Kiwanis Club of Sand Lake, NY

President Gary Meislin                                                                                                                                          Secretary Patricia A. Lane

President-Elect Skip Patton                                                                                                                           Treasurer Robert S. Pasquarelli

Webmaster David E. Booker                                                                                                                       Immediate Past Pres Gerald Tysiak

Sandpiper Editor Margaret Weiss                                                                                                                         Photographer James Rogers

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

John C. Brownrigg, James M. Colabelli, Eve M. Ward

Joseph M. Behson, Raymond C. Turner, , William M. Whipple

Barbara Fioravanti, Robert R. Loveridge & Ron Wagner

MEETING OF AUGUST 16, 2010

PRESIDENT Gary Meislin presiding

GREETINGS & INVOCATION by Deacon Bob Pasquarelli

                                                              GUESTS:  from Columbia HS Key Club,

                                                                                                    Editor/Webmaster Mollie Beaudin

                                                                                                                             & VP Jillian Doleo;                   

                            and of Armand, his wife Ellen Mills  

WELCOME BACK, Ray Loveridge!

PROJECT SIGNUP SHEETS

            DOORS OF HOPE Tues Aug 17:  KVP, Ginther, Carpenter, Davis

            RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE Tues Aug 24, Church of the Covenant:  Davis, Pasquarelli, Lane (2 shifts), Ward, Gates, Whipple, Weiss

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Ø  Tent request by Jim Parslow for personal use on August 22 approved by vote of membership.  Congratulations to former SLK (and Jim’s daughter) Sarah Parslow Tripp on the birth of her son, and Jim’s grandson, John in June!

Ø  MUSIC IN THE PARK next Sunday 5:30 pm at Butler Park (SLCA if it rains).  Music will be by the Reverberators and Pat Lane will be the host/MC.  Thanks to Dave Booker, Jim Colabelli, and Dudley Dorr who coordinated the rainy decision to move to the Arts Center where about 65 folks had a great time listening to Mixed Company and watching a most charming little boy “play” and “move” to all the instruments!  Bring your chairs and your friends next Sunday – Uncle Marty plans to serve light refreshments.

Ø  DUES ARE PAST DUE FOR SOME SLKS!  See Secretary Pat ASAP.

Ø  Eve Ward reported buying and sorting 48 bags of school supplies (16 for each elementary school), and will use the rest of the money for middle school students.  Thanks to Eve for not only having this idea for a service project, but following through and DOING IT!

Ø  STEAK & LOBSTER ROAST Fri Aug 27 at the BSA Camp Rotary!  Come and bring a guest for a fun night, but reservations are a must!  Leave a message on Eve’s phone (674-2994) by this SATURDAY—food order goes in on Sunday!  If you can bring either a salad or a dessert, please advise Eve of this also.  Workers are needed to set up, cook, and clean up too.  This is our annual end of the year celebration, and it’s always great to see everyone!

Ø  VALLEY CATS BASEBALL GAME Mon Aug 30 tickets all sold and will be available at next week’s meeting.  If you’re not there, make  arrangements with Eve (674-2994) to pick them up BEFORE the game, as they will NOT be available at the stadium!

Ø  Next week’s program will be a short (5 min) explanation from each committee chair on the specific work they do, and it should be helpful to longer term members as well as new ones.

Ø   KIWANIS FAMILY FUN DAY Sept 11 at Schodack Town Park on Rt 150 from 1 to 6 PM.  Bring family, friends, kids, and games, plus non-alcoholic beverages, and chairs.  Snacks or desserts are optional.  Hot dogs, burgers, sausages, potato & macaroni salads, as well as place settings, will be provided for $10 adults, kids under 18 are free.  Reservations deadline is SEPT 3 to Bob Pasquarelli (674-5649 or rpasquar@nycap.rr.com).

PROGRAM

          Legacy Group member Ken Van Praag commented that there is a world out there beyond Kiwanis!  He acknowledged that things are pretty well screwed up, and posed several topics to the members, asking them to voice their opinions.

            Immigration:  In 2008 8% of babies born to illegals had one legal parent, but 92% had none.  Should they receive health care?  As expected, both sides of the issue were given.  If they are undocumented, leave them on their own or deport them.  If they’re working, legalize them as quickly as possible, and put them on the tax rolls.  Mexican border wall?  Won’t work—impossible to police.  Not needed if the immigration problem is solved.

            “Affluenza”:  Who has it?  Has this recession affected you or your family?  Again, both sides were reflected.  Some have been affected much more than others (losing job, foreclosure, etc).

Solution to the economy:  put ads on that wall!  Armand will do the printing!  We (mature citizens) are starting to feel recession now, but future generations will definitely be affected by the HUGE debt we have incurred!  Definitions:  a recession is when your neighbor loses his job, and a depression is when YOU lose your job!  News note:  Hundreds of thousands took a recent civil service exam, thousands passed it, for only a few thousand jobs!

            Levi Johnson & Bristol Palin:  What’re your thoughts?  Should he run for mayor in Alaska?

Consensus was pretty much “who cares?” or “why not”?

            Afghanistan:  Can we win there?  Do you care?  Many tribes, all nomads, constantly moving, will never agree on any type of government.  Non-winnable situation, like Viet Nam, which has now gone on longer than the 11 years of VN, with no progress.  No change is possible until the people’s thinking changes, and we don’t yet know how to do that!

            Smoking restrictions:  (of those present, 2 are smokers, 10 are reformed)--Will the cigarette tax slow smoking down?  According to the NYS Assoc of Convenience Store Operators, 58% tax levied caused 38% decrease in sales.  But on the Indian reservations there was a 17% increase!  And adjoining states like VT are using big ads for their lower prices.  Most felt that a dedicated smoker will just find other places to buy his cigarettes.

            Banks closing:  110 banks closed in 2010 so far, as opposed to approximately 80 in 2009.  For the most part banks are relatively successful, mostly large ones.  Smaller banks are closing, and the surviving ones are reluctant to make loans.

            Tax caps:  2% in NYS—are you in favor?  NYS is out of control—spending is rampant!  Many residents are seriously considering relocating to other states.  However the cap is at least a starting point.  Questioned the wisdom of exemptions for those over 55.

            Global warming, real or scam?  Yes, but climate is cyclical for eons.  But it’s greater now.

            Military policy of don’t ask, don’t tell:  Leave it in place—people are too prejudiced.  If someone is willing to serve, they should be allowed to.  This policy has a history that goes all the way back!

            Mosque in NYC:  No problem with the building, but the location is a slap in the face!  It’s too soon after 9/11—needs a longer space of time.  They certainly have the legal right to build it there, but it is not the right thing to do!

            KVP received a hearty round of applause for a most thought provoking program!

HAPPY DOLLARS

$     Nancy:  related a childhood auto trip to Washington State by her whole family, with many stops to patch tires!

$     Booker:  happy that the Governor’s Home Club banner is here, but it is now leaving!

$     Brownrigg:  glad that Jillian and Mollie are with us again!

$     Pat:  had such a great time on the windjammer cruise in Maine that I booked a trip for next year before I left the boat!

$     Pres Gary:  son Scott was visiting but has gone back to MO where he lives with his mother, and although it’s 1100 miles, it’s still too d*** close for The Ex!  

$     Jim Rogers:  for KVP’s stimulating program that made us think!

$     Nancy, again:  anticipating the return of the sign so I can set it up for the Blood Drive!

DOOR PRIZE, an IOU from the Legacy Chair, was won by Fred Wurtemberger, again!

50/50 for $22 was won by John Brownrigg!

MEGA 50/50 climbed to $319.50, but Jim Colabelli didn’t get it—he picked the 9 of Hearts from  the 35 remaining cards!

AUGUST 22               MUSIC IN THE PARK 5:30 – The Reverberators 

NEXT WEEK            PROGRAM:  Eve Ward – Work of our various committees 

AUGUST 23               GREETER/INVOCATOR/CERTIFICATE:  Pat Lane

AUGUST 27               STEAK & LOBSTER ROAST AT CAMP ROTARY

AUGUST 29               MUSIC IN THE PARK 5:30 – Georgie Wonders Orchestra

AUGUST 30               NO MEETING – VALLEY CATS BASEBALL GAME

SEPTEMBER 6          NO MEETING – LABOR DAY

SEPTEMBER 11        VAN RENSSELAER DIVISION KIWANIS FAMILY FUN DAY

SEPTEMBER 13        NO PROGRAM – BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

SEPTEMBER 20        PROGRAM BY LEGACY GROUP

                                    GREETER/INVOCATOR/CERTIFICATE:  Fred Wurtemberger  

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

     “The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.” 

                                                                                                                                           Thomas Jefferson

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