Still Vigilant on Virus

 

Even while we hope the coronavirus pandemic is winding down, our club remains committed to a Stop the Virus campaign.

The latest initiative, spearheaded by Rotarian Paul Sausville and funded by the GlobalFoundries-Town of Malta Foundation, has our members distributing high-quality reusable face masks. Most are going to retail businesses in Malta, along with some to town facilities.

In other business at this morning's meeting, we discussed getting back to actual not virtual gatherings on Thursday mornings. Next week, when the guest speaker will be a Gift of Life International leader, we are sticking to Zoom. But on April 1 we plan to try meeting at Panera restaurant, with a Zoom option for those who cannot attend. Future possibilities include a return to the Malta Diner, if and when it reopens, or to Shenantaha Park, where we went last summer.

Update on Seniors, Scholarships

 Malta Seniors President Kathy Eitzmann was our speaker at this morning's Zoom meeting. Most of her members have now been vaccinated against Covid, she said, and none so far appears to have died from it. The recent opening up of local pharmacies to give vaccinations has been a big plus. Several Rotarians offered help on tasks such as providing transportation.

In other business, our scholarship committee will be interviewing applicants on Saturday.

Food and other topics

 

Rotarians, left to right, Mike Williams, Cynthia Young, Miles Cornthwaite, Bob Bonney, Helen Endres and Barbara Conner, along with Jim Hale (below), were among those volunteering today at the David Meager Community Center's drive-through food pantry event.

At our Zoom meeting earlier, club member and New York Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner gave an update for more than an hour on matters including the state budget and Covid vaccinations.

QMC Update on Lesotho

The highlight of our Zoom meeting on Thursday was a report from Linda and Roger Gorham, board members of Qholaqhoe Mountain Connections (QMC), which we have been helping fund since 2014.

QMC operates in a poor and remote area of the southern African country of Lesotho. It provides scholarships to 63 students in high school, and eight at the National University of Lesotho. Two QMC-sponsored college students graduated last September with bachelor's degrees, one in accounting/economics and the other in social work.

QMC also funds supplies for the high school, and food support. 

Linda Gorham is a longtime QMC board member who has often spoken to our club. Roger joined the board more recently. They are both retired educators and former Peace Corps volunteers. Roger is a former Siena College professor and superintendent of the Ballston Spa School District.
 

More Seasonal Business

 At this morning's Zoom meeting we voted to give $200 to CAPTAIN to address local needs. This follows last week's donations of $2,000 split between three organizations.

It has not yet been decided exactly how $1,000 just received from the GlobalFoundries-Town of Malta Foundation will be used on our Stop the Virus campaign.

Season's Business

     At Thursday's meeting, we voted to donate a total of $1,800 to two African projects which we have been helping support in recent years. While $1,100 of that total comes from individual members' targeted donations, $700 comes from general club funds.

     We voted an additional $200 to help address local people's needs as identified by Malta Seniors.

    A $1,000 donation is going for projects in Uganda undertaken by members of the Presbyterian-New England Congregational Church of Saratoga Springs in collaboration with Aids Orphan Education Trust. Two of our members have made trips to Uganda to work on education, medical and infrastructure projects, while another has contributed $1,000 to the program through Malta Sunrise Rotary over the past year. PNECC and AOET facilitate sponsorships and provide services in Uganda mostly to children, not excluding anyone on the basis of religion.

    The other $800 goes to Qholaqhoe Mountain Connections, which sponsors scholarship and feeding programs in a remote area of Lesotho. We have been helping fund QMC since 2014.

    The club has often hosted speakers with news about how our support helps people in Uganda and Lesotho.

    

    

Stopping the Virus; Carrying on Scholarships

 

Rotarians Kristen Stanley (of Malta Sunrise) and Sue Austin (of Schenectady East) distributed face shields recently to Ballston Spa High School. This was part of a program discussed by District Governor Rich Griesche at our Oct. 29 meeting.

It is also part of our club's Stop the Virus campaign, which has included distribution of face masks; and, most recently, 8-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer in cartons of 12. One of our members, Glenn Rockwood, donated 100 cartons of hand sanitizer to the club. While six were taken to Shelters of Saratoga, the great majority of cartons and bottles have been given to people within the town of Malta, especially seniors. The last batch of 10 cartons will be brought Thursday to Chango Elementary School with our weekly Bountiful Backpacks drop-off.

Speaking of schools, our scholarship program is cranking up for another year.

The Malta Sunrise Rotary Club expects to award two scholarships in 2021 to two graduating high school seniors. The first-place selected student will be awarded a one-time scholarship of $1,000. Additionally, a one-time $500 scholarship may be awarded to the runner-up scholarship finalist.

Applicants should demonstrate strong involvement in community service and excellence in their core curriculum education as shown by a minimum 90 high school GPA. Consideration will be given to financial need as shown by the expected family contribution on the FAFSA. 

The applicants must reside in the Town of Malta, including the Village of Round Lake. This may include students enrolled at Ballston Spa High School, Shenendehowa Central Schools, any accredited private or parochial schools, and students participating in an accredited home-school program as long as their legal residence is within the Town of Malta. Postal addresses within the Town of Malta vary. School district officials and officials at Malta Town Hall may be able to assist you if you are uncertain about whether you qualify as a Malta resident.

The applicants should plan to attend any accredited university, college, community college or vocational/technical institute beginning in the fall of 2021.

Payment will be made directly to the student upon receipt of the award or disbursed in a manner in compliance with the student’s school district policies.

Applications are available in school counseling offices and/or by inquiry to Malta Sunrise Rotary Scholarship Chair Paul Phillips: (518) 584-4625 or email paulandjeanp@yahoo.com .