May 24, 2016 - Rotary Club of Charlotte

REPORTER
May 24, 2016
THE ED AND BILL AND ANNA AND RADIM SHOW OPENED TO
RAVE REVIEWS!
(With a tip of the hat to Ed Wadsworth & Bill Loftin, as well as to Anna & Radim)
John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” has never been played so beautifully
nor has it been sung with greater vigor and delight than when youth exchange student,
Radim Ptak, picked up his guitar and strummed a rousing rendition of that marvelously
uplifting song to kick off Charlotte Rotary’s meeting ~ with 175 grinning Rotarians and
guests joining in with great gusto.
Ed Wadsworth opened today’s Youth Exchange Program like a proud father --- as well
as he should have. Along with Bill Loftin the two have spearheaded a life-changing
experience for two teenagers from foreign lands. And so began a lively program of
shared experiences from Charlotte Rotary’s two current exchange students: both bright,
talented, joyful and tremendously grateful for the year spent living in Charlotte with six
generous and welcoming host families who are now and forever part of their lives.
Anna Sybrecht addressed us first and we were
captivated by her beautiful smile and her warm
demeanor. Born and raised in the town of Dortmund, the
8th largest city in Germany with 600,000 residents, Anna
excels in academics and sports. An avid golfer, she
loved being part of the Charlotte Latin School golf team
this year and attributes their conference title and 2nd
place winning record in the entire state to her coach,
Robin Griffith, and her teammates. (Note: Of course,
Robin is special. She’s Martin Waters’ daughter!) Anna
beamed as she shared that her coach “built a golf family” and the members of the golf
team all had such great fun together and all became close friends. Anna also joined the
swim team “to try something new” and loved it, finding that same close friendship with her
swim teammates. Anna then turned to track, finding her joy at long distance running.
Again --- more great coaching, more fun and more close friendships. The words “fun” and
“friendship” were consistent throughout Anna’s speech and it says so much to the
success of the youth exchange program. Anna gave credit to her teachers at Charlotte
Latin for their support and kindness, and then spoke happily about sightseeing. Thanks
to her host families ~ the Duncans, the Normans, and the Sappenfields ~ and to the
Rotary Youth Exchange Program, Anna travelled to the mountains of North Carolina,
Charleston, Folly Beach, Walt Disney World in Florida, New York, Boston, Columbus in
Ohio, Washington and New York City. She experienced the White Water Center,
Davidson basketball games, and even a shopping spree with Meg McElwain. Her next
trip will be to California, she hopes. She found she loves ice cream and frozen yogurt but
will pass on sweet tea. She was adamant in thanking us for this lifetime experience. We
fell in love with Anna and we hope she felt that love and will take it back to Germany to
share with her family.
Radim Ptak, from the Czech Republic, was the
second of this year’s Charlotte Rotary youth exchange
students to step to our MIC. Sporting a blue blazer
jacket decorated with an incredible collection of
buttons
representing
countries,
clubs
and
organizations with which Radim has interacted; he
pointed proudly to one particular button and
announced that it was a gift from Charlotte Mayor
Jennifer Roberts. “The Mayor,” he told us, “just took it
right off of her lapel to present it to me and I will wear
it with honor.” That incredible young man, already a gifted athlete, academic whiz and
musician, showed his wit and wisdom by sharing his “take” on Charlotte upon his arrival.
Our traffic overwhelmed him, he said, because in the small town of Pisek, with a
population of 30,000, just outside of Prague in the Czech Republic, cars are a rarity.
Typical transportation consists of walking wherever one is going. Originally settled in the
year 900 B.C., Pisek boasts the oldest bridge ~ the Pisek Stone Bridge ~ in the Czech
Republic. Radim was a member of the 2014 Czech national basketball team; he plays
championship volleyball; and, along with his two younger brothers won a national Czech
guitar-playing competition beating out over 170 other aspiring players. He has fit in so
well at Myers Park High School and his mastering of the English language is amazing.
He enjoys finding new things to do and has now joined a bluegrass music club; learned to
ice skate in warm weather; marched with a marching band (they don’t exist in Pisek);
played on Myers Park High School’s varsity tennis team; been a guitarist in a jazz band;
discovered golf (played 9 holes for the first time and made par twice!); has discovered the
wonderful world of barbecue. Radim loved his travels which took him to Boston, New
York City, Gettysburg, Charleston, Washington and the Kennedy Space Center in
Florida, to name a few. He attributes those - and even more - great experiences to his
fantastic host families - the Osiers, the O’Donoghues, and Chuck Cocke and Nanelle
Napp, as well as to Rotary International. He is particularly grateful to Karen Steffens, Ed
Wadsworth and Bill Loftin, and the great people with Rotaract at Queens University
through which he has volunteered to tutor children and make them smile with pride.
Radim made it a point to talk about meeting a holocaust survivor in a museum in
Washington which has left a lasting impression on him … as he has with all of us.
The central theme running throughout today’s Charlotte Rotary meeting was one of
gratitude, kindness, hospitality and understanding. The Rotary Youth Exchange Program
signifies “Service Above Self” and nowhere is it more apparent than to see, hear and feel
the genuine warmth that students from foreign countries experience through this
miraculous program and take home with them to show the rest of the world what America
~ and Americans ~ are really like.
In the words of both Anna and Radim, “Thank you. We are grateful.”
And in our words, as Rotarians throughout the world, “Thank YOU. WE are grateful.”
Speaker Write Up: Marilynn Bowler; Head Table: Crissy Wagner, Tom Bartholomy, Ed
Wadsworth, Anna Sybrecht, Bill Loftin, Radim Ptak; Invocation: Lisa Mask; Visitors & Guests:
Hank Donaghy; Photos: Bert Voswinkel; Guitar: Radim; AV: Jessica Dupree
CLUB NEWS
Welcome new Rotarians….Tom Bartholomy introduced Angela Wagner, executive VPagency manager for Professional Liability Solutions. Reach out to Angela at
wangela7@gmail.com; John Lassiter introduced Alexandra Myrick, financial advisor with
Morgan Stanley. Contact Alexandra at alenaranjo@yahoo.com. In case you’re wondering,
24% (77) female; 76% (240) male make up this club.
Tony Zeiss is discussing his retirement from CPCC in the Business Journal, on the Mike
Collins Show, in the Charlotte Observer….a dedication ceremony was held last week to
rename the Elizabeth Classroom Building to the Dr. Tony Zeiss Building; thanks to Stuart
Hair for volunteering a couple hours on Saturday at the Farmer’s Market; Ed Wadsworth
is looking for a host family for Franziska Matusche in the August-November time period.
Franziska is from Germany and she will be attending Charlotte Country Day.
KAREN STEFFENS
Recognized at the District Conference for
outstanding leadership with the
Youth Exchange Program
LUTHER FINCHER
Recognized at the District Conference
as Charlotte Rotary’s
Distinguished Rotarian
100 SERVICE PROJECTS
OBJECTIVE: 3 to 4 (or more) Rotarians are asked to participate in a service project and report
their name, project, date and hours to the Rotary office. This approved club initiative runs through
December 1, 2016. Project suggestions should be sent to Sandy for advertising in the weekly
Reporter.
ONGOING
rd
-Allenbrook Elementary School: North Star Reading Partners with a commitment to read to a 3
grade student one hour a week. Eric Davis: eric.davis@wellsfargo.com.
-Platelet Donation (on-going): Register at the American Red Cross or Community Blood Center of
the Carolinas to donate platelets.
-Cotswold Farmers Market: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0548afaa2da5fe3-volunteer
UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS (06/04/16 – 06/11/16)
06/05 George Rohe
06/06 David Zimmerman
06/07 Jeff Searcy
06/08 Tom Wright
06/09 Alex Browning, Ray Killian, Henry Bostic
06/11 Tom Bartholomy, Lee Morris
UPCOMING ANNIVERSARIES (06/04/16 – 06/11/16)
06/05 Betty & Ray Killian, Beverly & John Lassiter
06/06 Sarah & Tony Lathrop
06/07 Jean & Al Allison, Betty & Erskine Harkey, Jillian & Sean Preston
06/08 Julie & John Armistead; Eileen Keeley & Pat Millan
06/09 Katherine & Mark Crockett, Linda & John Shell\
06/11 Nancy & Bob Fuzy
Visitors & Guests
Club Members
Total
26
145
171 (51.4%)
MEMBERSHIP
06/30/2015
05/24/2016
Net Increase:
319
317
-2
New Members: Randy Robinson, Susan Evans, Angela Wagner, Alexandra Myrick
Resignations: Omar Kazzaz, Blair Fisher, Claire Fallon
Visitors: Mahlek Pothemont, Nancy Hughes, Steven Cole, Jack Duncan, Clifford Waddell,
Oscar Joyner, Rick DeSoto, Alex Myrick, Crissi Wagner, Jane & Tim O’Donoghue,
Nanelle Napp, Robin Griffith, Derek Smith, Heidi Carpenter, Stacy & Becca Harbin,
Andrea Sappenfield, Larry Osier, David Lynn, Todd Porter, Federica Cimarra, John
Luebke, Catherine Coughter
UPCOMING LUNCHEONS
(www.charlotterotary.org and click on the events tab)
05/31 – Dave Gettelman, General Manager, Carolina Panthers
06/07 – How I Got Where I’m At (Stuart Hair, Lauri Eberhart, Wil Bosbyshell)
Photos from our luncheons and other events can be found on Flickr Click here
charlotterotary.org 704.375.6816
1850 East 3rd Street | Suite 220 | Charlotte, NC 28204 USA
Rotary Club of Charlotte