Get Your Paul Harris Fellow @ Half Price!

The Club has announced a great deal this Holiday Season with a 1/2 price offer to become a Paul Harris Fellow!  That's right, half-price.  Here's how the deal works.

Contribute a minimum of $100 up to a personal limit of $500, and our club will match your individual contribution, dollar-for-dollar, up to a maximum of $500.  If you've ever wanted to become a Paul Harris Fellow and felt the one thousand dollar entry point was too much, here's your chance to have your dream come true!

Between now and December 31, you must provide President Joe with your check, payable to the Rotary Club.  If you need to know what remains in your paid account toward having a Paul Harris, contact John McCauley - jmccauley744@gmail.com .  John will let you know your account balance.

Don't let this opportunity slip by without taking advantage of adding to or achieving your first or additional Paul Harris.  And, your contribution is tax deductible for 2010 if payment is received in advance of the year ending.

Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas!

Rotary Rings Bells for Salvation Army

President Joe is accompanied by his security detail this morning as he takes 3rd shift bell ringing on the downtown mall. Joining him is his son, Nate, Bell Ringing Czar (BRC) Tom McQueeney, and future president, John McCauley.

The morning was cool ... okay, cold for some ... and the donations began increasing as the hour advanced and more stores opened.

The BRC was on hand to make sure all showed who had signed to ring bells. At the time of the picture it was apparently, so-far so-good, as he's smiling.

Devil's Backbone Night and Quest for Polio Eradication

Jason Oliver- Head Brewer at Devil's Backbone in Afton gave an informative and picturesque presentation at the Omni at our October 26 meeting. We sampled 3 Award winning beers (to the right) including in order, the Gold Leaf Lager, Vienna Lager and Eight-point IPA. Also West Point Rotarian Colleen Bonadonna made us her 33rd club visited as part of her "200 clubs in 200 days" campaign to raise awareness of Rotary's quest for polio eradication. This evening's meeting was fun and educational. Thank you to all who attended.


President Joe Cantu and Colleen Bonadonna

Rotaract Pinning Ceremony

I recently had the pleasure of being able to represent the Rotary Club of Charlottesville at the Blue Ridge Rotaract Club meeting where they inducted a new member. Laura Getz is the newest Rotaract member and is joining a vibrant and energetic club which is doing great things in our community.

Joe Cantu
President, Rotary Club of Charlottesville

Virginia Film Festival Comes to Our Club on Tuesday!

Our Club is in for a real treat next Tuesday night with Jody Kielbasa, Director of the Virginia Film Festival, as our featured speaker.  Coming off a specatacular year in 2009, Jody saw record-breaking attendance and this year is expected to be even better!

In case you missed news about the Festival's lineup in November, click here to read from yesterday's Daily Progress.  The Club will have the best seat in the house and is guaranteed an us an up-close-and-personal perspective of the Festival, laced with the normal dose of high energy that Jody typically shares with all audiences he speaks before.  Jody brings to Charlottesville decades of film experience and will likely talk about The Deal, an independent film he produced staring Meg Ryan and William H. Macy, which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Jody joined the University of Virginia in May 2009. 

Club Inducts Peter Freeman, Our Newest Member!

President Joe introduces Peter Freeman to the membership as the Club's newest member.  Peter first joined Rotary in 1983 in South Africa and eventually moved to the Washington, DC area where he worked for the World Bank and remained active in Rotary until 2009.  He and his family recently moved to the Palmyra area.  He is a two-time Paul Harris Fellow and has been actively committed to Rotary for many years.

Welcome, Peter! 

Learning About Energy Efficiency Is About Dollars & Sense!

Club members got quite a presentation at tonight's meeting, learning more than they probably imagined about home energy audits, federal energy tax credits and more as Cynthia Adams moved quickly and very succiently through a very well organized presenation that dealt with energy efficiency.  As Executive Director for LEAP, Cynthia takes every opportunity to get out to as many groups in Central Virginia to discuss energy efficiency for both homes and businesses.

She also spoke briefly about the Charlottesville Home Energy Makeover Contest winners who were announced in today's Daily Progress, and who will soon be getting an energy audit and home efficiency makeover valued at $10,000 each.

Good questions followed with a few who inquired after the meeting about home energy audits. 

Thanks, Cynthia!