Tuesday, June 06, 2006
The Stafford Rotary Highlighter for May 31, 2006
Rotary Club of Stafford Meeting May 24, 2006
President Randy Burdett presided and welcomed guests: Ward Warren, Terry Enders, Ben Maxwell, Aimee Steele, Scott Mayausky, and visiting Rotarian John Adkins from the Rappahannock Rotary.
Program:
Our program was a tour of the A. Smith Bowman distillery. It was quite an educational tour. The first thing I learned is that "Bourbon doesn't have to come from Kentucky." Although Virginia Gentleman whiskey begins its life in Kentucky it doesn’t become bourbon until it is distilled for a third time and aged in new oak barrels at the A. Smith Bowman plant. The fermentation of the grain mash and the first two distillations take place at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, in Kentucky. The twice-distilled wash is then sent from the doubler to a third pot still, this one located at A. Smith Bowman. It's the barreling and storage that makes Virginia Gentleman a true bourbon whiskey. Barrel storage at Bowman is different from the way most other distilleries do it. The barrels are not stored on their sides in ricks. They're stored upright on palettes stacked atop one another. Our guide explained how the variation in room temperature forces the distilled liquid back and forth through the oak of the barrel. Our tour guide let us smell the difference between the thrice distilled clear liquid before it had been aged in oak and the caramel colored elixir that emerged from the oak barrels. Some in the group got a chance to do more than sniff the difference.
Abram Smith Bowman came to Virginia in 1927 from Kentucky. Purchasing some 4,000 acres of what was supposed to have become the town of Wiehle, he renamed it Sunset Hills Farm and established a dairy. Immediately upon repeal of prohibition in 1934 he built a distillery just north of the railroad, which he ran with his sons, Smith and Delong. Smith Bowman began bottling Virginia Gentleman Bourbon in 1937. They later added another brand, Fairfax County Bourbon. In 1988 the distillery moved from Reston to Fredericksburg.
The new site in Fredericksburg was that of the FMC Cellophane manufacturing plant, once Fredericksburg’s largest employer, which had been vacant and decaying for a decade. The old buildings of the cellophane plant were splendid examples of the Art Deco period in industrial
architecture. The distillery made a great effort to preserve the look of these splendid old buildings. Original fluorescent light fixtures have been refitted and preserved. Many of the buildings featured textured glass blocks, which have been carefully preserved. In the office areas the original wood panels, trim, lighting fixtures and windows are intact, and the furnishings were selected to reflect the period of the original factory. The museum quality furniture was wonderful.
Thank you to Mark Steele for arranging this fabulous field trip.
Sponsoring a New Member
The bylaws of Rotary clearly outline the procedure for a prospective member to be proposed for Rotary club membership. The "proposer" is the key person in the growth and advancement of Rotary. Without a sponsor, an individual will never have the opportunity to become a Rotarian.
The task of the sponsor should not end merely by submitting a name to the club secretary or membership committee. Rotary has not established formal responsibilities for sponsors, however, by custom and tradition these procedures are recommended in many clubs. The sponsor should:
1. Invite a prospective member to several meetings prior to proposing the individual for membership.
2. Accompany the prospective new member to the Rotary orientation/information meeting.
3. Introduce the new member to other club members each week for the first month.
4. Invite the new member to accompany the sponsor to neighboring clubs for the first make-up meeting to learn the process and observe the spirit of fellowship.
5. Ask the new member and spouse to accompany the sponsor to the club's social activities, dinners or other special occasions.
6. Urge the new member and spouse to attend the district conference with the sponsor.
7. Serve as a special friend to assure that the new member becomes an active Rotarian.
When the sponsor follows these guidelines, Rotary becomes stronger with each new member.
Happy Cup
Vicki was thrilled about her new granddaughter. She had pictures to pass around.
Eric, Nicolette, John and Harrison all had wonderful things to say about the Relay for Life. It was a splendid event.
Dave announced that on Sunday there will be a Blue Mass celebrated at St. William of York Church in North Stafford.
Scott was glad to visit the club again.
Aric was happy about the field trips Mark plans.
Carlos said his business is great. His son is attending the College of William and Mary in the fall.
Eric said his boss is sending everyone in the company to Disney World.
There was lots of other happiness but your reporter had to hunt for her pen.
What Are You Reading?
Joan asked for a Summer Reading List. Here are some good books to take along to the beach or wherever:
Under The Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes—I’ve read this book several times. Even if you never get to Italy you’ll feel like you know Tuscany after reading this book.
On The Road with Francis Of Assisi : a Timeless Journey Through Umbria and Tuscany, And Beyond by Linda Bird Francke. Another wonderful travel book.
The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw—One of the best sea captains on the East Coast tells the riveting story of a 30-day swordfishing voyage aboard one of the best-outfitted boats on the East Coast, complete with danger, humor, and characters so colorful they seem to have been ripped from the pages of Moby Dick.
We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance by David Howarth—Thoroughly outstanding chronicles of survival against all—and I do mean all—odds.
More suggestions next week.
Rotary Foundation News
UNESCO discusses 'Action for Water' at Rotary Day
Story and photo by Jane Lawicki, Rotary International News
23 May 2006
"The world is facing a water crisis," said James Michael Kulikowski, a representative of UNESCO's director-general at the first UNESCO Rotary Day. "Action for Water" was the theme for the event, held 12 May at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. More than 200 Rotary members and guests from approximately 20 countries attended.
"We have the scientific knowledge and action. We need to bring the solutions to the people who need them, particularly at the local level," said Kulikowski.
Providing an overview of today's water challenges, Andras Szollosi-Nagy, deputy assistant director-general for the natural sciences of UNESCO, explained that 97 percent of the earth's water supply is salt water. Of what remains, 90 percent is held in ice, glaciers, or underground. Only .007 percent is available for human consumption — based mostly in nine countries that hold 60 percent of the earth's water supply. Access to water will increasingly bring power struggles similar to those for oil or nuclear energy.
Rotarians should be concerned about water "because Rotary is leading the struggle to alleviate suffering and bring hope," said RI Vice-President Serge Gouteyron. One of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals is by 2015 to reduce by 50 percent the number of people without access to safe water and sanitation. The challenge is formidable because in rural areas of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, about 88 percent of the population lacks access to safe water.
"In developing countries, the search for water puts young women at risk of assault by humans or animals," said Ron Denham, Rotary's Health, Hunger and Water Task Force general coordinator. "They have to walk 6-12 kilometers daily when they could be in school, or the women could be teaching their children," Denham said. He added that nearly one-third of Rotary clubs participate in water distribution and sanitation system projects worldwide, which include drilling and rehabilitating wells, rainwater harvesting, purifying water through bio-sand filters, solar disinfecting, installing mini-water pipelines, and integrating water management.
"Rotary has more than 20 years of experience working with the United Nations, and our joint efforts to eradicate polio have worked for one and all," said RI President Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar. While confirming that Rotary will not accept another corporate program until polio eradication is complete, he added that meetings such as Rotary Day at UNESCO were vital to explore new project possibilities.
For more information about the water crisis, visit UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education.
A Rotary Foundation Matching Grant brought clean drinking water to this small village.
This article is © 2005 Rotary International and is provided for the non-profit use of Rotarians worldwide; commercial use is prohibited. The article may be quoted, excerpted or used in its entirety, but the information should not be changed or modified in any way. Read more information in the RI copyright notice.
Upcoming Programs
May 31 - John Lafley-Classification Talk
June 7 -Janice Lancaster of the Image Studio.
June 14— " Sabine", a motivational speaker and singer who won the Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2004.
June 21 - Martha Crimmons, owner of the Spooner House bed and breakfast.
June 28— Tracy Coleman, cake designer and owner of Let Them Eat Cake.
President Randy Burdett presided and welcomed guests: Ward Warren, Terry Enders, Ben Maxwell, Aimee Steele, Scott Mayausky, and visiting Rotarian John Adkins from the Rappahannock Rotary.
Program:
Our program was a tour of the A. Smith Bowman distillery. It was quite an educational tour. The first thing I learned is that "Bourbon doesn't have to come from Kentucky." Although Virginia Gentleman whiskey begins its life in Kentucky it doesn’t become bourbon until it is distilled for a third time and aged in new oak barrels at the A. Smith Bowman plant. The fermentation of the grain mash and the first two distillations take place at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, in Kentucky. The twice-distilled wash is then sent from the doubler to a third pot still, this one located at A. Smith Bowman. It's the barreling and storage that makes Virginia Gentleman a true bourbon whiskey. Barrel storage at Bowman is different from the way most other distilleries do it. The barrels are not stored on their sides in ricks. They're stored upright on palettes stacked atop one another. Our guide explained how the variation in room temperature forces the distilled liquid back and forth through the oak of the barrel. Our tour guide let us smell the difference between the thrice distilled clear liquid before it had been aged in oak and the caramel colored elixir that emerged from the oak barrels. Some in the group got a chance to do more than sniff the difference.
Abram Smith Bowman came to Virginia in 1927 from Kentucky. Purchasing some 4,000 acres of what was supposed to have become the town of Wiehle, he renamed it Sunset Hills Farm and established a dairy. Immediately upon repeal of prohibition in 1934 he built a distillery just north of the railroad, which he ran with his sons, Smith and Delong. Smith Bowman began bottling Virginia Gentleman Bourbon in 1937. They later added another brand, Fairfax County Bourbon. In 1988 the distillery moved from Reston to Fredericksburg.
The new site in Fredericksburg was that of the FMC Cellophane manufacturing plant, once Fredericksburg’s largest employer, which had been vacant and decaying for a decade. The old buildings of the cellophane plant were splendid examples of the Art Deco period in industrial
architecture. The distillery made a great effort to preserve the look of these splendid old buildings. Original fluorescent light fixtures have been refitted and preserved. Many of the buildings featured textured glass blocks, which have been carefully preserved. In the office areas the original wood panels, trim, lighting fixtures and windows are intact, and the furnishings were selected to reflect the period of the original factory. The museum quality furniture was wonderful.
Thank you to Mark Steele for arranging this fabulous field trip.
Sponsoring a New Member
The bylaws of Rotary clearly outline the procedure for a prospective member to be proposed for Rotary club membership. The "proposer" is the key person in the growth and advancement of Rotary. Without a sponsor, an individual will never have the opportunity to become a Rotarian.
The task of the sponsor should not end merely by submitting a name to the club secretary or membership committee. Rotary has not established formal responsibilities for sponsors, however, by custom and tradition these procedures are recommended in many clubs. The sponsor should:
1. Invite a prospective member to several meetings prior to proposing the individual for membership.
2. Accompany the prospective new member to the Rotary orientation/information meeting.
3. Introduce the new member to other club members each week for the first month.
4. Invite the new member to accompany the sponsor to neighboring clubs for the first make-up meeting to learn the process and observe the spirit of fellowship.
5. Ask the new member and spouse to accompany the sponsor to the club's social activities, dinners or other special occasions.
6. Urge the new member and spouse to attend the district conference with the sponsor.
7. Serve as a special friend to assure that the new member becomes an active Rotarian.
When the sponsor follows these guidelines, Rotary becomes stronger with each new member.
Happy Cup
Vicki was thrilled about her new granddaughter. She had pictures to pass around.
Eric, Nicolette, John and Harrison all had wonderful things to say about the Relay for Life. It was a splendid event.
Dave announced that on Sunday there will be a Blue Mass celebrated at St. William of York Church in North Stafford.
Scott was glad to visit the club again.
Aric was happy about the field trips Mark plans.
Carlos said his business is great. His son is attending the College of William and Mary in the fall.
Eric said his boss is sending everyone in the company to Disney World.
There was lots of other happiness but your reporter had to hunt for her pen.
What Are You Reading?
Joan asked for a Summer Reading List. Here are some good books to take along to the beach or wherever:
Under The Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayes—I’ve read this book several times. Even if you never get to Italy you’ll feel like you know Tuscany after reading this book.
On The Road with Francis Of Assisi : a Timeless Journey Through Umbria and Tuscany, And Beyond by Linda Bird Francke. Another wonderful travel book.
The Hungry Ocean by Linda Greenlaw—One of the best sea captains on the East Coast tells the riveting story of a 30-day swordfishing voyage aboard one of the best-outfitted boats on the East Coast, complete with danger, humor, and characters so colorful they seem to have been ripped from the pages of Moby Dick.
We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance by David Howarth—Thoroughly outstanding chronicles of survival against all—and I do mean all—odds.
More suggestions next week.
Rotary Foundation News
UNESCO discusses 'Action for Water' at Rotary Day
Story and photo by Jane Lawicki, Rotary International News
23 May 2006
"The world is facing a water crisis," said James Michael Kulikowski, a representative of UNESCO's director-general at the first UNESCO Rotary Day. "Action for Water" was the theme for the event, held 12 May at UNESCO headquarters in Paris. More than 200 Rotary members and guests from approximately 20 countries attended.
"We have the scientific knowledge and action. We need to bring the solutions to the people who need them, particularly at the local level," said Kulikowski.
Providing an overview of today's water challenges, Andras Szollosi-Nagy, deputy assistant director-general for the natural sciences of UNESCO, explained that 97 percent of the earth's water supply is salt water. Of what remains, 90 percent is held in ice, glaciers, or underground. Only .007 percent is available for human consumption — based mostly in nine countries that hold 60 percent of the earth's water supply. Access to water will increasingly bring power struggles similar to those for oil or nuclear energy.
Rotarians should be concerned about water "because Rotary is leading the struggle to alleviate suffering and bring hope," said RI Vice-President Serge Gouteyron. One of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals is by 2015 to reduce by 50 percent the number of people without access to safe water and sanitation. The challenge is formidable because in rural areas of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, about 88 percent of the population lacks access to safe water.
"In developing countries, the search for water puts young women at risk of assault by humans or animals," said Ron Denham, Rotary's Health, Hunger and Water Task Force general coordinator. "They have to walk 6-12 kilometers daily when they could be in school, or the women could be teaching their children," Denham said. He added that nearly one-third of Rotary clubs participate in water distribution and sanitation system projects worldwide, which include drilling and rehabilitating wells, rainwater harvesting, purifying water through bio-sand filters, solar disinfecting, installing mini-water pipelines, and integrating water management.
"Rotary has more than 20 years of experience working with the United Nations, and our joint efforts to eradicate polio have worked for one and all," said RI President Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar. While confirming that Rotary will not accept another corporate program until polio eradication is complete, he added that meetings such as Rotary Day at UNESCO were vital to explore new project possibilities.
For more information about the water crisis, visit UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education.
A Rotary Foundation Matching Grant brought clean drinking water to this small village.
This article is © 2005 Rotary International and is provided for the non-profit use of Rotarians worldwide; commercial use is prohibited. The article may be quoted, excerpted or used in its entirety, but the information should not be changed or modified in any way. Read more information in the RI copyright notice.
Upcoming Programs
May 31 - John Lafley-Classification Talk
June 7 -Janice Lancaster of the Image Studio.
June 14— " Sabine", a motivational speaker and singer who won the Chamber of Commerce Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2004.
June 21 - Martha Crimmons, owner of the Spooner House bed and breakfast.
June 28— Tracy Coleman, cake designer and owner of Let Them Eat Cake.
// posted by Virginia Blogger @ 7:12 AM 
