ROTOSCOPE

Every Rotarian – Every Year (EREY):  Wow!!!!   Did you know that for $0.27 per day, less than $2.00 per week, and $8.33 per month you can be an active participant and be recognized in Rotary International’s (RI) EREY Program?  And you can do this with a simple authorization to RI to charge a credit card account for the recurring period (month / quarter / annual ) amount you designate.  This is simple and straightforward. 

Your commitment provides grant funds for RI and our District 7090 for projects that are used to fund local and international service projects, scholarships, and vocational training teams.

Would you please seriously consider an annual commitment to the EREY program?   There is an aspirational goal of $100 per year per member. Please see the attached EREY form whereby you can make this commitment for a tax-deductible contribution (501.c.3 charity) as a recurring monthly, quarterly or annual donation using a credit card ( www.rotary.org/contribute).  You know the good that Rotary and its members accomplish; please seriously consider your participation in EREY. Our Club number is 4756, District #7090, and your individual member number can be found on the mailing label of the Rotarian magazine, an 8-digit number preceded by “#” just above your name.  Ed S. will have each member’s membership number at the Club meetings for information and ease of reference.       Thank You! 

Program Schedule: The January 16^th issue of the Speakers’ Schedule was distributed at the January 20 meeting and sent by email to all members. We have openings for speakers.  Doug Littlewood can provide you with the current schedule and available openings.  We have quite a few openings for a speaker after January and into the New Year.  If you have a potential speaker, it is suggested that three (3) open dates, in order of speaker preferred priority, be confirmed with Doug Littlewood or Vern Anderson, who will confirm the specific date, and “lock” that date for your speaker.  This will eliminate any conflict with other confirmed speakers. It will also keep the Program Schedule accurate for dates where speaker dates have been reserved.  Please keep Doug and Vern updated if changes need to be made.  In our social and business lives we may know of individuals who have an interesting background, career, or story.  Ask them: “Would you share this with my Rotary Club?”

Future speakers: The speaker for February 3 is John Murphy, the “Voice of the Bills”. Discussions are taking place for speaking engagements with the following: Mark Thomas (Western Regional Director – NYS Parks); Maria Lehman (Peace Bridge); Brian Kulpa, Mayor-Village of Williamsville; and Dr. Barry Weinstein, Supervisor, Town of Amherst.

Annual Celebration:  The date is Saturday – March 29, 2014 at the Park Country Club.  Event Chairman Tim Henderson will provide continuing updates as he and his Committee plan the Club’s annual and major event.  Mark your calendars for this major Club event date. Tim H. distributed tickets (10 per member), corporate sponsor forms and signs. Signs are available in e-form, too, for emailing to friends.

Meeting Attendance:  Ed S. encouraged members to start 2014 with a resolution to be in attendance at the Club’s scheduled weekly meetings on Monday evenings.

Ed S. noted that the Club, as a whole through the 6-month period ending December 2013, has an average meeting attendance rate of approximately 48%.   Nine (9) Club members have a meeting attendance rate of less than 50%.  That is 26% of the Club’s membership who are not participating in a Club they wanted to join.

Ed S. reminded us that the Club’s and RI’s requirements are attendance at a minimum level of 50% of the scheduled meetings, which can also be met by make-ups at any of the District’s 69 clubs throughout the southern Ontario-western New York area. Attendance at Club and/or event committee meetings, Board meetings, and Foundation meetings also count to your attendance requirement.  If you do this, ensure that you receive a Make-Up post card from the Club that you visited which you will turn in to either Matt Balling or Vern Anderson.   Missing four (4) unexcused meetings in a row are the basis for RI membership termination.  A map of District 7090 (sent by Ed S. by email to all members) indicates the relative location of the various District 7090 Rotary Clubs.  If you have a Smartphone, there is a Rotary app that provides detailed information on each of the worldwide Rotary clubs, contacts, meeting location data, etc.

Ed S. also noted that members can make-up a meeting via the District’s new eClub (www.rotaryeclub7090.org), Rotary E-Club of SOWNY. Be sure to let Vern Anderson know of your “attendance.”

2014 Calendar Marks:

Club: January 30^th – Amherst Mix ‘N Mingle; February 10^th – Valentines Dinner; March 3^rd – Club Annual Meeting & Elections;  March 29^th -- Club’s Annual Celebration;  June 18^th – Strawberry Festival; August 10^th – Classic Car Show; September 22^nd – Annual Golf Outing.

District: February 1^st – Council Meeting; February 20^th and March 21^st – PETS Training; March 31^st – Registration Closes for SLAPSHOT; April 25-27^th – SLAPSHOT; June 8-14^th – RYLA; October 25-26 – The Buffalo Bash Event - Conference /// (See District 7090 web page for details.)

Fines: Joe Fiorella, Fine Master.

·         $1 for each member who did not shovel snow today

·         $1 – Bill Thuman—late; another $1 for his recent vacation

·         $1—Bruce Lucsok—stumbled in the Four-Way Test

Happy Dollars:

·         $5—Mike Sirianno—the snow plow guy showed up

·         $1—Gary Skalyo—great speaker! Another $1 because he had to leave for the restroom, but did not want it to look like he was trying to avoid being fined.

·         $1—Somebody (so sue me!)—great speaker!

We missed you this evening: 

Vern Anderson, Ron Axelrod, Matt Balling, Paul Banas, Mary Biddle-Widman, Tony Cangialosi, Shirley Carnall, Bob Chur, John Crawford, Vicki D’Angelo, Rashmikumar Desai, Kevin Flint, Elizabeth Ingold, Carrie Leed, Norm Mattar, Ron Prazmark, Mike Prinzback, Larry Read, Jim Rumsey, Mark Storch

 None.

Guests: None

Program:

This week’s speaker was Carol Horton, VP Marketing & Public Relations – The Buffalo News.   Carol is a Board member of the Buffalo Better Business Bureau, and the Buffalo Zoo – Cotillion Committee.  Her prior employment included various responsibilities with Gannett’s The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, CA).  She has also had responsibilities as TV, including cable, News and Weather Anchor, TV Weekend Producer, Assistant Editor for a magazine, and as a Radio News Director.  She spoke about the changing nature of providing news content and the need to speak to different audiences in ways they want.

Highlights of Ms. Horton’s presentation included:

·         A number of handouts that demonstrated publication targeting, e.g., Buffalo magazine

·         Buffalo News (“BN”) Paywall launched in October 2012

·         A key business issue is how to get paid for creating news content in e-form (internet)

·         BN has identified three groups in which it needs to establish and sustain a strong position:

o   “Stephanie”—young, single, hip, attuned to electronic communications

o   “Janet”—middle aged, both print and electronic media users, wanted by advertisers

o   “Bill”—loves print media (where BN and all papers make the most money)

·         BN penetration (i.e., at least one access to a BN publication during the last 30 days) in the WNY market is 78%. This compares to 20% for other papers in other markets.

·         The consumer is still confused about print/ digital options, especially vs. websites

·         Warren Buffet (Berkshire Hathaway owns Gannett Publications which owns BN) loves newspapers: he grew in a newspaper family, met his wife working at a newspaper, and believes they contribute to a strong community.