THE ROTARY CLUB OF SYRACUSE • CLUB #42 • ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 7150 • CHARTERED 1912 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

IN MEMORIAM DR. ROBERT S. LAUBACH 1918 - 2015 Dr. Robert S. Laubach was a dedicated for his people as they became literate, educator, husband, father, and volunteer came up with a brilliant idea: “each one, in our community. He devoted his life teach one.” Using this method, to adult literacy and will be remembered was brought to this area of the Philip- for his many contributions over the past pines by their own people. eight decades. Dr. Laubach and his late Bob, just a teenager, was too young to father, Dr. Frank C. Laubach, are credit- work by his father’s side but old enough ed with teaching more than 100 million to watch and remember the changes tak- adults to read and write in more than ing place as a result of Frank’s worldwide 200 languages. literacy ministry. Over the next 30 years .“Dr. Bob,” as he liked to be called, was his father traveled to over 100 countries born in 1918. His father, Frank Charles helping missionaries and governments Laubach, was an educator and minister develop literacy programs using the prin- and his mother, Effa Seely Laubach, was ciples in “Each One Teach One.” In 1946, a nurse. Frank Laubach’s strong calling after finishing his service as a conscien- to mission service took the couple to Ma- tious objector during the World War II, nila in the where Bob was Bob traveled with his father on four lit- born. Frank began to have the global vi- eracy tours: two long trips to Africa and sion that would lead to his future success two around Asia. Literacy lessons were as a pioneer in the field of literacy. developed in 315 languages in 105 coun- .Although the family called Pennsylvania tries. After decades of work and travel home, Bob was raised and schooled in the around the world, Frank founded Lau- Philippines. He was greatly influenced by bach Literacy International in 1955. Bob the pacifism and dedication to service ex- was on the Board of Directors from the hibited in the day-to-day life of both his beginning. parents. In 1930, after the family took a .Bob received an M.A. in journalism from year’s leave back home in Pennsylvania, Syracuse University and in 1963 earned a the Laubachs returned to Lanao in the Ph. D. in education. In 1951 Bob Philippines for the Congregational Mis- and his father had persuaded the Dean sion. It was here that Frank’s mission to of the Newhouse School of Communi- help people become literate in their own cations, Wesley Clark, to begin a master’s language had its beginnings and where degree program in literacy journalism. Bob began his career in what he referred Bob convinced the Board of Directors of to as literacy journalism. This work was Laubach Literacy to move its headquar- with a Muslim group, the Maranaos, in ters from Washington, D.C. to Syracuse the Lanao Province. A village chief, ob- that same year. serving how the quality of life improved see PROUD page 2

PRESIDENT PRESIDENT-ELECT SECRETARY TREASURER SERGEANT-AT-ARMS ROBERT SHERBURNE DOUGLAS SMITH RAMON LEACH DAN MORROW HAROLD SCHUMM FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015

A Proud Syracuse Rotarian from page 1

Upcoming Meetings Seeing the need, Bob developed the nization, Laubach Literacy of Canada. SSEPTEMBER 18 world’s only master’s degree program There are ProLiteracy programs in 45 training students in the field of litera- countries in Asia, Latin America, and 11:00 am SRF Trustee Meeting cy journalism. Bob taught students in Africa, where literacy services are deliv- Syracuse for thirty years. The program ered through indigenous organizations. 12:00 pm RCS Club Meeting focused on two areas: for new An avid photographer all his life, Bob literates and literacy techniques. A worked on creating a visual history of Program small army of individuals was trained his and Frank Laubach’s literacy work Dr. Casey Crabill, President OCC and subsequently carried these tools all worldwide from the thousands of slides MOST Grant Update over the world. In the early years of the taken over the years. This archive is 1:30 pm program, the students developed a small housed at ProLiteracy’s headquarters P&C Committee Meeting mimeographed newspaper called News on Marcellus Street in Syracuse. SEPTEMBER 25 for You. While developing a master’s degree 12:00 pm In 1959 Bob started an education- program and teaching at S.U., estab- RCS Club Meeting al publishing venture, New Readers lishing a worldwide literacy organi- Program Press, a division of Laubach Literacy, zation, and writing numerous books, Program TBA which provided teaching materials and Bob also raised a family. He and his books for students learning to read. To- wife, Frances Brown, married in 1953 Literacy CNY Grant Update day New Readers Press is a major U.S. and had four children. Charles and his OCTOBER 2 publisher in adult education. News for wife, Aida Tashouri live in Abu Dha- You, a weekly publication, now brings bi, United Arab Emirates and have two 12:00 pm RCS Club Meeting easy-to-read articles to 90,000 readers children; Laura and her husband, Ra- in high schools, adult education class- mon Ayestaran, live in Pamplona, Spain Program Chadwick Rersidence es, English-language classes for immi- and have three children; Ann and her grants, and correctional facilities. husband, Louis Jannazo, live in Colum- PEACE Inc. Grant Update Following his father’s death in 1970, bus, Ohio with their two children. Em- OCTOBER 9 Bob served as president of Laubach ily lives in San Francisco and married 11:00 am Literacy International. The number of Roy Woollard in 2000. Bob lost his dear RCS Board of Directors Meeting volunteer tutors grew slowly but steadily wife in 1988 in a tragic car accident. He 12:00 pm during the 1970s and 1980s. After retir- continues to maintain strong family ties RCS Club Meeting ing as president in 1982, Bob remained and travels regularly to visit his children and grandchildren. Interfaith Works Grant Update on the Board and continued his literacy work, much of it with his dear friend Bob was a proud Syracuse Rotarian, OCTOBER 16 of 50 years, Caroline Blakely. Caroline Methodist, and Democrat. He was a 11:00 am came to study at S.U. with Bob in 1958. stamp collector and train buff, visiting SRF Trustee Meeting She became the first paid employee of model train shows and riding unusual 12:00 pm Laubach Literacy and began her own trains wherever he could. He had visited RCS Club Meeting long career committed to literacy. She almost every state in the U.S. and sever- Program and Bob worked side by side as the staff al provinces in Canada, speaking about Clear Path for Veterans grew. the long history of the Laubach world literacy movement. In 2002, Laubach Literacy Interna- tional merged with Literacy Volun- Dr. Robert S. Laubach died peacefully teers of American to form ProLiteracy on Friday, September 11, 2015. He was FACT: Cotton covers 2.5% z of the world’s cultivated Worldwide, which is headquartered in 96. Syracuse. Bob is a lifetime member of Send donations in honor of land yet uses 16% of the The Dr. Bob Endowment world’s insecticides, more its Board of Directors. ProLiteracy has ProLiteracy Worldwide more than 130,000 volunteers tutoring than any other single, 104 Marcellus Street throughout the United States in more Syracuse, NY 13204 major crop. than 1,000 literacy councils. Some or online at 12,000 volunteers tutor in a sister orga- proliteracy.org/give /donate-now

Page - 2 SYRACUSE ROTARY PRESS This Week’s Program: Dr. Casey Crabill The President Onondaga Community College will speak Friday at Syracuse Rotary

Program Committee to nearly 13,000 students. More than 40,000 In 1962, Onondaga Community College persons have graduated since 1964, and over opened its doors to 500 entering freshmen at half a million people have availed themselves Midtown Plaza in the urban center of Syra- of the college’s programs and services. cuse, New York. Outgrowing the city center Dr. Casey Crabill is Onondaga Community location, the College moved to its present site College’s eighth President, leading Central in 1973. New York’s second largest undergraduate The college is now situated on 280 acres atop college. Onondaga Hill, four miles from the city, with Prior to joining OCC, Dr. Crabill served a commanding view of the city, Onondaga from 2006 to 2013 as president of Raritan and Oneida lakes and beyond. A newly ren- Valley Community College in New Jersey; ovated and expanded Gordon Student Cen- as president of the College of the Redwoods ter opened in spring 2006. By far, the largest in Eureka, California from 1999 to 2006; as transformation on campus began with the acting president and dean of Learning and long-awaited November 2005 groundbreaking of residence Student Development at Quinebaug Valley Community halls. Opening for the start of the 2006-2007 academic year, College in Danielson, Connecticut; and division chair for the residence halls will forever change the face of the campus Academic Development and Learning Support at Dundalk and mark a significant turning point in the history of the Community College in Dundalk, Maryland. college. Dr. Crabill received her B.A. in English from Skidmore Col- The curricula have been expanded from an original offer- lege and an M.S. in Teaching English as a Second Language ing of eight programs to nearly 50; the faculty has grown to and an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, both from the keep pace with enrollment; the original graduating class of State University of New York at Albany. z 1962 numbered 177. Now, nearly 1,500 degrees are award- ed annually. Enrollment has grown from the original 500

Scene & Herd ~ Reboot: A ReCap of Our Last Club Meeting Anonymous Syracuse Rotarian Massurin, happy to SEP 11 ~ Although a somber day in history, Syracuse Rotar- be with us, Mike ians respectfully gathered again at Drumlins to do what they Masci, happy that his kids are back do best—service above self. Prez Bob led us in the pledge; in school and new PP Brad and PP Jim Morrow, with gusto, took us through member to be, Kev- God Bless America and PP Vern handled the invocation in Visconti, happy with typical aplomb and prayers of thanks for all we enjoy. to be running again (No mike needed) Brad reminded us of our RCS scheduled this weekend in a Symphoria outing on October 10 and urged good atten- major race. dance. He also told the golfers slated for tomorrow’s Mat- PP Brad intro- thew 25 tournament to be at the Orchard Vali course at 9 duced our most LtoR: Dom Cambareri, Dennis Cleary of the AM ready for action. That said, we sang happy birthday to recent Communi- Carrier Recreation Center, and Bradley Strait. PP Volker, Scott Kelso and Bob Pickett. ty Service Award On the 50/50 Ray Leach drew unsuccessfully for the substi- winners, Dom Cambareri and DeWitt Rotary PP, Dennis tute Ace of Diamonds, leaving the $5 to our guest speaker Cleary (his wife, Linda Cleary, in the current President of Mike Massurin. Lots of happy dollars again today includ- DeWitt Rotary) who have championed the new Carrier ing: Jim Glad, happy about his daughter’s recent visit, Mike see FILM page 4

Page - 3 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2015 SYRACUSE ROTARY PRESS

Film Festival kicks off October 14 from page 3 An Adult Illiteracy Crisis Recreation Center which will help serve Syracuse’s special When adults learn to read and write, they needs population. Dom gave an inspiring overview of their work, including the Syracuse Challenger Little League have the power to transform their lives. Baseball program, now involving over 260 kids and enjoy- from ProLiteracy - www.proliteracy.org ing the reputation of being the largest baseball program of its kind in the world. The lack of accessible facilities mo- Why Literacy? Why not focus on world health? Or tivated the $12 million Carrier Recreation Center where, gender equality? Or poverty relief? To solve all of these socioeconomic problems and more, we must start by building a more literate adult population. Because when individuals the world over learn how to read, write, do basic math, and use computers, the more likely they are to lift themselves out of poverty, contribute to improved health care costs, and find and keep sustainable employ- ment. Some illiteracy statistics The increase in annual health care costs in the United States due to low literacy skills is $230 billion. Patients with low literacy skills have a 50 percent increased risk LtoR: Rotarian John Marsellus, Dom Cambareri, and Dennis Cleary. of hospitalization. Crime, unemployment, and poverty are all linked to low literacy, too. The effects of low lit- finally, the Challenger kids will have an accessible place to eracy cost the U.S. more than $225 billion each year in play. Dennis followed with more details on the 9 fields com- non-productivity in the workforce and loss of tax rev- plex including a plea to spread the word so they can raise enue due to unemployment. Individuals at the lowest the additional $6 million needed to complete this ambitious level of literacy have a higher rate of unemployment project founded on humility, love and sacrifice. Congratula- than the national average - 14.5% in 2011. tions Dom and Dennis for your amazing service above self. In the U.S. today, there are 36 million adults who can’t Mike Masci introduced our featured speaker, Mike Mas- read better than the average 3rd grader. And without surin, Executive Director of the Syracuse International Film basic reading, writing, math, and computer skills, these Festival, an ambitious effort which has brought great films Americans are struggling to find jobs, stay healthy, and and film makers to CNY for the past 12 years. This year’s fall support their families. 14% of those over 16 years old Festival is scheduled for October 14-18th at various venues read at or below a fifth grade level, 29% only read at around the county including the Everson Museum, Gen- the eighth grade level, and among those with the lowest esee Grande Theater, the Palace Theater and the Manlius literacy rates, 43% live in poverty. Cinema. It will feature films and film makers from all over the world in an event which Mike estimates pumps $1-4 million into our local economy every year. Notably, Mike NOTICE: THE P&C COMMITTEE WILL MEET ON FRIDAY, observed that film making is on the rise in CNY with our SEPTEMBER 18 AFTER THE REGULAR ROTARY MEETING new nanotechnology site in DeWitt and the fact that at TO BEGIN DELIBERATIONS ON THIS YEAR’S GRANTS. SU we already have one of the top 40 film programs in the world. For more information, go to the Festival’s web site at www.filminsyracuse.com and then get your tickets soon NOTICE: THERE WILL BE A SYRACUSE ROTARY for some great film entertainment right here in Syracuse. z FOUNDATION MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 18 at 11AM. Eastwood Rotary at The Dome ~ Volunteers Needed The Rotary Club of Eastwood will be at it again this Saturday at the Carrier Dome. Game time is 12:30 pm. If you are interested and would like to help the Eastwood Club at their concession stand Saturday, call the club’s secretary, Anthony Lambert at 315-463-1292. There is always room for one more fun worker and the food is great! They will be there from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm and work in 6 hour shifts. All for a great cause!

www.syracuserotary.org | James Morrow, editor Syracuse Rotary Press | [email protected]