Tag Archives: Connecticut

Middletown Rotary hosts Wine/Beer Tasting last night

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The Middletown Rotary Club held their annual Wine Tasting event at the Crown Plaza in Cromwell last night. This event was chaired by Middletown Rotarian Howard Schachter and was attended by hundred’s of people who enjoyed sampling fine wines, beers and a variety of good food.

The event featured both a silent and live auction with over $20,000 in prizes.

Mayor Daniel Drew announced the 2014 One Book One Middletown title last evening at the Middletown Rotary Holiday Wine/Beer Tasting. The goal of the project, spearheaded by the Rotary, the City of Middletown and Russell Library, is to encourage reading . Every year, the Rotary, city and Russell Library choose a title that appeals to readers of all ages and offers discussions, talks and other events surrounding the book’s theme.

Proceeds from this event will benefit Middletown Rotary programs helping the club serve our community by providing financial support for yearly scholarships to local students, Middletown One Book Literacy Program, our annual Thanksgiving Turkey Baskets feeding 100 families, Amber Alert, local food pantries, and international humanitarian projects.Rotary International is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

Westport Sunrise Rotary celebrates their 25th Anniversary

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About 100 Rotarians, former members, friends and family members turned out at the Red Barn in Westport last night to help the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club celebrate their 25th Anniversary in grand style.

Westport Sunrise - What we do

– better quality copy coming –

The event was a walk down memory lane for the Westport Sunrise Club as President Bob Galan called on Charter members past and present to recount the Club’s journey and the many successes that the Club has enjoyed over the years. A good number of members from the Westport Club turned out to share in the celebration. Combined, the two Westport Clubs have over 160 members all of which are dedicated to making their community a better place.

Although my friend Gerri Lewis, President of the Old Saybrook Club, cringes every time that I  say it; The Westport Sunrise Club is a perfect example of what a Vibrant Rotary Club is all about.

Westport Sunrise does interesting fundraisers, has interesting weekly meetings, generously supports their community and the world, supports the Rotary Foundation, plays nice with the Westport Rotary Club, participates in international projects, has excellent Club leadership (past and present), is a big supporter of yellow, has many members of the Club that are active in the district, the zone and with Rotary International. Roy Fuchs heads up the 4-way test contest, Dennis Wong (President-elect) is involved with Peace and Polio programs, Eric Zelinksi is part of the District Finance Committee and John Hendrickson is a Assistant Governor of Area 2.

The Club event contributed two rubber ducks for my dining room.

The Westport Sunrise Club even contributed two rubber ducks for my dining room.

Ledyard Rotary & Derby-Shelton Rotary each induct 3 new members today!

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The membership in Rotary District 7980 grew by 6 as The Ledyard Rotary Club & The Derby-Shelton Rotary Club each induct 3 new members today.

Ledyard President Carol Christiansen and Derby-Shelton President Bill Miller have been keenly focused on membership retention and attraction since the new year kicked off back in July.

Ledyard new members:

  • Ellen Swercewski – involved in the Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation in Procurement and Walk Director.
  • Larry Erhart – Numismatist.╩ Rare coin expert, trade shows, gold, silver estate buying, convention marketing, specializing in rare bank notes, obsolete notes, large currency and U.S. domestic coinage.
  •  Ed Lynch – Presently working as an Engineering consultant in the bio/pharmaceutical business.

LEDYARD PHOTOS

Derby-Shelton new members:

  • Cathy Ferreira-Golino – Manager People’s Bank in Shelton
  • Eunice Lisk – Occupation: Manager – Cardiac Rehabilitation Griffin Hospital
  • Kate Feeley – Marketing Manager – Benchmark Senior Living in Shelton

Derby-Shelton also awarded a Paul Harris Recognition to Marge Domorod

DERBY-SHELTON PHOTOS

Congratulations to these 6 new Rotarians and to Marge Domorod on her Paul Harris Recognition!!

District 7980 Four Way Speech Contest Announced

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District 7980 Four Way Speech Contest Chair Roy Fuchs is pleased to announce that it will once again sponsor a Four-Way Test Speech Contest. Every club is encouraged to engage with its local high school. Each local winner will compete in the Semi-Finals Competition on Sunday, April 6, 2014 at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.

The top three winners of the Semi-Finals Competition will go on to represent their clubs at the Finals Competition on Saturday, May 3 at the District Assembly to be held at the Mystic Marriott and Spa, Groton, Connecticut.

The top three winners at the District Finals will receive monetary prizes of $500 for First Place; $400 for Second Place, and $300 for Third Place.

Each participating club must present one finalist from that club on Sunday, April 6 at 2:00 pm at the District Semi-Finals Contest at the School of Business, Southern Connecticut State University, New Haven. Club application to compete must be returned to Roy Fuchs by March 15.

Each club agrees to pay a registration fee of $150 per student, payable to District 7980, for speakers who will compete at the District Semi-Finals at SCSU.  This fee will pay for prizes and food for the speakers, and all fees will be used solely for this competition.

Individual clubs may (and should) offer prizes for their club competitions, as they see fit. There are no monetary prizes offered at the Semi-Finals – only at the Finals.

The sponsoring club must arrange for any transportation, food and accommodation needs, and must absorb associated costs incurred by the participants. Specific arrangements must be made by the individual clubs and communicated to the participants to eliminate any misunderstanding.

Information about the competition, including objectives, application forms and a sample score sheet are can be downloaded below. It is important that rules and regulations be followed uniformly so each student will be prepared for the finals.

Contact Chair Roy Fuchs of the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club with any questions. Roy may be reached at 203-856-4321, by FAX at 203-459-4322 or by email at royfuchs@snet.net.

District 7980 Global Grant Project in Mombasa, Kenya

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Engage Rotary - Change Lives

Engage Rotary – Change Lives

The 2013-14 District 7980 Global Grant Project in Mombasa, Kenya was introduced during the “Boots Programs” and at The Foundation Dinner last month.

It is an International ‘do good’ project which is designed to Engage Rotarians in the power of The Rotary Foundation while Changing Lives for 800 school children.

Every Club can Save and Change lives for 800 children in a neglected School in Mombasa, Kenya for an investment of $200, $500, $1000 – what ever they think is appropriate.  This school complex of 8 buildings  needs just about everything: Electric power to all buildings, a well pump and new water storage tank, new functioning toilets for students and staff, new roofs, desks, a library, a computer lab, cooking facilities, etc.  Motivate your club by participating in this District Wide Global Grant which focuses on Literacy, Water and Sanitation, and Economic and community development.

Project Files:

Visit the Global Grants Committee to Download and view a short power point presentation with photos and a project outline, to view the scope of the project or to  Download a Project flyer and Contribution Form to submit with your check.

Project Contacts:

PDG Rick Benson

PDG Rick Benson

Tari Marshall-Day

AG Tari Marshall-Day

Contact AG Tari Marshall Day or PDG Rick Benson for more information.

All clubs that participate in this important project will receive recognition points and they will receive periodic updates from both the host and international partners as the project progresses. A frienship exchange will be organized in 2014 to visit the school and possibly help with the renovation.

Disclaimer: This is NOT a Governor’s project, nor the DRFC’s project where the clubs are asked to support a personal project – this is a Global Grant that any of the clubs in our District can participate in.

Official Visit #60 – Mystic Rotary – leads the district in new members

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The Mystic Rotary Club, with about 60 members will be celebrating their 60th Anniversary this spring just before their annual Lobsterfest (a sentence stuffed with information).

The Mystic Rotary Club has added 6 new members since July 1st without losing any thus making them the leading Club in our District in terms of membership growth year-to-date.

Some of the things that the Club does:

  • Supports Polio Eradication
  • Award  Scholarships to high-school students  who best fulfill Rotary’s central theme of “Service Above Self,” and who reside in the communities from which Mystic Rotary Club members are drawn.
  • Support the Tech Tot Library
  • Support Arc of New London County
  • Participates in the Liberty Bank Food Drive
  • Support Westerly Area Rest Meals, Inc.
  • Support the District’s Oklahoma Relief efforts
  • Support Visiting the Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut
  • Partner with the Stongingtons Club on the Dictionary Project
  • Does ‘hands on’ projects such as Spring cleaning at the Mystic Historical Society
  • Generously supports The Rotary Foundation
  • Bell ringing for the Salvation Army

Many of the funds for these community and international causes are raised at the Club’s weekly meetings in the form of happy bucks, other funds are raised by selling lobster meals at Lobster Days at Mystic Seaport over Memorial Day weekend, and by selling Del’s Frozen Lemonade at the Mystic Outdoor Art Festival and Taste of Mystic.

Their Lobster Days Event, held at the Mystic Seaport each Memorial Day Weekend, is the Club’s signature fundraising event. Their website describes it like this “Crack your first lobster claw of the season  at the butter-dribbling, shell-sucking, quintessentially-New-England Lobster Days during Memorial Day Weekend.

The Mystic Rotary Clubs meets on Mondays for lunch at the Mystic Hilton. Their weekly meetings are well organized, informative and fun, they start at 12:15 and end by 1:15 and cover a considerable amount of ground during that short period. It’s a great place to do a make-up!!