Vol. 67 No.8 Notes from the Podium

President’s Time 

President Walter is out of town. Vice President Greg Martini presided at the meeting today.  VP Martini started the meeting with what happened today in History:

August 23, 1926: American film star Rudolph Valentino dies, causing world-wide hysteria and a number of suicides.

 1927:  Immigrant laborers Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are executed for a robbery they did not commit. Fifty years later, in 1977, then Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis establishes a memorial in the victims’ honor.

 1939: Joseph Stalin and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop sign the non aggression pact between the Soviet Union and Germany, freeing Hitler to invade Poland and Stalin to invade Finland.

1942: German  forces begin an assault on the major Soviet industrial city of Stalingrad.

August and September Happenings

August 31, 2012: First Fifth Friday at Snow’s Jewelers, 6-8PM, $10.

September 8, 2012; Freedom 5K Run at JC Bermudez Park, 9AM-12 Noon

September 15, 2012; Coastal Cleanup at Matheson Hammock, 9am-12 noon.

September 22, 2012; Veterans Bingo, 1-3PM

September 22, 2012; Diabetes Walk, Marlin Stadium, 7:30-9AM

These events count as make ups.

Happy Birthday

Margarita Tonkinson                            August 23

Bill Oates                                             August 24

Jim Skinner                                          August 25

Betty Metcalf                                       August 28

Vocational Talks

 

George Reeves, Vocational Service Chair, asked PP. Jerry Santeiro to talk about the Guardianship Program of Miami-Dade County, of which he is the Executive Director.  The Guardianship Program is a private, non-profit agency that acts as the Public Guardian for indigent adults who are adjudicated incapacitated in Miami-Dade County, Florida. A full range of services is provided to care for the multiple needs of the incapacitated.  The agency has the support and trust of the Probate and Guardianship Division of the 11th Judicial Court, as well as the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs. The Program gets around 25 new cases a month. Jerry started working with the Guardianship Program 7 years ago after Judge Maria Korvick mentioned that the organization was looking for an Executive Director.  Jerry applied and was hired.

Visitors and Guests

Rodney Langer introduced our visitors and guests today. We had two visiting Rotarians today: District Governor Nominee Joe Roth from the Rotary Club of Weston and Andrea Fusero from the Brickell Club. Our guests: J. Guarch introduces his wife, Delia. Lan had Gary Rovin, a former Rotarian from this club, and Deborah Mayo was a guest of Bill Forshee.  Welcome to all and come again!

Happy Dollars

 
Randy introduced a new idea for a public service. Greg Martini was happy because his 3 kids started school this week.  Tom Dixon and his son Andrew just closed on their first real estate deal together and did it with two Rotarians: Mike Freeman and Gene Witherspoon. Sally B: a lady hydroplaned into her and Jack Witty on their way to the VA bingo and she's happy because all is OK. Eddie Snow: His boat is being worked on, but hopes it will be fixed in time to move it out of Isaac’s way. Bill Forshee is a happy father of 2 College students.  Louis Boue was not very happy because one of his fish died today. It was a good fish  J.Guarch is happy he doesn’t see our speaker yet, and he is glad  his wife, Delia, is visiting today and that her daughter is so well.  George Reeves: his grandson goes to Belen Jesuit school and all the textbooks are now on the iPad.  Ana Fournaris is happy to entertain until the speaker comes! Also, rental prices are rising. Felix Pardo, past Program Chair, will help drag out happy dollars longer. Talking about Rudolph Valentino’s death: he was born in the same hospital in which he died. Also he was happy because his younger son wants to be a teacher like his  wife. Chris Morrison: UPL Teams also have their playbooks on iPads! FSU still uses etch a sketch.  Rodney Langer is happy that all his three kids are in St. Theresa now and also that his dad is doing well after a minor stroke he had in April.  Carlos Ruiz: his two green home lots got split so now he needs to get an address to be able to get a septic tank.  Randy Groh is  happy to be on the Board of the Keys Wild Bird Center.  He invites all to visit. Tom Dixon came back again to tell us about a wonderful project that gives children PCs, not only here but in other countries.

Our Speaker Today

                                                           

Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent of Miami Dade Public Schools, was our speaker today.  Before the Superintendant gave his speech, VP Greg made Alberto an Honorary Rotarian of the Rotary Club of Coral Gables. He received his pin from Ana Fournaris ,Retention Chair. Welcome to Rotary, Alberto!

It has been said that Superintendant Carvalho will go into politics, but he confirmed that he will not do so.  

Miami is now the fourth largest school district in the nation.  And although the U.S. has many Nobel Prizes, it needs to improve its education.  

Business operations at Miami-Dade schools have been restructured, resulting in an increase in financial reserves of over 2000 percent, despite the national economic downturn. Insisting on transparency in the budgeting process, superintendant Carvalho restored public trust and community support for Miami-Dade’s public schools. By bringing a renewed focus to the classroom, student performance has improved significantly.  In 2011, the District posted its highest high school graduation rate ever, and through a data-driven approach to school performance improvement, the number of “F” high schools in Miami-Dade decreased from 13 to zero.  In addition, over half of all schools earned a grade designation of “A” with 70% earning an A or B.  M-DCPS students consistently have outperformed their national peers on the Reading, Mathematics and Science tests of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a measure considered to be the gold standard of performance accountability.

The Superintendant confirmed that he will not cut art, music or physical education opportunities for students.

He did point out that many Schools are old and they need to be fixed, something that has to be done urgently.  All in all, now is the time to adopt a win-win approach.  Support the $1.2 billion bond issue that is being proposed on the ballot in November.  It will make the physical improvements to our schools possible.

Next Week’s Program: August 30, 2012:  Nicole Rider, Life without Limits

Working Rotarians –August 23, 2012

Greeter - Deena Bell

Registration - Aaron Glasser

Collections - Bill Quesenberry

Head Table - Steven Spann

Open the Meeting - Jack Witty       

Invocation - Ana Fournaris

Pledge - Carol Alexander

Singers - Bill Q,/Dan S.

Introduction of Visitors/Guests - Rodney Langer

Pin Drawing Gift - Steve Spann

Winner - Carol Alexander

De Witt Silver Dollars - Andrea Fusero

Given to - Rolf Frankfuter/Alberto Carvalho

50/50 Raffle - Gloria Burns

Winner - Bill Bechman

 Four Way Test - Joe Witz

 
 

Thought of the Week

by Sally B. 

 "Leadership, like responsibility,
is a voluntary act."

John C. Maxwell 

 Fellowship