Madison County Republican Women Treasurer Ginny Pegelow and President Anne Farmer started off their February 17th meeting by presenting a check to Norris Johns, President of the Madison Emergency Services Association (MESA) on behalf of the club. MCRW service projects aid local charitable organizations and provides an annual $1,000 Marion Simpson Scholarship which is available to senior female Madison County students, public and home school.
Jay and Sunithi Gnanadoss, teachers at Woodberry Forrest and Germanna Community College respectively, where on hand to talk about India, their native country.
"I haven’t met a bad American," said Sunithi Gnanadoss. "I now realize why America takes so many people to its shores. Very often, when people come here, they’re leaving behind an oppressive set of rules. The early settlers wanted to leave oppression behind and enjoy individual freedom."
Sunithi shared the fascinating story of how, as a small child, her great-grandmother was disowned by her high class Hindu family and she became a Christian. She noted that only two percent of Indians are Christian while the majority are Hindu.
"Things happen in our life to make a difference," Sunithi said. "All of us are individuals with a special purpose in our lives. I like to model my life after Jesus Christ. I see Him as an individual. He was saving one individual at a time."
The Hindu religion produces its own form of apathy in India.
"They are fatalists," observed Sunithi. "Due to their belief in rebirth and reincarnation, when they find themselves in a situation, all they can think of is - I’m paying for my past or reaping my reward."
Still, things are changing in India.
"India has a different mindset today," said Sunithi. "They traced it to 1991. There has been a lot of growth."
America might do well to look at the socialist-style health care which has been tried in India.
"Health care is government controlled," Sunithi said. "Hospitals are very corrupt. The poor get free treatment but have to bribe their way or die... Government has been privatizing."
MCRW Officers Anne Farmer, Ginny Pegelow, Mary Anne Walthall, and Erline Arthur displayed a certificate from the National Federation of Republican Women which recognized the club's participation in NFRW Literacy Month as part of the Barbara Bush Literacy Project. The theme of the project was, 'Readers Become Leaders.'
MCRW donates new books to Madison schools and lightly used books to local organizations and area Children's and Veterans Hospitals. MCRW's 2009 Literacy Committee Chairman is Judy Butler.
MCRW's membership reached a new high point on February 17th with the addition of two new members, Dottie Stevenson and Evelyn Kerr, both of whom joined the club that evening. MCRW now has 50 regular members and 49 Associate members. The club has members from Madison, Orange, Greene, Culpeper and Rappahannock Counties, and associates state-wide.
The next MCRW meeting will be held on March 17th with a St. Patrick's Day Dinner of Corned Beef and Cabbage. The special meeting will have a town hall format. Judy Butler, Literacy Committee Chairman, Lt. Col. Lisa Davis (Air Force, Ret.), Madison County Republican Committee Chair John Tucker and Vice Chair Frank Stidman will be among the Guest Speakers. The meeting will take place, 6:30-8:30 PM, at the Madison Presbyterian Church, Rt. 722 at the north traffic light. Everyone is invited to attend. Dinner: $7. For additional information please call (540) 923-4300 or (540) 547-2156.
Jay and Sunithi Gnanadoss, teachers at Woodberry Forrest and Germanna Community College respectively, where on hand to talk about India, their native country.
"I haven’t met a bad American," said Sunithi Gnanadoss. "I now realize why America takes so many people to its shores. Very often, when people come here, they’re leaving behind an oppressive set of rules. The early settlers wanted to leave oppression behind and enjoy individual freedom."
Sunithi shared the fascinating story of how, as a small child, her great-grandmother was disowned by her high class Hindu family and she became a Christian. She noted that only two percent of Indians are Christian while the majority are Hindu.
"Things happen in our life to make a difference," Sunithi said. "All of us are individuals with a special purpose in our lives. I like to model my life after Jesus Christ. I see Him as an individual. He was saving one individual at a time."
The Hindu religion produces its own form of apathy in India.
"They are fatalists," observed Sunithi. "Due to their belief in rebirth and reincarnation, when they find themselves in a situation, all they can think of is - I’m paying for my past or reaping my reward."
Still, things are changing in India.
"India has a different mindset today," said Sunithi. "They traced it to 1991. There has been a lot of growth."
America might do well to look at the socialist-style health care which has been tried in India.
"Health care is government controlled," Sunithi said. "Hospitals are very corrupt. The poor get free treatment but have to bribe their way or die... Government has been privatizing."
MCRW Officers Anne Farmer, Ginny Pegelow, Mary Anne Walthall, and Erline Arthur displayed a certificate from the National Federation of Republican Women which recognized the club's participation in NFRW Literacy Month as part of the Barbara Bush Literacy Project. The theme of the project was, 'Readers Become Leaders.'
MCRW donates new books to Madison schools and lightly used books to local organizations and area Children's and Veterans Hospitals. MCRW's 2009 Literacy Committee Chairman is Judy Butler.
MCRW's membership reached a new high point on February 17th with the addition of two new members, Dottie Stevenson and Evelyn Kerr, both of whom joined the club that evening. MCRW now has 50 regular members and 49 Associate members. The club has members from Madison, Orange, Greene, Culpeper and Rappahannock Counties, and associates state-wide.
The next MCRW meeting will be held on March 17th with a St. Patrick's Day Dinner of Corned Beef and Cabbage. The special meeting will have a town hall format. Judy Butler, Literacy Committee Chairman, Lt. Col. Lisa Davis (Air Force, Ret.), Madison County Republican Committee Chair John Tucker and Vice Chair Frank Stidman will be among the Guest Speakers. The meeting will take place, 6:30-8:30 PM, at the Madison Presbyterian Church, Rt. 722 at the north traffic light. Everyone is invited to attend. Dinner: $7. For additional information please call (540) 923-4300 or (540) 547-2156.
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