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Avon Rotary Newsletter |
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President's Message
This was the weekend of District 7120's Conference, in Cleveland. Our club was represented by our Italian exchange student, Emiliano D'Ortenzi, outgoing exchange student Catherine Lloyd, and Interact president Danielle McBride. Many thanks to Ernie Wiard for providing their transportation to and from Cleveland, and for attending the Conference.
Our April 28 club meeting started off with "You're a Grand Old Flag" and a blessing offered by Ted Coyne. "April Showers" was a good choice -- we need the rain we've been experiencing this week!! and it's certainly helping the new grasses to grow.
Welcome, indeed!! to prospective members Greg Johnson, and newly-proposed Reverend Dan Jones. Bruce Burritt is the proud recruiter of both prospective members. Bruce wished to invoke the promise made at the time of our membership drive: that the team bringing in the most new members would be treated to a meal to be prepared and served by members of the losing team. Of course, this led to much discussion -- Kelly Cole asserts that he was the initial recruiter of Dan Jones -- so, the result is: members of BOTH teams will bring a dish to pass, for the picnic gathering at my home on May 19.
The picnic is to thank each of you for making my Rotary presidency a pleasant year. I do hope all will be able to attend, and, of course, spouses, too. Anyone who brings more than one spouse will, however, be fined.
Charlie Pease is currently in Strong Hospital, as a result of a car accident. We hope to hear that he's being released, soon, and recovering.
Jan Peterson, our 2006 Paul Harris recipient, asks us to support two projects of her (Lioness) club: a May 31 pulled pork dinner, at the East Avon Veterans' Hall, and the American Lung Association's Livingston chapter, sponsoring a walk this weekend. Those who did not have checkbooks with you on April 28: we will still be able to contribute and support this walk, with donations this coming Tuesday.
Our prospective member, Dan Jones, had a Letter to the Editor published in the D & C last week: Bruce Burritt willingly paid a fine for this publicity.
Tim Dickinson celebrated the life of his father-in-law, Tom Grayson. Tom recently passed away.
Kelly Cole celebrated the work accomplished at the Avon Downs Fitness Trail last Saturday, with Rotarians and lots of other Avon residents laboring to get the fitness stations established and ready.
And Kelly celebrated his mom's return, with Jan's help, from Florida, delighted to have her back home and recuperating with the support of her family and her own doctor.
Steve Stephenson celebrated the accomplishments of two of his grandchildren: his 7th grade granddaughter, with New York State Young Poets; and his grandson. Steve must have been rattling off these accomplishments too rapidly for me to remember what his grandson did: sorry, Steve.
Helen Zamboni celebrated a weekend trip to Asheville, and updated the club on Marne and Tim Rogers.
Karl Sawicki celebrated his son Adam's imminent return to Avon, after two years of teaching in Seoul; and a trip to Sint Maarten. He brought a useful gift back to your president: as he said, it would not get rotten, like an overripe grapefruit or be threatening, and used like a projectile. Thanks, Karl!!
Another source of celebration, for Karl: his seven Cook's Stores raised more than $15,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in this year's Shamrock program.
Don Cook -- yes, he is still a Rotary member -- celebrated his daughter Chelsea's 18 months of work as a nanny, in Bermuda; and reported that he has made two business trips to Shanghai and will be returning there again, soon.
Bill Shaw celebrated the rains -- helping his new grass to grow. Kevin Tompsett celebrated trips to the Florida condo and a few days with the "bunch" in Jamaica.
Remember, all: this Saturday, May 9, will be the Avon Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year dinner, at the Avon Inn. Tickets are available at the Inn, or at Avon Floral World. Honorees will be: Citizen of the Year, Bonnie Taylor-Davis, nominated and presented by your Rotary president; posthumous awards to Barb Vanderbilt, presented by Rev. Tom Taylor; and to Peggy Slaight, presented by Dr. Collins (or a replacement, possibly). Student Service Award winner is Alison McKeown. We'll also be recognizing coach Rob Fries. Chamber of Commerce president Kelly Cole encourages all of us to attend and honor these Avon citizens for their contributions.
And Kelly reminds us that the Chamber of Commerce will be meeting Tuesday, May 5, for its monthly breakfast gathering at Peppermints, 7:30 a.m. All local businesses are invited to attend and participate in these monthly Chamber updates.
Our 50 / 50 winner this week was Margo -- but it was a more modest payoff than in prior weeks. Get in there and buy your tickets, Rotarians!!
The Quad City gathering will be on June 8, at Livingston Country Club. Geneseo Club president Chris Rider has informed me that Judge Dennis Cohen will be our speaker that night. Sign-up sheet will be circulated again: golf, dinner, either, or both.
Until Tuesday, May 5,
Remember, ROTARY "MAKES DREAMS REAL"!
Youth Exchange
Our support of the Rotary Youth Exchange program continues its lifelong impact!
Remember Becky Koomen?
Our club sponsored her as a RYLA recipient in 2001, and as a Youth Exchange student to The Netherlands in 2002.
We also sponsored her volunteer work in Tanzania in 2008, where she spent 5 months working for
Roots & Shoots, a program of the Jane Goodall Institute.
These life-changing experiences continue to have significant impact on her passion and career.
She's grateful and proud to announce
that she has been awarded the Dr. Ernest L. Ransome III Scholarship to attend the University of St. Andrews,
where she will join the Scottish Primate Research Group to pursue an advanced degree in the
Origins of Mind program.
The full scholarship covers tuition, books, room & board, as well as living and travel expenses for 12 months, starting October of 2009.
Becky is currently living in Victoria, BC where, among many other things, she volunteers as the regional coordinator of the
ACACIA Female Leadership Initiative.
Looking back on...
| Tue 4/28 | Regular Meeting |
| Program: | No program - Auction Steering Committee meeting |
| Attendance: | Absentees were
not reported.
President Barbara encourages all who missed a meeting to call another absentee and do a make-up together. For nearby make-up options, check the back of our paper directory or the on-line directory of District club meeting times and places. If you do a make-up, please tell Secretary Diana about it right away, so the correct numbers are reported to the District. |
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Looking forward to...
The Avon Rotary calendar is also available at http://www.avonrotary.org/calendar.php.
Thoughts for the week
Here's another youth to inspire us!
Laurie, Kevin, Billie and Hans recently attended the District 7120 Assembly in Waterloo.
One of the highlights for us was to experience Jared Allen deliver his speech on Ethics.
Jared, a Junior at the Campbell-Savona High School, is the 2009 Winner of the Rotary District 7120 Oratorical Contest,
and he has graciously given me permission
to publish the text of his speech. Given the
recent debacle regarding the Four Way Test,
I encourage you to read his excellent essay! (It would be even better to listen to it -- if I can get Jared to
record his speech, I'll include it in a future newsletter.)
Ethics
So! You're a waiter working in New York City, The Big Apple. Your feet are killing you, you're busier than ever, and there's still three hours left until your break. But, fortunately for you, you work at one of the most prestigious Italian restaurants in the city, Las Bascuas. Next thing you know, Mr. Bill Gates walks through the door with his dinner guest, Mr. Lee Iacocca. After being seated at their private booth, you step up to take their order.
"Mr. Gates, Mr. Iacocca, welcome! What can I get for you tonight? O.K., one linguini with clam sauce and one spaghetti carbanara coming right up. Alright, your bill is all set. Thank you so much for coming, have a wonderful evening."
Then, you notice a $100 bill lying underneath the table. It obviously fell out of one of their wallets. Now, Bill Gates or Lee Iacocca would probably never notice that the money's gone; but you feel bad keeping it; but you could really use the money; and they're almost out the door.
Let's take a moment to analyze this situation. This is a where what we call ethics comes into play. There are several kinds of ethics: those guidelines of a profession, as in medical ethics; the moral guidelines of a society or group, as in Christian ethics; and then there are personal ethics, which is what I want to focus on today. In this last case, ethics is defined as a set of personal moral principles or values, that little angel on your shoulder, or your conscience, if you will. So, as a waiter making way too little, in a city that costs way too much, what would you do?
I could tell you what I would do, and you could tell me what you would do, but I think it is more productive to discuss instead a system for determining what is the right thing to do. The Rotary Club has such a system in place: the Four Way Test. Is it the truth? Is it fair? Will it build goodwill and friendships? And is it beneficial to all concerned? Wow! Now there's a set of questions to test your moral boundaries. So let's take it one step at a time.
Is it the truth? The truth... is hard to define. The dictionary describes the truth as that which is true, factual, or genuine. What does that mean? Well, it depends on your point of view. Unfortunately, the truth can be distorted when based upon different foundations, such as law, religion, or even societies opinion. For example, if an entire society believed that a certain action is what is right, how can you determine whether or not that is true? Depending on if you interpret the action using law, a certain religion, or even your own moral fibers, the outcome can be drastically different. This is why the truth is of utmost importance when concerning ethical behavior. A truly moral person would experience an internal struggle with keeping that $100 bill. Determining what is true in an ethical dilemma is often the trickiest part.
Let's talk about fairness... another hard one. What does it mean to be fair? According to the dictionary, it means to be just and honest. Think of it as always playing by the rules. A difficult thing to do; but rewarding! You must be fair in all situations that you judge, be it in court, or a sports game. This is true in matters as small as two friends disagreeing to matters as complex as global warfare. Being fair is not easy; you must weigh all the options and consider all the facts before making a decision. Oftentimes, you will not be able to find a "perfect solution," but if you do your best, that's all anyone can ask for. Obviously, neither Mr. Gates nor Mr. Iacocca would miss the $100, but is it really fair for you to keep it? Being truthful and being fair go hand in hand towards doing the right thing in any ethical situation.
Next, will it build goodwill and friendships? What is required strengthen friendships and create new ones? What is the fundamental ground on which any good relationship is laid? I think it must be trust. Trust is essential in any relationship, especially among friends. Without it, you will surely fail. The question, then, is how you acquire trust. I'll tell you. If you are open and honest about what you say and do, then people will become accustomed to that. Others will know that you are someone who tells the truth. On top of that, if you deal with others equally, and give them a fair chance, you will be treated with respect. And from that you can gain their trust. These are all key things in building your friendships and building goodwill with others. Let's say you gave the money back. Would that not put you at a better standing in their eyes? If you are stymied with an ethical dilemma, remember to take into consideration the feelings and viewpoints of others. If you are conscious of this, then spreading goodwill and building new friendships will be much less complicated.
Is it beneficial to all concerned? I have witnessed many different situations where a friend was hurt because someone was thinking only of themselves. Their approach was, "How can I benefit myself to the fullest extent?" To be ethical, your intent should be that everyone benefits from your decision. Let's take a look at Lee Iacocca, Bill Gates' dinner guest. Mr. Iacocca is a fine example of someone who has done great things to benefit others, creating astounding programs for humanitarian reasons. These include helping to restore the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, some of America's biggest landmarks; creating Lehigh University to help future business leaders of the world; and founding the Nourish the Children Program, which has provided over 70 million meals to starving children right here in the U.S. These are the sort of goals that an ethical person would strive for. Perhaps not to Mr. Iacocca's extent, but to the extent of helping others.
I have shown here today how we can all use the Four Way Test as a guide during any personal ethical dilemma. "Be the change you wish to see in the world," the famous quote, by Mohandas Gandhi. Use your morals to make the right decisions, and you will in turn enrich not only your life, but the lives of those around you. I once heard that you are your real self when nobody is around. I disagree; I believe you are your real self when you do the right thing... the ethical thing... and everyone is watching.
-- Jared R. Allen, Copyright © 2009
PS. If anyone (Bruce?) is interested in promoting the District Oratorical Contest and encouraging Avon Central students to participate, please contact the District coordinator, Don Collins via email or call 585-394-3282.
Please submit your favorite sayings, noteworthy
events, etc, and I'll gladly include it here.
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The Avon Rotary Newsletter,
instigated by Pres. Jim Tompsett, continues to be published weekly during Pres. Barb Herman's reign. Day of issue hovers around the end of the week. If you have any items you'd like to include in the newsletter, please send Hans a note by Friday! |
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