Join us on Saturday, May 6 at Assabet Valley Tech in Marlborough for our District Learning Assembly.
Enhance you Rotary knowledge, meet fellow Rotarians and refine your Club leadership skills. All Rotarians are welcome. Tuition is just $20, and our curriculum will cover a variety of topics relevant to all Rotary members. Our program begins with continental breakfast at 8:00am, and will conclude by noon. Separately, a new member welcome and grant qualification will follow our learning sessions.
Dr. Laura N. Vandenberg has agreed to give a talk on April 19, 7:00 pm at the Southborough Library, 25 Main St, Southborough, MA 01772. The title of her talk is:
"From BPA to Phthalates to PFAS: How Environmental Chemicals Are Harming Our Health and What We Can Do About It"
Dr. Vandenberg is an expert on endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and is a Professor at the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health & Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts – Amherst. She is also the Associate Vice Chancellor of Research & Engagement at the university.
Southborough Speaker: Dr. Laura Vandenberg, UMass-Amherst: Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) April 19
Something new at the Westford Kiwanis Apple Blossom Festival this year. On Sunday, May 14, 2023 at 2:00 pm will be the 2nd Annual Westford Rotary Club Golf Ball Drop by Helicopter. Get your Golf Balls now….. see details on this flyer.
If your Rotary Club would like to sell golf balls as a fundraiser for your Rotary Club, please contact Mary Forester at mary@maryff.com for details, selling forms and percentage earned on each group of balls.
All funds earned by Westford Rotary Club is used for Rotary projects and more.
The game of Pickleball has grown hotter than ever before, and it shows no signs of slowing down! The game is a great choice for people of all ages to play and have a great time together, and with its low learning curve, it's easy for anyone to pick up a Pickleball and start a game.
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM - BEGINNERS - First 20 participants to register will be scheduled. 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM - INTERMEDIATE + PLAYERS - First 20 participants to register will be scheduled.
Rotary Club of Southborough's Lina Zolock spearheaded an effort to collect diapers sizes 4-6 as diapers are expensive. The club and clients from her business (Expressions Hair Studio in Reading, MA) collected 15 diaper boxes. That's over 1,000 diapers!
Lina and her business partner, Terry, met with Paula Borges-Stalker to transfer the diapers. The diapers will go to families at Finex House, Emmaus House, and Everett Grace Food Pantry as well as other organizations in the local communities that need them.
Our next project to help families in need is our Rotary Club of Southborough Handbag Drive - we are collecting gently used handbags, purses, and pocketbooks to add small personal items to unsheltered or homeless mothers for Mothers' Day 2023. All mothers deserve something special!
The club is actively collecting until April 30 and then we will gather to add items such as small lotions, hand sanitizers, tissues, and more to the handbags. For more information or how to get involved, please email us at rotarysouthborough@gmail.com.
For Sandy Burgers, “the ability to connect” is one of the things she appreciates most about Rotary. And it shows.
Last Fall, Sandy was part of the Rotary team who brought fifteen-year-old Emily Stukalo from Kyiv to Massachusetts, where she is now a sophomore at Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School.
Connections were at the heart of it all: Sandy’s connection to Steve Albright of the Rotary Club of Yarmouth/inbound chairman of Rotary Youth Exchange District (RYE) 7950; Steve and Sandy’s connections to Kyiv Rotary; and Emily’s family connections to that same Kyiv Rotary club.
As Sandy aptly put it, “this is a great example of how Rotary works—connections!”
Hard to believe given all she’s contributed, but Sandy was kind of a “reluctant Rotarian” at first.
The RYLA student registration deadline is in 3 weeks.
Now is the time for you to: 1. Make your student selections 2. Submit names, click here. 3. Provide the link to attendees and alternates, registration > Deadline: Saturday, April 15, 2023 ~ Note: you must submit names before students register 4. Monitor your student's registration status
Questions? Ask your RYLA support person/committee coach.
Because of all you, this will be the BEST RYLA EVER!
RYLA student registration deadline is coming up fast!
The Westford Rotary Club partnered with FIRST Robotics Team 4905 (Ayer Shirley Regional School District) to raise funds supplying emergency assistance to citizens of Ukraine in need of clean water. Photo: one of the Aquaboxes with Potsdam German Rotary member
As we know, Russian forces have targeted public utilities in the Ukraine with the intent of making the residents uncomfortable. With public water supplies damaged there is an urgent need in many communities for clean water. Rotary Clubs in the Ukraine are working with the Rotary Club of Potsdam Germany to coordinate the purchase and supply of Aquabox water filtration systems.
Please join Charles River Rotary Club as we celebrate our 10th Scoopapalooza year and the start of Summer with an all you can eat ice cream festival on Natick Common Saturday June 24th from 11:30 AM to 3PM. Rain Date is June 25th. We expect to draw over 2,000 people to the event for frozen treats, community connecting, music and activities for the whole family. The event will raise significant funds for Charles River Rotary’s local philanthropic efforts, including a St.Patrick’s Day Dance for teens and young adults with special needs, literacy programs, scholarships for seniors at Keefe Regional Technical School, RYLA, Natick Food Pantry, local veterans and many local nonprofits. Tickets are $7.
Let’s join together for peace and make an impact! Volunteers are needed to plan an exciting event that will celebrate Rotary’s new Peace Center, scheduled to open in 2024 in Istanbul. Peace Centers are located at universities across the world – there are seven now and Istanbul will be the eighth. Rotary Peace Centers offer specially deigned curricula to train individuals devoted to peacebuilding and conflict resolution. To date, more than 1,500 people have been trained and serve in governments and NGO’s throughout the world.
In 2018, Needham Rotary Club partnered with Raghav Rao of Hyderabad, India and his Rotary Club (RC Jubilee Hills) to add solar panels to schools there to help provide power and light. Sadly, he recently passed away. One of his daughters lives in Needham, and the family reached out to us to propose a classroom expansion project in his honor. Currently, the elementary and high schools in Film Nagar (suburban Hyderabad) are serving a population well in excess of capacity such that students are taught for only about half of the required hours of instruction. The plan is to meet this instructional need by adding eleven classrooms and eight toilets at a cost of $150,000.
Needham Rotary Club has committed $5000, and we would like to try to raise the incremental $7000 of funds together with like-minded clubs in our District sufficient to cover the cost of one classroom, about $12,000.
On Saturday, May 20, 2023, 12,000 Rotarians from 450 clubs across five states will be doing a wide variety of local service projects in their communities.
We would like to see all the clubs in District 7910 participate in this Rotary Day of Service - from Brookline to Sturbridge and from the Connecticut border to the New Hampshire border. There's a lot of information and action items, so please click through to read/learn more.
Clubs in the District are busy putting their plans together for the Rotary Day of Service May 20. The Fitchburg club met recently to discuss their plans to replace an aging sandbox in a public park in their town, and Fitchburg East has decided to join with them - planning, building, and planting. President Alexander Vera gathered an enthusiastic group, including Tracy Gagnon and Johnny Ahern (in the Day of Service tee shirts). Photo credit Danielle Ray/Sentinel & Enterprise.
Has your club registered its project? If not, please do so quickly so that we can include you on the regional Day of Service website, opening soon! Click here to submit your project.
This multi-state collaborative is planning some powerful publicity - television, radio, billboards, and social media - to advertise every local project and encourage members of the community to join in the fun and rewarding feelings of doing good together.
We are excited to participate in this regional event! We hope this additional publicity will help to raise the visibility of the good works that your Rotary club has been doing in your community - and will encourage other community members to join in the fun.
If you were unable to attend our March 23th conversation on "How to Talk About Climate Change", the recording and presenter slides are now available! Please click HERE to access them.
Our next Climate Cafe is Thursday, March 23rd at 6:30pm. Our topic is How to Talk About Climate Change. This can be challenging, including starting the conversation and responding to other people’s beliefs and feelings about the climate. In this session, we will explore ways to personally connect with others to create a safe space for climate conversations, including listening to people with doubtful or dismissive beliefs.
Our guest will be Dr. Matthew Ballew, Ph.D., Research Specialist at the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Click HERE to get more information or to register.
Climate Cafe March 23: How To Talk About Climate Change (and not alienate people)
Are you ready for an emergency where you need to leave your home in a hurry or shelter in place? For most of us the answer is no. Rotarians in Shrewsbury will be creating 100 emergency preparedness kits as part of a service project to benefit local veterans, senior citizens and families served by Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services and St. Anne's Human Services.
For the past two years, The Charles River Regional Chamber has received funds and distributed state funds to pay for meals made by local restaurants and coordinated for delivery to local food pantries by the Rotary Club of Newton. Alie Mahar, Director of Community Development, Scandinavian Living Center and Keilly Cutler, Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley, both members of the Newton Rotary Club, have spearheaded this initiative with the Chamber and the local restaurants.
The Westford Rotary Club in connection with author Shirley Holdman (member of the Billerica Rotary Club) and the Billerica Adventure Series has introduced the children’s book, “This is My Community,” which talks about Racial Diversity and Inclusion. It was first introduced at the Westford Remembers “International Block Party” in the Fall of 2022 and followed this Winter 2023 by donating the books for the 1st-2nd grades classrooms at Miller, Nabnasset, Abbot Elementary Schools and the Roudenbush Community Center Afterschool Program.
In Westford and Billerica public schools, they are using the book as a classroom reading activity and discussion book. The book is written for K-2 grades.
The Club has displayed and donated, “This is My Community” book to the Westford Community and students as part of the ongoing Westford Rotary Cultural/Diversity/Education Projects.
Over 47,000 people have died due to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Rescue missions continue. The Rotary Foundation Trustees decided that all donations marked Disaster Relief made from now until 31 March 2023, will go to the Turkey/Syria Disaster Response Fund and will be used to aid earthquake relief projects. In addition, the Trustees made available more than $125,000 to Rotary districts affected by the earthquake through Disaster Response Grants.
Calling all kid anglers (children who fish)! The Rotary Club of Weston & Wayland invites you to our annual Fishing Derby—a 40+ year tradition. Sunday, April 23 rd 9am-Noon at the Weston High School Pond. Bring your own gear, bait (no lures, please), and bucket. Fishing starts at 9 am sharp! Prizes are in four age categories up to age 14. FREE event, register online to attend. Rain or shine (the fish like to eat in all weather)!
Food and refreshments will be available for purchase. Volunteers are welcome to help measure fish. Fishing is great family fun!
The Rotary Club of Acton-Boxborough sponsored and served the monthly Boxborough Council on AgingSenior Luncheon on March 8. Club Sergeant-at-arms and COA Board member Maureen Masciola planned and coordinated the event, which was held at the Boxborough Community Center.
A couple of years ago when Shelby Marshall, member of the Westborough Rotary Club (WRC) and former President, was first approached about serving as the Club’s representative for the Boy Scouts she hesitated. In fact, she shook her head with a silent “no.” However, Dave Kaiser, then President of WRC, assured her that this role was a “light lift.”
So, what changed Marshall’s mind? Inspiration. Pure and simple.
Open Table is benefitting from two Rotary Clubs' grant funding and donation drive. The Maynard-based charity is dedicated to fighting hunger and building healthy communities in 21 local communities, including Acton, Boxborough, Concord, and Maynard.
Rotary District 7910's Rotary Youth Exchange Team, chaired by Milford Rotarian Jane Schroeder, has been busy letting Rotarian know that in-person exchanges are back after COVID temporarily halted them.
Caption: Jeanne Reimonn hosted a December Holiday Brunch for students and their parents interested in Rotary Youth Exchange programs. ESSEX Team members as well as several District and Club leaders joined in the festivities too. Owen and Felipe are in the center of the front row.
Spring is on it’s Way. Visit the JV Fletcher Library Seed Catalog and check out all the veggie and flower seeds donated by the Westford Rotary Club as part of their “Garden Planting and Grow Your Own Food” Project. All seeds are FREE. People can check often, seeds are replenished as needed at the Library. Start your seeds NOW... Grow your own food and flowers.
The Westford Rotary Club receives the seeds from the Walmart -Hudson NH Donation program. Rotary donates the seeds to youth groups, schools, Westford Cameron Senior Center, Girl and Boy Scouts, Westford Community Gardens, JV Fletcher Library Seed Program, tables at Town events, and more programs. Westford Rotary received over 1000+ packets in 2022 seeds and will receive 2023 seeds in May to distribute.
Watch for more stories on the Westford Rotary Club and Walmart donation Partnership program to get needed items to different non profit groups and others. "
Roy Balfour is a cheerful giver. He doesn’t say no. He gives time, money, support, encouragement, you name it, he says yes, and he learned the power of generosity and community –– are you ready? –– at Woodstock.
The three-day 1969 music festival in upstate N.Y., which was attended by 500,000 people, he says, “was a dramatic moment for me. Pivotal. It was the defining event of my life.
The Ukrainian family Joyce Graff has been hosting has found an apartment in Lexington and is in need of some furniture and house goods. Please feel free to share this list with family and friends. We are hoping we can set them up in style after all their difficult adventures.
After a three-year pause due to COVID, the Rotary Club of Wellesley is proud to bring back its ""Taste of Wellesley"" annual fundraiser to support our community.
The event will again feature a wide variety of signature dishes from Wellesley restaurants, cafes, caterers, local breweries and wineries, along with live music and auction items that are locally sourced. We will be hosting the event for 300 guests at The Gardens at Elm Bank on Thursday, May 4, 2023 from 6:30 until 9 pm.
The event will provide a wonderful evening of food, beverages, live entertainment and opportunities to gather in community.
"The Love Story," as told by Jessica Favreau: "Before COVID, we had a breakfast for the senior citizens in our community held at the Manor. We did this around Christmas time and had upwards to 500 seniors from our community.
"Due to Covid, we had to pivot because we didn’t want to put our most vulnerable population at risk. We decided to do like a meal on wheels type thing. We partner with the senior centers from Holden, Sterling and West Boylston. They compile a list of seniors who would like to receive a meal. "The manor prepares the lasagna, salad, rolls and butter. Our high school kids put together chocolate bags and elementary students make valentines. The seniors come to the respected senior center drive up and pick up their meals. Inclusive of warming instructions."
Top Left: Herman Eknanian and Wachusett Area Rotary President-Elect Jess Favreau organize grab-and-go bags. Photo by Marisol Dittami - Wachusett Area Rotary President
After a three-year pause due to COVID, the Rotary Club of Wellesley is proud to bring back its "Taste of Wellesley" annual fundraiser to support our community.
The event will again feature a wide variety of signature dishes from Wellesley restaurants, cafes, caterers, local breweries and wineries, along with live music and auction items that are locally sourced. We will be hosting the event for 300 guests at The Gardens at Elm Bank on Thursday, May 4, 2023 from 6:30 until 9 pm.
Lowell Rotary once again participated in the annual Lowell Winterfest. The Club operates a marshmallow toasting booth (with optional s'mores) to raise money for scholarships. This year the Winterfest was 17-18 February. The Winterfest is sponsored by the City of Lowell and includes music, food, a market and other activities. In addition to raising money, the Winterfest booth is an opportunity to raise Rotary's image in the community and to provide an opportunity for members to work together to benefit the community.
Right: Ryan Burke, the marshmallow man, and the Rotary crew.
Talking about climate change with others can be challenging, including starting the conversation and responding to other people’s beliefs and feelings about the climate. In this session, we will explore ways to personally connect with others to create a safe space for climate conversations, including ways to talk about our own feelings related to the climate (e.g., anxiety, grief) and listening to people with doubtful or dismissive beliefs.
Meet Rotary Change Maker Evan Burrell at our 3-District Conference April 1 Updated Conference Info:
On Saturday, April 22, 2023, Rotary Districts 7890, 7910, and 7930 will come together at the Burlington Marriott for a 3 District Conference. Join us and meet keynote speaker Evan Burrell who's come all the way from Australia to talk to us. An accomplished public speaker, trainer, digital content creator, graphic artist, social media advocate and community volunteer, Evan has become known as a service minded Rotary superhero. See a special message from Evan at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7f5DLf7SbY.
The conference begins at 9:00 AM with registration, coffee, and snacks, followed by the business meeting at 10:00 AM. Our Paul Harris Recognition & Awards Presentation Luncheon will be at noon. Twelve afternoon breakout sessions will be presented in four parallel tracks from 2:00 - 5:00 PM. Fellowship, cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be at 5:00 PM, followed by a festive dinner with our keynote speaker Evan Burrell. Registration is now open and we invite you to click here to sign up for the District Conference: Register today!
Memorials: At this year's District Conference, April 22, at Marriott Burlington, we will remember those of our members who passed away since last year's conference. Please submit by April 15 the name of any deceased member of your club we should include, along with their dates, a photo, and a brief memorial note by email to memorials@rotary7910.org.
Our in-person Northeast PETS is scheduled for March 10-11, 2023 at the Marriott Hotel in Newton, Massachusetts.
Attendees will hear exciting keynote speakers including incoming Rotary International President Gordon McInally, and to network with nearly 500 Presidents-elect from seven Rotary districts.
Even if you’ve served as President in the past, attendance at PETS will provide strategies to keep your Club and our organization relevant in today’s world. Register for NEPETS today.
Presidents-Elect & AGs: Register for Northeast PETS
Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Leominster and Fitchburg worked with city and school officials, and volunteers to host their annual Breakfast for the Bands (BFB) on November 20th, 2022 at Leominster High School. This event, hosted by both clubs, is in its 26th year of providing support to both band boosters and they have hit a record of $15,000 raised for 2022! Since its debut in 1995, these two clubs have raised and donated over $125,000 to both school music programs thanks to the generosity and support of local businesses and donors.
Ashley Garcia will run the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17th, representing the Newton Rotary Foundation. She aims to raise $7,500 to fund the academic, technical and RYLA scholarships awarded to Newton High School students each spring. Ashley spoke to the club on February 7th, receiving her race jersey from President Andy Willinger and President-Elect Liz Tavares.
Right: Ashley Garcia with Newton Rotary President Andy Willinger and President-Elect Liz Tavares
In Malawi, the blind students in the villages don’t have the opportunity to read books unless someone reads to them.
Because of that, The Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy, District 7910, has collaborated with the Perkins School for the Blind and The Carol Center for the Blind to send 70 blind books to Malawi.
Once the books make it to Malawi, the Rotary Club of Bwalla-Lilongue and the Parents of Disabled Children Association of Malawi will distribute the book. Distribution costs about $600 because of transportation and lodging needs.
We're calling onRotary Clubs of District 7910 to help raise funds to get the books into the hands of the children. Contact Club President Kenneth Masson, RC of World Disability Advocacy to get involved.
Katya Portnaya, president-elect of the Weston-Wayland Rotary Club, was born in St. Petersburg and emigrated to the U.S. at 11. Her husband is from Ukraine. Last February, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, the pair stared at the TV in dread. “I realized you can’t just sit around and cry. It’s always better to do something,” Portnaya says.
Soon she and Roy Balfour, Rotary Foundation Chair, got together to brainstorm with four other members of District 7910 leadership, including Past District Governor Diana Nestorova. Immediately, they reached out to Rotary International and applied for a $25,000 Disaster Response Grant.
It was a landmark action as the district became the first in the world to be allowed
On Saturday January 28th the Rotary Club of Concord joined with the Rotary Clubs of Bedford and Merrimack Valley to help the Sleep in Heavenly Peace non-profit organization build beds.
We had over 25 people helping in two shifts. 43 headboards for 23 ½ beds were built. These beds are built for children who would otherwise be sleeping on the floor.
Right: Chris Alphen teaching Concord Rotarians how to build the beds.
Jack Day, Director of Meals of Hope in MA (member of Chelmsford Rotary) was joined by members of Chelmsford and Worcester Rotary and WPI to pack over 10,000 meals at WPI last December before the holidays. Meals of Hope in MA seeks to combat hunger in our local communities, including Worcester and Lowell. The meals packaged are rice-based and fortified by dried vegetable, protein and vitamins. For more info, contact Jack Day (jack@mealsofhope.org)
When people are asked to describe what they picture when they hear homeless person, it’s not uncommon for responses to include descriptors such as male, dirty, disheveled, addict/drunk. But that is just one snapshot of many. There are also homeless women, children, teenagers, and families.
(Reina Rago (right), Vice President of the Westborough Rotary Club, presents Donna Maria Cameron of Abby's House, (left) fleece blankets for the residents at this women's and children's shelter.)
Over 100 fresh baked pies were distributed on Wednesday to make a happier Thanksgiving for many in Newton who are having a tough time this year, and to our first responders who are always on duty during the holidays.
Newton Police Headquarters, and every Newton fire station were recipients of a stack of pies in appreciation for the outstanding service they provide our community.
Caption: Newton Rotarians Paul Sullivan, Marie Presti, and Paul Loiselle
The Lowell Rotary helped to distribute food and toys at the Lowell Dwelling House of Hope before Christmas. Levenia Furusa-Mavingire, a member of the Club, is the director of the organization.
The House of Hope distributes food weekly to hundreds of needy residents of Lowell. Members of Lowell Rotary are often there to help doing everything from unloading and packaging food to directing traffic.
Caption: Rotarians John Finegan, Levenia Furusa-Mavingire and Patty Witts
The Rotary Club of Bedford’s 34th annual holiday breakfast fundraiser was a SUCCESS! Our Winter Community Breakfast brought together over 300 community members- families, students, volunteers, local business owners, and even Santa and Mrs. Claus! Here is our article page that has links to a full article in the Bedford Citizen. and YouTube video capturing event highlights.
Acton's third-grade students are learning the definitions of new words thanks to local Rotarians. The Rotary Club of Acton-Boxborough has donated a total of more than 370 personalized dictionaries to the town's six elementary schools.
Shown above, left to right, are Nancy Auger and Gina Lemieux, third-grade teachers at Luther Conant School, posing with two of the donated dictionaries.
Jake Rosen, a member of the Rotary Club of the Brookfields and a student of Tantasqua Regional High School played an important role in organizing and running a sneaker and shoe drive at the school. For this drive, New and used sneakers and shoes are collected to either be regifted or recycled for construction projects. To this end, the drive aims to mitigate environmental pollution by diverting shoes and sneakers from our waste stream. A pair of sneakers, if brought to a landfill, will take up to 43 years to decompose. This year, thanks to the wonderful donations brought in by all the students, teachers, and school office employees, two car trunks worth of sneakers and shoes totaling 72 pairs will go to people in need or into construction projects and not end up in a landfill or be discarded.
Join Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell as we build a new home in Concord Massachusetts at 365 Commonwealth Avenue. The groundbreaking will take place on November 30th at the site. Clubs are welcome to sign up as well as individual Rotarians. Any skill level is welcome! For more information contact Suzanne Frechette, President, MVR and Director of Development at Habitat. You can also sign up online at Habitat's website: www.lowellhabitat.org.
Over 100 Rotarians, guests, and DEI professionals gathered for our Virtual DEI Summit on October 22. Eight breakout sessions followed opening remarks by Dr. Todd "Bowtie" Jenkins. Watch our opening and closing sessions in the video posted here. All of the videos from the Summit have been posted, and are available at this YouTube link.
Save the Date: We're already planning our next Summit for Spring 2023. Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 25. More details will follow shortly.
Come celebrate the accomplishments of our District with The Rotary Foundation as we showcase our efforts for Ukraine Relief, Polio Plus, and a sampling of local and international humanitarian projects. In addition, we will honor clubs that have earned Foundation recognition for their donations in the 2021-2022 Rotary year. Our program features
Polio Plus Update • Dr. Carl Good Morley Scholar • Jared Perlow District & Global Grant Projects Club And Member Awards & Recognition Special Guest Appearance • Rotary General Secretary John Hewko
Ron Bott, of Concord, passed away on October 21, 2022. A Rotarian who truly exemplified our motto of Service Above Self, Ron first joined the Rotary Club of Concord in 1997 and eventually became its president. He later helped to charter the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley and became its first president. Ron went on to serve in a number of Club and District positions, including District Membership Chair. The work that Rotary did was important to Ron, but even more important to him were the bonds that he formed with his Rotary comrades—they were truly an extension of his family.
A celebration of Ron’s life was held on Sunday, November 20th at Concord's Colonial Inn. Donations in his honor can be made to the American Cancer Society.
In 2021, Brookline Rotary coordinated the first town-wide celebration of dogs. It was just at the time we were all craving community and fun after months of isolation and uncertainty. The day, despite being postponed a week due to weather, was nothing but laughs and smiles and a perfect antidote to some tough times. We are again reprising this event on Sunday, October 16, 2022, at Downes Field.
Learn best practices to create and submit your lifesaving disaster response grant at a workshop on Wednesday, September 14th at 10am EST. There will be presentations by RI Grant Managers, experienced grants writers nd it will include an expert panel of Rotarians. Register at https://bit.ly/DisasterResponseGrants
Maria Palacio has made great inroads in outreach and programs and services for new Americans and those without a traditional library background. Maria, who recently became the new director of Acton Memorial Library, was the inspirational keynote speaker during our Club Meeting on August 17.
I am honored to be your District Governor for 2022-23. It has always been a dream of mine to become a 3rd generation Rotarian. The District Installation event was a rousing success, with close to 100 Rotarians and family enjoying a wonderful evening of fellowship in The Barn at Gibbet Hill. The energy in the room was electric and was a fitting launch of our Rotary year.
Let me tell you about issues that we are addressing in our district. When I say we, we have a great DG chain, with DGE Elliott Wittenberg and DGN Joyce Graff following me. We’re in constant communication addressing district issues on a weekly basis. We’re putting together a 3-year strategic plan with the help of Joyce Fukami. But I also want to remind you that we are not dictating to the clubs what to do, but we view the District as providing help to the clubs, making available tools, templates, information, and opportunities that clubs can use to help them fulfill their goals. We are having monthly Zoom meetings on specific topics and I have open office hours (two Fridays a month) where you can just drop in and tell us your ideas, problems or whatever is on your mind. We are listening.
My objectives for my Rotary year follow Jennifer Jones’ theme Imagine and action plan. She would like us to imagine how to: 1) increase our impact through service projects and Rotary storytelling; 2) expand our reach by partnering up with organizations and other clubs; 3) enhance member engagement through better engagement of all of our members leaving no one behind; and 4) increase our ability to adapt to new opportunities and new member ideas. Over the course of the year, we’ll work with the clubs to find ways we can help our clubs make progress in one or more of these areas.
I know that the pandemic has curtailed many in-person events that we loved to attend in pre-pandemic times. We long for the fellowship and interactions that Zoom cannot fully replicate. So check our district calendar for these events, such as New Member social, Foundation dinner, Holiday Party, District Conference and Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. And speaking of the Foundation, I am laying down a challenge to District 7910 to raise $5,000 for Polio Plus, and if we meet that challenge I will do the Polar Plunge in the icy cold Atlantic Ocean.
Thus far, I have visited about 12 clubs. By the end of August, I will have visited half of the clubs (25) in our District. I’m pleased to report that our clubs have exhibited passion and have plans for an exciting year. In future newsletters, I will add additional detail and news from the District so that all Rotarians can see what our District is accomplishing.
District Governor Victor Tom is a past president and a member of the Rotary Club of Bedford. He joined the Bedford Club in 2006, becoming a third-generation Rotarian following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He served as his Club's president in 2009 and again in 2014 (for four months). He has served numerous roles in District 7910.
Victor also has a keen interest in mentoring our youth. He has been an instructor at our district's annual RYLA events, and has established and advises the Rotaract Club of MIT. For six years, he also served as chair of District 7910's Bandey-Hefler Fellowship for a Rotary exchange between our District and two Districts southwest of London.
Professionally, Victor received his BS, MS, and ScD from MIT in electrical engineering and computer science with a specialization in computer vision. Dr. Tom is currently a chief scientist at BAE Systems, FAST Labs in Burlington, MA. He is helping to solve critical defense problems.
In non-defense work, Victor helped win the America’s Cup in 1992 and developed the first practical pitch-tracking system for Major League Baseball. The system revolutionized the way umpires call balls and strikes.
Cooperative Elder Services takes a comprehensive approach to supporting the health of seniors and adults with medical and/or cognitive challenges. (CES is also one of the four beneficiaries of our Club's 2022 Bid for Brighter Futures fundraiser.)
The Rotary Club of Worcester has dedicated a Peace Pole, with the joyous event taking place on July 21 near the footbridge at Worcester's Elm Park. To watch the dedication ceremony, recorded by WCCA-TV, click here.
The Rotary Club of Worcester invites you to its Peace Pole Dedication Ceremony. The joyous event is set for July 21 at 5:00 p.m.(rain or shine) near the footbridge at Worcester's Elm Park (see photo below).
Bud Flannery, a founding member 60 years ago of the Rotary Club of Acton-Boxborough, passed away on Friday, May 20 at the age of 91. His wife of 65 years, Joan (Cooke) Flannery, passed away in 2018. We wish Bud's family condolences for their loss. To read his obituary, which includes details on visiting hours, funeral mass, and burial services, click here.(Bud and Joan are shown posing in 2015 outside their Acton home, in a photo by Molly Loughman of WickedLocal.com.)
Do you know of medical-device manufacturers based in the United States who may want to eitherdonate or sell at a deep discount at least $25,000 worth of battlefield-quality tourniquets for emergency-response efforts in war-tornUkraine? These devices are used for stopping the flow of blood through a vein or artery - typically by compressing a limb with a cord or tight bandage.
Join us on Monday, May 16 at 9 AM as our speaker, Rotarian & Past President Mark Gitelman from the Rotary Club of Kyiv updates our Club on the situation in Ukraine
Want to know more about fighting climate change? AskElliott Rittenberg, District 7910's governor nominee and a past president of the Westborough Club, who was the keynote speaker during Acton-Boxborough's Club Meeting on April 20. He co-chairs the District's Environmental Action Group along with Susan Peghiny of the Newton Club.
(Shown isthe logo of the "World Disability Matters" podcast, with the podcast's name in white against a blue, violet, and gold circle against a light blue background.)
What are the goals of advocacy by and for people with disabilities? What makes an effective advocate? Is change possible? Why be an advocate?
Julie Pierce Onos, the Town of Acton’s new Economic Development Director in the Town Manager’s Office, addressed our Club Meeting on April 6. Her task is to maintain Acton as business-friendly, with economic-development initiatives designed to create and stimulate an environment in which businesses succeed.
TheRotary Club of Framingham is sharing sad news about the passing of our longest-term member, Stuart Arvedon. He joined the club in 1964!
Our Club also lost Ted Welte on March 7. He was a devoted, long-term member since 1990 - or earlier - with perfect attendance until he went into a facility about three years ago.
Hunger doesn’t have to exist — let’s end it together.Rise Against Hunger is growing a worldwide movement to end hunger through community empowerment, life nourishment, and emergency response.
ROTARY CELEBRATES 90 YEARS WITH LIVE MUSIC AT SPRING POPS
Join the Rotary Club of Concord in celebration of its 90 years of service at Spring Pops with the Concord Band and jazz vocalist Cindy Scott on Friday, April 8 at 8 p.m. at 51 Walden in Concord. This fundraiser in support of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell’s newly renovated two-family house in Concord will help provide a home for deserving families. Doors open early, at 7 p.m., for guests to enjoy refreshments and bid on auction items. Due to Covid concerns, there will be auditorium style seating. Admission is $30 per person. Reservations may be made at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/crp/event/845387/www.rotaryclubofconcord.org, Hope to see you there.
As one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations, Rotary International has made peace the cornerstone of our global mission. We are deeply concerned about the Ukraine crisis and need your help.
Join us on March 26 at 9:00am for District 7910's first Diversity Equity & Inclusion Summit. Rotary International’s theme for this year is “Serve to Change Lives.” Network and share ideas with other DEI stakeholders. Learn about available resources, actions you can take, and programs you can plan to change lives in your community. Attendance is free, but space is limited. Register now to secure your seat at this important event.
Rotarian Mark Wafer, of Canada, a relentless disability advocate, was the keynote speaker during the February 7 monthly meeting of District 7910's Disabilities Advisory Group. (Shown at left is a photo of Mark Wafer.)
Robert “Bob” Johnson, a dedicated member of the Rotary Club of Worcester and a true Rotarian who devoted 46 years of his life to his club and the Worcester community, passed away on January 16, 2022. Bob's fellow Worcester Rotarians always appreciated his presence and wonderful outlook on life. He is someone our club misses terribly.
Ann Sorvari, our immediate past president, and Johan Sorvari, her husband and fellow club member, have delivered 237 pairs of crew socks to Operation American Soldier.
Diana Nestorova, immediate past district governor, met with her home club, Acton-Boxborough, on January 19. Fellow club members celebrated and conversed with her about the key issues she and her 2021-2022 team addressed during her term of office.
Cliff Rober, our 2021-2022 district governor, met with us on January 5, 2022. We had a wide-ranging, informative talk with him about various District and Club issues.
In December, just in time for the Holidays, Brookfields Rotary Co-President Lynn Duffy O’Shea presented holiday donation checks to the local Food Pantries in North Brookfield and Spencer. Here we see Kathy Sullivan accept a check for the Mary, Queen of the Rosary Pantry in Spencer, MA. Separately, Cecelia Daniels accepted a check on behalf of the North Brookfield First Congregational Church Pantry.
The Club also collected more than 125 coats and recycled footwear as part of its community service efforts this holiday season.
Several of our present and past Club members provided lots of comfort, joy, and gifts - plus more or less on-key carols - on December 15 to residents of the Life Care Center of Acton.
Commitment is an important in the world. It means many things to many people. Much of it depends on who you are and what you are.
To advocates, commitment means dedication to the cause. To Rotarians it is a dedication to the cause - but also to the principles of Rotary. For Rotary advocates, sometimes we must identify ourselves as one or the other.
(Shown is a photo of the hand of a volunteer holding the hand of a person in need of help.)
More than one billion people worldwide - around 15 percent of the world population - are living with a disability. As Rotarians, we continue to push for diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we do. But do your DEI efforts include people with disabilities? Do you understand their challenges? Are you part making the change that ensures there is DEI in our society?
Kindness is a part of the essence of The Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy as well as Rotary in general. The motto of Rotary is "service above self," and it is in that spirit that the seed of kindness is planted. For those associated with disability advocacy, kindness can be, for example, helping a person who is struggling with a wheelchair; and, visiting someone who maybe feel isolated because of a disability. Oftentimes for the advocates, though, it is speaking up for accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. Kindness can also be about bringing awareness to people about disabilities issues, including ableism.
Andrea Becerra, sustainability director for the Town of Acton, was the guest speaker during our bi-monthly Club Meeting on October 20, 2021 at the Boxboro Regency. To watch her 21-minute presentation, click here.
As we move forward with our Club, it is important to remember that when we were chartered last June by Rotary International, we said that our Club will be a coordinator of human-rights projects rather than a manager of those projects. Most Rotary clubs take on and manage projects that meet one or more of Rotary's Seven Areas of Focus. They are involved in managing the project by providing people with power and/or funding.
(Shown: Poster of raised hands of people of various skin colors, with this quote from Nelson Mandela: "To Deny People Their Human Rights Is To Challenge Their Very Humanity.")
Past Rotary Internation President Ian Riseley joined us from Australia via Zoom during the D7910 Environmental Action Group's Climate Cafe on September 29. Ian spoke of Rotary's long history of supporting environmentally-related projects, and how the adoption of our new Area of Focus will further enhance our efforts through the availability of grant funding and other resources. Click here to view the video of Environmental Action Group co-chair Sue Peghiny's captivating conversation with Past President Riseley.
A good time, stuffed-chicken meal, and chocolate-beyond-belief cake were had by all who attended Rotary Club of Acton-BoxboroughAnnual Senior Citizens Lunch on September 19, at the Boxboro Regency Hotel & Conference Center.
Many of our Club’s subcommittees, comprised of Rotarians worldwide, are closing inn ideas for possible projects. Here are the key elements of developing a great plan for a great project.
Rotary is a volunteer organization, which means that most of the people who work on projects are doing it for the cause, not monetary benefits. The Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy is no different.
Members of our district's Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy and Rotary Disabilities Advisory Group have helped to promote a Hearing Access to Healthcare Zoom session, to include people in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Zambia, and Nepal.
As our Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy has grown to more than 200 Rotarians and non-Rotarians, this past week has been yet another active one. Lots of really good things are happening worldwide.
The WorldDisability Advisers group of our World Disability Advocacy club is now up to 194 members of which there are 78 Rotarians and 116 non-Rotarians. We have 50 group members from the United States, including several in District 7910.
Welcome new members to the newly charteredRotary Club ofWorld Disability Advocacy. And thanks for your keen interest in serving the disability fraternity.
The Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy is the most diverseclub in District 7910 - and one of the most diverse in the world. The 20 charter members represent eight countries - and 18 of the members are new Rotarians. The e-club is comparably also young, with an average age around 32.
Posted by Susan Peghiny and Elliott Rittenberg on Jun 30, 2021
Our Environmental Action Group's next meeting was supposed to be on July 6. Because EAG is holding its first-ever Climate Cafe on July 22, the July 6 meeting will not be held.
Posted by Roy Balfour and John Marchiony on Jun 27, 2021
Got questions aboutour district's Rotary@Work Initiative? Ask them this Monday, June 28 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m, with socializing starting at 7:45 a.m. Toattend thisfree onlineevent, you will need toRSVP before 12:00 midnight on Sunday, June 27.
Posted by Cheryl A. Cuddahy, Sentinel & Enterprise on Jun 26, 2021
(This June 12 story in the Sentinel & Enterprise was written by Cherly A. Cuddahy, editor for community news, who also took the accompanying photos.)
The United Nations World Oceans Day, celebrated this [June 8], was set remind us of the major role the oceans have in our everyday life, with the purpose of the day to inform the community of the impact of human actions on the ocean and develop a worldwide movement to protect the environment. In observance of World Oceans Day, the [Rotary Club of Leominster], in partnership with the Leominster Department of Public Works, was busy stenciling storm drains in the city on [June 10] with “Don’t Dump, Drains to River,” to stress the importance of having only clean rainwater flowing into thestorm drain system. The group stenciled over 200 drains throughout the city.
I want to thank you for all the support and encouragement that you have given me this Rotary year. Being your district governor is an honor and a privilege that I will hold in my heart, forever!
The Rotary Club of Charles River held a flagpole-dedication ceremony on June 10 atJohn J. Lane Parkin Natick, at to honor the late Neill Osgood, who had been a club member and treasurer for 33 years, for his volunteer service as a Rotarian. He passed away in November 2019.
The newly chartered Rotary Club of World Disability Advocacy is the most diverse club in District 7910 - and maybe even the world. The 20 charter members represent eight countries - and 18 of the members are new Rotarians. It is also a comparably young club, with the average age being around 32.
Barbara Robichaud has been a member of the Rotary Club of Athol-Orange for more than 30 years. She is a past president, a past secretary, a past board member-at-large, and currently sergeant arms. She has always been the “go-to” Rotarian who volunteers for all fundraising and project committees.
Sylvia Kiggundu, of the Rotary Club of Needham was born in Uganda, northwest of the capital city of Kampala. She still has family there. Many people there are day workers, toiling during the daytime to buy food for that evening.
The cover story of June's District Newsletter is Celebrating Our Wild West DisCon '21, held online on Friday, May 21 and Saturday, May 22. Scores of Rotarians attended each of the daily sessions, moderated by District Governor Diana Nestorova.
1. Opening Ceremony: In this segment: “Opening Remarks,” by Emcee and District Governor District Diana Nestorova; “Words of Wisdom,” by President Lynn Duffy-O’Shea, of the Rotary Club of the Brookfields; and “Toast to World Peace and Understanding,” by President Rob Bussey, of the Rotary Club of Southborough.
2. Hat Contest: This segment is hosted by Steve Levitsky and Sharon Spaulding, of the Rotary Club of Concord.
3. Top Clubs with Net Membership Growth: This segment is hosted by Ron Bott, of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley, who chairs the district's Membership Committee.
4. RI ‘Service Above Self Award’ to Bud Flannery: This segment is hosted by District Governor District Diana Nestorova, who presents the award – Rotary International’s highest - to Bud Flannery, of the Rotary Club of Acton-Boxborough, who founded that club in 1962.
5. Assistant Governor Awards and Recognitions: In this segment, those AG awards and recognitions are presented by: District Governor District Diana Nestorova; Assistant Governor Sue Peghiny, of the Rotary Club of Newton; and the district's Public Image chair, Laura Spear, of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley.
6. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Citations: In this segment, the DEI citations are presented by Bill Paulson, of the Rotary Club of Needham, who chairs the district's Social Equity Task Force.
7. Closing Remarks: In this closing segment, District Governor Diana Nestorova previews the Saturday, May 22 session of DisCon ’21.
INDIVIDUAL SEGMENTS
1. Opening Ceremony: In this segment: “Opening Remarks,” by Emcee and District Governor District Diana Nestorova; “Words of Wisdom,” by President Lynn Duffy-O’Shea, of the Rotary Club of the Brookfields; and “Toast to World Peace and Understanding,” by President Rob Bussey, of the Rotary Club of Southborough. https://youtu.be/Fcc_xKCWiDI
2. Hat Contest: This segment is hosted by Steve Levitsky and Sharon Spaulding, of the Rotary Club of Concord. https://youtu.be/YlZ_vMauXVc
3. Top Clubs with Net Membership Growth: This segment is hosted by Ron Bott, of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley, who chairs the district's Membership Committee. https://youtu.be/YlZ_vMauXVc
4. RI ‘Service Above Self Award’ to Bud Flannery: This segment is hosted by District Governor District Diana Nestorova, who presents the award – Rotary International’s highest - to Bud Flannery, of the Rotary Club of Acton-Boxborough, who founded that club in 1962. https://youtu.be/gIdIW91Gk0A
5. Assistant Governor Awards and Recognitions: In this segment, those AG awards and recognitions are presented by: District Governor District Diana Nestorova; Assistant Governor Sue Peghiny, of the Rotary Club of Newton; and the district's Public Image chair, Laura Spear, of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley. https://youtu.be/wt_7DvqMUng
6. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Citations: In this segment, the DEI citations are presented by Bill Paulson, of the Rotary Club of Needham, who chairs the district's Social Equity Task Force. https://youtu.be/DYrcRO83qyk
7. Closing Remarks: In this closing segment, District Governor Diana Nestorova previews the Saturday, May 22 session of DisCon ’21. https://youtu.be/yPEJuEgjuQc
Four members of the Rotary Disabilities Advisers Group, one of District 7910's newest cause-related committees, are actively engaged in service of people with disabilities.
Sandra Joyce was the first woman honored to join the Rotary Club of Hudson, and served as president in 1987, for one term. Recently, she passed away peacefully.
As Rotarians, we are often invited to support projects that are taking place in areas far from our homes. Many times, we do not know the participants, but we are also drawn to their cause. One of our members, who has volunteered in Haiti, brought to the attention of the Rotary Club of Northborough the need for educational support materials for an ongoing project in Haiti.
In May, our district's Social Equity Task Force and the Rotary Club of Needham held an online Diversity Book Fair. This was a coordinated effort with seven elementary schoolsin Needham, to help ensure that local children could see themselves in a more diverse set books that they read in their classrooms at school.
Posted by Susan Peghiny and Elliott Rittenberg on Jun 10, 2021
Here’s your guide to the Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group's 2021 Rotary Pre-Convention webinar, tobe broadcast this Friday, June 11 at 8:30 a.m. (ET). Relish afeast of 30-minute talks throughout the day by leading experts on environmental challenges and solutions.
Robert Mosher never seeks the spotlight and always delivers quality results collaboratively.
This year, he has:
chaired our Bristol Lodge Service Team as he has since his father, the founder, stepped down;
WW Rotary has prepared and served dinner at Bristol Lodge once a month every year for more than 30 years. Rob manages all our volunteers and interacts with the MHSA leadership team.
chaired our first-ever Christmas Tree and Wreath Sale;
Rob created the partnership with the Weston Baptist Church to take over their long-standing Christmas Tree Sale and then directed and managed all of the success of the incredible experience that delivered volunteer and fellowship opportunities despite COVID restrictions.
chaired our scholarship selection team for 10+ years;
Rob engages experienced and new members each year to evaluate and select scholarship applications.
advised our Interact Club at Weston High School;
Despite the pandemic, the Interact Club has been successful this year and its members have joined our volunteer efforts, notably with the Christmas Tree Sale and, now, our spring conservation team efforts.
participated on our RYLA selection team;
Rob was a part of the team that succeeded in selecting and recognizing 18 students with our local RYLA award and sending 10 (perhaps 12) students to the RYLA OLA.
been an invaluable member of our Board and advisor to me throughout my year as president.
Past President Mark Messina offered this additional, personal perspective:
“Rob does soldier along quietly. Nothing flashy, just persistent and thorough thoughtfulness that helps keep the project moving forward while including and making available opportunities to anyone who may be interested in joining. I think it is special that he keeps the Bristol Lodge project his dad started with the club alive, and thriving. We haven’t missed a month ever, I think. It is always good to remind new members that his dad and mom were very active with our Rotary Club, and Rob honors their memory through this service.”
Barbara has been a member of the Athol-Orange Rotary Club for over 30 years. She is a Past-President, Past Secretary, Board Member-At-Large and currently Sergeant-At-Arms. She has always been the “go-to” Rotarian that volunteers for all fundraising and project committees.
This year, she has been the “rock” behind the very stressed President during the unprecedented conditions created by Covid-19. While, many Rotarians have work and home commitments or health issues that precluded them from volunteering this year, Barbara stepped up for our grant project and our online fundraiser.
Our grant was for a Habitat for Humanity home build in Athol. We donated the windows and made a commitment to help. Barbara not only came to two build days; she was the liaison to coordinate the work dates. She loved the project so much, that she joined the Local Project Committee, which helped coordinate other aspects of the project including choosing the family.
One of our fundraisers was on online auction. She called every Rotarian reminding them to donate. She picked up items when needed. She spent days organizing and writing the scripts for all the items. The auction was a combined event with the local YMCA. That should net $3,000.
Barbara joined most weekly meeting via Zoom and reminded in words and deeds the meaning of Rotary.
John has been a faithful member of this club since 1988. Throughout that time, he has been a model Rotarian behind the scenes – a Silent Supporter, always ready to help when the Club needed him.
As a young man, he learned several languages and had the opportunity to travel and live abroad. He is always ready to share his broad knowledge and experience, and is devoted to the idea of cross-cultural understanding through student exchange. He has been an enthusiastic supporter of educational efforts, especially in Latin America, and a strong supporter of cultural exchange programs. His love of languages and learning is always evident.
He quietly stands behind the programs he loves, such as the Clean Water project in Nicaragua, and has made considerable contributions to strengthening the club even when the group may not yet have identified a weakness. This year he was particularly helpful to us in moving our fundraising efforts to the internet.
We are grateful for his friendship and his steadfast support, and are happy to nominate John Grew Jr. as our club’s Unsung Hero.
Here is the last Rotary Public Image Update for this Rotary year. Congratulations to all of you all for your leadership and perseverance during a challenging year. You did it!
Posted by Susan Peghiny and Elliott Rittenberg on Jun 08, 2021
Sustainabilityexpert Nils Tore Skogland will present during the Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group's Biodiversity Meetingthis Wednesday, June 9 at 9:00 a.m. (ET) via Zoom. Skogland will focus on Carbon Markets and Sequestration: True Strategic Sustainable Development.
Karen Fusco, of the Rotary Club of Fitchburg, has performed all the duties of being secretary of her club - and so much more. Since March 2020, she has set up and hosted all of the Zoom sessions used for the club's regular weekly meetings. When the club's bulletin editor took a leave of absence to care for a family member, Karen took over those responsibilities, too.
Ken Masson, of the Rotary Club of Merrimack Valley, has embraced the call for diversity, equity and inclusion in multiple ways this Rotary year. He personally has sponsored two new members to his club, broadening its demographic mix and improving its female representation while lowering club members' median age.
Did you know that, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, only 8.7 percent of all plastic produced was recycled in 2018? Did you know that, as the EPA reports, the amount of plastic producedannually has gone up more than 500 percent since 1980 - and in excess of 1,200 percent since 1970?
Are you interested in learning more on how plastic contributes to the climate crisis and the solid-waste crisis? Join the Rotary Club of Brookline and Brookline Mothers Out Front for a live, informative presentation, Moving Beyond Plastics, by Judith Enck, founder of Beyond Plastics and a former EPA regional administrator for the Obama administration. This free, online event is tonight from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom.
The first session of the Coaching and Advising Track of our district's Rotary@Work Initiative is set for this Tuesday, June 8 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Please joinfellow Rotarians and business coachesThomas Bruckbauer and Ken Erdelt along with fellow Rotarians Roy Balfour and John Marchiony. Toattend this free online event, you'll need toRSVP before 12:00 midnight on Sunday, June 6.
Anne Hentz, of the Rotary Club of Acton Boxborough, is a person who does far more than might be expected. She doesn’t care who gets the credit - and finds a way to get the job done.
Ray Pfau,of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley, has participated in numerous local community-service projects during the past year, including writing weekly letters to the senior residents in Bolton, making face shields, delivering masks, and stuffing a town police cruiser with donated food. He also helped to start up and promote an aging-in-place program for the Town of Bolton as well as bring his club into the program for support.
Posted by Lee Ann Searight, Rotary International on May 30, 2021
Thanks to those of you who attended Rotary International'sMay 27 webinar, Building a Welcoming Community for People with Disabilities. We hope you enjoyed our event. The webinar video is available in English, with closed captions.
The annual Business Meeting of the Rotary clubs of District 7910 will take place this Wednesday, June 2 at starting at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. We expect that this important annual meeting will run between 60 and 90 minutes.
Prior to the meeting, your club needed to have enrolled the requisite delegates. Immediately following the meeting, the annual Memorial Service will be held.
A multi-Rotary-club food-packaging event, to benefitRise Against Hunger, exceeded its goal to packageat least 20,000meals in two hours. The group actually packaged 23,500 meals over several hours due to generous fundraising andlots of overtime work from volunteers.
Multi-Club Food Packaging Exceeds Goal to Benefit Rise Against Hunger
Chris Spear
2021-05-27 04:00:00Z
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Acton-Boxborough,Hudson,Littleton,Littleton High Humanitarian Club,Nashoba High Interact,Nashoba High Interact Club,Nashoba Valley,Rise Against Hunger,Workers Credit Union
Posted by Susan Peghiny and Elliott Rittenberg on May 25, 2021
Rotary environmental happenings are occurring around the world. During the May 1 meeting of our district's Environmental Action Group, Co-chair Elliot Rittenberg talked about several of them in Rotary, and outside District 7910. They include the following:
Join Rotary International this Thursday, May 27 at 12:00 noon (ET) for the fifth webinar in RI's Accountability and Inclusion series, Building a Welcoming Community for People with Disabilities. In conversation with disability-rights advocates, we will learn to challenge assumptions we may have about people with disabilities, adopt practical solutions for making experiences more accessible for everyone, and recognize that exclusion happens when we solve problems using our own biases.
Interpretation will be available in French, Mandarin, Portuguese and Spanish. Everyone who registers will receive access to the webinar's video. If you can't attend this webinar, you could still register for it, which would give you access to the recording.
Register now - and submit your questions to RI's experts - by clicking here.
On happy tails, District 7910’s cowgirls and cowboys have giddy-upped into the sunset following our 2021 Virtual District Conference! On May 21 and 22, we celebrated our hootin’ and hollerin' Wild Westhoedown! Hugecongratulations to all Rotary clubs and members that received awards and recognitions.
We had lots of fun with interactive games and contests, and rewardingsilent and live auctions. Hearty congrats to all of our Rotary clubs and members for a darn tootin’ successful Rotary 2020-2021 year.
Posted by Roy Balfour and John Marchiony on May 22, 2021
Rotary@Work's next Business Networking Series is set for this Monday, May 24 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. via Zoom. This is a Questions sessionfocused on marketing: What's Working Now?
The Rotary Club of Needham is nearing the end of its two-week Diversity Book Fair. All the teachers in the town’s elementary schools have created book gift registries, with books that will help to diversify the set of books they have in their classrooms. Our goal is that every child should be able to see themselves in the books they read at school.
The Rotary Club of Westborough will collect recyclable plastics during its 11th Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge. The volunteer event takes placethis Saturday, May 22 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. at the rear of Kohl's retail store in Northborough.
As the COVID-19 virus surgesweeps India, Rotary Zone 28 & 32 is reaching out to all of you for support and to change lives. After consultation with the chair of the Rotary India's COVID Task Force, Zone 28 & 32 has learned that the most urgent need is for portable oxygen concentrators. Because these units are portable, they will serve many people in the coming weeks and months.
Due to the urgency of the situation in India, this project will be open until this May 24.
Anyone with a link to District 7910’sWild West Virtual Silent Auction site - on 32Auctions - can view it without having a 32Auctions account. This is a great way to increase interest in our 2021 District Conferenceonline auction, which beginstoday, May 14, and goes through Saturday, May 22.
Nashoba Valley Leads Food Packaging Event to Benefit Rise Against Hunger, on May 15
Chris Spear
2021-05-11 04:00:00Z
0
Acton-Boxborough,Hudson,Littleton,Littleton High Humanitarian Club,Nashoba High Interact,Nashoba High Interact Club,Nashoba Valley,Rise Against Hunger,Workers Credit Union
A showing of Public Image - The Musical, which premieredon April 28, is the focus of May's Rotary Public Image Update.Plus: New items in Rotary International's Brand Center and Learning Center.
Here are five reasons to join us again this month:
Meet or reconnect with business people with impeccable business values and ethics.
Find new clients, partners, and vendors.
Learn something new about your business, how you present your business, or someone else’s.
Meet prospective Rotary members. Wait, what? Yes, this “business” initiative has been the source of six new members this year for the Rotary Club of Weston and Wayland.
Get results: Here’s a success story: "I had a call today with an international company. At the end of the call, in setting the expectations to the salesperson, I mentioned that I am involved with various projects for the Rotary. It turned out that his father (in Ukraine) has been a Rotarian for years and he's been thinking of joining. The conversation instantly turned more welcoming and warmer. I invited him to one of our Rotary @ Work events and any other meetings we might have. Simply using the word 'Rotary' shifted his perspective and the conversation right away. I thought it was absolutely wonderful and so refreshing – at 7 a.m. for a conference call.”
Rotary Disabilities Advisers meets every Monday at 9:00 a.m. (ET) via Zoom, to encourage Rotary districts, clubs and members to welcome more people with disabilities into the Rotary organization.
The RDA group consists of Rotarians and non-Rotarians globally, and focuses on areas of accessibility, awareness, inclusion, and support.
Those who have an interest in disability rights are encouraged to attend the next RDA meeting by contacting Ken Masson at daurotary@gmail.com.
The Rotary Club of Lowell aims to make this Tuesdsay night's Virtual Music Trivia a real area event, to say officially goodbye to winter, Rotary-style. Event organizers invite current and former club members along with community members and District 7910 friends to join them from 6:30 to 7:45, to benefit the club's scholarship fund as well as local non-profits.
The Rotary Club of Southborough joined recently the local community in the fight against COVID-19. The club did so through Southborough Rises Above COVID-19, a project facilitated by a generous District Membership Award grant of $1,000.
The cover story of theMay's District Newsletter is "Go West Rotarians to DisCon," the round-up call to register for this year's virtual District Conference on May 21 and 22 via Zoom.
The Rotary Club of Charles River celebrated Earth Week by holding a successful Shredding fundraiseron April 24 at Fisk Church inNatick.The funds raised - $2,760 - will go to the Keefe Tech Scholarship Fund, which is sponsored by the club.
Posted by Elliott Rittenberg Sue Peghiny on Apr 29, 2021
Our district's Environmental Committee has rebranded and repurposed itself. During this week's meeting, we decidedwe're done talking. So, our group chose a new name to better reflect our intent: Environmental Action Group.
Need to know how to run a V/IP meeting - virtual/in-person, that is? Watch these two videos, produced by The Global Impact Group, a pending 501(c)3 charitable non-profit that develops technology literacy and technology solutions, to solve problems for positive social and humanitarian impact
The Rotary Club of Westborough will collect recyclable plastics during its 10th Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge. The volunteer event takes placethis Saturday, April 24 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. at the rear of Kohl's retail store in Northborough.
The spotlight shown on Worcester's historic Stearns Tavern and that city's non-profitSeven Hills Foundation on April 8, during aRotary Club of Worcestermeeting.Tim Johnson, the Foundation's associate vice president, gave anexcellent presentation on how his charitable organization provideslearning opportunities for developmentally different individuals -with many of those opportunitiesavailable at the Tavern.
Quezalguaque is a small rural community of 12,000 in northeast Nicaragua. Concern about water quality and access to clean water has been a long-standing issue. It became a heightened concern more than 10 years ago with the onset of an epidemic of chronic kidneydisease.
As Rotarians, do weconsider accessibility as much as we should? Out of the mouths of babes: As a brand-new Rotarian,inducted only a few months ago, I am aware that I am pushing my luck, and cannot possibly know the answer to this question. However, as an experienced, blind disability-inclusion consultant, I feel more comfortable in asking the question, and inspired to know the answer - and to raise the flag for this cause.
2021 Ducky Wucky River Race, hosted by the Rotary Club of Ayer, Harvard, Shirley and Devens, will be held on Saturday, May 15. The first lucky duck to cross the finish line will win its sponsor two hotel nights and dinnerfortwo- anywhere in the world!
April's "Open Doors with DG Diana" focused on growing Rotary membership. During the session, hosted by District Governor Diana Nestorova, the discussion featured a panel, including representatives from our clubs, Rotary International, and special guest moderator, Dr. Bill Wittich, PhD, (shown, right).
The next monthly Open Doors With DG Diana is set for Wednesday, April 21 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. The focus is on Membership - Emerging from the Pandemic.
Join with Rotary to promote the power of vaccines. During World Immunization Week,set for April 24 through 30, join with Rotary to combat vaccine hesitancy and misinformation by spreading the facts about why vaccines work.
Did you know ShelterBox responds often in countries that have few, if any, Rotarians, or clubs? Sudan, for example, is a country of 41 million people. However, there's only one Rotary club - with less than two dozen Rotarians.
While anti-Asian racism has surged since COVID-19, racism and violence against Asian Americans have existed long before this pandemic. On Thursday, April 22 at 6:00 p.m. viaZoom,Chris Chanyasulkit,PhD, MPH,will provide the Rotary Club of Brookline a brief overview of the anti-Asianracism and xenophobia faced by Asian communities, and share ways to be an ally and support the Asian community.
The Rotary Club of Charles River is celebrating Earth Week by holding a Shredding Event fundraiseronSaturday, April 24. The event will run - rain or shine - from from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at Fisk Church, located at 106 Walnut St. in Natick.
The Rotary Club of Weston-Wayland is pleased to announce that our Adopt-a-Field project has received conditional approval by the Weston Conservation Commission.
The Rotary Club of Westborough's Committee on the Environment will collect recyclable plastics during its ninth Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge,this Saturday, April 10 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. at the rear of Kohls retail store in Northborough. We are also having our Earth Day event later in that same day.
The Rotary Club of Bedford suffered aterrible loss this week. Bob Mead, the last of our founding members, has slipped away from us. He was there in the beginning, and all the way through our 65 yearsof working around Bedford and the world.
The cover story of theApril's District Newsletter is on Open Doors with DG Diana: Growth, to be held on Wednesday, April 21 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Posted by Leone Johnson, Community Investors on Apr 02, 2021
To all Rotarians in District 7910, thank you for invitingCommunity Investors to your MarchZoom meeting, to share our mission of supporting physical, social and emotional wellness.You provided us an opportunity to show the recent Channel 5 News feature on our designation as a National Youth Sports Strategy Champion by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services.
Posted by Holger Knaack and K.R. Ravindran on Apr 01, 2021
In these difficult days, we are so heartened to receive such uplifting reports on the unrelenting efforts of our Rotary members who have responded in their communities against the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the single question we hear time and again is, “Are we getting involved with COVID vaccination?” The answer is, "Yes."
The Rotary Club of Westborough has landed two stories in a local weekly newspaper. One, is on a 2019 service trip to Guatemala. The other, is on bringing back an annual holiday event to Westborough.
Posted by Ryan Hyland, Rotary International on Mar 27, 2021
Rotary clubs around the world are mobilizing in their communities to support the introduction and delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations. Rotary leaders are urging members to connect with their social-health agencies, to determine how Rotary can support COVID-19 vaccine efforts.
The Rotary Club of Newton's efforts to feed needy families, which help to keep restaurant workers employed, have attracted lots of local media coverage.
You are invited on April 10 at 10:00 a.m. to celebrate Rotary International's 75-year history of international service with the United Nations. These four Rotary districts - Geneva, Nairobi-Addis Ababa,New York City, and Rome - are hosting the UN.
The Rotary Club of Westborough's Committee on the Environment will collect recyclable plastics during its eighth Trex Plastic Film Recycling Challenge,this Saturday, March 27 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. at Kohls retail store in Northborough. We encourage everyone to bring their plastics collection directly to Kohls at the scheduled timeon Saturday.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rotary International has been unable to offer in-person tours of our World Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois. Now, there's an online way to tour RI's HQs - then and now.
Check out ways, through the Rotary Club of Westford, to get rid of all the collected papers and files that you have been going through the last few months, and to recycle your Trex plastics into a park bench.
So much in our lives depends on access to clean water. We wash our hands with it to keep ourselves and our communities healthy, cook meals with it to nourish our bodies, and rely on it for proper sanitation. Yet there arestill communities around the world that don’t have reliable sources of clean water. And, youcan help throughThe Rotary Foundation.
In honor of World Water Day, the Rotary Club of Brookline has joined with the Brookline Quezalguaque Sister City Project in organizing a special program on March 25, to discuss the ongoing clean-water project in Quezalguaque, Nicaragua.
Posted by Roy Balfour and John Marchiony on Mar 21, 2021
Our district's Rotary@Work's Business Networking Series continues this Monday, March 22 at 7:45 a.m. with a Questions session (rather than a Sales and Marketing Pitch session). This Monday, we'll dig into our biggest business challenges and the solutions to them, which we’ll explore together as a large group and in breakout rooms.
During the last week of February and the first week of March, members of the Rotary Club of the Brookfields travelled to seven communities in our area, delivering COVID-19-related personal protective equipment and touchless thermometers.
Have you noticed Rotary International's new Learning Center home page? We’ve redesigned it to make it easier to find the courses you’re looking for. We’ve tailored one version of the page for Rotarians, Rotaractors, and club and districtexecutive secretaries, and another version for non-members, including scholars, Interactors, and alumni.
Members of all Rotary clubs inDistrict 7910are invited to theRotary Club of Westford's St. Patrick's Day Virtual Celebration, thisThursday, March 18, from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Posted by Elliott Rittenberg Sue Peghiny on Mar 15, 2021
District 7910'sEnvironmental Committee is considering water, education and recycling as a guide to its activities. That, along with several other issues, were discussed during the committee's March 9 meeting via Zoom.
Students from seven schools across the Framingham region are being invited to apply for the 2021 Rotary Club of Framinghamscholarship round. Applications for the 2021 round are due by April 1.
Most people join Rotary for fellowship, networking (personal/business), and to have an impact on both our communities and the world through service. District 7910’s new Rotary@Work initiative brings Rotarians together to support both each other and their communities by expanding business and professional development in three areas, to increase the value of Rotary membership: growth; careers and jobs; and mentoring/advice.
The Eastern States Student Exchange (ESSEX) has reached the difficult decision to cancel all short- and long-term Rotary Youth Exchanges for the 2021-2022 school year.
The Rotary@work group has created this page for Rotarians to connect with one another about job opportunities full time, part time, contract or seasonal.
Please send job postings information to: xyz@gmail.com
Make sure to include dates, job title, job description and contact.
On March 3, the monthly Open Doors with DG Diana explored the great opportunities open forRotarians who work with and mentor our youth leaders. During the session, hosted by District Governor Diana Nestorova, the attendees also listened to some of the current participants inour district's youth-related opportunities.
On March 5, a joyous Zoom crowd witnessed District Governor Diana Nestorova conduct a Charter Ceremony for our district's third Rotaract club, the Rotaract Club of MassBay Community College.
We are excited to have Rotary International's President-Elect Shekhar Mehta as the opening speaker for the 2021 Northeast Presidents-Elect Training Seminar, set for Thursday, March 11 from 6:45 to 8:00 p.m. via Zoom.
Posted by Valarie Wafer, Rotary Zones 28 & 32 on Mar 06, 2021
Join us as Shekhar Mehta (shown first on right), president-elect of Rotary International, shares his vision of peace during the next free Director Dialogue with RI Director Valarie Wafer, set for Wednesday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom.
Posted by Susan Peghiny and Elliott Rittenberg on Mar 05, 2021
Our secondEnvironmental Committee meeting is set forTuesday, March 9 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. Please join us as we continue to build the foundation of what promises to be a very active and engaged team of Rotarians who are committed to Rotary's new - and seventh - Area of Focus: Supporting the Environment.
I was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia when I was seven years old. My mom noticed strange bruising on my legs, one day after summer camp in 2011. She had mother’s intuition that something was wrong and did some research. What she read pointed to leukemia. After a quick blood draw from me, my doctor pulled her aside and said, “You’re right, I’m so sorry.” I had to be immediately hospitalized.
Posted by Laura Spear and Peggy Sheldon on Mar 01, 2021
All applications for District 7910's Recognition Awards and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Citations are due by May 8. Both the Recognition Awards and the DEI Citations will be presented at this year’s virtual District Conference.
The cover story of theMarch's District Newsletter is on 'Open Doors with DG Diana: "Youth and Rotary," to be held on March 3 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Find Out About Our Youth Programs:
Hear from Interactors, Rotaractors, and RYLA alumni.
Meet our exchange students from prior years.
Learn about special programs created especially for youth in our communities.
Find Out About Our Amazing Scholarships:
David & Eleanor Morley Endowed Global Grant Scholarship
Posted by Susan Peghiny and Elliott Rittenberg on Mar 01, 2021
Thank you to everyone who attended our first District Environmental Committee meeting on February 23, and to those who couldn't attend but have expressed interest in working to make a difference in Rotary's newest - and seventh - Area of Focus: Supporting the Environment.
The Rotary Club of Puné University is looking for an international partner for a Rotary Global Grant project to improve water infrastructure in the village of Vinzar, India, as well as to upgrade school furniture, equipment, and facilities.
The Rotary Club of Westborough's Committee on the Environment will collect recyclable plastics during its seventh Trex Plastics Challenge,this Saturday, February 27 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. at Kohls retail store in Northborough.
TheRotary Club of Weston-Wayland'sconservation plan has been narrowed to the Adopt-a-Field Conservation Project in an effort to help the Weston Conservation Committee by adopting one of the 25 fields in need of care located in Weston. We envision a budget that will encompass tools, transportation, plantings, andeducational resources.
Posted by Rotary Club of Watertown on Feb 20, 2021
Dr. Kuhn Hong Lee, PhD, passed away peacefully in his sleep on January 21 at his Cambridge home, at age 83. He was a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Watertown and promoter of peace and justice.
John Wackman, a real force in the Repair Cafemovement, passed away recently from a heart attack. He started a Repair Cafe in 2013 in the New York's Hudson Valley and helped to get Repair Cafes started in more than 30 towns in that local area.
Posted by Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group on Feb 16, 2021
You're invited to attend Ian Riseley, Rotary and Protecting the Environment, to hear about Rotary's new Area of Focus, on Tuesday, March 2 at 2:15 p.m. (ET). Please note: Materials for this Zoom event give the start time as 12:15 p.m. - but that's Mountain Time.
Rotary Club of Westborough's Committee on the Environment will collect recyclable plastics during its seventh Trex Plastics Challenge,this Saturday, February 13 from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. at Kohls retail store in Northborough.
Dr. Laura N. Vandenberg has agreed to give a talk on April 19, 7:00 pm at the Southborough Library, 25 Main St, Southborough, MA 01772. The title of her talk is: 
Something new at the Westford Kiwanis Apple Blossom Festival this year. On Sunday, May 14, 2023 at 2:00 pm will be the 2nd Annual Westford Rotary Club Golf Ball Drop by Helicopter. Get your Golf Balls now….. see details on 
Rotary Club of Southborough's Lina Zolock spearheaded an effort to collect diapers sizes 4-6 as diapers are expensive. The club and clients from her business (Expressions Hair Studio in Reading, MA) collected 15 diaper boxes. That's over 1,000 diapers!
For Sandy Burgers, “the ability to connect” is one of the things she appreciates most about Rotary. And it shows.
The RYLA student registration deadline is in 3 weeks.
The Westford Rotary Club partnered with FIRST Robotics Team 4905 (Ayer Shirley Regional School District) to raise funds supplying emergency assistance to citizens of Ukraine in need of clean water. Photo: one of the Aquaboxes with Potsdam German Rotary member
Please join Charles River Rotary Club as we celebrate our 10th Scoopapalooza year and the start of Summer with an all you can eat ice cream festival on Natick Common Saturday June 24th from 11:30 AM to 3PM. Rain Date is June 25th. We expect to draw over 2,000 people to the event for frozen treats, community connecting, music and activities for the whole family. The event will raise significant funds for Charles River Rotary’s local philanthropic efforts, including a St.Patrick’s Day Dance for teens and young adults with special needs, literacy programs, scholarships for seniors at Keefe Regional Technical School, RYLA, Natick Food Pantry, local veterans and many local nonprofits. Tickets are $7.
Let’s join together for peace and make an impact! Volunteers are needed to plan an exciting event that will celebrate Rotary’s new Peace Center, scheduled to open in 2024 in Istanbul. Peace Centers are located at universities across the world – there are seven now and Istanbul will be the eighth. Rotary Peace Centers offer specially deigned curricula to train individuals devoted to peacebuilding and conflict resolution. To date, more than 1,500 people have been trained and serve in governments and NGO’s throughout the world.
The Rotary Clubs of Fitchburg & Montachusett Area present: Left-Right-Center Tournament 
In 2018, Needham Rotary Club partnered with Raghav Rao of Hyderabad, India and his Rotary Club (RC Jubilee Hills) to add solar panels to schools there to help provide power and light. Sadly, he recently passed away. One of his daughters lives in Needham, and the family reached out to us to propose a classroom expansion project in his honor. Currently, the elementary and high schools in Film Nagar (suburban Hyderabad) are serving a population well in excess of capacity such that students are taught for only about half of the required hours of instruction. The plan is to meet this instructional need by adding eleven classrooms and eight toilets at a cost of $150,000. 
On Saturday, May 20, 2023, 12,000 Rotarians from 450 clubs across five states will be doing a wide variety of local service projects in their communities. 
Clubs in the District are busy putting their plans together for the Rotary Day of Service May 20. The Fitchburg club met recently to discuss their plans to replace an aging sandbox in a public park in their town, and Fitchburg East has decided to join with them - planning, building, and planting. President Alexander Vera gathered an enthusiastic group, including Tracy Gagnon and Johnny Ahern (in the Day of Service tee shirts). Photo credit Danielle Ray/Sentinel & Enterprise. 
Please join us on Saturday, April 1 as 
Are you ready for an emergency where you need to leave your home in a hurry or shelter in place? For most of us the answer is no. Rotarians in Shrewsbury will be creating 100 emergency preparedness kits as part of a service project to benefit local veterans, senior citizens and families served by Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services and St. Anne's Human Services. 
The Westford Rotary Club in connection with author Shirley Holdman (member of the Billerica Rotary Club) and the Billerica Adventure Series has introduced the children’s book, “This is My Community,” which talks about Racial Diversity and Inclusion. It was first introduced at the Westford Remembers “International Block Party” in the Fall of 2022 and followed this Winter 2023 by donating the books for the 1st-2nd grades classrooms at Miller, Nabnasset, Abbot Elementary Schools and the Roudenbush Community Center Afterschool Program. 
Over 47,000 people have died due to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Rescue missions continue. The Rotary Foundation Trustees decided that all donations marked Disaster Relief made from now until 31 March 2023, will go to the 
Calling all kid anglers (children who fish)! The Rotary Club of Weston & Wayland invites you to our annual Fishing Derby—a 40+ year tradition. Sunday, April 23 rd 9am-Noon at the Weston High School Pond. Bring your own gear, bait (no lures, please), and bucket. Fishing starts at 9 am sharp! Prizes are in four age categories up to age 14. FREE event, register online to attend. Rain or shine (the fish like to eat in all weather)! 
A couple of years ago when Shelby Marshall, member of the Westborough Rotary Club (WRC) and former President, was first approached about serving as the Club’s representative for the Boy Scouts she hesitated. In fact, she shook her head with a silent “no.” However, Dave Kaiser, then President of WRC, assured her that this role was a “light lift.”
Rotary District 7910's Rotary Youth Exchange Team, chaired by Milford Rotarian Jane Schroeder, has been busy letting Rotarian know that in-person exchanges are back after COVID temporarily halted them. 
Spring is on it’s Way. Visit the JV Fletcher Library Seed Catalog and check out all the veggie and flower seeds donated by the Westford Rotary Club as part of their “Garden Planting and Grow Your Own Food” Project. All seeds are FREE. People can check often, seeds are replenished as needed at the Library. Start your seeds NOW... Grow your own food and flowers. 
Roy Balfour is a cheerful giver. He doesn’t say no. He gives time, money, support, encouragement, you name it, he says yes, and he learned the power of generosity and community –– are you ready? –– at Woodstock.
The Ukrainian family Joyce Graff has been hosting has found an apartment in Lexington and is in need of some furniture and house goods. Please feel free to share this list with family and friends. We are hoping we can set them up in style after all their difficult adventures.
After a three-year pause due to COVID, the Rotary Club of Wellesley is proud to bring back its ""
"The Love Story," as told by Jessica Favreau: "Before COVID, we had a breakfast for the senior citizens in our community held at the Manor. We did this around Christmas time and had upwards to 500 seniors from our community.
After a three-year pause due to COVID, the Rotary Club of Wellesley is proud to bring back its "Taste of Wellesley" annual fundraiser to support our community.
Lowell Rotary once again participated in the annual Lowell Winterfest. The Club operates a marshmallow toasting booth (with optional s'mores) to raise money for scholarships. This year the Winterfest was 17-18 February. The Winterfest is sponsored by the City of Lowell and includes music, food, a market and other activities. In addition to raising money, the Winterfest booth is an opportunity to raise Rotary's image in the community and to provide an opportunity for members to work together to benefit the community.
Talking about climate change with others can be challenging, including starting the conversation and responding to other people’s beliefs and feelings about the climate. In this session, we will explore ways to personally connect with others to create a safe space for climate conversations, including ways to talk about our own feelings related to the climate (e.g., anxiety, grief) and listening to people with doubtful or dismissive beliefs.
Our in-person Northeast PETS is scheduled for March 10-11, 2023 at the Marriott Hotel in Newton, Massachusetts. 
Rotarians from the Rotary Clubs of Leominster and Fitchburg worked with city and school officials, and volunteers to host their annual Breakfast for the Bands (BFB) on November 20th, 2022 at Leominster High School. This event, hosted by both clubs, is in its 26th year of providing support to both band boosters and they have hit a record of $15,000 raised for 2022! Since its debut in 1995, these two clubs have raised and donated over $125,000 to both school music programs thanks to the generosity and support of local businesses and donors. 
Ashley Garcia will run the 127th Boston Marathon on April 17th, representing the Newton Rotary Foundation. She aims to raise $7,500 to fund the academic, technical and RYLA scholarships awarded to Newton High School students each spring. Ashley spoke to the club on February 7th, receiving her race jersey from President Andy Willinger and President-Elect Liz Tavares.
Katya Portnaya, president-elect of the Weston-Wayland Rotary Club, was born in St. Petersburg and emigrated to the U.S. at 11. Her husband is from Ukraine. Last February, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion into Ukraine, the pair stared at the TV in dread. “I realized you can’t just sit around and cry. It’s always better to do something,” Portnaya says.
On Saturday January 28th the Rotary Club of Concord joined with the Rotary Clubs of Bedford and Merrimack Valley to help the 
Jack Day, Director of Meals of Hope in MA (member of Chelmsford Rotary) was joined by members of 
When people are asked to describe what they picture when they hear homeless person, it’s not uncommon for responses to include descriptors such as male, dirty, disheveled, addict/drunk. But that is just one snapshot of many. There are also homeless women, children, teenagers, and families.
Over 100 fresh baked pies were distributed on Wednesday to make a happier Thanksgiving for many in Newton who are having a tough time this year, and to our first responders who are always on duty during the holidays.
The 
The Rotary Club of Bedford’s 34th annual holiday breakfast fundraiser was a SUCCESS! Our Winter Community Breakfast brought together over 300 community members- families, students, volunteers, local business owners, and even Santa and Mrs. Claus! 
Jake Rosen, a member of the Rotary Club of the Brookfields and a student of Tantasqua Regional High School played an important role in organizing and running a sneaker and shoe drive at the school. For this drive, New and used sneakers and shoes are collected to either be regifted or recycled for construction projects. To this end, the drive aims to mitigate environmental pollution by diverting shoes and sneakers from our waste stream. A pair of sneakers, if brought to a landfill, will take up to 43 years to decompose. This year, thanks to the wonderful donations brought in by all the students, teachers, and school office employees, two car trunks worth of sneakers and shoes totaling 72 pairs will go to people in need or into construction projects and not end up in a landfill or be discarded.
Join Habitat for Humanity of Greater Lowell as we build a new home in Concord Massachusetts at 365 Commonwealth Avenue. The groundbreaking will take place on November 30th at the site. Clubs are welcome to sign up as well as individual Rotarians. Any skill level is welcome! For more information contact 
Come celebrate the accomplishments of our District with The Rotary Foundation as we showcase our efforts for Ukraine Relief, Polio Plus, and a sampling of local and international humanitarian projects. In addition, we will honor clubs that have earned Foundation recognition for their donations in the 2021-2022 Rotary year. Our program features
Ron Bott, of Concord, passed away on October 21, 2022. A Rotarian who truly exemplified our motto of Service Above Self, Ron first joined the Rotary Club of Concord in 1997 and eventually became its president. He later helped to charter the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley and became its first president. Ron went on to serve in a number of Club and District positions, including District Membership Chair. The work that Rotary did was important to Ron, but even more important to him were the bonds that he formed with his Rotary comrades—they were truly an extension of his family. 
Learn best practices to create and submit your lifesaving disaster response grant at a workshop on Wednesday, September 14th at 10am EST. There will be presentations by RI Grant Managers, experienced grants writers nd it will include an expert panel of Rotarians. Register at 
I am honored to be your District Governor for 2022-23. It has always been a dream of mine to become a 3rd generation Rotarian. The District Installation event was a rousing success, with close to 100 Rotarians and family enjoying a wonderful evening of fellowship in The Barn at Gibbet Hill. The energy in the room was electric and was a fitting launch of our Rotary year. 
Join us on March 26 at 9:00am for District 7910's first Diversity Equity & Inclusion Summit. Rotary International’s theme for this year is “Serve to Change Lives.” Network and share ideas with other DEI stakeholders. Learn about available resources, actions you can take, and programs you can plan to change lives in your community. Attendance is free, but space is limited. Register now to secure your seat at this important event.
In December, just in time for the Holidays, Brookfields Rotary Co-President Lynn Duffy O’Shea presented holiday donation checks to the local Food Pantries in North Brookfield and Spencer. Here we see Kathy Sullivan accept a check for the Mary, Queen of the Rosary Pantry in Spencer, MA. Separately, Cecelia Daniels accepted a check on behalf of the North Brookfield First Congregational Church Pantry.
The Rotary Club of Sturbridge is delighted to bring to our community this inaugural combination of timed races and other activities:
April's "Open Doors with DG Diana" focused on growing Rotary membership. During the session, hosted by District Governor Diana Nestorova, the discussion featured a panel, including representatives from our clubs, Rotary International, and special guest moderator, Dr. Bill Wittich, PhD, (shown, right).
Bid early - and often - to benefit two worthy local causes: the 
