We wish to thank the sponsors of our club’s newsletter! Click on our fellow Rotarians  business cards & visit their website:

Today's Events:

President Pansy Graham presiding

We welcome all our visitors…

Joan Harris (Ellen)

and

Julio Aviel (Mike MIlls)  Non-Violence Project

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     ·  

President Pansy Graham:

November attendance:  73.75%--Great!

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Mark your Calendar:  

Saturday, January 16, 10:00 AM

New and nearly new member orientation: , hosts Doreen & Leon Reitnauer,  15100 SW 71 Ct. ~ Join in ~ you just THINK you know all about Rotary!

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Reminder:  no meetings on December 22 or December 29

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John Sorgie: 

Ellen Book won $50 in Football Mania! 

Club profit likely available in February

The big change in treasurers is "for real."  After so many years, David Jacobs is relinquishing his books, to Don.  How do we thank him for his dedicated financial service?  By giving him another money job, of course!

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ED FISCHER:

Election of officers were held today, following the requirements of our bylaws.

Election supervisor Ed Fischer and assistant Fabio Fernandez  passed out and collected ballots and tallied the results. 

The officer slate was approved: 

President-Elect Doreen Reitnauer,

Vice-president Pansy Graham,

Secretary Brett Trembly,

Treasurer Don Streaker,

Sergeant-at-Arms David Jacobs.

Elected members of the Board of Directors are:

Fabio Fernandez, Lakitsia Gaines, Asaad Masoud, Mike MIlls, Charles Ruiz de Castilla, Britt Steinhardt, Karen Vassell, and Felipe Vidal. 

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COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT:  BOOK GIVEAWAYS

~not this copy~

VOLUNTEER AN HOUR TO DISTRIBUTE DICTIONARIES AND ALTLASES TO HAPPY CHILDREN!

Friday, December 11, 2009 @  7:30 pm

THE ROTARY CLUB OF SOUTH MIAMI

7:30 P.M. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2009

AT THE HOME OF ED FISCHER & ANNE FREEDMAN

10401 S.W. 82^nd COURT

PHONE: 305-596-0300

                    GUESTS OF ROTARIANS $25.00        R.S.V.P. TO DONNA GAINES                                                                       305-665-6390 or dgainre@aol.com     

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF SOUTH MIAMI                      

Donna Gaines:   If you don't want a stand-up buffet party, help find a pickup truck and driver:  President Pansy has offered tables and chairs from her church, but someone must provide transport from and to.       
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BRETT TREMBLY:

Brett is looking for a team to walk through the downtown area to discuss donations and sponsorships from local businesses.  The goal is to ask for SMALL donations since there are different levels of giving. The $100, $250 and $500 levels all offer different perks.  Coverage will be the Shops of Sunset and surrounding streets.     Looking for more volunteers! 

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Next show:

Saturday & Sunday, February 27 – 28, 2010

www.southmiamiartfest.com  (official site)

DECEMBER IS FAMILY MONTH

It is often said that children are the future of the world. Healthy and happy children are key to achieving Rotary’s goal of building international understanding and peace in the world. There is no better place to nourish a young mind than in a family whose basic needs have been met and who can spend time together.

Celebrate Rotary's commitment to family in December. Consider bringing together the mothers, fathers, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and members of your Rotary family into shared activities. Participate in a community service project that will help strengthen families in your community by:

•  Organizing a father/daughter or mother/son dinner

•  Promoting a family literacy project which emphasizes parents reading to their children

•  Raising awareness of child abuse prevention programs in your community

•  Chaperoning a safe and fun weekend activity for the community’s teenagers

•  Volunteering at a shelter for homeless families

•  Assisting the elderly in nursing homes with simple crafts that they can give as gifts to their families

•  Providing materials and support to a daycare facility or orphanage

Celebrate your extended family in December – the Family of Rotary!

The Family of Rotary Task Force supports clubs in efforts to care for Rotarians and members of Rotary’s extended family (spouses, children, and parents) and to remember spouses of deceased Rotarians. Strengthen the Family of Rotary by:

•  Recognizing the contributions of members of the Family of Rotary at a club meeting

•  Encouraging spouses, children, and parents of Rotarians to participate in service     projects

The RI Board has adopted the following statement on family. They recognize that:

• the family, which is the basic unit of society in the community, is struggling with a host of complex social and economic problems that are attacking its structure;

• in many parts of the world, this breakdown of the traditional structure is, in turn, threatening the fabric of community life;

• Rotary’s longtime commitment to Community Service makes it imperative for Rotarians to actively address the crisis in the family today;

• Encourages Rotarians, Rotary clubs, and districts worldwide to:

a) bring their power to bear through existing programs on the most formidable problems facing families today, including but not limited to domestic violence, child abuse and neglect, homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, gang activities, child-care needs, and underemployment;

b) instill the importance of universal human values in the homes, schools and communities of the world;

c) continue current projects and undertake new ones that strengthen the family structure and make it a secure anchor for the larger community;

d) demonstrate their commitment to family and community through projects, activities, and events in celebration of “Family Month” each year. (July 03, Nov. 95)

Send your Rotary club’s Family Month success stories to:

Community Programs Section, Rotary International

One Rotary Center , 1560 Sherman Avenue , Evanston , Illinois 60201 USA

E-mail: programs@rotaryintl.org

Yours in Rotary Service,

Marcia Brod

Email: brodm@yahoo.com

DID YOU MISS A MEETING ‘CAUSE YOU WERE AWAY?

Our club goal is 100% Attendance!

If you miss a meeting, it can be made-up within 2 weeks, before or after, of the missed meeting date.

For online make-ups:

Visit www.ri6990.org to find a club to make up an absence. 

Attendance credit for a 30-minute interactive club Web site activity offers an alternative to making up a meeting at another club.

To earn this credit, Rotarians log on to the site, read up on a range of subjects, post comments, & submit a form to the club secretary.

How to do a Make-Up On-Line via Rotary eClub One?

Perfect attendance is now possible for every Rotarian with computer access. Rotary’s eClub One is a full-service online charted Rotary Club. Meetings operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. What an easy way to make up for a meeting that you have missed! During the last Rotary year, Rotary eClub One welcomed more than 120,000 visitors from 161 countries. Of these, about 800 per week participated in one of eClub One’s meeting programs and applied for make-up credit.

Here’s what you have to do to earn make up credit. Go to http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/eclub_list.pdf

It is mandatory that you spend at least 30 minutes on the website for qualify for a make-up credit. (Remember Rotarians are guided by the principles of the 4 Way Test).

1.  Read a variety of current articles in the programs section and/or choose articles from the Archived Programs list and/or information from the Avenues of Service pages. You will be required to answer questions. There is space on the makeup request form for up to three articles to be reviewed, however you will need to read more than three to meet your 30 minute visit obligation.

2.  At the end of your 30 minute visit, click on Make-up Request Form from the drop-down menu at the top of the page OR the bottom of each make-up program.

3.  Read the Makeup Request Form carefully, and follow instructions. The form will appear once you press the SUBMIT button (one time only) and an email copy will be sent to the email address you proved. This can be forwarded to your club secretary so your attendance records are properly updated.

Rotarians can also designate eClub One as their home club.

Members in eClub One are usually experienced Rotarians who are unable to belong to a traditional club because they reside in a remote location or they are engaged in a demanding travel schedule. Those applying for membership in eClub One must provide an endorsement from their current District Governor, current Rotary club President, along with letters of reference from two Rotarian colleagues of their current club..

eClub One has standard requirements for memberships, including charges for dues and administrative fees. Participants also must be willing to take part regularly in the Rotary eClub One community by taking on tasks and responsibilities. Members are required to also have regular access to the Internet and be willing to acquire the necessary skills to participate in the activities of Rotary eClub One.

Rotary and eClub One are on the cutting edge of the technology age. How this evolves will only be determined by periodic evaluation and the involvement of its members. For today, however, it is an outstanding tool for Rotarians to makeup missed meetings and keep in touch with Rotary happenings throughout the world.

For make-ups anywhere around the world when traveling internationally: http://rotary.org/support/clubs/index.html

NOTIFY Brett Trembly, RCSM Secretary

of ALL make-ups:   b.trembly@gmail.com

2009-10 RCSM OFFICERS:

President:  Reverend Pansy Graham
pansygraham@bellsouth.net

President Elect:  Doreen Reitnauer
dhiker217@aol.com

Vice President:  Mike Mills
millsmike@aol.com

Secretary:  Brett Trembly
b.trembly@suttonlawgroup.com

Treasurer: David Jacobs
david@jnccpas.com

Sergeant at Arms:  Fabio Fernandez
fernandezfabio@bellsouth.net

Club Board of Directors:

Ellen Book, , Ed Fischer,  Donna Gaines, Lakitsia Gaines, Linda Kaplan,  Mike Mills, Diana Phillips,  Martin Rosen, Charles Ruiz De Castilla, Don Streaker, Felipe Vidal

Club Foundation Board of Directors:

Pansy Graham, Doreen Reitnauer, Brett Trembly, Don Streaker, Fabio Fernandez, Treasurer Artfest, Linda Kaplan, Diana Phillips, Ellen Book

To send an E-mail to the Rotary Club of South Miami’s Board of Directors, board@southmiamirotary.org

South Miami Rotary Club:
www.southmiamirotary.org

Rotary District 6990:

www.ri6990.org / 305-860-8060

District Governor Lee Phares & Eliju Phares District Foundation Chair

World Organization:
www.rotary.org

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Mission Statement

The mission of Rotary International, a worldwide association of Rotary clubs, is to provide service to others, to promote high ethical standards, and to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

THE 4-WAY TEST OF THE THINGS WE THINK, SAY OR DO:   

Benefits of Being A Rotarian (Membership)
Rotary membership provides the opportunity to:

¨       Become connected to your community.

¨       Work with others in addressing community needs.

¨       Interact with other professionals in your community;
assist with RI's international humanitarian service efforts.

¨       Establish contacts with an international network of professionals.

¨       Develop leadership skills.  Involve family in promoting service efforts.

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Renewing or Joining
To Renew ($275) or to become a New Member ($325) contact

Asaad Massoud at www.racharters.com

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Fundraisers
Interested in putting together a fundraiser?

Contact Club Fundraising Chair Wendy Lapidus at wendylapidus@bellsouth.net

Service Projects

Interested in helping others?

Contact Club Service Chair Linda Kaplan at lk@lindakaplan.com

Club Programming Chair Donna Gaines introduced today’s speaker…

Charles Intriago, President

Asset Recovery

Charles Intriago, who honors the late U.S. Senator Dante Fascell as his father figure, finally gave up his law practice because he "tired of law and loved my government jobs."  He is founder and president of the International Association for Asset Recovery (IAAR) and AsssetRecoveryWatch.com.    A native of Ecuador,  he has an extensive background of experience, in and out of government, dealing with money laundering crimes, drug trafficking, public corruption, and fraud.   

Intriago provided his audience with some staggering statistics.  For just one example, he said Medicare fraud costs our economy $164,000,000 every day.  In fraud cases of all kinds that are prosecuted successfully,  asset recovery requires a team:  a forensic accountant, an informational specialist (working in data bases much large than Google,) an expert investigator (usually a former IRS or FBI agent,) and of course attorneys.  It is the team's job to trace, freeze, and then recover assets. 

The recovery rate is not what it could be, Intriaga feels, several factors making it difficult including budgeting, level of government interest as against other pressures, and so forth.  The individual, who may not have millions to lose but could still be vulnerable,  was reminded to learn to recognize scams and Ponzi schemes for self-protection.