Rotary District 7910 Newsletter - October 19, 2015

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.
District Food-Packaging Event

by All Participating District 7910 Rotary Clubs

 

Saturday, November 14, 1-4 p.m.
Solomon Pond Mall, Marlborough/Berlin line
 
 
 
For more information, contact Steve Sager
 
To register, click here
 
2016 District Conference
 
Save The Dates!
 
May 20, 21 and 22, 2016
 
Radisson Hotel Plymouth Harbor, Plymouth

New! Inaugural Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship Dinner

 

By District 7910 RWAF

 

​Wednesday, October 21

 

For more information, click here

Purple Pinkie Day
 
By District 7910 Polio Plus Committee
 
Clubs Promote Polio Awareness In Their Local Communities
 
Hint: Think about donating October Happy $ collections to Polio Plus!
 
​Saturday, October 24
 
For more information, click here
 
Purple Pinkie links, click here

 

Rotary Leadership Institute
 
Next Session in/near District 7910: Saturday, October 31, Holiday Inn, Boxborough
 
RLI stands for Rotary Leadership Institute, a multi-district, grassroots leadership development program of member districts organized into regional divisions in various parts of the world. RLI is not an official program of Rotary International and is not under its control. RLI seeks to have Rotary Clubs in its member districts identify those Rotarians who appear to have the potential for future club leadership (not necessarily as club presidents) and provide those so identified with a quality education in Rotary knowledge and leadership skills so important in voluntary organizations.
 
Registration for October 31 in Boxborough
Foundation Forum & Dinner
 
By District 7910 Foundation Committee
 
Wednesday, November 4
 
For more information, click here
 
To register, click here
 
Interact Training
 
By District 7910 Interact Committee
 
Monday, November 16
 
For more information or to register, click here

Club Visits

 

Visits By 

District Governor 

Jim Fusco

 

All my visits have now been completed. What a great experience.

If you have any special events you would like me to attend or any inductions/presentations you want 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, October 19-Monday, November 2​

  • To submit content for consideration for the Monday, October 26 issue of Rotary District 7910 Newsletter, please e-mail it Jim Fusco at jim.fusco2@gmail.com.
     
    The submission deadline is Friday, October 23. Text must be in Word format. Images must be in either JPEG or PDF format
     
     
     
     
     
     
    2015-2016 District Directory
     
    View and Download (requires member login)
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
Governor's Message
 
 
Please Participate In These Upcoming District Events
 
By Jim Fusco
 
I want to start this week’s message by giving a preview of upcoming district events. Please participate in them.
 
Food Packaging, November 14: This is one of the most popular events that our clubs and district have been doing. End Hunger New England Food Packaging events were held at the last two District Conferences and more than 35 of our clubs have participated.
 
 
Click here for minutes of Conference Committee's October 2015 meeting (Rotary member login required)
 
Welcome, New Rotarians!
 
Please welcome the newest Rotarians in our district, in alphabetical order by last name:
 
District & Club Rounds​
 
 
D7910 And End Hunger New England Team Up For Food-Packaging Event On November 14
 
By Steven Sager
​
More than 700,000 people in Massachusetts do not have access to enough food to maintain an active and healthy life. More than 213,000 children go hungry every day just in Massachusetts alone.  Some of the most food insecure areas in Massachusetts are right here in District 7910.
 
Food insecurity has long-term impacts on educational achievement, workforce productivity, chronic-disease risk, and mental health. Children’s academic performance is negatively affected by food insecurity, and food-insecure adults have higher rates of absenteeism at work. Food insecurity is also correlated with higher rates of obesity, which remains one of the most prevalent health problems in the United States.
 
The good news is that we, as Rotary clubs in District 7910, are trying to do something about it!  In November, D7910 will be running its annual Food Packaging event. This year, the event will be held on Saturday, November 14 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Solomon Pond Mall on the Marlborough/Berlin line. To register for this event, click here.
 
Our goal this year is to package and distribute approximately 50,000 shelf-stable and nutritious meals to participating food pantries, backpack programs and soup kitchens in D7910. In order to reach this goal, we need your help. We need help with fundraising, volunteers, and identifying food-distribution networks.
  1. Raise Funds: We need all funds in by November 1. Donate. Ask other people to donate. Ask your club to donate. Hold an event to raise money for the project. Ask a restaurant to donate a portion of the food bills to this event. Our fundraising goal is $15,000, and we desperately need help to reach this goal. Tax-deductible donations should be sent to the Westborough Rotary Fund, Inc., P.O. Box 903, Westborough, MA 01581.  Contact Carol Toomey at carolrotary@aol.com for fundraising ideas.
 
  1. Volunteer.  Register to volunteer the day of the event. Get a group of people to volunteer. Get your Interact and Rotoract clubs involved. Bring prospective members to the event!  Due to the nature of the food packaging, we need all volunteers to register in advance. Unfortunately, there will be no opportunity to help the day of the event without pre-registering.  Bring prospective members to help package food on November 14 at the event.
 
  1. Distribute.  Please contact your local food pantries, backpack programs and soup kitchens. Find out whether they are interested in receiving the packaged foods. If so, please contact Kathy Gemma at kagemma@verizon.net.
 
For more information about the event, please e-mail either Carol Toomey at carolRotary@aol.com or Steven Sager at ssager@sagerlegal.com.
 
D7910 Membership Forum & Dinner Draws 100+ Members Of 30+ Clubs
 
​By Steve Jones-D'Agostino
 
Improving Rotary club membership retention and attraction was the topic of discussion by more than 80 presidents, presidents-elect and/or Membership Committee chairs from more than 30 Rotary clubs throughout District 7910, during the district's Membership Forum and Dinner held on October 14 at the Holiday Inn in Boxborough.
 
The keynote speaker was Art MacQueen (shown in photo), past district governor of District 6970 in Daytona Beach, Florida. The emcee was Satya Mitra, chair of the District 7910's Membership Committee, an assistant district governor, and a past president of the Rotary Club of Worcester.
 
The facilitators were: Karin Gaffney, a member of the Membership Committee, an assistant district governor, a member of the RC Nashoba Valley, and the district governor-nominee for 2017-2018; and Jason Camuti, a member of both the Membership Committee and the RC Westborough.
 
The photos of the Forum & Dinner (click here) were taken by Rich Prager of the Rotary Club of Worcester and Richard Simon of RC Nashoba Valley. The video of Art MacQueen's presentation (click here) was also taken by Rich Prager.
 
Steve Jones-D'Agostino, District 7910's webmaster and editor-in-chief, may be reached at srdagostino@icloud.com.
 
Join RI For World Polio Day Livestream On October 23
 
How close are we to a polio-free world? What’s needed to finish the job? Can we make history together?
 
Join Rotary International on October 23 for RI's third annual World Polio Day event. RI will be streaming live from New York City, so tune in at 6:30 p.m. to watch a global-status update on the fight to end polio and take part in the conversation. Guests will include Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners, celebrity ambassadors, polio survivors, and others.
 
If you can’t join us live, you could still be a part of this moment in history. Share your voice online, advocate with your government, or create your own World Polio Day event. Click here to download the resources to get started.
Concord and Weston-Wayland RCs To Host Special Film Screenings In Support Of Afghan Girls’ School
 
By Russell Kniffin
 
Exclusive sneak previews of the work-in-progress documentary What Tomorrow Brings will be hosted on October 28 by the Rotary Club of Concord and on October 29 by RC Weston-Wayland, and presented by award-winning filmmaker Beth Murphy of Principle Pictures and humanitarian Razia Jan. This heart-warming and life-changing film portrays the struggle of young Afghan girls to achieve education. Exclusive excerpts from "What Tomorrow Brings" will be interspersed with conversation and Q&A. The public is warmly invited. Clck here for the three-minute trailer.
 
The Concord preview screening on Wednesday, October 28 will take place from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at Nashoba Brooks School, located at 200 Strawberry Hill Rd. in Concord. The Weston-Wayland preview screening on Thursday, October 29 will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Wellesley Middle School, located at 50 Kingsbury St. in Wellesley. Refreshments will be served. To reserve your complimentary seat at this event, held in support of Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation, click here.
 
Razia Jan, a longtime Rotarian, is a native of Afghanistan who moved in 1970 to the U.S. She has worked for many years to forge connections between Afghans and Americans. She began by rallying her adopted New England community to send more than 400 homemade blankets to rescue workers at Ground Zero after September 11, 2001. Her efforts expanded to include sending care packages to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Through her involvement in the military’s Operation Shoe Fly, she coordinated the delivery of more than 30,000 pairs of shoes to needy Afghan children.
 
In 2008, Razia decided to give up her comfortable life in Duxbury and return to Afghanistan, where she founded a school serving seven villages in which females had not been educated. Today, her school, the Zabuli Education Center, educates more than 480 girls. Her nonprofit foundation, Razia's Ray of Hope, has just broken ground on the first-ever college for women in rural Afghanistan, which is sited next to the Zabuli Education Center. He humanitarian efforts won her recognition as a CNN Hero of 2012. 
 
Beth Murphy is a documentary producer, director, author, and university professor. She is the founder of Principle Pictures, an independent film company committed to giving voice to the voiceless, raising awareness about important social issues, and inspiring education and action through entertainment. Beth is director and producer of Beyond Belief, the acclaimed feature documentary that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Her programs are broadcast on numerous national and international networks, including the Sundance Channel, the History Channel, Discovery, Lifetime, and PBS. She won the Gracie Allen Award from American Women in Radio and Television and the One Shared World International Outreach Award.
 
Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation is a nonprofit organization that empowers young women and girls in Afghanistan through community-based education in the district of Deh'Subz. Founded on the belief that education is key to positive, peaceful change for current and future generations, the foundation provides young Afghans with the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe, nurturing environment, so that they may work toward brighter futures — in their own villages and beyond. Their flagship project, the Zabuli Education Center, is an all-girl K-12 school that provides free, exemplary education to more than 480 students. 
 
Russell Kniffin may be reached at russell.kniffin@raziasrayofhope.org.
Marlborough Exhibits at Chamber Business Expo
 
By Peggie Thorsen
 
The Rotary Club of Marlborough Rotary exhibited successfully at the Marlborough Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Expo, which was held on September 10 at the Marriott Courtyard Hotel in Marlborough. “This was part of our ongoing public image campaign,” notes club President Michael Lashua (shown, left). “Of course, we hoped to gain interest from potential members, but it was also aimed at making a positive image statement in the business community.”
 
The Marlborough club exhibit included a large, colorful display of photos showing our Rotarians working in service projects, fundraising projects, presenting contributions, and enjoying their fellowship.  Additionally, there were club membership brochures, club Foundation Corporate Membership brochures, flyers and posters heralding the recycling event held this past Saturday, and, of course, the secret weapon – lots of chocolate.
 
A staple of marketing has always been face-to-face personal selling. Many people stopped by our table. All of them were impressed by the breadth of the club’s accomplishments. A handful of them showed genuine interest. One of them, a young intern at the Chamber of Commerce, is an excellent candidate for our community Rotaract Club. All five of the people showing interest in membership were given a ticket to come to lunch.

The Marlborough club has exhibited at the Chamber’s Business Expo for several years, but this was the most visibly successful year yet.
 
Peggie Thorsen, chair of the Publicity Committee for the Rotary Club of Marlborough, may be reached at mathorsen@verizon.net.
 
Needham Pancake Breakfast and Carnival Set For November 7
 
By Bill Paulson
 
The Rotary Club of Needham's Pancake Breakfast and Carnival is right around the corner - on Saturday, November 7 from 7:00 to 11 a.m.  We are really good at cooking pancakes and hosting visitors.  We could really use your help though in spreading the word so lots of people come. This is our largest fundraiser of the year, so the more people that come, the more great projects we can do. To easily buy tickets online, click here.
 
Please "share" our Facebook post!  Click here to visit our Facebook page, where you will find a post showing the poster (see image, right) for this event.  With only three "shares," more than 500 people have seen our post. Imagine if everyone in the club and our friends help us out.
 
Bill Paulson of the Rotary Club of Needham may be reached at bill@billpaulson.com.
 
 

Acton-Boxborough And Littleton Team Up For Masquerade Ball On November 7 To Benefit Local Food Pantries

 

By Connie Braciska

 

The Rotary clubs of Acton-Boxborough and Littleton will hold a Masquerade Ball on Saturday, November 7 at the Holiday Inn in Boxborough. The Masquerade Ball is a great evening and an important fundraiser for these two pantries: Loaves and Fishes in Devens; and The Acton Community Supper and Food Pantry in Boxborough.

 

Cocktail Hour starts at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy live entertainment, a silent Auction, Raffles and a costume contest. Tickets are $55 per person, with half of the ticket price going straight to to the two food pantries.

 

These pantries serve 12 towns in our district, providing a source of food and personal-hygiene products to more than 100,000 residents of these communities. Every year, the two food pantries combined spend more than $500,000 on these items to help those in need. Most of the money spent is from donations given or raised by events like this.

 

For more information about the Masquerade Ball and how to get tickets and support these local food pantries, click here. Or, contact either me at ccbraciska@gmail.com or Joseph Badenhoff at jbadenhoff@hotmail.com.

 

Connie Braciska is president-elect of the Rotary Club of Littleton.

 

 

 

 
 
Major District & Club Happenings: October & November
 
​​​​District 7910: Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship - October 21
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chelmsford Comedy Night - October 24
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shrewsbury: Wine Tasting to Benefit Heartline Maternity Center in Haiti
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dedham: Taste Dedham! - October 29
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Worcester: Glow Ball Tournament - October 30
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
District 7910: Foundation Forum - November 4
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Brookline: Dancing With the Brookline Stars - November 7
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Auburn: Celebrate Auburn Veterans! - November 10
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nashoba Valley & WPI: Special Rotary Meeting - November 12
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Concord & Lexington: Stop Hunger Now - November 14
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Billerica: Cribbage Tournament, November 14
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 Spotlight
 
Nomination Calls: Deadline for applicants extended to November 3
 
By Carol Toomey
 
​The deadline has been extended to November 3 (from October 15) for submitting nominating applications for the following District positions: District Governor for 2018-'19; two Trustees for the District Funds, two Trustees for the District Charity Fund (DCF); District Treasurer; Sergeant at Arms; and District Archivist. Read more​
 
 
 
World Polio Day: We Are On The Verge Of Making History
 
By Carl M. Good III, PhD
 
Success! There are three distinct strains of the polio virus. As seen below, type 2 has been declared eliminated from the wild!  Let's finish off strains 1 and 3! We are in the end game. Here is a hint to help raise money for Polio Plus: Designate your Happy Dollars collected in October to be donated to Polio Plus!  Read more
 
 
Membership Corner: The Object of Rotary's third goal
 
By Tom Sturiale
​
The third goal of the Object of Rotary is stated as, “The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business and community life.”  This is the basis of the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self.”  Quite a high standard!  While that is difficult to live up to, when you add up the good works of Rotary in our clubs, district and around the world, we are doing a darned good job. Read more
 
 
 
 
Foundation Notes: D7190 No. 2 in Zone 32, No. 114 worldwide in TRF giving
 
By Ralph Hammond
 
Rotary is the oldest and most prestigious service club in the world. Contributions to The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund and SHARE make community-service projects happen. Zone 32 and worldwide contributions to TRF’s Annual Fund and SHARE for 2014-2015 are now in: Read more
 
 
 
 
Register Now: Interact Advisor Training Seminar, November 16
 
By Carol Toomey
 
​Youth is the future of Rotary and we are doing something about it. Training is the solution to strengthening our youth organizations and this seminar is designed to do just that. Read more
 
 
 
PR Tips: Leverage Rotary International promotional materials
 
By Laura Spear
 
Use the Rotary International videos This Is Rotary and Doing Good in the World in your meetings and events. Share them with your local cable TV system's community-access channel.
 
Laura Spear, chair of District 7910's Public Image Committee, may be reached at laura@spear.net.
 
Rotary Spotlight
 
 
 
During World Interact Week, November 2-8, Interactors around the world will take action in their communities and show how their clubs make a difference. Here are just a few ways you can get involved:
  • Post pictures of your club’s celebration on Interact’s Facebook page.
  • Plan a joint project with your sponsor Rotary club and post it on Rotary Showcase to share how your club contributes to positive change.
  • Celebrate your hard work. Download a certificate of recognition to highlight the positive impact Interact clubs make promoting peace, supporting education, and fundraising to eradicate polio.
 
Click here to get involved with Interact.
 
Past Issues
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Explore Us Online

 
 
 
 
 
 
Visit our website
 
 
 
 
Like us on Facebook
 
 
 
 
Watch our videos on YouTube
 
 
 
 
 
 
Explore our Interact clubs
 
 
 
Explore our Rotaract clubs
Contact Us
 
©Copyright 2015-2016
District 7910, Central Massachusetts, USA
 
2015-2016 District Governor Jim Fusco
Rotary District 7910 Newsletter Editor Steve Jones-D'Agostino
​srdagostino@icloud.com