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May 20, 2008  This past week was marked in part by Group Study Exchange (GSE) team member vocational visits in the greater Haverhill area. Roberto, a psychologist from Brazil, spent a short hour visiting Dr. Jon Miller at Team Coordinating Agency. Rita, a teacher, visited a Head Start class and with adult education staff at CAI's Fox Education Center. Ana, a pharmacist, visited her counterpart at Wyeth Labs, a visit facilitated by Past Haverhill President Darlene Beal. Jim Vanderpol helped Ana get back to her team for their subsequent visit to MGH in Boston. Meanwhile, Haverhill's GSE team member, Community Action Head Start Teacher Joanna Clement, is now in Brazil for the month. When Joanna's conterpart on the Brazilian in-bound team, Rita de Cássia Souza Goulart, visited Joanna's Head Start class last week, she told us her class in Brazil has, I think, 32 children in it, ages 3-11! One day, Rita told us, her principal brought a new young boy to her class. He's blind, the principal told her, and then left. Rita teaches English in her class, but it's hard. The children's families do not speak English, and they don't see it as important. In Brazil, Joanna has visited public and private schools, including Rita's school and classes, as well as many other sites. Apparently each of them started to cry when they first saw each others' students. As guests, GSE team members are constantly being fed. Joanna reports that the prices are high, the weather is in the upper 70's, she's seen lots of wildlife and the monkeys she has seen are "not as cute as they are curious." "I have pictures, they are like squirrels are to us." She is constantly on the move and is now staying with her 4th host family. She asks often about her children and fellow staff in Fox Head Start Classroom B. She has seen great wealth and great poverty. She has identified contacts and opportunities for us possibly to do a Rotary matching grant with the Rotary club in a town called Intauna. I don't think she even knew what a matching grant was when she left for Brazil!. There is so much to relate. She will share more once she returns. When Rita and I were picking up Roberto at TCA to reunite them with the rest of their team for their MGH visit, an overly outgoing TCA client made Rita nervous. She was acting !strange! to Rita. But Roberto, ever the psychologist, noted that he likes these people. They are like the ones he works with in Brazil, he told us. !They are interesting", he said happily. Thanks to Jon, Darlene and Jim for helping make the GSE team visits a success. And thanks to you, fellow Rotarians, for your donations and your fundraising efforts. Not only do you raise monies for local charities that are near and dear to our hearts, but you help make possible Joanna's visit to Brazil and the Brazilian team's visit to New England. You are facilitating the personal growth of these young professionals and their understanding of each others' cultures, countries and peoples. They are life-changing events. Their new insights and understanding will radiate out from each of them to many hundreds around them, truly promoting world peace and understanding. Not bad for a bunch of volunteers! Not bad at all... The Auction: Last Minute DetailsThis week's meeting will be dedicated to finalizing the Auction details. Turn in your last minute items and sell tickets to your friends who will come and spend money. We are also very happy to accept cash donations.  My Father in Law was Albert W. Glynn. I always addressed him as Mr. Glynn. Martha and I were married in 1954. Our reception was at the Pentucket Club on Main Street Haverhill. Massachusetts. As the reception was going along Mr. Glynn beckoned me over to him. He told me that now that I had married his daughter "that it was going to be Al from here on out." I misunderstood what he had said and thought that he told me that "It was going to be Hell from here on out". I told Martha that I couldn't believe what her father had just told me. She asked me what I thought that he had said. I told her that he had just notified me "that it was going to be Hell from here on out" Martha then said: "He didn't say that, he told you that you could now call him by his first name, Al from now on." Yeah, but I must be smart, I joined the Haverhill Rotary Club didn't I ?. Video of the Week  District News The District Conference is going to be at the Boston Park Plaza from Friday, June 30 - Sunday, June 1. The last day to register is this Thursday, May 15, 2008. You WILL NOT be able to register at the door. Sign up if you plan to attend. Keep up with what's happening in Rotary District 7930. New Member Diane Franz, Sr. Director, United Way Proposed New Member Harry J Korslund, Haverhill Bank, Proposed by Tom Faulkner. SpeakersLast week Andrew Reed of Borrego Solar spoke to us and offered some insight on the state of photovoltaic solar energy and how we can use it to lower energy costs in our homes and businesses. Borrego Solar is an industry leader in this field and if you would like yo learn more log on to their web site borregosolar.com or contact Andrew directly. AReed@borregosolar.com
May 22 - Auction Preparation Week Attendance An attendance record of 50 percent is required to remain an active Rotarian. Any missed meeting must be made up within 14 days before or after the regular meeting. To accommodate busy schedules, there are various opportunities to make up missed meetings: Monday 12:15PM Danversport Yacht Club |
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