORY
1917: the draft lottery in World War 1 went into operation.
MEETING LEADER: President Kris Chittur
PLEDGE: Sy Yuter PATRIOTIC SONG: Sy Yuter PRAYER: Dr. Bob Amsterdam
HAPPY THOUGHTS: Ken Reng said switching to Chappaqua Rotary since son in head of high school Rotaract. Dr. Bob Maher will soon be a grandfather.
ANNOUNCEMENT: Ken Reng awarded honor of Paul Harris Fellow. Granted by our speaker, Helen Reisler. Our club is losing several members so we should all try to bring in new members.
SPEAKER AND SUBJECT: Helen Reisler, past District Governor, on Rotary Rewards
SUMMARY OF TALK
Helen Reisler was the first woman to become a member of the Rotary Club of New York. She was assigned to the environmental committee. Fairly soon she experienced immense satisfaction, joy and new friends as a Rotarian. Paul Harris said that Rotary allows every one to do extraordinary things. She was appointed, and still is, the International Rotary designate to the United Nations.
Helen Reisler is often described as “a woman of firsts.” She was the first woman member of The Rotary Club of New York in 1988, the first woman president of her club in 92 years, and the first president to face the challenge of an unprecedented terror attack on her own city in 2001. She raised 1.4 million to aid the needy, while guiding her club members in “hands on” disaster relief efforts. She has traveled, by request, to numerous Rotary districts to speak about this experience, is highlighted in a book, “Heroes of “9/11,” and has been honored with a painting of her image on “The 100 Years of Rotary” wall in Hartsdale, New York.
As District Governor during 2005-2006, being true to her mantra of “Blow Your Own Horn,” Helen encouraged and taught clubs how to publicize their community projects, which resulted in an unprecedented amount of newspaper coverage. She delights in publicizing interesting Rotarians and has had them on several television shows including “The Today Show, “A Good Cause,” and “The Lisa Show.” She is a consultant to “Radio Rotary,” has contributed to, and been interviewed by The Rotarian Magazine and was RI President Lacys media liaison in New York.
Helen has been appointed by five successive RI presidents, to represent Rotary International at the United Nations. She has coordinated the Youth program, including Interacters and Rotaracters, on “Rotary/UN Day,” for the last four years, where she doubled the audience, and one year introduced “hip-hop” and “rock music” to the program.
She serves as a trustee of both the New York Rotary Foundation, her District 7230 Foundation and is Chair of her club’s Past Presidents’ Council. She is a nine time Paul Harris Fellow and Vice President of Membership of the Rotary Global History Fellowship.
Helen has produced seven videos to publicize her club and district, all of which have played on cable TV. She initiated the Gift of Life program in the New York Rotary Club and secured a $75,000 grant. Her “Gift of Life One Child’s Story” was chosen for prime time TV.
During the “Haiti Disaster,” Helen coordinated volunteers, reported daily “from the field” to the External Relations Department of Rotary International, and attracted newspaper coverage. She interviewed on radio where she requested supplies, recruited volunteers, and publicized Rotary.
Helen‘s background includes education, media, and the advertising/publishing business, where she held numerous positions and “broke the glass ceiling” She was a Vice President of the International Sales & Marketing Executives and a founder of the “Sales Hall of Fame” She is highlighted in multiple Marquis “Who’s Who” books, and has received numerous awards. She is presently a consultant in Public Relations & Publicity, specializing in speechwriting, image psychology, and event planning.
She has three children, and six grandchildren Her husband, Mel, an attorney, and Paul Harris fellow, passed away after the year of her presidency in 2002.
Friday meeting at The Briar's: India's Political System by Kris Chittur
Elinor Yuter, Reporter
Rachel Leihbacher, Expediter
