NEEDHAM ROTARY NEWSLETTER 9-23-14
Needham Rotary welcomed District 7910 Governor Val Callahan who is in the midst of the DG's annual visitation of each Rotary club in the district. DG Callahan, a warm and gracious person, presented club president, Glen Davis, the 2014-15 Rotary banner which is a symbol of our current RI leader, President Gary C.K. Huang of Taipei, Taiwan.
This year's emphasis or focus is found in the slogan, "Light Up Rotary!" His favorite quote is from Confucius: "It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness."
What does "Light Up Rotary" mean? Gary C.K. Huang believes that we Rotarians go around doing good, helping people in need and building better communities around the world but "Shhhhhhh! Don't tell anyone!" Rotary is one of the best kept secrets in the world!
If we are to "build our brand," increase our membership, and generate more donations we can use to help more people, we need to publicize our efforts and tell our story in every community we operate.
(CONTINUED) That's why one of our new club committees is "Public Relations." Lois Sokol and Marty Lindemann chair it, and Jim Brown, Bill Paulson, Ron Sokol and Doug George are members. Any ideas you have to provide publicity and public awareness of our club and Rotary would be welcomed. We are privileged to be aided in telling our story by the weekly work of Jim Brown, Bulletin editor, and Bill Paulson, Facebook editor!
HERE COME THE DICTIONARIES!
DG Val Callahan also joined us in one of our biggest annual community service projects--the delivery of dictionaries to every third grader in the public schools of Needham! Before last week's meeting, several Needham Rotarians helped Dictionary Project Leader Bill Paulson put the names of a Needham student in the front of each book and sort and pack the books for each third grade classroom in each of the five Needham elementary schools.
HOORAY FOR THE DICTIONARY PACKING CREW AND LEADER BILL PAULSON!
This week Bill Paulson's crack team of dictionary deliverers sprung into action and began the fun part--go into the third grade classrooms and interact with more than 450 students as they receive their new dictionaries and as the kids learn a little about how to use them. One of the schools, Mitchell Elementary, received the dictionaries on Monday, September 29th!
One of the kids' favorite parts: funny faces!
Thanks to Ken Davis, Lois Sokol and Marty Lindemann for presenting at Mitchell. Thanks to those who did Broadmeadow!
Last week we also worked on planning some social activities for the year, beginning with a PIZZA AND BOWLING PARTY ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22nd AT NEEDHAM BOWLAWAY! Sign up now! Sign up family members! But do it no later than October 7th so we can reserve the lanes. Thanks to our social committee led by Chuck Buyer (below):
Finally, thanks to all who led the pledge, the harmonious singing, the prayer and the welcome of visitors! Some of the "Happy Dollars" were dedicated to: Great dictionaries and thanks to Bill (Kathy); Dictionary Project and to the great pancake breakfast team (Andy); welcome to DG Val (Ken); I am a new grandmother (DG Val); my anniversary celebration (Erica); Deb Donovan misses everyone here (Greg); for the Red Sox misery to have finally ended (Jim); Go Pats! (Darell); Happy Fall! (Tom); Thanks to whole dictionary team (Bill); Happy Dictionaries! (Lois and Ron); Looking forward to bowling with you all and Happy New Year (Rosh Hashanah) (Chuck); and "Today I win the drawing!" (Louise).
Remember to light up the world with your smile and with your financial support of the fight against polio! Remember World Polio Day on October 24th!
