PEACEFUL THOUGHTS THE NEWSLETTER OF ROTARY DISTRICT 7260

Cornelia (Connie) Gevinski, District Governor

www.Rotary7260.org

Garrett Nagle, Ph.D., PDG - Editor - gnagle@optonline.net

Wallace Mahoney - Publisher - bernwall@msn.com

Aaron Stein , PDG - Webmaster - aarons12@aol.com

The Newsletter maintains its own mailing list which is independent of Rotary International. If you are not receiving the newsletter by e-mail,

contact Aaron Stein at aarons12@aol.com with your e-mail address and you will receive the newsletter.

Volume 22, Number 2

From the DG

Cornelia (Connie) Gevinski

(H) 722-3531

I had an exciting start to my year. I gathered with 6 other Governors of our Zone to hear President Sujuki Tanaka speak to the Rotary Districts of 7870 and of Vermont and New Hampshire. This is the area that Tropical Storm Irene swept up the ridge of the Green Mountains, dumping a total of up to 12 inches of rain in about 8 hours. The already saturated ground couldn’t handle that quantity of rain. The elevation of the mountains accelerated the

speed of the runoff into brooks and steams. The force generated by the velocity and weight of this tremendous amount of water rushing into already full rivers spelled doom in many areas, with water rising as much at 15 – 20 feet in one day. The force of the water washed out 263 main highways and roads, along with about 40 main bridges including three historical covered bridges. Caskets from the cemetery in Rochester were washed out and floated down the river. Tens of thousands of families were without power. In many places, the earth itself was stripped away, leaving fields of stones and boulders where lush crops and gardens once were. Toxic silt was everywhere. The hillsides were covered with downward pointing trees that had been uprooted by the rushing waters. Hundreds of homes and businesses had been destroyed and thousands of others badly damaged by this “once-in-a-century storm”. The initial response from volunteers, FEMA, and the Vermont Emergency Management team, was enormous and badly needed, but much more would be needed for the long haul. They decided to do a matching grant to the Rotary Foundation to help in the long term recovery of Vermont which is part of 7870 and 7850. Working with District 7850, a solicitation letter was sent out. Thirteen districts contributed District Designated Funds: 10 from the US and the rest from Canada, South Africa, and Taiwan. Additional pledges came from individuals and 110 clubs from the USA, Canada and England. On May 8, district 7870 was awarded a Rotary Foundation matching grant of $174,066 which, together with the $238,384 they raised, will give them a total of $412,450 to assist victims of Tropical Storm Irene who are still in need. And there are many. This was a great lesson for me as here was one of our neighboring states and it is in tragic condition (as is out own upstate NY). The initial story comes and goes………but you forget the long way back after an aftermath such as this. If you are looking for a project, contact a President in upstate New York or Vermont. My next day turned to the beauty of Boothbay Harbor where I sat with President Tanaka for about 20 minutes before a downpour of a storm made about 250 people run for cover. In NY it might have dampened the day. The Maine Rotarians simply moved to another space, even though we were all dripping wet and the party continued. It was a pleasure to be installed by President Tanaka on July 1, 2012. While I enjoyed having Don Hester install me within the District………there is something special when the President of Rotary also does it…….

Yours In Rotary,

Connie Gevinski

PROUD TO BE A ROTARIAN!

From the DGE Gwenn Ramage-Wons

(631)288-6244 Ext. 287

(631)830-7080 Cell

gwenn.ramage@elliman.com

THE MERGER OF DISTRICTS 7250 AND 7260

Representatives from both districts have been meeting for over a year to have a smooth transition

into the new District 7255 which will begin on July 1st, 2013. The combined districts will have over

75 Rotary Clubs and stretch from Brooklyn, Queens to Montauk and Greenport on Long Island. The

total membership will be 2000 plus. This is a huge undertaking to merge programs in each district.

Compare RI Programs in each district: YEP & STEP, RYLA, Interact, Rotaract, The Rotary Foundation,

GSE, Friendship Exchange, District Training, Leadership, Membership Development and Retention,

Club Extension, PDHG Advisory Committee, Zone Representative, District Newsletter, District Assembly,

Presidential Citations, District Nominating Committee, United Nations Liaison, Strategic Planning,

District Assembly.

Compare local programs in each district: Gift of Life, Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck, Camp Anchor, Veterans &

Soldiers Projects, PRAAT, District Foundations, Early Act, Multicultural, District Website/ Clubrunner &

Technology, Club Training, RLI, Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Relief, Energy Sustainability

Task Force, COPS, Rotary Job Find, Good and Welfare, Diaper Bank, Historian, Awards, Public Relations,

Rotacare, Organ Donations, RotaShip, Homecoming, Installation Dinner, District

Bylaws/Guidelines/Policies,Parliamentarian,DistrictDirectory,SocialMedia,Networking.

All these programs and committees have to be combined and each district has its strength. District 7260

has a stronger Youth Exchange program and District 7250 has a stronger GOL program and Veterans

and Soldiers program and so it goes. What we have now is a house which has been framed and the

walls are up, however, the inside has to be completed which presents a lot of intricate work.

It will be my job within the next 11 months and the help of the Merger Committee and Past District

Governors to select the best Rotarians from both districts to serve on these Comnmittees and implement

the RI Programs. It will not be easy and there will be hic-ups but the work will get done.

Yours in Rotary

Gwenn Ramage

District Governor Elect

PROUD TO BE A ROTARIAN!

SUCCESS SEMINAR On September 8, 2012 we are hosting a unique event. It is a Success Seminar for Rotary Clubs with a keynote address from our Director Bryn Styles. Also, there will be two concurrent breakout sessions for the Foundation to answer future Vision question; Public image to explore opportunities; and RI Programs to discuss membership and new Generations activities. After lunch we will have a mult-generational panel to discuss membership and the view of Rotary to different generations. Put three club members in a car and join us for the day! Cost is just $35.00 per person. Let DG Connie Gevinski know if you are interested in attending.

Rotary Leadership Institute – September 15, 2012 – Melville Marriott

PDG’s David Ardam & George Rehn, Co-Chairs

The Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) is coming to the Melville Marriott on Saturday, September

15, 2012, when Parts I, II & III as well as the Graduate Program will be offered to Rotarians in

Districts 7250, 7260 and beyond. The session will start with registration at 7:30 a.m. and classes

start at 8:00 a.m. The day will end at 3:30 p.m.

The price for the Melville session on September 15, 2012 is $95, which covers your whole day

of course work, and includes both breakfast and lunch. Registration for RLI can be done most

easily online, at http://www.rlinea.com/Registration.htm. In case of any problems using the

online registration, it is also possible to register using one of the convenient trifolds circulating

throughout the district. A trifold can also be downloaded from the Downloads section on the

left side of the District’s website (www.Rotary7260.org). Registration details can be filled in and

the form then mailed with payment to the RLI Registration address in the pamphlet. Make sure

you have the 2012-2013 version before filling it out. Note there is a $10 surcharge for late or at-

the-door registrations.

Recognizing the value of RLI to Rotarians and their clubs, DG Connie and all of the recent Past

District Governors have recommended that the clubs pay for any member who is willing to give

their time to spend a day at RLI. There is no doubt the club will get its money’s worth!

Port Jefferson Rotary On Tuesday, July 24th, two local 2012 high school graduates were honored by the Port Jefferson Rotary Club for their stellar accomplishments as student leaders distinguishing themselves especially in the field of community service. Maddy Crowe received this year's Port Jefferson High School Interact Scholarship due to her excellence as a vigorous Interact Club leader and Rotary Youth Leadership Award guiding force. She graduated with 500 hours of community service and totally embraced the Rotary motto, "Service Above Self". Asma Neblett was chosen to be this year's recipient of the Comsewogue High School Rotary Scholarship. A strong believer in empowerment, Asma was selected for this honor due to her leadership in a large variety of student organizations and community service projects, including advocacy programs such as her effective, well received anti-bullying plan. Both of these young women expect to continue their activities as community service activists while they further their studies.

Rocky Point Rotary The Rotary Club of Rocky Point presented $1,000.00 scholarship checks to three graduating seniors of area schools. In addition to scholastic achievement, activity in volunteer service to the community was a significant factor in the selections. The Rotary Club weekly lunch meetings are held on Tuesdays at the Sea Basin restaurant. Pictured from left to right: Rotarian Bob Badalian, Miller Place graduate Nicole Kurtinaitis, Rocky Point graduate Samantha Picciotti, Shoreham-Wading River graduate Patrick Steinbrecher, and Rotary President Ann Marie Roberts

_________________________________________________________________________________ Smithtown-Sunrise Rotary

DG Connie Gevinski spoke to the Smithtown-Sunrise Rotary on Thursday morning, July 12th ... First official visit...Connie is pictured with Club President Carol Walsh.

Riverhead Rotary

Nick Deschamps with President Linda Hulse

“How I spent my summer vacation”

Riverhead Rotary made a field trip to Indian Island golf course July 25th, and was treated to an excellent lunch at Outerbanks restaurant. However, the main course was a very good talk by Nick Deschamps (Riverhead High School Junior) who told us about his RYLA weekend in March followed by another leadership conference in June with General Tommy Franks. Nick was one of 50 High School students from all across the US chosen to go to Oklahoma City for the weeklong conference with the retired General who led CENTCOM in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2000-2003. Rotary Districts 7250 and 7260 (Long Island) share RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) which is Rotary’s leadership training for young people. About 100 10th graders from all across Long Island got together the weekend of March 25th – 27th at Camp DeWolfe in Wading River. Nick said his RYLA weekend was a transformative experience, where he learned about himself, learned leadership skills, and made many new friends.

And he built on RYLA when he went to General Franks’ Four Star Leadership conference. The four stars are:

• Communication

• Character • Common Vision, and • Caring

Nick has learned a great deal at RYLA and at the conference in Oklahoma City. We’ll hear more from him in the future.

_________________________________________________________________________

2012 District Conference – District 7260 Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa – Puerto Rico

May 3 – 6, 2013

Rotarian’s Last Name: (Please Print) First Name & Middle Initial: Badge Name: Rotary Club Of:

Spouse/Guest Last Name: First Name & Middle Initial: Badge Name: Rotary Club Of

Mailing Address:

City: State: Zip Code

Telephone: Business Home: Fax: E-Mail

Please send a confirmation of my Conference Registration to my email address.

Please indicate your current or Past Rotary Office(s): You Partner You Partner You Partner District Governor Club President Paul Harris Fellow

District Governor Elect Club Past President Foundation Benefactor

District Governor Nominee Club President Elect Major Donor

District Governor Designee Interact Committee Conference Committee

Past District Governor Youth Exchange Committee Rotary Alumni

District Treasurer Secretary (circle) RYLA Committee Ambassadorial Scholar

Assistant District Governor Early Act Committee Rotaract

Conference Package - $650. Per person double occupancy -. Number of Children in Parent’s Room Conference Package – Single Occupancy $975.00

Room Preference (Accommodated on a first –come basis – run of the house) Total Food and Room $ King Bed Two Double Beds Deposit $ Non-Smoking ADA Accessible Room Balance $ *The above Conference Package Includes: *Three Nights Lodging *Friday Welcome Dinner * Saturday, Sunday and Monday Breakfast *Coffee Breaks *Governor’s Banquet on Sunday Night *Monday Farewell Brunch

To accept registration, 1/2 of cost is due at registration and balance due by Jan. 28, 2013

Those paid in full by October 31 will be entered in a drawing to win 4 additional nights (before or after the

conference) at Rio Mar. (Not refundable for cash) Announcement of winner will be at District Meeting Nov.

2012

Interested in golf tennis beach volleyball Special Needs/Dietary Needs:______________________________________________

Credit Card: ___Amex ___Visa __ Master _______________________ ______________

Security Code______________ Credit Card Number Expiration Signature

Please fill out this form, print and mail the completed registration form with checks or credit card information to: Angie Reese, 2605 Deep Hole Drive, Mattituck, New York 11952(areese@scnb.com). Please make check payable to:

Rotary District 7260 2013 District Conference. PAYMENT MUST ACCOMPANY THE REGISTRATION FOR

YOU TO BE CONSIDERED REGISTERED!

Things to Do (After the meetings) while at this years Conference in Puerto Rico 4 hours or less Go to the Resort Casino in the hotel Golf – Two courses at the resort Tennis – day and evening Relax in the Mandara Spa Hang around the Pool El Yunque National Forest – hike 1 or 2 short trails or drive up the road, enjoy the greenery, waterfalls and views from the comfort of your air-conditioned car in under 2 hours Loquillo Kiosks – 60 beach–front food vendors, offering everything from local fare to, to Italian, Mexican and burgers. Good for a quick lunch or a sit-down dinner. Balneario Monserrate – a beautiful, crescent-shaped beach in Luquillo with palm trees and a view of El Yunque. There are lifeguards, food stands, gated parking lot, restrooms and showers available Hacienda Carabali – ATV tours, horseback riding, go carts and mountain bikes all in the foothills of El Yunque Route 66 Outlet – small mall with outlet stores, a food court and movie theaters Yunke Zipline Adventure – zip lines and hiking in the foothills of el Yunque Camarero Race Track – horse races in the afternoon, 5 days /week More than 4 hours Go to San Juan visit the old Town Tour the Baccardi Rum Factory Visit Culebra or Vieques for the day – fly from Ceiba airport to either Island. (Around $20.00)where you can spend the day on Flamenco Beach or Sun Bay Beach Go Hang Gliding on the south side of El Yunque Snorkel Boat Trips Fishing Trips Finish the day with an evening trip to Biobay.

Remember That Everyone Knows That Rotarians Make

the News !!

Be a Proud Rotarian!

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR/PUBLISHER: 1. We are accepting business card advertisements, from all Rotarians who wish to use this

service for networking with other Rotary Business people and firms and have

established the following rate (payable to Rotary District 7260):

$100.00 Annual Rate or $10.00 per month

2. Advertisements of Rotary Related Activities are also being accepted at the following

rates:

$50.00 Full Page or $30.00 Half Page for each issue of the District Newsletter

ROTARY DISTRICT 7260 IMPORTANT DATES:

Please put these dates on your calendar and please tell your Club members not to schedule

events on these dates:

District Calendar

Currently Taking reservations for District Conference in Puerto Rico - See website , July 20 -22 ESSEX YEP Meeting – Okemo Mountain July 30 – Aug. 26 GSE team leaves for Puerto Rico – (More team members needed, contact

Bobbi Feigenbaum at feig@ aol.com) Aug 3 - District meeting – Courtyard Marriott, Ronkonkoma August 8 YEP Committee Meeting – 3pm – place to be determined Rebound YEP student Debriefing – 6pm – place to be determined

September 1 (Correction - not 9/15) COPS meeting – All Club Presidents Sept 7 Monthly District Meeting – 7 am breakfast, 7:30 meeting – Courtyard

Marriott, Ronkonkoma Sept 8 Zone 32 Success Seminar – Cromwell, Connecticut Sept 9 Camp Pa Qua Tuck Duck BBQ Sept15 (Correction – not 9/29) Rotary Leadership Institute – all members -

Melville, Marriott Sept 15 Family Fun Day – Yaphank Farm – contact Wendy Friedman Kolsin Oct 5 Monthly District meeting 7 am breakfast, 7:30 meeting at Courtyard

Marriott, Ronkonkoma Oct 8 Zone 32 Success Seminar – Cromwell, Connecticut November 3 UN Day TBA (Fall?) Peace Conference TBA (Winter?) Foundation Event TBA (Spring?) Celebrate 7260 May 3 -6 District Conference – Rio Mar, Puerto Rico Staff Meeting Dates (at Courtyard Marriott , Ronkonkoma)

August 3, 2012

September 7, 2012

October 5, 2012

November 2, 2012

December 7, 2012

January 4, 2013

February 1, 2013

March 1, 2013

April 5, 2013

May 10, 2013

June 7, 2013

Schedules subject to Change – Check the District Website at

www.Rotary.org frequently for Updates and details.