A Wider Circle is a nonprofit organization to impact poverty in the Washington area by support from the bottom up. As a MD University professor,Mark Bergel discovered families in DC with 35 year old grandmothers (that look 80) living with a daughter and grandchildren and having no food or furniture. Girls are pregnant by age 16 and half the boys are in jail by 16. They are born in poverty with no way out. Government poverty programs are a band aid. A Wider Circle engages directly with their poor clients and provide furniture, food and job interview training. When they are ready, they provide proper cloths for the interview. A Wider Circle’s mission is to provide a way out of poverty. Their web site is www.awidercircle.org.

Last Week Andy Pollin shared some of his experiences over 37 years as a radio reporter in the sports world. His comments covered a wide range of topics on local professional sports (e.g. Redskins, Nationals) and the future of certain sports (football, soccer). On the football front, Andy is a long time Redskin fan and is looking forward to RG III starting at quarterback on the Redskin’s opening game against the Eagles on Sept 9. The Redskins are 4-0 in the preseason — off to a great start. He noted that professional football is the most popular and profitable sport in the U.S. Although soccer may be the most popular sport in the world, it will never surpass football in America. He briefly discussed the proposed settlement of the lawsuit filed by professional football players against the NFL over concussions experienced by some players over the years. If the settlement ($765 million) is approved by the court it will avoid lengthy, expensive and uncertain litigation for both sides. He also discussed the diminishing role of AM radio and increasing role of FM radio and the rise of internet radio. Andy’s comments generated many sports questions from the floor.

Last Week Reggie Mark-Hansen gave a talk on his Rotary Membership Research of Bethesda demographics. With his professional Human Resources back ground, Reggies analyzed where we should look for new Rotary members. Our club has 37 active members of a total of 43 and needs 4 new ones per year to stay level. His studies indicated that we should look for more younger, women, and minorities members. Montgomery County is increasing and becoming more diverse. Minorities make up 39% and 47% of those are Asian and Hispanic. Our club is mostly 50+ in age and needs young and active members. We need to answer the question “why join us?”; evaluate the projects to promote new membership: and make new members feel inclusive.