• 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.

• Rotary International Centennial Project planning for 2004
  The Ithaca Rotary Board has decided on two impressive projects to make our Rotarian mark in 2004:
  1. Our Club will plant trees in Cass Park. Each tree will cost $79, and we hope that the City of Ithaca will rename the street lined with our trees "Rotary Way".
  
  2. We will fund the building of a Children’s Dinosaur Lab in the Museum of the Earth. This year’s BBQ will start the funding for this project, which will require $10,000.

• Janice Nigro, the Director of The Vitamin L Project wrote a thank you letter to our Club for awarding their group one of this year’s Community Grants:
  
  "On behalf of everyone in The Vitamin L Project, thank you so much for your generous contribution toward van transportation for Vitamin L. Along with several other contributions and word of your support, we purchased a used 2002 van with low mileage (22,000) to transport Vitamin L to concerts around the Northeast. Ray Tuhro, of Ridge Road Imports gave us a very good deal.
  
  We received your grant on Wednesday, May 7, purchased the van on Thursday, May 8, and had the maiden voyage on Friday, May 9th to Vitamin L concerts in Binghamton.
  
  Having this van will be a tremendous stress reliever and time saver when it comes to making our travel arrangements. Each time we ride in the van, we will be reminded of the love and support the Rotary community has bestowed upon us. This grant means a lots to us and we thank you so much."

• 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!
  

• District Conference Report
  This year’s District Conference was a great experience for everyone who attended. Our Club returned with the Helping Hands Award for our work on the Share the Warmth Project. (Of course, this was all due to Pres. Jean's personal charm!) Special thanks to the Share the Warmth team and our entire Club for helping make this program a great success!

• Dick Page reported on the recent successful Route 13 clean up, which covered the lower portion. Thanks to everyone who helped out, including Jeff True, Brian Wilbur, Mary-Lynn Cummings, Tom Sanford, Heidi Goldstein, Jack Burns, Barlow Ware, Toni Fraboni, Noel Desch, and Dick Page.

• Ambassadors
  5/20: Dale Flinn (Cortland, NY)

• Visiting Rotarians
  Mike Katz, Ursula Russ (Ithaca Sunrise)
  Sunil Haribal and his daughter Namrata (Bombay, India)
  

"The Future of Affirmative Action"

Robert Harris, Vice Provost for Diversity and Faculty Programs at Cornell

Prof. Harris discussed when and why affirmative action came about in our country, beginning with the JFK administration, and the described the history of its development. Affirmative action has been in place for about 40 years, and its effectiveness is an ongoing hot debate. Harris strongly believes that affirmative action must be in place for at least three generations before our national society truly adopts a "level playing field".

Prof. Harris demonstrated that affirmative action has greatly improved the situation in our country for opportunities between white and minority groups. In particular, current statistics show that black women with a college education earn about the same income as white women with the same level of education. However, his concern now lies in the statistical disparity for men in higher education. Primarily, nlack men that have obtained graduate level education are still earning lower salaries than white men with graduate degrees.

• 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: Liz Seigel
Greeter: George Kennedy
Thought: Cal Walker
Introductions: Scott Whitham
Music: Siu-ling Chaloemtiarana and Jack Burns
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.
  
  
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