Mary Kern started the official meeting at 12:30PM.

Pledge of allegiance as led by Peggy Lapore
Invocation was given by Mary Kern
Song was led by Susanne McInerney

Our Guests:  

Rusty Thompson to discuss a documentary film on the military
Ed Casavant introduced Jon Barnes who works at Wellesley bank with Ed and lives in Weymouth MA.

Announcements:
Mary Kern- Sue Peghiny and Mary going to Leadership training RLI on Saturday.

DBC - no update.  Talked to Mark W. in Waltham, still looking for date/place.  They asked us to look into Sheraton Needham and Newton Marriott.  Any contacts for either of these two please see Mary.

Braeburn is doing a renovation.  Last meeting Jan 8th.  Then 5-6 week's we'll be relocating elsewhere.  Paul K. said Marriott is open to having us there again.  Details will be worked out but most likely we'll be going to Marriott during those weeks.  Probably keep it on Tuesdays during that time.  Sue will try to reschedule those speakers.  May stay at Marriott through end of March just to make it consistently on Tuesdays.  Jeff will talk to Braeburn and Marriott.

Indira Desai - at board meeting, we discussed recognizing those Paul Harris award winners at either a separate dinner night or at the holiday party.  BOD thought it best to do it at a separate night dinner instead of a regular meeting.  Got input.  Feb 11th or 25th are two options.  Indira will check with restaurant.  Talk to Indira with feedback.

PR Committee - Paul Sullivan, Sue Peghiny, and Chris Chu met.  ideas regarding shirts, etc.  How far from RI can we go to brand our local club.  Not necessarily guys in suits.  Who we want to talk to.  Next step is how to do implement.  Chris said she was at the Harvest Fair and she did reverse marketing to the booths/vendors.  New Art Center, she spoke to.  Would love for our other members to do the same thing while they're out there anyway.  Farmers market, we could do a table ($40/week).  People who volunteer are 22% less likely to die within the next 4-6 years

Football luncheon - Paul Kerrissey - meeting tomorrow night.  Steve Burton, announcer is coming, Brookline will be at the meeting.  Full throttle.  Headcount is key.  we want to demonstrate our community support given the two Newton high school suicides that have happened over the past month.  We'll have a supportive implied message to the Brookline and Newton North Schools given the football players, cheerleaders, and coaches will be there.  Nov 26th.  Boe Witiker will be here playing their band again.  

Raffle - Peter Mahler's number was called!  Are we all pulling for you?  Some laughter in the crowd... 5 spades was pulled.  Too bad... :)

Indira Desai- happy to wake up this morning.
Paul Stone - Red Sox!  He gave us a nice poem!
Peggy Lapore- Go Sox.
Dick Bowen - go Red Sox
Chris Chu - for our speaker
Amanda Samaha- $ for schools with the sadness of the Newton South girl who took her life this week
Mark Nichols - Red Sox, sad Tom Brady has lost it...
Sue Peghiny- Shane Vittorino
David Sellers - student of the week 
Bill Lowry - Red Sox, wonderful country 8K mile trip all over country (as far west to Colorado)
Ed Casavant - New Orleans Saints (ouch!!)
Tom Keery - phone call from his daughters boyfriend, and his daughter is in fact engaged to be married!!!!
Susanne McInerney - sister is hanging in there at the hospital.  In a week or two she might go home.
Peter Mahler- $5 for each grandchild
Paul Kerrissey - Sherborn presentation on Lyme disease.  Anyone is invited.  also for Paul Stone who advertises his love of Red Sox on his shirt.  George Goodwin is Mr. Red Sox and Paul Stone reminds Paul K. of him.
Paul Sullivan - insurance guy in the parking garage.
Rusty Thompson- for all the entertainment at this fun event.
Marie Presti - for her son, Brendan's 7th birthday today and for David Seller's help in providing the venue for the Newton Mother's Forum's Halloween Bash this past Saturday which was held at the BGC gym.

Speaker - Rusty Thompson, here in Newton for 25 years.  been involved with her husband involved i.e. Newton pride.  Balsam millennium park, city hall side on the library side, brick walkway.
degree on interior design and organizational development.  Decided to take education and background and bring to TV and film world.  Went into NewTV.  On site and in the studio.  Editing and Directing.  "Take a moment for you" was a set of films, bringing together art and nature and poems in 10 minute packages.  

American and human experience.  She loves documentaries.  Produced "No Equal" which is about women in the military.  1951 first grade and graduated in 1963 she didn't hear about women in the military.  What drives a women to go into the military.  4 women survived from the battle of the bulge.  project started about 6 years ago.  self funded.  

Defense advisory committee sends report about women in the military with recommendations.  Mission to create this awareness and provide an education and information to be used in schools, pbs, etc.  Opportunities, Challenges, Compromises.  

We saw a short video of her movie.  Women first became in military n 1901 in army nurse corp.  36K in wwi. from admin, ammunition, chemical weapons, 

350K women were in wwii. There were mostly nurses who went overseas. All other women in the military stayed here in the states.
post wwii, dropped to 14K.  used as needed.

last 40-50 years, we've grown up.  We need bodies.  Army, National Guard have used women but haven't been official so they're not trained.  Women are now allowed to be in combat.  Benefits/Consequences?  no one knows...

Mothers leaving children.  Women's strength and contribution they've made since the revolution.  

total movie is about 56 minutes.  

Below is Sue Peghiny who invited Rusty, Rusty Thompson our speaker, and Mary Kern, our fearless President.

Sue and Mary with Rusty Thompson

Mary adjoined at 1:30PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Marie Presti

 
 
Sponsors