THE SPOKE
Official Newsletter of the Salem Rotary Club

this week at Rotary

BOARD OF DIRECTORS REPORT

The Phoenix School presentation was postponed to June, so President Joe and others shared discussions and outcomes from today’s board meeting. Joe started by sharing two thank you notes for community sponsorships from the North Shore Concert Band and NAGLY.
 
Scholarship Committee – Jen Close reported that the Board approved $50,000 for scholarships and student awards for this year, with $46,000 going to scholarships and $4,000 going to CTE awards. Of these funds, $41,500 will come from the Foundation, and $1,000 will come from the vocational fund. The committee has interviewed 14 of 15 candidates, with the final candidate being interviewed today. The candidates are all impressive, and the committee will be making award decisions this afternoon. The award luncheon is scheduled for June 7.
 
Service Committee – Jane Stirgwolt reported that there was another successful Lifebridge Dinner last week where she and Gary were joined by Gerrit Bradley, Liz Bradt, Tim Clarke, and Dave Wescott. They learned more about how Lifebridge was distributing extra meals, which go to River House and other organizations supporting people in need. She also thanked Bob Anthony, Liz Bradt, and Joe Amico for joining she and Gary at the Cinco de Mayo event at the Council on Aging. Joe was asked to give brief remarks and volunteers passed out meals. She closed by sharing that there is a Boys and Girls Club event scheduled for June 10 and another Lifebridge Dinner scheduled for July that needs volunteers. More information will follow.
 
Auction Committee – Jen Close reported that outreach continues to recruit sponsors and auction items for our big event on June 16! Please sign up for a sponsorship or purchase tickets soon. This is a combined event with President Claire’s installation, so there is only one additional ticket purchase for Rotarians this spring. Don’t miss the fun!
 
Rotary Foundation/Rotary International – Rinus Oosthoek reported President Joe set a goal for the Club to have 100% participation in supporting the Rotary Foundation. So far 29 members have donated, and 28 members have not. Rinus will be contacting to those who haven’t donated with a request for participation by June 30 so we can reach our goal. He reminded members that money donated to the Rotary Foundation is returned back to the District in three years for grants and projects. In order to have this money in three years, we need to donate before June 30!
 
Speaker Committee – Rinus Oosthoek shared the line up for the remainder of this Rotary year. See the upcoming speakers at the end of the Spoke.
 

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Representative Paul Tucker speaking to a combined event for the Salem Rotary and the Salem Chamber of Commerce 

The four way test

Dave Wescott took to the podium to deliver one of his best stand-up acts to date! He began by sharing how honored he was to receive President Joe’s invitation to speak at today’s meeting, until he realized that he was probably the 43rd person asked to do so. He described how he has never been a big fan of tests, noting that he has PTSD (Post Test Stress Disorder), which he picked up in a math class when a surprise from the teacher turned out to be a pop quiz. His excitement turned to thoughtful questioning of the teacher when he asked her why she wasted his time with problems that she already knew the answers to. Fast forward to his first meeting of Rotary, he was given the 4-Way Test. Again, he was dismayed by the surprise pop-quiz and wasn’t sure how he would do. He wondered why the Club would start with such a tough first question, “Is it the truth?” After carefully dissecting the quote from Aristotle, “To say of what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while to say of what is that it is, and of what is not that it is not, is true;” Dave skipped the question. “Is it fair to all concerned,” was next. He suggested the Club ask others because how would he know if they feel it is fair to them. For “will it build good will and better friendships,” Dave suggested that the Club seek guidance from all of the attorneys in the room who likely know what goes best in a will. So exhausted from thinking about the first three questions, he left “will it be beneficial to all concerned,” blank. At first, he thought he would never be invited back, but he was happy to learn that all of the other members in the room had taken the same test. Without naming names, he realized he answered just as well (or poorly) as several other members and passed the scale. His advice to new members and EarlyAct members is don’t worry about the test. Instead of stressing out about the right answers, find a club full of great people who work just as hard as you do to help others. Then you will find fulfillment and to quote his favorite philosopher, Matthew McConaughey, everything will be “alright, alright, alright!”
Calendar Winner
John Dahlke sold by Shawzy
Pot               $645
Players        Gerrit Bradley and Liz Bradt
 
No winner this week!

Guests and Visiting Rotarians

Today our Club welcomed Leanne Smith from the Bentley School and AG Martha Mauser. AV guru Jack Keirnan was also there to keep us connected to our Zoom friends!
 

YOURS IN SERVICE

 
Lifebridge Dinner
Wednesday, July 13
Volunteers are needed for the next dinner for Lifebridge. Please contact Jane Stirgwolt if you would like to volunteer!
 
 
Boys & Girls Club Event
Friday, June 10
Save the date! More information on this service event will be available soon!
 

ROTARIAN NEWS

  • Bruce Whear is playing the part of a bachelor this week while Heidi and her son travel to Chicago.
  • Viktoria Talebian shared that she and Mark Levitt have been in touch. He and Joy were going to join us at the Auction, but he re-injured his bad hip. He is hoping to reconnect with our group later this summer. Viktoria noted that she will miss next week’s meeting, because she will be at a dental meeting in Miami.
  • Bill Henning gave a stern reminder that anyone who positively comments on Thomas’ travels on Facebook next week will meet a grim fate!
  • Martha Mauser shared updates from the District: Service Saturday is this weekend, May 21. The District Installation is June 30 at the Danversport. See District emails for more details and registration information. She added that she would love to see the Salem Club re-engage with the Youth Exchange. Our District is sending 3 students to Columbia, France, and Sweden next year and will be welcoming back four students from other countries.
  • Liz Bradt thanked Jane for coordinating the Lifebridge dinner which was a fun night of service. She highly recommends other members join in the fun next time!
  • Joe Amico noted that Jim shares a birthday with Francesca Little (happy birthday, Francesca!). They are heading to Provincetown this weekend for an annual visit where Jim’s secret nickname comes out in full force. Joe learned of this nickname while vacationing in Puerto Vallarta with friends when the concierge greeted Jim by saying, “You must be BQ!” Joe came to learn that “BQ” stands for “Bargain Queen.” Jim will put his skills to good use at the city-wide yard sale next weekend in P-town!

Upcoming events


Rotary Auction and Installation
June 16, 2022 at 6 pm
Hawthorne Hotel
Two great events in one! Please join us for this amazing evening of fun, fellowship, and all things Rotary. We will celebrate the incoming president for next year, Claire Kallelis, while also raising funds for our many great causes! Attendance forms will be passed around on Tuesday. 
Click the link below to log into the weekly club meeting via Zoom. 
Upcoming Speakers
May 17, 2022
Committee Meetings
May 24, 2022
Why energy savings and investments can be the same thing
May 31, 2022
Happenings at the State House
View entire list
Birthdays 
Member Birthdays
Jeffrey Holloran
May 4
 
Steven Zrike
May 10
 
John Walsh
May 14
 
Francesca Little
May 22
 
Patty Pace
May 27
 

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion statement

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.
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Club Information
Tuesdays at 12:15 PM
Hawthorne Hotel
18 Washington Square
Salem, MA 01970
United States of America
If you are interested in learning more about Salem Rotary, please email president@salemrotary.com.
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