Governor's Message - November 23, 2015
Kept Busy Last Week
By Jim Fusco
I want to wish you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving. Many of you will be traveling so please have a safe trip. This will be a slow week for Rotary activities and all of you deserve the break! I had another great week and am looking forward to Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season. Last week, I was kept busy.
Interact Advisor Training Seminar: As I said during my club visits, I am placing emphasis on Interact. On November 16, we 
held our first annual Interact Advisory Training Seminar (see photo, right). It was a great event and I want to thank District Interact Chair Ron Bott for putting on this great training event. Thirty-five Rotarians from 21 different Rotary clubs attended this event. See the committee report by Ron in this newsletter. Shown, left to right are: Westborough club President Jim O'Connor; Fitchburg East club President Peter Perry; Bob Anthony, chair of the Wellesley club's Interact Committee; and District Interact chair Ron Bott of the Nashoba Valley club.
held our first annual Interact Advisory Training Seminar (see photo, right). It was a great event and I want to thank District Interact Chair Ron Bott for putting on this great training event. Thirty-five Rotarians from 21 different Rotary clubs attended this event. See the committee report by Ron in this newsletter. Shown, left to right are: Westborough club President Jim O'Connor; Fitchburg East club President Peter Perry; Bob Anthony, chair of the Wellesley club's Interact Committee; and District Interact chair Ron Bott of the Nashoba Valley club. Milford Foundation Luncheon: Last Tuesday, I attended the Foundation Luncheon at the Rotary Club of Milford. More than 30 attendees were present and Paul Harris Fellows were presented to 10 Rotarians, spouses and community leaders. Foundation Chair Tom Sawyer did an excellent job coordinating this event and explaining the history and significance of a Paul Harris award.
Nominating Committee: The District Nominating Committee met last Tuesday to select future District 7910 leaders: Steve Sager, of the Rotary Club of Westborough, was nominated as the district governor for 2018-2019; Paul Gauvin, of RC Fitchburg and David Fazier of RC Worcester were selected as District Funds trustees for '16-'19; and Cheryl Rosen, of RC Hudson, was elected as district archivist for '16-'19. Congratulations to our future district leaders!
Project Apples: My home club is Montachusett Area and last Wednesday we participated in the seventh annual Project Apples Literacy Fair at the Leominster Public Library (see photo, right). What a thrill it was to present reading books and dictionaries to the children who attended! Shown, left to right are: club President Leslie Storrs; club members Nancy Graves and Maila Berry; club Literacy Chair Joan Ficarra; club member Michelle Gasbarro; me; and club member Allison Giangrande.Team Meetings: Our district is divided into seven geographical areas with seven or eight clubs assigned to each area. Four times per year, the club leaders along with their assigned assistant governors get together to share ideas. Last week, areas 3, 6 and 7 had their meetings and the theme was membership. Thank you to all who attended.
Breakfast for Bands: This past Sunday, I attended the Breakfast for The Bands fundraiser at Leominster High 
School, sponsored by the Rotary clubs of Fitchburg and Leominster (see photo, left). This was the 23rd annual breakfast, which raises money for the band programs of the two high schools. More than 1,000 meals were served by more than 60 volunteer as entertainment was provided by the marching bands and the jazz bands of the two schools. WBZ-AM celebrity Ben Parker, a Leominster alumni, emceed the program. I was joined on the serving line by the Leominster and Fitchburg school superintendents and the Leominster High principal. Shown, left to right, are: Wayne Carney, president of the Fitchburg club; Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella; Claire Freda, president of the Leominster club; and Steve DiNatale, outgoing Fitchburg state representative and incoming Fitchburg mayor.
School, sponsored by the Rotary clubs of Fitchburg and Leominster (see photo, left). This was the 23rd annual breakfast, which raises money for the band programs of the two high schools. More than 1,000 meals were served by more than 60 volunteer as entertainment was provided by the marching bands and the jazz bands of the two schools. WBZ-AM celebrity Ben Parker, a Leominster alumni, emceed the program. I was joined on the serving line by the Leominster and Fitchburg school superintendents and the Leominster High principal. Shown, left to right, are: Wayne Carney, president of the Fitchburg club; Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella; Claire Freda, president of the Leominster club; and Steve DiNatale, outgoing Fitchburg state representative and incoming Fitchburg mayor.Slate of Officers: Just another reminder that every club should be thinking about who will lead your club for 2016-2017. Each club should now be creating its Slate of Officers for that Rotary year. Your slate should be approved by your Board of Directors and presented to your club membership for a vote prior to this December 31, so please assure that your selection process is underway.
Club Planning Worksheet: During my club visits, I presented the Club Planning Worksheet and requested every president to use this worksheet as a tool to guide them to a successful year. One of the important ways to make this tool work is to appoint a "champion" to monitor progress and to report progress to the Board of Directors and the membership on a monthly basis. If you have not yet put this into place, then please do so.
District Banners: All of you have seen our district PR banners being displayed at club and district events. Last week, they were used by Fitchburg and Leominster clubs at their Breakfast for the Bands. To reserve one of those banners, contact Laura Spear, who chairs our district's Public Image Committee, at laura@spear.net.
District Holiday Party: This celebration will be held on Sunday, December 6 from 12 noon to 3 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel in Leominster, so mark
your calendars. Invitations were sent out last Monday by E-Vite, so please respond. This is a great event that should not be missed, so please plan to be there. Remember that white sneakers are optional! To view the E-Vite, click here.
your calendars. Invitations were sent out last Monday by E-Vite, so please respond. This is a great event that should not be missed, so please plan to be there. Remember that white sneakers are optional! To view the E-Vite, click here.District Conference 2016 in Plymouth: It is hard to imagine, but your annual District Conference to celebrate your Rotary year is only 178 days 
away and registration opens in just eight days. Please check out the fun, informative "Plymouth Rocks" video that Assistant Governor Richard Simon has produced to promote our 2016 District Conference. To view it, click here or on image at left.
away and registration opens in just eight days. Please check out the fun, informative "Plymouth Rocks" video that Assistant Governor Richard Simon has produced to promote our 2016 District Conference. To view it, click here or on image at left.Rotaract Training: Last week, as I noted above, we held an Interact Advisor Training Seminar because we feel that youth training is important. We also feel the same way about the Rotaract program. With this in mind, we will be holding a Rotaract Advisor Training Seminar in January at Framingham State University. Details of this event are now being arranged by Carl Gomes, who chairs the district's Rotaract Committee and is a member of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley. Details will be finalized shortly.
Thank you for being part of a great organization and for being a Gift to the World.
We will have a great year!
.jpg){kind=logo}