Is Addiction Threatening Your Community?

Posted on Aug 17, 2018

If so, perhaps you would be interested in learning more about the pilot Global Grant that District 7910 will be submitting focused on Addiction Prevention Education. This is a multi-district program which includes Districts 7910, 7930, 7780, 7850, 7870, 7890, 7950 and 7980, covering most of New England.

There is no doubt that your community is already doing something in this area, and we are so grateful for those efforts. We believe that Rotary excels in three areas: Education, Advocacy and Collaboration. Through a strategic initiative with the Rotarian Action Group for Addiction Prevention, we have created a unified program that can be easily replicated by Rotary Clubs, ensuring a real chance of Making a Difference!

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME FOR POLIO on AUGUST 24th!

Join Rotary District 7910 on August 24th at the Lowell Spinners for our “End Polio Now” Campaign Purchase Box Seats using promo code ROTARY at Lowellspinners.com/Tickets

The Lowell Spinners, short-season single A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, look forward to having Rotary District 7910 for a night at the ballpark to help raise awareness and funds for their “End Polio Now” campaign.

Tickets are just $12 and proceeds raised by the Rotary will be donated to “End Polio Now” to help eradicate polio and immunize over 2.5 Billion Children in 122 countries. Don’t forget to wear purple on August 24^th to help raise awareness as well!

Rotarians are asked to purchase tickets between Box sections 107 and 110 to be seated as a group! The night includes various Spinnertainment such as game show theme night and a helicopter cash drop following the game.

Don't delay - get your tickets now and bring the whole family, your neighbors, co workers! Everybody loves baseball!

World Polio Day Competition – Your Club could win $500 for its WASH Projects!

Posted on Aug 13, 2018

World Polio Day Competition – Your Club could win $500 for its WASH Projects!

What is World Polio Day?

World Polio Day is celebrated on October 24th. World Polio Day was established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis. Use of this inactivated poliovirus vaccine and subsequent widespread use of the oral poliovirus vaccine, developed by Albert Sabin, led to the establishment of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Polio is a disease caused by a virus that affects the nervous system and is mainly spread by person-to-person contact. Polio can also be spread by drinking water or other drinks or eating raw or undercooked food that are contaminated with the feces of an infected person.

$$$$$ - THE PRIZES!

$500 US for the best project (i.e. the one with the most impact)

$500 US for the most innovative project

WHAT VALUE DOES YOUR CLUB HAVE FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS?

Posted by michael walstrom on Aug 09, 2018

WHAT VALUE DOES YOUR CLUB HAVE FOR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS?

By Michael Walstrom, president of the Rotary Club of Downtown Boca Raton, Florida

Rotary, like any business, has customers. For us, those customers are our members and we must provide value to assure satisfied customers. The key to attracting and retaining young professional “customers” is presenting a Value Proposition that is attractive.

From the Young Professional (YP) Membership Development project, a 10 question survey designed by District 6930, we learned that young professionals are looking for networking and mentorship, but have concerns about time, money, and family commitments. Fortunately, Rotary has considerable value to offer in all of those areas.

Peer Leadership and Depression Prevention

Posted by Bob Anthony on Aug 08, 2018

Peer Leadership and Depression Prevention

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at a global level, over 300 million people are estimated to suffer from depression, equivalent to 4.4% of the world’s population. Depression is ranked by WHO as the single largest contributor to global disability¹. Given the severity of these statistics, creating innovative ways to address the prevention of mental illness and the promotion of mental health and wellness is of critical importance. Following its pioneering spirit and mission of global change, Rotary has boldly stepped up to this challenge in two important ways:

(1) introducing prevention as a broader and important component of health to include
mental health, not just physical health

(2) funding projects that reach children and adolescents - and the adults who care for them -
to specifically address depression education

District 7910 Outbound Exchange Students Prepare to Depart!

Posted by Jane Schroeder on Aug 02, 2018

District 7910 Outbound Exchange Students Prepare to Depart!

On Wednesday July 25 five young people attended the final outbound orientation in preparation for their year-long study abroad sponsored by Rotary's Student Exchange program, the Eastern States Student Exchange ("ESSEX"). All of the students are excited about their year abroad. Kira and her twin Noah are sponsored by the Bedford Club. Kira will be travelling to Bolivia, while Noah will be living in Belgium. Kelsey, sponsored by the Acton-Boxborough Club, is headed to France. Lauren, sponsored by the Needham Club, is excited to be going to Switzerland. Ben, sponsored by Framingham Club, will be studying in Columbia.

Interact Leader Training Day 9/15

Posted by Bob Anthony on Jul 31, 2018

Does your Interact club have a representative on the district teen council?

If not, please get a teen nominated before the September 15 kick-off event; provide the name and contact details by email to BobAnthony@AdolescentWellness.org or by calling 781-727-8617.

These teen leaders will:

lead the activities that day
prioritize projects during the year
define the co-host role for the May 4 multi-district event

We hope every Interact teen will register to attend the kick-off event: https://rotary7910.org/event/youth-day-with-train-the-trainer/

Rotary Service Days 2018-19

Posted by Lilia Weisfeldt

Why and how to host a Rotary Service Day

In an effort to increase membership and highlight Rotary’s inspiring work, RI President Barry Rassin is urging clubs and districts to organize fun, informal community events called Rotary Days. District 7910 Clubs hosted 3 very successful Rotary Service Days last year and we are encouraging clubs to consider hosting them this year.

Framingham's Elderly are Cool!

Posted by Robert (Bob) Schecter on Jul 31, 2018

FRAMINGHAM'S ELDERLY ARE COOL!

The Framingham Rotary Club, continuing its annual effort to help keep very low income seniors in public housing cool and healthy during hot weather, last week delivered thirty-seven 6000 BTU air conditioners for installation at units managed by the Framingham Housing Authority (FHA). The project, a collaboration among the Rotary club, the FHA, and the Callahan Center (the Framingham Council on Aging Senior Center), has now delivered 212 units over the past six years.

Southborough Rotary Helps Strawberry Festival 2.0

Posted by Liz Kaprelian on Jul 25, 2018

RC of Southborough at Strawberry Festival 2.0

Southborough Rotary club members helped support the Southborough Library by volunteering at the Strawberry Festival organized & held by the Library at the end of June. In the 80’s, the Strawberry Festival was a popular town event, so the Library was keen to try and restart it – Festival 2.0! Club members helped serve strawberry shortcake & strawberries to the public. And since literacy is one of Rotary's key areas of focus, the club also decided to donate 2 raffle baskets of children’s books for the event. The children’s books were all on topics along Rotary ideals like: helping others, 1 person making a difference in the world, tolerance, resolution conflict, people working together for positive change. The Strawberry Festival also featured Coco's Tropical Ice, petting goats & veggie stamping for kids, as well as the big book sale inside the library. Over 200 people enjoyed the event and many said they hoped it would be held again next year. The club also produced the fun look back video which was given to the Library and Southborough Access Media after the event.

Our Rotary Foundation

Posted on Jul 31, 2018

The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. During the past 100 years, the Foundation has spent $3 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects. With your help, we can make lives better in your community and around the world.

Why should I donate to The Rotary Foundation? Your donation makes a difference to those who need our help most. More than 90 percent of donations go directly to supporting our service projects around the world.

How does The Rotary Foundation use donations? Our 35,000 clubs carry out sustainable service projects that support our six causes. With donations like yours, we’ve wiped out 99.9 percent of all polio cases. Your donation also trains future peacemakers, supports clean water, and strengthens local economies.

What impact can one donation have? It can save a life. A child can be protected from polio with as little as 60 cents. Our partners make your donation go even further. For every $1 Rotary commits to polio eradication, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed $2.

What are the areas of the Foundation’s focus? Promoting Peace, Providing Clean Water, Saving Mothers and Children, Supporting Education, Growing Local Economies, and Fighting Disease. Even the United States has problems in all six areas of focus, the reason for Global Grants, assistance going in all directions to help promote a better world.

2018 Montreal Zone Conference - All Rotarians Invited!

Pre-Conference September 18-20, 2018 | Conference September 20-22, 2018
Hotel Bonaventure in Montreal

The 2018 Montreal Zone Conference is a unique event, and we want to invite you to be a part of it. Whether you’re an incoming District Governor, District leader, Past District Governor, or a Rotarian with an interest in becoming more engaged in Rotary….the Montreal Conference is for you! The theme “People Coming Together” fits our goal of providing you with an extraordinary and unforgettable event. This is why we're inviting everyone to be a part of the excitement!

Formerly known as the Zone Institute, this gathering was originally designed to motivate, inspire, and educate past, current and incoming district governors. That hasn't changed. Historically, however, attendance at a Zone Institute was restricted to those in the District Governor line. This year we've decided to open the conference to all Rotarians to facilitate engagement between our Governors (and their knowledge, leadership skills, and commitment) and club and district Rotarians. Visit the Montreal 2018 web page to learn more about this exciting conference and register today!

Winning New Members - 15 Surefire Tips

In Rotary’s membership game, everyone’s a winner

courtesy of the Rotarian Magazine, August 2018

By Geoffrey Johnson Illustrations by Rocco Baviera

When it comes to finding new members for his Minnesota Rotary club, Tom Gump doesn’t just walk the walk, he trots the trot: the turkey trot. Gump is a former president of the Rotary Club of Edina/Morningside, which makes boosting membership a priority. In fact, that’s the fourth item on a list of 10 tips to attract and retain members which has been prepared – and practiced – by the club. It’s tip No. 10 that finds Gump clad in a turkey suit. More on that shortly.

The tips work: During Gump’s 2016-17 stint as club president, Edina/Morningside added 31 members. Eleven of them were women; 10 were under 40 years old. With 94 members, the club “went from being classified as a medium-size club to being one of District 5950’s large clubs,” says Gump, who will be the 2020-21 district governor. “There were 13 clubs larger than our club in our district, and now there are only four.” The tips have proven so effective that Gump has taken the Edina/Morningside show on the road, using a PowerPoint presentation to coach other clubs on specific ways they can expand their membership. “I have been called a good salesman,” says Gump (who, for the record, is a real estate lawyer and a developer). “But to me, recruiting new Rotary members is not really selling. It’s matching up potential members with what he or she wants in a club.” So if you’re looking to add members to your club, consider taking a page from the Edina/Morningside playbook. Read on for the club’s 10 tips, as well as five suggestions for increasing membership from other Rotarians and Rotary clubs.

Rotary Membership Videos!

Posted by Ron Bott on Jul 18, 2018

Rotary Membership Videos!

Follow this link: https://ga.vyond.com/videos/0U9HY8JzbSKs to a monthly series of animated membership-related videos being produced for clubs in Zone 32 by Lawrence Furbish, Assistant Rotary Coordinator, Sanford-Springvale Rotary Club, Maine in District 7780. All of the videos in the series will be very short (2-3 minutes) so that your Club should be able to view them and discuss how to implement the content during regular club meetings.

D7910 Rotary ~~Leadership~~ Learning Institute (RLI) Session

Posted by Dave Kaiser on Jul 18, 2018

Save the Date!

D7910 Rotary ~~Leadership~~ Learning Institute (RLI) Session

Saturday 1/26/19

7:30am-3:30pm

Marriott Courtyard

Marlborough MA

Okay. Once again I’ve taken license by unilaterally changing the name of RLI. However, at every RLI session I’ve attended, most people say the name is a bit outdated in today’s Rotary given who is attending and benefitting from RLI.

So, please don’t be fooled by the official name; while it was originally founded in 1992 to fill the void of leadership training, RLI’s structured-discussion format has become a great way for all Rotarians to increase their understanding of Rotary. Rather than being lectured to, RLI attendees of all backgrounds and Rotary experience levels are able to ask questions and share ideas on important topics which make their personal Rotary experience more meaningful. You don’t have to aspire to become a Club or District leader to find RLI a great experience.

Southbridge and Sturbridge Community Garden

Posted by Pauline White on Jul 18, 2018

The Rotary Community Corps of Sturbridge and Southbridge is tending to 21 raised beds in the Community Food Collaborative garden! Volunteers of all ages are working in the garden, including two families and a girl scout troop. One team weeds the beds, and another team that takes turns watering the garden on a regular basis - especially during the extreme heat.

The Rotary Community Corps is also cleaning up the areas leading up to the garden, weed whacked the brush, and spread mulch to make it look better.

The best part of it all is that the Rotary Clubs of Sturbridge and Southbridge have made two deliveries already to to the St. John Paul II Food Pantry, where all the produce is donated. The garden grown produce delivered to date includes various kinds of lettuce, cucumbers, cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli, beans, bell pepper, sweet banana peppers, summer squash, radishes and beets . This week a much bigger delivery was made that included lettuce. The clubs are planning an Open House at the end of July, and everyone is invited to take a drive to Sturbridge and see the garden.

Share Your Club's Stories

Posted on Jul 10, 2018

SHARE YOUR CLUB'S STORIES

Has your club recently hosted a service project that you want to showcase to be the inspiration to other clubs? Are you planning something in the near future that you would like to share with your fellow District 7910 Rotarians?

Our District 7910 eBulletin, Website, Facebook and Instagram depend on the content provided by our clubs, so please submit your stories and we will publish them on the district website, in the next eBulletin, and on social media. Stories that showcase your club's service projects should be submitted in plain text along with a photo. If you are promoting an event, please send the flyer along with a sentence with the details of the event. Please send your stories to ssager@sagerlegal.com with the words Rotary Story in the subject line.

Spirit of Hudson Food & Brewfest - August 11

Experience tasting over 200 crafted beers, ciders and malt beverages from 73 + breweries & enjoy delicious food from 24+ of the area's finest restaurants! Click here for more info & tickets!

Sturbridge Rotary's Charity Golf Classic

Posted by Pauline White on Jul 17, 2018

On Monday, August 20, the Cohasse Country Club in Southbridge will again host the Rotary Club of Sturbridge for its ninth Charity Golf Classic. Chair of the event, Dave Zonia, reports that the field of 64 golfers is filling up quickly so it’s best to make your reservations now to be included. The day begins with a tee time at 10:30 AM, a BBQ luncheon on the course and a full prime rib dinner prepared by the club’s Executive Chef. We’ll have auctions and the awarding of prizes following dinner. Cost for this prestigious event is $600 for a foursome and $150 for an individual signup, upon which you will be assigned to a group.

A BIG RYLA Thank you to our 100+ RYLA Volunteers!

by Christine Pinney, RYLA Chair

"Thank you so much for providing the best RYLA experience ever. I would like to thank all of the RYLA chair/volunteers for creating an opportunity for me to be a part of an amazing group and learning so much about me and becoming an even better leader. I would never forget this experience of being apart of the RYLA conference. Thank you so much!" -Martina Nkwantah (Group P)"

Thank you to all of you that contributed before, during and after RYLA!

Without you, RYLA would not be the same!

Membership Committee Outlines Plans for Year

Posted by Ron Bott on Jul 06, 2018

The District 7910 Membership Committee will meet on a quarterly basis (September 12, 2018; January 17, 2019; April 8, 2019) to discuss with Club Membership Chairs the best practices and success stories both outside and within the District and then how to share this information at the club level with the help of Area Membership Coordinators (AMCs). AMCs will coordinate with Assistant Governors and meet with Club Membership Chairs and Presidents on an individual or group basis to offer support in implementing membership attraction and engagement strategies in the clubs.

Toronto Convention Wrap Up

Posted on Jul 10, 2018

A princess, 3 prime ministers, and a former first lady join 25,000 in Toronto to celebrate Rotary’s good work and plan more of it

Toronto, the Capital of Nice, opened its arms this week to welcome 25,188 Rotarians from around the world, who came to Rotary’s annual convention looking for inspiration — and finding it.

Whether it was by seeing old friends in the hallways, making new connections in the House of Friendship, or listening to eloquent speakers at general sessions, attendees found plenty at the 109th Rotary International Convention to remind them of the fellowship that binds them and the diversity that Rotary embodies. Nearly 90 Rotarians from clubs in District 7910 participated in the festivities!

Sturbridge Rotary Builds New Playground

Posted by Pauline White on Jul 11, 2018

1 Comment

Sturbridge Rotary Builds New Playground at the YMCA

The Sturbridge Rotary Club recently helped build a new outdoor playground at the Tri-Community YMCA Child Development Center, 115 Marcy Street in Southbridge. The new outdoor playground, built with the help of the Sturbridge Rotary Club, will be enjoyed by more than 150 kids a day.

“This playground will help the Y provide safe and healthy spaces for our children to learn foundational skills, develop healthy, trusting relationships and build self-esteem," Glenn Juchno, Executive Director of the Tri-Community YMCA. “We are fortunate to have great partners like the Sturbridge Rotary Club who understand the impact of youth development in our community.”

RYLA 2018 truly was the BEST RYLA ever!

RYLA 2018 was a fantastic success on June 21-24th at Fitchburg University. There were 201 RYLAns, 36 Group and Program Facilitators and close to 100 volunteers. 650 people attended the RYLA closing ceremony.

As one parent from Littleton told us about her son's experience:

"I just wanted to let you know what a great time he had. He’s a great kid, and this was an experience very different from what he’s ever had. All signs show that he really very genuinely seemed to have loved it.

He spent a long time last night talking about the whole event with us - his group, the leadership, the exercises, the food, the sleeping arrangements, the college campus, the whole thing... I’m thankful he had the opportunity and I thought I’d share his enthusiasm with you. Thank you and all the best."