June/July Newsarticle

Rotary International has approximately 1.2 million members and over 35,000 clubs in almost every country across the globe.  “Rotary values diversity and celebrates the contributions of people of all backgrounds, regardless of their age, ethnicity, race, color, abilities, religion, socioeconomic status, culture, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity.”  We recognize that a diverse club leads to differing perspectives and ideas which lead to lasting change. See more information here: https://www.rotary.org/en/about-rotary/diversity-equity-and-inclusion

 

We know times are difficult right now, and there is a lot of pain, anger, grief, and confusion in our country.  We know our country has a lot to learn and implement to truly have peace and equality for all of our residents.  On June 2, 2020, Rotary International issued an official statement regarding the current state of affairs in our nation, and it is a message our club fully supports: 

 

 

Source: https://www.rotary.org/en/statement-rotary-international

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2020! Scituate Rotary extends special greetings to this year's class of outstanding young people who are finding their way through such unusual times. We applaud your cheerful perseverance and your flexibility as you exit high school days. We encourage your resilience as you plan for uncertain times ahead.

May is Rotary Youth Month around the world. Here at home, Scituate Rotary celebrates our local graduates. Our local club which serves the towns of Foster, Glocester and Scituate is pleased to announce the recipients of four scholarships to the Class of 2020, each award in the amount of two thousand dollars. Scholarship recipients Emma Giusti and Nicole Belanger are graduating from Scituate High School. Isabella Casamassima and Zoie Steinkamp will graduate from Ponaganset High School. Congratulations!!  We wish you all the best as you begin those steps toward your chosen life goals.

 

In April, Rotary District 7950 announced allocation of a $32,000.00 fund dedicated to assistance for food pantries and baby centers in the present crisis of food scarcity. Clubs within our District 7950, of which there are 65, became eligible to apply for a maximum grant of one thousand dollars. Scituate Rotary is extremely pleased to have received one of these grants in this very competitive climate of need. Treasurer Bill Vangel collaborated with Jean Grover who manages the area food pantry at Trinity Episcopal Church in Scituate to submit required paperwork. The Trinity food closet serves residents of Foster and Glocester as well as towns-people from Scituate. Scituate's application was not only successful but it resulted in receipt of a maximum award. The grant is especially helpful as it allows for a degree of flexibility in terms of best support for Trinity's program. Scituate Rotary welcomes this opportunity to further participate with the Trinity community whose generous support of Rotary projects over the years has been so gracious.

 

Rotary is pleased to announce that we will be working in conjunction with Frederickson Farms in Scituate to have more Thursday night summer concerts!  Any donations made at the concerts will go to support the playground fund.  During the concerts, all social distancing guidelines will be followed.  The concerts are held outside on the green next to the Café and Stove Shop, and there is plenty of space for people to relax.  Other than the café which is open during concerts to serve food, ice cream, and drink, Socrates Pizza recently opened (their pizza is delicious!), and Concetta’s Chocolates is also in the building where she sells handmade chocolates and gelato.  Please check out our ad and Facebook for a list of the musicians. 

 

With the impact of the coronavirus on our usual spring fundraisers, our member Jennifer Huff came up with the idea to do a virtual fundraiser.  Allie Morelli volunteered her time to teach a POP Pilates® class on May 16, with all proceeds going to the club. POP Pilates® is a fusion of strength and flexibility workout that can be done in bare feet on nothing but a yoga mat or the floor. There's absolutely no equipment needed (other than the mat), because all of the resistance work is done using your own bodyweight. POP Pilates is inspired by traditional pilates and yoga moves but choreographed to fun, upbeat, pop music.

 

Allie Morelli is a certified POP Pilates ® Instructor with over 15 years experience in dance. She is a Certified Community Health Worker as well as a graduate of University of Rhode Island’s Master of Public Administration, and Rhode Island College’s Health Care Administration and Gerontology program. Allie also has taught health and wellness workshops, and a beginners American Sign Language course.

 

On May 16, we had approximately 20 people take the hour-long virtual Zoom class.  Thanks for Allie’s donation of her time and expertise, we were able to raise about $200.00.  We are looking into doing other virtual and “social distancing friendly” fundraisers for the future.

 

We have been hard at work preparing the garden for this season.  Due to the weather getting in the way, we never quite got over to cleaning up from last season.  Luckily, in early March, members Heidi Morin and Jennifer Huff, as well as their children, Maddie Morin, and Brenden and Trent Huff, went over and cleaned up all of last year’s plantings and pulled up the worn weed guards, saving us a lot of time and energy. 

 

Over Memorial Day weekend, Treasurer Bill Vangel went to our garden and rotor-tilled it to prepare it for planting.  We then put down the weed guards.  The following weekend, over the course of two days, various club members, along with Edna Duffy, Bob Quattrocci, Edwina Quattrocchi, and Tony Farias, came out and planted all of our vegetables for the year.  Everything is growing very quickly and well, other than a few nibbles from a pesky rabbit (we’re reinforcing our fencing).

 

Our garden is used to grow vegetables which are then donated to local food pantries as a way to supplement the dried goods which are normally donated.  We typically grow tomatoes, beets, beans, eggplant, zucchinis, squash, and other vegetables.