Upcoming Events
 
You may submit event information per the District 7910 Promotional Guidelines. If your club does not use ClubRunner, please send your event information to Rotary District 7910 Newsletter. And make sure to add  jim.fusco2@gmail.com to you club's distribution list.
2016 District Conference
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Clichere now, to watch the three-minute promotional video
Produced by Assistant Governor Richard Simon
 
Save The Dates!
 
May 20, 21 and 22, 2016
 
Hotel 1620 At Plymouth Harbor, Plymouth
Rotaract Advisor Training Seminar
 
by District 7910 Rotaract Committee
 
Monday, February 8, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Framingham State University
 
Click here to register for this free event, which is open to all Rotarians and Rotaractors
Fellowship Wine-Dinner
 
by Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship
 
Tuesday, January 19, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
 
Heritage of Sherborn
$70 per person
 
Click here to register for this event (open to Fellowship members and non-members)
 
Click here to pay online for this event (only online payments accepted)
 

Click here to watch a video of the inaugural Wine-Dinner on October 21, 2015 at Tomasso Trattoria in Southborough

 

Click here to view photos of the inaugural Wine-Dinner


Club Visits
 
 District Governor 

Jim Fusco

JUST ASK!

If you have any special events you would like me to attend or any inductions or presentations you would like me to make, just let me know.

For complete list of District/Club Events, click here

If your event does not show on that list, let me know.

DG Jim

jim.fusco2@gmail.com


District Events

 

Monday, January 18-Monday, February 22

 

 
Tuesday, January 19
 
6:00–8:00 p.m.
 
Heritage of Sherborn
 
Wednesday, January 20
 
6:30-9:00 p.m.
 
Holiday Inn, Boxborough​
 
Monday, January 25
 
6:30-9:00 p.m.
 
Holiday Inn, Boxborough

 
Tuesday, January 26
 
6:30-8:30 p.m.
 
Lowell Community Health Center

 
Wednesday, January 27
 
6:30-9:00 p.m.
 
Holiday Inn, Boxborough

 
Monday, February 1
 
6:30-9:00 p.m.
 
DoubleTree Hotel, Leominster
Tuesday, February 2
 
6:30-9:00 p.m.
 
Location to be determined
Thursday, February 4
 
6:30-9:00 p.m.
 
DoubleTree Hotel, Leominster
 
5:30-8:30 p.m.
 
Framingham State University
 
Thursday, February 11
 
6:00-8:00 p.m.
 
DoubleTree Hotel, Leominster

RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) Chairs Prep
 
Thursday, February 11
 
7:00-8:00 p.m.
 
DoubleTree Hotel, Leominster

PETS Prep
 
Tuesday, February 16
 
6:00-8:00 p.m.
 
Holiday Inn, Boxborough
 
Tuesday, February 16
 
6:00-8:00 p.m.
 
Holiday Inn, Boxborough
View these plus more upcoming District Events

RI Spotlight
 
Zone 32 Rotary Foundation Webinar
 
By Ron Smith
 
I want to offer my thanks to all of you who completed the Zone 32 Rotary Foundation webinar topic survey. As a result of your input, we have scheduled the first Zone 32 Rotary Foundation webinar for Tuesday, February 2 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. on “Best Practices to Improve Foundation Giving.”
 
Specifically, we will spend 90 minutes learning about how to:
  • Encourage giving to Annual Fund, PolioPlus, and the Endowment Fund
  • Set goals for giving on Rotary Club Central
  • Access and understand information from key Foundation reports in MyRotary
Our Zone 32 Foundation Team will help prepare and lead this webinar, including Sue Klock, Knut Johnsen, Colin Gershon, Mike McCarthy, Rupi Rupwani, Kathy Hiltner, Mac Leask and Carol Toomey. Together, we will speak from our combined 200-plus years of Rotary experience, inviting your suggestions and questions into the presentation. We will also call on Rotary staff members to help explain the resources and support they can provide for both district and club leaders. Please mark your calendars and feel free to contact me if you have any further input or questions.
 
A detailed Webinar Agenda and a registration notice will be e-mailed to you after January 4, so please stay tuned. And again, thank you very much for your survey responses. Nearly 40 surveys were received and many topics were ranked.  We are also planning three to four more webinars based on your responses in the areas of building strong Rotary Foundation committees and training club chairs, grant management, and Global Grant development and implementation. Please look out for these future offerings.
 
Ron Smith, regional Rotary Foundation coordinator for Zone 32, may be reached at rsmith.rotary@gmail.com.

Attend a Presidential Conference 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Find innovative ways to improve your community by attending one of five presidential conferences in 2016, hosted by Rotary International President K.R. "Ravi" Ravindran (shown) and The Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Ray Klinginsmith. Each will highlight one or more of Rotary’s areas of focus:
Conferences will be led by local Rotary districts and are open to both members and non-members. They will feature engaging speakers, informative general sessions, and hands-on workshops. Attendees will have the opportunity to network with fellow leaders and take away new ideas and strategies to put into action.

Check Out Rotary Voices Blog
 
Check out Rotary Voices, the official blog of Rotary International. This blog features stories by and about Rotary members, Rotary program alumni, and the people we partner and work with.
 
 
Governor's Message
 
 
A Great Welcome in Plymouth!
 
By Jim Fusco
Last week was a great one, starting with six members of the District Conference Committee traveling to Plymouth to attend the noon meeting of the Rotary Club of Plymouth. What a great welcome we had! After the meeting, we met with their Board of Directors to let them know that District 7910 will be holding our District Conference in their town. The trip ended with the Patriots defeating the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday in an NFL divisional playoff game. Read more
 
Click here to view, download and/or print this newsletter, in PDF format.
 
 
Click here for past issues
 
 
Click here to download and/or print the minutes of the District Conference Committee meeting in October. 
(Rotary member login is required.)
 

Welcome, New Rotarians
 
Please welcome the newest Rotarian in our district:

District & Club Rounds
 
Register Now! Rotaract Advisor Training Seminar Set For February 8 In Framingham
 
By Carl Gomes and Steve Jones-D'Agostino
 
On Monday, February 8 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., the District Rotaract Committee will hold a Rotaract​ Advisor Training Seminar at Framingham State University, in the Commons Room of North Hall, which is located at 16 State St. in Framingham. This event is free and open to all Rotarians and RotaractorsFree parking is available in all campus lots. To reach campus police for parking and event locations, call 508-626-4911.
 
To view the Agenda, Panelists and Issues, click here
 
To register for this free event, click here.
 
To download the free-parking passclick here
 
To download the two-page flyer, in PDF format, which contains directions to and a map of the Framingham State campus, click here.
 
For more information, contact Contact Rotaract Committee Chair Carl Gomes at carlcgomes56@icloud.com or 508-450-3374, or Vice Chair Steve Jones-D’Agostino at srdagostino@icloud.com or 508-930-8675.

Save The Dates! May 20, 21 and 22
 
In just 130 days - our 2016 District Conference will take place at the Hotel 1620 at Plymouth Harbor in Plymouth.
 
Registration is now open. To register, click here.
 
To view the promo video, which was produced by Assistant Governor Richard Simonclick here.
 
To view and download the event flyer in PDF format, click here.
 

Nashoba Valley To Hold Bolton Repair Café On January 23
 
The Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley, with help from Bolton Local, will hold the next Bolton Repair Café on Saturday, January 23 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event will take place at a new location, the cafeteria at the Florence Sawyer School, which is at 100 Mechanic St. in Bolton. The school is located behind the Emerson School, which is on the same driveway/street.
 
Bring your items that need repair, and knowledgeable volunteers will try to fix them for free. The volunteers can work on items such as mendable clothing, lamps, small appliances, computers and other electronics, bikes, toys, and jewelry. They can also sharpen knives, scissors, and garden tools. You only pay for needed parts. If you know what parts are needed, please get them ahead of time and bring them to the Repair Café to save time. 
 
For more information, contact Ray Pfau, a member of both the Nashoba Valley club and Bolton Local, at 978-779-5545 or ray.pfau@oracle.comor visit www.boltonlocal.org/initiatives/repair-cafe.

Nashoba Valley’s Annual ‘Power Of Change’ To Honor Lowell’s Acre Family Child Care On January 26
 
By Karin Gaffney
 
On Tuesday, January 26, the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley will host its second annual Power of Change event and will honor Acre Family Childcare in Lowell. The presentation will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Lowell Community Health Center, which is located at 161 Jackson St. (6th floor) in Lowell. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, although contributions to Acre Family Child Care will be welcome. The snow date is January 28.
 
The Nashoba Valley club is honoring Acre Family Childcare for its impact in the Lowell community and for its commitment to empowering women. The presentation will include remarks from the founder, Anita Moeller, who is now director of Preschool Expansion Grant at for the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.
 
Acre Family Childcare’s mission is to help women build licensed, home-based family child-care businesses while providing community-based child care to the families of Lowell. Since 1988, the organization has provided childcare to more than 1,800 children and trained more than 200 providers.
 
 We want to honor their selfless efforts to develop solutions to the challenges facing women and are hopeful that attendees will leave inspired and motivated to support and build on the success of our honorees’ efforts
 
A coffee and dessert reception will follow the program.
 
To register, either click here or call 978-627-4135.
 
For more information, visit Nashoba Valley’s website or Facebook page.
 
Karin Gaffney, a past president of the Rotary Club of Nashoba Valley, may be reached at karin.gaffney@rocklandtrust.com.

Brookfields Club Presents ‘A Murder Mystery’ Dinner On February 6
 
The Rotary Club of the Brookfields will present “A Murder Mystery” Dinner on Saturday, February 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Spencer Country Inn in Spencer. The “Murder Mystery” will be performed by the Barre Theatre Group. The cost of $35 per person and includes a buffet dinner. Proceeds will benefit the club’s Scholarship and Literacy Fund.
 
To make reservations, contact club member Chet Lubelczyk at 508-867-3203 or csl208@yahoo.com, or club member Luanne McLeod at 413-436-8394 or luluz0124@aol.com.

Ayer: Jason Kauppi Highlights Vocational Service with Professional Example 

Why do Rotary name tags include a member's occupation? Why does it matter what your occupation is? What does that have to do with Rotary? Jason Kauppi (shown, left) a member of the Rotary Club of Ayer, answered these questions and more as the keynote speaker at the club’s first meeting of 2016.

As Rotary's handbook,
Introduction to Vocational Service, explains, "Each Rotary Club's membership represents a cross-section of its community's business and professional population, which ensures diversity in experiences and perspectives. Classification and vocational service go hand in hand. Just as Rotarians represent their vocations in Rotary, so do they represent Rotary in their vocations."

One of the objects of Rotary is to use professional skills to serve a community. Jason pointed to one Ayer Rotarian’s skills as a builder on the wheelchair-ramp projects as an example.

Another example Jason used was his own vocation, broadly defined as public relations. In order to explain what he does, and how it benefits a community, he shared a personal example of vocational service.

When Jason first joined Rotary, in 2007, he got a phone call from an acquaintance, who was on the board of an adoption agency. The agency had been the victim of embezzlement of $750,000 by its bookkeeper. She had stolen the money over a 10-year period. The acquaintance asked Jason if he could help handle the crisis communications - for free.  Although he is not in the habit of working for free, Jason knew this was an opportunity to help.

The theft threatened the very existence of the agency. Would adoptive parents trust the agency? Would the state yank its license?

Jason gathered the facts and sat down with the agency's leadership to lay out a strategy to protect the agency's reputation and manage the potential damage in the news media. He developed key messages around a central themethe agency had been more concerned with families than finances, which created an opportunity for a criminal to steal. As part of the strategy and key messages, it was pointed out that no adoption was impacted by the crime and that the agency aggressively sought an investigation by the federal authorities.

Talking points were prepared, interviews were practiced, statements prepared and press releases were written for the media, the adoptive families and regulators. In addition, social media was used to help the agency take control of the story. The story that emerged was that the agency had been the victim of a crime and was fighting for justice.

The bookkeeper went to prison for a year. While the agency recovered little of its money, it remained open and still had families using it for adoptions. Jason's firm was so successful in helping the agency maintain its reputation that families who had adopted through the agency sent in donations to help restore some of what had been stolen!

Jason was able to use his skills as a public-relations professional to help, at no charge, a non-profit agency. As he does for all clients, he developed a message, decided on the audience, figured out the right ways to deliver the message and then assessed the aftermath.

"So that's my vocation and how I've used it in service," Jason concluded. "I hope someday to hear about yours."

Several Ayer Rotarians mentioned that they enjoyed hearing about a member's vocation. It was suggested that when members do not have a speaker for their scheduled date, perhaps they could use the time to share information and stories about their profession - and how they've used their skills in service.

Concord: Bob McWalter Honored for 50 Years As Club Member
 
Bob McWalter joined the Rotary Club of Concord on January 13, 1966 at the age of 29, He and two of his brothers, Dave and Dick McWalter, have been members of the Concord club for a total of nearly 100 years between them. Bob is still is an active member and had 40 years of perfect attendance. Last week, District Governor Jim Fusco presented Bob with a Certificate of Appreciation for his 50 years of service.
 
Shown, left to right, are: Concord club member Dick Hale; Jack McWalter, another of Bob’s brothers; Jim Fusco; Bob McWalter; Concord club President Sharon Spaulding; and Concord club member Steve Levitsky.
Littleton: Longtime Rotarian and Town Official Joins Club
 
Last week, the Rotary Club of Littleton inducted Gino Frattalone (shown, center), a longtime Littleton Housing Authority and Board of Health official, into the club. Gino had been a member of the Rotary Club of Acton-Boxborough for more than 25 years while living in Littleton and serving that town officially, so he decided to finally join his friends and neighbors in the Littleton club. District Governor Jim Fusco (shown, left) was on hand to conduct the induction ceremony.The 30-plus club members then welcomed this outstanding Italian-American into the club by singing a rousing round of “That’s Amore."
 
The Littleton club meets every Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. in the dining room at 1 Monarch Dr., off Taylor Street, in Littleton.  If you would like to be a guest and learn more about Rotary, please contact club President Lehel Reeves (shown, right) at lreeves@wheelstv.net.
District 7910 Seeks Funds For Guyana Playground Project
 
Does your club have an international project? Would you like one?
 
Each year, a group of Rotarians on behalf of District 7910 travels to a third-world country to do a hands-on project wth local Rotarians there. This February, the group will travel to Guyana to help construct a playground at a school for special-needs students.
 
Your club can either make a contribution toward the project or sponsor (first come, first served) a particular playground item. If your requested item has already been sponsored, your contribution would be applied to another item.
 
Club checks, payable to "District 7910 - Guayana Project," should be sent to: Past District Governor Dick Manelis, 929 Worcester Rd., Framingham, MA 01701. Contributions are still being accepted.
 
For any contribution of $500 or more, Dick will visit your club and do a presentation about the project. For more information, contact Dick at manelis711@yahoo.com.

Major District & Club Happenings: January & February
 
Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship: Wine-Dinner- January 19, Heritage of Sherborn
Click here for event flyer
Click here for video of inaugural Wine-Dinner
Click here for photos of inaugural Wine-Dinner
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Nashoba Valley: Power of Change - January 26, Lowell Community Health Center
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Needham: Rotary Music Awards - January 30, Needham Town Hall
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Waltham: Football Frenzy - January 31, Westin Waltham Boston Hotel
 
 
 
 

District 7910: Rotaract Advisor Training Seminar - February 8, Framingham State University
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Concord: Trek-On For Rotary - February 11, Carlisle
Click here for promo flyer
Click here for registration form & information sheet
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Submit Major Club Happenings
 
Send flyers of your club's major events and activities, in either JPEG or PDF format, to Jim Fusco at jim.fusco2@gmail.com.
 
 
 
Committee Spotlight
 
 
District Positions: Grants Subcommittee
 
By Jim Fusco
The Rotary Foundation is the vehicle that allows us to do good in the world through district and global grants. Operating policies and guidance for the Grant Program are defined in the Rotary Foundation Code of Policies, dated January 2016. Specific operating policies and policies for the Grants Subcommittee are delineated in Section 7.020.2 of the COP. Read more

ESSEX Alert: Seeking Sponsor For Holy Name Student
 
By Marcia Davis

 

District 7910’s ESSEX (Eastern States Student Exchange) Committee is seeking a Rotary club to be an outbound sponsor for Julia Cashman, who will be a senior this fall at Holy Name Junior Senior High School in Worcester. She wants to spend the 2016-2017 school year studying in a Spanish-speaking country. Based on our preliminary interviews with Julie, we believe she will be an excellent ambassador. The deadline to respond is January 31. Read more


Membership Corner: Attracting and Vetting New Members to Rotary
 
By Tom Sturiale
It can be argued that attracting new members to Rotary is the most important task of Rotary clubs. It is through new members that we are able to grow and continue good works. It is through new members that we are able to replace attrition for many reasons. It is through new members that we are able to introduce new technology and new ideas. Read more

PR Tips: No One Solution To Creating A Positive Public Image
 
By Laura Spear
 
Sending out a press release won’t do it. Neither will posting on Facebook. Think about the activities your club does, and build a marketing plan around each one. For each activity, execute, and then move on to the next one. Proactive outreach with consistent messaging, done over time, builds a positive public image.
 
Laura Spear, chair of District 7910's Public Image Committee, may be reached at laura@spear.net.

RYLA Alert: Change of Venue
 
By Pat and Skip Doyle
 
For those of you who have not heard, we will not be able to have Rotary Youth Leadership Awards this year at Worcester State University. The university is renovating its Student Center and there is not enough other space available to us. After a very exhaustive search, we are able to report that RYLA has found a new home at Fitchburg State University. Our website and our club pack are being updated with this information and should be ready for club use this week. Click here to check the website for updates.
 
This change will necessitate the first cost-per-student price raise in 10 years. We have been able to hold costs at $250 per student since our days at Nichols College. This year, in order to cover our costs, we must raise our per student assessment to $275. This is a $25 per-student increase, which we hope will not impact the clubs in a negative manner.
 
Pat and Skip Doyle, co-chairs of District 7910’s Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Committee (as well as co-district governors elect, may be reached at pwdoyle2@verizon.net.
Membership Updates: Two Important Items
 
By Jim Fusco
You are more than halfway through your year. Congratulations on your progress! There are two important items that I want to address: Rotary International dues; and the club-planning worksheet. Read more

PETS Alert: Training,Training, Training
 
By Pat and Skip Doyle

We and all of you have embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. We have attended the Rotary International Training Session in San Diego, so we are ready to help all of you become well-prepared club presidents in 2016-2017. Read more

Nominating Calls: Deadline For Applicants Is This February 1
 
By Carol Toomey
 
As you know, District 7910's Nominating Committee met in November and selected the District Governor Nominee-Designate (Steve Sager), two Trustees of the District Funds (David Frazier and Paul Gauvin) and the District Archivist (Cheryl Rosen). We still have some positions to fill and are seeking qualified applicants to serve in these district positions starting this July 1. You must be available for an interview in person this March 2 and have served as president of a Rotary Club to qualify for the following four positions: Treasurer; Sergeant at Arms; and two Trustees of the District Charitable Foundation. Read more

Peace Fellowships: Application Deadline Is May 31
 
By Terry Parker
 
Each year, Rotary International selects up to 100 individuals from around the world to receive fully funded academic fellowships at one of RI’s Peace Centers. These fellowships cover tuition and fees, room and board, round-trip transportation, and all internship and field-study expenses. Read more 

2015-2016 District Directory
 
View and Download (requires member login)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Submit Content
 
 
 
 
To submit content for consideration for the Monday, January 25 issue of Rotary District 7910 Newsletter, please e-mail it Jim Fusco at jim.fusco2@gmail.com. The submission deadline is Friday, January 22. All text must be in Word format. All images must be in either JPEG or PDF format.​​

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©Copyright 2015-2016
Rotary District 7910, Central Massachusetts, USA
 
2015-2016 District Governor Jim Fusco
Rotary District 7910 Newsletter Editor Steve Jones-D'Agostino