For the record, Johnny and I were not simply "comparing cell phones," we were examing a valuable tool that I plan to use for the good of Rotary. But Wally's right: it is rude to speak and interrupt the program. (To appreciate more fully this mea culpa, see the first item under "Announcements.") --Blog Commissar

West Seneca Rotary Club

Smoke Signals Bulletin

July 16, 2008

Well, with a crowd filling 5 tables, President John Boronkay was so busy

greeting people that our start time was pushed back by 6 minutes. Just as we started,

Vince Cutrona appeared to do the invocation. After a pledge and song, the room was

filled with voices from the many Rotarians and guests.

West Seneca Rotary Golf Outing: This important

fund-raiser is just one week away . The 2nd Annual

Carl Lambein Charity Golf Open is Thursday July 24 th, 2008

at Harvest Hill Golf Center. Sponsorships can be made for

as low as $60. Brochures have been passed out. The

entry fee for golf will be $150.00, which includes dinner at the

Columns Banquet Facility at Alton's. This

golf outing is just 1 week away. Rotary

needs your ad. If your business or someone you know wants to

sponsor a tee or green just contact Bob or Tom by Friday,

July18. There are 58 golfers signed up. We would like to see 72

golfers. Bob Rigby noted that the dinner only price is just $49

which starts at 5:30 PM and includes cocktails.

Lottery Basket: Joan Lillis asked Rotarians to not only

bring in lottery tickets for an auction basket prize, but also bring

in the basket! If you cannot remember to buy lottery tickets, just

give Joan your money and she will buy the tickets.

Program: The West Seneca Rotary Club

presented it annual high school scholarships

to Molly Watson and Noelle Wojnar. Johnny

Van Chair of the application review

committee spent a lot of their time evaluating

the applications. The Club was proud to have

one of our Slapshot weekend attendees,

Molly, achieve this academic honor.

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Announcements:

President John Boronkay had the floor and everyone's attention (except John

Nash and Johnny Van who were comparing cell phones) and made the following

proclamations:

John has been in touch with Joe Sgroi and they will be discussing the Club's

Paul Harris Fellowships. As of now the Club has enough points to present 6 PHF.

John has also run into Grace Felschow who is coming along in her treatments.

Grace will be back with us some day, but mornings are not the best time of the day for

her. We sure do miss having Gracie at our meetings.

Family of Rotary: John Boronkay appointed Pat DePasquale as the chair for the

Family of Rotary Committee. This was the perfect week to make this announcement.

We had two families as

guests. Cara Snajczuk joined

her proud grandmother Joan

Lillis and the Amico clan,

wife Mike and son John,

daughter in law Tina and

grandson and pilot, Nicholas,

had breakfast with Jack

Amico.

Pat informed the gathering that the first Family of Rotary event will be a Buffalo Bisons

baseball game on Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 1:05 PM at Dunn Tire Park. Tickets are

just $10 and the seats are low behind the 3 rd base coach. The opposition will be the

Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees. See Pat for tickets.

District Conference - Have you marked your calendar for October 17 - 19, 2008

District 7090 conference. The topic is water and the venue is Hamilton, Ontario. There

will be numerous Rotary presentations on supplying clean water to the people of the

world. There also will be numerous events, tours, and time to mingle and meet

Rotarians from around our District. Registration is free, but you must register at

www.rotary7090.org

Finemaster: Our Finemaster John Cleary asked obscure questions regarding John

Paul Jones, the American naval hero. There weren't too many correct answers, but

Nelson Cosgrove had one right. A few Happy Dollars: Jack Amico for having a ball at

the annual Meat Feast in Vermont; Bob Rigby for having guest Al Wesolowski; Joan

Lillis for getting her e-mail back. Also chipping into the fines were the golf losers Ken

Kellner and John Boronkay as John Cleary won the 18th hole last week.

Card Game: John Miskovski gave the 51 cards a shuffle, but no winner. Next week

50 cards.

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Cradle Beach - Paul Rudnicki reminded those signed up that July 30, 2008 is the

date and the time is 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Paul is looking at a greater role for our Club

to support Cradle Beach.

Hot Summer Nights: Tom Wright passed around the sign-up sheet for bartending

and security details at the August 1, 2008 Hot Summer Nights at Southgate Plaza. Tom

needs more volunteers! Bring your smiles and let's see if we can get the Tip Jar up to

$400.

Lions Club is having their annual Summer Picnic on August 13, 2008 at Connors

Grove. Tickets can be obtained for $35 each from John Boronkay.

Football Pool - Vince Cutrona is putting together the Buffalo Bills football lottery.

Sign up squares will be $5 each per week. The full schedule payment of $90 will put a

name into a lucky square for the entire football season.

Dates to Remember:

July 24, 2008 West Seneca Rotary Golf Outing at Harvest Hill.

Sponsor a tee or green. See Tom Wright or Bob

Rigby

August 1, 2008 Hot Summer Night - Beer Tent at Southgate

August 3, 2008 Chicken BBQ sponsored by the West Seneca Soccer

Association at the soccer complex off Seneca Street.

September 24, 2008 Official visit from District Governor Ralph

Montesanto.

Meeting Schedule

July 23, 2008 - Club Meeting with Board meeting to follow

- Invocation - Pat DePasquale

- Finemaster - Nelson Cosgrove

Program - To be announced

Birthday - Paul Rudnicki (July 23 rd), George Chernowski (July 25th)

-07-24-08 - Meals on Wheels - 11:15 AM - Substitute George Chernowski

July 30, 2008 - Club Assembly

- Invocation - Bob Enos

- Finemaster - Vince Cutrona

Program - Club Assembly when we discuss all the committee assignments

Birthday - Rich Robinson (August 1 st), Tom Wright (August 2n )

-07-31-08 - Meals on Wheels - 11:15 AM - Jim and Gloria Cafferty

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August 6, 2008 - Club Meeting

- Invocation - Mike Fabian

- Finemaster - Pat DePasquale

Program - To be announced

Birthday - Mike Fabian (August 10 th)

-08-07-08 - Meals on Wheels - 11:15 AM - Peter Bella and Bob Rigby

August 13, 2008 - Club Meeting

- Invocation - Peter Fenn

- Finemaster - Bob Enos

Program - To be announced

Birthday - No one until next month

-08-14-08 - Meals on Wheels - 11:15 AM - Rick Gurney and John Boronkay

August 20, 2008 - Club Meeting with Directors' Meeting to Follow

- Invocation - Frank Gallo

- Finemaster - Mike Fabian

Program - To be announced

Birthday - No one until next month

-08-21-08 - Meals on Wheels - 11:15 AM - Rich Robinson and Deb Zych

August 27, 2008 - Club Assembly

- Invocation - Pam Gibbs

- Finemaster - Mimi Piciullo (Will this be in English or Italian?)

Program - Club Assembly with reports from all Committees

Birthday - Wally Ochterski (September 2 nd)

-08-28-08 - Meals on Wheels - 11:15 AM - Wally Ochterski and John Nash

Puffs (July 16,2008) - Gotta love the Gates family. Really! You've been reading The

Rotarian so the fact that we're, that means Rotarians, almost 100% successful at

eradicating polio is not news. However, we still have the job to complete. That's where

the Gates family comes in - with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation $100 million

Challenge. The foundation will donate $100 million, not chump change, if Rotary

International can match it, to help the final push for the eradication of polio in the

world.

The Challenge is given to the Clubs. Rotary International figures that if each club

raises only $1,000 a year for three years toward the challenge - no problem, we tap the

Gate Foundation for the $100 million. Plus the Rotary $100 million - well, you do the

math.

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This is where you come in - to raise the $1,000 club-share. Rotary International

suggests a community-action event, not a club-only event. IDEAS, SUGGESTIONS -

what kind of event, how to engage the community to raise $1,000 to meet the Rotary

Challenge. Mimi has already put forth a community wide Spelling Bee contest.

Give your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions to any Board member, President

John, Wally or during the fining process as a Happy Dollar.

Be of good cheer. jrb

Board of Directors' Meeting July 23, 2008

Agenda

Call to order

Approval of previous, July 2008, meeting minutes (Piciullo - represented by Rigby)

Treasurer's Report (Kellner)

President's announcements (if needed)

· Distribute copies of District Simplified Grant application

· Abuse, Neglect, Harassment Protocol task force: Gibbs, Kovach, Rudnicki, Weimer

· TRF-DAF task force: Cutrona, Cleary, Kellner

· Gates Foundation challenge -- $1,000 raised by the Club

Standing Committee Reports - very brief presentations/remarks

· Club Administration (Rigby)

· Membership (Cleary)

· Service Projects (Fabian)

· The Rotary Foundation (Ochterski)

· Public Relations (Nash)

Unfinished Business

· The Rotary Foundation - Donor Advised Fund

Final action to establish the fund needs to be taken

· Paul Harris Fellowship awards - protocol and procedure

Club has 6,310 recognition credits

New Business

· Lions request: Support for the WNYDDSO Annual Harvest Dance $500 or $400

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· BOD meeting time/place/day change

Currently scheduled for next-to-last Wednesday of the month immediately following regular

meeting

Previously, 3 rd Wednesday of the month...

Suggested that we consider another day/time and, possibly, place

· 2008 - 2009 Budget proposal review

· Constitution and By Laws

Receive input/recommendations

FYI - Paul Rudnicki is working to see if he can locate a copy of the document that was used

when the Club was chartered

Closing Remarks - Adjournment

Standard Rotary Club Constitution

Rotary International is the most territorial organization in the world. It exists in

180 countries and cuts across dozens of languages, political and social structures,

customs, religions and traditions. How is it that all of the more than 32,000 Rotary clubs

of the world operate in almost identical style? The primary answer is the Standard

Rotary Club Constitution.

One of the conditions to receive a charter to become a Rotary club is to accept

the Standard Club Constitution, originally adopted in 1922. The Standard Club

Constitution outlines administrative techniques for clubs to follow in holding weekly

meetings, procedures for membership and classifications, conditions of attendance and

payment of dues, and other policies relating to public issues and political positions.

This constitutional document provides the framework for all Rotary clubs in the

world. When the Standard Club Constitution was accepted, it was agreed that all

existing clubs could continue to follow their current constitution. Although most of

those early clubs have subsequently endorsed the Standard Club Constitution, a few

pre-1922 clubs still conduct their club affairs according to their former constitutional

provisions.

The Standard Club Constitution has to be considered one of the great strengths of

Rotary to enable the organization to operate in so many thousands of communities.

Thought for the week: "The fact is, every wonderful invention, every widely held

positive belief turned into positive action is the direct result of someone who

did not give up." - Clare LaMeres