Today's guest speaker, Dean Jenkins, spoke to us about the Port Jefferson Lions Club, of which he is the President. Dean told us that his club, which was founded in 1946, has 48 male and female members (40 of whom are active, many of whom are young), and includes Father Frank, an Honorary Member, who serves as the Club's Chaplain. The club motto is "We Serve". He noted that Lions Clubs International numbers more than 1 million members in 206 countries. This past year, the Port Jeff Lions Club raised $58,000, with the proceeds going to local charities including many of those that we also help support such as Mather and St. Charles Hospitals, Theater Three, PJ Free Library, and Friends of Karen. Among the favorite club activities, Dean mentioned: the Annual Dragon Boat Races, at which the club team won 1st place in its class this past year; the annual ball game with the PJ Fire Dept., which raised $2,000 to benefit the local VFW; the Food Basket Drive, which feeds over 100 local families in need; the Christmas Magic event (similar to our annual Holiday Gift Wrapping activity), a fashion show, and a Theater Three event that will honor Hope House's Charlie Russo this year. The PJ Lions Club also sponsors a guide dog via the Smithtown Guide Dog Foundation, the PJHS Leo Club- a service club akin to Interact, and collects eyeglasses through the LI Lions Eye Bank to be delivered to Pearl Vision for distribution overseas to help visually impaired people in impoverished countries. The Club provides financial help to Vacation Camp for the Blind, the Sunshine Foundation, the Cleary School for the Deaf, Angela's House, Meals on Wheels, and the like, and, like our club, provides scholarships for students in PJ and Mt. Sinai, as well as the 3 Village School District. Dean offered us the opportunity to do a joint blood drive in 2018 and invited us also to donate a food basket for their upcoming drive. It is evident that the PJ Lions have made a strong commitment, like us, to community service and serving youth throughout the world. Michael has been invited to attend an upcoming Lions Club meeting, where he will talk about Rotary, and, specifically, our club's history, goals, and accomplishments.
In addition to our speaker, we welcomed as guests ADG Warren Sternberg, Larry Hohler, Ed DiNunzio, Eddie Miller, Jennifer Dzvonar (of Bass Electric), and Astrud, a former Rotary Exchange student from Venezuela who is visiting with her host family from Stony Brook Rotary and who is attending medical school in her home country. Astrud spoke passionately about her Exchange experience and the profound influence it had on her life, and was saddened to learn that the Exchange Program as she knew it has all but disappeared in our region. She also provided insight into the difficulties her country is undergoing at this time.
ANNOUNCEMENTS/REMINDERS: There's now $952 in the pot waiting to be won- with only 3 cards left to draw from! Yes, the Ace of Spades is still among them. (But a Joker also remains.) It could be YOU who wins the pot! (How nice would that be before Christmas?!)***Next Tues., December 12th, we will honor our newest Most Motivated Student and will also hold our monthly OPEN CUPBOARD COLLECTION. ***Then, at 2:30 PM, we'll gather at the PJHS Cafeteria to do our Holiday Gift Wrapping with the help of members of the school's Interact Club. An opportunity for further fellowship for Rotarians will follow this activity. (Please remember to place your gift recipient's # on each item you purchase, and bring gift boxes to make wrapping easier. Bring receipts for club reimbursement of $40 per child- but feel free to spend more if you wish.) The Executive Board will meet at Michael's office on Friday, December 15th, at 7:30 AM. Michael thanked our Dickens Festival volunteers- Kevin, Nancy, Paul, Dennis, Rob, Judi, Debbie, Bob, Sharon, & Erika- who advertised our Winter Golf Classic.Please note : Plans for our upcoming Winter Golf Outing Fundraiser ( The 1st Ever Putt & Pub Crawl to be held in Port !), scheduled for Saturday, February 10th (rain date Saturday, March 3rd), are coming along well. Area restaurants that will each sponsor a hole (so far) include Brewology, Burger Bistro, C'est Cheese, Crazy Fish, Port Jeff Brewing Co., Ruvo's, Schaeffer's, and Tommy's. ***One more restaurant venue is being sought. Can you help with this? Danford's will serve as our Club House for Registration and the Rewards Reception. Each player fee of $100 includes a round of golf (9 holes) indoors, three free beer/wine/drink tickets and free appetizers, a commemorative event gift, many laughs and much fun! Businesses are invited to be sponsors at a variety of levels (and costs); foursomes are encouraged- as is participation in our Best Costume Contest, when the best named/dressed foursome could win $100 and best individual costume will win $50; and there will be a raffle drawing, too. The day's activities will begin at Danford's between 11-11:45 AM. Play begins at noon, including a Hole-In-One contest. At 5 PM, the Awards & Raffles will be announced and celebrated at Danford's. ***The planning committee is hoping that each member will donate a raffle prize of $50 (or more) in value (ie., a gift certificate) and that we hand out event brochures and hang posters throughout the village. Dennis passed around copies of our full page Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck Cleanup coverage that appeared in the 11/23 issue of the Port Times Record. Kevin noted that 6 of our members will be among the 18 participants in the Annual Ski Trip, January 10th-13th. Places are still available. Contact Kevin if you're interested.Pat noted that the Annual Hunting Trip last week was a success- Bambi remains safe. A Heartsaver First Aid & CPR/AED Course is being offered for teenagers ages 12 to 18 years on December 5th (today) & 7th , 6-9 PM, at St. Charles in the Nursing Education Classroom on the hospital's 2nd floor. This course, which is appropriate for lifeguards, daycare workers, babysitters, and camp counselors, requires attendance at both sessions in order to receive an American Heart Assoc. course completion card valid for 2 years. The course fee is $50. Six hours of community service will also be awarded to participants. To register, call 631-474-3700 or contact John Perkins.
Jim has a supply of PJ Rotary golf shirts and will part with them for $10 each. Do you own one? If not, why not?
Bob is still seeking evening meeting places, 1 per month. Contact him if you can provide a meeting site.
***Please check out our page on Face Book- and Like Us.
If you missed today's meeting, kindly inform Yvette about make-ups in a timely fashion.
***The following is a list of donation "assignments" for members' once-a-month donations via the Club to the Open Cupboard: (*If you don't see your name on this list, select an item from it for your donation.)
Betts, Judi: Toilet Paper
Bossert, Ken: Shampoo/Conditioner
Brennan, Dennis: Canned Fruit
Brennan, Sharon: Spaghetti Sauce
Berner, Cynthia: Rice
Curry, Bill: Apple Juice
Dinunzio, Ed: Diapers
Engelhardt, Debbie: Juice Boxes
Gautam, Archana: Baby Wipes
Hanson, Susan: Baby Formula
Hohler, Yvette: Beans
Jaeger, Bill: Canned Vegetables
Janhsen, Karl: Milk (Dry or Boxed)
Jurasits, Erika: Cereal (Hot or Cold)
Kopcienski, Al Cereal (Hot or Cold)
Lund, Amy: Canned Chicken
Murray, Kevin: Tuna
Rhatigan, Jim: Diapers
Sabo, Pat: Beans
Sceiford, Michael: Grape Juice Boxes
Vigliante, Paul: Milk (Dry or Boxed)
***Check the list for your name and assigned item. (If you are not listed, you may donate any listed item. Corporate members are encouraged to donate individually. If you would like to be listed with a specific item, contact Debbie and specify your item of choice.)
***Bring contributions to the Heritage Diner on the 2nd Tuesday of the month or give to another Club member who will be attending.
*** If you would like to be reimbursed, bring receipt(s) to the meeting.
...BOB HUTTEMEYER, whose birthday was December 1st; SARANTO CALAMAS and HOWIE WUNDERLICH, who will both celebrate their birthdays on December 13th; WARD CLARKE, who has an anniversary and celebrates his 55th year in Rotary this month; and JIM RHATIGAN, who is celebrating his 33rd year as a Rotarian!
