Salem Rotarians Say . . .
Matt Ingram shared that he spent some time in the Cape with his family. He drove by the other Pirate Museum, taught his daughter how to swim underwater, and had his first family experience at the Red Sox game, lasting a whole 30 minutes!
Jason Consalvo stood in for Matt Callcut as the most risqué Rotarian this week, sharing how he and Kerri made a Clafoutis for a dinner they hosted. Don’t worry, the risqué part was all Jason and not Kerri!
Leslie Levesque was both happy and sad to report that her children will be heading back to college. She is bringing Ella back to U Tampa this week, and James will start his second semester at Salem State in September.
Jane Stirgwolt is back from the high seas and told of her and Gary’s adventures up the St. John River to New Brunswick.
Bill Henning alerted members that the quarterly bills are out and that Rotarians can pay these by check, on the square at meeting check in, or through the donate button on the Rotary website. He added that birthday donations can be made through the same methods. For fun, he shared that he has a fun-filled week full of culture coming up with a visitor from Chicago, including a performance of Grease and visits to the PEM and MFA.
Tim Clarke spoke of his and Alice’s voyage on the St. John River and how he hopes that he karmically prepaid for the good weather and sound boat mechanicals they experienced in advance and that there are no storms on the horizon!
Carolyn Shapiro happily reported that her brother feels like a new man after his most recent surgery. She is grateful to her fellow Rotarians for their support during his illness and recovery. She also shared that there will be a family friendly event at Charlotte Forten Park on August 30-31 and encouraged Rotarians to check it out.
Hannah Beth Hembree had a literal bat in the belfry! While Phil was away for work (a time HB loves until something goes wrong), she was awoken by her cats who were awoken by a bat who was trapped in her bedroom, located in the renovated attic of her home. Facing challenges of one available window for shooing, high ceilings, and a general fear of bats, HB fought hard to direct her uninvited guest to its exit, but was unsuccessful (as were the professionals who charged her $400 for their services). HB escaped to Matt and Allie Callcut’s until Phil came home. Phil was able to find and save the bat, but could not save HB from a round of precautionary rabies vaccinations. To top that saga off, HB’s little sister’s engagement has overshadowed hers as is the plight of being the middle child. Her mom forgot about her big day and almost bought concert tickets for HB and Phil’s wedding day.
Gerrit Bradley’s bird report this week noted that the eagles up at the NH lake are great but are eating all of the fish, so it is impossible to catch anything this summer. He also noted that he and his nephew got his father’s Astin Martin convertible going and drove it from Jaffrey to Hancock, NH. Gerrit is on the lookout for driving gloves to match his driving moccasins, which he needed to purchase due to the small pedals of the vehicle.
Gary Barrett closed out happy dollars by sharing that he is in the process of converting his five-year-old grandson, Tommy, from a Giants fan to a Red Sox fan. From their last conversation about baseball, the prospects look good. Tommy was wearing a Red Sox hat and told Gary that the Giants new first baseman “stinks grandpa!”
Our DCF picnic is rapidly approaching. The DCF Picnic is an annual event put on by Salem Rotary to celebrate the foster families of the North Shore and to allow foster children the opportunity to interact with each other and often their siblings who are not able to be housed in the same foster home. This fun evening allows these children to be kids and enjoy many activities including a bounce house, outdoor games, a delicious BBQ and more. There are many ways to help! Volunteers are needed for setup, grilling, food distribution, fun facilitation, and cleanup. Email President Ryan if you are able to help!
Lifebridge helps the folks in our community who are most in need with important basics like shelter and food. Once every two months, volunteers from the Salem Rotary Club make dinner. If you are looking for a quick and easy way to make a real impact on people's lives, this is it. Volunteers pick the recipe, get the ingredients, prepare the meal, and help serve it. Many hands make meal service easy, so if you are interested in helping but are not able to shop or create the menu, you are still welcome to sign up to help. You are also welcome to bring family members and friends to volunteer with you. Meal prep typically starts around 4/4:30 PM, with dinner service at 5:30 PM. 
