Welcome to Bow Rotary

As a member of Rotary International, The Rotary Club of Bow is an active community and international organization that seeks opportunities to help others in our community and the world. We put service above self, and we have a lot of fun doing so. We are always seeking new members to actively participate in our vocational, community, international and youth activities.

Bow Rotary to sell Christmas trees starting November 30

The Bow Rotary will be selling Fraser and Balsam Fir Christmas trees in the Community Center parking lot next to the pond starting November 30. Trees will cost $60 and sales will continue until they are all sold, which is usually in. 2 weeks or less!

Wreaths also will be sold for $35. Rotarians will be selling the trees Monday-Friday from 4-7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Money raised from tree sales goes to the Bow Rotary Foundation, which supports the local community.

All trees will be cut way up in the NE Kingdom of VT on Friday the 29th and delivered late Saturday AM with sales to start immediately after. You won't find a cheaper tree in the area.

Bow Rotary participates in fall roadside cleanup
The Bow Rotary collected 43 bags of trash along Route 3A on Saturday, October 19. Fourteen members of the club covered the section of Route 3A from the Concord line to the Hooksett line.
A gas pump hose and handle were found among the trash collected. There also were a large number of flossing picks discarded along the road.
Bow Rotary participates in roadside cleanup twice a year, in the spring and in the fall.

Club members enjoy outing at Chuckster’s in Chichester

Rotary members from the Bow and Hooksett Rotary clubs along with friends and family spent a night out in September at Chuckster’s in Chichester.
Attendees played minigolf and enjoyed the batting cages and ice cream. The outing allowed members to engage in an event outside of regular meetings.
Bow Rotary meets regularly on Friday mornings.

Bow Rotary auction seeks donations to support community scholarships and camperships

Bow Rotary is looking for local business to support its upcoming scholarship auction. This year’s theme is “Reaching for the Stars.”

Businesses can support the auction through sponsorship or by donating items or services.

Money raised through the auction goes toward scholarships for college, trade school and nontraditional learning to deserving high school graduates from Bow High School as well as to Bow and Dunbarton residents who attend private high schools. Funds also provide financial support for children attending camp and support community projects (Old Town Hall renovations, Wildcat Habitat at Bow Middle School, Baker Free Library Lower Level Meeting Room). This spring the Bow Rotary Club completed construction of a pavilion to provide shelter and an opportunity to gather near the sports fields located on Albin Road in Bow.

Bow Rotary participates in Bow High School Open House

Bow Rotary attended the annual Open House at Bow High School on August 29 to engage with students and parents about the club’s mission and community service.

The Bow High School Interact table and the Bow Rotary table with Gerry Carrier and Bill Ames. Photo by Eric Anderson

Rotary Club members spoke with parents and students about community programs the club supports as well as how to get involved. The Bow High School has an Interact Club that helps high school students develop leadership skills.

Rotary Summer Concert Series concludes, raises money to support community projects

This year’s Bow Rotary Summer Concert Series provided lots of free entertainment while also raising money to support projects in the Bow community.

The six-week concert series drew crowds ranging from 40 to more than 200. The concerts are free but money is raised through 50/50 raffles and snack sales.

Nick’s Other Band performs on July 11 as part of the Bow Rotary Summer Concert Series. Photo by Eric Anderson

Gerry Carrier Assumes Gavel as 2024-25 New Club President

On Friday, July 12, Bow Rotary held its annual Changing of the Gavel ceremony.

L-R Matt Dodge, Gerry Carrier Photo by Eric Anderson

During the ceremony, outgoing President Matt Dodge reflect on the past year’s accomplishments, including adding seven new members, the addition of the Hooksett Rotary Club as a satellite club and the rebound of the concert series with the move to Thursday nights.

Incoming president Gerry Carrier thanked Dodge for his hard work this past year and presented him with a gavel and plaque as a gift, commemorating his term in office.

36th Annual Recognition & Community Service Awards Night

The 36^th Annual Recognition & Community Service Awards Night was hosted by the Baker Free Library on June 20^th. Seven recipients were recognized and received awards for their dedication and service to our community and the Rotary Club.

Pictured L-R: David Scanlan-MC; Ben Kiniry - International Service Award; Ken Moulton – Club Service Award; Linda Bliss – Paul Harris Fellow; Michelle Fortin – Paul Harris Fellow; Lee Kimball – Community Service Award; Mridula Naik – Vocational Service Award; Tanya Frost – New Generations Award; Rotary Club President, Matt Dodge (Photo by: Eric Anderson)

Save The Dates!! 2024 Bow Rotary Free Summer Concerts

Concerts are held from 6:30 to 8:00 pm on Thursday evenings.

In the event of inclement weather, the concerts will move inside the Community Building.

June 27^th Open Mic - Local & High School Musicians

Bow Rotary Car Show was Held on May 18th!!
Photos and Winners On Car Show Page

Annual Car Show was held from 8am to 2pm in the fields behind Concord Group 502 South St. Bow NH.
All makes and years of cars!
Peoples Choice, Best In Show plus 18 Additional Trophies!
Spectator Entry only $3 (kids under 12/over 70 free)
Breakfast, Lunch, Drinks & Snacks were served

2024 Car Registration Fees:
By May 1st: $15 After May 1st: $20
Car clubs that pre-register 6+ cars pay $10 per car!
All Proceeds benefit local community and charities

Four-Way Test Held March 20th 2024

Thank You to the Baker Free Library for hosting the speech contest again this year.

Four contestants took the stage for their 5-7 minute speeches that must include referencing their topics against the Rotary Four-Way Test.

Political campaign spending, the importance of truth and fairness, sports health, and climate activism were the topics covered. Joe McDowell won First Place ($500) and will go on to compete at the Rotary District semi-finals; Sabrina Bernard placed Second ($300) and Maya Clough placed Third ($200). Rotarian Mike Gula served as MC.

Judges for the event were community members Brian Duffy, Duane Ford, and Linda Lorden (an honorary Rotarian), along with Rotarians Ben Kiniry and Judy Goodnow.

Congratulations to our contestants!

Pictured: President Matt Dodge, Joe McDowell, Sabrina Bernard and Maya Clough

Photo by Eric Anderson

Cheryl Lindner Joined Bow Rotary March 8th, 2024

Cheryl is the new Finance Director for the town of Bow and now a former member of the Nashua Rotary Club.

She decided to transfer to Bow Rotary to help become more involved with the community.

Welcome Cheryl!

Photo by Eric Anderson

Photo by Eric Anderson

Tynan Flanagan Joined Bow Rotary on February 23rd 2024

Tynan is Co-Owner of O'Keefe & Flanagan Electric, LLC and he is very anxious to jump right in and become involved.

Tynan, his wife. and now three daughters live in Bow.

Summer Campership Grants

This Year’s Campership Applications are now available through Bow Rec or the Bow Rotary website, Campership Application Form

The form is now a fillable PDF and the deadline for submission has been extended to March 18th.

Due to increased demand and limited resources, some requests may only receive limited funding.

If received by February 15th, families can expect to hear from our committee by March 25th.

After March 18th, families needing support can petition our club using our Grant request form found on our website.

Note: Immediate family members of Bow Rotarians are not eligible for camperships.

Bow Rotary's Annual Speech Contest

Bow Rotary’s annual public speaking contest for high school students will be held in person at the Baker Free Library on March 20^th at 6:00pm. Applications are due by 3 pm on Friday, March 8th, so don’t delay. The top three speakers will split $1,000 in prize money.

The contest challenges youth to use Rotary’s Four-Way Test to analyze their decision making. All four tests are to be included in the topic of their speeches.

Contest details and an application form can be found at bowrotary.org

Bow Rotary Club Still Attracting New Members

Bow Rotary is pleased to announce we have added four new highly talented members since just this past July 1^st. Our “active” membership now stands at 44, plus 7 more “honorary”, which brings our membership up to 51 in total. Since March of 2022, Bow Rotary has added 9 new members. However, we unfortunately lost 6 members due to job changes and one death during that time.

Pictured L-R: Ryan Anastasi, Catherine Minihan, Marcy Kelley and Barbara Griffin

Photo by Eric Anderson

BOW ROTARY CELEBRATES 50 YEARS!

For the Rotary year of July 2020, through June 2021, the Bow Rotary Club had planned a series of events to celebrate its 50 years of existence and service in the Bow community.

Old Town Hall Project

Last fall, in connection with the Rotary Club’s 50^th Anniversary year, we wrote about our project to update the wallpaper in the Old Town Hall. We provided a bit of history about the OTH: that it was originally built in 1847 by the same carpenter who built the Bow Bog Meeting House, that it was used from 1847 through 1956, primarily for town meetings and the work of the selectmen.

Bow Rotary Celebrates 50 years of Service

For the Rotary year of July 2020, through June 2021, the Bow Rotary Club plans a series of events to celebrate its 50 years of existence and service in the Bow community. All Rotary Clubs are part of Rotary International, which covers not only the United States, but in 200 countries throughout the world with its 1.2 million members serving their respective communities in 35,000 Rotary Clubs.

Rotary International was started in 1905 by a Chicago attorney Paul Harris. His idea was to bring together business professionals with diverse backgrounds to exchange ideas and form meaningful friendships. Over time, Rotary’s purpose evolved into world-wide humanitarian service. Members of the Bow Rotary Club, the US, and around the world have a long track record of addressing challenges locally and globally.

The Bow Rotary Club welcomes new members throughout the year. If you are committed to community service and interested in learning more, please email our current Club President by clicking on his or her name under Club Executives & Directors in the left sidebar.