THE BLADE
Rotary Club of Bladensburg, Maryland
Vol. 50, No. 44, May 1, 2008
NO MEETING THIS WEEK (MAY 1) !!!! - District Conference Begins in Gaithersburg
We hope to see everyone at the District Conference - and don't forget to bring food for local food banks. They'll collect it at Registration. Team Bladensburg (Wallis Sibila, Joe Slert, Scott Stanger, and Ed Cappuccilli) will defend their title at the Golf Tournament on Thursday, using a special set of lucky Rotary golf balls and tees presented to them by President Eolia at our last meeting.
NEXT WEEK (MAY 8):
The meeting will begin at NOON (12) at Woodmore.TWO WEEKS TO OUR GOLF TOURNAMENT (MAY 15) - Can you recruit a foursome? Sell a tee sign?
LAST WEEK'S MEETING : Dr Marianna Yamamoto on Living with Polio
At last week's meeting, President Eolia presented Joanne Goldsmith, who was unable to attend Charter Night, a plaque honoring her for her commitment and support of Club activities. Joanne tells us that David is about to have surgery again, and she will be unable to join us for the next six weeks, apologizing for not being able to help with the Golf Tournament this year. Jim Miller presented the Club with a check for proceeds from the sale of notecards. This is an ongoing project, so drag out those pictures you'd like to preserve and take them to Jim Miller to get notecards or party invitations printed - just $18 for 24 notecards, and the profits go to the Club. Russ Maske, standing in for Mike McKeever, circulated a sign-up sheet for the Melwood PG Open (see below), as well as urging us to work on selling those raffle tickets.
Mike Ahearn asked for our help. Our annual Golf Tournament is a couple of weeks away, with just 7 foursomes signed up and paid for so far, and 17 tee signs (as compared with 60 last year). This is our primary fund-raiser - and we need to fill the course with foursomes and line those greens with tee signs if we expect to fund a lot of projects in the future. (Selling raffle tickets helps too!)
Awards were given out for the 4-Way Test Poster Contest organized by President Eolia and Jan Kalshoven and judged by Jim and Muriel Miller, Joe and Pat Slert, Wallis Sibila, and Sydney Pierce. Prize-winners in attendance included Julia Kalshoven (first place) and Anulika Agiliga (runner-up) from Saint Matthias, and Tyrone Durant (second place), Manuel Aquin (third place), and Stephanie Rosas-Guzmann (fourth place) from Rogers Heights. The students were accompanied by their teachers, and the principal from Rogers Heights, who thanked the Club for all the support we give the school.
Bob Grill introduced our speaker, Dr. Marianna Yamamoto. A visiting professor in political science at Towson University, she gave us a child's perspective on having a parent with polio, as well as telling her mother's life story. Marianna's mother was a victim of the polio epidemic of 1941, when she was 13. The onset was sudden: one morning she found her legs wouldn't hold her up when she got up to go to school. She spent about 10 days in quarantine in a hospital, and two months at home with a skilled nurse before returning to school in 1942. Left with one leg paralyzed, wearing a brace, and using crutches, she found school stairs a challenge, and the other students treated her quite differently, given their fear of polio. One of the celebrated "Quiz Kids" in the 1940s, she remembers doing a radio interview with Zazu Pitts.
Though urged to settle for a career as a secretary, she instead went to college and met her husband there, a World War II bombardier returning to school on the GI Bill. She remembers using a crutch wrapped in satin at their wedding ceremony. They raised 8 children, and celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary recently. She also went on to get a Ph.D. in special education, serve as a Fulbright lecturer, and serve on the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services, among other things. As she has aged, she finds herself weaker, and her bones break easily. She has begun to use a wheelchair, and is thankful for the changes brought about by the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as extremely grateful to Rotary for its efforts to eradicate polio from the world.
The meeting closed with a recital of the Four-Way Test.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
John Moore returns home! Joe Slert reports John has been released from the rehabilitation center at Riderwood and allowed to return home. John very much enjoys hearing from Club members - do give him a call or drop by to say hello, and remember to tell him how much we miss seeing him at meetings.
GOLF TOURNAMENT
- Mike Ahearn needs our help - do you have gift certificates or other prizes to donate? Let him know - and he'll be happy to announce gift certificates as donated by the Rotarian soliciting them. Also, we really need more foursomes and sponsors for tee signs. This is our big fund-raiser of the year. Eolia reminds us the tournament is Captain's Choice - come play no matter what your game is like - you just need one good player per foursome, so dust off those clubs and get out there.Don't forget the Rotaract Wine Tasting and Auction to benefit the Cambodian Land Mines Project, 6:30 - 9:30 PM on May 9th at the Royal Embassy of Cambodia, 4530 16th St. NW, Washington DC 20011. Purchase tickets ($125 each) by May 2 at http://www.Rotaract7620.org
A sign-up sheet for volunteers to work two-hour shifts at the Melwood-Prince George's Country Open at Woodmore, Thursday, May 22 through Sunday May 25, was circulated at our last meeting. Mike McKeever is coordinating our participation in this event. Volunteers must spend $35 to buy a golf shirt and cap (to be worn with khaki pants, shorts, or skirts). In return they will get food and two passes for the week to use or give away, and the Club will get a block of tickets to sell. Please help if you can.
DVDs on May 8th!
Wallis Sibila will finish collecting DVDs for veterans centers on May 8th, with just a few more DVDs needed for us to be the first Rotary Club in Maryland recognized on the web site Honor Roll (see http://dvds4vets.org/honor_roll.php http://www.DVDs4Vets.org) ) at the 50 DVD level.MAY BOARD MEETING: The May meeting of the Bladensburg Rotary Club Board will be held on Thursday, May 22 at 11 am, before the regular Meeting, at Doctors Community Hospital , 5th floor, Medical Office Building, 8118 Good Luck Road, Lanham, MD. All Club members are welcome to attend.
GUESTS: Joanne Goldsmith's grandson and race car enthusiast Ben, Mike Ahearn's son Drew (AKA Elvis - performing at the Olde Bowie Town Grille Saturday night April 26), and Colleen Wright-Riva, Director of Dining Services at the University of Maryland and guest of Roger Candelaria.
50-50: Scott "JCL" Stanger
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
May 8 Scholarship and Stipend Awards - MEETING BEGINS AT NOON (12)
May 15 Our 31st Annual GOLF TOURNAMENT, at Glenn Dale Golf Club. (No regular meeting)
May 15, 4:30 - 5:45 PM We feed the homeless and hungry at Elizabeth House - let Ann Swann or President Eolia know if you can volunteer
May 16 BLADENSBURG ROTARY FAMILY NIGHT at the Bowie Baysox
May 22 Meeting at Doctors Community Hospital (not Woodmore!) – preceded by 11 AM Board Meeting
May 29 Margaret Brent Fun Day – more soon from Milt Jernigan– no meeting at Woodmore
Respectfully submitted,