July 23, 2010 Meeting

INTRODUCTIONS

After President Howard led the Pledge of Allegiance and David Sollars gave the Invocation, Membership Chair/Greeter Bill Buck introduced our visitors who were District Governor Steve May from North Reading, District Governor Elect Swamee Doraiswami from Belmont, Assistant District Governor Rick Metters from Woburn, prospective member Selim Matta, Diane Sollars, former Rotarian Deedee O'Brien, and the Buck girls, Kathleen and Caorline.

INSTALLATION OF NEW MEMBER

Megan Loughney, who is Director of Development for Challenge Unlimited at Ironstone Farm, was welcomed into Rotary by District Governor Steve May. The mission and values of Rotary were reviewed by Steve as he gave Megan the pin symbolizing RI.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

To give our district visitors some idea of Andover Rotary's plans, President Howard talked about the Pancake Breakfast scheduled at the Shawsheen Bowling Green on September 25th and the food drive being co-sponsored with The Eagle-Tribune on August 28th. Rotarians are needed to help that day from 10 AM to 3 PM. Howard also mentioned that the Lanam Club will be closed the two Fridays August 6th and 13th. The club will hold its meeting on August 6th at Atria Marland Place and we will meet at the Eagle-Tribune headquarters on August 13th.

DISTRICT GOVERNOR"S MESSAGE

Assistant District Governor Rick Metters complimented the club on its spirit and noted that he had tried to attend a meeting a few weeks ago only to find that we were not meeting, sorry about that, Rick. He introduced District Governor Elect Swamee Doraiswani who is a semi-retired physician and a member of the Belmont Rotary Club. Swamee introduced District Governor Steve May with a brief bio. Steve grew up in Winthrop, served in Vietnam with the Marines, and has spent 32 years in law enforcement activities. He is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and belongs to the North Reading Club where he was President from 2006-7 and has been Club Secretary since then. Steve talked about the his training at RI convention where RI President Ray Klinginsmith talked of the origins of this year's motto - "Building Communities/Bridging Continents." These words are meant to help explain Rotary to non-members. Mr. Klinginsmith urged District Governors to examine past practices and seek change. The basic goals of plus 1 in membership for each club and maintaining the foundation have remained the same. The "Future Vision Plan" is being piloted by a small number of districts including our own, 7930. One change is that 50% of the district funds will be returned to each club through a 3-year planning exercise with grants. President Steve ended with words of inspiration including "Say less, do more" and the Four-Way Test cannot be solds, it is the most important thing.

FINES AND HAPPY DOLLARS

Sergeant-at-Arms and Finemeister Bob Troiano fined Deedee for being late. Deedee took the opportunity to express her pleasure that Megan was joining our club and she urged us to have Megan do a vocational talk as she has some "real good stories." A desperate Bob asked if anyone, anyone at all, had been in the newspaper lately. Sadly, no one responded in the affirmative and Al Getler, a bit peeved from being described as "speechless" the week before, snapped that "you have to do something to get into it!" New member Megan gave a dollar and getting into the spirit of things, said she was happy to fill our quota for a "single Irish girl from Lowell." Bob fined all those who didn't pick up this year's RI theme pin last week. Sisters Kathleen and Caroline gave happy dollars, Kathleen for the no swim team and Caroline for Canobie Lake. Jim Wiesman gave a dollar, not to celebrate winning the raffle, but to chastise the dummy (that's your current editor and past secretary) who spelled his name wrong on his badge. Gulp! Maybe it was Russell-Hampton who corrected my spelling. Jim Greeley was happy for all the donors of food and money to meet the food shortage in Lawrence. Katharine Barr was celebrating firing her customer from hell. (Someone tried to cheer up Mark by assuring him that he would another publicist for his business.) A "bunch" of people gave dollars to welcome our new member and to thank the district royalty for coming including Pete Johnston, Jim Greeley, David Lindsay, Al Getler, Bill Buck, Bob, and Howard. In the words of David Sollars who was celebrating (in his own backwards way) Swamee's attendance, "Let there be light!"

LAST COMMENT & NEXT WEEK

Al Getler noted that profiles of new members will appear in The Andover Townsman starting with Magan. President Howard announce that Essex County District Attorney will be speaking at next week's meeting.