Rotary District 7910 Newsletter - December 21 & 28, 2015
Upcoming EventsYou 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
Produced by Assistant Governor Richard Simon
Save The Dates!
May 20, 21 and 22, 2016
Hotel 1620 AT PLYMOUTH HARBOR, Plymouth
Club Visits
Rotaract Advisor Training Seminar
by District 7910 Rotaract Committee
Monday, February 8, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Framingham State University
Additional details coming soon!
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District Governor
Jim Fusco
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
District Events
Monday, December 21-Monday, January 4
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Tuesday, January 5,6:00-9:00 p.m.Holiday Inn, Boxborough
Monday, January 115:00-9:00 p.m.Monday, January 116:30-8:30 p.m.Holiday Inn, Boxborough
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To submit content for consideration for the Monday, January 4 issue of Rotary District 7910 Newsletter, please e-mail it Jim Fusco at jim.fusco2@gmail.com.The submission deadline is Friday, January 1. Text must be in Word format. Images must be in either JPEG or PDF format.
Governor's Message
What A Great Month It Has Been
By Jim Fusco
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What a great month it has been and we are still 11 days from January - and 2016! While many clubs will not be meeting over the next two weeks because of the holidays, I know you all will continue to be our Gift to Rotary as well as our Gift to the World! Read more
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 required)
District & Club RoundsSave The Dates! May 20, 21 and 22, 2016
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In just 152 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 Simon, click here.
To view and download the event flyer in PDF format, click here.
Westborough Takes Home Top Honors For Cumulative Foundation Giving
The Rotary Club of Westborough took home top honors at the recent annual Foundation Forum for the District 7910
club with the most cumulative donations over the years to The Rotary Foundation. The award was accepted by Westborough club President Jim O’Connor (shown, right) and Foundation Chair Evelyn Ware (shown, left).
club with the most cumulative donations over the years to The Rotary Foundation. The award was accepted by Westborough club President Jim O’Connor (shown, right) and Foundation Chair Evelyn Ware (shown, left).The Westborough club’s recent Foundation grants supported the following project: in Nicaragua, sterile medical equipment; in Guatemala, a Rainwater Recovery Project; and in Honduras, the Roatan Clinic, and the UMass Surgical Mission.
Brookline Rotary Paul Harris Fellows Recognition
By Susan Rack
On December 17, the Rotary Club of Brookline acknowledged and honored four new Paul Harris Fellows. Brookline 
Rotary is tremendously proud of all its Paul Harris Fellows.
Rotary is tremendously proud of all its Paul Harris Fellows.The club honored its immediate past president, Joyce Graff, with a Paul Harris Fellow in recognition of her hard work and successful year as president. Other awardees were: Hadley Weinberg, club treasurer, Paul Harris +2, with $3,000 in donations to The Rotary Foundation; Arnie Miller, club Foundation Committee co-chair, Paul Harris +4 ($5,000); and Shirley MacPherson, club executive secretary and Foundation co-chair, Paul Harris +5 ($6,000).
The four honorees were awarded Paul Harris Fellows pins by District Governor Jim Fusco and Assistant District Governor Karin Gaffney. Jim also presented Brookline Rotary with a certificate for being the district’s third-highest donor to the polio-eradication campaign. The speaker at the meeting was Roy Balfour, district Foundation Committee chair.
In addition to giving to The Rotary Foundation, the Brookline club has been the honored recipient of many District and Global Grants focused on addressing clean water, literacy and health-related issues. Currently, the club is involved in a grant to create a dental clinic in a rural area of Honduras.
The grant has a local Rotary partner and two other non-profits. But any club interested in helping to fund this grant should contact Brookline Rotarians Susan Rack at streamers@comcast.net or George Chapman at gmcpadre@gmail.com for further information.
Auburn Presents Three Scholarships, Installs Three Members
By Steve Jones-D’Agostino
On December 16, the Rotary Club of Auburn presented a $1,000 scholarship to each of three deserving young people — all, Auburn High School graduates who have finished their first semester in college. The recipients were Erin Burke (shown, far right), Megan MacQuarrie (third from left), and Scott Williams (second from left). They are shown posing with: Megan’s mother, Kerri MacQuarrie (far left); Scott’s mother, Sue Williams (center); Auburn President Marcia Davis (second from right); and Erin’s father, Hugh Burke (second from right).
The scholarships were funded with net proceeds from the Auburn club’s 2015 Rotary Flips For Scholars Pancake Breakfast on May 17 at Auburn High School. After the new year, the Auburn club will begin planning for its 2016 Rotary Flips For Scholars Pancake Breakfast next spring.
Also during the Auburn club’s December 16 meeting, which was attended by District Governor Jim Fusco (shown, second from right) and Assistant
Governor Satya Mitra (not shown). Jim installed three members representing the club’s new Corporate Member, Liberty Tax. They are: Kate Browning (second from left), active member; Gina Barrett (center), honorary member; and Thomas Dufour (third from right), honorary member. The third honorary member, Heather Chivallatti, will be installed during an upcoming meeting. Also shown, are Auburn club Secretary Glenn Arnold (far left) and President Marcia Davis (far right).
Steve Jones-D’Agostino, the Rotary Club of Auburn’s Public Relations chair, may be reached at srdagostino@icloud.com.
Dedham Installs Two Members
The Rotary Club of Dedham had the pleasure of welcoming its two newest members at a special holiday celebration. Shown, left to right, are club President Sandy Nelson and new members Rebecca Peluso and Eileen Porras.
Athol-Orange Rotary Supports Toys-for-Tots Campaign
The Rotary Club of Athol-Orange collected and donated toys and gifts in support of this year's Toys-for-Tots Campaign. The Rotarians made their donations at their annual Christmas Party, held at the home of Rotarians Bill and Judy Howland.Toys-for-Tots is a nationwide program of the US. Marine Corps Reserve and is coordinated locally by Marine Corps League Detachment 1168, "Pequoig." In 2014, the estimated value of toys collected was more than $40,000 and provided toys and gifts to more than 1,300 children in the North Quabbin area.
Shown with the Rotary toy donations are,left to right: Rotarian and Toys-for-Tots coordinator Mark Ellis; Athol-Orange club President Kathy Kilhart; club President-Elect Dawn Marino; and District Governor Jim Fusco.
Fitchburg Celebrates Breakfast With Santa
The Rotary Club of Fitchburg recently held its second annual Breakfast with Santa. This holiday event took place at Hollis Hills Farms in Fitchburg. More than 100 adults and children braved the 60-degree weather to have breakfast and take photos with Santa.Shown in front, left to right, are: club President Wayne Carney; club member Denise Wortman; Santa (club President-Elect Dan Cunningham); club member Bharti Bhakta; and District Governor Jim Fusco. Shown in back, left to right, are: Fitchburg Rotarians Paul Gauvin, Patty Gauvin and Karen Fusco.
Marlborough Promotes Membership At Festival Of Trees
For the fourth year, the Rotary Club of Marlborough displayed a decorated tree in the Festival of Trees, which was held on December 11 to 13 at the Royal Plaza Trade Center in Marlborough. This project of the Marlborough Historical Society has grown from a small group of trees in the Rice Homestead, headquarters of the Society, to an empty retail building to the Trade Center. The Society now boasts attendance of 5,000 visitors to the event.In 2012, the Marlborough club decided to use the exposure toward membership growth. Viewers purchase votes to spend on their favorite trees and, at the end, winners are drawn from the votes for each tree. Therefore, businesses and groups who sponsor trees add incentives such as coffee, chocolate and wine to lure voters to their trees. The Marlborough club’s Tree Committee, comprised of Elaine McDonald (show, left) and Marilyn Perry (shown, right), believe strongly in chocolate.
Since the 2015-2016 Rotary International theme, “Be a Gift to the World,” is perfect for the concept of Christmas trees, they chose that for the theme, with paper ornaments of balls and gift packages housing the theme logo. The tree was also festooned with club-membership brochures.
Montachusett Area Celebrates Holiday With Sky View Choir
On December 17, the Rotary Club of Montachusett Area held its 2015 Holiday Breakfast for members, spouses, past members and guests as it regular breakfast meeting in Leominster. During the festive event, entertainment was provided the 23-person the Select Chorus Choir of the Sky View Middle School, led by Music Director Brenda LeMay.Uxbridge Provides New Winter Coats to Northbridge Food Pantry
Zachary Eldridge (shown), son of Uxbridge Rotarian Ed Eldridge, recently helped his father with the Rotary Club of Uxbridge’s Coat Drive. Zachary volunteered because is in the Honor Society and must do a certain number of hours of charity-giving.Worcester Helps Fund, Dedicate Myra Hiatt Kraft Footbridge
On December 8, the Myra Hiatt Kraft Footbridge was dedicated in Worcester’s Elm Park. There were several proud Worcester Rotarians on hand. Worcester club President Bob Mangan and Past President Satya Mitra represented Rotary on the stage and delivered a few words while many folks gave inspiring speeches. They incuded New England Patriots owner and Brookline native Robert Kraft, who, along with his late wife, lived for many years in Worcester.It is amazing what happens when a community comes together to make this happen. This bridge was made .jpg)
possible by many hands that include students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester Technical High School, friends and neighbors of Elm Park, Madigan Company, the Rotary Club of Worcester and many others. In 2014, the Worcester club donated $50,000 to the City of Worcester, a portion of which went toward the $139,000 bridge-restoration project.
possible by many hands that include students at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester Technical High School, friends and neighbors of Elm Park, Madigan Company, the Rotary Club of Worcester and many others. In 2014, the Worcester club donated $50,000 to the City of Worcester, a portion of which went toward the $139,000 bridge-restoration project. Rotarians should be very proud to be part of such a fantastic project. Please go visit the bridge and see how Myra Hiatt Kraft still brings the community together.
Shown in the left photo are,left to right, Bob Mangan, Robert Kraft and Satya Mitra. Shown in the right photo are Bob and Satya posing with the new Rotary monument at the bridge site. To view all of Worcester Rotarian Rich Prager’s photos of the event, click here.
On December 17, the Rotary Club of Worcester celebrated the holidays with its annual Glogg Party. The grateful event featured a performance by the Seven Hills Charter School Show Choir (shown). For this and all other event photos by Worcester Rotarian Rich Prager, click here.
Worcester Celebrates Holidays With Seen Hills Show Choir
On December 17, the Rotary Club of Worcester celebrated the holidays with its annual Glogg Party. The grateful event featured a performance by the Seven Hills Charter School Show Choir (shown). For this and all other event photos by Worcester Rotarian Rich Prager, click here.Rotary Foundation One Of Top 5 Charities In World
By Roy Balfour
The Rotary Foundation has been ranked one of the Top 5 Charities Changing the World in 2015, according to CNBC, with a Worldwide Charity Score of 96.31 out of 100. “This not-for-profit organization works to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace. Using Rotary Foundation grants, Rotary's 35,187 clubs across the globe develop and carry out sustainable humanitarian projects and provide scholarships and professional training opportunities,” CNBC reports. To read CNBC's "The Top 10 Charities Changing the World," click here.“One of its biggest initiatives aims at eradicating polio through its PolioPlus program, launched in 1985. Since then, Rotary and its partners, including the World Health Organization and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, have immunized more than 2.5 billion children, reducing the incidence of polio by 99 percent and eradicating it from all but three countries,” CBNC continues.
To learn more about the basics of The Rotary Foundation, click here. Consider sharing this information .jpg)
with fellow Rotarians, your friends and your community.
with fellow Rotarians, your friends and your community. Last year in Central Massachusetts, District 7910 clubs’ $210,000 in donations provided a $1-million impact for projects undertaken by our fellow clubs in the district. That is a great financial return on donation investment into helping humanity.
Roy Balfour, chair of District 7910’s Foundation Committee, may be reached at romart@aol.com.
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. Payments need to be received prior to December 31.
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: December & JanuaryChelmsford: Holiday Concert - December 21, Radisson Hotel
Rotarian Wine Apppreciation Fellowship: January 19, Heritage of Sherborn
Submit Major Club Happenings
Send flyers of your club's major events, in either JPEG or PDF format, to Jim Fusco at jim.fusco2@gmail.com.
Committee SpotlightState Of The District: Alive And Well (part 1 of 2)
By Jim Fusco
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I am proud to report that Rotary District 7910 is alive and well. At my installation as district governor on June 16, I presented my goals for Rotary Year 2015-2016 and told you that I had a lot of running around to do - and this, I have done. Now that we are at the halfway point of our year, I would like to report on how we are doing. Because there is so much to report, I will break report into two segments. Part two will run in the January 4 newsletter. Please note: Due to the holidays, there will not be a newsletter issued on December 28. Read more
Foundation Support: Make The Rotary Foundation Your Charity Of Choice
By Roy Balfour and Steve Sager
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Each year, Rotarians like you in District 7910 make a positive impact and improve the lives of thousands of people locally and throughout the world. This past year, you have provided for the hungry and elderly, donated books and dictionaries to young learners, assisted those with special needs, and improved communities by building playgrounds and parks. Read more
Foundation Notes: Leverage The Rotary Brand
By Ralph Hammond
Thank you for your continued support of The Rotary Foundation - both programmatically (for taking on such creative district-grant projects each year) and financially (by your growing commitment to supporting those wonderful projects).Read moreMembership Corner: Rotary's New Membership Leads System
By Emily Whitmer
As your regional membership officer (RMO), I’m dedicated to providing you with information, resources, and strategies that will support you in strengthening membership in your districts. One of the ways that I hope to provide you with useful and relevant information is through a monthly RMO message such as this one. These messages will provide you with important membership updates, new resources and publications, and interesting strategies that other districts are incorporating to create vibrant and engaging club experiences. Read moreNew Generations: Focus On Rotaract
By Ron Goodenow and Carl Gomes
District 7910 has made a commitment to empower its existing Rotaract clubs and to grow new ones. Why is this commitment being made? The future growth of Rotary is dependent upon attracting and maintaining new and younger members. In North America, this is an acute issue - membership is declining. There are many factors that are causing this situation. Read more
District Positions: District Secretary
By Jim Fusco
The District Secretary is appointed by the District Governor and serves through June 30 and thereafter until a successor is appointed, in accordance with District Resolutions Article III. The District Secretary shall serve without personal remuneration or travel expenses but actual out-of-pocket expenses may be reimbursed upon approval of the District Governor. Read more
PR Tips: Know Your Target Audience
By Laura Spear
You may have great information that you want the world to know about, but the reality is that many people won’t care. Think about which newspapers will be likely to print or post your article or write a story, or which of your Facebook friends will likely "like" and/or "share" your posting. Put yourself in your editor’s and readers’ shoes and appeal to why they should care.
RI Spotlight
Club Planning: Worksheet reminder
By Jim Fusco
Have you yet reviewed your club's progress with your Board of Director and your membership? Read more
RI Spotlight
AIDS Training Brings Life To Liberian CommunitiesIn Montserrado and neighboring counties in Liberia, health care workers are learning techniques to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV and improve their ability to diagnose and treat infected women. Learn more about the global grant project, and read a blog post from Marion Bunch, whose experience losing a son to AIDS prompted her to start a Rotarian Action Group.
To "give to fight disease," click here. To read and learn about the impact of an HIV/AIDS vocational training project in Liberia, click here.
Find innovative ways to improve your community by attending one of five presidential conferences in 2016, hosted by Rotary International President K.R. Ravindran and The Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Ray Klinginsmith. Each will highlight one or more of Rotary’s areas of focus:
Supporting Clubs And Districts With New Resources
It’s here! Our new process for collecting and communicating leads from prospective members is up and running — making it easier for club officers and district leaders to follow up on leads, and for prospective members to join a club.
Learn more about how club and district leaders can use this process to identify new members.
When those new members join your club, welcome them with materials from Rotary: Our New Member Welcome Kits are available on shop.rotary.org. They can be customized with additions such as the annual report or materials from The Rotary Foundation. And visit the Brand Center to download member certificates and ID cards that can be personalized with your club information and the member’s name.
In January, look for a revised Membership Assessment Tools (formerly Club Assessment Tools), available on shop.rotary.org and for download on My Rotary.
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. Ravindran and The Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Ray Klinginsmith. Each will highlight one or more of Rotary’s areas of focus:- Peace and Conflict Resolution, January 15-16 in Ontario, California
- Disease Prevention and Treatment, February 19-20 in Cannes, France
- Economic Development, February 27 in Cape Town, South Africa
- Literacy and WASH in Schools, March 11-13 in Kolkata, India
- WASH in Schools, March 18-19 in Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines
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.
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©Copyright 2015-2016
District 7910, Central Massachusetts, USA
2015-2016 District Governor Jim Fusco
Rotary District 7910 Newsletter Editor Steve Jones-D'Agostino