Meets Noon Mondays at the Hilton
www.hbgrotary.org
Executive Director: Linda Freedenberg
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Telephone: 717-234-1208
Fax: 717-234-3234

March 29, 2010

Speaker: Tim Potts, Cofounder Democracy Rising
Topic: "WHAT’S ALL THIS ABOUT A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION?"

Greeter and Good News Reporter:  Jessica Malone
Invocation:  John Cavanaugh
Club Singing:  Tom Arnoldi
Publications:  Carrie W. Thomas

Corporate Member

Birthdays:
Gib Parthemore   MAR 29
Barry Kain           MAR 31
Andy Rebuck      MAR 31
John Klobusicky  APR 1
Kent Patterson     APR 4
Bruce Grossman  APR 5
Russell Wert        APR 6
Larry Means        APR 7
John McHenry     APR 8
Harry Banzhoff    APR 8
Norma Swain       APR 8
Barry Goodling    APR 9
Jim Smeltzer        APR 9
Joan Prescott       APR 10

UPCOMING PROGRAMS / MEETING LOCATIONS:
March 29 – Tim Potts, Cofounder Democracy Rising "WHAT’S ALL THIS ABOUT A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION?“

April 5   NO MEETING

April 12  at HACC Wildwood Center
Dr. Edna Baehre, President HACC.  “THE SOCIA-ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HACC ON THE EIGHT COUNTY REGION”

April 19    Youth Community Development Team

April 26   333 Market Street
David Kloser, Mental Game Coach, Speaker, Author.  “STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE”

For complete programming go to our website: hbgrotary.org and click on calendar.
For meeting cancellations due to inclement weather.... Tune to ABC27-TV or check your e-mail or call the Rotary office at 234-1208.

PROGRAM: Tim Potts is a 38-year veteran of the public policy scene in Harrisburg with government credentials in economic development, public welfare, and education.

He has a bi-partisan political pedigree. Republican Gov. Dick Thornburgh appointed Mr. Potts to the Department of Education in 1984, and Democratic Gov. Bob Casey promoted him to deputy chief of staff, supervising new programs including student testing, teacher testing, and initiatives for at-risk students.

Mr. Potts left the Department of Education in 1990 to work for the House Democratic Caucus as press secretary and director of communications until 1997, when he became director of the Pennsylvania School Reform Network.

In August 2004, he co-founded Democracy Rising PA, a citizen coalition working to give Pennsylvania the best state government in America.

For his work to repeal the 2005 pay raise for state officials and to remove a state Supreme Court justice from the bench for the first time in Pennsylvania history, Mr. Potts was one of three people honored by The Philadelphia Inquirer as Citizens of the Year in 2005. In 2006, he received the Public Service Achievement Award from Common Cause Pennsylvania.

NEWS AND NOTES:
• The Nominating Committee chaired by Barry Ramper presents the 2010-12  slate of officers and board.
President          John P. Judson                        
President-Elect  Robert S. Saline (2011-12)
Vice President   Una Martone (2012-13)
Imm. Past-President   Carolyn Dumaresq

Secretary                                  Treasurer Sergeant-at-Arms
Barry Ramper, II                      William B. Boles                        William M. Tillett

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John R. Detweiler     '11             Sandra Beck                             ‘12
Kent E. Frese           '11            Caryn J. Carr                             ‘12       
John J. McHenry      '11            Lisa F. Lewis                             ‘12
Karen F. Snider        '11           Andrew R. Rebuck ‘12

Gib Parthemore     2010 Hanson Award winner

The Slate will be voted on at the Annual Meeting on March 29th.
____________________

• NO MEETING on April 5th.  April 12th meeting at Wildwood Center at HACC needs RSVP.

• ROSTER INFORMATION SHEETS: Please return with any updated information and your committee selections for 2010-11.

• The Fellowship Committee invites all members and their guests to attend our “Nine and Dine” events in 2010.  Once a month, at a different venue each month, we will play nine holes of golf and have a chance to grab a bite to eat and a cold drink.

In order to plan ahead and accommodate attendance every month we ask that you sign up either for the golf and dine package or either golf only or dine only.  In other words there will be a sign up sheet each month.  (You certainly can play golf with a preplanned group or ask to be grouped by the host of each event.)

This is not a fundraiser for the club-it is a fellowship event-but you will need to budget to pay the announced fees for the golf and food.  You will also receive a make up for attendance!

Our first Nine and Dine is Tuesday April 27th at the Armitage Golf Course and Caddy Shack Restaurant.  The package to play, ride a cart and get a $10 voucher for the restaurant that night is $21.99.  (The golf and ride only option is $15 and the Dine- only option is ala carte from the menu as we will not have a separate pricing set up.)

We can set up as many tee times as we need starting at 5:12 that day.  Please sign up today or as soon as you can as we will need to confirm our playing needs with the course in the next few weeks.

• Special thanks to Caryn Carr, Ron Guss, Jack Huskin, Peggy Grove, Tom Johnston, Carolyn Dumaresq, Tom Peluso, Dave Bedard, Kent Patterson, Robin Scaer, Karen Snider, Janice Black, Joe Bedard, Michael Hanes and the Whitaker Center and a special thank you to Rich Curl and the staff at the YMCA for allowing us to use their facility as home base for the Youth Exchange Overnight Weekend in Harrisburg.  A fun time was had by all, especially the kids!

• SAVE THE DATE!  Habitat for Humanity, May 8th.  Sign-up at the information table.

•  YCDT: Goodwill Keystone Area and the Goodwill Industries Keystone Area Foundation awarded a $1,000 grant to the Youth Community Development Team (YCDT) in support of its focus on “job training and access to employment.”  The grant award is a result of a student-led fundraising appeal made to the community on January 12, 2010 at which young people from Harrisburg city schools expressed their desire to changes lives by focusing their unique energies and ideas toward job training and preparation services.  Students have issued an RFP of their own, offering a grant award of $6,000, and are seeking applications from local organizations that can incorporate the students’ help in connecting people with jobs!  Funds from the Goodwill Industries Keystone Area Foundation, coupled with local donations from Fulton Bank and many local community leaders will be supplemented by the Rotary Club of Harrisburg to create the $6,000 grant.  For more information or to access a copy of the RFP, visit www.hbgrotary.org .
• DISTRICT NEWS:

1.  Check out the District Newsletter: www.hbgrotary.org
Click on click on About Us   Click on District 7390 Click on District Happenings
Click on Rotar- E Reporter
or  http://www.rotary7390.org/Portals/0/August%2009%20Newsletter.pdf

2. ROTARY DISTRICT 7390 /WGAL-TV 8 SIXTH       ANNUAL TEACHER IMPACT AWARDS nominations are now being accepted. The program will identify and honor teachers who have influenced students’ lives, both academically and personally. WGAL has posted the nomination form on the station’s web site (wgal.com) under the “Community Page” section. Nominations are also available through any Rotarian in the Lebanon, Lancaster, Dauphin, Adams, Cumberland, Perry and York County area. WGAL and Rotary are encouraging students, school administrators, PTOs, Alumni Associations, parents and anyone with first hand knowledge of an outstanding teacher to nominate him or her for this award. Recipients of the award will be profiled on future News 8 broadcasts in May, 2010. A Teacher Impact Awards recognition banquet is being planned for Monday, May 17, 2010.

3.  DISTRICT CONFERENCE:  APRIL 22-25.  Sign up for a day!  Go to the website.

ATTENDANCE:
LAST ROTARY MEETING:  3/22/10       55%
Rotarians   84   Active Specials  13           Guests   32    Visiting Rotarians    2  =   131

Minutes by Dave Freet:
This week’s Rotary meeting was organized differently, for those who were unable to attend. President Carolyn opened the meeting at 11:30 AM, as promised, with the subsequent introduction of Senator Casey by Karen Snider (who had served as a Cabinet Secretary under the Senator’s Father when he was Governor).

Senator Casey was first elected to represent Pennsylvania in 2006. He has been involved in health care reform debates and a strong proponent to increasing access to early childhood education and reversal of chronic under funding of child care. As an important advocate for expansion of Children’s Health Insurance programs, which is modeled after our Pennsylvania program.

Senator Casey  serves on the following U.S. Senate committees:
Foreign Relations; Agriculture; Health & Education; Labor & Pensions; and Special Committee on Aging. Prior to becoming a U.S. Senator from PA Casey served as PA’s Auditor General for eight (8) years; PA’s Treasurer for two (2) years. He was born and raised in Scranton, PA the eldest son of the late Governor Robert P. Casey and his wife Ellen. The Senator is married with four (4) daughters, is a graduate of the College of Holy Cross and a law degree from Catholic University. He was taught by his Father, “all public service is a trust, given in faith and accepted in honor.”

The Senator utilized a power point presentation to facilitate his comments to our Rotary Club. It was titled, “Creating Jobs & Promoting Economic Growth.” A plan for Recovery. (Copy attached for your personal convenience and edification).

Casey noted the “ongoing” horrific recession impact on Pennsylvanians and nationally with high unemployment we continue to experience. The impact of unemployment is worse in some Pennsylvania regions versus others with the Capital region least affected. He went on to comment that “Real people and families have been adversely impacted.” Many are over 60 years old and were never previously out of work. “We need to remain cognizant of this issue.”

The Senator noted job losses are “going down – the good news.” Real people, however, remain out of work at approximately 10% nationally. The Gross National Product (GDP) has finally recovered with positive growth and the Recovery Act has provided a major boost to the Pennsylvania economy. Education in Harrisburg schools have received over $10.8 million from the Recovery Bill. Casey believes there are at least three (3) key issues that must be addressed for our future: 1/ preparing PA for future opportunities and challenges; 2/ Retaining people in PA.; 3/ Educating PA citizens. He went on to quote the % of people 25 or older with a BA or greater: 26.1% in Dauphin County; 25.8% for PA.; and 77.8% nationally.

Maintaining a “Safety Net” for PA’s citizens is paramount, according to the Senator. He suggests; extending unemployment benefits through the end of 2010; expanding safety net spending by; 1/ investing in Clean Energy; 2/ helping small businesses create jobs; 3/ establishing hiring incentives to restore employment; 4/ Congress passing the “American Workers State & Business Relief Act” to create jobs; 5/ seeking long-term fiscal strength through deficit reduction; 6/ stabilize the housing market.

The Senator wrapped up his formal comments and then took questions from the well-attended Rotary audience. He received questions pursuant to how we move forward in the future; on debt/deficit reduction and whether the passage of recent health care legislation in Congress fulfills Rotary’s 4-way Test? Although not direct in his response to the 4-way test question, Casey commented that the “cost of doing nothing is irresponsible/reprehensible. He went on to say that his Republican Friends would have preferred “no bill.”

Senator Casey wrapped up with emphasis on “early education intervention” which will pay off 10-20 years down the road, in his opinion. Also, the need to address nutrition emphasis in schools. Finally, providing health insurance: uninsured rate for children is 5% in PA and 12% for adults.

The timing of having Senator Casey come speak to Harrisburg Rotary was significant. Who could have predicted he would be speaking the day subsequent to Congress passed the historic health care legislation – for good or ill. Time will be the determinant of whether it was appropriate and helpful to those it was intended to help.

Subsequent to the Senator’s comments, the Rotary meeting proceeded as usual. Greeter for today was Betty Hungerford, our Invocation provided by Dick Stewart; Club singing led by Marion Alexander, and Publications by Dave Freet.

OFFICERS:

DIRECTORS:

Carolyn Dumaresq           
John P. Judson, M.D.      
Robert S. Saline              
Barry Ramper, II,             
Carrie N. Wissler Thomas
William B. Boles                
William M. Tillett

President
President-Elect
Vice President
Immediate Past President
Secretary
Treasurer
Sergeant-at-Arms

Caryn J. Carr
John R. Detweiler
Kent E. Frese
John J. McHenry
Lawrence M. Means
Maria B. Persico
Andrew R/ Rebuck
Karen F. Snider