Scholarship recipients visit Byesville Rotary

Pictured: Chuck Fair, Byesville Rotary President; 2015 Byesville Rotary Scholarship recipients--Brett Bell, Maala Cox, Samantha Roe; and Jim Bakos, Scholarship Committee Chair.

Pictured: Chuck Fair, Byesville Rotary President; Candace Neff, 2006 Byesville Rotary Scholarship recipient; and Jim Vaughan, Speaker Host.

New Meadow Brook graduates who were awarded Byesville Rotary scholarships this year and a scholarship recipient from 2006 attended the club meeting on Tuesday. Members of the club who had not served on the scholarship interviewing committee were delighted to meet the award recipients. The club has presented over $66,000 in scholarships to Meadow Brook students since the establishment of the scholarships 29 years ago.

Jim Bakos, chair of the scholarship committee, introduced the students. Brett Ball will be attending Mount Union and plans to major in exercise science. Maala Cox will attend Muskingum University and plans to become a teacher specializing in math education. Samantha Roe is enrolled in the pre-med program at Ohio University.

Candace Neff graduated from Meadowbrook in 2006. She received a Byesville Rotary scholarship when she graduated. Club members were interested in hearing how the Byesville scholarship helped Neff pursue her education.

In high school Neff was a member of the Byesville Rotary sponsored Interact Club. She played volleyball, softball, and basketball. She received a softball scholarship, but an injury to her rotator cup put an end to her softball career and ended her scholarship. She graduated from Muskingum University in 2010 with a major in communications.

Neff is began working at AVC in February of this year .She has a job in sales and marketing. She has applied to Syracuse University graduate school to study for a Masters of Business Administration in Marketing and Advertising.

Neff indicated that all the scholarships she received were important in part because each scholarship helped reduce her final student debt. She pointed out that she graduated with a $35,000 debt. This compares well with other graduates she knows who graduated owing $80-90,000. Neff advised incoming freshmen to “Rent your books. Don’t buy them.” Renting a textbook costs about 1/3 of a book’s purchase price.

Connect with Byesville Rotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the club’s meeting.

Ohio Secretary of State Office visits Byesville Rotary

Pictured Bob Kalish, liaison to the Ohio Secretary of State, and Chuck Fair, Byesville Rotary President.

Bob Kalish, liaison to the Ohio Secretary of State, spoke to club members about services provided by the office of the Secretary of State (SOS). Much of the work of the Office of Secretary of State is registering and maintaining businesses. Kalish pointed out that some of the specific services provided include processing business filing and uniform commercial code filings, operating a “Client Service Center” and “Customer Service Call Center,” protecting trademarks and service marks, and compiling business reports.

He recommended that people to start a new business in Ohio start on the SOS website (www.sos.state.oh.us/). Under the “Businesses” heading is a link to “Business information” which includes an 8 step guide titled “Starting a business.” Links to each of the government agencies or departments a potential business owner will need to work with while establishing a business in Ohio are provided.

Kalish pointed out that the SOS is also responsible for elections and voting. An important area of this responsibility is recruiting and training election workers. Four workers are needed per precinct, and new workers are always needed. Volunteers can sign up by contacting their county board of elections.

Kalish reported that one of the goals of the Secretary of State is to implement an on-line voter registration system. He pointed out is type of system has several benefits: voter registration would be easily accessible from anyplace having an internet connection; the system could be made more secure than a paper based system; and it would save from 50¢ to $1.00 per on-line registration. However, the system would require that each voter provide an Ohio driver’s license or state ID number in order to vote.

In other business, Chuck Fair reported that the first chicken BBQ of the year was a success. Two hundred and 50 chickens were sold during the BBQ. The Rotary was assisted by Meadow Brook Middle School girls volley ball team members and coaches who are working to earn money to attend volley ball camp. The club donated $300 to the team.

The club’s Changing of the Guard Dinner will be held June 25. Members should contact Nellie Bichard to make reservations.

Connect with Byesville Rotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the club’s meeting.

Cambridge National Glass Museum offers interactive tours

Pictured: Cindy Arent, Volunteer Cambridge National Glass Museum Director; Sharon Miller, Museum volunteer; and Shana Fair, Speaker Host.

Byesville Rotarians learned about interactive programs being offered at the National Museum of Cambridge Glass. Cindy Arent, Volunteer Museum Director, stated that visitors to the Museum do more than just look at glass. They become part of an interactive tour offering hands-on learning opportunities. By the tour’s conclusion, visitors will have learned about all steps of handmade glass production. Tours typically have 3 parts: a short film and skit, an introduction to the glassware produced at the factory, and an interactive visit to the etching process.

Arent pointed out that several experiential tours are offered. Visitors can meet Mr. Arthur J. Bennett and hear from the man himself about Cambridge Glass. In the fall, museum staff offers “Downton Abbey Etiquette” during which visitors learn proper dining behavior at Downton.

Arent and Miller, dressed in the height of 1950’s fashion including seamed nylon stockings, presented a teaser from their newest interactive museum program. Picking up fluffy, blue feather fans and singing the song “Sisters,” they asked the Rotarians in which well known movie they were performing. (Hint—it has the same title as a famous Christmas song.). The full skit is part of the “Cambridge Glass in the Movies” exhibit. Visitors will see how Cambridge Glass has been used as props in movies and TV including this year’s “Empire.”

Sharon Miller, Museum volunteer, stated the Cambridge Glass factory was established in Cambridge in 1901 by the National Glass Company located in Pennsylvania. Arthur J. Bennett, from England, was hired to manage the factory. Miller said that the first piece of glass produced—called the “Big X” pitcher can be seen at the museum.

Miller went on to explain that in 1907 the National Glass Company faced financial problems and sold the Cambridge factory to Mr. Bennett. Under Bennett’s creative leadership, Cambridge Glass Company prospered. During the 1920’s’ and ‘30’s the company had up to 700 employees and became know world-wide with showrooms as far away as Los Angeles, Denver, Australia, and New Zealand.

The Cambridge Museum contains the world’s most extensive collection of Cambridge glass. The collection includes molds, tools, and equipment used to make the handmade glass produced at the factory between 1902 and 1958. More information about the Museum is available at 740-432-4245 or www.cambridgeglass.org.

Connect with Byesville Rotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the club’s meeting.