.jpg)
.png)
Events and News
January 23rd -- Lunch with Vera Kochanowsky, daughter of Boris Kochanowsky, the author of Lenin, Hitler, and Me
Vera Kochanowsky, daughter of Boris Kochanowsky, the author of Lenin, Hitler, and Me, resides in Falls Church, Virginia. She will speak about her father's memoir.She holds a doctorate degree in music from Stanford University and has studied in Europe as a Fulbright scholar. A specialist in early music, she is active in the Washington DC area as a harpsichordist, private music teacher, and choral director.
Upcoming Speakers
January 30 – Matt Weiller, Classification Talk
February 6 – Christina Armstrong, Chief Philanthropic Partnerships Officer for Bridges to Independence
February 20 – Tina Leone, CEO, and Samantha Baker, Director of Operations, Ballston Business Improvement District
February 27 – Richard Dooley, Arlington County Energy Coordinator
March 5 – Lisa Bellamy, Classification Talk
March 12 – Bob Carolla, Classification Talk
March 26 – David Povlitz, Arlington Fire Chief
Michelle Maluwetig Joins Arlington Rotary.png)
Michelle Maluwetig is originally from the island of Yap, in Micronesia. She started her Rotarian journey in Shanghai in 2015, where she worked importing and retailing organic coffee from cooperatives in Latin America. Since then, she has worked in micro-finance and just started working in Arlington, as a business banker. Her passions include social entrepreneurship, rock climbing, standup paddle boarding, and aerial yoga! She is glad to get integrated in the Arlington community through Rotary and looks forward to serving.
Michelle was inducted by president Raquel Neumann. Her sponsor, Robert Martinson, is shown affixing her new Rotary pin.
New Paul Harris Society Members
On December 5th, John Becker was recognized as a Paul Harris Society member. Steve Klemp, our foundation treasurer, presented John with a certificate and lapel pin.
Rotary started with the vision of one man — Paul Harris. The Chicago attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago on 23 February 1905, so professionals with diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas, form meaningful, lifelong friendships, and give back to their communities.
On December 11th, Joe Lott became a Paul Harris Society member. Here he is being pinned by president Raquel Neumann (at Arlington Rotary's holiday party).
The Paul Harris Society recognizes Rotary members and friends of The Rotary Foundation who elect to contribute $1,000 or more each year to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund, or approved global grants.
Service Above Self
January 20th, Martin Luther King Day of Service
To kick off our service projects for 2020, we are once more leading a project during Volunteer Arlington's Martin Luther King Jr. Volunteer Day. Volunteer Arlington invites Arlington community groups (such as ours) to host a service project that will allow fellow Arlingtonians to use their day off on MLK Day (Jan 20th) to serve their community. We will provide no-sew fleece blanket kits that our volunteers can assemble. We will donate the completed blankets to AHC, an affordable housing company that will give the blankets to kids in their housing developments.
Click here for photos from last year.
November 20th -- ISCC Woman of the Year: Linda Valentino
At ISSC's annual luncheon, ARC's Linda Valentino was honored as the Council's Woman of the Year.
The Inter-Service Club Council of Arlington is an association for liaison between approximately 25 service clubs/organizations of Arlington. Its purpose is to act as a clearinghouse for the exchange of ideas and the furthering of relations between its member clubs/organizations.
The Inter-Service Club Council of Arlington is an association for liaison between approximately 25 service clubs/organizations of Arlington. Its purpose is to act as a clearinghouse for the exchange of ideas and the furthering of relations between its member clubs/organizations. Linda joined Arlington Rotary in 2004 and has held every leadership role at our club has including President, Treasurer, Secretary, Service Project Director and Club Service Director. Her service to the Northern Virginia community extends well past Rotary. She is a passionate supporter of Arlington Academy of Hope, AFAC, Inova Blood Drives, affordable housing, holiday toy drives, etc.
As the owner and designer at Creative Classics, Inc., she has been doing residential architectural design in the DC metro area for 25 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from Princeton University and then spent a few years in Manhattan first with an interior design firm and then as a project manager for a construction development company.
She is equally comfortable designing new homes as working on large or small remodeling projects and has acted as the general contractor for both of her own homes in Arlington and Falls Church City.
Photo: ISSC President and Rotarian Joe Lott, Linda Valentino, ARC President Raquel Neumann
October 17th was World Polio Day (At ARC)
We celebrated the work done to rid the world of polio by (a) making donations and (b) signing a district-wide poster. To contribute to the finish, Arlington Rotary will send a check to TRF on behalf of its members.
(Poster, club members and guests pictured below.)
Packing Beans for AFAC
On September 30th, Rotarians (and three future Rotarians) were at Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) packing beans for distribution. (AFAC buys in bulk; we package.)
Backpacks for Students—Delivered!
We have met our goal of 20 backpacks, filled with school supplies. Special thanks to David Sutfin who personally handled all – yes, all – the logistics. Julie Booth, APAH Volunteer Program Manager joined us at our last meeting, and departed with the well-stuffed backpacks.
Empowering Enrichment for Arlington Schools
Arlington Rotary Club provided $5,000 in scholarships for Key Elementary School students
and Oakridge Elementary school students for the 2018-2019 school year. The scholarships were used to pay students' tuition for Empowering Enrichment, an after-school program that provides students with learning opportunities on a wide range of subjects, including math, science, dance, slight of hand, and more. The goal: Assist students who otherwise would not have been financially able to participate in these enriching programs to share these opportunities with their fellow students. Validated comments below:
and Oakridge Elementary school students for the 2018-2019 school year. The scholarships were used to pay students' tuition for Empowering Enrichment, an after-school program that provides students with learning opportunities on a wide range of subjects, including math, science, dance, slight of hand, and more. The goal: Assist students who otherwise would not have been financially able to participate in these enriching programs to share these opportunities with their fellow students. Validated comments below:Dear Rotary,
Many of our students have benefitted from the Rotary scholarships your group has generously provided over the years. The little girl in kindergarten, who was so obsessed with ballet that she wore skirts everyday and called them tutus, is the 4th grader who still loves dance classes. The shy, new student who came last year is an outgoing artist in the sketching class. The student who told me that she loves sewing and weaving because she learned it from her grandmother, is continuing to grow her skills in the sewing class. Thanks so much for all you do,
-- Key Elementary Teacher
I cannot express how grateful I feel as a teacher that I’m able to offer scholarship enrichment opportunities to our students. You have been such an integral part of their development and growth outside of the normal school day. The recipients are those who don’t have access to Legos or technology at home, so now they’re able to utilize these resources to build their creative and analytical minds. On a personal level, they are so excited to take these classes. Second graders often need reminders to be responsible for their actions, but my students are fully aware of their schedules. They actually remind me and say, “Today I’m going to take the Minecraft class!” sharing their enthusiasm for all who are willing to listen. So, it is with extreme humility and gratitude that I say, “THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!”
-- Key Elementary Teacher
-- Key Elementary Teacher
Many of our students have benefitted from the Rotary scholarships your group has generously provided over the years. The little girl in kindergarten, who was so obsessed with ballet that she wore skirts everyday and called them tutus, is the 4th grader who still loves dance classes. The shy, new student who came last year is an outgoing artist in the sketching class. The student who told me that she loves sewing and weaving because she learned it from her grandmother, is continuing to grow her skills in the sewing class. Thanks so much for all you do,
-- Key Elementary Teacher
“It is very fun to learn new things that you don’t know. We learned about codes that will control computers and tell them what to do.”
-- Key Elementary Student and Scholarship recipient
-- Key Elementary Student and Scholarship recipient
“I love dancing with Ms. Shona!! Even if you get the steps mixed up, she will always help you get it right. She really makes sure everyone is comfortable and confident!!”
-- Oakridge Elementary Student and Scholarship recipientWhen Rotary Club donates to enrichment programs members are funding independence, joy, mentoring, friendships and learning. These scholarships make it possible for a kid to pick her own class, explore what she wants to explore. The support the 2nd grade boy in his magic class receives is invisible to him and to others. They just get a chance to be regular kids instead of recipients of aid, and experience what it’s like to have their own agency and choices. This is a basic human need as children become the adults they are destined to be. Experiences like Enrichment may seem small but they set these young people up for success in life and help them with confidence. And, exploring cooking, yoga, dancing or chess or magic is fun and also a way to learn and interact with interesting adults who can mentor and engage with them in smaller groups.
-- Jenny Sammis, Oakridge Elementary School PTA President, 2018
-- Jenny Sammis, Oakridge Elementary School PTA President, 2018
I have had the pleasure of teaching dance to Empowering Enrichment Rotary Club Scholarship students at both Key and Oakridge Elementary. The Oakridge scholarship student had already been given a PTA scholarship in years past, which meant she was not eligible to take my class through this means again. The Rotary scholarship allowed the student to do her favorite thing - dance! She served as a leader in the class by helping to lead warm ups and by taking a front row spot in the performance dance. I know that her participation in the class boosted her confidence and gave her a real sense of pride in her hard work. At Key, I had multiple scholarship recipients in my dance class. Without the Rotary scholarships I believe we would have been under enrolled, which would have led to the class being cancelled. So, from that perspective the Rotary scholarships, directly and indirectly, helped all 13 students participate in an active, creative arts activity. We had a great group of students who really bonded. They learned a dance using flags as props. We decorated these flags to represent our own personalities and then waved them proudly as we danced. The dancers showed so much enthusiasm and pride for their final performance dance.
-- Shona Colglazier, Urban Kangaroo Owner
