Matt Gold was happy about his role in the cancer walk in Boston this weekend. David was happy to have seen his daughter recently. Marie talked about going to see her parents in Kansas who are 89 and 90 years old. Friend, Katharine, celebrates her 70th birthday and is happy for the sun. Joan gave a dollar in commemoration of what would have been her mother’s 95th birthday. Mark has a successful proposal to help combat chemical warfare accepted and he also wished to celebrate our scholarship participant. Lucky John Colbert visited his daughter and attended a Red Sox game and will be flying to Paris to review a company. Bill told a story of seeing some elementary school children looking at a STOP poster and discussing the important themes on it. Helene, coughing up her and Alan’s last $5, wanted to celebrate David’s year and to express her sadness at the passing of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett. Alan congratulated Wendy. Steve spoke of his own battle with Hodgkin’s disease and noted his 23 months of being free of it.
Jim invites everyone to the “Retirement Celebration” in Memorial Hall at the library and he told his own STOP story of children demonstrating that they have indeed learned from the program. Deedee mentioned that our fellow Rotarian Arcola’s mother had passed away. Paul Mercandetti gave $20 for the scholarship winners. Trish, who serves the breakfast each week, donated $5 to celebrate her daughter’s scholarship. Kathleen (or was it Caroline?) gave a dollar to celebrate two 99s on tests.
Paula celebrated her return from the recent Rotaplast mission in Egypt. She reports that 127 surgeries were completed. The weather was very hot and it was a long 2 weeks. Wendy gave a dollar to thank the club, as did her Dad, David. Peter gave a dollar to celebrate Wendy’s scholarship and Rick Downey was very happy that his wife is out of school for the summer. David gave $10 to celebrate his last meeting as president and welcomed Bill.
We welcomed our guests who included Katharine Barr, who is a friend of Marie, John Jamieson from the Haverhill club, our Scholarship winner Wendy Pollack and her mother Debbie and father David, Robbie, Kathleen and Caroline Buck, and Bernd Albers from Berlin, Germany.
President David asked Richard Brenner, Paula, Alan, and Helene to all come forward for recognition for all they did for Rotary over the past year.
Just last night, she helped lead the “Keep It Wild” fashion show at the high school which raised $2,000 for Dana Farber Cancer Center. She is going to Suffolk University. Wendy spoke to the club about her life and that she is a cancer survivor. She was first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in her sophomore year and again in her junior year. Her experience going to Dana Farber and receiving treatment and seeing other, younger children, have made her more determined to help those in need. Wendy is a fine young woman and we all wish her the best in college. Peter mentioned that a second student had also received a scholarship, but was unable to attend today because of a work commitment.
Our speaker, Sue Bodenrader, described her transition from a high tech employee to muralist. Her story is one of how to make the most of your strengths when faced with a difficult situation. Since becoming unemployed from a job she had for 21 years, she has gone back to her true calling as an artist. She has had some luck finding space and she has a four month gig for a house in Salisbury. She is an inspiration. To see her at work, check out these photos: 