Next Meeting

When............ December 29, 2009 at 12:00 p.m.

Where........... The Franklin Hotel

Program....... Mary Stronach, Youth Exchange

Attendance: Total Membership: 99. Please note that going forward the newsletter will list those present, not those absent from meetings: PRESENT: Adamo, Bahr, Baker, Butters, Dailey, DeSimone, Fusco, Haritatos, Herrmann, V., Herrmann, R., Kahler, J., Kahler, D., Kaucher, Kobernuss, Latimer, Mattacola, Mattson, Normand, Occhipinti, Panara, Pendergrast, Recco, Sperlik, Till, Townsend, Tracy, Trela, Tuthill, W., Versace, Waters, G., Waters, S., Winberg.

Those in attendance at Thursday night meeting were recorded in the attendance records.

Guests and Visiting Rotarians: None.

50/50: Virginia Herrmann had the winning number but did not win the pot.

Make-ups: All Make Ups submitted at the meeting were recorded in the attendance records.

Quote of the Week:

See special insert, at end of newsletter.

Rotary Stuff

Rotary – Want to know more about the greatness you are a part of? Go to this link and watch this video:http://www.rotary.org/en/AboutUs/Pages/ridefault.aspx

Announcements and Events

Joe Fusco led us all in singing Elvis’ Blue Christmas – it was, ahh, memorable.

Ballots were passed out for club elections. If you did not have a chance to vote yet, a ballot was e-mailed to you and you need to return it to Glen Bahr by end of day Monday, December 28^th.

Ron Townsend gave us a membership moment and updated us on district membership efforts and passed around a short survey on membership.

Board Meetings will be Third Monday of the Month at Savoy Restaurant at 5:15 p.m.

Program

The Program was a club assembly where many updates were given. Joyce Midlam spoke of the Rotary Thursday Night meeting and the success it is enjoying. Greg Mattacola gave an update on the successful Children’s Christmas Party and Greg and Debbie Adamo reported on taking over the Secretary Duties. Ron TownsenMike Occhipinti spoke about Polio/Pennies for Polio and the ongoing efforts to raise more money. President Bob introduced the new Polio piggy banks that will be put out at meetings and distributed to those members who want to fill them with spare change and then return them. Debbie Adamo reminded everyone of Canalfest on August 6, 7 and 8 and to clear these days on your schedule as it is our major fundraiser. In all, much good information was shared amongst our members. Thanks to all for everything you do to make this club so special.

In honor of Christmas, please enjoy this classic editorial and Merry Christmas to all - There is no doubt that Santa is alive and a Rotarian to be sure!

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET.

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Rome Rotary Club

Post Office Box 655 • Rome • New York 13442-06551