Thomas MacDonald was scheduled to speak this week but unfortunately could not attend due to a terrible family tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with Thomas and his family. If you would like to learn more about Thomas or order an autographed copy of his book, use the link below.
President Joe Amico announced the newly elected Council members. Terms begin next Rotary year. Congrats to the following Rotarians:
Marie Cardillo
Jason Consalvo
Rick Jakious
Francesca Little
Jane Stirgwolt
Services for Dick Lutts will be held on Saturday, January 8 at noon at Tabernacle Church.
Joehas been working closely with the hotel and Claire Kallelis on how to handle the new projected in-person numbers. A reminder to inform Richard Eisner in advance if you do not plan to attend in person for an entire month and do not want to be billed for meals. See Joe's email for specifics on the Board's decision. We are getting individual plated meals right now.
Kristen Armstrong noted that the next Lifebridge dinner is coming up on Wednesday, January 12! Since she is out of town (see her announcement in Rotarian News), Liz Bradt has generously volunteered to take over the leadership role this time. Liz is looking for volunteers to help prepare 30 or so meals for 5:15-5:30. She hopes that the meal will be simple to prepare.
The Fun and Fellowship Committee is in the planning stages of the next event. Given the current Covid outbreak, they are leaning towards a Zoom event instead of bowling against the Beverly club (lucky break for Beverly, of course). The committee is looking into an online cooking course with Citizens Inn. Viktoria Talebian was curious if February 4 or February 18 worked better for folks. Feel free to reach out and let her know your preferences!
The Scholarship Committee met on Wednesday to get the ball rolling.
Two thank you notes were received this week, one from the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem and one from Lifebridge. These were to thank the Salem Rotary for our donations to these organizations.
There is an opportunity to host an exchange student from Sweden. Contact Joe for more details.
Gerrit Bradley is still collecting tickets and checks for the 2022 Calendars. He would prefer ONE CHECK per Rotarian. Drawings will resume soon!
The Four Way Test
Viktoria Talebian prepared a full written speech about the Four Way Test. She spoke at length about what the Four Way Test means to her and how it is a litmus test and can be applied to many aspects of life. Viktoria pondered the fourth principle; will it be beneficial to all concerned? To Viktoria, this should lead to win-win results. She noted how often personal happiness is being discussed, even at Rotary, and cited a recent study by Harvard University that outlined the common traits and behaviors linked to overall happiness. These can all be found in Rotary.
1. A meaningful and close bond with people we can trust and bond with
2. The ability to forgive. (At this point, Viktoria referred to the story of Geneva, a scholarship recipient who parents were killed when she was young)
3. Happiness is enhanced by involvement in charity. People are happiest when they donate time and money. This is literally service to preserve thyself. Being of service to others is being of service to yourself- the very definition of a win-win!
Ryan Guilmartin (Age) and Jim Dillon (Beauty) picked
NO WINNER THIS WEEK
Guests and Visiting Rotarians
Just Jack.
YOURS IN SERVICE
We have volunteered to help at Lifebridge dinners once every other month. The next event is on January 12. Contact Liz Bradt to volunteer. Volunteers are needed!
ROTARIAN NEWS
Viktoria Talebian took her kids to Universal Studios. While the weather was nice and warm at 85 degrees, she noticed the difficulty wearing a mask in those temperatures.
Jason Consalvo had a busy week with his family. Santa was very kind to his kids, including a bath bomb shaped like a shark and turns blood red in the bath. After some trepidation, a bath was taken! The family also stayed in the haunted room at the Hawthorne Hotel. The staff was great and the kids felt fancy, especially with a nice dinner at the Tavern.
John Fisher and his wife went out with another couple, and it was then that he realized a couple of life milestones. He will have been a dentist for 50 years this year, as well as a Rotarian for 45 years. He also noted an award he received from Temple University that commended his work as a Rotarian. Congrats!!
Liz Bradt has returned from trip to Antarctica, her first and only ever cruise. She was able to see a total eclipse of the sun with her family, which was great. The highlights of the trip were that her father turned 95 and she spend two weeks in Buenos Aires.
Kristen Armstrong is off to Disney with her family! Christmas was kind to the boys too.
Rinus Oosthoek acknowledged that John is bringing calendars down to Florida for Mark Shaw, assuming they can get through security. Only one year's worth, Mark...
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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.