The Inside Press

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Service Above Self

Rotary Club of Chappaqua Honors Eileen Gallagher, Tuan Anh Dang at Annual Awards Luncheon

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Don Roane presenting Eileen Gallagher with the Rotary’s Paul Harris Service Award   Photos by Grace Bennett/Inside Press

June 30, 2021, Chappaqua, NY–Members of the Rotary Club of Chappaqua, gathered at Crabtree’s Kittle House for their annual awards presentations, honored outgoing president Eileen Gallagher with the Paul Harris Service Award and Horace Greeley High School Senior Tuan Anh Dang who received the Rotary’s Student Community Service Award. The in-person celebration brought Rotary members to the Kittle House, where the group has resumed meeting every Monday to honor community members and to plan their signature events, including Community Day, this year on September 18.

Long-time Rotarian Don Roane presented the prestigious Paul Harris service award to Gallagher, a two-term President of the Chappaqua Rotary, citing “her tremendous dedication and service to the community.” Gallagher is hardly leaving her Rotary efforts behind, however. She has been asked to work with a number of towns in northern Westchester, including Chappaqua, to create an ‘e-club’ which will meet via Zoom or in person, when desired.  “It’s an exciting chance to create a virtual club, which will fill a tremendous void in the area for those who wish to serve the community at large but whose schedule does not allow for in-person weekly meetings,” said Gallagher. “Covid has brought valuable insight into how we are able to connect over the internet, with the flexibility to meet in person when desired, and with the aim to “grow Rotary”, this will be a step in that direction.”

“There is a Wall Street e-club with members from other parts of the world, which had intrigued me,” explained Gallagher, “because of its innovative, inclusive and accessible meetings. This club will be able to fill that void in Northern Westchester.” For more information and to join, write to Gallagher, newestchesterrotary@gmail.com

Horace Greeley graduating senior (on the right) Tuan Anh Dang, here with his mom Huong Giang Nguyen, received the Rotary’s Student Community Service Award and Scholarship. Inside Press photo.

On behalf of Westchester County Executive George Latimer (a long time Rotarian), New Castle Town Council member Lori Gowen Morton presented Horace Greeley graduating senior Tuan Anh Dang with the Rotary Student Community Service Award; in addition, Gallagher presented Dang with a $1000 scholarship from the Rotary for his outstanding achievement and dedication to ‘service above self.’ 

In the opening to his “Service to the Community” essay to the Rotary, Dang relayed how vital the support of a young college student mentor/instructor had been to him when he was a child enrolled in an English as a Second Language course. It was taught, he recalled, by ‘a lanky 19-year-old’ named Eric volunteering from the University of California in Santa Barbara. Dang wrote of the friendships formed, and comradery that took shape between himself and his classmates during that time.

“Despite not having a single language in common (Spanish, Chinese, German, Vietnamese), Eric still managed to teach us all English,” Dang stated. “While trying to help us integrate into the broader community, he created one right within that class. Even after the course ended, we all became proficient; the people in that class became some of my closest friends after elementary school… I’m not sure Eric knew that he had just fostered a dozen children and made them all feel at home in this country for the first time.”

“I strive to pay the favor forward to other immigrant children by teaching ESL classes at Neighbors Link. In their confused eyes, I see my younger self who was equally perplexed by this odd world.”

In his sophomore year of high school, Dang was chosen as the Westchester county representative to the Youth to Youth International Conference, a youth leadership drug prevention program. That experience was instrumental to embarking on summer internship with the New Castle United for Youth, a local coalition for whom Dang helped organize events “with the goal of creating a support network that extends to all those who seek help in our town.”

With a new incoming president Marlene Canapi on board beginning July 1, Rotary members are planning the comeback date of Saturday, September 18, for Chappaqua’s annual Community Day, canceled last year due to Covid. To keep up with Community Day plans and all Rotary activities in Chappaqua, visit Chappaqua Rotary Club | Facebook

Chappaqua Rotary’s 2020 Student Community Service Awards

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Two exemplary Greeley students, Angelina Brunetto and Quinn Singer, were honored this summer at Crabtree’s Kittle House during the annual Chappaqua Rotary Club’s 2020 Student Community Service Awards.

Vedat Gashi, County Legislator representing District 4 and New Castle Town Board Member Lisa Katz each respectively presented the students with both accolades and certificates to recognize their service.

Angelina Brunetto volunteers extensively at the Veterans Hospital in Montrose she stated, “to gain experience in the healthcare industry while giving back to our heroes… Assisting in different departments, I interact with the veterans, and gain firsthand knowledge of the bravery and sacrifice they experienced while in Service and Active Duty… Through my volunteer work, I have grown more compassionate for Veterans, seniors, and those less fortunate.”

Quinn Singer has been a volunteer at many events for Draw for Paws, a not for profit named in honor and memory of Scarlett. Scarlett’s Rainbow Rescue works with homeward bound of Mississippi to transport hundreds of puppies annually from kill shelters to their forever families. Quinn has also volunteered with Draw for Paws to expand pediatric cancer awareness. “This group was created by a young girl who battled brain cancer, and I wanted to help their cause,” said Quinn, who also helped with the not for profit’s efforts and services at local hospitals.

The 2020 Student Award was organized by Horace Greeley High School Guidance Counselor Rebecca Mullen. The award was given to honor Greeley Guidance Counselor Patrick Dougherty “who helped to keep the Community Service Recognition on track and procured applications for many years,” said Sandy Bueti, board member. Community recognition awards by the Rotary, such as these, are accorded to community members who most exemplify the Rotary’s motto of ‘Service Above Self.”

Lavdie Maqedonci-Krasniqi

Incoming Rotary Club president Eileen Gallagher and fellow Rotarians also took the opportunity to thank and honor outgoing Rotary Club president Lavdie Maqedonci-Krasniqi for her service. ‘Lavdie’ thanked many well-wishers for their support during her Rotary tenure and for their support during a successful battle against cancer.

– Grace Bennett

How the Rotary Club of Chappaqua Celebrates Community And Lives up to the “Service Above Self” Motto

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Rotary Club of Chappaqua members (left to right): Sandy Bueti, Ben Harrison, past president Don Roane, Eileen Gallagher, president Dave Shields, guest Joan Corwin, Manton Martin, Ed Melvin, and Peter Davidson Photo by Carolyn Simpson/Doublevision Photographers
Rotary Club of Chappaqua members (left to right): Sandy Bueti, Ben Harrison, past president Don
Roane, Eileen Gallagher, president Dave Shields, guest Joan Corwin, Manton Martin, Ed Melvin, and Peter Davidson Photo by Carolyn Simpson/Doublevision Photographers

By Matt Smith

On any given Monday, when the clock strikes 12 p.m., a select group of community members gathers at the Kittle House. Sure, that’s nothing unusual; the famed restaurant sees many patrons pass through their doors at that prime lunch hour, be they friends catching up, colleagues meeting to discuss business, or local merchants, seeking a respite from their busy day. But while this group is indeed dining, swapping stories, and enjoying each other’s company, there’s another inherent purpose behind their meeting: they’re addressing and discussing important local and global issues, as a means to come together and create positive, lasting change within our community.

This group is, of course, the Rotary Club of Chappaqua, and since 1983, they’ve upheld this noontime routine. At each of their weekly meetings, the club will typically host a guest speaker from a given organization, who will speak to that organization’s cause–one to which Rotarians could consider donating at the end of the year. Past organizations to which the Rotary Club has donated include, but are not limited to, the Horace Greeley Scholarship Fund, the Food Bank of Westchester, Shelter Box, Hope’s Door, and more. To pursue the goal of community service, emphasized by the Rotary motto “Service Above Self,” the club organizes several community events each year, the proceeds of which are donated to the above organizations.

These events include the annual Pancake Breakfast & Blood Drive, held in the Spring at The Church of St. Mary the Virgin; and Charter Night, held around February or March, wherein club members honor both a Rotarian and a community member, each of whom have fully demonstrated the “Service Above Self” motto through their commitment to volunteer work in the neighborhood. The Rotarian receives the Paul Harris award, named for the original founder of the Rotary Club International, while the community member is given, aptly, the Community Service Award. The club also holds an annual Holiday Concert, featuring the Greeley Madrigal Choir, at the Kittle House in early December.

But their biggest and most buzzed-about event is, without question, Community Day. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17th, 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

IMG_5161The festive fall bash, held each year at Chappaqua’s Metro-North Train Station, aims to strengthen the communal bond between friends and neighbors new and old; it’s a golden opportunity each year to familiarize residents with all our local merchants and community-based organizations.

“It’s a nice way to get to know the town,” says current Rotary President David Shields, adding the event was one of the first he attended upon moving to Chappaqua in the early ’80s. “Back then, it was in the parking lot of Bell [Middle School],” he continues. “[It’s] a nice tradition, and a great way to celebrate all the town has to offer.”

2015 Community Day Photos by Grace Bennett
2015 Community Day Photos by Grace Bennett

Over 70-80 booths will showcase a wide array of organizations, local merchants, and civic-minded groups, including everything from Chappaqua Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and the PTA to Chappaqua Garden Club and New Castle Recreation and Parks Department, to Greeley student clubs and the New Castle Historical Society, and much, much more.

Additionally, given that it’s an election year, “There’ll [also] be a lot of political booths,” notes Past President and current Rotary member Don Roane. “Perhaps more so than other years.” Indeed, the local Democrats, Republicans and the League of Women Voters will all have booths at the event. As they’ve done in years past, Roane adds, “We’ll also provide rides, bouncing castles and face painting for the kids…[And] a hot dog and soda stand for [lunch].” Rotary Past President John Ehrlich will return to run the Blood Drive in the Plaza.

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Shields, meanwhile, announces the Westchester County Clerk Community Outreach Service will return, “which consists of a van with a portable office where folks can get help applying for a passport.” Furthermore, this year’s program will include live performances from Chappaqua’s student musicians. Spearheaded by Dr. Michael Rudolph, now a Chappaqua orthodontist, but formerly a professional musician, the live music “[will] add another level to the event,” says Shields, with a smile.

“And [it will] give them [the musicians] some exposure as well, so that’ll be nice.” Students from Dance Emotions, the Chappaqua-based dance company, and Amadeus Conservatory of Music, will also be on hand to perform. And if all that weren’t enough, this year, Community Day will happen concurrently with both the Chappaqua Farmer’s Market and the Greeley Homecoming Celebration. So, there’ll certainly be no shortage of fun happening at the Train Station then! As for the club itself? They’ll continue to hold their weekly Kittle House meetings, promoting “leadership development, professional networking, local and international awareness, and above all, community service opportunities,” in keeping with Harris’ original mission.

(L-R): Town Council member Lisa Katz, County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz and Jerry Curran, co-chair of the New Castle Democratic Committee
(L-R): Town Council member Lisa Katz, County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz and Jerry Curran, co-chair of the New Castle Democratic Committee

The club is always looking to add to their roster…and you don’t necessarily need to join full-time to attend meetings. So stop in for a visit, and if you’re inclined, become a member!

Need further reason to join? The club itself is steeped in town history! As Shields explains, whereas “most people…are commuters or moved here as adults,” four current Rotary members (Harold Campbell, Peter Davidson, Erik Nicolaysen, and Sandy Bueti) “actually grew up in this town….going back to the ’30’s and ’40’s. They went to Bell when it was the high school,” he explains. “They have lifelong ties to [Chappaqua]…this really is their hometown.”

But regardless of any past or prior connections, it’s clear all Chappaqua Rotarians fully acknowledge and appreciate how “the town is very accommodating in helping [their events] progress” and ultimately, occur. On a larger scale, club members also recognize that in addition to the local Rotary work, “Rotary International [the main Rotary service organization, also] has a worldwide impact.”

Rotary’s Sandy Bueti with Congresswoman Nita Lowey
Rotary’s Sandy Bueti with Congresswoman Nita Lowey

No doubt these two elements have an effect on the community at large. “Even as a small organization, we do a lot of good,” comments Roane, upon reflection. And really… at the end of the day, isn’t that what the meaning of “community” is all about?

The 2016 Community Day will be held on September 17th from 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Chappaqua Metro-North Train Station. For more information, please visit the Chappaqua Rotary Club Facebook page.

Matt Smith is a regular contributor to the Inside Press and has attended many Community Day events while growing up in Chappaqua.