• The New Fair Share Contribution at Ithaca Rotary
  With your next dues notice in June, our Board voted unanimously to include a new line item called "Fair Share Contribution ... $40" which will be payable in addition to our regular semiannual dues of $85. Thus the total amount due will now be $125 (twice a year).
  
  Why the new charge and what is its purpose?
  
  Every week it costs the club a certain basic amount just to hold our meeting. Some of that cost is recovered through our luncheon price. Yet there are some Rotarians who do not attend. Others who do attend but do not buy lunch, still cost the club something simply by taking a seat. There has been an attempt to recoup some of these costs by asking those who do not eat to make a voluntary contribution towards our basic meeting costs. It has not been particularly successful, so we are now going to ask all members to participate in the “Fair Share” program.
  
  The "Fair Share" contribution is set at $2 per week, and will be paid in advance. For members attending a meeting, their luncheon price will be reduced by $2 for a net cost of only $8. For members who don't attend, they forfeit their $2. For members who attend, but do not eat, there will be no charge. For guests and Visiting Rotarians, they will continue to pay the regular $10 price. Basically, if you attend our meetings (as we hope you would) you get all of your money back. In recognition of our members busy schedules and the necessity of missing a meeting now & then, the Fair Share Contribution is predicated on a member attending 40 meetings per year (one could miss a meeting a month). If you attend more, you come out ahead. If you attend less, then you have contributed to the cost of running the club.
  
  Thanks in advance for your understanding and cooperation. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jeff True, President Elect.

• Upcoming Rotary Events: Mark your calendars!
  Ithaca Rotary Blood Drive
  Our blood drive for the Red Cross will be held on Saturday, June 28. So, warm up those red blood cells at the Rotary BBQ and let us pump them out on June 28!
  

This year's GSE Team is visiting from Togo, West Africa The Team Leader, Rotaian Maurice Edorh and a Business Administration Professor in Togo, introduced the team members to the club and presented a pin from the District 9100 Governor from West Africa. Maurice described to us a bit about his home country of Ghana, its environment, economics and politics.

The Group Studies Exchange members from West Africa this year include:



Mr. Maurice Edorh, Team Leader and Rotarian


Maurice is 50 years of age from Togo and has been a University Professor for 21 years. He speaks French and English, and is married with three children, Sidonie (19), Abel (12, and Kevin (5). His vocational interests include research in business administration, and the stock market. You may e-mail Maurice at medorh@tg.refer.org



Mr. Kofi Annan, Team Member


Kofi is 36 years of age from Ghana, and has been a Lecturer in Education for four years. He speaks primarily Akan, and is married with two children, Kobina (6) and Rejoice Ama (6 months). His vocational interest include education and health. You may e-mail Kofi at annankofi@yahoo.com.



Ms. Sylvia-Rita Osei, Team Member


Sylvia-Rita is 34 years of age from Ghana, and has been working in nursing for ten years. She speaks Ewe, English, Ga, and Twi, and is married with one child, Delanyo Nunya Demanya (6). Her interest include visiting well-structured children’s hospitals. You may e-mail her at syldzifa@yahoo.com.



Dr. Djatugbe Yawa Apetsianyi, Team Member


Djatugbe is 32 years of age and hails from Togo. She has been a medical doctor for four years, and speaks Ewe, French and English. Djatugbe is married with two children, Jean Cedric (3) and Pierre Kevin (1 1/2). She is interested in public health, and life in hospitals, and you may contact Djatugbe at jyda45@hotmail.com.



Mr. Frank Alormene, Team Member


Frank is 36 years of age and is from Ghana. He is a Public Servant, and has worked with the Environmental Protection Agency for seven years. Frank speaks Ewe, Akan, and English, and is married with one child, Kekeli Ami (2 1/2). You may contact him at kafalor@yahoo.com.

Becky Bilderback gave special thanks to Doug Armstrong and Peter Brellochs for being such a great team to work with organizing the GSE. She also thanked Gene Erickson for stepping up to help Becky out when she needed to be out of town unexpectedly.

• Pres. Jean especially thanked the many Rotarians who were instrumental in bringing the GSE Team to Ithaca. Dale Flinn worked for the entire district to coordinate their visit, and Becky Bilderback organized their stay for our club. Also, Jim Johnston, Gene Erickson, and Nancy Rosen hosted dinners and many more Rotarians shared their homes, time and skills with our visitors.

• Ambassadors
  5/1: Mary Benetti (Portsmouth, NH)
  5/7: Pat Baxter (Johnson City, NY)
  5/8: Phil Meyer (Ithaca Sunrise)
  

• Visiting Rotarians
  Peter Brellochs, Paul Banfield (Ithaca Sunrise)
  Doug Armstrong (Ithaca-Cayuga)
  Dr. Maurice Esorh (Lome, Togo, West Africa)

"Can Democracy Be Imposed by Force?"

Prof. Matthew Evangelista, Cornell University

Prof. Evangelista discussed his viewpoints and ideas regarding national policies of working toward the establishment of democracies in other countries. He considered if this route is reasonable, plausible, or just too idealistic. Prof. Evangelist reviewed historical examples of regime changes into democracies, including Germany, Japan, Eastern Europe. These past conversions were difficult in their own rights, but the current Iraq situation is a very different experience, and we do not have a tried-and-true model to follow to ensure its success or appropriateness.

About the Speaker: Prof. Evangelista, a professor in the Government Department at Cornell University, focuses on international relations, comparative foreign policy, transnational politics, and Russian politics. He studied Russian history and literature at Harvard before pursuing graduate studies in international politics at Cornell. After finishing his PhD, Matthew taught at the University of Michigan for eight years while his wife attended medical school. He then spent two years as a visiting research fellow at Harvard while his wife did her psychiatry residency. When a job as Professor of Government opened up in his old Department at Cornell, they leapt at the chance to return to Ithaca.

• Please view the calendar posted on the main page of this website for the most up-to-date information. [View Rotary Calendar]

Program Chair: Josephine Allen
Kettle Watch: Jess Esposito
Thought: Mary Berens
Introductions: Bob Gravani
Music: Tony Pesco, Don Hinmna, Bill Cowdery
Photography: John Ziegler
Setup: Mike Billing
Editor: Matthew T. Dearing

• Please address all correspondence to the club to:
  Ithaca Rotary Club P.O. Box 306
  Ithaca, N.Y. 14851
  Attn.: Scott Russell, Secretary
  
  
• For eNewsletter comments, questions or corrections, please contact the Editor at mdearing@dynamicpatterns.com.
  
  
• SUBSCRIBE to the Ithaca Rotary eNewsletter via e-mail!
  Just send an e-mail to: subscriberotary@clarityconnect.com and mdearing@dynamicpatterns.com
  
  Do not put anything in the subject or body of the message, just make sure that the message comes from the e-mail address you want the subscription to be sent to.
  
  To UNSUBSCRIBE from the eNewsletter, send an e-mail to: unsubscriberotary@clarityconnect.com and mdearing@dynamicpatterns.com Again, do not put anything in the subject or body of the message, just make sure that it comes from the e-mail address from which you want to unsubscribe.