PITTSFIELD ROTARY CLUB    District 6460   7-25-07

Visiting Rotarian….Ed Brokaw from Abilene , Texas

Visitors:  Adam Lawson,  Farmers State Bank, with Murray Martin

Brock Willard, grandson of Linda and Phil Bradshaw, with Grandma…..

Thank you:  From Brandon Scranton, with a picture, so we’ll remember giving him a Rotary Scholarship……

Board Meeting:   lst Thursday of August, at noon, at Airsman-Hires Pittsfield Facility Office….That’s August 2^nd….Board members.

Are YOU still a Rotary Member?????  Secretary Chuck  says he hasn’t heard from, or seen,  several of our members for some time.  It costs $28.00 / time to send Rotary  reports in per active member… PLEASE….let Chuck know your status, if you haven’t been to a meeting for a while….and haven’t made up somewhere……

Email…..when you change Email carriers, please let Harry know.  He gets long messages on his computer when the address is wrong…..and it excites him……

Program:   Cadet Evan Roderick, who is in his Junior year at West Point Military Academy. He is son of former Rotary President, and former Rotarian, Black Roderick. and Robin and Jeff Ruzicka.

Evan says West Point is the oldest service academy in the nation, serving since 1802, thanks to President Thomas Jefferson, wo ordered its establishment.  It is also the oldest military post in the U.S., being part of the defense of the Hudson River during the Revolutionary War.

He must serve 8 years after graduation, 5 active duty and 3 in reserves, if he decides to leave the Army.

His education has been 2 years core, and now he moves into his field of interest.  All West Point Cadets get an engineering education.  His choice is Civil Engineering.

Evan says this has been a great experience, but West Point is not for the faint hearted.

He will become a 2^nd Lieutenant upon graduation.

Even says MORE are signing up for attending  West Point in spite of the current world conditions.

During Junior and Senior years, the cadet follows officers in actual areas.  In two weeks, he will be going to air assault school.  The Corps of Cadets seek to obtain a balance in academic and military experience.

Evan will also be studying International History.  He also serves in the ‘Pep Band’, which gets him to the many sporting events that the academy participates in.

His reason for choosing a West Point education:   As most West Point Cadets …. recognized the need to step up to the plate and do something bigger than themselves…..

When they do recognize the need to be greater than self, they also are attending a academy with people who  truly care about what is going on in this nation and the rest of the world…..

  West Point population is about 20 percent female.

Attrition at the Academy is about 15 percent.

Great report, Evan.  It opened our !!eyes