This week at Rotary, we had a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, Paul Riopelle, who impersonated Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthorne started as he normally does, with a preface. He noted that he never gave a single lecture or public reading. He was shocked to find so much named after him in Salem, including the very hotel where we heard him speak. He read what he called the single scariest story he ever wrote, set in his hometown of Salem. The short story is Young Goodman Brown about a young recently married man who leaves for an errand at night. On his travels, he sees all of the most notable and pious members of the Salem community gathering to worship the devil. He wakes up on the side of the road, unsure if what he has seen was real or a dream. The short story highlights Hawthorne's use of ambiguity, leaving it up to the reader. The story ends with not one ending, but two, depending on how one interprets Young Goodman Brown's evening. Was he awake or did he dream it? 

 

Paul Riopelle as Nathaniel Hawthorne will be in Salem along with Edgar Allen Poe October 23-25 as part of the Haunted Fables at the Gables series. A special thank you to Dakota Russell for using his height to help move the projector screen. Notice that they did not request the help of Ryan Guilmartin for such a task. 

 

There was a Board of Directors meeting prior to this week's Rotary meeting. Funds Allocation requested approval for giving $300 to the Northshore Education Consortium for their Festivus 5k for Autism road race, which the Board approved. There was a lengthy discussion about options for the District Grant. The deadline to submit an application is October 31. Carolyn reviewed the list of sponsors for the calendars, and we still have one or two more spots. The calendars will be sent to the printer soon, so if you know of anyone else who might be interested, reach out to Carolyn today. Tom Furey has been nominated by the Salem Rotary for the Robert C. Wood Heroes Award. More information can be found in the Rotary News section below. 

    

Jokes of the Week:

Why don't they play poker in the zoo?

Too many cheetahs

 

What fish is the best fighter?

A swordfish

 

They can't all be winners. Actually, none of them are winners. 

Your Rotary Club can retain and engage your current members, recruit new members, and be known as the premier service club in your community! We can only achieve this if we discover the components, value, and importance of an effective Succession Plan.
Our Summit on November 2 is the beginning of an attitude mind shift and procedural adjustment that will allow your club to transform the results of its efforts from average to extraordinary.

Our featured presenter and facilitator will be Bill Gormont. Bill is a Rotarian from Greece, New York who has presented leadership development and succession planning programs across the world for Rotary.

Calling all Heroes! Save the date of Thursday, November 14, 2024, for the return of our Heroes Celebration.

As in past years, Clubs will nominate a person in their community who isn't always recognized for their extraordinary service to others.

Our event will be held at Danversport Yacht Club. Watch for more info to follow -- but be on the lookout for a deserving nominee.  I encourage each Club to honor a Hero in your community.

Let's celebrate some great people, be astonished by their contributions, and celebrate the Magic of our Rotary Foundation.

 

Michael McLaughlin is hoping to nominate Tom Furey and described his biography as a "Mr. Salem" of sorts. He left biographies on our lunch tables. 

We will be heading down to our friends at the Salem Pantry to prepare bags of food for home delivery. Reach out to Robyn Burns or Ryan Guilmartin if you are interested. A sign in sheet will be passed around at next week's meeting. 

 

Our next Lifebridge dinner is coming up on November 13. We are looking for a Salem Rotarian to take a leading role in this volunteer opportunity. 

 

 

 

Fun and Fellowship