This week at Rotary was the second installment of the Salem Rotary and Salem Chamber Legislative Lunch Series, this time featuring Acting Mayor Bob McCarthy.
Acting Mayor Bob was introduced by Rinus Oosthoek. He came to the Salem mayor's office with many great experiences and professional pride stemming from his contractor background. Bob McCarthy's philosophy is to work with all stakeholders to help every aspect the city. The concepts of cooperation and community echoed throughout his entire speech. For example, he invited the entire city hall staff into his office for an Opening Day Party celebrating the new Red Sox season.
He dove right into his experiences taking over in an acting role for Mayor Kim Driscoll, who had served as mayor for 17 years. The transition period required a lot of work behind the scenes, working with all parties from the city council to Kim Driscoll herself. He spent some time going over leadership qualities that he hopes to emulate. The position that he is currently in is unique because there is no real clarity in the city charter about when the transition is to take place after the upcoming special election. The position has been "an experience" for him due to the unpredictability of running a city.
He has always found Salem to be a welcoming and diverse city, which is why he loves serving the community. Public service and commitment to the Salem community runs strong in the McCarthy family. His wife, Kathy, is Program Manager for the Salem Park, Recreation, and Community Services department. Kathy packed a family photo for Bob on his first day in office. Both of his sons, Will and Jack, are both graduates of the Salem Public School system and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Of all the perks of the job, he has enjoyed reading to the kids at the elementary schools
Bob McCarthy shared a few secrets of city hall with the group. One secret he shared was the existence of ropes that can open and close flaps in the ductwork for the city council chambers, so it could be used by the mayor to make the chamber uncomfortable if the deliberations were not going as the mayor would like. Apparently there is a button with no actual purpose in the mayor's office. Hopefully it is not the button that triggers nuclear war. He also says that he will not be seeking reelection as Ward I Councilor.
The Board of Directors met prior to this week's Rotary meeting. The treasurer reviewed the club's finances which are generally in good shape. Funds Allocation approved $300 to Salem for the city's beautification project, which gives us the responsibility of planting the "hostas gardens" on Washington Street which are made up of three spots close to the Ledger restaurant. There were discussions about additional community expenses, as well as streamlining income and expenses related to the annual auction. We have 36 applicants for scholarships this year, which is much more than we expected. There is a Zoom meeting with the Scholarship Committee this coming Monday to determine a selection criteria.
Claire led the entire audience in a rendition of Happy Birthday for Acting Mayor Bob. She also reviewed the Polar Plunge which took place last weekend, including the various "award" winners. Her identification of birds would make Gerrit's head explode.
We had many guests this week as the Salem Chamber of Commerce was in attendance along with this weeks speaker.
CAlendar winner!
Thomas sold by Bob Conley
50:50 Raffle
$600
Joanne Scott and Carolyn Shapiro played this week. Nobody won.
ROTARIAN NEWS
NO NEWS THIS WEEK
Club Announcements and events
THE SALEM PANTRY
April 21 from 9-11 am
The Market
This is a Rotary Day of Service event! Come see The Market, the newest addition to the Salem Pantry's suite of services. The Market is a storefront serving the Salem community located on the corner of Leavitt and Congress. Be sure to RSVP to help with the final preparations. Opening day is scheduled for April 22!
DISTRICT 7910 CONFERENCE
April 22
Burlington Marriot
On Saturday, April 22, 2023, Rotary Districts 7890, 7910, and 7930 will come together at the Burlington Marriott for a 3 District Conference with Keynote Speaker Evan Burrell. Suggestions:
Our next LifeBridge dinner is scheduled for May 10. There are no sponsors so this will be Salem Rotary Club members only. More details to come!
SALEM ROTARY AUCTION
Spring Into Action
May 11 at 6 pm
Hawthorne Hotel
The Salem Rotary Spring Into Action Dinner and Auction will be held on Thursday, May 11, 2023, at the Historic Hawthorne Hotel at 6 PM. Enjoy cocktails, music, an auction, and dinner that supports our Scholarship Program and Club service, including meal service at Lifebridge, events with foster families on the North Shore, and activities with other local non profits. Please consider sponsoring our premier fundraising event and join us for a fun evening! Most sponsorships include event tickets, and we would be thrilled to spend this evening with you! Everything you need to know can be find right here!
INSTALLATION DINNER
June 27 5:30-8:30
Peabody Essex Museum
Join us in the installation celebration of our next President of the Salem Rotary, Jen Close!
At Rotary, we understand that cultivating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture is essential to realizing our vision of a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change.
We value diversity and celebrate the contributions of people of all backgrounds, across age, ethnicity, race, color, disability, learning style, religion, faith, socioeconomic status, culture, marital status, languages spoken, sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity as well as differences in ideas, thoughts, values, and beliefs.
Recognizing that individuals from certain groups have historically experienced barriers to membership, participation, and leadership, we commit to advancing equity in all aspects of Rotary, including in our community partnerships, so that each person has the necessary access to resources, opportunities, networks, and support to thrive.
We believe that all people hold visible and invisible qualities that inherently make them unique, and we strive to create an inclusive culture where each person knows they are valued and belong.
In line with our value of integrity, we are committed to being honest and transparent about where we are in our DEI journey as an organization, and to continuing to learn and do better.
18 Washington Square
Salem, MA 01970 United States of America
NOTE: The fourth Tuesday of the month is an evening meeting, beginning at 5:15.
If you are interested in learning more about Salem Rotary, please email president@salemrotary.com.
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50:50 Raffle
THE SALEM PANTRY
DISTRICT 7910 CONFERENCE
LifeBridge Dinner
