Rotary International District 7910 Blog

2010 GSE team... Where are they headed??

2010-04-01T08:26:00.003-05:00

South Korea... That's where. You can follow their trip by visiting their blog http://www.gsesouthkorea2010.blogspot.com/. This years team is being lead by Valentine Callahan from the Worcester club.

Good Luck Val, we're all looking forward to reading your posts!

Ning Group.... What's that?

2009-04-05T09:10:00.006-05:00

We've created a Ning Group for District 7910 so.... What's a Ning group??

A Ning group is very similar to a Facebook account, only it's specific to a group. It's a way to connect with other members in the District to hear about events, share ideas, foster fellowship and a whole bunch of other great stuff.

If you haven't recieved an invite to join just click here to request membership. You'll need to be in District 7910 to join and at the moment I hold the only key. You can also find the link in the sidebar listed as District 7910 Ning group. Join today to see what's going on in your District.

Concord Club Joins the Blog Network

2009-03-19T13:52:00.002-05:00

The Concord club is now live on our social blog network. You can visit their blog at http://www.concordrotary.blogspot.com/ or by clicking on their name in the sidebar. Welcome Concord members, we look forward to reading about your club!

Thank you 2009 GSE Team!!

2009-03-11T15:44:00.004-05:00

Well, our 2009 GSE team is back from the Philippines and their blog readership has spread like a wild fire. Here are some stats taken from Sitemeter:

Visits
Total
1,031

Average Per Day
12

Average Visit Length
3:47

This Week
84

Page Views
Total
2,102

Average Per Day
28

Average Per Visit
2.3

This Week
193

They did the District proud on their trip and their posts on their blog has contributed volumes to the Distict 7910 Public Relations effort. Way to go team!!!

If you haven't seen their blog check them out at http://www.gsephilippines2009.blogspot.com/

Ayer Rotary Club joins the District Blog Network

2009-03-06T08:27:00.004-05:00

The Ayer Rotary club had me as a guest speaker at their dinner meeting last night. They are now members of the District blog network. You can read about their club activities at http://www.ayerrotary.blogspot.com/.

If you haven't had a chance to visit their club, you're missing a fun night. This is a lively bunch that really knows about fellowship. I felt very welcomed and they even let me win their raffel. If you're in need of a makeup, this is a great place. Welcome to the network!

Tyngsboro - Dunstable Club Joins the blog network

2009-03-06T08:24:00.002-05:00

Jill Lennon, member of the Merrimack Valley club, gave a presentation to the Tyngsboro - Dunstable club Thursday morning. The club's blog is now active and you can visit them at www.tdrotary.blogspot.com. Welcome !

Acton - Boxborough club joins the network

2009-03-04T19:39:00.001-05:00

I presented to the Acton - Boxborough club today and they're now live with their own blog. You can visit them at www.actonrotary.blogspot.com

GSE team winds up visit

2009-03-02T09:01:00.002-05:00

Well, the GSE team is winding up their visit and the posts on their blog have made quantum leaps in helping the district learn how blogs can connect our clubs. Great Job Doug and congratulations to the GSE Philippines team.

In case you missed it, I posted a link to the Rotary club of Kalibo on the GSE blog. There are additional posts about our team. You might get a different view on their visit by reading their posts. The link is http://rckalibo3850.blogspot.com/ or just visit the GSE Philippines blog.

Dracut Club joins the blog network

2009-02-24T19:09:00.003-05:00

The Dracut club is now live on our social blog network. You can visit their blog at www.dracutrotary.blogspot.com or by clicking on their name in the sidebar. Welcome Dracut members, we look forward to reading about your club!

Secret blogs!

2009-02-22T23:36:00.003-05:00

Are you a district blogger?? We have a new blog to help the new users of blogs in the district. Membership is by invite only so you need to contact Dan LeBlanc for access to the blog. This blog is a sharing forum for users where you can get advice and share ideas to really Funkify your blog. The Blog is www.7910blogger.blogspot.com.

Public Relations

2009-02-21T10:09:00.001-05:00

The Public Relations Team has a new blog site. Click on www.PR7910.blogspot.com to follow their work.

GSE Philippines blog

2009-02-21T08:12:00.005-05:00

If you've not seen the posts from the current Group Study Exchange (GSE) team, you're missing quite a lot. Its been two weeks since their departure and so far it's been the experience of a lifetetime.

As of this post there have been 1421 page views on thier blog and many of these views are right here in Massachusetts. Great work! You can access their link on the NortheastLink blog or by clicking http://gsephilippines2009.blogspot.com/.

MV Rotary's Job Show TV Show Begins To Come Together

2009-02-21T07:55:00.003-05:00

Shown are some of the crew of The New England Job Show as they are editing some of the hours of footage that was taken outside of the studio. The rest of the Show will be shot in the studio at Chelmsford, Massachusetts and will be ready for airing soon. The Show is sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club. For more information write to thejobshow@gmail.com

Lowell Club Joins the Blog Network

2009-02-20T15:23:00.002-05:00

The Lowell club has joined he blog network and has begun making posts. You can read all about their project and club news a www.lowellrotary.blogspot.com .

First District Governor with a blog

2009-02-13T18:45:00.002-05:00

Klaus Hachfeld is the first sitting District Governor with a blog. You can read all about his role as Governor by visiting http://www.klaushachfeld.blogspot.com/ or clicking on his name in the sidebar.

2009-02-11T12:22:00.001-05:00

Dan LeBlanc was the guest speaker at the Chelmsford club this week and Chelmsford has joined the growing network of district bloggers. The new blog is up and running. You can visit them at www.chelmsfordrotary.blogspot.com or click on their link in the sidebar.

Merrimack Valley Rotary Club To Sponsor Job Hunting TV Show

2009-02-07T19:10:00.005-05:00

The Merrmack Valley Rotary is sponsoring and creating a television show to help people who are unemployed find work.The show will be manned by people who are unemployed and will feature experts in the job hunting process giving valuable tips on the challenges that the unemployed face.

The show will also give individuals who are unemployed the opportunity to give a 30 second free commercial about themselves in the hopes that an employer will find them and hire them.

The show will be taped locally and will be shared with cable stations throughout the area. There will be two half hour shows each month that will be aired several times throughout the month.
Shown is a picture from the first planning session at the Chelmsford TV studio, where the show will be produced. Matt Scott, station manager, is shown giving the crew an overview of TV show production.

For more information contact mvrotary@gmail.com.

Carol Toomey's new blog

2009-02-03T20:29:00.009-05:00

Carol has joined us in the blogging world and will be making posts as she starts her term as our next District Governor. Follow her year on her blog http://www.caroltoomey.blogspot.com/

Banning Rotary

2009-02-03T20:29:00.008-05:00

I was given this article by fellow Rotarian and thought I'd share it here. It's hard to imagine that Rotary and Lions clubs would be banned from any country but a conservative Muslim group in Indonesia is calling for just that.

There lies a huge opportunity to educate the world about the many, many wonderful things that are accomplished through Rotary and other civic organizations. One can understand the hatred towards the United States given the events over the last ten years. I've seen many Rotary dollars and hours spent in countries around the world without regard to religion or political beliefs. Rotary may have been started in the United States and be headquartered in Chicago, but it truly is an International Organization with leaders from around the world.

I hope that these Islamists can rationalize this and participate in the many programs to save and better those less fortunate. The URL to the story is http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=14380&geo=5&theme=8&size=A , http://www.indonesiamatters.com/3881/zionist-movement/ . It's a sad day when people publicize half truths to push an agenda.

Bedford Club Joins the Virtual Network

2009-01-27T15:02:00.002-05:00

Dan LeBlanc, Jill Lennon and Ken Masson were guest speakers at the Bedford club today and Bedford has joined the growing network of district bloggers. The new blog is up and running. You can visit them at www.bedfordrotary.blogspot.com or click on their link in the sidebar.

Gift of Life NE - Urgent Need

2009-01-23T14:43:00.004-05:00

THIS IS URGENT ! Please consider how you can help. This is an excellent program, with many children saved by our district Rotarians. Ted Shaughnessy (see below) can give you contacts for clubs and Rotarians who have had this excellent experience.

DG Klaus

Host needed to save life of 3.5 year old Jaada from BelizeGift of Life NE needs a host family/club for 3.5 year old Jaada and her mom from Belize who are coming here for life saving open heart surgery on March 2.

Belize is English speaking. Surgery is March 2 at MA General Hospital in Boston and pre-op is Feb 25. Jaada and mom will both stay in the hospital from March 2-9 or so . Then go back for a follow up a week later another follow up a week latter and possibly ( not common) a third follow up another week later. So they will be with the host from about Feb 24 - March 2 and back around March 9 through late March. Hosting can be shared with others too.Please consider opening your heart and home so Jaada can measure her life span in decades rather than days. This will be a life altering experience for the hosts too.YOU can make a difference. Yes you can. Gift of Life NE is a project of Rotary District 7910. See our website www.golne.org Other kids will be coming later too so be sure to contact Ted if you will consider hosting at any time.

Contact Ted Shaughnessy, for more information or to discuss hosting.Email: tedshaughnessy@golne.org617-957-3461 cell781-449-4876h781-449-2320w

Westford Club joins the network!

2009-01-22T17:19:00.002-05:00

The Westford club now has a blog and is part of our virtual social network. The URL is www.westfordrotary.blogspot.com and a link is posted in the sidebar under neighboring clubs. Sign up for their newsletter to hear about all the great things happening in their club.

Gotta love Gates !

2009-01-22T15:44:00.003-05:00

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded US$255 million to Rotary International in the global effort to eradicate polio, bringing the total committed by Rotary and the Gates Foundation to $555 million.

http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/090121_news_gates255milliongrant2009ia.aspx

Blog Networking presentation

2009-01-22T07:49:00.005-05:00

Dan LeBlanc and Ken Masson of the Merrimack Valley Area Rotary club will be making their first presentation today on creating blogs and networking the district. The Westford club has graciously invited us in as guest speakers.

Want to join in the fun?? The Westford Club meets at the Westford Grille in Westford at 12:15. Hope to see you there!

The unemployed - an opportunity

2009-01-18T19:38:00.006-05:00

Given the growing numbers of unemployed people (myself included), there lies a huge opportunity for a vocational project. What better way to publicize Rotary, help businesses grow and help people find work.

The Merrimack Valley area club is working on a networking event that answers these needs. A new blog has been created and is gaining ground around the world. Check out http://www.rotaryinmotion.blogspot.com/ to see what they're up to.

4 Corners

2009-01-12T16:36:00.003-05:00

It's been quite some time since this blog was created and we've had visitors from the 4 corners of the world, 1500 + according to sitemeter. Visitors have viewed from Pakistan, Australia, Alaska, Tanzania and more.

To see where our readers are coming from click on the sitemeter icon at the bottom of this page. Once the site opens up, search by world map and then select the last 100 visitors to see the most recent.

District 7910 is getting the word out.

2009 - Year of the blog

2009-01-12T13:36:00.003-05:00

Ken Masson and I have begun to set up meetings with various clubs in the Merrimack Valley Area for our presentation and vision on blog networking. So far Merrimack Valley, Westford, Chelmsford, Lowell, Billerica and Bedford have booked us as guest speakers.

Our goal is to have the clubs of the Merrimack Valley area linked together through a network of blogs by March 1st this year. We will approach other clubs once we've established this base. If your club has interest in creating their own blog and connecting before then, we'd be more than happy to be your guest speaker.

Let's make 2009 the year of the Rotary blog network!

Merrimack Valley Rotary club jumpstarts the economy

2009-01-06T13:52:00.005-05:00

Answering the need of businesses and the people of our district, the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club http://www.mvrotary.blogspot.com/ is developing a monthly network night to help jumpstart the economy. Our goal is to help people and businesses connect for jobs and additional work to bridge the current economic downturn. This vocational project is expected to branch out to other clubs seeking to participate through their own network events. Visit our newest blog at http://www.rotaryinmotion.blogspot.com/ and sign up on Feedblitz to learn more.

Regards,

Dan

New blogs & posts

2009-01-06T08:43:00.004-05:00

The GSE team is up and running, only 31 days before departure. Max has really gotten the blog bug and is making posts on the different events happening pre trip.

A new blog was just created for Matylda Tomaszczyk http://mtomaszczyk.blogspot.com/ . She'll be posting her experiences from Poland once settled.

If you'd like to learn more about where your Foundation dollars go, here's an opportunity to see it in action. Sign up for Feedblitz on both blogs to follow their experiences.

2008-12-23T22:57:00.002-05:00

This years GSE team to the Philippines now has a blog. Follow their experiences at www.gsephilippines2009.blogspot.com.

District 7910 Communications Network

2008-12-08T17:10:00.001-05:00

Testing a new tool for online collaboration. Check out my vision for a virtual social network utilizing blogs as a communication conduit.

District 7910 Communications Network

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own.

Blog presentations

2008-11-19T11:39:00.002-05:00

Dan LeBlanc and Ken Masson of the Merrimack Valley club will be putting together a presentation for clubs interested in developing their own club blog and connecting to the district. We will be rolling the presentation out to neighboring clubs in December.

If you would like us to visit as a speaker, please contact us via the district website. If you have WiFi access we can give you a live demonstration of blogs and possibly help your club develop it on the spot.

District Social networks continue to grow

2008-10-30T09:54:00.003-05:00

The two social network site for the District continue to gain new members. LinkedIn is now up to 14 District members. If you have a LinkedIn account, please join the group "district 7910" to meet up with other district members. Typically, LinkedIn is for professional connections.

Facebook is the other network that seems to have caught on with more fevor. I created a new group this morning which can be accessed here http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=42217610849.

Community Teamwork, Inc. recognizes local Rotary clubs

2008-10-22T21:52:00.004-05:00

The Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell, Merrimack Valley, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro/Dunstable and Westford Rotary Clubs were honored by Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI) at the 15th annual Evening with Local Heroes. District Governor Klaus Hachefeld joined the club presidents for reciept of the presigeous President's Award and stood in for a brief photo opportunity with the attending club presidents. All clubs were represented at the event and it was nice to see recognition from the community on the many projects that these clubs contribute to each year.

Congratulations on a job well done!

2009 Group Study Exchange to the Phillipines

2008-10-01T09:13:00.000-05:00

District 7910 will be hosting a Group Study Exchange (GSE) team to and from the Phillipines this year. Applications for a team leader and four team members are now being requested. If you know of a non-Rotarian between the ages of 25 and 40 that would benefit from a once in lifetime experience, learning about another culture, here's their opportunity. Have them contact a District 7910 Rotarian today.

What's in a blog...

2008-09-22T18:02:00.003-05:00

OK... we've defined what a blog is, the difference between blogs and websites and that blogs will play a crucial role in the district for years to come. So what's in a blog?

There are many blog Widgets that can easily be inserted to give life and personality to your club's or groups blog. The hardest thing is decide on what to include. Remember, appropriate and thoughtful Widgets will increase readership and induce repeat visits.

Here are Widgets that should be included in every club blog:

Feedblitz - enables the reader to subscribe to your articles that get posted. This turns your blog into an electronic newsletter.

A site language translator - Google provides a blog and website translator that works very well. Remember, your blog will be viewed by the world, not just club members. Why not allow the world to see what you're doing?

Links to other blogs and websites.

Other widgets are available through Google such as the video bar and metric sites such as Sitemeter that will give you optional functionality that makes your blog more interesting.

You're only limited by imagination!!

Networks and blogging - a Vision for our future

2008-09-17T11:10:00.008-05:00

There are so many wonderful things that this District does that go unrecognized by the general public and even our own clubs. Over the last 5 years I've heard the same story and as I travelled from club to club as an Assistant Governor the resounding reply was " I didn't know that" or "How do I find out how to ..." . What occurred to me is that we need a stronger communications network that ties in all the clubs, the District, the Foundation and associated programs while at the same time giving each and every member in our District a voice. Technology has given us the opportunity to bring Rotary communication to a whole new level.

As mentioned in my previous post, blogs are a excellent way for clubs to gain public exposure, recruit new members, chronicle club activities, inform current members and link themselves to other clubs in the area, as well as the District.

Linking the clubs and the District via hyperlinks serves a number of benefits to our District. First and most importantly our placement on Internet searches when people surf the net. The more links we generate, the higher our placement becomes with various search engines. This is how you generate readership and subsequently generate a readership on all the activities and programs we develop. This will translate into a larger membership and greater fundraising potential.

My vision of an inter-District blog network is incredibly simple and will generate a quantum leap in club communications. First things first. We need to have each and every club within 7910 develop a blog of their own and post on a semi regular basis. Next, each of these blogs need to be hyperlinked to and from the District Blog. Concurrently, each club blog should be hyperlinked to a neighboring club which will complete the District network. Once this is complete all members can easily view the activities of a neighboring club for ideas, support and membership escalation. To the public, it will show the cohesiveness of the District.

My next post will detail the content needs of a club blog and some additional products that will enable the clubs to get a running start for the future.

Dan

What's a blog??

2008-09-17T11:10:00.007-05:00

Soo... sometimes a restart is required to allow people to grasp a concept. I apologize to those who have been listening to me speak over the months about blogs , what they can do for the District, clubs and groups affiliated with Rotary. In my diligence it appears that my readers don't understand the differences between blogs and websites. Since the differences can be a conceptual it will be easier to describe what a blog is and isn't, so here it goes:

First off a blog is short for Web Log or in layman's terms an electronic diary. An excellent example of a blog in the district is the Merrimack Valley's blog which chronicles events that occur among the membership.

A blog is an ongoing dialog of events, pictures, references and links which are stored in reverse chronological order.

A blog is designed to stimulate a dialog with it's readership. This is opposite of a website which has static information available for download.

Blogs are normally maintained by many authors and readers and allow for comments, websites are maintained typically by a single Webmaster, designed to deliver information only. Comments can only go to the Webmaster, not the site.

Blogs are an intricate part to modern public relations.

Blogs do not require specific knowledge to design, maintain or distribute, whereas Websites do!!

There are many things that blogs are or blogging is. One thing for certain is that a blog is different for every user, topic or objective. The importance of blogs and the rapid pace in which they are growing in usage is undeniable. It's growth is far outpacing Websites and will continue for many years to come.

In a few days I will share my vision of blog networking for the district and how your club can get started with blogging. It's simple, it's fun and it's important for the growth of the District and membership as a whole.

Dan

Technology team virtually meets again.

2008-09-15T19:34:00.002-05:00

Once again the team did an online conference and the main topic was again online registrations for district events. The challenge at hand is offering multiple choices to registrants. The example is for meal selections. Currently, Club Runner is not set up to accept this type of registration but other services such as www.Regonline.com could offer a solution without investment of thousands of dollars.

Brief discussions about the Billboards and locations were discussed. Multiple points were made about the layout of the entry page of the district website. A 3 person group has been selected by Klaus to review and make changes to streamline the look of the site.

Are you LinkedIn??

2008-07-29T09:57:00.007-05:00

Are you the missing link?? District 7910 now has it's own LinkedIn group which is now open all members of District 7910. If you're a current member on the District website and request to join the group, I'll approve your membership.

To access, go to the groups section and do a search on "Rotary District 7910". Let's get connected!!

District Technology team virtually meets again...

2008-07-21T18:35:00.004-05:00

The usual cast of characters met again to continue the discussions about advancing the communication technologies of the district.

The meeting started on the topic of improving the registration issues and better utilizing Club Runner to handle the cash flow. The discussion included using Paypal to minimize the paper transactions and District follow up on overdue balances. The registration forms would need to be kept simple since modifications would be expensive to modify. Decision was made to implement Paypal on the District site for registration.

Steve Von Lichtenberg is working to update the District membership database. Many of the member emails are not yet listed on the District website club sections. If the members took care of their own information updates the task could be completed in short order. Some members are still having issues logging into Club Runner, others feel it's the club Secretary's role. This has been a challenge across the District for years. These updates will enable an accurate District membership directory going forward.

A breif discussion ensued about the value of LinkedIn and Facebook. Social networking will benefit the District in the short term and a LinkedIn group has been created to help District members connect. Check out District 7910 on LinkedIn groups to join. Blogs will play an increasing role in the District technology plan. Education through webinars and possible the District assembly will be given to help publicize the clubs of the District.

Next virtual meeting will be in 3 weeks.

District technology team kick off meeting

2008-07-10T19:50:00.003-05:00

The kick off meeting of the District 7910 Technology Team took place this evening. Greg Roche, PDG lead the teleconference meeting in an effort to streamline the District communications and to bring 7910 to the front as a technology leader within Rotary International.

Topics discussed included; Broader use of the district website as a registration tool to better manage district events, database management, expanding the use of teleconferencing, webinars for website training of the clubs, extension of the use of blogs as a communication tool to its members, and email rules standardization.

Next teleconference is set of July 21 at 7:30pm in the comfort of your home. Join us...

District 7910 Conference Had It All!

2008-05-04T18:24:00.002-05:00

In between the meetings and the food, Rotarians had some fun at their District 7910 Confer enc. Shown are Sumo Wrestling and Wii events

Bicycle Ride To Raise Funds For Rotary Foundation

2008-04-05T07:28:00.011-05:00

Ralph Hammond, PDG, District 7910 is the driving force behind an upcoming Pan District Challenge designed to raise funds for the Rotary Foundation.

The first part of this semiannual event will take place in Eastern Massachusetts on May 17, 2008. Ralph recently told the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club that the bicycle riding event will have two starting points. One is in Sturbridge and the other is in Gardner.

Both bike routes will cover all the towns where there are Rotary Clubs in District 7910 and will finish off in Needham. Clubs can sponsor riders (both Rotarian and nonrotarian) to take part in this event by contributing $100 per rider to the Rotary Foundation. In addition, to Rotary Clubs sponsoring riders, there are a number of opportunities for corporate sponsor.

For more information: http://www.rotary7910.org/

Shonda Schilling to Speak at the District Conference

2008-03-16T16:37:00.003-05:00

Shonda Schilling, founder of The Shade Foundation will be the keynote at the Saturday night District Conference Dinner on May 3rd. For those of you not familiar with Shonda, she's also the wife of Curt Schilling of the Boston Red Sox. Get your reservations early, it's sure to be a sell out event.

Merrimack Valley Rotarian Carl Good Talks About His Rotary Trip To Bangladesh

2008-02-16T10:20:00.004-05:00

Merrimack Valley Rotarian Carl Good, fresh off his Rotary trip to Bangladesh, told the MV Club members that his three week excursion was an experience of a lifetime. He said that all of the 17 Rotarians that were with him all paid, their own way for the trip, which was designed to help rid the area of polio.

Inoculation Day

He told the group that the area had been Polio free since August 2000. But in 2006 there were 18 cases, which they believe were the cause of people coming in the area from India who had polio. While there, Carl took part in an Polio Inoculation Day which involved 700,000 volunteer inoculating 24 million children, all in one day.

Centre For Children

While there Carl took a special interest in a Centre For Children With Special Needs in Madanpur. The Centre, which is a project of the Rotary Club of Banani Dhaka provides rehab services to children in the area who have various disabilities. The objectives of the Center include:

To provide community based rehabilitation

To train parents to take care of their children with disability

To impact a socially compatible living to children with disabilities

To change the attitude of the community toward children with disability

To establish school and vocational institutions

The organization of services for these children depend on both community based and institutional approaches to rehabilitation. The main work is to take the service for these children to their doorsteps so that mothers can avail it more easily. They have 40 children enlisted.

Support Is Needed
The Merrimack Valley Rotary, under Carl's direction and vision will help this organization by raising funds through the Club's own efforts and then to apply for Matching Grants. Anyone interested in helping us with these efforts can contact the Club by either writing to mvrotary@gmail.com or by calling Club President Ken Masson at (978) 446-9366.

Rotary Bangladesh Polio Trip Presentation, Jan. 23

2007-12-31T13:10:00.000-05:00

YOU ARE INVITED!

January 23, 7:15 - 8:30 AM

Skips Restaurant, Chelmsford

Rotarians and nonrotarians alike are welcome to come hear Carl Good's presentation on his recent Rotary trip to India and Bangladesh. Carl went there with 17 other Rotarians from the United States, Canada, and Europe to help give out polio immunizations. Carl has photos and videos on what he calls " one of the best trips of his life."
Carl will make the presentation at the January 23 meeting of the Merrimack Valley Rotary. We are a breakfast group that meets at 7:15 AM at Skips Restaurant in Chelmsford. Breakfast is $11:00.

For more information contact Club president Ken Masson at 978-446-9366 or by writing to mvrotary@gmail.com

For all of Carl's reports from his trip, visit the MV Rotary blog at http://mvrotary.blogspot.com/

MVR's Carl Good Is One Of 700,000 Volunteers In Bangladesh Who Are Immunizing Children

2007-12-12T18:49:00.000-05:00

Carl Good's latest report from Bangladesh

Hi,
Others are waiting to use the computer so this will be short. We have finished our program in Bangladesh and will fly to Calcutta tomorrow for more visits to hospitals, orphanages and a hospice that was run by mother Teressa. The experience has been fantastic. I have stayed with a Vet. who is a Rotary member and president of his club to minimize expenses. During the day we would do the immunizations.
The first day the whole country was tackled seeking out every child under 5. This required 700,000 volunteers!!! Has any thing like this ever been done in the US?

Our group is a small part but Rotary in Bangladesh is the major driver and participant in this program. Before the NIDs one in 20 children in Bangladesh had polio. For four years due to this program, there were none. Then, several cases were seen in 2006 that were imported from India. Since then there has been none. The only way to keep polio in check is to make sure that the children continue to be immunized. We have met with WHO and UNICEF leaders in Bangladesh. They are expanding the program to other childhood immunizations.

The pictures attached show me doing an immunization, the cooler carried by the volunteers and paid ($1.30 per day) workers, some of the children in a slum being helped and the Rotary family that have put me up an taken care of me during my visit. Bangladesh is full of people. I have so much more to show and tell but time is limited tonight so this is it. My going was spur of the moment decision but one of the best decisions I ever made.

MVR Carl Good Reports On Polio Immunization Activites In Bangladesh

2007-12-10T17:40:00.001-05:00

Merrimack Valley Rotary's Carl Good's latest posting from Bangladesh.....

Hi,

Everything is going very well and the people have been extremely friendly. I should mention the great work done by our two leaders, Dave Groner (Michigan) and Ann Lee Hussey (Maine). They have been on over 10 of these Rotary polio immunization programs including sites in Africa and India. For these efforts each participant pays his or her own way to work in what can be dangerous environments.On Sat. the 8th we did the main immunization participating in the Bangladesh National Immunization Day where they try to immunize every child under 5 in the whole country.

They have immunization booths with a small cooler containing a few vials of vaccine all over the country, many staffed by local Rotary members. The organization is very impressive. There was a time not too long ago when one child in 20 had polio in this country. Before last year, due to this program they had several years in which the country was polio free. Last year however, polio was imported from India and a few cases were identified.I immunized children at several booths staffed by local rotary members and others.

The process is simple as one just squeezes two drops of oral vaccine in to the open mouth of the recipient. A lot of our job is to give the NID participants our support, encourage their efforts and sort of show the flag. I believe that we are the first American Rotary group to participate with the program in Bangladesh. Sunday the 9th I went house to house with a couple of young girls, Sumi and Lizu, (18 yrs old) looking for children that were missed on the NID (National Immunization Day). They are paid about $1.30 a day.

The purpose of the house to house effort is to find and immunize children that were missed on the NID. We would go to an apartment complex or slum and knock on every door to see if there was a child inside that had not been immunized and ask if there were other children in the building.After a home had been visited the girls would write the date and our team number on their door with chalk to indicate that the location had been visited. Some doors still had the chalk mark from the last visit earlier in the year. Most children at our locations had been immunized but I did another 6 in this effort. This clean up program lasts 4 days but is only done in the morning. Our base was a women’s health clinic that was also a polio immunization site. After our immunizing I talked to the director who showed me her small laboratory that does HIV tests along with a few other types of test such as pregnancy.To my very pleasant surprise they were using the Capillus rapid HIV test developed by one of my groups at Cambridge Biotech in the 90s. It was very fulfilling to see this product now made by Trinity Biotech in Ireland helping people half way around the world.

In the afternoon we drove out of Dhaka and visited a weaving plant owned by a Rotary member, a Bangladesh Rotary financed free housing project on a river and a Bangladesh Rotary financed arsenic free water system at a boy’s orphanage. This trip shows one what poverty really is. In the evening we had a dinner with the district president and other Rotary members. I went in native dress. Today, the 10th, we did house to house immunizations again, I worked with the same two girls. Each was dressed in a sari that would make you think that they were well to do.However, after our work was complete I visited Sumi’s home, an apartment, that was very small and seemed to house a number of people. We would consider it a slum.

I gave the children gifts and enjoyed some tea while we talked. By the way, most of the people are very clean but their homes and living environment is not. In the afternoon we visited a free woman’s hospital hearing a presentation and seeing some of the wards. It was minimal. They provide each mother with a plastic ware table setting and food box when they go home. The food box, enough for a few days, is provided once a month for 4 months. They hope to provide more food in the future.One must remember that this is the capital of the country and that things are worse outside the cities. I am on a dial up connection and cannot send any pictures but will do that at a later date. This is sad because the pictures really tell the story.

All the best Carl

MVR's Carl Good Continues Polio Project

2007-12-06T22:28:00.001-05:00

Today we visited the WHO polio headquarters in Delhi and heard a presentation from the head of the program. Then we went to the airport and flew to Dhaka Bangladesh. They said that we had to be at the airport 3 hours before the flight and they were not kidding. The process took a long time. The baggage limitation was less on this flight than the international flight so we had to pay ~$350 in excess baggage fees. But we are now in a hotel in Dhaka and tomorrow will go to the homes of Rotary members who will host us for the rest of our stay in Bangladesh.

The trip from the airport was similar to that in Delhi with incredible traffic and many beggars who would attack our bus when we were caught at a light or stopped by traffic. However, here many we selling popcorn. I didn't know that it was so popular here. Many of the buses and taxes run on compressed natural gas as in Delhi to reduce pollution.

Flying in it was amazing that there was so much water considering that we are about 200km from the shore. This is certainly a wet country.

During each immunization effort 176 million children are immunized in 3-4 days
200 million houses visited
1.1 million house to house teams
2.7 million vaccinators deployed
155,00 supervisors deployed
800,000 booths set up

This is indeed a massive effort that is done several times a year, partially because of the high birth rate in the effected areas which are primarily in the north of the country. The country of India is now bearing about 70 % of the cost which was not the case in the past.
since the program started the incidence of polio has been reduced 99% but it still exists.

Rotary has contributed over 633 million dollars to the world wide effort over the years not to mention the in country and visiting Rotary volunteers that have participated in the program at their own expense.

The Gates matching grant of 100 million is large but not as large as what has already been contributed by Rotary members.

Carl Good Meets Polio Patients In Bangladesh

2007-12-05T18:13:00.000-05:00

Latest post from Carl Good's blog.....pictured is Carl with some heart repair patients. Carl is from the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club.

Hi all,

Today we started out with an orientation meeting in the hotel lobby with more cautions with regard to the immunization process and our own intestinal health. While I am optimistic about the immunizations, my intestinal health may be another matter. We were told to bring our own toilet paper as well as avoiding anything that is not bottles or is steaming hot. Tomorrow we start by visiting the World Health Organization headquarters in Delhi and then fly to Dhaka. Tomorrow night will be in a hotel but from then on we will be staying at the home of a Rotary member in Bangladesh. There will be 2.4 million immunizations using the oral Sabin vaccine in this effort with the participation of 4,000 local Rotary members from 52 clubs. Our group will be doing some of the immunizations which require us to get the drops into the child's mouth.After our orientation meeting this morning we were bussed to the Escorts Heart Institute that has Rotary support and met with doctors and patients. For children the most common operation is closing a hole between the two sides of the heart which costs about $1,600. A man from the Netherlands was there who funds one operation a month from his own funds. Rotary provides support through the "Gift of Life" project. It is amazing how many Rotary clubs there are in India and Bangladesh and how active they are in this and the polio immunization program.In the afternoon we went to St. Stephens Hospital, the oldest in India, and visited the polio ward, talks to patients and doctors. It is heart wrenching to see these deformed children knowing that the disease is preventable. The hospital performs surgery to correct some of the deformity and provides braces and training for dealing with the disease. Again, Rotary provides support and most of the costs are not borne by the patients many of whom cannot afford the trip to Delhi for treatment. The program is being extended to outlying hospitals. In Bangladesh polio has been eradicated but has come back due to transmission from Nigeria through Pakistan and India. I suppose that the organizers scheduled this hospital visit so that we could see what happens if immunizations are not carried out. An interesting tidbit is that many children have chronic diarrhea which since the vaccine contains live virus and sanitation is poor, the immunized can actually provide immunizations to those they come in contact with that have not been officially immunized.

MVR' Carl Good Arrives In India

2007-12-04T18:20:00.000-05:00

Below is Carl Good's, Merrimack Valley Rotary, first posting from his trip to Bangladesh. Carl is in India as of December 4. The report below is from his Blog.

After much snow, wind, earlier flight and harry landing in Newark, part of the group assembled for the flight to Delhi. Others are coming from Canada and Europe on separate flights. The guy next to me on the Boeing 777 flight to India was a native who is living in Albany NY for his children's education and returns to his home in Delhi three times a year. Soon he will go back for good.The 14 hr flight was pleasant as was the bus to the hotel. We all got wreaths of real marigolds. However, Delhi has a significant pollution problem with odder and haze. Supposedly it is much better than before. Tomorrow we have an orientation, WHO meeting and a hospital visit. The plan is to fly to Bangladesh the day after tomorrow to start work on vaccinations. All the best

MVR's Carl Good Heads To Bangladesh

2007-12-01T17:43:00.001-05:00

Best of luck to Merrimack Valley Rotary member Carl Good, who is leaving with 17 Rotarians from the United States, Canada and Europe to Bangladesh on December 3. He will be in Bangladesh for two weeks immunizing for polio in that area. This project is funded by each individual and they will be staying with other Rotarians in the area to help defray costs.
Eradicatin of Polio is one of Rotary International's major projects and Bangladesh is one of the last area's in the world were cases of polio still exist.
The four countries including Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, are still considered polio-endemic.
Two hundred and ten countries, territories and areas are now polio-free (including China), and 134 of these, which contain half the world’s population, have been certified polio-free by independent commissions.
Our hopes and prayers are with Carl and the other Rotarians who are taking on this important mission.
May it be a tremendous success!

Help The Environment & The Community!

2007-11-03T10:25:00.000-05:00

The Merrimack Valley Rotary Club is involved in an ink cartridge recycling program.

The program both helps the environment and local charities. It helps the environment because ink cartridges contaminate the ground and take decades to decay. It helps local charities because each cartridge the Rotary recycles, the Club earns funds which it will give back to local charities.

How can you help? Instead of throwing away empty cartridges from your printer, fax machine and desktop copier, send them or save them for The Merrimack Valley Rotary. We’ll take it from there. We will recycle the cartridges through the FundingFactory to earn funds for the community.

Last year alone, more than 300 million cartridges were thrown away. We’re alleviating the volume of waste that goes into landfills, while doing something positive for the community.

If you have any questions about this great opportunity, please feel free to call the Merrimack Valley Rotary at 978-446-9366 or e-mail us at mvrotary@gmail.com.

Another Success Story!!

2007-10-21T08:33:00.000-05:00

The Merrimack Valley club hosted another wildley successful Antiques Appraisal night last Wednesday. Stuart Whitehurst of the popular "Antiques Roadshow" put on another fabulous performance keeping us entertained and educated for the entire evening. Many interesting articles were evaluated with one painting believed to have a value of up to $50,000. What a surprise this was for the owner.

We plan to have another show in the Spring. As usual, this event was a sell out. Keep an eye out for the next one. This is a big hit!!

A Little Reading

2007-10-02T09:34:00.000-05:00

I had the eye-opening pleasure of attending the Rotary International Conference in Copenhagen and Malmo in June 2006. If you haven't attended an RI Conference, put in on your life list. Seeing the breadth of our interests and projects is breath-taking and mind-boggling. But I began to wonder: what makes a project work?

At a workshop at the conference, I heard a great deal of discussion about the successes and failures of projects, and about the desire not to have to reinvent the wheel when implementing them. Resources for avoiding reinvention are available, of course - the RI website reports success stories, for one.

But for broader background, I'd like to recommend some books - The End of Poverty, by Jeffrey Sachs, and The White Man's Burden, Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good, by William Easterly. These two books will give you some some very different views, but both are great food for thought. I'd like to know of other titles any of you out there would like to recommend, and this is my modest contribution to what might be a useful book list.

Now we just need some time to read!

WHAT'S THAT LAMP WORTH? MAYBE THIS NIGHT WILL BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY!

2007-10-01T22:36:00.000-05:00

Imagine finding out that you have an item that is worth $30,000 - $50,000. That is what happened at the last Antiques Appraisal Night hosted by the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club. Who knows what treasures will be discovered at the next Antiques Appraisal night to be held on October 17 from 7-9 PM at the Tewksbury Hospital Old Chapel, on East Street in Tewksbury.
The event features Skinner’s appraiser Stuart Whitehurst of the famed Antiques Roadshow and is being held to raise much needed funds for equine therapy programs at T.H.E. FARM in Tewksbury.
T.H.E. FARM is a non-profit organization that provides therapeutic equestrian programs for the clients of the Tewksbury Hospital, as well as public riding programs and special events to individuals of all abilities. T.H.E. FARM is dedicated to providing a safe environment where therapeutic and equine education comes first.
“Certainly that valuable item was the extreme of the items that were brought to the last event, said Merrimack Valley Rotary President Ken Masson. “But there were other surprises such as paintings that were found in the trash that turned up worth several hundreds of dollars.”
Residents who have such items stored away in their closet, attics, and basements are urged to purchase a ticket to the show and find out just how much of a treasure they have. Appraisals are $20 and general admission is $10. For more information contact Ken Masson at
978-446-9366 or by writing to MVRotary@gmail.com.

Ahoy Mates!

2007-09-17T17:08:00.000-05:00

Come one come all as th' Merrimack Valley Rotary Club celebrates Talk Like A Pirate Day! Be havin' fun, learn new things, be th' talk o' yer neighborhood. September 19, Skip's Restaurant. 7: 15 AM......everyone be invited! Arrrrrrrr!

MVR HOLDS APPRAISAL NIGHT FOR T.H.E. FARM

2007-09-12T23:02:00.000-05:00

Tickets are now available for the Merrimack Valley Rotary's upcoming Antiques Appraisal Night which will be held October 17 from 7 - 9pm, at the Tewskbury Hopital Old Chapel on East Street in Tewksbury. This event is sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club and proceeds will go to the therapeudic equestrian programs at T.H.E FARM. Interested people can contact any club member for tickets to the show. Admission is $10 and if you'd like to have your item appraised, there is a $20 appraisal fee for admission and appraisal. Appraisals must be pre-paid and registered by calling (978) 446-9366. Seats are limited as are the number of appraisals. Also planned is a 50/50 raffle and light refreshments will be available. We have lots of interest so far, this one will be a sell out. Get your tickets early!!

DG Gregs first official meeting with Assitant Governors

2007-09-10T20:29:00.000-05:00

Greg held his first official meeting with this year Assistant Governors. Also in attendance were DGN Klaus Hachfeld and DGE Carol Toomey. The meeting was held Sept 5th at the Westside Grill in Northborough, MA

To date Greg has completed 43 visits and is on track with his objectives for his year as Governor. He expressed his desire to make this years District Conference a real success by having more clubs participate in the event next May.

Klaus made a plea for the Nov. 3rd UN trip in New York City. He's still looking for district Rotarians to take advantage of the event. Klaus also reminded us about the Northeast link conference coming up on Sept. 28th. The event is free to Rotarians but there is a nominal charge for the meals.

Carol gave us an update on the District Public Relations that she's overseeing. The drive is on for new members and general publicity for the district.

Amazing Years Of Service Records!

2007-08-27T17:29:00.000-05:00

Recently this blog reported on a Rotarian in Tallahassee who had accomplished 73 years in a row without missing a meeting. The question was then asked, "who holds the record for the most consecutive years in the District without missing a meeting? "

Here are two people who certainly could claim that title.

Leonard White

Leonard White of the Auburn Rotary Club joined the Club in 1944. And still has perfect attendance. That is 63 yeas without missing a meeting!

Bob Mead

Bob Mead join the Bedford Rotary Club in 1957 and has never missed a meeting. That is an amazing 50 years without missing a meeting.

We are not certain if these are the record holders in the District. But whether they are or not, they deserve a standing round of applause!!!! If anyone knows anyone in the District with a longer record, please let us know!

Please Help The Environment & Community!

2007-08-18T08:43:00.000-05:00

The Merrimack Valley Rotary is collecting and recycling empty ink and toner cartridges to help the community and the environment. For every cartridge the Club collects Staples will pay the Club money to be put into a fund that the Club has set up to give back to the community it serves.

We invite everyone to help.

In addition to raising funds, the Club also will be helping the environment. How does it help the environment?

For every ink or laser toner cartridge that is recycled, two quarts of oil are kept out of landfills.

The number of ink and laser toner cartridges thrown away in one year is enough to circle the earth.

It takes 1,000 years for an ink or laser toner cartridge to decompose in a landfill.Recycling ink or laser toner cartridges helps to decrease the amount of waste that goes into landfills and helps reduce the amount of toxic chemicals absorbed into the Earth.

Would you like to help? Please contact MVR Club President Ken Masson for more information including a list of the cartridges we are looking for and drop off sites for your cartridges. Either write to MVRotary@gmail.com or call (978) 446-9366. Thank You!

We need you!!

2007-08-03T21:10:00.000-05:00

I spoke with DGE Klaus Hachfeld this evening and he's been very busy preparing for his year as DG. He mentioned to me that he's seeking help with Northeast Link and the September meeting in Worcester. Hope you can help, it's a great experience to get involved wth the amabassodarial scholars.

Longest Perfect Attendance Record?

2007-07-14T13:37:00.000-05:00

An article was recently posted in a newspaper in Tallahassee about a 93 year old Rotarian who has never missed a meeting in 73 years. He claims to be one of four people who are in the running for the longest unbroken record of attendance in Rotary history. That is a remarkable feat? That raises the question: Who has the longest unbroken attendance record in District 7910? Any volunteers?

Here is the link: http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070711/ECHRONICLE/707120323/-1/RSS18

Blog Visitors On The Rise

2007-07-11T14:25:00.001-05:00

Well, since starting this blog we've spanned the globe with readers. If you haven't seen the Site Meter at the bottom of the page it's worth viewing. To date we've had vistors from Japan, Switzerland, the UK, Norway, Turkey, India, France, Brazil, Argentina and a host of States right here at home. My wish is that we generate more stories from our own district in the form of club posts. It's really exciting to see how far news about our district travels on the internet.

New to blogging - it's easy. All you need to do is send me an email if you're a local Rotarian and I'll send you an invite to become an author. After that, it's as simple as logging in and making a post about your club or district. The world wants to hear from your club, why not blog something today??

District Website conversion

2007-07-06T06:47:00.000-05:00

District 7910 now has a new home! The conversion to Clubrunner for the district website has been completed, streamlining the way all of our clubs in the district report their numbers and communicates. A big thanks to Larry McCleod for creating the original district website and maintaining it for so many years. Special thanks to Cheryl Rosen for proofing the data and making contributions for the success of the conversion.

You can access the site via the link on this blog's side bar or going direct to http://www.clubrunner.ca/dprg/DxHome/_home.aspx?did=7910. All clubs are encouraged to create logins and explore the site. Looks like Greg is off to a great start in his year as DG.

eClubs Are A Convenient Way For Making-Up Meetings

2007-06-30T08:58:00.000-05:00

Rotary formed eClubs in 2001 for members to do makeups on line. Below is a list of those English Speaking Clubs where you can get makeups.

LIST OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE E-CLUBS

Rotary eClub One: http://rotaryeclubone.org/
Rotary eClub of 3310: http://www.rotaryeclub3310.org/
Rotary eClub of District 7890: http://www.rotaryeclub7890.org/
Rotary eClub of Southwest USA, District 5510: http://www.rotaryeclubsouthwest.org/
Rotary e-Club NY1 of District 7150: http://www.rotaryeclubny1.com/
Rotary eClub of London Centenary, District 1130: http://www.erotarylondon.org/

Want to learn more: http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/features/archives/040914.html

Here is a link to a list of all the eClubs around the world: http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/downloadcenter/pdfs/eclub_list.pdf

10 days and counting!!

2007-06-21T07:13:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that the new Rotary year is almost here. It's time for all incoming Presidents to put the finishing touches on their club goals and objectives for the new year if you haven't already. Many clubs are set for their annual installation dinners or cookouts depending on how they choose the honor the new leadership for 2007/08.

It's hard to believe that this is my final year as Assistant Governor for our district. I can't even tell you where the last two years have gone. I've met so many wonderful Rotarians across the district and from around the world. My only question is how do I follow up this role to continue support of the district.

Contratulations to all the new leaders and best of luck to Greg Roche on his year as District Governor. I know that this is going to be a fantastic year for all clubs in 7910!!

Antiques Night Was That And More!

2007-06-09T09:49:00.000-05:00

The Merrimack Valley Rotary Antiques Appraisal Night was a night full of surprises and entertainment!

And who would have thought that of an antiques show!

There was the painting that was worth $30- $50 thousand. Then there was the music box that still played when you inserted a penny. The value of that box came in at over $5,000. But there was also the entertainer and very knowledgable Skinner Appraiser Stuart Whitehurst, who keep the crowd anxiously awaiting his comments on the next item. Stuart was recognizable by many people as he is one of the hosts of PBS's Antiques Road Show.

"If I tell you that it is cute, you will know it has no value, " he told the crowd. And everyone hoped that their item was not "cute." But there were some "cute" items there and the owners seemed thankful to know that what they thought was a gem was just a stone.

Then, there was his lesson on clocks. Most clocks are not clocks, they are time pieces he explained. "A clock has to have a chime to be a clock." Stuart said.

The crowd was entertained prior to the show by the music of local talent Fred Lospennato of the Strolling Serenades. http://www.strollingserenades.com

Overall, it was a very popular night...and the Merrimack Valley Rotary is planning on doing it again, next year. For more information on the Rotary write to MVRotary@gmail.com

Equistrians Bite "Hounds" At Pace Event!

2007-06-03T17:43:00.000-05:00

The dogs were hot and the horses were cool, but all-in-all it was a good day for the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club. On Sunday, June 3, the Merrimack Valley Rotary held their biannual hot dogs sales at the Old North Bridge Hound's pace event in at the Great Brook Farm in Carlislie, Massachusetts. The pace event is a horse competition which attracts equistrians from all over the area. Despite the fact that it was a cold and drizzly day, the event was active and the Rotary brought plenty of food for everyone, even the horses! Next event will be in September!

They're back ... Hound Dogs are on the grill!!

2007-05-31T15:19:00.001-05:00

The Merrimack Valley Rotary Club will once again be selling Hound Dogs at the "Old North Bridge Hounds" pace event. The pace event will be held Sunday June 3rd at the Great Brook Farm in Carlisle. We'll be setting up at 11 am and the first hound dogs will be ready to go at noontime. Top 'em off with your favorite condiment or even some chilli if you dare. We'll be there until 2:30 ! Don't miss out on the regions best dogs (Hound Dogs that is) and watch as some truly beautiful horses trot off for their time trials!

The Farm is also open to visitors and you can even sample some of their great varieties of ice cream afterwards. Don't miss out!

Rotarians Conduct Career Day For Lowell Students

2007-05-19T05:15:00.000-05:00

Lowell Rotarian Elkin Montoya (shown) and Chelmsford Rotarian Deborah Webb (shown) were two of several Rotarians who recently took part in a Career Day that was held at the headquarters for the Lowell Youthbuild program. Other Rotarians who took part were Robert McDonald, Ken Masson and Dan LeBlanc of the Merrimack Valley Rotary as well as David Crespo of the Lowell Club. Each Rotarian gave the students a 15 minute presentation on their profession. YouthBuild is a national organization that helps students achieve their GEDs, while teaching them a skill in construction by working on Affordable Housing Units.

District Conference - Sergeant at Arms Help This Weekend!

2007-05-14T15:28:00.000-05:00

Anyone that could help with the Sergeant At Arms,particularly Sat afternoon,it would help.

Contact Mark Scolnick - stat002@applebywyman.com

STUART WHITEHURST IS COMING TO DRACUT

2007-05-12T10:10:00.000-05:00

Skinner Appraiser Stuart Whitehurst will be hosting a live show in Dracut on June 6, from 7- 9 PM. The show, which is sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Rotary, will be held in the Grange Hall on Bridge Street in Dracut.
Whitehurst joined Skinner in 1995 with eleven years of experience in the field of fine and decorative arts. He also was instrumental in establishing Skinner as a leading source for all manner of historical documents, including books, manuscripts, letters, and autographs.
Beyond his knowledge of rare books and manuscripts, Stuart is a renowned senior generalist appraiser with extensive knowledge of Latin American Paintings; prints and manuscripts; and English, Continental and Chinese decorative works of art and furniture from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.. He is also a leading auctioneer at Skinner and has lectured before numerous audiences, including the Appraisers Association of America.
The price of general admission to the show is $10; all the appraisal spots are sold out. For more information and RSVP, call Ken Masson at (978) 446-9366 or write to MVRotary@gmail.com

First meeting of the Rotary Roundup

2007-05-09T10:51:00.000-05:00

Members from the Lowell, Dracut, Westford,Tyngsboro/Dunstable, Southboro and Merrimack Valley clubs were on hand for an area meeting to discuss opportunities for the clubs of the Merrimack Valley last night. There exists a need for centralization of club events and increased communications between the clubs to support each other and to aid in new member development and Rotarian retention.

The attendees have made plans to meet on a quarterly basis to develop online tools that will aid in communication. It was a good first meeting and a bit of an eye opener on how much more could be done to improve on the interaction and support between clubs. In all it was a very possitive discussion. With everyones small effort, the Rotary clubs of the Merrimack Valley will develop a new set of tools to better unify our goals.

Rotary Roundup

2007-05-08T08:30:00.000-05:00

A number of clubs from the Merrimack Valley will be meeting at the Cafe Paradiso, 45 Palmer St. in Lowell this evening. The club leaders will be networking, discussing membership ideas, promoting club events and above all fellowship. This event revives a tradition of uniting the area clubs to promote development and awareness of this great organization we call Rotary. Want to attend?? This event begins at 6pm, all you need to do is make plans to be there.

Dancing With The Appraisals -Upcoming Antiques Appraisal Night Has It All!

2007-05-05T13:08:00.000-05:00

Popular musician, Fred Lospennato, of the Strolling Serenades, will be entertaining the attendees at the Merrimack Valley Rotary's Antiques Appraisal Event. The show will be held on June 6, 2007 from 7-9 PM at the Grange Hall in Dracut. The show will feature appraisal's by Stuart Whitehurst. General Admission tickets are $10 and tickets for one appraisal and admission are $20. For more information contact Ken Masson at (978) 446-9366 or by writng MVRotary@gmail.com.

For more information about Fred contact: http://www.entertainment-associates.net/bands.html

Rotary was alive with the sound of music!

2007-05-05T11:25:00.000-05:00

Dan LeBlanc, MVRC member and District AG, treated the Merrimack Valley Rotary to a presentation of his fiddling talents and skills. Dan, who has been playing for years, gave a show that demonstrated the full range of his talents. Being a breakfast club, it was a great way to start the morning. Dan promises that he will be back, and once he is scheduled, we will be sure to let everyone know! Stay tuned!

District 7910 Conference

2007-05-02T15:53:00.000-05:00

Only 16 days until the start of the District Conference in Boxborough. Meals normally sell out so you need to reserve your seat early. As always, attending is free but meals are for a nominal fee.

See you there!

Roadshow sales

2007-05-02T15:50:00.000-05:00

Ticket sales for the June 6th Antiques Roadshow are moving at a brisk pace. To date almost half of the appraisal tickets have been sold and about 75% of the sponsorship space. Contact a Merrimack Valley Club member before it's too late, space is limited.

It's official, MVC will host the Antiques Roadshow

2007-04-20T15:23:00.000-05:00

Tickets are now available for the upcoming Antiques Roadshow to be held June 6th from 7 - 9pm, at the Dracut Grange Hall on Route 38. This event is sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club and you can contact any member for tickets to the the show.

Admission is $10 and if you'd like to have your item appraised, there is a nominal $10 appraisal fee per item. Appraisals must be pre-paid and registered by calling (978) 446-9366. Seats are limited as are the number of appraisals. Also planned is a 50/50 raffle and light refreshments will be available.

We have lots of interest so far, this one will be a sell out. Get your tickets early!!

A Funny Thing Happened At Rotary Today

2007-04-18T19:33:00.000-05:00

The Merrimack Valley Rotary had two funny visitors at a recent breakfast meeting. The occasion was Funny Day, which was designed to be a meeting full of funny jokes, pictures, and moments. During the breakfast the members were entertained by Little Squirt, the clown and Little Nipper, the dog! Breakfast had never been so much fun before!

A Resounding Success !!!

2007-04-14T19:55:00.000-05:00

This year's District Assembly was a resounding success!! 60+ members of our district attended the annual assembly to become better informed about the changes taking place as well as some excellent ideas for membership, public relations, Clubrunner.com and leadership. The event was well organized and very informative giving our new leaders a jump start on their club roles for the coming year.

Great job to those who organized the event!

ROTARIANS LEARN HOW TO GROW THEIR MEMBERSHIP

2007-04-14T09:05:00.000-05:00

Vincent Borkowski, a member of the Southborough Rotary Club, recently met with the Merrimack Valley Rotary to discuss the importance of designing an ongoing and successful new member program.

Borkowski’s past experience includes working as staff member and regional officer of a national college fraternity. In this capacity,
he was responsible for training chapters in the management of their organization and new member recruitment.

One of his points, in his presentation to the Merrimack Valley Rotary, was that not having a good recruiting program would grow inactive membership. However, his key point was how to identify and communicate with a perspective member, and how to address their objections, thereby opening the door for Rotary membership.

In addition to understanding the methods of communication, he also spoke about finding hot pockets in order meet people and promote the Rotary. One important hot pocket he talked about was Town Meeting. He mentioned the fact that people who take the time to attend Town Meeting are also the type of people who will consider joining the Rotary.

Borkowski’s presentation to the Merrimack Valley Rotary was an abbreviated program, however it typically runs one day. For more information contact MVRotary@gmail.com

RI Presidential Conference - July 13th & 14th, 2007

2007-04-11T13:05:00.000-05:00

http://www.rotaryzones31-32.org/Primary.htm - Please Review This And Register Now!

Jessica Glynn Ambassadorial Scholar

2007-04-10T21:54:00.000-05:00

If you'd like to learn a little bit of the life of a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, read Jessica Glynn's blog about her life in Tanzania. Jessica is a current Ambassadorial Scholar studying in Tanzania Africa. Sounds like an interesting place and an incredible story!

The Link to her blog is posted in the blog roll.

District Website Meeting

2007-04-10T15:57:00.000-05:00

The first meeting to discuss the future of the District website was held last night at the Piccadily Pub in Westborough. In attendance was Adam W., Greg R., Klaus H. and Dan L.

ClubRunner will be setting up a prototype environment for the team to test in. Greg will have the group questions and concerns answered at this Thursday's meeting with ClubRunner. ClubRunner will advise us when the test environment will be ready to test and Greg will hopefully have an update for us at District Assembly this weekend. The District goal is to be live and operational by July 1, 2007.

If everything goes to plan, ClubRunner will give clubs and the District some great tools and greatly simplify the RI and District reporting as well as help the club organization and exposure to the community.

Got questions?? Click on the header for a link to ClubRunner and see for yourself what it can do for your club. Neet stuff...

MV Rotary Learns The Hook, Line And Sinker Of Fishing

2007-04-07T07:29:00.000-05:00

Fishermen and Fellow Rotarians John Duggan and Dan LeBlanc gave the members of the Merrimack Valley Rotary a lesson on April 4 in the basis of fishing. John casted out a hands-on presentation on the art of tying a knot and brought in a school of his rods to share with the group. In addition, Dan debuted a well-produced collection of fishing slides and video. Dan also shared with the group his collection of fishing rods which motivated the group to want to skip work and head towards the nearest fishing hole! The Merrimack Valley Rotary meets at Skips every Wednesday at 7:15 AM. For more information on the Merrimack Valley R0tary write to MVRotary@gmail.com Fish On!

Fishing for Dummies

2007-04-03T15:39:00.000-05:00

Join us for a little fishing humor and instruction April 4th. The Merrimack Valley club will learn the secrets of the pro's with John Duggin and Dan LeBlanc as they try to de-mystify the art of angling. What will be presented is anyone's guess but one this is for certain, someone will be fined!!

Don't miss this Spring time fishing primer!

Need New Members? MVR To Host A 1-Hour Seminar On Recruitment Techniques

2007-03-29T18:46:00.000-05:00

Vincent Borkowski from the Southboro Club, has developed highly successful techniques on how to find and approach new members for your Rotary.

At the April 11th meeting of the Merrimack Valley Rotary, Vincent will pack into just one-hour, his full-day seminar on recruitment. Other Rotarians are welcome to join the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club for breakfast that day and take in Vincent's highly motivational and informative presentation.

The only cost of the event is the price of breakfast, which is $11.00. The Merrimack Valley Rotary meets every Wednesday at Skips Restaurant in Chelmsford from 7:15 AM - 8:30 AM.

For more information contact Ken Masson at (978) 446-9366 or by writing to MVRotary@gmail.com.

GSE Ambassador to Brazil speaks

2007-03-29T07:50:00.000-05:00

2006 Group Study Exchange (GSE) ambassador to Brazil, Geralyn Burke, made her presentation to the Merrimack Valley Club at this Wednesday's meeting. The Merrimack Valley club sponsored her trip to Brazil in 2006 with funds from the Rotary Foundation. Geralyn told us of the profound impact the trip had on her life and of the possitive experiences she had while participating in the 4 week program.

Geralyn is in search of other Rotary clubs in need of a guest speaker, that would like to hear about her GSE experiences and about what she learned. The best way to have Geralyn visit your club is to contact the speaker chair from the Merrimack Valley.

District 7910 Assembly - Don't miss out!!

2007-03-23T06:23:00.000-05:00

The District Assembly will be held on April 14 this year at the Doubletree Hotel in Westborough from 8 am to 1pm. Are you new to leadership within Rotary? Do you currently hold a leadership position within your club?? Do you wish you knew more about what happens around the district??? Attend the District Assembly for a better understanding of how it all goes together, where we're going as a district and have a little fun in the process. This event only happens once a year and it's an excellent opportunity to see first hand what the Governor will accomplish this year. Don't miss out!!

There is a small fee of $20 to cover the breakfast and the Lunch! You can register online at Rotary791oregistration@earthlink.net or by faxing to (508) 595-0184. Checks are payable to Rotary District 7910 and can be mailed to Cheryl Rosen, PO Box 3207, Worcester, MA 01613. If you have further questions please call Cheryl at (508) 791-9283. Please remember that you must register to attend!

See you April 14th!

DGE Greg Roche addresses incoming Presidents at PETS

2007-03-16T15:54:00.000-05:00

DGE Greg Roche addresses incoming President Elects and Asssitant Governors at this years NEPETS held in Nashua, NH. Greg unveiled his plans for what promises to be an exciting and fun filled year for the district. His emphasis this year will be on furthuring club development and the expansion of new memberships.

Best of luck fo the upcoming year Greg!!

NE PETS

2007-03-16T15:03:00.000-05:00

PE Naomi Pendergast of the Lowell club noticed this sign at the Courtyard Marriot during her stay for this years PETS in Nashua, NH. Pretty ironic and quite a laugh. Are they trying to tell us something? Even the manager got a chuckle.

Chelmsford Rotary Club

2007-03-13T19:39:00.000-05:00

Chelmsford Rotary Club Fundraiser

An evening with John Stevens from "American Idol"
and
Brendan Murphy from "The Buddy Holly Story"

Date: Thursday, April 19, 2007
Time: 7:00 p.m. - Wine & hors d'oeuvres
Social Hour with the Stars
Concert: 8:00p.m.

Place: Lowell Memorial Auditorium

Price$50.00 per person

Contact : Denise.Marcaurelle@ebtc.com for tickets.

Merrimack Valley Club to host Antiques Roadshow

2007-03-08T13:47:00.000-05:00

The Merrimack Valley Club will be hosting the Antiques Roadshow on the evening of June 6th 2007 at the Dracut Grange Hall on route 113 in Dracut, MA. Details on the fundraiser will be forthcoming.

In its 11th season, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW proves it will go to any lengths — more than 5,000 miles, in fact — to discover America's hidden treasures. Now they visit Dracut, MA to discover what you have hiding in your closet. Save the date for what promisses to be the event of the year.

Merrimack Valley Guest Speaker March 14th

2007-03-08T09:12:00.000-05:00

Join us March 14th to hear Georgi Mueller's talk about affordable housing and 40b developments in Massachusetts. Georgi is on the Chelmsford Housing Committee and works locally as a Realtor. Meeting starts at 7:15am at Skips Restaurant in Chelmsford. See you there!

PDG Ralph Hammond visits the Merrimack Valley Club

2007-03-07T10:43:00.000-05:00

PDG Ralph Hammond visited our club this morning to explain the benefits of the Rotary Foundation and how it can benefit our club and community. Each year District 7910 makes a significant contribution to the Foundation which enables every club in the District to recieve grant money for local and international projects. Ralph explained how to maximize the impact of club fundraising through matching grants as well as some of the programs like Group Study Exchange (GSE), Ambasadorial Scholarships and Peace Scholarships. All 0f these programs are all funded by club Foundation giving every year.

It's important to understand how the Foundation works and Ralph is more than willing to explain it's benefits to anyone with questions. At our March 28th meeting, 2006 GSE candidate Geralyn Burke, will be with us to share her experiences in Brazil. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about one the benefits of being a Rotarian.

Bob McDonald "Woodchuck Award"

2007-03-02T08:07:00.000-05:00

The Merrimack Valley Club awarded the first ever "Bob McDonald Woodchuck Award" at their club meeting January 31st. The award was presented by current President Gordon "Hum" Neville to Bob McDonald in recognition of his recurring dream and subsequent tales about a woodchuck that stole his winning lottery ticket. It appears that Bob has been plagued visions of this Woodchuck for many years. Ken Masson, the creator of the award, felt that the story has been told so many times that an event commemorating his tale was long overdue. Bob also received a scratch lottery ticket which wasn't a winner.The Merrimack Valley Club will each year bestow this prestigious award upon the Rotarian that tells the biggest tale at one of our meetings. The award will be presented on the closest club meeting day to Groundhog day each year. Rotarians are welcome to join us for the ceremonies. We always look forward to having Rotarians visit our club with their stories. It's a great opportunity for fellowship and we always enjoy seeing new faces as well as the regulars. Think you have a winning tale?? Do a make up with us and you might be next years winner.Move over Punxsutawney Phil, the Merrimack Valley Club has the Bob McDonald Woodchuck Award !!

Merrimack Valley Club first ever membership reunion

2007-02-28T12:25:00.000-05:00

The Merrimack Valley area club hosted it's first ever reunion meeting this morning at Skips Restaurant in Chelmsford, MA. There were lots of "almost" forgotten stories, trivia, a guest speaker, live music, raffles and above all fellowship.

This meeting was a group effort to boost the clubs membership. We're hopeful that at least a few of past members will re-join us as Rotarians. A great time was had by all. Many thanks to all those who visited and to the members that worked hard to make it all happen.

What a great way to start the day...