The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Past President Mike Kelly.
Past President Don Saracen enlightened the club on the genesis of Rotary’s The Four Way Test. In 1932, Herbert J. Taylor set out to save the Club Aluminum Products distribution company from bankruptcy. His recovery plan started with changing the ethical climate of the company. He came up with a simple, easily remembered guide to right conduct-a sort of ethical yardstick-which all in the company could memorize and apply to what they thought, said and did.
He wrote down the twenty-four words that changed the history of the company.
1.Is it the truth?
2.Is it fair to all concerned?
3.Will it build goodwill and better friendship?
4.Will it be beneficial to all?
In the 1940’s Herbert J. Taylor became a Director at Rotary International at which time he offered the Four Way Test to the organization. The Four Way Test was adopted and has never changed. Herbert J. Taylor served as the President of Rotary International in 1954-1955.
Attending on Zoom
Barbara Harris, Barry Fain and Chris Stevenson
Visitors
Cap Willey's wife, Lois, and daughter Rhonda Bergeron.
Kellsie King.
Announcements
There was a reminder of RIFC soccer game on Saturday, August 9th at 7:00pm (It was a fun time. ~ editor)
Bob Morse’s funeral will be held on August 9th at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Barrington. Prior to his death Bob reached out to the club to help support the club’s back to school supply project.
President Bill reminded us that many hands are needed at our September 2nd club meeting to package school supplies for the 32 classrooms at the Harry Kizirian Elementary School.
Legends for Literacy Gala update
Pete Brock announced that the honorary chair for the Legends for Literacy Gala is Past President Peter Loescher. This year’s gala will be held at the Marriott on October 16, 2025. All club members are needed to participate in many of the committees to make this year’s gala a success.
Don Saracen, the sponsorship chair reminded us that the gala is the club’s signature fundraising event that supports the club’s childhood literacy initiatives. Don announced that the Squantum Charitable Trust is a $10,000 sponsor and that the Applegate Foundation is a $5,000 sponsor for the 2025 gala.
Please reach out to a member of the sponsorship committee* to become a sponsor at one of the many sponsorship levels and to help solicit other corporate or individual sponsorships.
*(Peter Brock, Barry Fain, Sharon Garland, Susan Kearney, Anthony Hollingshead, Anthony Landi, Art Norwalk and Cap Willey).
Happy Bucks
- Anthony Hollingshead thanked Matt for being our greeter at today’s meeting.
- Kevin Oates was happy for a trip to Block Island.
- Emily Bernstein was happy that she has a new job and was able to listen to the Jazz Festival in Newport from her boat.
- Kellsie King, guest of Bill Efthiamies, was happy for being able to attend the meeting today.
- President Bill was happy for the beautiful time he and Holly spent with their family in Little Compton.
“ROTARY SPEAKS” – an opportunity for club members to learn about new as well as longtime members. Today’s speakers are members Cap Willey and Jane Berkowitz.
Cap Willey joined the club in 1989 and is the third member of his family to be a member of the Rotary Club of Providence. He and his wife, Lois have two children-Richard and Rhonda; two grandchildren and a step-granddaughter. Cap’s grandfather had over 35 years of perfect attendance up to his date of death (he died on a Sunday and had until the next Tuesday to make up his last meeting). Both Cap and his father were not inclined to try to match his attendance record and both succeeded.
Cap was born in Cranston and moved to Barrington when he was 7. He has two younger brothers and a sister. Cap attended Barrington High School and ran track. He went on to study at Syracuse University which is where both his parents attended College. While in his senior year, he realized that the job market was dismal, so he decided to quickly change from a business major to an accounting major cramming all the courses he needed to complete his studies.
His first job was with Ward Fisher & Company, the oldest accounting firm in Rhode Island. When he asked to be a partner after working there for 9 years, they told him he was not there long enough so, Cap took the leap in 1980 to start his own firm with two colleagues from Newport. They created the firm Rooney, Plotkin & Willey and Cap opened an office in Providence. Cap’s credits move to his father advice - “Try to save a year’s salary so that you are not beholden to any company. That way you can make the correct decisions for yourself.”
Over the next 24 years the firm grew into the top three local accounting firms in Rhode Island. In 2004, the firm was the first local CPA firm in Rhode Island to merge with a regional firm, Tofias PC in Boston, which in 2008 was acquired by CBIZ.
Cap shared that over the years he and his partners were not afraid to make some crazy investments and illustrated with the Dyer Island story.
Cap became an advocate for small businesses and along with Don Saracen ran the local chapter of the Small Business Association of New England. He has been very involved in tax policy at the federal and state level over theyears.
He enjoys being an amateur carpenter in which he rebuilt a 1927 wooden 28ft Herresoff S-class sailboat; and renovate his 1500 square foot ranch to over 2400 square feet.
Cap over the years has traveled to Alaska to visit his cousins. About four years ago, he spent 8 days in a Yupik Eskimo village of Gamble on St. Lawrence Island in the middle of the Berring Sea volunteering to help build a church.
JANE BERKOWITZ was born in New Bedford and spent 20 years working and living in New York City as a sales rep for educational publishing companies. In July of 2021, she decided to relocate and join the Providence community. She became an active member of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and started her own company, JB K-3 Literacy Resources, LLC, a reading aloud stories and craft program for children 5-8. For more info visit her website:
storiesandcrafts.com.
In 2022, the chief of staff to Mayor Smiley suggested she join the Providence Rotary Club because “they have a strong and vibrant literacy committee.” On that recommendation, Jane joined the club in 2023. That same year she joined the Women United committee of the United Way of Rhode Island. That led her to volunteer to help curate children’s books for the United Way’s Day of Action in which volunteers sort age and grade level books. The books are then provided to children across the state to encourage them to read during the summer to offset the learning gap.
Jane has enjoyed her involvement with helping to enhance the literacy initiative at both George J. West and the Harry Kizirian Elementary schools. Her participation in these literacy programs has allowed her to leverage her seasoned experience as a lifelong educator and literacy specialist; namely as a classroom teacher, curriculum content developer, classroom library pioneer, and literacy consultant to school districts.
She thanked the club for welcoming her and giving her the opportunity to participate in the Literacy, Membership and Speakers’ committees.
