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I think I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but Tuesday's program with the 4 candidates for NYS Supreme Court exceeded every expectation. Far from the "snoozer" that several members thought it might be, the candidates were informative, articulate, and even humorous!
Judge Barry, Judge Donofrio, Judge Odorisi, and Atty. Sean Gleason all did a terrific job and we came away from that meeting as informed voters, not simply "party liners".
Who knew that we were going elect them to a 14 year term? Who knew that the 18 Supreme Court Justices in the 8 County 7th District handle over 8,500 cases annually? Who knew that they have unlimited jurisdiction over both Civil and Criminal cases? Who knew that each one of them would prefer a process in which they were not aligned with a political party? And, this is the killer, when was the last time you heard 4 candidates for anything never say one bad word about the other! How refreshing was that? I moderated the panel and asked for response to several questions, but the show stopper question of the day came from Rotarian Tracy Armstrong. "Why do you want to be a Judge?" The answers to that were pretty darned impressive!
I loved my Thought for the Day so I am repeating here for all of you who missed it. "LAW, it constitutes the only game in the world where the best players get to sit on the bench!"
Thank you to Rotarian Jeff Leenhouts for suggesting and helping to coordinate this excellent program.
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OK, it's time for all of us to reach into the fridge, grab that bottle of Champagne we've been saving for a special occasion, pop it open, and drink a toast to Julie St. Germaine! Julie and her partner Jackie Ciresi, owners of Signs Now of Rochester, just won the 2012 Rochester Business Ethics Award presented by the Rochester Business Ethics Foundation. CONGRATULATIONS Julie! What a wonderful recognition for a woman and her business that lives and breathes the high ethical standard of Rotary, the 4 Way Test. We raise a glass to you Julie!
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Last night Rochester Rotary hosted the inaugural meeting of the Coordinating Council for all Monroe County Rotary Clubs. All club Presidents and Presidents Elect, along with club members of the RCSN (Rotary Camps for Special Needs) Board, were invited to attend this session held at the Sunshine Campus. The ongoing purpose of this council is to provide a quarterly forum for all Monroe County clubs to come together in fellowship that will build goodwill and better friendships. And, it's also a forum to share good ideas that each of us can use to improve all aspects of our clubs from program to membership to fundraising. Rochester agreed back in June to host this first meeting and by all measures it was a resounding success.
We had about 35 attend the Council Meeting and following that, another 23 members of the Irondequoit Club joined us for a presentation by Bill Witt, President of RCSN. The presentation was a beautiful bronze plaque honoring the Mendick Foundation and the Mendick family for generously supporting the Patty Mendick Putting Challenge for the past several years. They have contributed over $100,000 over these years to support Camp Haccamo and the Rotary Sunshine Campus!
What really made for such a wonderful evening? In two words, our very own Tracey Dreisbach and Brandi Koch! The dining hall at camp looked like an elegant fall festival with orange table cloths, pumpkins, maple leaves and all the snacks and beverages anyone could want. And to cap it all off, the barbeque dinner they ordered for 60 people was totally devoured! Nothing left - Nada. With the Champagne left over from Julie's toast, raise a glass to Tracey and Brandi for showcasing Rochester Rotary as a first class organization.
I can tell you this; the preparation, the attention to detail, the ambiance, and the fun we all had made me proud to be a Rotarian - and especially proud to be Rochester Rotarian.
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Convention Center where we will welcome Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, Candidate for U.S. Congress NY 28th District. 
past month!
Rotary Boot Camp is a quick "training" on all the "ins" and "outs" of Rochester Rotary. We ask that all new members attend one session -- as well as longtime Rotarians who need a refresher on their Club. 
This year's Eastern Cities Fellowship Dinner will be Sunday, November 4th at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center - 
