Weekly luncheon speakers: Mary Marcuccio - Parents 4 a Change...

Our Mission
We are parents and citizens, based in Southington, Ct., who are speaking up to make a difference in the fight against opiate abuse by teens and young adults. We are raising awareness about this issue, while providing support for families in crisis. We are also working with local and state authorities to make our communties unfriendly environments to drug use and drug activity.

Our Goals
* Raise awareness about the serious, life-threatening drug problem of opiate abuse that exists in our town, as in so many other suburban communities in the northeast.
~ Did you know that HEROIN as become the drug of choice for many suburban teens?
* Provide a network of communication and support for parents and families who are going through this nightmare of drug abuse with their teenager.
~ Are you or someone you know suffering in silence? Feel alone, isolated?
We can be a support for you because we have lived it! We have REAL answers, RIGHT NOW!
* Create REAL and EFFECTIVE deterrents to drug use and drug activity in our town and yours, in order to protect our teens and young adults AND our communities.
~ We would welcome anyone who would like to work with us in making changes!

PLEASE feel free to contact us at parents4achange@yahoo.com or 860-621-1682. We will get back to you as soon as possible! Mary Marcuccio - Parents 4 A Change

Golf scramble to benefit Parents 4 a Change
“McCABE’S MOVING & STORAGE”
4th ANNUAL TWO MAN SCRAMBLE
GOLF TOURNAMENT and BANQUET

Saturday, August 15, 2009 at PINE VALLEY GOLF COURSE,
300 Welch Road, Southington, CT 06489
1:00 Registration, 2:00 Shot gun start, $110 per golfer
All proceeds will benefit PARENTS 4 A CHANGE!!!!
Golfers join the pig roast banquet at the Falcon's Club (33 Knowles Ave., Southington) immediately after tournament.

Weekly luncheon speakers: The Chi Society of CT...

The Chi Society of CT is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation and a totally volunteer rescue network. We do not have a facility where the dogs are housed, they live in our foster homes until they can be placed in suitable,caring permanent homes. We also provide sanctuary for a small number of dogs, who, through no fault of their own, have been deemed unadoptable and would have otherwise been euthanized. We provide food, shelter, medical care, grooming, exercise and training as needed for all of our dogs. Our adoption fees currently range from $200-$350, depending on the dog. These fees are the sole means of support and medical treatment for all the dogs in our care. An application for adoption can be found on our website, www.thechisociety.org. For more information or to make an appointment to meet a dog, call our main foster home in Glastonbury at 860-633-1167. We can also be reached by email at TheChiSociety@gmail.com.

Luncheon speaker-Raymond Bechard of Ahava Kids...

Ahava Kids Mission Statement
AHAVA Kids exists to rescue and care for young victims of child trafficking, enslavement and exploitation throughout the world. (website)

Ahava Kids, a United States, 501(c)3, Not-For-Profit human rights organization, exists to rescue and care for young victims of child trafficking, enslavement and exploitation in the United States and throughout the world. Through direct intervention, Ahava Kids has developed the process of Rescue, Relocation and Rehabilitation. This is the most effective method of removing young people from the various dangers of trafficking while giving them the best chance at survival and a decent life. Using this process, Ahava Kids has assisted in saving over 3,000 young people around the world and in the United States since 2003.

District Governor Richard Borden, Jr. visits Southington club...

Club President Carol Grant and District Governor Dick Borden

Asst. Dist. Gov. Rod Greaves, Carol Grant and Dist. Gov. Borden

Rotary District 7890 website

Walter Hushak speaks to Club.....

Southington Rotary Lifetime Member Walter Hushak was our guest luncheon speaker today. His presentation covered the U.S. Army Air Corps of WWII through today's modern U.S. Air Force observing its 60th anniversary as an independent force.

The Wings of Freedom Tour, Oxford, CT at the Waterbury-Oxford Airport:

Sep 6- 2pm to 5pm

Sep 7- 9am to 5pm

Sep 8- 9am to 5pm

Sep 9- 9am to 5pm

Sep 10- 9am to 12pm

Visit the Collings Foundation on the web at collingsfoundation.org or call 978.562.9182

Guest speakers from Oak Hill...

Ana Maria Mitchell and Trish Heslin of the Oak Hill School were the guest speakers at the luncheon meeting of August 1.

Per the organization's website, "Oak Hill was founded in 1893 by Emily Wells Foster, a Sunday school teacher in Hartford, to provide the means through which blind children could lead lives defined by their achievements. Since that time, Oak Hill has kept pace with, and been responsive to, the changing needs of people with disabilities. Today, Oak Hill provides services and solutions for children and adults with varying disabilities so they can live as independently as possible and be contributing, productive members of their communities."

Oak Hill has two facilities in Southington that are part of its Residential Program.

SHS Interact students of the month...

President John Ryan introduces the Southington High School Interact Club students of the month for the 2006 fall semester at our January 24th weekly luncheon meeting at Mulberry Gardens.

Inter-Club Meeting....

Quick Information Guide
When: November 15, 2006; Where: Manor Inn
Time: 6:30-7:00 Social Networking; 7:00 Meeting begins
Cost: $12.00 per person

Clubs Involved
·Lions*
·Rotary*
·Kiwanis*
·Jaycees*
·UNICO
·Key club
·Interact*
*Confirmed attendees

Reminders
·Each club should bring a prize for the raffle.
·Please supply approximate count of attendees to Wayne Stanforth by November 8
Email: wayne@wws-cpa.com

Order of Events

1.Opening Ceremony
Pledge Interact
America Kiwanis
Invocation Rotary
Lion’s Toast Lions
Jaycees Creed Jaycees
(Your club’s opening ritual)-please contact Wayne Stanforth if interested in adding to opening ceremony
2.Introduction
3.Dinner
4.Presentation of Individual Clubs-each club will present an explanation of their club’s philosophies and purpose
5.Keynote Speaker-Janet Mellon: Southington’s Director of Community Service will speak
6.Raffle

Who Will Be The Next Rotarian IDOL????

SOUTHINGTON ROTARY CLUB 2006 SPRING MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

Being a Rotarian means being a part of an organization that changes millions of lives around the globe every day. The talents you share with others make a huge difference to those in need.

Some of the ways that lives are changed include:

§ Eradicating polio
§ Building sanitation services in Third World countries
§ Preparing youth for leadership throughout the world
§ Responding to disasters around the world
§ Making a difference, one Rotarian at a time

This year to promote membership our committee is developing the Who Will Be The Next Rotarian Idol membership drive. The goal we have set is to raise membership in our club by 10% before the end of this year. That means adding 4 new members between now and July 1st.

The date we have set for our Membership Recruitment Day is Wednesday May 17th.
Team captains are:

Helen Archangelo Art Blumer, Co Chair Audrey Brown Charlie Cocuzza Rich Corcoran	Matt O’Keefe Steve Parsons Harvey Polansky Chet Potrepka Donn Reilly
Dan Daigle Rosemary DeFeo Joe DePaolo Dolores Fanelli John Gissas	Ginny Roy John Ryan John Salerno Carl Sokolowski Dave Strosahl
Dr. Carol Grant Rod Greaves Dennis Kane Harold Kane John Kennedy	Vicki Triano Audrey Vinci Ruth Warner Trish Walden Dave Zoni
Ron Klein Dan Longo Elaine Maloney Mike Mathieu Robin Morrell

Each team is challenged to recruit one good member to become a “Southington Rotarian Idol.” We encourage you to bring this candidate to the meeting on May 17th because it will be at this meeting that we play the Rotarian Idol game and prospective new members will not only have some fun, they will meet other Rotarian “Idols” in the process. If however, you have a candidate who cannot come to this meeting we encourage you to have them come anytime. Let’s try to make this a great year for bringing in new members!!!!

Birthday boy is luncheon speaker

John Ryan gave an overview of a new program to stimulate reading in our community. The following is reprinted from the Southington Library website.

Southington Reads – A Community Gets on the Same Page

Get on the Same Page with your friends, coworkers and neighbors. Visit the Southington Library and charge out your copy of Dalton Conley’s, Honky (check availability). The Southington Reads Committee under the auspices of The Southington Library and Museum are spearheading, a One Town One Book project – SOUTHINGTON READS (SR).

The Southington Reads Committee is excited by the concept of a large, town wide, heterogeneous group within our community all of whom will read the same book. The community then has the opportunity to attend a program where the book's author will speak about his work and answer questions regarding the concepts evoked in the participants' minds while reading his book.

Southington Reads Committee invites you to GET ON THE SAME PAGE come to the Grand Book Discussion with Dalton Conley, professor of Sociology at New York University, March 8, 2006 @ Southington High School Auditorium, 7:00 PM. The author will be available after the discussion to sign your copy of his book. Copies of Honky will be available for purchase the evening of this free event.

Carl Sokolowski speaks of Rochambeau

Rotarian and Southington Town Historian Carl Sokolowski entertained and educated us at Wednesday's luncheon meeting, with accompanying charts and graphs, about Lt. General comte de Rochambeau's connection to Southington during the Revolutionary War, but disputed Ron Klein's claim that he was giving a first-person account of the events.

Rochambeau commanded the French expeditionary army sent to help the American Revolution during 1780 to 1782. His skillful leadership and professional wisdom were vital to the American-French allied victory at Yorktown in September 1781. The year 2006 represents the 225th anniversary of the French march from Newport, RI, through Southington, to Yorktown, VA. Carl informed us of a project to erect a plaque on the Plantsville green to commemorate the event, which will cost about $1,200. Are we interested in funding this project?

revolutionaryct.org

SouthingtonCARES

John Myers and Janet Mellon spoke about SouthingtonCARES, a new community-based action-oriented task force of members representing agencies, businesses, town officials and individuals who are dedicated to helping victims of Hurricane Katrina and other disasters.

Vision
SouthingtonCARES will act as a conduit with other agencies such as the Red Cross, AmeriCares, Habitat for Humanity, Salvation Army and other service organizations to match available resources with the needs of people affected by this and futures disasters.

Meetings
Meetings will be held every other week for the first three months to develop an organizational structure and identify short-term, mid-term and long-term goals along with an action plan to accomplish those goals.

Objectives

1. Coordination of workers, skilled and unskilled, who want to help in whatever way they can.
   
2. Coordination of training programs to prepare workers to provide services to those in need.
   
3. Coordination of immunizations needed for workers.
   
4. Coordination with the Red Cross for blood drives.
   
5. Coordination of financial resources.
   
6. Coordination of support services for displaced families in Southington.
   
7. Coordination of support groups for those returning from disaster areas.

Group to aid in disasters - Southington CARES a permanent entity
By JESSICA KASTNER, Observor staff writer

When disaster strikes, most people are willing to help. But a group of community leaders calling themselves Southington Cares says it will be a permanent resource for disaster victims for years to come. The group was initially created in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when representatives from the - article continued

Programs

Wednesday, September 21 - Walt Hushak's history of Southington Rotary
Walt makes a point about our Club history as John Gissas ponders the fate of his two garbage barrels he gave to John Kennedy for the golf tourney in July.

Southington Rotary Club history





Wednesday, September 7 - Good News Garage
"GOOD NEWS GARAGE CREATES ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY BY PROVIDING AFFORDABLE AND RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS TO PEOPLE IN NEED." - Website

Wednesday, August 31 - Every Dollar Feeds Kids
Trish Walden, husband George Gorecki and sister Kathy Corcoran presented a program about their trip to Mexico where they visited the project. - - Website

Circle of Honor recognizes World War II veterans for service

By Harry Kyle, The Southington Citizen

Red, white and blue were the colors of the day last Wednesday, as about 60 of Southington's veterans gathered at the Elks Club to participate in a Circle of Honor luncheon marking their service to our country during World War II. The event honored the town's 100 World War II veterans who registered at Town Hall. Veterans who didn't attend the event will receive their awards at their homes. The honored veterans, together with their families and friends as well as local officials and dignitaries, filled the Elks Club hall, enjoying a buffet lunch hosted by the Southington Rotary Club and provided by Tops Market.

The event was the brainchild of the Southington Town Council and Chairwoman Victoria Triano. "When I first saw on CNN that this was the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II, I began to realize that we as a town have never done anything to formally recognize the service that the men and women who served in the conflict gave to their country and community," she said. "I felt we needed to do something to recognize their services, especially since they were all getting older. They were called the last great generation, a title they really earned. They went above and beyond the call of duty. Those that went off to war and those who stayed behind were all united in the common cause of liberty and freedom," Triano said.

Triano announced the initiative at the Veterans Day observance held at the American Legion. She said she thinks Southington is the only town in the state to do something like this. - complete article

Rotary Centennial Luncheon

Around the world, Rotary celebrates turning 100 By ERIC REED, New Britain Herald Staff Writer

SOUTHINGTON -- A worldwide celebration began Wednesday at noon that heralded the 100-year anniversary of Rotary International. In Southington, District 7890 met at the Aqua Turf Club on Mulberry Street to participate in the event, drawing in current and former members both local and abroad.

The luncheon was held by and for the Rotary clubs within District 7890 of Connecticut, which includes the towns of Avon, Bristol, Farmington, Berlin, New Britain, Plainville, Simsbury, Southington and West Hartford. Complete story... - Pictures...

Weekly meeting 1/26/05

Art Blumer conducts the new member induction ceremony for Virginia Roy as her sponsor, Harold Kane, looks on

Interact Club advisor John Ryan presents the fall semester Interact Student of the Month awards as President Rod Greaves checks his lotto tickets

Stuart Estra presents
the 2004 Salvation Army Bellringer Community Fundraising Award (whew!)
to The Rotary/Interact Clubs

"Bring a Guest to Lunch" featuring Rotary Jeopardy at The Orchards - 5/28/03

Congratulations to Chet Potrepka for winning our Rotary Jeopardy program over the talented field of Charlie Cocuzza, Rod Greaves and Walt Hushak.

Full Rotary Jeopardy! game board...

Bysiewicz discusses voting reform

By BRIAN FRAGA, New Britain Herald staff writer

SOUTHINGTON -- Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz addressed members of the Southington Rotary Club Wednesday in a speech focusing on her office’s voting reform efforts and business development initiatives.

Bysiewicz explained to the 40 Rotary members assembled in the community room at The Orchards retirement community exactly what her job title entails and how she has gone about fulfilling her responsibilities since being elected secretary of the state in 1998. "Since the Florida (voting) debacle in 2000, people seem to have a better idea of what I do," Bysiewicz said. "I’m like the CEO of a $100-million business that turns a profit for the state of Connecticut."

State corporations and LLC’s have to register with her office and update their business profile and information annually. Bysiewicz was the first secretary of the state to post that information on the Internet and says she plans to also have an online file of business documents such as annual reports and merger papers. "The information is good for people with LLC’s and corporations to see what their competition is doing," Bysiewicz said. "Having the information online also makes you sure your information is accurate and that you know it is there."

Election reform has also been a major focus of Bysiewicz’ term, and she detailed to her audience a particular initiative she is championing that would allow three Connecticut municipalities to test electronic voting machines. According to a federal law signed last year by President George W. Bush, each state must update its voting systems by 2006. Known as the Help America Vote Act, Bysiewicz called it "one of the most important voting rights legislation since the National Voting Rights Act of 1965."

Bysiewicz is proposing three towns use electronic voting machinery for the 2003 municipal elections. She said the technology would give voters the option to confirm their votes on a screen and would print a hard copy of each ballot. Bysiewicz was not concerned whether the elderly could handle the technology. - complete article