District Governor Elect Alexander Falk spoke about the addition of the environment as the seventh area of focus, and that next Rotary year there will be a District Committee on the Environment. Alexander also signed a resolution creating a relationship between between Rotary and the Essex National Heritage Area. Annie Harris from Essex Heritage spoke of an initiative started by the National Park Service as the two organizations share a space.
This meeting marked President Joe Amico’s final time leading us as Salem Rotary President. He reviewed his charge to the club at his installation and shared his thoughts about Rotary members who inspired him. Joe was honored and thanked Dick Lutts, his sponsor. He also recognized Mark Leavitt, the next president at the time, and how Joe appreciated his smile and effort. He thanked Viktoria Talebian for the social events, and how she sponsored his first ticket the auction. Joe noted Jason Consalvo's enthusiasm and innovation; Rinus Oosthkoek's organizational skills, commitment to vocational education, and idea for creating Dutch drinks; Mike McLaughlin's skill at keeping things going when nobody else would as well as his leadership during the pandemic; and of course Adria Duijvestein who had the most difficult of times as president, yet was determined and creative.
Joe reflected on what the president elect trainings taught him about the Salem club and how well run it is compared to other clubs. He did note that average attendance is shrinking but we have continued to bring on new members even through the pandemic. We have remained very active in the community as well, from our scholarship awards and DCF events to the Polar Plunge and the state of the city address, not to mention the meetings with the Chamber.
Coming into the year, Joe Amico's hopes and goals were:
Meeting RI president Shektar Mehta's challenge for members to bring one guest, which we had mixed results with
Becoming a 100% club, and we are on course to make it
Get CTE recognitions to be part of the annual budget, which it currently is
Have Rotarians share their thoughts on the 4 Way Test at each meeting, which we did
Apply for an EarlyAct club grant, which unfortunately did not happen
Continue the Dutch Drinks tradition, including the very successful night at Witch City Hibachi
Have the Membership Committee to reach out to folks who did not attend and hold exit interviews
Additional exposure through an increased Facebook presence, press releases, and an updated community board
Use the survey results to guide the club
Successfully raise over $30,000 at the auction this year
This Rotary year was a tremendous success! Marie Cardillo presented a video highlighting Joe’s year as President. You can see the full video below.
No raffle this week due to the unfortunate fact that Matt Ingram won last week and we did not have a new deck of cards. Enjoy your winnings, Matt!
Guests and Visiting Rotarians
District Governor Terry Curran and District Governor Elect Alexander Falk were both in attendance. Annie Harris was their guest. Mike Lister, principal at the Saltonstall School, also attended. Ever present A/V Jack was in attendance as well.
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!
The Annual Salem Rotary Auction was a smashing success as it raised in excess of $30,000 and a great time was had by all. To top the evening off, the event as served as the Installation of our next Salem Rotary President, Claire Kallelis. Congratulations to Claire and the Auction Committee for such an amazing event!
Rotary International has a goal for all clubs to have 100% of members donate. If you have not already done so, email Rinus or donate using the link below:
Gerrit Bradley had some sad news to deliver. Unfortunately his mother recently passed away. You can see the obituary here. On a happier note, he celebrated Willa's 19th birthday by making homemade pesto and grilled chicken at her request.
Viktoria Talebian shared the exiting news that Rachel has started counselor training at Camp Rotary in Boxford and only returns home on Saturdays, at least until she heads off to Elon in the fall.
Jason Consalvo was very relieved that baseball season at the Consalvo household is over as Harrison's team did not win. Ever the social butterfly, Jason took Kerri to see Wicked last week and saw a rare bird at an undisclosed location doing undisclosed activities- use your imagination I suppose.
Upcoming events
Use the Zoom link below to attend Salem Rotary from any computer or mobile device.
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.
Lifebridge Dinner
