President's Remarks (November 5, 2024)

Dear Rotarians,

This Thursday, November 7th, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am. We'll enjoy coffee and breakfast as we share stories and discuss club activities at each table. Our speaker will be Roe-Ann Tasoulas, the executive director of the Monadnock Farm and Community Coalition (https://mfcommunitycoalition.org/). She will discuss how we can develop a robust, equitable, and sustainable local food system in the Monadnock Region, supporting the Healthy Monadnock strategy to promote healthy eating.

We also have an upcoming event on Saturday, November 9th. Time again for our bi-annual Roadside Cleanup project. Rotarians will meet at Emma's 321 Pub and Kitchen at 377 Rt 202 in Rindge at 8:00am.  We'll circulate a sign-up sheet at our weekly meeting to gather the names of Rotarians who plan to participate. If you cannot attend the meeting but plan to join the cleanup project on November 9th, please inform Rotarian Bob Schaumann at rsta@tellink.net

Last week's meeting began with an invocation led by Rotarian Christine Bergeron, followed by a thank you to all members for their hard work in making the October 26th raffle event a success!  Jeff Lefkovich, Executive Director of Real Estate Development, presented the Vose Farm Road project in Peterborough, which is set to start soon. Thank you, Jeff, for your informative presentation! Later that day, October 31, we had the pleasure of setting up a Rotary table and banner for the Halloween candy distribution event on Jaffrey's Main Street. As we celebrated this special holiday, we met many community members and enjoyed bringing smiles to children and their families.  We gave out a LOT of candy!!

We deeply appreciate the enthusiasm and effort each of you brings to our club. Sometimes, even when you can't attend in person, your thoughts and indirect support are vital to our group's success. Every member makes a meaningful impact, and I'm truly grateful for your commitment. Your dedication is invaluable, and we look forward to your ongoing support and involvement.

Yours in Service,

Rudra

 

Photographs from our recent Rotary meeting and Halloween

 

Rotarians Hand Out Halloween Candy in Jaffrey 

Rotarians Marc Wienecki, Rudra Aryal, Jim Banghart, and Bill Coleman pose for a quick picture while handing out candy to Jaffrey's Halloween goblins and other unusual creatures. With one of the warmest Halloweens on record with temperatures in the low 70's, there was no shortage of small Halloween costumes downtown!!

 

Stephanie and a Bearded Clown ham it up on Halloween

Rotarians Stephanie Thompson and Owen Houghton ham it up while giving out Halloween Candy in front of the Chamber of Commerce Office.  Guess which one is Owen.

 

Jeff Lefkovich, Executive Director of Real Estate Development

Jeff Lefkovich, Executive Director of Real Estate Development, presented the Vose Farm Road project to Rotarians at our October 31st meeting.  A very informative presentation that will see this project commence shortly, with the project to provide several "affordable" housing apartments in Peterborough that will open in Spring 2026

 

The Calm Before the Storm

With a busy day ahead of them, Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians relax over breakfast at the weekly meeting.
 

President's Remarks (November 5, 2024) 2024-11-04 05:00:00Z 0

President's Message (October 29, 2024)

Dear Rotarians,

This Thursday, October 31st, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am. We will enjoy coffee and breakfast together. Jeff Lefkovich, the Executive Director of Real Estate and Senior Living Development at Catholic Charities NH, will be our speaker.

We will also take a moment to thank all members for their hard work in making the raffle event successful, and we give special thanks to Sam LaFortune for organizing this event. Many Rotarians have been involved at Woodbound Inn the morning of this major fund-raiser to set up all the baskets, the musical system, and other arrangements! I am honored and proud to see all the Rotarians' enthusiasm for "working together with the community and for the community." Following our November board meeting, the fundraising event report will be shared with our members. 

On the same day, October 31st, we will join Team Jaffrey in the late afternoon, and set up a table and banner for the Halloween candy distribution event on Jaffrey's Main Street. It should be a lot of Halloween fun! Please feel free to join this event if you have a free schedule, and I will provide more detailed information during our morning meeting.

Last week, the meeting began with an invocation prayer led by Rotarian Ben Wheeler. We were honored to have three Interact students from Conant High School join us, accompanied by Interact Club Coordinator Paddy McCarthy. The students fundraised in recognition of World Polio Day, which, coincidentally, fell on the same day, October 24th, as our regular meeting day. We proudly supported their efforts by donating to the cause during the "Purple Pinkie Day" event -- a Rotary initiative to raise awareness and funds for polio eradication. Additionally, the club discussed plans for last week's Raffle Party, outlining the program schedule. Our members participated in the meeting, and this discussion significantly contributed to the program's effectiveness.

We always appreciate the enthusiasm and effort you bring to our club. Your continued participation and insights are the foundation of our vibrant group. Each of you makes a tremendous impact, and I am truly grateful for your dedication. Your commitment to our club's success is incredible, and we look forward to your ongoing support and involvement.

Yours in Service,

Rudra

 

Photographs from our October 24th Meeting and Raffle Party

 

October 24th Meeting

 

Raffle Party Pictures

President's Message (October 29, 2024) 2024-10-29 04:00:00Z 0

President's Message (October 22, 2024)

Dear Rotarians,

This Thursday, October 24th, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am. We will enjoy coffee and breakfast together. 
 
In this meeting, we will have two major events. First, Interact students from Conant High School are planning to attend to promote a fundraiser for Purple Pinky Day, an initiative our club always supports. They will discuss their activities for the year and answer any questions we may have.
 
This presents a great opportunity for us to learn more about their projects and explore ways to collaborate and support them, as we have successfully worked together on various events in the past. For example, we have participated in multiple community service projects and international initiatives, including a trip to the Dominican Republic.
 
Second, we then focus our meeting on finalizing details for our upcoming fundraising event on October 26th. It will serve as preparation and a progress report of our "Raffle Party" event of October 26th at WoodbBound Inn.  Please come prepared to share any updates or reports on ticket sales and sponsorships with the team. We will also present a draft of the overall program format, which we will finalize based on your suggestions. Your presence would be greatly appreciated.

Last week, we had the pleasure of meeting many of our members during a special meeting to discuss the Raffle Party. Although this was a quick decision for this special meeting, and our calendar was marked for "no meeting" due to the Columbus Day holiday, the gathering was successful and informative with nearly 20 Rotarians attending. Your dedication was inspiring, and we are proud of your contributions.

We always appreciate the enthusiasm and effort you bring to our club. Your continued participation and insights are the foundation of our vibrant group. Each of you makes a tremendous impact, and I am truly grateful for your dedication. Your commitment to our club's success is incredible, and we look forward to your ongoing support and involvement.

Yours in Service,
 
Rudra
 
Photograph from our October 17th Meeting
 
 
President's Message (October 22, 2024) 2024-10-21 04:00:00Z 0

President's Message (October 15, 2024)

Dear Rotarians,

This Thursday, October 17th, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club's Raffle Party organizing team will have a special meeting at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15 am. The team will focus on finalizing details for our upcoming fundraising event on October 26th. This meeting will serve as both a preparation and a progress report.

Due to the Columbus Day holiday, we not have a scheduled breakfast meeting on October 17th. However, please feel free to stop by if you have any updates or reports on ticket sales or collected money, and share them with the team. We will enjoy coffee and breakfast together, as we discuss the progress of the Raffle Party. Your presence would be greatly appreciated; however, if you have other commitments, we understand.

Last week, we had the pleasure of four different significant events. First, recognizing the students of the month allows our club to strongly support our students' achievements. Second, Rotarian Tom Hsu's presentation on climate change was insightful, emphasizing the importance of a clean environment for our safety and well-being. Third, we also heard from Franklin Pierce University President Dr. Peter Eden, who shared his background and vision for the university.

Fourth, our club's volunteers put forth a great effort during the Scarecrow event on October 12th, working in shifts to set up alongside Team Jaffrey and a musical team. Rotarians Owen Houghton, Bill Coleman, Bill Raymond, Bob Schaumann, John McCarthy, Tom Hsu, and Rudra Aryal volunteered. It was a proud moment to showcase our theme, "Working with the Community for the Community." 

We are also proud of Ben Wheeler, Mike Shea, and Andy Lawn for representing our club at the recent Rotary District 7870 Golf Tournament and demonstrating our club's spirit. These are just a few examples of the many achievements our club has made, and each one of us has played a part in these successes.

We always appreciate the enthusiasm and effort you bring to our club. Your continuous participation and insights are the foundation of our vibrant group. Each of you makes a tremendous impact, and I am truly grateful for your dedication. Your commitment to our club makes it a success, and we look forward to your continued support and involvement.

Yours in Service,

Rudra

 

Photographs

 

FPU President Dr. Peter Eden Visits Rotary

Peter Eden, President of Franklin Pierce University, visited the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club at our most recent meeting.  Dr. Eden is the seventh President of the University, having assumed the presidency in mid-July.  He shared his vision for the university; his sense of humor and his enthusiasm were evident.

 

Scarecrows on the Common... and Rotarians Were There!

Bill Coleman (L) and Owen Houghton, attired in his colonial garb, were two of several Rotarians who helped out at the Scarecrows on the Common on Saturday.  Beautiful autumn weather, complemented by dozens of families, made for a festive four-hour event, and now dozens of hay-filled scarecrows adorn the downtown Jaffrey sidewalks.

President's Message (October 15, 2024) 2024-10-15 04:00:00Z 0

President's Message (October 8, 2024)

Dear Rotarians,

This week, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, October 10th, at 7:15am. We have several noteworthy events scheduled with tentative time frames that include:

  1. Welcoming our Student of the Month (7:40 - 7:50am)
  2. Climate Change presentation by our fellow Rotarian, Dr. Tom Hsu (7:50 - 8:15am)
  3. Introduction of Dr. Peter Eden, President of Franklin Pierce University (8:15 - 8:25am)

Please plan to volunteer for the Scarecrow on the Commons on Saturday, October 12th.  Which shift works best for you? -- 10:00am to 12:00 Noon OR 12:00 Noon to to 2:00pm.  Let us know on Thursday, as we will pass around a sign-up sheet.  For those not at the meeting, this activity is a good way towards fulfilling your Rotary service commitment to our towns!

Last week, we were honored to welcome our District Governor, Bill Stevens. Hearing his insights on the progress and vision for our Rotary Club's community activities overall at the district level was a pleasure. Thank you, District Governor Stevens, for your time and inspiring words! We also enjoyed sharing personal stories and experiences during the Happy Fine session and breakfast discussion. Witnessing the enthusiasm of our members reaffirmed our collective commitment to making a meaningful impact.

Our fundraising events are in full swing, and we are immensely grateful for our members' enthusiasm. We are very proud of all the members' participation in selling the tickets, finding the auction items, and giving suggestions for our activities by creating a positive fund-raising event. Just highlighting one from among many examples, last week's ticket-selling event at Belletetes resulted in sales of several tickets. This was thanks to the efforts of Rotarians Sam LaFortune, Peter Russell, Sheila Bergeron, Peter Davis, and Bob Schaumann. They sold tickets and promoted the Rotary mission to the people. We also extend special thanks to Mike Shea for facilitating our being able to sell tickets at what is clearly one of the business retail establishments in town!.

Your participation, insights, and efforts are the foundation of our vibrant club. Each of your contributions—big or small—makes a huge difference. We are truly grateful for your dedication and the positive impact you continue to make in our community.

Yours in Service,

Rudra

 

From our photographers....

 

District Governor Bill Stevens Visits Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary

President Rudra Aryal accepts District Governor Bill Stevens banner prior to Bill's presentation on the status of Rotary within District 7870.  Following Bill's informative presentation, he fielded several questions from our Rotarians.

 

Rotarians Sell Raffle Party Tickets at Belletetes

Saturday morning found (L-r) Peter Russell, Sam LaFortune, and Bob Schaumann selling Raffle Party Tickets in front of Belletetes on a nice sunny day.  Sheila Bergeron and Peter Davis (both not pictured) also were among the Rotarians engaged in the sale of the tickets.  During the six-hour effort, several tickets were sold, and Belletetes has offered a timed shopping spree AND a cameo appearance in a Belletetes' TV advertisement as Live Auction items for the October 26th Raffle Party.  

 

President's Message (October 8, 2024) 2024-10-07 04:00:00Z 0

2024 Raffle

 

The Jaffrey Rindge Rotary Raffle Party is back

Raffle Items:
  • Global Flight Simulator
  • Red Sox tickets love box 4 tickets
  • Ton of pellets
  • Golf packages  Gardner, Bretwood
  • Impressionist painting
  • Griffin Landscape  5 yards of mulch
  • Wine gift basket
  • Potter tree service
  • Endless treasures gift certificate
  • Belletetes 90 second shopping spree run
  • Morgan 1881-S Silver dollar
  • Monadnock Climb with Geologist Dr. Fred Rogers
  • Harley Davidson apparel
  • Belletetes cameo tv commercial appearance
  • Shattuck Golf foursome with cart    
  • Crotched Mt foursome, w/o cart
  • Dust to Shine five hour cleaning
  • Two hand knit baby sweaters
  • Studio 105 $25 Certificate
  • Sandwich Master $25 Certificate
  • Verizon Rindge Store - $200 Certificate
  • 18 yards f loam from Gordon Gravel and Stone
  • Spring Cleanup from Gordon Services
  • Six bottles of curated, imported wine, 3-red 3-wht
  • Three hour narrated tour of over 100 Museum-Quality cars
  • Shattuck golf simulator 2 hours foursome
  • Tire warehouse  4 tire with alignment, balancing and mounting
Sponsors:
  • The Nero Wealth Group
  • MilliporeSigma
  • Jed
  • Mountain Shades
  • Reds
      2024 Raffle Rudra Aryal 2024-10-02 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (October 1, 2024)

      Dear Rotarians,

      This week, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, October 3rd, at 7:15am. We will continue discussing "How can we strengthen our club activities?" Our members' discussions and suggestions will improve our Club and make it more active.

      Last week, we appreciated listening to members' views and suggestions on various topics during our "Enhancing Member Engagement and Retention" roundtable discussion. We mainly discussed how we can better engage and retain new members once they join, increase our Club's visibility and impact within the community, and better involve and maximize the expertise of our experienced members.   

      In addition, we covered the topics of how we can encourage more members to take on leadership roles within the Club. What can we do to create a more welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere at our meetings? Wow! What great ideas and opinions we heard in this roundtable format.

      We concluded that every action, no matter how small, contributes to the foundation of a better community and satisfaction among us. Participating in activities and inspiring others through our volunteering "above self" can develop a powerful bond of love and prosperity in our communities. We all agreed that every member should come openly with some ideas and thoughts to serve the "above self," which is a significant contribution to the community!

      On the morning of Saturday, November 9th, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will participate in our twice-a-year roadside clean-up project.  As we anticipate a plethora of "Vote for..." yet to be picked up by candidates, the project will take place after the Presidential election.

      Last week, our secretary, Bob Schaumann, visited the Grand Monadnock Rotary Club in his role as Area 1 Assistant Governor, and shared his vision for our Club's future and possible collaborations with them. Thank you, Bob, for your time and dedication!  Bob will visit Hollis-Brookline and Milford Rotary Clubs on Wednesday.

      Our fundraising events are in full swing, and we are receiving tremendous support from local businesses for auction items and our community members for tickets. The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript is also helping us out by publishing our raffle event advertisement for free.

      Your participation in this Club and insightful suggestions make our Club vibrant and prosperous. We greatly appreciate your important role in its continued success. Whether large or small, every contribution is valuable, and we are sincerely grateful for your dedication to our shared mission.

      Yours in Service,

      Rudra

       

      Photograph from our September 24th Round Table Meeting

      President's Message (October 1, 2024) 2024-10-01 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (September 24, 2024)

      Dear Rotarians,

      This week, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, September 26th, at 7:15am.

      We are excited to host our roundtable discussion on "Enhancing Member Engagement and Retention."  This is a significant moment for us to review the Club's engagement levels and key challenges, improve members' involvement in all events, retain best practices, and introduce new initiatives and meeting times. We are confident that - together - we'll create an actionable plan to ensure the growth and strength of our Club.

      Last week, we had the privilege of having Dr. Fred Rogers, a professor and expert in geology and the inner history of our planet, as our guest speaker. His presentation was enlightening and shed light on the history of our beautiful planet millions of years ago and the perspective of the formation of rocks and landscapes. We sincerely thank Dr. Rogers for his invaluable time and insights.

       

      Our upcoming Raffle Party is generating significant momentum. I am very proud to know of good thinking and conversations about selling the tickets, for example, Rotarian Peter Russell's conversation with Rotarians Mike Shea and Sam LaFortune about selling the Rotary Raffle tickets in front of Belletetes and reach out to different places and people. We are confident that this Raffle event will help us reach out to the community and, more importantly, help to make people happy! The energy and enthusiasm are noticeable as we work together to ensure this event's success.

      Your presence, participation, and insightful suggestions make our Rotary Club vibrant and prosperous. We greatly appreciate your important role in its continued success. Whether large or small, every contribution is valuable, and we are sincerely grateful for your dedication to our shared mission.

      Yours in Service,

      Rudra

      President's Message (September 24, 2024) 2024-09-24 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (September 17, 2024)

      Dear Rotarians,

      This week, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, September 19th, at 7:15am. We are excited to welcome Dr. Fred Rogers, a distinguished geologist and Atmospheric and Geological Sciences professor at Franklin Pierce University. He will discuss the geological history of New Hampshire and its surrounding regions, and we will have the opportunity to learn more about where we live!

      Last week, we had the privilege of hosting Dr. Nora Travis, a leading expert in ground-level air pollution. Her presentation was enlightening, shedding light on the sources of air pollution, its profound effects on human health, and practical strategies to safeguard ourselves from indoor pollutants. We sincerely thank Dr. Travis for her invaluable time and insights.

      In recent efforts to connect with the community, our Club proudly welcomed students by displaying a roadside sign that read, "Dream Big, Work Hard, and A Great Year is Ahead!" These signs, which we retrieved last weekend for future use, received positive feedback. It warmed my heart to hear from a teacher who told me about his students' conversation about our roadside sign. "Did you see that sign welcoming us?" one student asked. Another responded, "He felt pleased reading 'Dream Big and Work Hard, A Great Year is Ahead.'" I just wanted to share this story with you. Hearing this filled me with pride, and I felt compelled to share this experience.

      Our upcoming Raffle Party is generating significant momentum, with tickets already circulating among members. The energy and enthusiasm are noticeable as we work together to ensure this event's success. Sam LaFortune will provide further updates during our meeting, and we eagerly anticipate sharing the latest developments with you all.

      As always, we are excited about our next meeting. Your presence, participation, and insightful suggestions make our Club dynamic and thriving. We deeply appreciate the important role each of us plays in its continued success. Whether large or small, every contribution is invaluable, and we are sincerely grateful for your dedication to our shared mission.

      Yours in Service,

      Rudra

       

      Photographs from our September 10th Breakfast Meeting

       

      President's Message (September 17, 2024) 2024-09-13 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (September 10, 2024)

      Dear Rotarians,

      This week, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will hold its weekly meeting on Thursday, September 12th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      We are excited to have Dr. Nora Travis, an expert on human exposure, health, and societal issues that are associated with wood and pellet stoves as home heating sources in New Hampshire.
       
      Our raffle party is gaining momentum, with tickets already distributed. It's wonderful to see the enthusiasm and excitement of our members as we work together to make this event a success. We can't wait to see the big excitement that lies ahead at the party!

      Our board met on September 10th and discussed several important matters. We will give you an update on these at the Thursday meeting.

      Your presence, active participation, and suggestions for club activities make our Rotary Club vibrant and dynamic. Our combined contributions are integral to our success, and we value them greatly.

      Yours in Service,

      Rudra
      President's Message (September 10, 2024) 2024-09-10 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (September 3, 2024)

      Dear Rotarians,

      This week, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will not hold its regular weekly meeting on Thursday, September 5, due to the Labor Day holiday that honors America's workers. I hope you all enjoyed the three-day Labor Day weekend!

      Last week, Rotarian Dr. Marc Winiecki delivered an informative presentation on the importance of food for our health, highlighting how it provides the essential nutrients our bodies need to function correctly. Thank you, Dr. Winiecki!
       
      Sam Lafortune, our raffle party coordinator,  distributed Raffle tickets for sale and updated us on our ongoing preparations. We also distributed a tentative Club's yearly schedule, which will be discussed at the upcoming Board meeting on September 10th.

      We would greatly appreciate your suggestions for future Club events to include in our calendar. If you have any, please send them to Bob Schaumann at rsta@tellink.net.

      Your presence, active participation, and suggestions for club activities make our Club vibrant and dynamic. Our combined contributions are integral to our success, and we value them greatly.

      Yours in Service,

      Rudra
       
      Photographs taken at our August 29th
      Breakfast Meeting at Franklin Pierce University
       
       
      Dr. Marc Winiecki Presents!
       
      President's Message (September 3, 2024) 2024-09-02 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (August 27, 2024)

      Dear Rotarians,

      This week, on Thursday, August 29th, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will return to Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am.
       
      We are excited to welcome our new Rotarian, Dr. Marc Winiecki, as our speaker. He will speak on age-based food and health, a highly relevant subject to our community.  In addition, each table will have a paper for your review to look over our tentative yearly schedule and for your input.
       
      Sam Lafortune will also provide an update on the progress of our October 26th Raffle Party, which supports our community and reflects our club's strong commitment to public service.
       
      Don't look now, but those cool nights are indicative of what's to come in the upcoming autumn months.  Halloween is two months away!  In years past, Team Jaffrey has requested Rotarians to assist at the annual Scarecrows on the Common event on Saturday, October 12th. Please mark your calendars from 10am to 2pm on Main Street to volunteer for this event, which attracts hundreds of families and visitors from Jaffrey and beyond.

      Last week, we had a truly wonderful time. As your President, I am immensely proud of the enthusiasm shown by our Rotarians in placing roadside signs in Jaffrey and Rindge to welcome students back to school and the new academic year with the message, "DREAM BIG, WORK HARD, A GREAT YEAR IS AHEAD!" These signs serve as a visible symbol of our support for the students of the Jaffrey-Rindge school district and Franklin Pierce University.
       
      On the same morning that we posted signs on Thursday, August 22nd, we also held a Rotary social event at the Peterborough Players at 5:30pm, followed by the season's best musical, "Man of La Mancha." The turnout was great, and the time spent chatting during the social hour was enjoyable. It was a great moment of connection with the community. A special thanks to Rotarian Don Upton for once again leading this social event! Coincidently, our fellow Rotarian Jed Brummer had his birthday that day, and we all celebrated his birthday.  Thank you all for making these events a resounding success!
       
      We eagerly look forward to seeing you this coming Thursday for another engaging and productive meeting. Your presence and active participation are what keep our club vibrant and dynamic. 
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Rudra
       
       
       
      Photographs from our Thursday Morning "meeting" and Rotary Social
       
       
      Welcome Back to School Signs Appear in Jaffrey and Rindge to Welcome Students!
       
      Rotarians Jim Banghart, Tom Ahlborn-Hsu, Sam LaFortune, Sheila Bergeron, Donna Senechal, and Dr. Marc Winiecki pose for a group picture.  They are holding Rotary signs that very shortly after this picture was taken were posted throughout Jaffrey and Rindge, including the school properties, to welcome students back to class.  Nearly a dozen Rotarians showed up at our impromptu "meeting," which replaced the usual Breakfast Meeting on Thursday morning.
       
       
      President Rudra and Dr. Marc Winiecki Prepare Signage
       
      TOP: President Rudra Aryal (L) and our newest Rotarian, Dr. Mark Winiecki, assemble "Welcome Back, Students!" signs that will be found over the next two weeks in the towns of Jaffrey and Rindge, as well as on the  Franklin Pierce University campus.  Summer is nearly over and nearly 1300 SAU47 students will return to "Reading and 'riting and 'rithmetic" when classes resumed on Monday, August 26th, in both towns.  Franklin Pierce University begins classes today on Tuesday, August 27th, for its nearly 1300 undergraduate students.   BOTTOM:  Over two dozen signs were posted throughout the two towns.
       
      Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here... Rotary Social
       
      Rotarians and friends gathered at the Peterborough Players for an early evening social, followed by a sold-out performance of "Man of La Mancha."  Not sure who the photographer was, but thank you, nonetheless, for taking this group shot.   Do we see some potential Rotarians out there?
       
       
       
       
      President's Message (August 27, 2024) 2024-08-22 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (August 20, 2024)
       

      Hi Rotarians,

      This week on Thursday, August 22nd, we will meet at the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce parking lot in downtown Jaffrey at 8:00 am.  There will be no meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines this week.  Please come with your coffee, and we will begin to distribute and place roadside signs in Jaffrey and Rindge that welcome students back to school and to the new academic year.  The message is simple: "DREAM BIG, WORK HARD, A GREAT YEAR IS AHEAD"! These signs, which will remain in place for about two weeks, will be a visible symbol of our support for the Jaffrey-Rindge school students and the returning students at Franklin Pierce University.  Please remember where you placed these signs, as you are asked to collect them for use again next year.
       
      On the same day (August 22), we will also have a Rotary social event at the Peterborough Players at 5:30pm, followed by the "Man from La Mancha," the season's best musical, at 7:30pm. We look forward to seeing all the Rotarians who plan to attend.  Remember to bring a hors d'oeuvres dish and BYOB for the social.

      It was good to see the many Rotarians and guests at our last meeting, and we trust everyone enjoyed the pancakes, thanks to our two chefs and Don Upton's syrup. Following our breakfast meeting, we had a productive discussion on the plan and schedule for our upcoming Fundraising event on October 26th.  The Raffle Party is is important, and we are thrilled to see Rotarians' enthusiasm and eagerness to contribute to its success.

      Summer is flying by quickly, and we are excited about the Fall season and Franklin Pierce University's (FPU) opening. Therefore, we plan to return to our Breakfast Meetings at the University at 7:15 a.m. on August 29, which will be the first week of classes.
       
      Last but not least, Bruce Hill sent the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club as letter of thanks:  "On behalf of the Jaffrey Center Summer Fair and the First Church in Jaffrey, we offer our deep thanks and appreciation for your traffic control and parking service on August 7th.  Your experience and able volunteers managed the visiting patrons safely.  Thank you for your community service."
       
      It is always a pleasure to share ideas and discuss our community service initiatives, as this year's theme is "We work for the community with the community."
      We eagerly look forward to seeing you at the upcoming events and meetings. Your presence and active participation make our club vibrant and dynamic.

      Yours in Service,


      Rudra
       
       
      Photographs from our most recent meeting...
       
      President's Message (August 20, 2024)  2024-08-18 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (August 13, 2024)

      Dear Rotarians,

      Our next Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club meeting will be held on Thursday, August 15th, at 7:15am at the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge.  Pancakes are on the agenda, so bring your appetite, as Chef Bill and Chef Bob will flip the flapjacks, and Don Upton brings the maple syrup.  We look forward to seeing you and your guests on this beautiful morning. We always appreciate seeing all members with their Rotary name tags (badges), which makes it easier for our newer Rotarians and guests to know who YOU are!

      The club's Board will meet on Wednesday, August 14th, at 8:00am to schedule and review various club activities, including preparing our yearly calendar, committees, and member participation. We strongly encourage all Rotarians to send any agenda items in advance by Tuesday, August 13th to Secretary Bob Schaumann (rsta@tellink.net) if they wish the Board to include your topic for discussion.

      Last week, on Wednesday, August 7th, many Rotarians volunteered for various roles at the 107th Fair Falls, held at the Jaffrey Center Common and The First Church. Their contributions included managing car "pahking," cooking hot dogs, setting up games for children, overseeing cupcake decorating by the small fry, performing live music, and various other activities. As club President, I am incredibly proud of the dozen Rotarians who were there to support, directly and indirectly, the Church Fair's success!

      At our last meeting, we presented a check to the Jaffrey Grade School Destination Imagination Team. Our club remains committed to supporting the team and contributing to the success of our local schools.

      Your presence and participation make our club vibrant and dynamic!

      Yours in Service,

      Rudra

       
       
      The roving photographer caught Rotarians having a good time!
       
       
      Tom Ahlborn-Hsu and A Truly Unique Invocation
       
      Over the years, we've heard dozens of Invocations.  Rotarians at our August 8th Breakfast Meeting heard a truly original Invocation sung by our very own Tom Ahlborn-Hsu -- one that he had written himself and sang.  Tom's Invocation will be a hard act to follow! 
       
       
      Destination Imagination Receives Donation from Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary
       
      Rotarian Gail Therriault, Charitable Giving Committee Chairperson, presents a check to four Jaffrey-Rindge School District educators who joined us, each of whom has been very involved with schools in both Jaffrey and Rindge.  Two of the Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District’s Destination Imagination teams moved on to the Global Finals in Kansas City.  Destination Imagination - originally known as "Odyssey of the Mind," is an international organization that allows young people to problem-solve STEM, fine arts, and service learning challenges!
       
       
      Two Chefs and Pancakes for our August 15th Breakfast Meeting
       
      Pancakes will again be the menu for our next Breakfast meeting, courtesy of Rotarian Chefs Bob Schaumann (L) and Bill Coleman, who flipped the flapjacks that fed hungry Rotarians at one of our earlier summer meetings at the Cathedral of the Pines.  Rotarian Don Upton will again donate a quart of his sweet maple syrup (thanks, Don!!).  
       
       
      Happy Fines with Ben Wheeler
       
       
      Ben Wheeler hosted our Happy Fines this week, sans wearing the creative chapeau that often adorns the head of our own Sam LaFortune.
       
       
      Rotarian Owen Houghton "Pahking Cars"!
       
      It's not summertime in Jaffrey unless Rotarians "pahk cars" at the Church Fair.  Owen corralled several Rotarians on August 7th Wednesday to manage the "pahking" at The First Church.  Other Rotarians - a dozen all told - contributed their time and talents towards other venues at the 107th Church Fair Falls.
       
       
      President's Message (August 13, 2024) 2024-08-08 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (August 6, 2024)

      Dear Rotarians,

      Our next Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club meeting will be held on Thursday, August 8th, at 7:15am at the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge. We are excited to see our club members and guests discussing our club activities and sharing personal fun stories via Happy Fines!  Rotarian Tom Ahlborn-Hsu will lead the invocation prayer.

      The club's Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, August 14th, at 8:00am to schedule and review various club activities, including preparing our yearly calendar, committees, and members' participation.

      Last week, we had a wonderful meeting, and we are very proud of all the Rotarians and guests for their participation and feedback on our involvement and plans for upcoming events. Thanks to Rotarian Jim Banghart for an excellent presentation on the importance of following the Rotary Club's website for activity updates and member information via the member login. Jim will take the lead in updating all this information on our website.

      During the meeting, Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club's Charitable Giving chairperson, Gail Therriault, presented a check to Rotarian Patty Farmer from the Elm City Rotary Club for the Sneaker Program. This act of generosity exemplifies the impact we can make when we come together. We are proud to support this worthwhile cause.
       
      Remember that on Wednesday, August 7th, from 11:00am to 2:00pm, Rotarians will help with the parking at the Church Fair.  Owen Houghton appreciates those who volunteered, but a few more would be helpful.  Even if you can only contribute an hour, notify Owen.

      Yours in Service,

      Rudra
       
       
       
      Photograph from our August 1st meeting...
       
       
      Rotarian Jim Banghart Updates Rotarians on ClubRunner
       
      ClubRunner contains significant information available to all Rotarians when they log in.  Jim Banghart updates Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians on the "how to's" of ClubRunner and the information found therein.
      President's Message (August 6, 2024) 2024-08-05 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (July 30, 2024)

      Dear Rotarians,

      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be on Thursday, August 1st, at 7:15am at the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge. We are excited to see our Rotarians at this meeting and discuss various club activities!  Yes, summer is flying by!
       
      Rotarian Jim Banghart will be our speaker at the meeting; he will share the importance of ClubRunner as a membership management and communication platform.

      Thank you to all Rotarians and guests for attending and participating in the last meeting. It was great to see everyone! Your engaging conversations, the sharing of personal stories during the Happy Fines, the table discussions during breakfast, and the wonderful invocation prayer made it memorable.

      In the meeting, we discussed the progress of our upcoming Rotary Raffle Party event on October 26th. The event will support our efforts, including after-school programs in the community and other charitable donations. We are confident of its grand success, so let's make it happen!

      Additionally, we updated the schedule for members who will volunteer to direct parking at the First Church in Jaffrey Summer Fair on August 7th from 11:00am to 2:00pm.  In the meeting, we also collected suggestions on the format of roadside signs with inspirational messages to welcome students back to school for this new year, and we are eagerly looking forward to putting up these signs on August 22nd!

      Yours in Service,

      Rudra
       
       
      Photographs from our July 25th meeting...
       
       
      Breakfast is Over and the Meeting Has Begun
       
      Our President, Rudra Aryal, brought breakfast to the meeting (thank you, Rudra!).  Along with the coffee, we ate well.  Meanwhile, Happy Fines usually provide some humorous stories, and the photographer just happened to snap the shutter as Rotarians reacted to one such story!
       
       
      Rotarian Jon Frederick Updates Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians
       
      Jon Frederick updates Rotarians on the latest information about the proposed Jaffrey Grade School After-school program. This Rotary-inspired program was initially spearheaded by Rotarians Sheila Bergeron and Bob Schaumann last October.  It is hoped the program, which is intended to be financially self-supporting and with no cost to the taxpayer, will begin this Fall.
      President's Message (July 30, 2024) 2024-07-28 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (July 23, 2024)

      Dear Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting will be on Thursday, July 25th, at the Cathedral of the Pines, Rindge, at 7:15am. At the meeting, we will briefly discuss various topics that the Club has planned for the coming days.  Sam LaFortune, chairperson for the October 26th Raffle Party, will also provide a brief update on the event preparation. Additionally, we are honored to have Bill Johnson, the director of the Jaffrey-Rindge Memorial Ambulance Service, as our distinguished speaker.
       
      Rudra Aryal will bring the breakfast items and Bob Schaumann will bring the coffee. We are looking forward to a delicious breakfast!
       
      Last week, we had an excellent meeting that was hosted by the Jaffrey Fire Department, which included a great turnout of Rotarians and guests. Dr. Marc Winiecki was inducted as our newest Rotarian, with Jim Banghart sponsoring Marc's membership, and Russell Gaskamp arranging the new membership processes. We enjoyed an excellent breakfast, and we thank Fire Department Chief David Chamberlain and his firefighters for arranging this meeting and preparing a great breakfast. Chief Chamberlain was also our speaker and gave an insightful presentation on how the Jaffrey Fire Department (JFD) works to create a safe community in our area.
       
      A special thanks to Rotarian Andy Lawn for connecting with the JFD and for arranging the breakfast meeting, during which the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club presented a check to Chief Chamberlain as a donation towards their fund-raising efforts for new equipment. We also expressed the Club's desire to support the Jaffrey and Rindge Fire Departments.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Rudra
       
       
       
      Photographs from our July 18th Meeting at the Jaffrey Fire Station...
       
       
      Dr. Marc Winiecki Inducted as Our Newest Rotarian!
       
      TOP:  Dr. Marc Winiecki (C) was inducted by President Rudra (L) at our most recent meeting.  Pinning Marc with his Rotary Pin is Membership Chair Russell Gaskamp.  BOTTOM: Marc and his wife, Betsy, pose for a celebratory photo following Marc's induction.  Congratulations, Marc!
       
       
      Fire Chief David Chamberlain Addresses Rotary
       
      Jaffrey Fire Department Chief David Chamberlain updates Rotarians and guests about the realities of being a volunteer fire department in a small town.  Volunteerism isn't what it once was, and with a growing number of fire calls in 2024, the department works hard to maintain the highest quality of fire protection and service to Jaffrey and surrounding towns, the latter whenever mutual aid is requested from Rindge, Peterborough, and other local municipalities.   BELOW:  President Rudra Aryal thanks Chief Chamberlain, presenting him with a check to be applied to the department's fund-raising efforts for new equipment.
       
       
      Don't Touch That Boat, Jed!!
       
      Rotarian Jed Brummer sits in the Jaffrey Fire Department's rescue craft, wondering if he could ever smuggle it over to the Rindge Fire Department!   Behind the photographer were two Jaffrey Firefighters who made sure that Jed remained "honest."
       
       
      Over Three Dozen Rotarians and Guests Enjoyed the Hospitality of the JFD!
       
       
       
       
      Always Ready for the Next Alarm!
       
       
      President's Message (July 23, 2024) 2024-07-22 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (July 16, 2024)
       

      Dear Rotarians,
       
      The next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club is on July 18th at 7:15am at the Jaffrey Fire Station. Our guest speaker will be from the Jaffrey Fire Department.  As we need a headcount, please confirm your attendance by emailing Rotarian Andy Lawn at andy.lawn@installed.net if you have not done so already.  Breakfast will be served, as cooked by the Jaffrey firefighters.
       
      We had a wonderful morning meeting on July 11th at the Cathedral of the Pines. Thank you to Sheila Bergeron for the delicious breakfast and John McCarthy for the coffee.  We ate well!
       
      During our Club Assembly, some of the highlights discussed included community service projects, such as the proposed after-school program in Jaffrey, the Club's upcoming fundraising event on October 26, and roadside signs with inspirational messages for Jaffrey and Rindge students returning to school in August.
       
      Our Club will also participate as Car Parking Volunteers at the First Church of Jaffrey Annual Fair on August 7. Please contact Owen Houghton to let him know of your availability between 11am and 2pm (or any part of that window) at nohoughton@myfairpoint.net .

      Yours in Service,

      Rudra
       
       
      Photographs from our July 11th meeting...
       
       
      President Rudra's First Club Assembly
       
      President Rudra's first Club Assembly shared significant information on topics presented in the July Board of Director's meeting held earlier in the week on Wednesday.  A good series of discussion and information sharing occurred.  A keynote accomplishment was the naming of Sam LaFortune as chairperson for the October 26th Raffle Party.  A meeting of the committee immediately followed the Club Assembly.
       
       
      Old and the New Presidents Confer 
       
      President Rudra Aryal (L) and Past Co-President John McCarthy exchange information prior to Thursday's Club Assembly.  Both John and Past Co-President Bill Coleman have invested significant time with Rudra over the past few months to help him get off to a fast start during his presidency!
       
       
      We Ate Well at the Club Assembly!
       
      Thanks to Rotarian Sheila Bergeron's culinary skills, she kept us well fed with her breakfast sausage casserole - three of them, which helped to fill empty Rotarian stomachs.  Rumor is that another pancake breakfast is coming in August!
       
       
      What's That on Ben's Face? 
       
      Well, if we can't grow it on our head, let's grow it on our face.  Ben Wheeler sports a well-trimmed goatee, although rumor has it that Ben plans to shave it off!  Ben did a fine job as our Interact liaison this past year at Conant High School.
       
       
      Thomas Ahlborn-Hsu, New Rotarian 
       
      Thomas Ahlborn-Hsu, one of our two newest Rotarians, enjoys breakfast!  Tom was inducted, along with Christine Bergeron, as our newest Rotarians during the Gavel Night festivities on June 27th.
       
       
      Dr. Marc Winiecki to be Inducted on July 18th!
       
      Marc had no choice but to smile, as the photographer was seated next to him at breakfast!  Marc will be inducted by President Rudra on Thursday, July 18th, as our newest Rotarian.  The good doctor recently opened his own private practice in Jaffrey. Welcome aboard, Dr. Winiecki!
      President's Message (July 16, 2024)  2024-07-15 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (July 9, 2024)

      Dear Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be a Club Assembly, Thursday, July 11th. Breakfast starts at 7:15am at the Cathedral of the Pines.
       
      The Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, July 10th, at 8:00am, at the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce office to discuss upcoming events and plans. We look forward to sharing our updates with you on Thursday morning.
       
      Thank you again for your trust in me as your new President.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Rudra
      President's Message (July 9, 2024) 2024-07-09 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (July 2, 2024)

       

       
       
      Hello, Rotarians!
       
      We had a wonderful Gavel Night on Thursday, June 27th, at the Cathedral of the Pines. A big thank you to Stephanie Porter for the delicious food!
       
      It was delightful to induct two new Rotarians, Thomas Ahlborn-Hsu and Christine Bergeron, and to present the Paul Harris Fellowship Award to Dr. Kim Mooney, outgoing president of Franklin Pierce University, for her exceptional contribution to the university and the community.
       
      At this point, I want to thank our immediate co-Presidents, Bill Coleman and John McCarthy, and all past board members and Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians, for their outstanding work last year and continuous support in growing the club. 
       
      There will be no regular meeting this week due to the Fourth of July national holiday. Our next meeting, a club assembly, will be on Thursday, July 11th, at the Cathedral of the Pines at 7:15am, and we will plan for the coming year.
       
      The Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, July 10th, at 8:00am at the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce to discuss possible upcoming events before our general assembly. 
       
      As your new President, I am proud to have on our Board of Directors past Presidents John McCarthy and Bill Coleman (Bill will also serve as our Treasurer), Bob Schaumann as Secretary, and Sheila Bergeron, Lori Rautiola, Donna Senechal, Russel Gaskamp, and Gail Therriault as Directors. This continuity in leadership ensures the stability and growth of our club.  
       
      Once again, I am very thankful to all executive team members for agreeing to serve next year, and I thank all Rotarians for trusting me as your new President. Your dedication and commitment are truly appreciated.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Rudra 
       
       
      Photographs from Gavel Night (Credit: Owen Houghton)
       
       
      FPU President Kim Mooney Honored!
       
      Rotarian Bill Raymond (R) presents a Paul Harris Fellowship Award to Kim Mooney, outgoing President of Franklin Pierce University.  The University has been the "home" of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club for many years, and we have benefitted from the relationship.  With Kim is her husband and fellow Rotarian, Greg Walsh (L), who will also be missed at our chapter meetings when the couple moves to their Connecticut retirement home.
       
       
      Guess Who Was Also Honored?  Bill Raymond!
       
      Keeping our finances in order is no easy task.  It is more than just "writing checks."  Rotarian Bill Raymond (R), after 12 consecutive years as Treasurer of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club, is stepping down from his office.  Honored with a plaque that recognized his "outstanding dedication and service," Bill is flanked by co-Presidents Bill Coleman (L) and John McCarthy (C), who shared positive words on Gavel Night about Bill's many years of service.
       
       
      Incoming President Rudra Aryal Shares His Thoughts
       
      Rudra Aryal will serve as President of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club for 2024-2025 and is already hard at work, meeting with Rotarians and his Board members to gain ideas.  Here, President Rudra shares his initial thoughts to his fellow Rotarians, spouses, and guests, during Gavel Night festivities held at the Cathedral of the Pines, our "summer home" until the Fall, at which time FPU welcomes its incoming Freshman Class of 2028.
       
       
      We Welcome Our Newest Rotarians!
       
      It's always great to induce new Rotarians into our Club.  Gavel Night saw Christine Bergeron (C) and Thomas Ahlborn-Hsu (R) inducted as our newest Rotarians.  That's Rotarian Sheila Bergeron standing next to daughter-in-law and new Rotarian, Christine!
      President's Message (July 2, 2024)  2024-06-29 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (June 25, 2024)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be our Gavel Night, and it will be held at the Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday evening, June 27th, at 5:30pm.  There will be no morning meeting that day.
       
      As the Fourth of July will occur the following week, again, there will be no morning meeting, and we will meet once again on Thursday, July 11th.
       
      We hope that all will make a special effort to join us at Gavel Night as we transition in our new President, Rudra Aryal.  We will have lots of food, fun, surprise awards, and new member announcements, which includes the induction of new Rotarians.  Thank you to all who have emailed us with your attendance status and headcount.  We cuttently have 26 confirmed attendees.
       
      For those who have yet to respond and plan to attend, please send email to Coleman030989@gmail.com, so I can add you and any guests to our growing headcount.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill and John
       
       
      Photographs from our June 20th meeting...
       
       
      Co-President John McCarthy Introduces Katherine Richardson, Elm City Rotary, 
       
      Katherine Richardson and Jennifer Paone, both from the Elm City Rotary Club in Keene, presented information on the Rwanda One4One program that they have been spearheading the past several years.  Here Co-President John McCarthy introduces Katherine to the Club membership.
       
       
      Katherine Richardson Shares A Remarkable Story
       
      Katherine Richardson shared the sad story of how over one million Rwandans were victims of genocide in 1994 as a result of two feuding tribes.  Yet, from the ashes of despair, Rwandan women, with the help of the Elm City Rotary Club, are learning how to use native plants to extract dyes and to create attractive colorful scarves that can be sold to generate income, both in Rwanda and outside the country.
       
       
      Jennifer Paone Seeks Rotary Clubs' Support for RwandaOne4One
       
      Rotarian Jennifer Paone provides additional information on the Elm City Rotary's efforts to be awarded a Rotary International Grant that will complement funds that the Club hopes to raise from other District 7870 Rotary Clubs.   
       
       
       
      Presidents' Message (June 25, 2024) 2024-06-22 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (June 18, 2024)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held at the Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday, June 20th, at 7:15am. 
       
      Our speaker for this week will be Rotarian Katherine Richards, a member of the Keene Elm City Rotary Club. She is working to obtain grants to support a Rwandan community by providing genocide widows with an income opportunity.
       
      We will be meeting at the Jaffrey Fire Department for breakfast at a date to be announced. The firefighters make a darn good breakfast, as evidenced by the spread they put on when they host their annual Fire Prevention Week breakfast in October.  Bring your appetite!
       
      Gavel Night is fast approaching, and will start at 5:30pm on June 27th at the Cathedral of the Pines. John and I look forward to everyone's attendance, but we need a headcount.  Please RSVP your intentions, including those of spouses/significant others, to Co-President Bill at Coleman030989@gmail.com so that we can plan ample food, as we pass the gavel over to Rudra and several new board members. 
       
      Good to host Moritz, as well as our District Governor, David Saturley, and Jim Rumrill, our District Youth Exchange Chairman, both of whom came to listen to Moritz share his experiences as a Rotary Youth Exchange student for ten months while in the United States. We bade a fond farewell to Moritz, as he returns to Germany on July 6th.
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Bill and John
       
       
       
      Pictures from our June 13th meeting...
       
       
      Moritz's Final Presentation Before Returning Home to Germany
       
      Moritz Neddermeier addressed the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club at our June 13th meeting, sharing his experiences and pictures taken during his ten months in the United States, as a Rotary Youth Exchange student from the Federal Republic of Germany.   We wish you well on your return to Germany on July 6th, Moritz -- thank you for everything!
       
       
      District Governor David Saturley and Moritz
       
      The camera caught DG David Saturley and Moritz chatting before the meeting.
       
       
      Jim Rumrill, District 7870 Youth Exchange Chairperson
       
      Jim Rumrill heads up the District 7870 Youth Exchange Program, which this year hosted several students from all over the world, including Moritz and about eight other teenagers who attended local high schools in Vermont and New Hampshire.  Jim thanked the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club for their sponsorship of Moritz.
       
       
      District Governor David Saturley Visits Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club
       
       
      Never was it known that a District Governor would pass up an opportunity to "say a few words."   David did just that, however after only a few minutes, deferring to hand the microphone to Moritz for his presentation.  Along with Jim Rumrill, Youth Exchange chairperson, both are ardent supporters of the Rotary Youth Exchange Program, and came to our meeting to hear Moritz speak.
       
       
      Thomas Ahlborn-Hsu and Dr. Marc Winiecki -- Prospective Rotarians
       
      (Top) Thomas Ahlborn-Hsu (L) will be inducted, along with Christine Bergeron (not shown), as our newest Rotarians at Gavel Night. We caught Thomas chatting with Past President Peter Russell before the meeting got underway.   (Bottom) Dr. Marc Winiecki, who just opened up his own practice in Jaffrey, came to our Rotary meeting as a guest of Rotarian Jim Banghart (R) to learn more about Rotary.  
       
       
      The Mad Hatter?
       
      When it comes to headgear, no one can do it better than our own Rotarian Sam LaFortune, who has a unique set of hats for each week when she fulfills her duties to ensure our Happy Fines coffers are kept full.  She does a great job!
       
       
      Co-President John McCarthy -- The Joys of Technology!
       
      John McCarthy wrestles with the laptop and projector for Moritz's presentation.  A loose cable caused some heartburn, but John resolved the problem.
       
       
      Two Davis Brothers and Gail
       
      Good to see "Dave" Davis (L) at our morning meeting, along with his brother, Peter (R).  That's Gail Therriault in the middle; she does a yeoman's job of keeping attendance records.  Rotarians can go into our ClubRunner site to see what percentage of our meetings they attend each year.  Thank you, Gail!
       
       
       
      Presidents' Message (June 18, 2024) 2024-06-15 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (June 11, 2024)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      A good turnout last week for our breakfast meeting.  Chefs Coleman and Schaumann prepared pancakes for 24 Rotarians and guests.  A big thank you to Don Upton who donated a quart of his best maple syrup.  We will do this again later this summer, judging by the favorable comments heard from many.
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held at the Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday, June 13th, at 7:15am. Our speaker for this week will be Moritz, who will share his year-long experiences in Rindge before he returns to Germany.
       
      Board members will meet on Wednesday, June 12th, at the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce office, at 8:00 AM.
       
      Gavel night is fast approaching, and will start at 5:30 PM on June 27th at the Cathedral of the Pines. Much fun should be had by all, and John and I look forward to everyone's attendance, including spouses/significant others, as we pass the gavel over to Rudra and several new board members.  We both are working on the upcoming leadership transition. We met with Rudra and are working out key leadership positions for the upcoming year. 
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill and John
      Presidents' Message (June 11, 2024) 2024-06-06 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (June 5, 2024)
       

       
      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held at the Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday, June 6th, at 7:15am. Bob and I are going to make “special” pancakes, and I am sure you are interested in seeing what makes them special.
       
      Our own John McCarthy will be speaking at our June 6th meeting, sharing some insight into the new mystical world of crypto currencies, block chains, and bitcoins.
       
      John and I are working on the upcoming leadership transition.  We met with Rudra and are working out key leadership positions for the upcoming year. Meanwhile ,we will be reaching out to club members this week to explore their willingness to step up and take on a few vacant positions. More to follow.
       
      Remember that Gavel Night will be Thursday, June 27th, and it will be held at the Cathedral of the Pines.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill and John
      Presidents' Message (June 5, 2024)  2024-06-05 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (May 28, 2024)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Due to the observance of Memorial Day, there will be no meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club this week.  Good to see many Rotarians participating in the Jaffrey Memorial Day program, too many to mention by name, either as veterans marching in the parade or attending the ceremonies.
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held at the Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday, June 6th, at 7:15am.   Bring your appetites, as pancakes will be served.  Our own John McCarthy will be speaking at our June 6th meeting, sharing some insight into the new mystical world of crypto currencies, block chains, and bitcoins.
       
      John and I will be working this week to develop our upcoming 2025 BOD and officer assignments.
       
      Remember that Gavel Night will be June 27th, and it will be held at the Cathedral of the Pines.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill and John
       
       
      Presidents' Message (May 28, 2024) 2024-05-28 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (May 21, 2024)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet on Thursday, May 23rd, at 7:15am, at the Cathedral of the Pines for our Club Assembly.
       
      Conant High School baseball coach Aric LeClair and the Conant baseball team will be at our meeting to make a brief presentation about their recent trip to Cooperstown and to receive a Rotary Club donation that will help to defray their expenses.  
       
      Kudos to the Rotary Golf Event team of Russ Gaskamp, Andy Lawn, Mike Shea, and Jon Frederick, who put together a fun-filled social event on Wednesday of last week at the Shattuck.  The rains held off, all had fun, a good meal was enjoyed, and Benny and the Blind Squirrels - once again - took top honors with their duffing skills on the greens.
       
      We will utilize our monthly Club Assembly to make plans for our October fund raiser.
       
      I will make sure we have coffee and "donuts."  Pancakes for the first meeting in June - more to follow!
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      John and Bill
       
       
       
      Photography from our Golf Event, Wednesday, May 17th 
       
      Note:  Apologies for the paucity of pictures.  Somehow, many pictures taken the day of the Golf Event were accidentally erased. I apologize to the Club. -- bob
       
       
      Benny and the Blind Squirrels Hold Their Trophy
       
      For the second time in as many years, the team of Benny (Wheeler) and the Blind Squirrels took top honors at the annual Rotary Golf Outing at the Shattuck.
       
       
      Coach Gas Announces the Winners
       
      The Golf Event Outing Committee, headed by Rotarian Russ "Gas" Gaskamp, did a great job.  Here, "Gas" announces the winners at the dinner that followed the afternoon's golf activities.
       
       
      Andy Lawn Enjoys a Tall, Cold One After the Nine Hole Program
       
      It's Andy Lawn - what can we say??  Great job, Andy, along with your fellow committee members!
       
       
      All Smiles While the Rains Hold Off
       
      Jon Frederick, Jed Brummer, Lori Rautiola, and Lakpa Thacktur pose at the First Tee before teeing off.  The gods were with us as the rains held off!
       
      Presidents' Message (May 21, 2024) 2024-05-21 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (May 14, 2024)

       
      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held at the Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday, May 16th, at 7:15am.   
       
      I will be out of pocket until May 28th, so please contact John McCarthy with any urgent issues.
       
      Thanks to Rotarian Richard Feldman, our speaker on May 16th will be Chris McLaughlin, the Cheshire County Attorney. This should be an interesting and informative talk for all of us.
       
      The following events are in the upcoming Rotary pipe line:
      1. The Golf event/dinner is on Wednesday, May 15th. See Gas for tickets/details.
      2. Don Upton has purchased 30 Peterborough Players tickets for the famous musical, "The Man of La Mancha," with a social event beforehand on Thursday, August 22nd, at 5:30pm. Tickets have been discounted to $48.00.  Send your checks to Don Upton.
      3. Gavel Night will be Thursday, June 27th, and will be held at the Cathedral of the Pines.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill and John
       
       
       
      Photographs from our May 9th Meeting at the University
       
       
      Conant High School Interactors Share Their Dominican Republic Experience
       
       
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians Enjoyed the Stories of the Eleven Interactors Who Went to the Dominican Republic
       
       
       
      Breakfast... Breakfast.... and Other Candid Pictures
       
      Presidents' Message (May 14, 2024) 2024-05-12 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (May 7, 2024)

       

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, May 9th, at 7:15am.   This will be our last meeting at the University until early September, at which time the new University school year begins.
       
      Our speakers this week will be students from our Conant Interact club, accompanied by several of their advisors.  They will be speaking to us about their recent service trip to the Dominican Republic.
       
      Starting on May 16, we will meet at the Cathedral of the Pines until the first week of September, as a placeholder, while we determine how to handle our breakfast situation.
       
      Thanks to Rotarian Richard Feldman, our speaker on May 16th will be Chris McLaughlin, the Cheshire County Attorney. This should be an interesting and informative talk for all of us.
       
      I have included three pictures from the highly successful sneaker drive, one in which second grade students from Rindge and Jaffrey elementary schools received their new sneakers.
       
      Looking ahead, the Board of Directors will meet at the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce office on Wednesday, May 8th, at 8:00am.  The Club will be meeting on May 9th, 16th, and 23rd, and the Club will not meet on May 30th because of Memorial Day Week.
       
      The following events are in the upcoming Rotary pipe line:
      1. The Golf event/dinner is on Wednesday, 5/15/2024. See Gas for tickets/details.
      2. Don Upton has purchased 30 Peterborough Players tickets for the famous musical, "The Man of La Mancha," with a social event beforehand on Thursday, August 22nd, at 5:30pm. Tickets have been discounted to $48.00.  Send your checks to Don Upton.
      3. Gavel Night will be June 27th and will be held at the Cathedral of the Pines.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill and John
       
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians joined Keene Elm City Rotarians on Wednesday, May 1st, to give out 100 pairs of sneakers. 
      The Second Graders at both the Jaffrey Grade School and the Rindge Memorial School were thrilled!
       
       
       
      Presidents' Message (May 7, 2024)  2024-05-07 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (April 30, 2024)
       

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, May 2nd, at 7:15am.  Professor of Political Science Frank Cohen, PhD, will be our speaker this week, and he will focus on the war in Ukraine. 
       
      We would like to thank the one dozen Rotarians who participated in the Community Supper at the United Church of Jaffrey this past Thursday. After a lot of potato and carrot cleaning, and turkey cooking, we were ready for what ended up as a full house of attendees.  It was great to have everyone so positive, and the work turned into a fun time for all.
       
      Richard Feldman’s speech on gun safety two weeks ago was compelling. Richard has volunteered to help Rotary coordinate a gun safety program for our local schools. I will be sharing this at the next Board meeting.
       
      This past weekend found Co-President Bill Coleman, Assistant Governor Bob Schaumann, and our international exchange student, Moritz, at the District 7870 PETS meeting in White River Junction, Vermont.  On Saturday afternoon, Moritz and eight other exchange students shared their positive ongoing exchange experiences over the past eight months. They will remain in the United States for another two months and then return home, filled with memories.  Rotary-sponsored students represented countries that included Japan, Romania, Croatia, Paraguay, Brazil, Germany, and Norway, among others.  I was very impressed with the program sponsors, and the students gave me hope for the future.
       
      John McCarthy just got back from his trip to the Dominican Republic with the Interactors, and he shared that it was a great trip.  The eleven Conant Interact students  represented us in a manner that should make us all feel proud.  On May 9th, a group of these students and their chaperones will make a presentation to our club about their experiences while working on behalf of a school for Haitian immigrants.
       
      For those that are participating in the Sneaker program, we will be meeting at the Rindge Memorial School on Wednesday, May 1st, at 9:00am. This will be my first time, and I am very excited to work with the kids. A half-dozen Rotarians volunteered to participate in this program that will provide free sneakers to student at both the Rindge and Jaffrey grade schools.
       
      Looking towards the future, we will move our weekly meetings to the Cathedral of the Pines, effective May 16th, at which time Franklin Pierce University will have ended their on-campus school year.  Our weekly bulletin will update Rotarians as we draw closer to each meeting date. 
       
      Gavel Night is scheduled for Thursday evening, June 27th, at the Cathedral of the Pines, so please mark your calendars for this enjoyable social! 
       
      Yours in Service,
       
       Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (April 30, 2024)  2024-04-30 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (April 23, 2024)
       

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I would like to thank Mike Shea for coordinating the semi-annual Roadside Cleanup effort on Earth Day.  I would also like to thank Russ Gaskamp and the FPU football players for participating in the event.  Twenty-two Rotarians, spouses, guests, and FPU football football players cleaned up over two miles of Route 202 in Rindge in support of Earth Day.  Much fun was had by all, as we matched the students with Rotarians, so we had plenty of opportunity to mingle.

      This Thursday, April 25th, finds the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club supporting the “all town” Community Supper at the United Church of Jaffrey.  Four Rotarians will be cooking the turkeys, and other Rotarians will be cooking potatoes; please plan to come to volunteer and join in the festivities (With all those Rotarians cooking, what could go wrong?)
       
      In the meantime, eleven Interactors are in the Dominican Republic this week during their Spring Break and participating in their service project, one in which they are helping to make repairs to a school for impoverished Haitian immigrants, partly thanks to a donation from the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club.  The Interactors are accompanied by Conant staff and Rotarians.  We look forward to the Interactors coming to an upcoming Rotary Club meeting to share their experiences.  Thanks, also, to all the Rotarians who donated money to further reduce their costs.
       
      As a result of the Community Supper, the Club will not meet this week at Franklin Pierce University.  Our next meeting will be on Thursday, May 2nd, at 7:15am, at the University. 
       
      Yours in Service,
       
       Bill and John
       
       
      Megan Wheeler (L), daughter of Ben and Ann Wheeler, is in the Peace Corps.  Here she is, along with FNEI's Michael Cipoletti, and three Interactors, at a composting workshop in the Dominican Republic.
       
       
      Three Interactors cuddle with local children during a break from their Spring Break service project activities at the FUCPE School in the Dominican Republic.
       
      Presidents' Message (April 23, 2024)  2024-04-23 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (April 16, 2024)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Looks like Spring may finally be on its way to our communities.
       
      Our next meeting will be held at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, April 18th, at 7:15 am.
       
      We will have our own Richard Feldman speak this week, and I am sure it will lead to some interesting conversation.
       
      Earth Day is April 22, and I would like to discuss our involvement in the semiannual road side cleanup effort. I will be asking for volunteers to help. Ten volunteers will help make the cleanup effort much less painful.
       
      If you are a member, who cannot make our weekly meetings, this is the perfect opportunity for you to connect with fellow club members.
       
      John will be traveling to the Dominican Republic this week, and we wish him a safe and productive trip. We certainly plan to hear all about his adventures when he returns.
       
       
      Yours in Service,
       
       Bill/John
       
      Presidents' Message (April 16, 2024) 2024-04-16 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (April 9, 2024)



















       

      Greetings, fellow Rotarians,
       
      Hope everyone enjoyed the total eclipse of the sun on Monday.  Our next one will be in 2044 - plan ahead!! 
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, April 11th, at 7:15am.
       
      Dr. Tom Ahlborn Hsu will be our speaker at FPU this Thursday. Andy Lawn will have the invocation.
       
      Dr. Tom Hsu is a physicist with a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and he is the author of ten middle and high school science programs.  In addition, he serves as the Chair of the Jaffrey Conservation Commission. Not only is Tom a singer/songwriter, many of you have seen him hosting the "Open Mic" night at the Park Theatre.  Tom will speak on the high cost of energy in New Hampshire and the growing opportunities to use modern heat pumps to bring these energy costs down.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill and John
      Presidents' Message (April 9, 2024)  2024-04-08 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (April 2, 2024)

       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Due to the Easter holiday, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will not meet this week.
       
      Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, April 11th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.  Rudra Aryal will host a committee meeting with several Rotarians regarding the October fund-raising event.
       
      As you know, Joe Manning passed away last week.  Rotarians were sent email earlier this week from our Club secretary that shared information on this coming Saturday's services that will take place at St. Patrick Church at 11:00am in Jaffrey, followed by a Celebration of Joe's Life at Woodbound Inn at 12:30pm.
       
      The picture below was sent by Andy Lawn, and shows Andy, Joe, and Clay Hollister at the November 2023 Veterans' Day Parade.
       
       
      For our April 11th meeting, Bob Schaumann has the Invocation.
       
      Rumor has it that we will have some real snow this Wednesday and Thursday, so please stay safe out there.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
       Bill and John
       
      Presidents' Message (April 2, 2024) 2024-04-01 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (March 26, 2024)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held on Thursday, March 28th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      Last week I mentioned that it was great to get back to New Hampshire, but this recent snow storm showed me New England weather goes by the beat of its own drummer.
       
      During this week’s meeting, we will share fund-raising options with the Club's members and determining what option best addresses our club’s financial expectations and community outreach.
       
      The Interactors will return this week, competing to see which one will represent our Club at the April 6th District 7870 “Four-Way Test” speech competition in Henniker.  Each will give a 5-7 minute presentation before our Rotarians that ties the "Four-Way Test" to some aspect of their lives.  A panel of judges will determine the winner.
       
      Jed Brummer will open the meeting on Thursday with our Invocation.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
       Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (March 26, 2024) 2024-03-25 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (March 19, 2024)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Because Franklin Pierce University is closed for Spring break, the next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held on Thursday, March 21st, at the Cathedral of the Pines.  Plan on a 7:15am start time. 
       
      Coffee and donuts will be available. 
       
      It was great to get back to New Hampshire and have an opportunity to reconnect with my Rotary friends last Thursday.
       
      This week’s meeting will be a Club Assembly meeting, and we will have the opportunity to discuss club business and update the members on the upcoming golf outing and October fund raiser.
       
      John McCarthy shared that the Interact Club from Conant High School will also be joining us this week to update Rotarians on some of their ongoing activities.
       
      John will open the meeting on Thursday with our invocation.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill and John
       
       
      Presidents' Message (March 19, 2024) 2024-03-19 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (March 12, 2024)

      Greetings Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians,
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet this Thursday, March 14th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University, for our weekly breakfast meeting. Bob Schaumann will have the invocation.  
       
      Paul 'Hutch' Hutchinson will be our speaker this week, speaking to us about Boy Scouts and Jaffrey Scout Troop 33.  He will be accompanied by Troop 33 Scoutmaster, Josh Levesque.  "Hutch," as he is well-known, is running in today's Jaffrey town election to succeed Mark Tieger as Jaffrey Town Moderator, and is known to many Rotarians from his days working with the youngsters at previous QUEST/Camp BEST sessions.
       
      On Wednesday, March 13th, the day before our breakfast meeting at FPU, there will be a Rotary Board of Directors meeting at the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce office at 8:00am.  We will have an update on Thursday morning about any significant outcomes that resulted.
       
      A fundraising team met after our 29 February Cub meeting. This team, which is still accepting new members, will meet again this week after our breakfast meeting.  This team is beginning to make plans for our October 26 fundraiser at the Woodbound Inn.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      John and Bill
      Presidents' Message (March 12, 2024) 2024-03-12 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (March 5, 2024)
       

      Greetings, Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians,
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet this week on Thursday, March 7th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      Lori Rautiola will have the invocation.   In addition, Lori and Jon Frederick will be our speakers this week, providing us with an update on the upcoming Town Meetings in our two towns, as well as what voters should expect. As most of us know, Rindge is an SB2 official ballot Town.  Jaffrey is not.  It should be interesting to hear about the differences in the two forms of government.
       
      Committee updates and membership - A group of us met to discuss fundraising after last week's meeting. Those present included Richard Feldman, Sheila Bergeron, Sam LaFortune, Bob Schaumann, Rudra Aryal, and yours truly.  We discussed plans for our October 26th Rotary fundraiser, and came up with a goal of $20,000 to be raised after expenses.  
       
      One thing on which we all agreed was that ALL of our members will need to be involved if we are going to reach our goal and have a fun event. Rudra did a nice job of chairing this meeting and, afterwards, provided a good written summary of the meeting, along with a draft of how things might work at the Woodbound Inn next October. 
       
      We look forward to seeing you on Thursday morning.  Come to become better prepared to vote in our towns' election.
       
      Yours in Service, 
      Presidents' Message (March 5, 2024)  2024-03-05 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (February 27, 2024)
       

      Greetings, Jaffrey/Rindge Rotarians,
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet this week on Thursday, February 29th, at Franklin Pierce University.  Sheila will have the invocation. 
       
      Dr. Mary Kelly, Professor of History at Franklin Pierce University, will be our speaker.  Mary is said to retain a bit of a delightful brogue, so come prepared to practice for St. Patty's Day!  Dr. Kelly graduated from the University of Galway with a Master's degree in Modern Irish History; her Ph.D. in Modern American History is from Syracuse University.
       
      Committee updates and membership - The membership Committee met after our club assembly on February 15. It was reported that they had a good meeting.  If you are still considering which committee(s) to join, get in touch with John McCarthy or Bill Coleman, and we will make some suggestions.  We can always use a few members for fundraising.
       
      Although we did not meet last week because of the Presidents' Day holiday, this Thursday will mark our fourth Club meeting during the month of February, 2024. Even with 29 days because of Leap Year, this doesn't happen many Februarys! 
       
      Yours in Service,

      John and Bill
      Presidents' Message (February 27, 2024)  2024-02-27 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (February 20, 2024)
       

      Greetings fellow Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians,
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will not meet this week because of the Presidents' Day holiday.  Nonetheless, we do have some information to share, and we invite you to get involved in club activities this week even though we are not meeting.
       
      FUND RAISING --  After receiving recommendations from a group of our past presidents, the club's Board of Directors discussed fundraising at our monthly meeting last Wednesday, and we came up with a plan that was discussed at our Club Assembly on Thursday.  We arrived at the following decisions:
      • We will hold a golf event on Wednesday, May 15, at the Shattuck Golf Course.  The focus of this event will be to have some fun, raise some money, and encourage new memberships in the club. Thanks to Coach Gas for setting this up.
         
      • In the fall we will hold a second fundraising event at the Woodbound Inn. The only date available for this fall event is Saturday, October 26th.  The details of this event, including cost of tickets, whether to hold a raffle and/or auction; how to get all of our members involved in supporting this event, and how to fill the Woodbound Inn's capacity of 180 persons are all details that were discussed.  Further conversations will be held this week with Woodbound management so that we might present a well thought-out plan to our Rotarians.
      These planned events signal an exciting return to a more active status for our club after several years of coming out of a pandemic-induced slow down.  Yet to make our efforts successful, we will need every member of our club to be involved and to help bring in other members of the community. There are a couple of other things we want to mention here, because not every member of our club can attend all of our meetings:  
       
      After School Program --  Plans to explore an after-school program for Jaffrey grade school students are moving forward, albeit slowly and deliberatively.  Bob Schaumann and Sheila Bergeron have met twice with the Jaffrey Grade School principal, and another meeting is scheduled next week.
       
      Interact/Rotary trip to the Dominican Republic -- The Interact club is well along with their plans for a service/fun trip to the Dominican Republic from April 26 - May 3rd.  This will be the second trip for the Interact to this country. Last year's trip was a great success.  This year, members of our Rotary club are invited to participate.  For Rotarians, the travel agenda and accommodations would be slightly modified, with the cost slightly higher than what the Interactors pay.  A rough estimate for Rotarians should be around $2,000, including airfare. Anyone interested in learning more should immediately get in touch with John McCarthy.    
       
      Yours in service, 
       
      John and Bill
      Presidents' Message (February 20, 2024)  2024-02-20 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (February 13, 2024)

      Greetings, Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians,
       
      This week, the Jaffrey Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, February 15th, at 7:15am, for our weekly breakfast meeting.  Our monthly Club Assembly will be this week, and we will focus on:
      1. Committee updates and membership - Committee chairpersons are encouraged to provide a brief update on what your committee has been doing.  If you have not been active recently, this may be a chance to add a new member or two and plan to hold a meeting.
         
      2. J-R Rotary fundraising for 2024 - Our Past Presidents have had their thinking caps on this month and have provided some helpful input on fundraisers. We will be discussing their input at our Wednesday board meeting and hope to finalize a fundraising plan at club assembly on Thursday morning.
         
      3. A report from our Board of Directors meeting, scheduled for at 8am on Wednesday of this week at the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce office.  We will have several updates on important club news to report on Thursday, so be sure not to miss this monthly assembly.
       
      Bill Raymond will have our invocation this week. Thank you, Bill. We will count on Sam Lafortune to wear a lovely hat while collecting our happy fines. 
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      John and Bill
       
      The photographer is back!!  Pictures from our recent meeting on February 8th.
       
       
       
      Presidents' Message (February 13, 2024) 2024-02-13 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (February 6, 2024)

      Greetings, Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians,
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet on Thursday, February 8th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University, for our weekly breakfast meeting.  By popular demand, Political Science Professor Frank Cohen will return this Thursday to cover more on the Ukraine war and the issues that surround it. Thanks, again, to Jed for arranging this.
       
      Greg Walsh will have our invocation this week.  I will be sure to leave time for happy fines, so bring your comments and happy news to share.  
       
      Our school district annual deliberative session will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, February 7th, at 6:30pm, at the Rindge Memorial School.  Come out to learn more about your schools and express your points of view as we review the proposed warrant that will be voted on in March by voters of both towns.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill and John
      Presidents' Message (February 6, 2024) John McCarthy 2024-02-05 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (January 30, 2024)

      Greetings, Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians,
       
      This week we are at Franklin Pierce University for our Thursday, February 1st meeting, 7:15am.  Jed Brummer has lined up Certified Massage Therapist Samantha Leit, who will speak about the benefits of massage therapy for the human body. 
       
      Samantha has worked as a massage therapist in California, the District of Columbia, and in the Monadnock Region.  In addition to professional massage, Samantha has also represented the national food chain, Whole Foods, as their regional representative in California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Arizona.
       
      Jed's plan for next week, February 8th, is to have last week's speaker, Franklin Pierce University Political Science Professor Frank Cohen, return for a second session, covering the war in Ukraine and related topics.  

      Remember that each of us should be on at least one active committee, so please continue to give some thought to this, and let Bill Coleman and me know where you might like to serve.
       
      Both of your Co-Presidents will be out of town this Thursday.  Bill is still in Florida, while Patricia and I plan to spend a few days in Portland, Maine, celebrating our anniversary.  Jed will run the meeting this week, and Mark Hower has the invocation.  Thank you Mark and Jed! 
       
      Yours in Service,

      John and Bill 
      Presidents' Message (January 30, 2024) 2024-01-30 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (January 23, 2024)
       

      Greetings, Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians,
       
      We are back at Franklin Pierce University for our weekly meeting and breakfast on Thursday, January 25th, at 7:15am.
       
      Thanks to Jed Brummer, we also have a timely and knowledgeable speaker in Franklin Pierce University Political Science Professor Frank Cohen.  Frank will cover some topics related to Ukraine and the Middle East, and should help us think about some of the challenges awaiting us and our world in 2024.  Plan to come and learn something new!  
       
      Although we will not hold a Club Assembly in January, we will take a few minutes to consider committee assignments on Thursday.  If you are not currently active on a J-R Rotary committee, please give some thought to participating on a committee in which you have an interest.  Current active committees include:
      • fundraising
      • youth exchange
      • publicity
      • membership
      • speakers
      • charitable giving
      If you are not currently serving on an active committee, please give some thought to this, and let Bill Coleman and me know your thinking.
       
      In the meantime, Treasurer Bill Raymond has sent emails to all Rotarians for the semi-annual dues billing.  Please don't delay mailing your checks to Bill at the following address:  Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club, Post Office Box 752, Jaffrey, NH, 03452.
       
      Lastly, today is the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election.  The polls in Jaffrey and in Rindge are open to 7:00pm this evening.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
       
      John and Bill
      Presidents' Message (January 23, 2024)  2024-01-23 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (January 16, 2024)
       

      Hello, Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians,
       
      We will not meet this week in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday.  
       
      Last Thursday, we had another good meeting of our Club, even though the turnout - with just 13 members present - was small for a club with 32 active members.  Of course, the mid-winter mornings are cold and dark at 7:15am, and many of our members are either working or sojourning in warmer climates. Our meetings are a great way to begin the day, so join your fellow Rotarians!
       
      We covered a number of topics, including:
      • Responsibilities for finding speakers and for delivering invocations.
      • The need for monthly committee meetings and report-outs during club assemblies.
      • Club website and ClubRunner, and how to best utilize the software platform that runs it.
      • Fundraising events for 2024.
      • Interact's Spring trip to the Dominican Republic.
       
      We will discuss most of these topics in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, it was an excellent MLK celebration with great events at Cathedral of the Pines and the Park Theatre.  Congrats to all of the Rotarians who were involved in and/or who attended these events. 
       
      Enjoy this week, and we will see you on the morning of February 25th at Franklin Pierce University for our next meeting.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
       
      John and Bill
      Presidents' Message (January 16, 2024)  2024-01-16 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (January 9, 2024)

       
      Greetings, Fellow Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians,
       
      After three weeks of sleeping in on Thursday mornings, we are back at the Cathedral of the Pines for a 7:15am meeting this week. We are now three weeks past the winter solstice, so the days are getting longer, and before we know it, Spring will be in the air.  In fact, we may be getting a dose of Spring rains this week, even before our meeting. Although we will meet at the Cathedral, we will have coffee, donuts, fruit, and other goodies for breakfast this Thursday, January 11th.
       
      We do not have a scheduled speaker for this week, so our agenda will focus on sharing our holiday adventures during happy fines and making plans for upcoming club activities, including the April community dinner, the Interact-led trip to the Dominican Republic, and our May golf tournament/fundraiser.  We'll also spend a few minutes making plans for upcoming club socials and provide some project updates.
       
      As Dr. Martin Luther King Day is on Monday, January 15th, our own Own Houghton will update us on the activities for that important day of celebration.
       
      Best regards, and see you Thursday!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      John and Bill
      Presidents' Message (January 9, 2024) 2024-01-09 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (January 3, 2024)

      Hello Fellow Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians,
       
      As most of you know, we have no meeting this week due to the New Year's holiday.  Our next regular meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be next Thursday, January 11th, at the Cathedral of the Pines.  We will meet at our regular time of 7:15 AM.  Coffee and donuts will be served.  The program for this meeting will be announced in next week's bulletin.
       
      Our Club's Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, January 10th, the day before the regular meeting, so we will be sure to provide an update on the 11th.  Bill should be settled by then into his winter quarters in Florida. He and I will stay in touch by email and telephone, and we'll keep working on plans for projects, member support, and fund raising. 
       
      Enjoy the week off and we'll see you next week.
       
      In the meantime,
       
      195,200+ Happy New Year Stock Illustrations, Royalty-Free ...
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      John and Bill
      Presidents' Message (January 3, 2024) 2024-01-03 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (December 19, 2023)

       
       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting will be an evening social event and will be held from five to seven o’clock, Thursday, December 21st, at the Cathedral of the Pines.
       
      We will serve wine/beer and various appetizers, and we hope to see you and your significant other for some music, fun, and holiday cheer. (Please feel free to BYOB)
       
      And for those Rotarians who can not make morning meetings, this is your opportunity to get together with your fellow Rotarians and catch up with all that is going on.
       
      Because of the seasonal holiday, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will next meet on January 11th.  This meeting will also be at the Cathedral of the Pines, as the University will still be closed until Spring classes begin later in the month.
       
      John and I hope to see all of you Thursday night!
       
      May you all have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year.  Please stay safe on New Year’s, as the usual combination of snow, ice and late parties can be a dangerous combination.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (December 19, 2023) 2023-12-19 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (December 12, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held on Thursday, December 14th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      Reuben Duncan, SAU47 School District Superintendent, will be our guest speaker, speaking on issues such as the budget, taxes, and education innovation.  Joining us, too, will be members of the Conant Interact Club and their advisors.
       
      To finish out the 2023 year, we will host an evening get-together holiday social on Thursday evening, December 21st, at the Cathedral of the Pines, from five o’clock to seven o’clock. 
       
      We hope this will allow all our busy working Rotarians, who cannot make the morning meetings, to join in and spend time with their fellow Rotarians.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
       

       
      Presidents' Message (December 12, 2023) 2023-12-12 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (December 5, 2023)
       

       
       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held on Thursday, December 7th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      Please plan to attend as we will have music teacher Karie Swift and the Conant High School Chorus joining us for a mini-concert of Christmas carols, and perhaps a little singalong.
       
      Our following meeting will be on December 14th.  Reuben Duncan, SAU47 School District Superintendent, will speak on issues such as the budget, taxes, and education innovation.  Joining us, too, on the 14th will be members of the Conant Interact Club and their advisors.
       
      To finish out the 2023 season, we will be having an evening get together on December 21st at the Cathedral of the Pines from five to seven. We hope this will allow all our busy working Rotarians, who cannot make the morning meetings, to join in and spend time with their fellow Rotarians.
       
      Lots of fun and excitement to close out this year! John and I look forward to spending time with all of you over the holiday season.
       
      And speaking of the holiday season, did you know that the world celebrates numerous holidays in December each year? Here are just some of the better-known ones:
      • Bodhi Day
      • Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe
      • Hanukkah
      • Yule
      • Christmas
      • Boxing Day
      • Kwanzaa
      • Zartosht No-Diso  
      • New Year's Eve
       
      As Rotarians, lets extend our thoughts and prayers to all who have reason to celebrate this month.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (December 5, 2023)  2023-12-04 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (November 28, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be on Thursday, November 30th, 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      For your planning purposes, we will have breakfast meetings at the University on November 30th, December 7th, and December 14th.
       
      As the University will be closed for the holidays on December 21stJohn and I are looking into opportunities to plan a holiday event on that same Thursday.  Plan on some festivities!
       
      Please join us for the next several meetings, so that we can take the opportunity to discuss what we would like to accomplish in early 2024. Things are happening, and they are positive!
       
      We look forward to seeing all of you this Thursday.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (November 28, 2023) 2023-11-27 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (November 21, 2023)

       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
       
                 Happy Thanksgiving!
       
       
       
      As this is Thanksgiving week, there will be no meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club this week in observance of the holiday.
       
      Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, November 30th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      As we move into the holiday season, please spend a moment to reflect on the value of family and friends. Objects and acquaintances come and go in our lives, but family and good friends endure forever.
       
      To our Rotary brothers and sisters, please have a very special Thanksgiving week and remember all the things for which each of us can be grateful.
       
      By separate email to all Rotarians, please review the document that Russ “Gas” Gaskamp requested be shared with the club members. Please review as this relates to our Emergency Warming Shelter Project.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (November 21, 2023) 2023-11-21 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (November 14, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be held on Thursday, November 16th, 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      During this week’s Happy Fines, I would encourage folks to share prior Rotary events that were meaningful to you.
       
      I am going to ask John McCarthy and Ben Wheeler to give us an update on this week’s Interact induction ceremony, which will occur at the Cathedral of the Pines on Tuesday, November 14th, at 6:00pm. This is always an upbeat event, and a strong Rotary Club showing is always welcome. Yes, there will be cake!
       
      Because of Thanksgiving week, the Club will not meet on Thursday, November 23rd.  We will have a regular meeting the following Thursday on November 30th, including a guest speaker.
       
      John and I are meeting with Bill Raymond this week to discuss the responsibilities of club Treasurer so we can transition this responsibility by mid-2024.
       
      Join me in recognizing the past to inspire the future!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (November 14, 2023) 2023-11-13 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (November 7, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      In observance of Veteran's Day, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will NOT meet this week (November 9th).
       
      Our next meeting will be held on Thursday, November 16th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      Looking forward to the remainder of the year, we will have the following meeting schedule:
      • Nov 16th - Club Assembly
      • Nov 23rd - no meeting (Thanksgiving holiday)
      • Nov 30th - regular breakfast meeting
      • Dec 7th and 14th - regular breakfast meeting
      • Dec 21st - Club Assembly
      • December 28th - no meeting (Christmas Week)
       
      John and I will be releasing meeting notes in the next week or so overviewing the highlights/feedback that emanated out of the two recent club analysis sessions.
       
      Join me in recognizing the past to inspire the future!
       
      In the meantime, the World premiere of the Documentary, Monadnock, the Mountain That Stands Alone, was held October 6th at the Park Theatre.  In case Rotarians missed it, the documentary will be shown Tuesday, November 7th, at 7:00 pm on NHPT, Thursday, November 8th at 9:00 pm, Saturday, November 11th, at 10:00pm, and Monday, Nov 13th, at 3:00 pm.  The film is dedicated to Dr. David Knight, former Jaffrey Dentist and former Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarian.   
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (November 7, 2023) 2023-11-07 05:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (October 31, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting will be held at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, November 2nd, at 7:15am.
       
      I would personally like to thank all who participated in one of our two Club’s leadership meetings last week.  The feedback was extremely helpful to John and myself, and it helps give us direction on how to best retain current membership while looking at how to best attract new membership.
       
      John and I will be releasing meeting notes in the next week or so overviewing the highlights of the meetings.
       
      Lee DeBell will be joining us this Thursday to talk about AARP’s Smart Drive course. Lee has offered this six-hour course for the past ten years.  He will share when eligible Rotarians will have the opportunity to take the class in the near future.
       
      A big thanks to those Rotarians who participated in the local NH Food Bank distribution on Monday of this week.  Despite a constant chilly drizzle, Jim Banghart, Greg Walsh, Bob Schaumann, Richard Feldman, and Peter Russell loaded hundreds of cartons of Food Bank produce and canned goods into the trunks of over 100 cars that found their way to Rindge's Hannaford Supermarket parking lot.  This was all done in 75 minutes!
       
      November is Rotary Foundation Month designed to emphasize the importance and need for Rotarian support of the Rotary Foundation.
       
      Join me in recognizing the past to inspire the future!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (October 31, 2023) 2023-10-31 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (October 24, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be on Thursday, October 26th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      Our speaker for this week will be Amber Dewey, who is going to give a presentation on bees and the need to preserve habitat for them. 
       
      As a follow up to our last meeting, John McCarthy and I have reached out to past Rotary Presidents and several Rotarians, and asked them to meet with us this week to evaluate our club members expectations, needs, and wants specific to their Rotary experience.
       
      Many clubs and social organizations are grappling with diminishing membership and are questioning how to best bring new excitement and interest into their groups to promote retention and new membership.
       
      The desired outcome for these meetings is to evaluate how we can accomplish this within our club.
       
      The information obtained from of these meetings will be documented and shared with the entire club for further discussion and deliberation.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John

       
      Presidents' Message (October 24, 2023) 2023-10-24 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (October 17, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be on Thursday, October 19th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      Many thanks to the Rotarians and spouses that joined us Saturday morning for the Roadside Cleanup and to clean up the trash on Route 202. These are the type of activities in which folks who cannot make the weekly meetings can participate and support our club.
       
      John and I will be reaching out to past Rotary Presidents to meet offline and discuss key topics such as club participation and what we can do to attract and retain new members. We also need to discuss what our current members expect and require from our Rotary club.
       
      We will also be reviewing the following updated 2023/2024 project list and finalize the project leader’s expectations.  
       
      •   TBD-2023 Rotary Fund Raiser
      •   Russ Gaskamp - overnight warming shelter for homeless through his Peterborough Church
      •   Bill Raymond - Convert former welcome center/gazebo site to a pollinator garden; tidy up & weed whack around signs coming into Jaffrey & Rindge
      •      Harold Davis, Donna Senechal - Coat Drive; Bird seed sales
      •   Rudra Aryal - Discussion with JRMS/Conant Students on Science and Math
      •   Lori Rautiola – Welcome to Rindge signs throughout town
       
      The following three projects are also potential candidates but need dates, cost estimates, and member ownership/ support to proceed.
      • Greg Walsh – Rotary Garage Sale
      • Andy Lawn/Owen - Community meal
       
      The following two projects are complex and will require financial and staff support from our club members. Both are excellent candidates as they will help support the youth in our local communities.
       
      • Bob Schaumann/Sheila Bergeron - After school program at Jaffrey Grade School
      • John McCarthy - Nutrition assistance for students in the Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District.  This would be a follow up to our Club’s 2018 startup support of the Rindge Congregational Church’s Got Lunch program. It could also be a collaboration with the Conant class of 1973
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (October 17, 2023) 2023-10-10 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (October 10, 2023)

       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      As this is a holiday week, we will not be meeting on Thursday, October 12th.
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be on Thursday, October 19th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      On Saturday, October 14th, our Rotary Club will be meeting outside of Emma’s 321 Restaurant at 8:00am to support our biannual road side cleanup effort. Please grab your spouse, teenager, or friend, as many hands make light work.
       
      As a follow up to a recent meeting I had with John McCarthy, the following projects have Rotary member support, and as such, John and I would like to move forward and implement them, effective immediately:
      • 2023 Rotary Fund Raiser
      • Russ Gaskamp - overnight warming shelter for homeless through his Peterborough Church
      • Bill Raymond - Convert former welcome center/gazebo site to a pollinator garden; tidy up & weed whack around signs coming into Jaffrey & Rindge
      • Harold Davis - Coat Drive; Bird seed sales
      • Rudra Aryal - Discussion with JRMS/Conant Students on Science and Math
      • Lori Rautiola - Welcome to Rindge signs throughout town
       
      The following three projects are also potential candidates but need dates, cost estimates, and member ownership/support to proceed:
      • Greg Walsh – Rotary Garage Sale
      • Owner? - Keene Sneaker Drive
      • Andy Lawn/Owen - Community meal
       
      The following two projects are complex and will require financial and staff support from our club members. Both are excellent candidates as they will help support the youth in our local communities.
      • Bob Schaumann - After school program at Christian Camp Monadnock/Jaffrey Grade School
      • John McCarthy - Nutrition assistance for select students in the Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District.  This would be a follow up to our Club’s 2018 startup support of the Rindge Congregational Church’s Got Lunch program. It would also be a collaboration with the Conant class of 1973 and their efforts to raise funds for kids who come to school without breakfast and/or without money for lunch.  This was described at a previous Rotary meeting by David Griffin of Conant’s class of 1973.  
       
      Due to the complexities, level of detail, and potential funding and membership support required to support these projects, John and I would like to use the remainder of 2023 to have our members develop a detailed action plan for each project.
       
      In early December, we will ask you, the Rotary Club members, to overview the action plans and collectively determine which project we will move forward with in early 2024.
       
      Summary:
      The above outlined approach to project efforts in our club compartmentalizes our list of projects by member support, size, and club resource requirements.  Furthermore, it allows us to move forward with six documented projects in 2023, three additional vetted projects in early 2024, and one major Rotary project throughout 2024.
       
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (October 10, 2023) 2023-10-09 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (October 3, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be on Thursday, October 5th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University. John and I are meeting prior to Thursday's weekly meeting to discuss the current list of potential club projects and determine how to best translate this list into desirable, viable 2023 projects.
       
      Our Thursday meeting this week finds Vache Hambardzumyan, MD, PhD, FEBS, joining us as our guest speaker. He is an orthopedic surgeon at Monadnock Community Hospital (MCH), and he will give a short presentation about the world of orthopedic and spinal surgery. He will be accompanied by Lee Ann Moore Clark, the Philanthropy and Community Relations Manager at MCH.
       
      With Halloween upcoming, we have several Rotarians who volunteered to help with the "Scarecrow on the Commons" on the front lawn of the Jaffrey Clay Library on Saturday morning, October 7th, from 10am to Noon; we need three afternoon Rotarian volunteers for the Noon to 2pm shift, so please let us know who you are on Thursday.
       
      Please note the enhance current list of proposed Rotary Project for the current Rotary 2023/2024 year.
       
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
       
       
      Enhanced list of proposed Rotary Projects for 2023/2024:
      1. Russ Gaskamp - overnight warming shelter for homeless through his Peterborough Church
      2. Bill Raymond - Convert former welcome center/gazebo site to a pollinator garden; tidy up & weed whack around signs coming into Jaffrey & Rindge
      3. Bob Schaumann - After school program
      4. Andy Lawn/Owen Houghton - Community meal
      5. Nutrition assistance for select students in the Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District.  This would be a follow up to our Club’s 2018 startup support of the Rindge Congregational Church’s Got Lunch program. It would also be a collaboration with the Conant class of 1973 and their efforts to raise funds for kids who come to school without breakfast and/or without money for lunch.  This was described at a recent meeting by David Griffin of the Conant High School Class of 1973.  
      6. Harold "David" Davis - Coat Drive; Bird seed sales
      7. Rudra Aryal - Discussion with JRMS/Conant Students on Science and Math
      8. Lori Rautiola – Welcome to Rindge signs throughout town
      9. Greg Walsh – Rotary Garage Sale
      10. All – 2023/2024 Fund Raiser
       
      Presidents' Message (October 3, 2023) 2023-10-03 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (September 26, 2023)

       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be on Thursday, September 28th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University. We will continue to explore options for our 2023/2024 Rotary projects, and have had positive interest/feedback on the five projects we recently outlined.
       
      Our Rotary Club will sponsor a Monadnock International Film Festival (MONIFF) film event on the evening of October 1st at the Park Theater in Jaffrey. The film is “Join or Die,” which centers on America’s civic unraveling through the journey of local scientist, Robert Putnam.  There will be a social hour from 6:00pm to 7:15pm, with the movie starting at 7:30PM.  Tickets are $10.00. Bring family and friends, as the more the merrier.  Dress will be business casual.
       
      Our October 5th meeting next week finds Vache Hambardzumyan, MD, PhD, joining us as our guest speaker. He is an orthopedic surgeon at Monadnock Community Hospital (MCH), and he will give a short presentation about the world of orthopedic and spinal surgery. He will be accompanied by Lee Ann Moore Clark, the Philanthropy and Community Relations Manager at MCH.
       
      With Halloween upcoming, we have several Rotarians who volunteered to help with the "Scarecrow on the Commons" on the front lawn of the Jaffrey Clay Library on Saturday morning, October 7th, from 10am to Noon; we need three afternoon volunteers for the Noon to 2pm shift, so please let us know who you are on Thursday.
       
      Proposed Rotary Projects for 2023/2024, as mentioned above, are listed here.  Bob Schaumann will briefly update everyone on the proposed after school program at Thursday's meeting.
       
      1.      Russ Gaskamp - overnight warming shelter for homeless through his Peterborough Church
      2.     Bill Raymond - Convert former welcome center/gazebo site to a pollinator garden; tidy up & weed whack around signs coming into Jaffrey & Rindge
      3.     Bob Schaumann - After school program at Camp Monadnock
      4.     Andy Lawn - Community meal
      5.     John McCarthy - GOT LUNCH/School Nutrition Program (part of the David Griffin Class of 1973 initiative)  
      5.     Harold Davis - Coat Drive; Bird seed sales
      6.     Rudra Aryal - Discussion with JRMS/Conant Students on Science and Math
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (September 26, 2023) 2023-09-26 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (September 19, 2023)
       

       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet on Thursday, September 21, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      This week’s meeting will be a Club Assembly meeting and it will be utilized to move forward with 2023/2024 project assignments.
       
      We currently have a growing list of project opportunities, and John and I are hopeful we can collectively agree on project selection followed by Rotary leadership/support assignments.
       
      I am listing six varying-sized project opportunities below so you can give some thought to which projects you would like to move forward and support.
       
      Each accepted project will be assigned a Rotary Project leader and support staff.
       
      1. Russ Gaskamp - overnight warming shelter for homeless through his Peterborough Church
      2. Bill Raymond - Convert former welcome center/gazebo site to a pollinator garden; tidy up & weed whack around signs coming into Jaffrey & Rindge
      3. Bob Schaumann - After school program at Christian Camp Monadnock
      4. Andy Lawn - Community meal
      5. Nutrition assistance for select students in the Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District.  This would be a follow up to our Club’s 2018 startup support of the Rindge Congregational Church’s Got Lunch program. It would also be a collaboration with the Conant class of 1973 and their efforts to raise funds for kids who come to school without breakfast and/or without money for lunch.  This was described at last week’s meeting by David Griffin of Conant’ class of 1973.  
      6. Harold Davis - Coat Drive; Bird seed sales
      7. Rudra Aryal - Discussion with JRMS/Conant Students on Science and Math
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (September 19, 2023)  2023-09-18 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (September 12, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Lots going on this week!
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be September 14th at 7:15am at Franklin Pierce University.  The Board of Directors' meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 13th, 8:00am at the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce office.
       
      This week, we will have the opportunity to meet Moritz, our Rotary exchange student from Germany, who will give us an update on his recent activities.
       
      Dave Griffin, President of the Conant Class of 1973, will also be joining us to share an update on their recent fiftieth reunion activities, which raised $2,500 to go towards nutrition support for local students.
       
      We also plan to start to explore several Rotary projects initially mentioned during our August 17th meeting.  The following outlines our current list of exciting project opportunities.
      • Russ Gaskamp - overnight warming shelter for the homeless through his Peterborough Church
      • Bill Raymond - conversion of the former Jaffrey welcome center/gazebo site to a pollinator garden; tidy up & weed whack around signs coming into Jaffrey and Rindge
      • Bob Schaumann - after-school program at Christian Camp Monadnock
      • Andy Lawn - Community meal (part of the David Griffin class of 1973 initiative)  
      • Harold Davis - Coat Drive; Bird seed sales
      • Rudra Aryal - Discussion with JRMS/Conant Students on Science and Math
       
      John and I are excited to explore our growing list of potential Rotary projects. It is our objective to have a club vote to select two or three projects to support for our 2023/2024 support activities.
       
      Look forward to seeing you all soon.
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (September 12, 2023) 2023-09-12 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (September 5, 2023)

       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      There will be no meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club this Thursday due to the Labor Day holiday. While we all look at this weekend as a time to relax and end the summer with a bang, it is important to remember all of the Americans who work so hard to assure we maintain our quality of life in this great country of ours.
       
      Really enjoyed the update on Moritz, our exchange student from Germany.  He sounds like he will acclimate to Rindge quickly, and John and I cannot wait to have the opportunity for him to join us at one of our upcoming Rotary meetings.
       
      Susan Ashworth did a great job of highlighting the "Meals on Wheels" program last week, and how folks in Jaffrey and Rindge benefit from this incredible program.
       
      Our next meeting will be September 14th at Franklin Pierce University, and our Board of Directors' meeting will be held on September 13th at the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce office.
       
      Hope you all have a safe week off; John and I look forward to seeing you all on the 14th of September.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (September 5, 2023) 2023-09-04 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (August 29, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      We will be at Franklin Pierce University for our weekly Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club meeting on Thursday, August 31st, at 7:15am.
       
      Sorry that I had to miss last week’s meeting, but one’s eye health must come first.  I did spend some productive time this week fixing our Rotary bell, as the top half had snapped off the base. Glad to report it has been fixed and should be good for quite some time to come.
       
      This week, we will be having guest speaker Susan Ashworth join us, as she shares her insight on the "Meals on Wheels" program in our local area.
      Last week on Tuesday, Sheila Bergeron and John McCarthy drove to Boston to meet our German exchange student, Moritz Neddermeier, and bring him back to Sheila's house where he will be her guest for the next several months.  Along with Sam LaFortune, John, and Sheila have been quite active welcoming Moritz, as well as bringing him over to Conant High School, preparing him for the school year, and getting him approved for NHIAA sports (soccer) this Fall.  John and Sheila will be giving us an update on Moritz at our Thursday meeting.  
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
       
       
      Presidents' Message (August 29, 2023) 2023-08-29 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (August 22, 2023)
       

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      We will meet at Franklin Pierce University this week on Thursday, August 24th, at 7:15am.  This should be our final meeting in the side room where we met last week, as contractors work to finalize the construction in their cafeteria.
       
      John and I would like to thank Donna Senechal for lending us her beautiful white convertible for the Jaffrey 250th Anniversary Parade.  Gail Therriault and Jed Brummer braved the sprinkles to join me for what was a unique small-town parade experience. We saw a lot of Rotarians and your families along the route, and we received well wishes all along our journey.
       
      Our guest speaker for this Thursday's meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be Amber Dewey, President of the Monadnock Beekeeper's Association.  Amber will share insights about bees - so critical to our environment - and what Rotarians and their families can do to help bees survive via an embrace of pollinator gardening.
       
      Rudra Aryal has reported in from the Frankfurt and Munich, Germany, Rotary groups, and it sounds like he is truly enjoying his experience. We certainly appreciate him representing the Jaffrey/Rindge Rotary club during his travels.
       
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
       
       
      Rudra Welcomed by Rotary in Frankfurt, Germany
       
      Our very own Rotarian, Rudra Aryal, attending a breakfast meeting of the Frankfurt Rotary Club in Frankfurt, Germany, and shared news about the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club, related some of our activities, and exchanged Club flags with their President.  Rudra spoke about global climate change and air pollution while addressing the Rotarians. 
       
      Presidents' Message (August 22, 2023)  2023-08-21 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (August 15, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      John and I would like to thank Owen Houghton and Steve Miller for an extremely informative overview on Amos Fortune and the upcoming dedication ceremony that will take place on Friday, August 18th.
       
      Thirteen Rotarians turned out on Friday at Noon, along with many town officials and friends, to recognize former Town of Jaffrey Selectman and former Cheshire County Commissioner (and current Rotarian) Peter Davis at the unveiling of signage on the bridge where Hadley Road intersects with the Old Sharon Road.  A motion at the March 2023 Jaffrey Town meeting moved that the bridge over the Contoocook River at that intersection was to be named in honor of Peter Davis.  As a result, signage at the bridge now says "Dedicated to Peter B. Davis." Congratulations, Peter!
       
      A reminder that this Thursday's meeting at 7:15am will be a Club Assembly, and we will be back in the cafeteria at Franklin Pierce University. John and I will be discussing 2023/2024 service project options and opportunities.
       
      Saturday will be the big Jaffrey 250th Anniversary Parade, and the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be in it.  Staging will occur at 9:30am at the Middle School parking lot, and the parade will kick off at 10:00am, winding up at St. Patrick's Church.  Donna Senechal is donating her convertible.  Please join us as marchers in the parade from 10am to 12 noon.  Rotarians, spouses, significant others, and Interactors are all invited to participate. Next celebration will be in 2073, so don't miss THIS one!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
       
       
       
      Photographs from our August 10th Meeting and Peter Davis Sign Unveiling
       
      August 10th Rotary Meeting...
       
       
       
      Dedication of the Peter B. Davis Bridge, Friday, August 11th
       
      Presidents' Message (August 15, 2023) 2023-08-13 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (August 8, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      John and I would like to thank Greg Walsh and Kim Mooney for hosting a reception at their lovely home last Thursday evening.  Much fun was had by all, and events such as this allow our Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club to maintain a strong bond with Franklin Pierce University.
       
      Our August 10th meeting this Thursday at 7:15am will be our last for the summer at the Cathedral of the Pines.  On August 17th, we will return to the University for a Club Assembly in the newly remodeled meeting room.
       
      Owen Houghton and Steve Miller, two fellow Rotarians and members of the Amos Fortune - New Hampshire Black Heritage Trail Committee, will talk to us about their efforts to place a marker in Jaffrey and the upcoming dedication ceremony that will take place on Friday, August 18th.
       
      Please circle Saturday, August 19th, on your calendar.  This is the big Jaffrey 250th Anniversary Parade, and the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be in it.  Donna Senechal is donating her convertible.  Please join us as marchers in the parade from 10am to 12 noon.  Rotarians, spouses, significant others, and Interactors are all invited to participate.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Bill/John
       
      Presidents' Message (August 8, 2023) 2023-08-08 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (August 1, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians, 
       
      Just a reminder that there is no morning meeting this Thursday. Instead, we will be attending a reception hosted by Kim Mooney and Greg Walsh at the Pearly House on the Franklin Pierce University campus, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. The location is 9 University Drive (first house on your left when entering University Drive from Rt 119). All Rotarians and their spouses/significant others are invited to attend this event. 
       
      Our August 10th meeting will be our last at the Cathedral of the Pines for the summer. On August 17th, we will be back at the University for a Club Assembly in the newly remodeled meeting room. 
       
      John and I have been discussing how we can help the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary identify projects that will motivate our membership, give us a sense of mission, and provide for a level of commitment and energy appropriate for a Rotary Club of our size and demographic.  We plan to use a portion of the August 17 Club Assembly meeting to begin this discussion so that we can identify the right projects for our club and then start to tie names to the projects.
       
      Circle Saturday, August 19th, on your calendar.  This is the big Jaffrey 250th Anniversary Parade, and the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be in it!  Donna Senechal is donating her convertible. Please join us as marchers in the parade from 10am to 12 Noon. Rotarians, spouses, significant others, and Interactors are all invited to participate.
       
      We look forward to seeing all of you Thursday evening.
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (August 1, 2023) 2023-08-01 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (July 25, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians, 
       
      We hosted a pancake breakfast at our last meeting, and everyone seemed to enjoy the hot pancakes and local maple syrup. A big thanks to Don Upton for supplying some of his golden nectar, as well as Greg Walsh.
       
      A big thanks, too, to Tom Frazier who was generous enough to purchase all of the Shelter of the Storm "Taste of Monadnock" tickets during last week’s meeting.
       
      Our next meeting will this Thursday, July 27th, at 7:15am, at the Cathedral of the Pines. We will have the pleasure of having Allison Deutsch, Director of Production for the Peterborough Players, join us for what I am sure will be an interesting overview, as she provides a "you are there" perspective of what it takes to put on a show (and what the audience never sees), as well as an update of all things that make the "Peterborough Players."
       
       
      Please remember we will need Rotarians for the annual Fair at the First Church of Jaffrey to help with parking on Wednesday, August 2nd, at 11:00am. See Owen Houghton for details.
       
      Circle Saturday, August 19th, on your calendar.  This is the big Jaffrey 250th Anniversary Parade, and the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be in it!  Donna Senechal is donating her convertible.  Owen has reached out to Joe Manning to see if he will be available to ride in our parade car.  Please join us to march in the parade from 10am to 12 Noon.  Rotarians, spouses, significant others, and Interactors are all invited to participate.
       
      A reminder that Greg Walsh and FPU President Kim Mooney will be hosting an evening reception on August 3rd from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at their home (Pearly House) at 9 University Drive in Rindge. This is a very generous offer, and all Rotarians/spouses/significant others are invited.
       
      Look forward to seeing all of you on Thursday.
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Bill/John

       
      Presidents' Message (July 25, 2023) 2023-07-24 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (July 18, 2023)

       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians, 
       
      Our meeting this Thursday, July 20th, will be a Club Assembly at the Cathedral of the Pines, but it will be a bit unique in that Bob Schaumann and I, with the help of some of our fellow Rotarians, will be serving a blueberry pancake breakfast.
       
       
       
      We will have several potential members joining us for this meeting, and I look forward to sharing good times with all.
       
      Breakfast will start at 7:15am or whenever Bob and I get through burning the pancakes.
       
      Your Board of Directors will be meeting this Wednesday, and we look forward to sharing with on Thursday morning some of the Board's initial observations and objectives.
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (July 18, 2023) 2023-07-18 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (July 11, 2023).

      Hi Fellow Rotarians, 
       
      Hope you are all well and attempting to stay dry. Our first big project for this year may well be the design of a very big boat and locating pairs of animals.
       
      There will be no morning meeting this week because members of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be attending a Peterborough Players event that same evening.
      An all-member social will start at 5:30pm, followed by a show ("Maytag Virgin") for those who purchased tickets.  Please plan to bring snack foods to the social and it will be BYOB.  Should it rain, we will host the social inside the "Rehearsal Barn" next to the Playhouse, beginning at 6:00pm. 
       
      Saturday finds Rotarians helping with parking at the Firemen's Muster that will be hosted at Humiston Field.  The "Jaffrey 250th Anniversary Team" really appreciates our help.  Although several Rotarians have volunteered to assist with parking at 10:00am, Owen Houghton can use more help; please let Owen know of your availability.
       
      The following week's meeting on Thursday, July 20th, will be at the Cathedral of the Pines.  Bob Schaumann and I are planning to make pancakes, so breakfast will be served!  If you have a griddle and would like to help us, please text me (Bill) at (860) 895-7596.
       
      Bob will be bringing two new potential members that morning (Sean Driscoll, son of the late Bill Driscoll, and Cassandra Leach), so if any of you would be kind enough to volunteer to welcome them while Bob is busy cooking, that would be very helpful.
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
       
      Bill/John
      Presidents' Message (July 11, 2023). 2023-07-11 04:00:00Z 0

      Presidents' Message (July 4, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Happy Fourth of July ! ! ! 
       
      There will not be a meeting this week of the Rotary Club in observance of the Fourth of July. Please enjoy the various ongoing town-related activities and stay safe (and dry!).
       
      I would like to thank all who attended our annual Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Gavel meeting at the Jaffrey Civic Center.  Much fun was had by all, and the catering by Stephanie was very well done and much appreciated.
       
      John and I are excited to move forward in our new roles, and with a little hard work and luck, we will be able to make the upcoming 12 months as interesting and productive as Peter did over the past year.
       
      Our next meeting WAS scheduled for July 13th at 7:15am at the Cathedral of the Pines.  We will NOT be meeting in the morning, however, as we have the Peterborough Players scheduled for later that evening, with our Rotary Club social beginning at 5:30pm.  If you still have not ordered tickets for the "Maytag Virgin," please contact Don Upton.
       
      Please note our Rotary Club will be hosting a young man from Germany this school year, beginning in late August. Please help us find a first host family by reaching out to your networks and helping to spread the word. Contact Sam LaFortune or John McCarthy for more information.
       
      Please feel free to reach out to both of us with any suggestions, recommendations, or outstanding issues.
        
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Bill/John
       
       
       
      Pictures from Gavel Night, June 30th
       
       
      Presidents' Message (July 4, 2023) 2023-07-02 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (June 27, 2023)
       

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      The weather forecast is not looking good for Thursday, and my field is too wet to mow for parking.  So, our Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club Gavel Night celebration will be held in the auditorium at the Jaffrey Civic Center this Thursday, June 29th, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.  It is a BYOB event that includes scrumptious hors d'oeuvres by Stephanie Porter, so no need for Rotarians to bring additional goodies.  There will be ice, plastic cups, napkins, etc. 
       
      Looking forward to seeing Rotarians, partners, and spouses to welcome Bill Coleman and John McCarthy as our new co-presidents for 2023-2024.
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Peter
      President's Message (June 27, 2023)  2023-06-27 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (June 20, 2023)
       

      Hi Fellow Rotarians.
       
      Our meeting this week of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be on Thursday, June 22nd, at the Cathedral of the Pines, at 7:15 AM.  This week will be my last regular meeting at which I will preside before Gavel Night (June 29th). 
       
      Owen Houghton will introduce our guest speaker, Reverend Chris Owens, who has been visiting Rotary Clubs to initiate discussion on our common values in American life today.  His weekly podcast goes deep and sheds light on the binary that impacts our humanity.  Rotarians will be inspired by the ideas he will examine.
       
      Thanks to everyone who helped with the parking at the Jaffrey 250th Veterans celebrations on Saturday.
       
      Only a few remaining tickets for the July 13th Peterborough Players Rotary social and the "Maytag Virgin" play. Contact Rotarian Dave Upton if you have yet to obtain your tickets!  This is one Rotary social you won't want to miss!
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Peter
      President's Message (June 20, 2023)  2023-06-19 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (June 13, 2023)
       

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our next meeting on June 15th will be at the Cathedral of the Pines at 7:15am. 
       
      David Blair of Project Home will be our guest speaker at Thursday's meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club.  Project Home is a volunteer organization in the Monadnock Region that hosts asylum seekers and supports them in their medical care, education, training, and the preparation of their asylum cases. It will be an interesting talk.
       
      Meanwhile, the Board of Directors will meet Wednesday, June 14th, at 8:00am, at the Jaffrey Chamber Office.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
      President's Message (June 13, 2023)  2023-06-10 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (June 6, 2023)

       

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      We have a June 8th Meeting this Thursday and a June 10th Social!
       
      This week we are doing something different.  Our meeting on Thursday, June 8th, will be held at the Teleflex plant in the Jaffrey Industrial park at 7:15 am.  We'll learn about the Teleflex operation and get a tour of their facility.
       
      We'll meet in the building to the right of the main driveway as you enter the Teleflex complex from Plantation Drive.  No breakfast, but coffee and donuts will be served.
       
      Then, on Saturday, June 10th, come to the Park Theater for a concert by Matt Nakoa, who is Tom Rush's award-winning front man.  Starting at 6:00pm, have a beer or glass of wine in the lobby and listen to Bernie & Louise's great music before the concert at 7:30pm.  We expect a good turnout of Rotarians for this event.
       
      Remember that the Rotary night at the Peterborough Players will take place on Thursday, July 13th, at 5:30pm for cocktails and awesome hors d'oeuvres.  The show, "Maytag Virgin," starts at 7:30pm.  Tickets are $40 per person.  You bring a plate to share and what ever you want to drink.  We provide ice, cups, plates, napkins, etc.
       
      This has traditionally been a sold-out Rotarian social. Already 25 tickets have been sold, and you will not want to be disappointed if you delay requesting tickets and they are sold out.  Please send your check to:  Donald Upton, 1024 Mountain Road, Jaffrey, NH 03452..  Tickets are limited.
        
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Peter
      President's Message (June 6, 2023)  2023-06-04 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (May 30, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      There will be no meeting this week of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club, as we observe Memorial Day.  Thanks to our veterans and active duty service men and women who have preserved our freedom.
       
      Our June 8th meeting will be at Teleflex in Jaffrey.  We will meet in their conference room and then have a tour of the facility.  Read next week's letter for details on meeting location and parking.
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Peter
      President's Message (May 30, 2023) 2023-05-30 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (May 23, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Thanks to the Committee members who did an outstanding job on last week's Golf Event and Auction.  Kudos to Rotarians Russell Gaskamp, Jon Frederick, and Andy Lawn, each of who made this a fun event and successful fundraiser!  A fine dinner, plenty of camaraderie, lots of laughter, and a good time was had by all.  Thanks, too, to Rotarian Greg Walsh, our premier auctioneer!
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be at the Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday, May 25th, at 7:30.  No breakfast at the Cathedral, but there will be coffee and donuts.  
       
      Our Guest Speaker Thursday morning will be Alan Rumrill, Executive Director of the Historical Society of Cheshire CountyHis presentation is "A Journey on the Manchester & Keene Railroad.“  Take a journey into the history of the Monadnock region’s most difficult, spectacular, and short-lived rail line.  The Manchester & Keene Railroad traversed a 30-mile route from Keene through Roxbury, Marlborough, Harrisville, and Hancock to Greenfield.  Learn the story of the region’s most interesting rail line and view the sights and stations along the railroad’s route.  Should be quite interesting, as Alan has numerous pictures to share that show railroading in our past.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
       
      Donna Senechal Honored with Paul Harris Award
       
      Donna Senechal receives a Paul Harris Award for her generous gift to Rotary International.  Making the presentation is Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club President Peter Russell.  The presentation occurred at the beginning of the Golf Outing Dinner.  Congratulations, Donna!
       
      Photographs from the Golf Outing at the Shattuck...
       
      Note: we could not include all the picture of those who teed off at the First Hole due to memory capacity limitations of ClubRunner bulletins.
       
       
      President's Message (May 23, 2023) 2023-05-12 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (May 16, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our annual Golf Event and Auction is Wednesday, May 17th, at the Shattuck, followed by a dinner and live auction.  Looking forward to seeing everyone at our annual fun fund raiser.  Because of this event, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will not meet on Thursday morning.
       
      Our next meeting will be Thursday, May 25th, at 7:30am, at the Cathedral of the Pines.
       
      See you Wednesday!
       
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
       
      Pictures from our May 11th Meeting...
       
       
      Adrienne Kennedy, Interactor of the Month
       
      President Peter Russell congratulates Conant High School senior Adrienne Kennedy on her selection as "Interactor of the Month."  Adrienne, who graduates in June and who will matriculate at UNH in the Fall, was recognized as one who exemplifies "Service Above Self" via her involvement in a dozen of Interact programs during her senior year.  Adrienne later this morning participated with three of her fellow Interactors when she presented details about the group's service project visit to the Dominican Republic.  Congratulations, Adrienne!
       
       
       
      Brandon Tarrats, Student of the Month
       
      Sam LaFortune (L) presents Conant High School student Brandon Tarrats (C) with the Student of the Month award for the month of April.  Brandon was recognized for his progress over the past few years as a student and as a person.  It was only a few weeks earlier than Brandon's younger brother, Bryce (R), received a similar recognition from the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club as their Student of the Month for the month of March.  Congratulations, Brandon!
       
      Interactors Laurel Bennet and Kelly Williams Share Their Dominican Republic Experiences
       
      Eight Conant Interactors - four seniors and four juniors - traveled to the Dominican Republic over their Spring break for a service project.  All four seniors came to the Rotary to share their experiences in this Caribbean country.   Laurel Bennett (L) and Kelly Williams (R) found the island to be beautiful, but with a real dichotomy insofar as demographics, noting the affluency and poverty.  Upon graduation in June, Laurel will attend Plymouth State College and Kelly will attend UNH in Durham. All four senior Interact members are heavily involved in sports, with each participating in various sports, e.g., basketball, volleyball, swimming, volleyball, tennis, and track.
       
       
       
      Emma Tenters, Interactor
       
      Emma Tenters and Adrienne Kennedy (not pictured) also presented and shared their experience.  Emma, who was a star basketball player for Conant, will attend Emmanuel College in Boston in the Fall.  No surprise -- she will be on their basketball team!
       
       
       
      Steve Miller is NOW "officially" a Rotarian
       
      Russ Gaskamp presents Steve Miller with his badge.  Now that he is in possession of his name badge, Steve is now "officially" a Rotarian.
       
       
       
      Jon Frederick Gives a Thumb's Up!
       
      Can't remember what it was for, but Jon Frederick gave a "thumb's up" to something that a Rotarian said.  As Jaffrey Town Manager, he looks forward to several months of "no snow," given the challenges of the 30+ inches of white stuff that mid-March provided in one of the heaviest snowfalls seen in the Monadnock region in years.  Perhaps a "thumb's up" for warm weather?
       
       
      Gas Reports on the Golf Outing
       
      With the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club's upcoming Fund Raiser at the Shattuck on Wednesday, May 17th, Russ Gaskamp brought everyone up to date on that day's activities.  With a full field of golfers for the fun event, complemented by a dinner and a live auction, it promises to be a great event.  Rotarians are reminded to let Gas know that they want tickets to the dinner!  It's not too late!
       
      President's Message (May 16, 2023) 2023-05-12 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (May 9, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      This week we'll have our last meeting of the spring at Franklin Pierce University.  Join us Thursday at 7:15am for the Interactors' presentations on their recent trip to the Dominican Republic.  The Club will also recognize the Interactor of the Month and Student of the Month.
       
      Remember the Golf Event at the Shattuck on May 17th.  The committee is still looking for a few good quality auction items. 
       
      Starting May 25th, we will be meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines, as Franklin Pierce University's classes will have finished their Spring Term.
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Peter
       
       
       
       
       
      Pictures from our May 4th Meeting...
       
       
       
      Reverend Jessica Johansson, Guest Speaker
       
      The subject of end-of-life and what occurs can be very fascinating.  Reverend Jessica Johansson, an ordained interfaith minister, shared insights on end-of-life care and stories of her personal experiences assisting others as they ended their life's journey on this earth.
       
       
      "Reverend" Owen Houghton Invocates
       
      Yes, invocates is a word!  The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club is blessed to have three Rotarians who provide thoughtful invocations that begin our weekly meetings.  This past Thursday, Rotarian "Reverend" Owen Houghton leads us off with a thoughtful invocation.  The previous two weeks saw two Rotarians - Steve Miller and Kathleene Card, both ordained ministers - provide inspiring messages when they invocated.
       
       
      Mike Perrault, Our Newest Rotarian
       
       
      TOP:  President Peter Russell (L) inducts our newest Rotarian, Mike Perrault (C).  Standing next to Mike is Bob Schaumann, Mike's Rotary sponsor.  Mike is an active duty United States Marine Corps Sergeant Major who is stationed at Fort Devens.  Mike and his wife, Kelly, moved to Rindge not too long ago.  Welcome aboard, Mike!
      MIDDLE:  Following his induction, as is our Club custom, each Rotarian congratulated Mike.
      BOTTOM:  Mike quickly gets into the swing of things as he contributes to Happy Fines, as Sam LaFortune and Reverends Jessica Johansson and Kathleene Card look on with approval.
       
       
      Happy Fines' Stories 
       
      For only a few dollars, Rotarians can tell their recent story, as Rotarians share tales about themselves, their kids, or recognize others.  Some good-natured ribbing goes along with Happy Fines. TOP TO BOTTOM:  Bill Raymond, David Jeffries, Richard Pedott, and Sheila Bergeron share their "latest and greatest."
       
       
      President's Message (May 9, 2023) 2023-05-09 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (May 2, 2023)
       

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Our Thursday, May 4th, meeting will be at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am.  Mike Perreault will become our newest Rotarian, and Reverend Jessica Johansson will be our guest speaker.  As an ordained interfaith minister, she will speak on end-of-life care and assisting in the dying process.
       
      Wednesday, May 17th, will be the JRR Golf Gala & Dinner at the Shattuck. Get tickets at this week's meeting. Because of this Wednesday event, we will not have a breakfast meeting on Thursday, May 18th. Be sure not to miss out on the Golf Gala!
       
      Looking ahead, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary hosts a summer social event at the Peterborough Players.  The tickets quickly sell out, and it is recommended you circle your calendar for this event that will take place on Thursday evening, July 13th, at 5:30pm. Yes, cocktails and awesome hors d’oeuvres! 
       
      The show starts at 7:30pm.  Tickets to see the "Maytag Virgin" are $40 per person.  Everyone brings a plate to share and whatever you want to drink.  We provide ice, cups, plates, napkins, etc.  Please send checks to:  Donald Upton, 1024 Mountain Road, Jaffrey, NH 03452.  Do this NOW, as tickets are limited. 
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter 
       
       
       
      Pictures from our April 27th Meeting...
       
       
      Matt Keenan, Monadnock Habitat for Humanity
       
      President of Monadnock Habitat for Humanity, Matt Keenan was our Guest Speaker, and he shared insights relative to what his organization has done, is doing, and hopes to do in the future.  Matt is also chair of their Building Committee.  
       
       
      Mike Shea Introduces Matt Keenan
       
      Past Rotary President Mike Shea introduced Matt Keenan, who serves as President of Monadnock Habitat for Humanity.  Matt is also an employee of Belletetes.  You weren't seeing double -- Matt wore his Belletetes' company shirt when he arrived for our Breakfast Meeting, but for his presentation, he quickly slipped his Habitat for Humanity shirt over his Belletetes' shirt when no one was looking.
       
       
       
      In April, Snowbirds Return to New Hampshire
       
      Looking rested and well-tanned, we welcomed back Rotary President Peter Russell with some good natured-ribbing.  Rotarian Jim Banghart also returned, sporting a tan.  Welcome back, Peter and Jim! 
       
       
      Getchyer' Winning Tickets Here....!
       
      Tom Frazier mans the ticket table where hopeful Rotarians plunk down $2.00 with the hope of winning the weekly 50-50 drawing.   Tom has been a great help with morning set-up and, especially, the return of Rotary items to our storage closet at the end of each meeting.  Thank you, Tom!!
       
       
       
      "Ah'm gonna' Win THIS Time...."
       
      Owen Houghton and Steve Miller, both with 50-50 tickets in hand, hope that Lady Luck will visit them. However, it was David Jeffries who gained Lady Luck's favor, as he won last week's "massive" sum and promptly donated it back to the Club.  The Queen of Diamonds has so far managed to elude Rotarians hoping to hit the jackpot!
       
       
       
      How c-c-c-c-cold Was It?
       
      Jeff Dickler welcomed Peter Russell back to the somewhat warm climes of New Hampshire.  We're not quite sure what Jeff was saying, but we're sure that Jeff was "sympathizing" with Peter that temps in Florida "dipped" into the fifties while Peter was down south.  Peter missed the snowfall of six weeks ago when the Monadnock region received three feet of the white stuff.  Such a shame...
       
       
      Rudra Contributes to Happy Fines
       
      Rudra Aryal (L) shares his Happy Fines stories while Tom Frazier (C) and Richard Feldman listen in.  Monies raised via Happy Fines make up a major part of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club's annual donations to the Food Pantries in both Jaffrey and Rindge.
      President's Message (May 2, 2023)  2023-04-28 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (April 25, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I'm excited about being back in town for our Thursday, April 27th, meeting at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am.
       
      We had a successful Roadside Cleanup on Saturday, headed by Mike Shea.  Six teams of Rotarians and spouses/significant others cleaned up Rt. 202.  Fortunately, the rains held off.  No word yet on who found the most empty nip bottles of Fireball!
       
      Mike Shea has arranged for Matt Keenan, President of Monadnock Habitat for Humanity and chair of its building Committee, to speak to us on Thursday.
       
      I look forward to seeing everyone and congratulating our new members.
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Peter
       
       
      The "Fleeting Fotographer's" pictures from our April 20th Meeting
       
       
      Bryce Tarrats, April Student of the Month
       
      TOP: The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club recognized Middle School Eighth Grader Bryce Tarrats as one who "is a friend to many, one with natural leadership skills, and who has demonstrated resiliency and perseverance."  In making the presentation, Rotarian SToM Chairperson Sam LaFortune presented Bryce with a certificate and a Gift Card to the Toadstool Bookstore.  BOTTOM: Bryce's Middle School teacher for the past three years, Gretchen Booth, spoke highly of her student, while Bryce's family (R) looks on.
       
       
      Lori Rautiola Inducted as our Newest Rotarian
       
      Smiling broadly, Lori Rautiola, Rindge Town Administrator, was congratulated by two dozen Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians following her induction as our newest Rotarian.  Jon Frederick is Lori's sponsor.  Congratulations, Lori, and welcome to Rotary!
       
       
       
      Rebecca Frederickson, Jaffrey Civic Center
       
      Rebecca "Becca" Fredrickson, Executive Director of the Jaffrey Civic Center, addressed the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club last week as our Guest Speaker, sharing the history of the Civic Center, now over 55 years old. Becca shared the broad range of activities at the Center, and she also focused on the Civic Center's future directions. 
       
       
      Sing We Must....and Rotarians do it well!   
       
      Rotarians sing "America, The Beautiful" at the beginning of each meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary.  We miss Bill Raymond's harmony, but Owen Houghton picked up the slack!
       
      President's Message (April 25, 2023) 2023-04-25 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (April 25, 2023)
       

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I'm excited about being back in town for our Thursday, April 27th, meeting at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am.
       
      We had a successful Roadside Cleanup on Saturday, headed by Mike Shea.  Six teams of Rotarians and spouses/significant others cleaned up Rt. 202.  Fortunately, the rains held off.  No word yet on who found the most empty nip bottles of Fireball!
       
      Mike Shea has arranged for Matt Keenan, President of Monadnock Habitat for Humanity and chair of its building Committee, to speak to us on Thursday.
       
      I look forward to seeing everyone and congratulating our new members.
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Peter
       
       
      The "Fleeting Fotographer's" pictures from our April 20th Meeting
       
       
      Bryce Tarrats, April Student of the Month
       
      TOP: The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club recognized Middle School Eighth Grader Bryce Tarrats as one who "is a friend to many, one with natural leadership skills, and who has demonstrated resiliency and perseverance."  In making the presentation, Rotarian SToM Chairperson Sam LaFortune presented Bryce with a certificate and a Gift Card to the Toadstool Bookstore.  BOTTOM: Bryce's Middle School teacher for the past three years, Gretchen Booth, spoke highly of her student, while Bryce's family (R) looks on.
       
       
      Lori Rautiola Inducted as our Newest Rotarian
       
      Smiling broadly, Lori Rautiola, Rindge Town Administrator, was congratulated by two dozen Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians following her induction as our newest Rotarian.  Jon Frederick is Lori's sponsor.  Congratulations, Lori, and welcome to Rotary!
       
       
       
      Rebecca Frederickson, Jaffrey Civic Center
       
      Rebecca "Becca" Fredrickson, Executive Director of the Jaffrey Civic Center, addressed the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club last week as our Guest Speaker, sharing the history of the Civic Center, now over 55 years old. Becca shared the broad range of activities at the Center, and she also focused on the Civic Center's future directions. 
       
       
      Sing We Must....and Rotarians do it well!   
       
      Rotarians sing "America, The Beautiful" at the beginning of each meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary.  We miss Bill Raymond's harmony, but Owen Houghton picked up the slack!
       
       
      President's Message (April 25, 2023)  2023-04-24 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (April 11, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone had an enjoyable Easter or Passover!
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will not meet this week.  Our next weekly meeting will be at 7:15am on Thursday, April 20th, at Franklin Pierce University.  We will have an interesting guest speaker.  In the meantime, enjoy the week off and take advantage of the warmer weather that has arrived.
       
      The Board of Directors will meet via ZOOM on Wednesday, April 12th, at 8:00am.  A separate email to the Board with a ZOOM URL will come from Bob Schaumann today.
       
      In the meantime, enjoy the pictures (below) from the recent social gathering and last week's breakfast meeting.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
       
      Pictures taken at our April 6th meeting
       
       
      Travis Brent, FPU Soccer Coach - Our Guest Speaker
       
      Travis Brent, FPU's new men’s soccer coach, spoke about the soccer program.  After listening to Travis address the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club, we were amazed at the depth of the program, the focus on the players and the team, and all that goes into preparing for each game.  Wishing you a successful season, Coach!
       
       
      Happy Fines always produce fun comments and the usual friendly banter
       
       
       
       
       
      Pictures from the recent social hosted by David Jeffries
       
       
      President's Message (April 11, 2023) 2023-04-11 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (April 4, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Thanks to David Jeffries for hosting last Thursday's social gathering.  A good time was had by all!
       
      This week on Thursday, April 6th, we are back at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am.  Ben Wheeler will be running the meeting.   
       
      Russell Gaskamp will introduce Travis Brent, FPU's new men’s soccer coach, as our guest speaker.  Travis is taking over a national championship program, and we will hear about his vision for the future of the Raven's soccer program.
       
      Snowbirds can still join in on ZOOM, which will begin at 7:30am.  No passcode required:  https://franklinpierce-edu.zoom.us/j/98447274475
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Peter
       
       
       
      President's Message (April 4, 2023) 2023-04-04 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (March 28, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      There will be no morning meeting this week at Franklin Pierce University.  David Jeffries has invited us for a social evening at his house at 617 Mountain Road (Rt 124) on this Thursday, March 30th, from 5:30PM to 7:00PM. Spouses and Significant Others are invited. Be advised David's house is several miles north on Rt 124 beyond downtown Jaffrey.  Look for his mailbox and driveway on the left side as you travel towards Marlborough.
       
      David will supply beer and wine. BYOB if you desire something else. Please bring a tasty hors d'oeuvre to share. 
       
      This will be a good time to get to know our newer Rotarians and potential Rotarians, as well as enjoy a great view.
       
      Yours in service, 
       
      Peter
       
       
      Photographs from our March 23rd Meeting
       
       
       
      Rotary Honors Riley Derosier as "Student of the Month"
       
      Principal Susan Shaw-Sarles shares stories about the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary "Student of the Month," Riley Derosier, a 5th Grade student at the Jaffrey Grade School.  Riley, with a smile as big as the sky, was recognized for her sunny disposition, ready willingness to demonstrate kindness and compassion to others, demonstrated positive attitude, and generous spirit.  Rotarian Sam LaFortune presented Riley with a Certificate of Recognition, as well as a Toadstool gift certificate.  Behind Susan and Riley are proud parents and grandparents!
       
       
      Brandon Smith, our Newest Rotarian
       
      Brandon Smith (L) holds his Certificate of Membership as the newest Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarian.   He's flanked by Rotarian Russell Gaskamp, Membership Chair, who had the pleasure of pinning onto Brandon's left lapel his new membership pin.  Brandon is the Branch Manager at the Jaffrey TD Bank.  Welcome, Brandon!
       
       
      We Didn't Forget Your Badges, Guys!
       
      Mark Hower and Jeff Dickler, recently inducted as new Rotarians, ham it up for the photographer, as both Rotarians were presented with their name badges by Co-President-elect Bill Coleman.
       
       
      Project Shakespeare Receives Rotary Contribution
       
      Deborah Thurber, Founder and Artistic Director of Project Shakespeare, shares details about the theater organization's impending trip to the United Kingdom in August.  Ten students will perform "Hamlet" at the Thorington Theatre in Suffolk.  Included in the entourage's activities will be visits to Stratford-upon-Avon and London to attend performances at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and The Globe Theatre.  Charitable Giving Chairperson Gail Therriault presented Deborah with a check to help defray the travel expenses.
       
       
      Rotarian Tom Bennett Updates Club on FNE Activities in Nicaragua
       
      (TOP) Rotarian Tom Bennett updated the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club on the activities of FNE International and how this non-profit organization is using our nearly $20,000 donation to upgrade the facilities, including sanitation and potable water, in several schools in Chacraseca, Nicaragua.  The second picture shows several Nicaraguan young adults who are now going to college as a result of FNE's work. If you look closely, you will see Rotarian John McCarthy on the far left, his wife, Paddy, just to the right of center, and Rotarian Tom Bennett on the far right, the result of a recent visit in July 2022.  Missing from the picture is Rotarian Jim Guy, Monadnock Rotary Club, who we suspect took the picture.
      President's Message (March 28, 2023) 2023-03-28 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (March 28, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      There will be no morning meeting this week at Franklin Pierce University.  David Jeffries has invited us for a social evening at his house at 617 Mountain Road (Rt 124) on this Thursday, March 30th, from 5:30PM to 7:00PM.  Spouses and Significant Others are invited. Be advised David's house is several miles north on Rt 124 beyond downtown Jaffrey.  Look for his mailbox and driveway on the left side as you travel towards Marlborough.
       
      David will supply beer and wine.  BYOB if you desire something else.   Please bring a tasty hors d'oeuvre to share. 
       
      This will be a good time to get to know our newer Rotarians and potential Rotarians, as well as enjoy a great view.
       
      Yours in service, 
       
      Peter
       
       
      Photographs from our March 23rd Meeting
       
       
       
      Rotary Honors Riley Derosier as "Student of the Month"
       
      Principal Susan Shaw-Sarles shares stories about the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary "Student of the Month," Riley Derosier, a 5th Grade student at the Jaffrey Grade School.  Riley, with a smile as big as the sky, was recognized for her sunny disposition, ready willingness to demonstrate kindness and compassion to others, demonstrated positive attitude, and generous spirit.  Rotarian Sam LaFortune presented Riley with a Certificate of Recognition, as well as a Toadstool gift certificate.   Behind Susan and Riley are proud parents and grandparents!
       
       
      Brandon Smith, our Newest Rotarian
       
      Brandon Smith (L) holds his Certificate of Membership as the newest Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarian.   He's flanked by Rotarian Russell Gaskamp, Membership Chair, who had the pleasure of pinning onto Brandon's left lapel his new membership pin.  Brandon is the Branch Manager at the Jaffrey TD Bank.  Welcome, Brandon!
       
       
      We Didn't Forget Your Badges, Guys!
       
      Mark Hower and Jeff Dickler, recently inducted as new Rotarians, ham it up for the photographer, as both Rotarians were presented with their name badges by Co-President-elect Bill Coleman.
       
       
      Project Shakespeare's Deborah Thurber Receives Rotary Contribution
       
      Deborah Thurber, Founder and Artistic Director of Project Shakespeare, shares details about the theater organization's impending trip to the United Kingdom in August.  Ten students will perform "Hamlet" at the Thorington Theatre in Suffolk.  Included in the entourage's activities will be visits to Stratford-upon-Avon and London to attend performances at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and The Globe Theatre.  Charitable Giving Chairperson Gail Therriault presented Deborah with a check to help defray the travel expenses.
       
       
      Rotarian Tom Bennett Updates Club on FNE Activities in Nicaragua
       
      (TOP) Rotarian Tom Bennett updated the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club on the activities of FNE International and how this non-profit organization is using our nearly $20,000 donation to upgrade the facilities, including sanitation and potable water, in several schools in Chacraseca, Nicaragua.  The second picture shows several Nicaraguan young adults who are now going to college as a result of FNE's work. If you look closely, you will see Rotarian John McCarthy on the far left, his wife, Paddy, just to the right of center, and Rotarian Tom Bennett on the far right, the result of a recent visit in July 2022.  Missing from the picture is Rotarian Jim Guy, Monadnock Rotary Club, who we suspect took the picture.
       
      President's Message (March 28, 2023) 2023-03-28 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (March 21, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      No snow, but a little rain in the forecast for this week's meeting at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, March 23rd, at 7:15am.   Bill Coleman will lead our weekly meeting.
       
      After a one-week delay, courtesy of Mother Nature, we will welcome Brandon Smith as our newest Rotarian.  Meanwhile, Sam LaFortune will recognize our Student of the Month, and Tom Bennett will update us on the FEI Nicaragua project, one to which we donated money last year.
       
      Snowbirds are welcome to join us via ZOOM at 7:30am.  No passcode is required.  https://franklinpierce-edu.zoom.us/j/98447274475
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
      President's Message (March 21, 2023) 2023-03-21 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (March 14, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Plan on going to the Cathedral of the Pines for this week's meeting on Thursday, March 16th.  No breakfast, just coffee and donuts, and the meeting will start at 7:30am.  Jed Brummer will lead the meeting, and David Jeffries has lined up Eric Masterson, a renowned ornithologist and expert on global bird migration, who will share some of the local and global migration issues affecting our fine feathered friends.
       
      We will induct our newest Rotarian, Brandon Smith, who has been to at least four of our meetings.  Bob Schaumann is his sponsor.
       
      The Zoom link below will be good for attending our meetings through the remainder of snowbird season.  No passcode is required, and the ZOOM will start at 7:30am.
       
       
      The voting in both Rindge and Jaffrey today has been postponed until March 28th because of today's Nor'easter.  Drive carefully and only if you must, as the weather is not being very cooperative!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
       
      President's Message (March 14, 2023) 2023-03-14 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (March 7, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      We meet at Franklin Pierce University for a Club Assembly on Thursday, March 9th, at 7:15am.  There will be no guest speaker, but the Board will propose new projects, including sponsorship of a foreign exchange student and various potential Community Service Projects, some of which were discussed two weeks ago during the latter part of the meeting when we broke into groups of two. 
       
      Meanwhile, the Board will meet via ZOOM on Wednesday, March 8th, at 8:00am, and the outcomes of that meeting will be shared with those in attendance on Thursday.
       
      Bill Coleman will be leading this week's Club Assembly.   
       
      Snowbirds may attend via zoom starting at 7:30am: https://franklinpierce-edu.zoom.us/j/98447274475
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
       
      Pictures from our Thursday Meeting, March 2nd
       
       
      Lori Rautiola, Rindge Town Administrator
       
      Lori Rautiola, Town Administrator for the Town of Rindge, spoke to the Rindge warrant that will be voted upon on March 14th at the polls, and urged Rotarians from Rindge to come out and vote.  Polls will be open at the Rindge Memorial School from 7am to 7pm.
       
       
      Rotarian Jon Frederick, Jaffrey Town Manager
       
      Jaffrey Town Manager and Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarian Jon Frederick spoke to some of the notable time-saving changes that Jaffrey voters will see when the come to the Town Meeting deliberative session on Saturday, March 18th, at the Pratt Auditorium.  Jaffrey voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, March 14th, to elect a variety of municipal and school officials. Polls will be open at Pratt Auditorium from 7am to 7pm.
       
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club Welcomes Steve Miller
       
      Reverend Steve Miller, Pastor of the First Church of Jaffrey, was inducted by Rotary District 7870 Assistant Governor Bob Schaumann at our Thursday meeting.  Posing for a "candid" shot are Steve (L), Membership Chair Russell Gaskamp (C), and Steve's sponsor, Peter Davis.  Welcome, Steve!
       
       
      Prospective Rotarians
       
      Mike Perrault, an active duty Sergeant Major, USMC, stationed at Fort Devens, recently moved into Rindge, and welcome the opportunity to learn more about the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club.  At the same time, along with being our guest speaker, Lori Rautiola, also expressed interest in Rotary.  We look forward to you both coming to our next meeting!
       
       
      Welcome Back, Sadie Halliday
       
      With two teenaged daughters sacked out and sleeping late because of school vacation, Rotarian Sadie Halliday didn't have to worry about getting the kids off to school this week.  Good to see her again!
       
       
      Andy Card and Steve Miller
       
      Always good to see Andy Card (L) at our Rotary meeting.  Seated to his right is Steve Miller, who - five minutes later - was inducted as our newest Rotarian!
       
       
      Rotarians Listen Intently to our Speakers
       
       
      President's Message (March 7, 2023) 2023-03-05 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (February 28, 2023)
       

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      This week's meeting will be at Franklin Pierce University at our regular time of 7:15am, Thursday, March 2nd.  We anticipate the possibility of some "nuisance" snow Thursday morning, but unless the Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School district cancels classes for the day because of the weather, we will meet as usual.
       
      Thursday's meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club promises to be very informative, as the Club welcomes Lori Rautiola, Rindge Town Administrator, and Rotarian Jon Frederick, Town Manager of Jaffrey, as they host "State of the Towns - What you need to know heading into Town Meeting." 
       
      As always, key decisions will be made at the polls/Town Meeting in the respective towns.  This will be a grand opportunity to truly "be in the know."  For those who require ZOOM access, you may join by accessing this URL: https://franklinpierce-edu.zoom.us/j/9844727
       
      Bob Schaumann will run the meeting, and he looks forward to inducting Reverend Steve Miller as our newest Rotarian.
       
      Hope you can be there.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      President's Message (February 28, 2023)  2023-02-28 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (February 28, 2023)

       
       
      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      This week's meeting will be at Franklin Pierce University at our regular time of 7:15am, Thursday, March 2nd.  We anticipate the possibility of some "nuisance" snow Thursday morning, but unless the Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School district cancels classes for the day because of the weather, we will meet as usual.
       
      Thursday's meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club promises to be very informative, as the Club welcomes Lori Rautiola, Rindge Town Administrator, and Rotarian Jon Frederick, Town Manager of Jaffrey, as they host "State of the Towns - What you need to know heading into Town Meeting." 
       
      As always, key decisions will be made at the polls/Town Meeting in the respective towns.  This will be a grand opportunity to truly "be in the know."  For those who require ZOOM access, you may join by accessing this URL: https://franklinpierce-edu.zoom.us/j/9844727
       
      Bob Schaumann will run the meeting, and he looks forward to inducting Reverend Steve Miller as our newest Rotarian.
       
      Hope you can be there.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      President's Message (February 28, 2023) 2023-02-22 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (February 21, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      No Rotary meeting this week!  Our next meeting will be on Thursday, March 2nd, at Franklin Pierce University, at the usual morning hour. 
       
      Celebrate Presidents Day Enjoy the week, be thankful for our freedom, and let's try to learn from our past history - good and bad.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter 
       
       
       
      Photographs courtesy of Owen Houghton
      Meeting of Thursday, February 16, 2023
       
       
      New Rotarians:  Mark Hower and Jeff Dickler !!
       
      Assistant Governor Bob Schaumann (L) had the pleasure of inducting our newest Rotarians (Left to Right), Mark Hower and Jeff Dickler, at Thursday's weekly meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club.  Standing to their left side is Jeff's sponsor, John McCarthy, and Mark's sponsor, David Jefferies.  Welcome!
       
       
      Membership Chair to the Rescue!
       
      Rotary Membership Chair Russell Gaskamp (R) affixes new Rotarian pin on the shirt of Mark Hower.  Rotarians John McCarthy and David Jefferies smile, as "Gas" successfully places Mark's Rotary pin on his shirt.
       
       
      Interactor of the Month, Maddy Bellofatto
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club honored Maddy Bellofatto as their Interactor of the Month for February.  The certificate read by Bob Schaumann to the assembled Rotarians pointed to Maddy's service to the Conant Interact Club via her membership on the Services Committee.  Among her activities, Maddy wrote holiday letters to the elderly this past December; she serves meals at the Keene Community Kitchen, as well as spearheads a blanket-making class at Conant so that Interact can donate to the LINUS project.  She has sold bracelets to raise money for the American Red Cross. She's even taken her artistic talents and painted murals for the Conant High School library.  Congratulations, Maddy, as our Interactor of the Month!  With Maddy is her grandmother, Annia (Second from Right), and Rotarian Sheila Roberge, Rotary Club Advisor to Interact, who presented Maddy with a Gift Certificate to the Toadstool Book Store.
       
       
      President's Message (February 21, 2023) 2023-02-21 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (February 14, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      This week our regular meeting will be a club assembly at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University, on Thursday, February 16th.
       
      Included on the agenda will be reports from two Interact students, induction of two new Rotarians - Jeff Dickler and Mark Hower - and a vote on our slate of officers and directors for 2023-24.  Bob Schaumann will be running the meeting, and there will be Zoom access for those of us who are away.  The ZOOM URL will be available at 7:30am (no passcode required): https://franklinpierce-edu.zoom.us/j/97081708307 
       
      Be thinking of ONE key area in which you would like to see Rotary take a leadership role in the communities of Rindge and/or Jaffrey, and in which you have passion and a desire to become personally involved.  More to follow...
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      Pictures by the Roving Photographer (Meeting on February 9, 2023)
       
      Vanessa Palange, Homeland Security, our Guest Speaker
       
      Vanessa Palange serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator for New Hampshire Homeland Security and Emergency Management. In her role with Homeland Security and Emergency Management, she is responsible for working with communities and organizations across New Hampshire to promote emergency preparedness.   A good discussion ensued following Vanessa's presentation that COULD very well result in a Citizen Emergency Response Team (CERT) in both towns.
       
       
      Mark Hower Fills in the Application
       
       
      Following last week's meeting, Mark met with Bob Schaumann as part of his orientation to Rotary.  During the 40-minute chat, Mark and Bob discovered they both lived in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, at one time.  Here, Mark complete his application to become a Rotarian.  Along with Mark, Jeff Dickler will also be inducted as a Rotarian at our Thursday meeting this week. 
       
       
       
       
      President's Message (February 14, 2023) 2023-02-14 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (February 7, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone made it through the cold spell without any frozen pipes. 
       
      Our meeting this week will be in the warm Spagnuolo Hall dining room at Franklin Pierce University. Plan on our regular time of 7:15am on Thursday, February 9th, or on Zoom at 7:45am at https://franklinpierce-edu.zoom.us/j/94573473324.  No passcode required.
       
      Bill Raymond will be running the meeting, and Bob Schaumann will introduce our speaker, Vanessa Page, from the New Hampshire office of Homeland Security in Concord.
       
      Thanks to Greg Walsh for running last week's meeting and Donna Senechal for arranging our speaker, Scott Symond, who shared insights about SMART Ride LLC, a new local ride-share program.
       
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      Pictures by our Roving Photographer (Meeting of March 2nd)
       
       
      Scott Symond, CEO of SMART Ride
       
      Scott Symond, our Guest Speaker, shared insights about his company, SMART Ride LLC, which provides safe, clean and economically sound transportation to the mobility-challenged members of our communities.  Since its inception, the company has been quite busy.  Scott fielded several questions from Rotarians who wanted to know more about his company and some of the challenges in running such a valuable service.
       
       
      Donna Senechal and our Guest Speaker, Scott Symond, SMART Ride
       
      A little bit of breakfast before the presentation.  Thanks, Donna, for arranging for Scott Symond to come to the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club.
       
       
      Reverend Steve Miller, Future Rotarian
       
      David "Harold" Davis (L), Reverend Steve Miller (center), and John McCarthy (R) socialize prior to breakfast.  Reverend Miller is the pastor of the First Church in Jaffrey, and he is considering becoming a Rotarian.
       
       
      Jeff Dickler, Future Rotarian
       
      Always smiling, Jeff Dickler will be inducted shortly as our newest Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarian!
       
       
       
      President's Message (February 7, 2023) 2023-02-07 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (January 31, 2023)




       

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      With what appears to be a snow-free week, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, February 2nd, at 7:15am.  Greg Walsh will preside in my absence.  Donna Senechal has arranged for Scott Symond, our guest speaker, to share insights about a new local ride-share program, Smart Ride. 
       
      Thanks again to all Rotarians and the FPU Football team players who helped out at the Food Bank distribution last Monday.     
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
      1,668 Groundhog Day Illustrations & Clip Art - iStock
      1,668 Groundhog Day Illustrations & Clip Art - iStock
      President's Message (January 31, 2023)  2023-01-30 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (January 24, 2023)
       

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Greetings from sunny Florida.  Hope everyone is dug out and with power. 
       
      This week's meeting is back at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, January 26th, at our regular time of 7:15am.
      Tom Bennett will be our speaker; Bill Raymond is going to run the meeting.
       
      Tom will update us on how FNEI's work in Nicaragua is progressing and give us an update and accounting of how
      our 2022 Nicaragua donation is being invested.  I look forward to joining in on Zoom, which is available to everyone at https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77983347344?pwd=Thr82Bjmmvgnt3pxiRIWbiI11ryeTd.1 
       
      NOTE:  Be advised that the weather forecast for Wednesday going into Thursday morning is dicey, as of this writing, with the possibility of another heavy snowfall.  Past practice has been that if the Jaffrey-Rindge Schools are closed, the Rotary meeting is cancelled.  Tom Bennett is willing to host his presentation via ZOOM, should schools be cancelled.  Thus, IF schools are cancelled, we will meet by ZOOM.  BYO(Coffee) and bagels. ]
       
      Speaking about weather, thanks to Kathleene, Gail, Gas, and Donna, who trekked over to Hannaford's in Rindge to join Bob Schaumann on Monday at the Food Bank distribution.  A special shout out to Gas and his FPU football players who came out and helped.  The weather was... well... cold and snowy!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
      President's Message (January 24, 2023)  2023-01-24 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (January 17, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      For those at the Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration at the Park Theater on Monday, it was a well-organized program that was seen by a packed house. Dr. Aaron Mair, recent past president of the national Sierra Club and the Club's first African American president, was the keynote speaker, and he addressed both the adults and the kids in the audience, as many families were in attendance.  Kudos to Rotarian Owen Houghton and Conant Interact President, Ellie Weinmann, and others on the Committee, for a job done well!
       
      In observance of MLK Day, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will not meet this week.  Our next meeting will be on Thursday, January 26th, at Franklin Pierce University, at 7:15am.  Bill Raymond will preside in my absence.
       
      Bob Schaumann will be at Hannaford's in Rindge for the Food Bank distribution, an event that occurs every 3-4 months.  Rotarians have been helpful in the past, and Bob is seeking volunteers this coming Monday, January 23rd, from 11:30am to no later than 1:30pm.   Please let Bob know of your willingness to help.  Many hands make work light.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
      President's Message (January 17, 2023) 2023-01-17 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (January 10, 2023)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      We are back in business after our holiday break! 
       
      This week, we meet at the Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday morning, January 12th, at 7:30am.  There will be no breakfast, but there will be coffee and Munchkins.
       
      Owen Houghton and members of the Jaffrey-Rindge Martin Luther King Celebration Committee will present plans for the MLK Park Theater program that will occur on January 16th.  The keynote speaker that day will be Aaron Mair, recent past president of the national Sierra Club and the Club's first African American president.  Mr. Mair is a prominent environmentalist and environmental justice activist.  Joining Mr. Mair on January 16th will be several local activists.  The Celebration will occur at 5:00pm at the Park Theater.
       
      Hope to see you at the Cathedral on Thursday, as we have Happy Fines and other business to attend to, as well.
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Peter
      President's Message (January 10, 2023) 2023-01-10 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (January 3, 2023)
       

       
      Happy new year 2023 Clip Art Vector Graphics. 13,946 Happy new year 2023  EPS clipart vector and stock illustrations available to search from  thousands of royalty free illustration providers.
       
      Happy New Year, Fellow Rotarians!
       
      Just a reminder:  No meeting this week on Thursday, January 5th.  Enjoy the Holiday season. 
       
      See you on January 12th at the Cathedral of the Pines, which will be our first meeting of the New Year.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
       
      Peter
      President's Message (January 3, 2023)  2023-01-02 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (December 20, 2022)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      The holiday season is upon us.  This Thursday, December 22nd, we will meet at the Cathedral of the Pines at 7:30am.  No breakfast, but we'll have coffee and donut holes from Dunkin' Donuts.  It's our last meeting of 2022. 
       
      Come join us for a "morning social."  No speaker, but we'll enjoy the company and pay happy fines for our favorite 2022 memories.  Then its a two-week break for the holidays.   We will not meet again until January 12th. 
       
      MerrChristmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      Pictures by our Roving Photographer (December 15th Meeting)
       
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Middle School Chorus
      Annual Christmas Songfest at Rotary
       
       
       
      Treasurer Bill Raymond Presides
       
       
       
      "Reverend" Owen Leads Us Off
      With our Morning Invocation
       
       
       
      Breakfast and Fellowship
       
       
       
      Autumn in New Hampshire: 
      17" of Snow on Friday! (Jaffrey Airport)
       
      President's Message (December 20, 2022) 2022-12-20 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (December 13, 2022)

      Hello Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Many thanks to Past President Sheila Bergeron for running last week's meeting.  This week, Bill Raymond is going to stand in for me.
       
      The Conant High School Chorus is scheduled to give us their annual holiday concert.  We'll meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, December 15th, at 7:15am.  We will return to Franklin Pierce in late January as the University will be closed for the winter break until the Spring 2023 term begins in January. 
       
      I'm planning to be back on duty on December 22nd for our morning social at the Cathedral of the Pines, which will be our last meeting of 2022.  We then break for the holidays until January.
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Peter
       
       
      Pictures from the Roving Photographer (Meeting on December 8th)
       
       
       
       
      Eliana Ludlam, Student of the Month
       
      Eliana Ludlam, a Fifth Grader at the Rindge Memorial School, can't be missed. Her perpetual smile, as mentioned by her teacher, lights up the room.  That's mom to Eliana's right, along with two brothers.  Recognized for her cheerful demeanor and her willingness to help others, the family gathered around Eliana as she was presented with a Rotary Cerficate and a gift card to the Toadstool Book Store in recognition of her accomplishments.
       
       
       
      Franklin Pierce University NCAA Division II National Soccer Champions !
       
      The Franklin Pierce University Men's Soccer Team won the NCAA Division II National Soccer Championship in Seattle in early December.  The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club was honored to have representatives from the team come to our meeting.  This was the team's second National Championship in fifteen years.
       
       
      Jeff Dickler, Rotarian Candidate
       
      Jeff Dickler has attended two Rotary meetings since being introduced to the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club by his sponsor, John McCarthy. Welcome, Jeff! 
       
       
       
      Pictures Taken At Large
       
       
       
      President's Message (December 13, 2022) 2022-12-13 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (December 6, 2022)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Past President Sheila Bergeron will be running this week's meeting, and Stephanie Thompson will be introducing our guest speaker, Mandy Sliver.
       
      Mandy is President of the Peterborough Sunshine Fund, which provides humanitarian support to individuals and families in need in Peterborough and surrounding communities. Mandy will share how the Sunshine Fund came to be, as well as some of the work that it has accomplished.
       
      Our meeting will be at the regular time and place, Franklin Pierce University, at 7:15am, on Thursday, December 8th, in the University dining hall. 
       
      Hope everyone is getting in the holiday spirit!  
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Peter
       
       
      Pictures from our December 1st meeting
       
       
      Past President Ben Wheeler Recognizes our Interactor of the Month 
       
      Past President Ben Wheeler (L) reads the citation presented to Ashlyn Askey, Interactor of the Month.   Pictured next to Ben is Ashlyn (C) and one understandably pround mother, Rebecca Anne Askey.   In recognizing Ashlyn, her citation read, "On recogntition of the recommendations of many, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club wishers to publicly recognize, honor, and commend Ashlyn Askey as Interactor of the Month for exemplary service to others."  Ashlyn is not only a member of the Board of Directors of the Conant Interact Club, she is involved in many of the Interact projects.
       
       
      Interactor of the Month -- Ashlyn Askey
       
      Ashlyn is a 10th grader at Conant High School and resides in Rindge.  Following her recongition by the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club, Ashlyn shared a few personal thoughts.
       
       
      Ben Wheeler, President Peter Russell, Mom, and Ashlyn
       
      It wouldn't be a recognition of our Interactor of the Month without a group picture, would it?
       
       
      What's THAT on Ben Wheeler's Face?
       
      Rumor has it that Ben Wheeler has grown a mustache!
      President's Message (December 6, 2022) 2022-12-06 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (November 29, 2022)

       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving and a week's break from Rotary. 
       
      It's Interact Week, and - this week - we welcome Conant Interact for presentations about their club projects and activities.  Our breakfast meeting is at the regular time and place at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am on Thursday, December 1.
       
      It's always interesting to hear from some of the most talented kids in the area.  Hope you can make it.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
      President's Message (November 29, 2022) 2022-11-29 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (November 22, 2022)

       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club Raffle Drawing
       
      Here are the winners of the Annual Raffle whose names were drawn:
       
          $1,500 -- Kay Golden
          
          $1,000 -- Dr. Zane Broome
       
          $   500 -- Greg Walsh
       
          $   250 -- Sheila Bergeron
       
          $   250 -- Colin Murdough
       
       
      Thank you to ALL who purchased raffle tickets, the monies of which will be given to non-profit groups and causes in the towns of Rindge and Jaffrey.
       
       
       
      President's Message
       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year.  I hope everyone enjoys the day and a week off from Rotary. 
       
      As it is Thanksgiving Week, there will be no breakfast meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club this Thursday.  Enjoy Thanksgiving!
       
      The raffle turned out to be a big success  - we sold $8055 of tickets and netted $4555.  Thanks for making it happen!
       
      Happy Thanksgiving,
       
      Peter
       
       
      Random pictures taken at Thursday's Social/Raffle Drawing
       
       
      Under the Watchful Eye of Rotary's Peter Davis, Rotary Raffle Co-Chair Jon Frederick Places Raffle Tickets into the Drum prior to the Drawing 
       
       
      President's Message (November 22, 2022) 2022-11-22 05:00:00Z 0

      Jaffrey Recognizes Veterans

      Three of our club's veterans that participated in the Jaffrey Veteran's Day events are pictured below.
       
       
       
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club Raffle Drawing
       
      Profuse apologies -- we had technical difficulties that prevented our hosting a live ZOOM this evening, Thursday, November 17th, at 6:00pm.
       
      However, here are the winners whose names were drawn:
       
          $1,500 -- Kay Golden
          
          $1,000 -- Dr. Zane Broome
       
          $   500 -- Greg Walsh
       
          $   250 -- Sheila Bergeron
       
          $   250 -- Colin Murdough
       
      Winners wil receive notifaction and their checks VERY shortly. 
       
      Thank you to ALL who purchased raffle tickets, the monies of which
      will be given to non-profit groups and causes in the towns of Rindge and Jaffrey.
       
       
       
       
      Jaffrey Recognizes Veterans Jim Banghart 2022-11-15 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (November 15, 2022)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      There will be NO morning meeting this Thursday, November 17th.  Instead, we are having a Rotary social event on Thursday at the Cathedral of the Pines from 5:00pm - 7:00pm.  It's a BYOB, and be sure to bring an appetizer to share.   We'll draw the winning raffle tickets at 6:00pm.  Should be fun, so I hope you will join us.    
       
      Please finish selling your raffle tickets, and if you need extra tickets, get them from Jon Frederick at the Jaffrey Town Office. We all need to make an extra effort in the last few days to make the raffle a success.  Thanks to Bill Raymond, Bob Schaumann, Tom Frazier, Gail Therriault, John McCarthy, and Bill Coleman for selling $730 of tickets at Walmart on Saturday (Editor's note: our President also sold tickets there, too).  An "attaboy" to Bob Schaumann for coordinating with Walmart and organizing the event.
       
      Enjoy this incredible November weather.
       
      Yours in service, 
       
      Peter
      President's Message (November 15, 2022) 2022-11-14 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (November 8, 2022)

      Hello Fellow Rotarians,
       
      There will be no weekly meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club this week, as Friday is Veterans Day
       
      Please make an extra effort to SELL RAFFLE TICKETS. Everyone needs to do their share, as our goal is for each member to sell at least $300 worth of tickets.  This will be a big success, but only if everyone makes an effort to sell their tickets.
       
      The raffle drawing will be held at our evening social at the Cathedral of the Pines from 5:00-7:00pm on Thursday, November 17th.  It will be a BYOB event; all Rotarians are asked to bring an appetizer to share.  We will draw the winning tickets at 6:00pm.
       
      See you on November 17th, and thanks for selling those raffle tickets!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      Photographs from our meeting on Thursday, November 2nd 
       
      Matt Webber, Our Newest Rotarian

      President Peter Russell inducts our newest Rotarian, Matt Webber (R).  Standing next to Matt is Thomas Frazier, Matt's sponsor, who is also one of our newer Rotarians.  Matt hails from New Zealand, and we welcome him aboard!
       
       
      Kusum Aryal Addresses the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary
       
      TOP: Kusum Aryal, daughter of Rotarian Rudra Aryal, spoke before the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club to share insight about the application, i.e., an app, that she is developing that will help an individual to coordinate, consolidate, and manage all of their online meetings and activities.  Kusum, a freshman majoring in Health Sciences at Franklin Pierce University, is a most effective and enthusiastic public speaker!
       
      BOTTOM: Daddy and daughter together.  Rudra is an Associate Professor of Physics at FPU and, as you can tell, is only "slightly proud" of his daughter who, by the way, is considering becoming a Rotarian,
       
       
      Enjoying a Laugh!
       
      We're not sure what was said, but while all were standing for Matt Webber's induction as our newest Rotarian, Bill Raymond must have said something that got a great reaction from Sam LaFortune.  Lots of Rotarians were present for our first meeting in November, and attendance has been on the upswing.  A good reason for smiles!
       
       
      Random Photos At Our Meeting
       
      President's Message (November 8, 2022) 2022-11-08 05:00:00Z 0

      President's message Nov 1

      Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone was prepared for Halloween last night and ready for the time change coming up on Sunday.  This week we will have a club assembly on Thursday Nov 3 at 7:15 AM at Franklin Pierce University.  Please bring your sold raffle ticket money and stubs and pickup extra tickets for a last two week sales push.  We need everyone's help in selling tickets.
       
      On Thursday Franklin Pierce student, Kusum Aryal, will join us for a quick overview of the ACTIVATE project she is working on. She is hoping to develop a multipupose app that combines task and fitness info, etc. She mentioned wanting to ultimately steer revenues to Nepal for mental health projects.  Kusum is looking for guidance for her project and exploring ways to raise money for development costs.  I made no promises but I'm sure there are members in our our club with good ideas and advice for Kusum.  It will be interesting to hear about her project.
       
      Yours in Service,
      Peter
      President's message Nov 1 2022-11-01 04:00:00Z 0

      Transcript Article

      Monadnock Ledger-Transcript - 10/20/2022
       
      Thursday, October 20, 2022 | MONADNOCK LEDGER-TRANSCRIPT 3
       
      Rotary International program changes lives
       
      Club members and students work on service projects
      By OWEN HOUGHTON
      For the Ledger-Transcript
       
       
      The Rotary clubs of the Monadnock region have long held the belief that cross-cultural learning and studying abroad can be transformative, both for young people and club members as well as the recipients of service in other countries.
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club has been fortunate to develop a strong relationship with FNE International, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization and public charity that promotes education and sustainable development projects worldwide. FNEI works to identify needs, facilitate collaborations, network with local and international organizations and empower individuals to participate actively in their communities.
      Transcript Article Owen Houghton 2022-10-27 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (October 25, 2022)
       

      Hello, fellow Rotarians,
       
      My thanks to Ben Wheeler for running last week's meeting and to Steve Miller for speaking about indigenous friendships.
       
      This week, we meet at Spagnuolo Hall at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am on Thursday morning, October 27th. Our speaker will be Phil Wyzik of Monadnock Family Services.  Conant Interact will be on hand for "Purple Pinkie Day."
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
      President's Message (October 25, 2022)  2022-10-25 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (October 18, 2022)

      Hello, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Hope everyone enjoyed Columbus Day, whether you worked or not.  The leaves are really spectacular this time of year, even as the rain starts to knock them off.
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, October 20th, at 7:15am.  Past President Ben Wheeler will preside, as I will be away. 
       
      Steve Miller, pastor of First Church in Jaffrey, will be our guest speaker.  Steve will share his experience with the Lakota of the northern plains in a talk entitled, "Indigenous Friendship."  In addition, there will be a "Student of the Month" presentation.  
       
      Please bring in your sold raffle tickets and resupply so we can have a successful raffle. Everyone needs to try to sell at least $300 worth.  Thank you for for your efforts!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
      President's Message (October 18, 2022) 2022-10-18 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (October 11, 2022)

      Hello, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Many thanks to Rudra Aryal for a great talk at last week's meeting, and to all who turned out for our October "Roadside Cleanup" under the direction of the inimitable Mike Shea, as well as the "Scarecrows on the Common" on Saturday.  A busy week!
       
      NO MEETING this week due to Columbus/Native American day.  Our next meeting will be on Thursday, October 20th, at Franklin Pierce University, at 7:15am.  Past President Ben Wheeler will host our meeting, as I will be away. 
       
      Enjoy the week and the beautiful foliage!
       
      Yours in Service, 
       
      Peter 
       
       
       
      Pictures from our October 6th Breakfast Meeting
       
       
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Donates to the Jaffrey War Memorial Park
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Charitable Giving Committee Chairperson Gail Therreault presentss the Jaffrey War Memorial's Rick Lambert (center) a donation towards the upkeep of the Jaffrey War Memorial Park.  Peter Russell, President, is to the left.
       
       
      Rick Lambert Addresses the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary
       
      Rick Lambert, Jaffrey War Memorial Park, updates the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club on where donated funds go.  "100% goes to the upkeep of the Jaffrey War Memorial Park, and we rely 100% on donations that we receive."   The War Memorial Park will be physically altered by the State of New Hampshire rotary that will be installed when the project begins in a few years.
       
       
      Rotarian Rudra Aryal Shares His Journey from Nepal to the United States
       
      It's a long way from Nepal, but Rudra Aryal, Ph.D., and a professor at Franklin Pierce University, spoke of his journey from his native Nepal to the United States.  A key word in Rotarian Rudra's vocabulary was the feeling of "serenity" that he felt upon coming to New Hampshire several years ago, and the word is still foremost in his mind in 2022. Rudra became a United States citizen; he's proud to be one of our newer Rotarians. Nice presentation, Rudra!
       
       
      Rotary Raffle is Coming Up
       
      Rotarian Stephanie distributed Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club 2022 tickets to Rotarians so that they might be sold prior to the November 7th drawing.
       
       
      Karyn Andreozzi Returns
       
      Our rambling photographer caught Rotarian Karyn Andreozzi at our weekly Rotary meeting.  Karyn spend the summer criss-crossing the United States as part of her FPU project, and we are glad to have her back with us! 
       
       
      President's Message (October 11, 2022) 2022-10-06 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (October 4, 2022)

      Hello, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      We had a good time at the Park Theater last Thursday.  Nancy Belletete gave a behind-the-scenes tour, and we enjoyed Stephanie's great food. It's a nice location for a get-together.   Saturday found us on Saturday at the FPU football game, while Andy Lawn hosted Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians at his tailgate tent.  Good food, fun, and football!
       
      This week we have three events:
      • 7:15am, Thursday, October 6th - our regular Breakfast Meeting at Franklin Pierce University.  Rudra will speak about his personal journey from Nepal to the United States, complete with PowerPoint slides.  This will be interesting.
      • 8:00am, Saturday, October 8thROADSIDE CLEANUP.  We meet at West Rindge Builders on Rt 202 (the usual site).  We need as many people as possible. Bring family and friends.  Mike Shea is organizing this bi-annual service project and will bring plastic bags and orange vests. PLEASE TRY TO MAKE THIS ONE!
      • 11:00am - 3:00pm, Saturday, October 8th.  SCARECROWS ON THE COMMON.  Come and help support our Interact club at the hay pit for this fun-filled event.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
       
      Photographs from Thursday's Social, Park Theater
       
       

       
      President's Message (October 4, 2022) 2022-10-03 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (September 27, 2022)
       

      Hello, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Two events this week, keeping in mind that we will not have a weekly Breakfast Meeting on Thursday morning, September 29th:
      • Thursday 9/29, 5:00 - 7:00pm -- Social at the Park Theater.  Bring your spouse/partner/friend.  There will be a cash bar and hors d'oeuvres provided by Stephanie Porter.  It will be relaxed and fun.
      • Saturday 10/1, Rotary day at Andy's tent at the FPU football game.  Bring your own food and drink.  Andy has a grill, and the game starts at 1:00pm, so get there well before the game begins.  Go Ravens!
       
      Thanks to Rotarian Sadie Halliday for bringing Eric Graage, our guest speaker, to our Breakfast Meeting this past week.  Eric has an interesting challenge ahead building the Development Office at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      Please plan ahead for Saturday October 8th, as we have two events -- Roadside Cleanup at 8:00am and Scarecrows on the Common later on that same morning. Mark your calendars, as "many hands make work light."
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      Pictures from our Breakfast Meeting, September 22nd.
       
      Our speaker for the meeting was Eric Graage, the new Vice President for University Advancement at Franklin Pierce University. He described his job and gave us all a better understanding of charitable giving in the U.S..
       
       
       
      Tarah Castiglioni, the new Executive Director of Team Jaffrey, was a guest at the meeting to receive a donation and solicit our help for The Scarecrows on the Common event to be held on October 8th.  She was introduced by her predecessor, fellow Rotarian Stephanie Porter.

       
      President's Message (September 27, 2022)  2022-09-24 04:00:00Z 0

      Our September 22nd Meeting

       
       
       
      Our speaker for the meeting was Eric Graage the new Vice President for University Advancement at Franklin Pearce. He described his job and gave us all a better understanding of charitable giving in the US.
       
       
      Tarah Castiglioni, the new Executive Director of Team Jaffrey was a guest at the meeting to receive a donation and solicit our help for The Scarecrows on the Common event to be held on October 8th.  She was introduced by her predecessor in that position, fellow Rotarian Stephanie Porter.
      Our September 22nd Meeting Jim Banghart 2022-09-22 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (September 20, 2022)

      Hello, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Lots of events coming up, so please read beyond the first sentence.  (Yes, I'm guilty -- I stop reading after the first line all the time.)
       
      This week, we have Eric Graage, the new Vice President for University Advancement at Franklin Pierce University, speaking at our regular 7:15am Breakfast Meeting at FPU on Thursday, September 22nd.  Rotarian Sadie Halliday will introduce him and deliver the invocation.
       
      The following week, we are having an evening social on Thursday, September 29th, at the Park Theater, from 5:00 - 7:00pm.  There will be a cash bar, and Stephanie Porter is going to prepare appetizers.
       
      On Saturday, October 1st, Andy Lawn has invited the club to come by his tent at the FPU football game. Bring something to grill, and enjoy the day!
       
      At this week's meeting, we'll seek Rotarians to help out at Team Jaffrey's Scarecrows event on October 8th.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
      President's Message (September 20, 2022) 2022-09-20 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (September 6, 2022)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend, although some much needed rain visited New Hampshire. 
       
      There is no meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club this week because of the holiday, so enjoy the beautiful weather once Wednesday arrives.
       
      The Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, September 14th, at 8:00am, at the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce office.
       
      Our next meeting of the Club will be a Breakfast meeting at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, September 15th. Our guest speaker will the Reverend Steve Miller, pastor of the First Church in Jaffrey, who will speak on indigenous friendships.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      Photographs Courtesy of Owen Houghton - Meeting of August 31st
       
      Richard Pedott Welcomed as our Newest Rotarian
       
      One of the favorite jobs of being a Rotary Club president is inducting a new member.  Peter Russell's first inductee is Richard Pedott, who was inducted at our Thursday Breakfast meeting.  You might be asking, "Why is Richard's sponsoring Rotarian who invited Rich to become a Rotarian not standing behind him during his induction?"  Simple.  Rich was invited by President Peter to consider Rotary.  Welcome, Richard!
       
       
      John McCarthy Shares Nicaragua Update
       
      Rotarian John McCarthy updated the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club on the recent visit to Nicaragua that included John, as well as Rotarians Tom Bennett, Jim Banghart, and Jim Guy (Grand Monadnock Rotary Club).  The entourage spent several days in the warm weather at meetings, including meetings with FNE.

       
      President's Message (September 6, 2022) 2022-09-02 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (March 7, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      We meet at Franklin Pierce University for a Club Assembly on Thursday, March 9th, at 7:15am.  There will be no guest speaker, but the Board will propose new projects, including sponsorship of a foreign exchange student and various potential Community Service Projects, some of which were discussed two weeks ago during the latter part of the meeting when we broke into groups of two. 
       
      Meanwhile, the Board will meet via ZOOM on Wednesday, March 8th, at 8:00am, and the outcomes of that meeting will be shared with those in attendance on Thursday.
       
      Bill Coleman will be leading this week's Club Assembly.   
       
      Snowbirds may attend via zoom starting at 7:30am: https://us05web.zoom.us/j/2258313694?pwd=SnJtbTNtR2h3S3JQTnlENzZKVXdzUT09
       
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
       
       
      Pictures from our Thursday Meeting, March 2nd
       
       
      Lori Rautiola, Ridge Town Administrator
       
      Lori Rautiola, Town Administrator for the Town of Rindge, spoke to the Rindge warrant that will be voted upon on March 14th at the polls, and urged Rotarians from Rindge to come out and vote.  Polls will be open at the Rindge Memorial School from 7am to 7pm.
       
       
      Rotarian Jon Frederick, Jaffrey Town Manager
       
      Jaffrey Town Manager and Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarian Jon Frederick spoke to some of the notable time-saving changes that Jaffrey voters will see when the come to the Town Meeting deliberative session on Saturday, March 18th, at the Pratt Auditorium.  Jaffrey voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, March 14th, to elect a variety of municipal and school officials. Polls will be open at Pratt Auditorium from 7am to 7pm.
       
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club Welcomes Steve Miller
       
      Reverend Steve Miller, Pastor of the First Church of Jaffrey, was inducted by Rotary District 7870 Assistant Governor Bob Schaumann at our Thursday meeting.  Posing for a "candid" shot are Steve (L), Membership Chair Russell Gaskamp (C), and Steve's sponsor, Peter Davis.  Welcome, Steve!
       
       
      Prospective Rotarians
       
      Mike Perrault, an active duty Sergeant Major, USMC, stationed at Fort Devens, recently moved into Rindge, and welcome the opportunity to learn more about the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club.  At the same time, along with being our guest speaker, Lori Rautiola, also expressed interest in Rotary.  We look forward to you both coming to our next meeting!
       
       
      Welcome Back, Sadie Halliday
       
      With two teenaged daughters sacked out and sleeping late because of school vacation, Rotarian Sadie Halliday didn't have to worry about getting the kids off to school this week.  Good to see her again!
       
       
      Andy Card and Steve Miller
       
      Always good to see Andy Card (L) at our Rotary meeting.  Seated to his right is Steve Miller, who - five minutes later - was inducted as our newest Rotarian!
       
       
      Rotarians Listen Intently to our Speakers
       
       
       
      President's Message (March 7, 2023) 2022-08-28 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (August 16, 2022)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Last week, Randell Barclay, our District Governor, and joined by his wife, Dianne, addressed our Rotary Club.  With the theme this year of "Imagine....," Randell encouraged us to look to the future.  Thanks to both of them for making the trip down from Vermont.
       
      This week, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will return to the Franklin Pierce University campus for our Breakfast meeting, which begins at 7:15am, on Thursday, August 18th.  It will be good to be back in our regular meeting space. Our guest speaker will be Chief of Police Rachel Malynowski, recently appointed Chief of the Rindge Police Department.
       
      Unfortunately, both Ginnie and I have COVID; thus, I will not preside over our meeting. Jim Banghart, a Past President, will be taking my place, and I'm sure he will do a great job.  
       
      Have a great meeting, and I'll see you on August 25th!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      Pictures from our Roving Photographer (August 11th Meeting)
       
      Randall Barclay, District Governor, Addresses Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary
       
      With the theme of "Imagine....," DG Randall Barclay addressed the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club at our Thursday meeting.  Accompanied by his wife, Dianne, Randall challenged our Club to "Imagine the future."  Both Randell and Dianne visited several Rotary Clubs in the Monadnock region during the past week.
       
       
      Coffee and Dunkin' Munchkins Before the Meeting
       
       
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary at the Peterborough Players
       
      Over forty Rotarians, spouses, and significant others, participated in a pre-show soiree between 5:30pm and 7:20pm, before being entertained by "2 Pianos 4 Hands" at the Peterborough Players this past Thursday evening.
       
       
      President's Message (August 16, 2022) 2022-08-15 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (March 21, 2023)

      Hi, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      No snow, but a little rain in the forecast for this week's meeting at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, March 23rd, at 7:15am.   Bill Coleman will lead our weekly meeting.
       
      After a one-week delay, courtesy of Mother Nature, we will welcome Brandon Smith as our newest Rotarian.  Meanwhile, Sam LaFortune will recognize our Student of the Month, and Tom Bennett will update us on the FEI Nicaragua project, one to which we donated money last year.
       
      Snowbirds are welcome to join us via ZOOM at 7:30am.  No passcode is required.  https://franklinpierce-edu.zoom.us/j/98447274475
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
      President's Message (March 21, 2023) 2022-08-09 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (August 2, 2022)
       

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      We had a great turnout for last week's meeting and the presentation by my daughter, Lily Russell-Hooks, who spoke to the topic of "sustainability."
       
      This week's meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will again be at the Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday, August 4th, at 7:30am.  Dunkin' coffee and Munchkins will be available.
       
      We are still waiting to hear from Franklin Pierce University and their dining room schedule for our August 11th meeting, one in which we will host Randall Barclay, our District Governor.  As soon as our location is firmed up, we will let everyone know.
       
      This week on Wednesday, August 3rd, the annual August Church Fair will be held at the First Church in Jaffrey.  As in past years, Rotarians have helped with the parking between 11:30am and about 1:15pm.  Let Owen Houghton know that you can help, as about six Rotarians will be needed.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      Pictures from Thursday, July 28th, meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines
       
      President's Message (August 2, 2022)  2022-08-01 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (July 26, 2022)

       
      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Summer is in full swing, and I am very proud that my daughter, Lily, will be speaking to us at our next meeting.  We will meet on Thursday, July 28th, at 7:30am, at the Cathedral of the Pines.  Dunkin' coffee and Munchkin donuts will be available.
       
      Lily Russell-Hooks just transitioned from leading a Responsible Sourcing Strategy team at Nike to Google, where she is now responsible for implementing Google's company-wide Net Zero Carbon Goal in collaboration with their vendors.  Lily will be speaking about supply chain, carbon, and other sustainability "buzzwords," and how two large but very different companies - Nike and Google - are addressing them.  It will be interesting. 
       
      Hope you can be there.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
      Peter Russell
      prmulch@aol.com
       
       
      Photographs from our Breakfast Meeting on July 19th at Franklin Pierce University
       
       
      President Peter Russell's First Meeting!
       
      Following a series of negative tests for Covid, President Peter Russell presided over his first meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club.  In what may have been a first for the Club, our Breakfast Meeting was held upstairs in the Multi-purpose Room.  Twenty Rotarians had a good time, ate well, and learned about the Applied Technology Center later on in the meeting,
       
       
      Jennifer Kiley, Guest Speaker -- Applied Technology Center
       
      Perhaps one of the best kept "secrets" and one that would benefit by additional exposure to parents and high school students is the Applied Technology Center, headed up by Director Jen Kiley.  In her role, she is responsible for Region 14, which includes several high schools in Cheshire County.  Rotarians were treated to a video that showed the many different trades and programs that are available to students in the Monadnock region, including Conant and nearby ConVal.  A healthy number of Rotarian questions that followed her presentation suggested good interest in Jen's message.
       
       
      The Missing E" Has Been Located!
       
      This time, the plaque is right, and with two "e's" in Wheeler.  Ben proudly displays his plaque given to him on Gavel Night.  Not sure what he will do with the original placard that recognized "Benjamin E. Wheler," but the bottom-line message is still the same, i.e., Ben, thanks for your outstanding leadership in 2021-2022. 
       
       
      Our New Happy Fines Collector!
       
      Sam LaFortune wasted no time demonstrating she'll do well in her new role with collecting Happy Fines.  She even gave Jed Brummer a run for his money!
       

       
       
      Speaking of Happy Fines...
       
       The photographer caught several Rotarians sharing the "latest and greatest" news... and all for the payment of a Happy Fine that cost each a few dollars.
       
       
      It's Absolutely Official !!
       
      With the arrival of Tom Frazier's badge, he is absolutely and officially a Rotarian!  President Peter presented our newest Rotarian with his badge at Thursday's Breakfast Meeting. By the way, Tom's wife, Mary, joined other Rotarians at Bob Schaumann's home on Saturday morning, and was a tremendous contributor to the team of six that discussed the exploration of a Ukrainian resettlement program. 
      President's Message (July 26, 2022) 2022-07-24 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (July 19, 2022)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I am very sorry to have missed my first meeting.  Thanks to Gas for running the meeting on short notice.  I heard there was a good discussion about club goals and the exploratory meeting on Ukraine.
       
      Our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club is this Thursday, July 21st, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.  Our guest speaker will be Jennifer Kiley, Director of Region 14's Applied Technology Center.
       
      I've been on a Covid roller coaster for the last week. Notified on Wednesday just after the board meeting that I was exposed last Monday.  Got a negative test on Thursday evening, then a positive test on Saturday morning.  Fortunately, it was a false "positive" because I've had three negative test results from two different manufacturers since first testing "positive."  So, I'm happy to be Covid-free.
       
      The upcoming exploratory meeting on Ukraine resettlement and affordable housing will be at Bob and Diane Schaumann's home, 42 Fitch Rd, Jaffrey, this coming Saturday at 8:30AM.  Bob promises to have homemade cranberry/blueberry muffins and coffee.  His invitation letter will go out later today.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
      Peter Russell at prmulch@aol.com
      President's Message (July 19, 2022) 2022-07-19 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (July 12, 2022)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone had a nice Fourth of July weekend!
       
      This week’s meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be on Thursday, July 14th, at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am. This will be a Club Assembly, with reports on community service, efforts to explore a relocation program for Ukrainian families, and club goals for the coming year.   Please come and bring your ideas.   In addition, Bill Coleman will present the speaker's program for the year, and will share how this will work, with each Rotarian being assigned responsibility for one speaker.
       
      The Board of Directors will meet Wednesday, July 13th, at 8:00am, at the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce building on Main Street.
       
      Our Rotary Breakfast meeting on July 21st at FPU will feature Jennifer Kiley, Director for Applied Technology Center, Region 14, who will share new vo-tech education opportunities in the Monadnock Region.
       
      I’m looking forward to hosting our first meeting of the new Rotary year!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      Cars Everywhere -- Rotarians Handled Amos Fortune Forum Parking Duties
       
      You can't see Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians at work, as they were situated all over the Meetinghouse lawn to ensure safe parking for all those who attended the Amos Fortune Forum's first Summer 2022 program.  Perfect weather highlighted the informative evening with journalist Carl Bernstein, and Rotarians - in return for volunteering to help out - had front-row seats.
       
       
      Gavel Night Pictures -- June 30, 2022
       
       
      Changing of the Guard
       
      President Ben Wheeler, in his closing remarks as outgoing President, thanked everyone for their support during his presidency, while speaking highly of incoming President Peter Russell.  Ben wished Peter well, as President (2022-2023) of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club.
       
       
      "E" for Excellence !
       
      The "E" for Excellence Award is often bestowed on United States Navy ships in recognition for various things done well.  The "E" Award to President Ben was in recognition not only for his presidency during a year in which we (hopefully) left the pandemic behind, but also because the award plaque to "Benjamin J. Wheler" was missing that third "e" in Ben's last name.  The good news... a new plaque has been order with the correct name of "Benjamin J. Wheeler."
       
       
      Tom Frazier, Our Newest Rotarian
       
      In one of his last acts as President, Ben Wheeler (center - TOP) inducts Tom Frazier (L) as our newest Rotarian.  Russ Gaskamp (R), Membership Chair, holds the Membership plaque. Tom's sponsor is Bob Schaumann, who was behind the camera. In the second picture, Rotarians Owen and Rudra congratulate Tom on his induction.
       
       
      Shades of Bill Driscoll !??!
       
      It's hard to tell whose slacks are more reminiscent of the late Bill Driscoll, but Joe Manning (R) and President Ben Wheeler certainly bring back memories of a great Rotarian who is very much missed.  We'd have to give the nod to Joe on this one!
      President's Message (July 12, 2022) 2022-07-09 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (July 5, 2022)

      Hi Rotarians,
       
      Before we start a new year of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club, a special thanks to Ben Wheeler for a great job last year, as President, and for bringing perfect weather to Gavel Night.  It was a good time, and the food was great (Thanks, Stephanie!).
       
      This week we celebrate the Fourth of July, and there is no regular meeting.  Our next meeting will be at 7:15am on Thursday, July 14th, at Franklin Pierce University.   It will be a Club Assembly, and we will do some planning for the coming year.
       
      The following week (June 21st) will feature Jennifer Kiley, Technology Center Director for Region 14, which includes Conant High School and several other high schools in the Monadnock Region.  Jennifer recently spoke to the Grand Monadnock Rotary Club, and Rotarians were literally blown away by what was going on in our own backyard relative to alternatives to college for area high school students.  You'll find this program highly informative!
       
      The Board of Directors will meet Wednesday, July 13th, at 8:00am.  Tentative location will be the Jaffrey Chamber of Commerce office on Main Street.  Look for confirmation later this week.
       
      The Amos Fortune Forum is having Carl Bernstein as a speaker this coming Friday, July 8th.  They expect a big crowd and have asked if Rotary might help with parking that evening.  If you can help, please contact Owen Houghton.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Peter
       
       
      [Editor's Note:  A special thank you to President Peter, and Jinnie, for again hosting Gavel Night, as they have for many past years.]
       
       
       
      Gavel Night Pictures -- June 30, 2022
       
       
      Changing of the Guard
       
      President Ben Wheeler, in his closing remarks as outgoing President, thanked everyone for their support during his presidency, while speaking highly of incoming President Peter Russell.  Ben wished Peter well, as President (2022-2023) of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club.
       
       
      "E" for Excellence !
       
      The "E" for Excellence Award is often bestowed on United States Navy ships in recognition for various things done well.  The "E" Award to President Ben was in recognition not only for his presidency during a year in which we (hopefully) left the pandemic behind, but also because the award plaque to "Benjamin J. Wheler" was missing that third "e" in Ben's last name.  The good news... a new plaque has been order with the correct name of "Benjamin J. Wheeler."
       
       
      Tom Frazier, Our Newest Rotarian
       
      In one of his last acts as President, Ben Wheeler (center - TOP) inducts Tom Frazier (L) as our newest Rotarian.  Russ Gaskamp (R), Membership Chair, holds the Membership plaque. Tom's sponsor is Bob Schaumann, who was behind the camera. In the second picture, Rotarians Owen and Rudra congratulate Tom on his induction.
       
       
      Shades of Bill Driscoll !??!
       
      It's hard to tell whose slacks are more reminiscent of the late Bill Driscoll, but Joe Manning (R) and President Ben Wheeler certainly bring back memories of a great Rotarian who is very much missed.  We'd have to give the nod to Joe on this one!
       
       
      We Tried to Get Everyone's Picture
       
      President's Message (July 5, 2022) 2022-07-01 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (June 28, 2022)

      Hello Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Happy Tuesday, and enjoy the beautiful day.  
       
      This week we will be hosting our Gavel Night at Peter Russell’s home on 4 Gilson Road in Jaffrey on Thursday evening, June 30th, starting at 5:30pm.   This is a BYOB event and will be catered by our own Stephanie Porter.   The weather is looking great, and we will be inducting a new Rotarian (Tom Frazier), so it should be a great evening!
       
      Because of Gavel Night, we will not meet at Franklin Pierce University this Thursday, June 30th.  As the Fourth of July holiday is next week, our first July meeting will be July 14th at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      Don Upton tells us that more than half of the tickets have been sold for the August 11th Peterborough Players 7:30pm performance of "2 Pianos, 4 Hands."  A Happy Hour starts off the evening at 5:30pm. Call Don at (603) 876-3626 to request tickets ($40 each); send him a check (made out to Don) to 1024 Mountain Road, Jaffrey, NH, 03452 to "seal the deal."
       
      This will be my last weekly President's Message.  It has been my pleasure and privilege to serve as the Club President the past 12 months, and I am extremely confident that our incoming President, Peter Russell, will do an excellent job.
       
      I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday evening!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      Pictures from our July 23rd Meeting at FPU...
       
      Dr. Pierre Morton, Chief Diversity Officer, Guest Speaker
       
      Dr. Pierre Morton, Chief Diversity Officer at Franklin Pierce University, was our guest speaker at our recent Thursday meeting.  Incorporating his good sense of humor with insights about his role, a clear message became evident of the importance of creating an ongoing inclusive environment for each student, faculty, and staff member at Franklin Pierce.  Thanks, Pierre, for an enjoyable and informative presentation!
       
       
      Our New Temporary Meeting Place
       
      Because of various summer programs at Franklin Pierce, our usual meeting room is not available to us during July.  Instead we will meet, at least for the July 14th and 21st meetings, in the room immediately to the right of the coffee station.  "Reverend" Owen Houghton starts us off with our first meeting at our new "home" with an inspirational invocation.
       
       
      Rindge Diner? 
       
      Rindge Diner?  Not really, as Rotarians Stephanie, Jon, and Peter catch up on Sheila's latest doings with Interact during breakfast in our temporary meeting room.
       
       
      President Ben Shares Announcements
       
      With two weeks to go, President Ben Wheeler continues to demonstrate energy and enthusiasm, as he hosts his next to last meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club.
       
       
      The Last Day of Spring - Summer's Here!
       
      Taken from the deck of the Schaumann residence on the last day of Spring, a nice sunset over Mt. Monadnock set the stage for Summer's entrance the next day.  Warmer weather is forecast for the summer, and Gavel Night on Thursday should find great weather on the menu!
      President's Message (June 28, 2022) 2022-06-28 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (June 21, 2022)

      Good afternoon, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Happy Tuesday, and I hope all had a great Father’s Day weekend.  Thanks to those who attended our meeting last week, where we recognized our Scholarship Winner, Heather Gonyea, and where we heard from Rindge resident, Taylor Ratcliffe, and her presentation about her weekly column in the Monadnock-Ledger Transcript.  
       
      We will meet at Franklin Pierce University for our weekly Breakfast Meeting on Thursday, June 23rd, at 7:15am.  However, we will be in the lower level of the cafeteria (make a right down the hallway past the coffee station) instead of going to the back room in which we usually find ourselves.  
       
      Gavel Night will be at Peter and Jinnie Russell's home in Jaffrey at 4 Gilson Road on Thursday, June 30th, at 5:30pm.  After hosting Gavel Night for many years, Peter will become our new President.  As one of President Ben's last last duties, he will induct our newest Rotarian, Tom Frazier.  As always, a scrumptious feast is planned, catered by our own Stephanie Porter.  Bring your spouse or significant other.  This is a BYOB event. 
       
      Have a great week, and I hope to see you all on Thursday
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      From the Photographer's camera from our last meeting...
       
       
      Heather Gonyea, 2022 Scholarship Winner
       
      Heather Gonyea is the recipient of this year's Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club $2500 scholarship.  Pictured here with her proud mother, Heather will attend college in the fall and plans to become an actuarial accountant upon graduation and, as she says, "hopefully, in three years."  Heather, a member of the Interactors, graduated this month from Conant High School in Jaffrey.
       
       
      Taylor Ratcliffe, Columnist, Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
       
      Taylor has been a columnist for the town of Rindge for some time.  Her column appears weekly in the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript. As one who has always had a passion for writing, Taylor commented on her experiences, sharing background on how she comes up with her stories, while - at the same time - entertaining several questions from interested Rotarians.
       
       
       
       
       
       
      President's Message (June 21, 2022) 2022-06-21 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (June 14, 2022)

      Hello, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful day!  I am looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday morning.               
       
      Please see our schedule below.  
      • Thursday, June 16th - 7:45am meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines.  This is BYOB (bring your own breakfast; I do intend to pick up some Dunkin Joe and Munchkins for the group!).   Please note the start time difference.  Our guest speaker will be Taylor Ratcliffe of Rindge; she is a weekly columnist for the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript, and her three children will be accompanying her.  We will also have former Rotary Scholarship recipient Wren Wolterbeek attending, as well, to update us on her progress at Yale. 
      • Thursday, June 23rd – 7:15am –BACK at FPU!   Full breakfast and normal meeting!  Guest speaker TBD.  
      • Thursday, June 30th – Gavel night at Peter Russell’s house at 5:30pm!     
       
      Have a great week!
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
       
       
       
      00000000Ø  Thursday, June 16th - 7:45am meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines.   This is BYOB (bring your own breakfast; I do intend to pick up some Dunkin Joe and munchkins for the 00He will show off his new bicycle – details to follow.0vice, Ben.
       

       
      President's Message (June 14, 2022) 2022-06-14 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (June 7, 2022)

      Hello Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone enjoyed the long Memorial Day weekend and had a chance to honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our Country.  It was great to see so many Rotarians at Jaffrey’s parade event on Monday.  
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at the Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday, June 9th, at 7:45am.  This meeting will be a Club Assembly.  This is BYOB (bring your own breakfast; no food or coffee service to be provided).
       
      Please see our schedule below:  
      • Wednesday, June 8th – Board of Directors Meeting at 8am at the Cathedral of the Pines.  
      • Thursday, June 16th - 7:45am meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines.   This is BYOB (bring your own breakfast; no food or coffee service to be provided).   Please note the start time difference.  Guest speaker TBD or potential Club Assembly.    
      • Thursday, June 23rd – 7:15am – BACK at FPU!   Full breakfast and normal meeting!
      • Thursday, June 30th – Gavel night at Peter Russell’s house at 5:30pm.  He will show off his new bicycle – details to follow.  Spouses and "Significant Others" are welcome, of course.
       
      Have a great week!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
      President's Message (June 7, 2022) 2022-06-04 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (May 31, 2022)
       

      Hello Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Thanks for all in attendance last Thursday at the Cathedral of the Pines for our weekly meeting.   Attendance was solid, and it was great to hear from both Rotarian Rudra Aryal on his trip to Nepal and visit to a local Rotary Club, and our guest speaker, Leyre López (an exchange student) from Spain – an interesting meeting that demonstrates the Rotary connections on a worldwide basis.  
       
      Remember that there is no meeting this week on Thursday, June 2nd, due to Memorial Day.
       
      Our upcoming schedule is as follows:
       
      • Wednesday, June 8th – Board of Directors Meeting at 8:00am at the Cathedral of the Pines.
      • Thursday, June 9th - 7:45am meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines.   This is BYOB (bring your own breakfast; no food or coffee service to be provided).   Please note the start time difference; guest speaker TBD.      
      • Thursday, June 16th - 7:45am meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines.   This is BYOB (bring your own breakfast; no food or coffee service to be provided).   Please note the start time difference.  Guest speaker TBD or potential Club Assembly.    
      • Thursday, June 23rd – 7:15am – BACK at FPU!   Full breakfast and normal meeting!
      • Thursday, June 30th – Gavel night at Peter Russell’s house at 5:30pm.  Spouses invited.  More details to follow.
       
      Have a great week!
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
       
       
      Pictures from Nepal and our Thursday, May 26th Meeting,
      at the Cathedral of the Pines
       
       
      Rotarian Rudra Aryal Visits Nepal and Local Rotary Club 
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarian Rudra talked about his recent trip to Nepal and brought back many gifts to our club from his Rotary visit over there. Rudra stated the Club was very welcoming and friendly, and his overall his trip went great. 
       
       
      Rudra Receives Nepal Rotary Banner
       
      Rudra received a Rotary Banner from his visit to the local Rotary Club. It is customary for visiting Rotarians to exchange local Club Banners as a sign of friendship and international cooperation. Notice the more formal attire and flowers.  Should we do the same?
       
       
       
      Leyre López, Exchange Student, and Guest Speaker
       
      Leyre López, an exchange student from Spain who is attending Conant High School this current school year, joined us as our Guest Speaker at our most recent Club Meeting.  Pictured with Leyre is Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarian Past President Jim Banghart, current President Ben Wheeler, and Rotarian Rudra Aryal.  
       
       
      President Wheeler Presents Leyre a Rotary Shirt
       
      Leyre López receives a Rotary shirt from President Ben Wheeler following her presentation at Thursday's Club Meeting.
       
       
       
      President's Message (May 31, 2022)  2022-05-31 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (May 10, 2022)

      Happy Tuesday, Rotarians,
       
      Enjoy the beautiful weather!  Temperatures in the 80's the latter half of this week.  Spring has sprung!
       
      We meet for our weekly Breakfast Meeting at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, May 12th, at 7:15am.
       
      A big thank you to Don Upton and the group from Tracie’s Farms for being our guest speakers/ presenters last Thursday; a very interesting and informative meeting.  
       
      We also had a great turnout on Saturday morning for the Roadside cleanup under Mike Shea's leadership.  I think we had 16+/- volunteers, which allowed us to complete our work in record time!
       
      Congratulations to Rotarian Karyn Andreozzi for her front cover picture appearance on Pierce magazine.  Our mycologist is going places, and this summer will find her quite busy, as she travels around the country! 
       
      Weekly Upcoming Schedule:
       
      • Wednesday, 5/11 @ 8:00am = Monthly Board of Directors Meeting at Cathedral of the Pines.
      • Wednesday, 5/18 = Club Golf Outing and Raffle/Dinner Event at the Shattuck Golf Course; golf registration starting at 3:30pm and the social event starting at 5:30pm.
      • Thursday, 5/19 - NO meeting.
       
      Looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday morning!
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      Photographs from our Thursday, May 5th, Breakfast Meeting:

       
       
      President's Message (May 10, 2022) 2022-05-10 04:00:00Z 0
      Golf/Dinner/Raffle Party Jim Banghart 2022-05-10 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (May 3, 2022)

      Happy Tuesday, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      A good turnout last week to hear from Keith Stevens of the Peterborough Players on their upcoming season; I am already looking forward to our club event at a play this summer!
       
      We meet for our weekly Breakfast Meeting at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, May 5th, at 7:15am.  Our Guest Speaker will be from Tracie's Community Farm in Fitzwilliam. You'll learn all about Community Supported Agriculture, a concept bringing together farms and members of the community to share in a mutually beneficial relationship. 
       
      Roadside Clean-up this Saturday, May 7th, at 8:00am.  We meet at West Rindge Builders on Rt. 202. "Many hands make work light." Spouses and kids welcome!  Should take us around 90 minutes.
       
      As a reminder that shouldn't need to be said: Please pay your breakfast dues invoice in a timely manner to make Treasurer Bill Raymond’s job easier.
       
      A special thank you to Sheila Bergeron and the club volunteers for helping out with Interact’s volunteer event at Humiston Field in Jaffrey. It was a blustery three days, and I thank those that were able to assist and provide a Rotarian presence for the Interactors.
       
      Upcoming Club Schedule:
      • 5/11 @ 8:00am at the Cathedral of the Pines = monthly BOD meeting.
      • 5/12 @ 7:15am at FPU = weekly breakfast meeting – guest speaker TBD.  
      • 5/18 @ 3:30pm = our 1st golf social event, followed by the buffet dinner & raffle fundraiser at the Shattuck Golf Club.  This will replace our weekly club meeting on May 19th
       
      Enjoy the week, and I look forward to seeing you on Thursday morning.
       
      Yours in service, 
       
      Rotarian Ben
       
       
       
      Pictures from our Roving Photographer from our April 28th meeting:
       
       
       
      President's Message (May 3, 2022) 2022-05-03 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (April 26, 2022)

      Happy Tuesday, Rotarians,
       
      We meet on Thursday morning, April 28th, 7:15am, for our Breakfast Meeting at Franklin Pierce University.  For those Rotarians who are potential thespians (we already have singers, thank you!), you will find our guest speaker, Keith Stevens, President of the Peterborough Players, an engaging presenter.
       
      Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of this week finds us helping our Interactors during their vacation week, as they are engaged in a project over at the Humiston Field.  Although several Rotarians have already volunteered to ensure an adult presence, we welcome your also helping out for a couple of hours between 9am and 1pm. Let Sheila Bergeron know your availability.  No charge for the fresh air and fellowship!
       
      In case you are wondering, the Roadside Cleanup will take place NEXT Saturday, May 7th, at 8:00am, at the usual place.   We meet at Rindge Builders.  More to follow from Rotarian Mike Shea in next week's bulletin.  Who will win the coveted "Fireball Whiskey" Award for most nip bottles collected along Route 202?  We shall see!
       
      I hope everyone had a great weekend, and I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday.
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
      President's Message (April 26, 2022) 2022-04-26 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (April 19, 2022)

      Happy Tuesday, fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone had a Happy Easter with their friends and families.   Just a reminder that we will not be meeting this week due to the Easter holiday.   Our next meeting will be a breakfast meeting at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, April 28th, at 7:15am.
       
      On the good news front, we have already filled up 7 of our 11 team slots for our golf outing on May 18th that will precede our dinner buffet and raffle event.   Thanks to Andy Lawn, Jon Frederick, and Russell Gaskamp for your continued efforts.  If you haven’t signed up yet with Andy, please do so! Invites are going out to other Rotary Clubs.
       
      Enjoy the week! 
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
       
       
      Photographs from our April 14th meeting at Franklin Pierce University
       
       
      Student of the Month -- Dominic Gnoza, J-R Middle School
       
      Dominic Gnoza is an Eighth Grader at the Jaffrey-Rindge Middle School and is our April "Student of the Month."   In recognizing Dominic, Rotarian Sam LaFortune praised this young man's scholarship and good citizenship, as well as his willingness to help others in his class.  A smiling mom, Jennifer Gnoza, stands proudly next to her son.
       
       
      President Ben Wheeler Presents Dominic Gnoza the "Student of the Month" Certificate
       
      President Ben presents the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club "Student of the Month" certificate to Dominic Gnoza.  Moments later, Sam LaFortune presented Dominic with a Gift Card from the Toadstool Bookstore.
       
       
      Jon Frederick Updates Rotarians on the May Program at Shattuck
       
      Things are well underway for the May 18th Golf Tournament/Raffle Dinner at the Shattuck.  Rotarian Jon Frederick updates the Club on all that will occur. Golf Teams -- only four slots remain, so sign up NOW!
       
       
      John McCarthy Shares Update on Nicaragua Project
       
      Over the past five to six years, Rotarian John McCarthy has invested hundreds of hours to try to bring the Club's Nicaragua project to fruition, one that would have benefitted a dozen or so schools in that country.  At our meeting last week, John reluctantly announced that - after consultation with the Rotarians in Leone, Nicaragua - and having given due consideration to the Nicaraguan government's current policies, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary will no longer pursue the RI Foundation Grant.  Following his announcement, John received many heartfelt compliments from fellow Rotarians in recognition of his hard work over the years.
       
       
       Pre-Breakfast Candid Photos
       
       
      President's Message (April 19, 2022) 2022-04-19 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (April 12, 2022)

       
      Happy Tuesday, fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope your week is off to a good start and your Easter holiday plans are coming together!  
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, April 14th, at 7:15am, for our weekly breakfast meeting.  We will be honoring our "Student of the Month" (thanks, Sam!).
       
      As a reminder, the Board of Directors will meet at the Cathedral of the Pines on Wednesday, April 13th, at 8:00am.
       
      Below, please find the upcoming calendar of events for our Club for the remainder of the month of April:
      • Thursday, 4/21 = NO MEETING due to Easter Holiday.    
      • Thursday, 4/28 @ 7:15am = Weekly breakfast meeting at FPU; guest speaker TBD.
       
      A reminder – please save the date for our nine-hole golf outing at the Shattuck Golf Club, followed by our Buffet Dinner & Raffle Event, also at the Shattuck (downstairs lounge & veranda).  The date is scheduled for Wednesday, May 18th, with the golf outing starting at 4:00pm and the dinner event to start at 6:00pm.  Rotarians Jon Frederick and Russell Gaskamp are working on finalizing the details and getting ticket sales coordinated, etc.
       
      Have a great week, and I hope to see everyone on Thursday morning.
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
       
       
      Photographs from our Thursday, April 7th, meeting
       
       
       
       
      President's Message (April 12, 2022) 2022-04-12 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (April 5, 2022)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,
       
      We meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, April 7th, at 7:15am, for our weekly Breakfast Meeting. 
       
      A highlight of our meeting will be our recognition of the Franklin Pierce University Women's Ice Hockey Team, which won the recent New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) Tournament.  Join us as we honor the Women's Team and Coach David Stockdale for their outstanding season, one in which they amassed the greatest number of wins ever in their team's history!
       
      March Madness is over... great games, especially the Championship Game on Monday night that saw the University of Kansas Jayhawks narrowly defeat North Carolina in a tight game that went down to the last minute.  Bob Schaumann is licking his wounds after his Villanova Wildcats lost to the Jayhawks in the Final Four.  Bob was heard to say, "Wait 'til next year."
       
      Now, it's the Red Sox's turn.... Spring Training is over, and Major League Baseball is about to begin!
       
      I look forward to seeing everyone Thursday morning.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
       
       
      New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA)
      2022 Tournament Champions:  Franklin Pierce University Women's Ice Hockey Team
       
       
      President's Message (April 5, 2022) 2022-04-06 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (March 29, 2022)

      Hello Fellow Rotarians,
       
      It was nice to see those in attendance last Thursday at FPU for the Cabana Falls Winery overview; it is great when we can support our local businesses! 
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, March 31st, at 7:15am, for our Club Assembly.  Among our activities, we will be recognizing a local student as "Student of the Month."  At the following week's meeting, we plan to honor and recognize the Franklin Pierce University Women's Ice Hockey team and their championship season.
       
      That having been said, I hope everyone had a great weekend, and if your NCAA bracket is not busted, you are doing far better than I am.   I am sure Bob Schaumann will have his Villanova gear on full display, as Villanova has reached the Final Four.  As a side note, Xavier University is in the semi-finals of the NIT; I know, I know... I am reaching a bit here.  
       
                         
       
       
      Club members Jon Frederick and Russell Gaskamp are working hard on the details for our Club “Live Auction” in mid-May; details to follow, but it will be a great event. 
       
      Our upcoming schedule for meetings is below:
       
      • Breakfast meeting at FPU on Thursday, 4/7, at 7:15am.   Guest speakers will be the FPU Women’s Hockey Team (see attached photo).  Thank you Jed and Gas for lining this up.
      • Monthly Board of Directors Meeting on Wednesday, 4/13, at 8:00am at the Cathedral of the Pines.
      • Breakfast meeting at FPU on Thursday, 4/14, at 7:15am.   Guest speaker(s) – TBD.
       
      I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday morning – have a great week,
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
      Franklin Pierce University Women's Ice Hockey Claims New England Women's Hockey Alliance (NEWHA) title game against Saint Anselm, 1-0.
       
       
       
      Pictures from our last meeting...
       
       
      Aly Lefebvre, Cabana Falls Winery - Guest Speaker
       
      Aly Lefebvre entertained Rotarians, as she enthusiastically told the story of Cabana Falls Winery, which recently opened in Jaffrey's Belletete's Plaza.  The winery produces "fun wines" with zany names, and Rotarians are invited to come down to enjoy the weekly tastings. 
       
       
      Random shots taken by the Photographer
       
      Not sure what happened, but the photographer's camera wasn't focusing too well in "automatic" mode.  We'll try to do better for our next meeting!
       
       
      President's Message (March 29, 2022) 2022-03-28 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (March 22, 2022)

      Hello Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone’s week is off to a good start.  Again, many thanks to David Jeffries for hosting us for the St. Patrick’s Day event.  It was great to see such a good turnout, and a good time was had by all!
       
      We meet for our weekly Breakfast Meeting at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, March 24th, at 7:15am.  For those who are wine afficionados, our guest speakers will be Aly and Carroll Lefebvre, owners of the Cabana Falls Winery, which recently opened in Jaffrey's Belletete's Plaza.  Should be quite interesting!
       
      Our upcoming schedule for meetings is below:
      • Breakfast meeting at FPU on Thursday, 3/31 at 7:15am. Guest speaker(s) - TBD
      • Breakfast meeting at FPU on Thursday, 4/7   at 7:15am. Guest speaker(s) - TBD
      • Monthly Board of Directors Meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines on Wednesday, 4/13 at 8:00am
      • Breakfast meeting at FPU on Thursday, 4/14 at 7:15am. Guest speaker(s) - TBD
       
      I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday morning – Spring is here!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
      President's Message (March 22, 2022) 2022-03-22 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (March  8, 2022)

      Good afternoon, Fellow Rotarians,
       
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet at Franklin Pierce University for our Breakfast Meeting on Thursday, March 10th, at 7:15am.   
       
      I am most pleased to announce that our plans are to induct Stephanie Thomson and Rudra Aryal, as our newest Rotarians at our meeting this week.  Please join me in officially welcoming both Stephanie and Rudra!
       
      Our guest speaker will be the Right Reverend Mark Beckwith, retired Episcopalian Bishop of Newark, NJ.  Thanks to David Jeffries for arranging for his presentation, and we look forward to it. 
       
      We will have a club social on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17th, at Rotarian David Jeffries' home.  The event will run between 5pm and 7pm+; this will not be a club meeting but rather a time to socialize.   David lives at #617 Mountain Road in Jaffrey, NH.  It's a long driveway that is on the left as you drive down Rt 124 towards Marlborough.  This is a BYOB event and we have it catered with appetizers, etc.  
       
      Based on getting a proper headcount for catering purposes, it is necessary that each Rotarian RSVP no later than 3/10 on your attendance and number of guests.   Spouses/significant others/family members are more than welcome to attend; additionally, if you know anyone that may have any interest in becoming a Rotarian, I would encourage you to bring them along, as well.   It should be a fun event in a beautiful setting. 
       
      Please RSVP to one of the following by 3/10:
       
            Ben Wheeler = bwheeler@walpolebank.com
            David Jeffries = davidhjeffries@gmail.com
            Bill Raymond = w-mraymond@comcast.net
       
      Being St. Patrick’s Day, please wear your green!!
       
      Last but not least, today is Election Day in both Rindge and Jaffrey, and the polls will be open until 7:00pm.  Be sure to vote!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
       
       
      The Rotary Photographer returns!  Pictures from our March 3rd meeting...
       
       
      A most appropriate Invocation
       
      Referencing the sad situation in the Ukraine, "Reverend" Owen Houghton's morning Invocation was particularly appropriate to begin our first meeting in many months at Franklin Pierce University.
       
       
      Jon Frederick prepares the raffle tickets!
       
      Hard to remember the last time we had our 50/50 Raffle.  Thanks to Jon Frederick, the tickets were available, and Rotarians - each hoping they would win - plunked down $2.00.  In the background, Mike Shea prepares to say goodbye to his two dollars, but it was David Jeffries who won this time - reportedly, his first time as a raffle winner!
       
       
      Rotarians socialize around the Raffle Ticket Table
       
      Tickets went fast. Always a good crowd around the table, as it is where it seems "everyone meets."
       
       
      Fire Chief David Chamberlain and Town Manager Jon Frederick
       
      Jaffrey Fire Chief David Chamberlain arrived, and the photographer caught David and Town Manager, Jon Frederick, together. Talking town business?
       
       
      President Ben Welcomes Rotarians Back
       
      With an introduction that included a reference to "No more Zooms [hopefully]," President Ben Wheeler welcomed fellow Rotarians to our first in-person Breakfast Meeting in several months at Franklin Pierce University.  It's good to be back!
       
       
      John McCarthy explains School District HVAC Warrant
       
      With the annual Town Election in Rindge and Jaffrey on March 8th (today!!), John McCarthy, a member of the SAU47 School Board, shared insights on the HVAC warrant article that will be voted upon by voters in both towns.  At least two Rotarians are on the Town or School District ballot as incumbents.
       
       
      The Jaffrey 250th Celebration in 2023
       
      Rotarians learned that organizations, companies, and citizens can sponsor a flag with their name that will line the main streets in Jaffrey, as part of the town's 250th Anniversary celebration in 2023.  Andy Lawn spoke to this, and the topic of a Rotary flag will be discussed at the Board of Directors meeting on Wednesday, March 9th.
       
       
      Jaffrey Fire Chief David Chamberlain, Guest Speaker
       
      Chief David Chamberlain provided an update on the Jaffrey Fire Department. He shared information to support the Town's warrant article for a new fire engine to replace Engine 1, which is nearing thirty years of service.  The warrant will be discussed and voted upon at Town Meeting at the Pratt Auditorium at Conant High School on Saturday, March 12th, at 9:00am.
       
       
      Candid (?) shots by the photographer...
       
       
       
       
      President's Message (March 8, 2022) 2022-03-03 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (March 1, 2022)

      Happy Tuesday, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope all is well.  Unfortunately, the Conant High School girl’s basketball team had their 58-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday at the State Championship game.   They should remain VERY proud of their accomplishments during their great run!
       
      Looking forward to seeing everyone in person when the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club meets at Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, March 3rd, at 7:15am.  Our guest speaker will be Jaffrey Fire Department Chief David Chamberlain.
       
      Our upcoming meeting schedule is as follows:
       
      • Wednesday, 3/9 -- Board of Directors meeting at 8:00am at the Cathedral of the Pines.
      • Thursday, 3/10 -- Breakfast Meeting at FPU at 7:15am.  Guest speaker will be the the Right Reverend Mark Beckwith.
      • Thursday, 3/17 (St. Patrick’s Day!) -- Social meeting from 5-7pm at David Jeffries home; spouses and/or significant others are invited.  More details to follow.
       
      Let’s pray for a quick and peaceful resolution in the Ukraine. 
       
      I hope to see everyone on Thursday morning.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
      President's Message (March 1, 2022) 2022-03-01 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (February 22, 2022)

      Happy Tuesday, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I think we all probably enjoyed yesterday’s sun and spring-like weather.  We still have the remainder of February and all of March, however; April doesn't mean we are out of the woods when it comes to the white stuff, either!  
       
      The Conant High School girls basketball team continued its undefeated season by winning their playoff game; they play again on Wednesday evening at 7:30pm at Bedford High School, and if they win again, they will play for the State Championship on Sunday at 1:00pm at Keene State College.  
       
      As we celebrate the President’s Day Holiday, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will not be meeting this week.
       
      Below is a list of upcoming meetings/events:
      • Thursday, March 3rd -- Breakfast Meeting at 7:15am at FPU; guest speaker TBD
      • Wednesday, March 9th -- Board of Directors meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines, 8:00am
      • Thursday, March 10th -- Breakfast meeting at 7:15am at FPU; guest speaker, the Right Reverend Mark Beckwith.
      • Thursday, March 17th (St. Patrick’s Day) -- Cub social at David Jeffries house; details to follow on time, etc., but this will be an evening event.  
       
      Enjoy the week!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben 
       
      President's Message (February 22, 2022) 2022-02-22 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (February 15, 2022)

      Happy Tuesday, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      The sun is out, but the temperatures are still quite chilly! Hopefully, everyone enjoyed an entertaining and competitive Super Bowl.
       
      Below is the meeting schedule for the next few weeks.  As I mentioned at our meeting last week, we are planning to return to Franklin Pierce University on Thursday, March 3rd, for a resumption of our weekly Breakfast Meetings.   I still need to confirm this with FPU, but - as you read this - this is the plan.  
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet this Thursday, February 17th, at 7:30am, via ZOOM.  The URL is the same as was used last week and can be found in Bob Schaumann's email sent to all Rotarians on Tuesday, February 8th.  Our guest speaker will be Susan Ashworth of Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services.  She will present an informative session on the "Meals on Wheels" program and how it assists residents in both Jaffrey and Rindge.
       
      Here is the planned schedule for meetings as it currently stands:
       
      • Thursday, 2/24 – NO MEETING due to the President’s Day holiday
      • Thursday, 3/3 – Breakfast Meeting at 7:15am at FPU (to be confirmed). Guest speaker - TBD
      • Wednesday, 3/9 – Board of Directors meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines at 8:00am
      • Thursday, 3/10 – Breakfast Meeting at 7:15am at FPU (to be confirmed). Guest speaker - TBD.
      Have a great week!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      President's Message (February 15, 2022) 2022-02-15 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (February 8, 2022)
       

      Happy Tuesday, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet this Thursday, February 10th, at 7:30am, via ZOOM.  Our Guest Speaker will be our own Jon Frederick, Jaffrey Town Manager, who will share insights of the budgeting process that has led up to the Board of Selectmen's recommended budget that will be presented for a vote at Town Meeting (Jaffrey) on Saturday, March 12th.
       
      As this is "the season," consider attending the SAU47 deliberative session that will occur on Wednesday, February 9th, 6:30pm, at the Rindge Memorial School.  By attending, you will learn about the tax impact of the 2022 SAU47 School District Warrant, if approved by the voters. 
       
      Below please find our meeting schedule for the remainder of February: 
       
      • Wednesday, 2/9 @ 8:00am Zoom meeting, Board of Directors
      • Thursday, 2/10 @  7:30am Zoom meeting; Jon Frederick, guest speaker.
      • Thursday, 2/17 @  7:30am Zoom meeting; guest speaker TBD.
      • Thursday, 2/24 – NO MEETING due to the Presidents' Day holiday.
       
      Please be on the look-out for the ZOOM link from Bob Schaumann for our Thursday meeting, February 10th.  This will be sent to you Tuesday via email.  A separate email will also be sent to the BoD Tuesday that provides the URL for Wednesday's BoD meeting via Zoom.   
       
      Have a great week!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
      President's Message (February 8, 2022)  2022-02-07 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (February 1, 2022)
       

      Happy Tuesday, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone survived the snow storm on Saturday and is enjoying these frigid temperatures!  If my math is correct, only 48 days until spring; it seems hard to fathom at this point.
       
      For those of us that enjoy football, the past two weekends have been filled with highly competitive and exciting games; good luck to the Bengals and Rams in the upcoming Super Bowl. 
       
      Rotary International's monthly theme for February is “Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution."  If any members have a potential guest speaker they would like to invite that would like to speak to this topic, this would be great.
       
      The Board of Directors at our January meeting decided to stay with “Zoom” meetings through the month of February, at which point the BoD will then re-assess the situation.   Below is a schedule for this month:
       
      • Thursday, 2/3 @ 7:30am -- Club Assembly (ZOOM) unless we get a last-minute guest speaker.
      • Wednesday, 2/9 @ 8:00am -- Board of Directors Meeting (via ZOOM).
      • Thursday, 2/10 @ 7:30am Club Meeting (via ZOOM); guest speaker TBD.
      • Thursday, 2/17 @ 7:30am Club Meeting (via ZOOM); guest speaker TBD.
      • Thursday, 2/24 – NO MEETING due to President’s Day holiday.
       
      Please be on the lookout for the ZOOM link from Bob Schaumann for Thursday’s meeting.  This will arrive in your emailbox on Tuesday.
       
      Have a great week!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
      President's Message (February 1, 2022)  2022-02-01 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (January 25, 2022)

       
      Hello Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone is well and looking forward to spring!  For those who like snow, however, your dreams may come true, as a major Nor'easter is forecasted for Saturday! 
       
      Fortunately, sunny skies are forecasted for Thursday, and the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet that day, January 27th, via ZOOM, at 7:30am.
       
      Our guest speaker will be Franklin Pierce University President, Kim Mooney, with updates on the University, etc.   I hope you are able to attend. The URL was emailed to you two weeks ago, and as a reminder, our Club Secretary will send out reminder email with the URL address. 
       
      Have a great week, and I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday morning.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      Received from Jessica Yap, President of the Conant High School Hot Wings Robotics Club
       
       
      President's Message (January 25, 2022) 2022-01-19 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (January 11, 2022)

      Happy Tuesday, fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone is staying warm, as we battle some very frigid temperatures over the next couple of days.  
       
      We will be meeting this Thursday, January 13th, at 7:30am via ZOOM.  This will be our first Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club meeting of the New Year.  Via separate email, each Rotarian received the ZOOM URL.
       
      There will be no Board of Directors meeting tomorrow on Wednesday due to multiple scheduling conflicts.  An announcement as to the new date will be sent shortly to Board members. 
       
      I look forward to seeing you Thursday morning via ZOOM!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
      President's Message (January 11, 2022) 2022-01-11 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (January 4, 2022)

      Happy New Year, fellow Rotarians!  
       
      I hope everyone had a safe and fun-filled holiday season, one spent with their extended families and friends.  
       
      Due to the New Year’s Day holiday, there is NO meeting this Thursday morning.  Below is an overview of our meeting schedule for the month of January:
       
      • Board of Directors Meeting; Wednesday, 1/12/22 @ 8AM via Zoom.   NOTE – due to scheduling conflicts, this meeting MAY be cancelled or rescheduled – TBD.
      • Weekly Breakfast Meeting; Thursday, 1/13/22 @ 7:30am via Zoom w/ a guest speaker in attendance.
      • NO breakfast meeting on Thursday, 1/20/22 due to the MLK Holiday.
      • Weekly Breakfast Meeting; Thursday, 1/27/22 @ 7:30am via Zoom w/ a guest speaker in attendance.  
       
      I am hopeful we can resume meeting in person again starting in February, but this will be a “fluid” situation that the Board will continue to monitor closely. 
       
      Have a great week, and I am looking forward to our ZOOM Breakfast meeting on January 13th.
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
      President's Message (January 4, 2022) 2022-01-04 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (December 28, 2021)

      Happy New Year, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday season!
       
      With 2021 on its last legs, we usher in the New Year of 2022 with optimism for good health, peace in our world, and goodness for the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club and our families.
       
       
      The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet for the first time in the New Year on Thursday, January 13th, via ZOOM.
       
      Happy New Year!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
      President's Message (December 28, 2021) 2021-12-28 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (December 21, 2021)

      Happy Tuesday, fellow Rotarians,
       
      Wishing EVERYONE a happy and safe holiday season.  
       
      As a reminder, our next meeting of the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will be January 13th.  We will meet via ZOOM.
       
      Enjoy your time off!
       
      1067 free santa clipart christmas | Public domain vectors
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
      President's Message (December 21, 2021) 2021-12-21 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (December 14, 2021)

      Happy Tuesday, fellow Rotarians,
       
      This week, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet on Thursday morning, December 16th, at 7:15am via ZOOM.   
       
      We will have a guest speaker. Heather McKernan, Publisher of the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript.  She will share some of the challenges of being a small-town newspaper in the digital age. Should be quite interesting!
       
      This will be our last official meeting for calendar year 2021.   I hope you are able to attend. 
       
      Enjoy the week - snow is coming, for sure!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
      President's Message (December 14, 2021) 2021-12-14 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (December 7, 2021)

      Hi Fellow Rotarians,

      To use the often-heard phrase, "Out of an abundance of caution," the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will continue to hunker down and not meet this week.   I am pleased that those Rotarians who tested positive for COVID after the Raffle Party are doing well. 
       
      We will, however, meet on December 16th, via ZOOM.  Our guess speaker will be Heather McKernan, publisher of the Ledger-Transcript, who will share the challenges of being a small town newspaper in a digital age.

      The BoD will meet on Wednesday, December 8th, at 8:00am, via ZOOM.

      Bob Schaumann received the latest request for volunteers from the NH Food Bank; they indicated that the Rindge location (Hannaford's) is not scheduled to be a distribution site through to the end of March.  Should the Rindge location be scheduled in the Spring, Bob will let us know.

      Hope your holiday shopping goes well!

      Yours in Service,


      Ben
      President's Message (December 7, 2021) 2021-12-07 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (November 30, 2021)

      Hello fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone had a safe and fun-filled Thanksgiving holiday weekend.   As was discussed last week, we will be taking the month of December off from our weekly meetings and will revisit the pandemic situation in January.  I want to encourage those who came to the Raffle Event on October to get tested, especially if flu-like symptoms seem to be present.  
       
      There will be a Board of Directors meeting next WednesdayDecember 8th, at 8:00am, via Zoom.  We will not meet at the Cathedral.
       
      Enjoy the week ahead!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
      President's Message (November 30, 2021) 2021-11-29 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (November 23, 2021)

      Hello Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Wishing you and your families a very Happy Thanksgiving holiday. Safe travels!
       
      On the good news front, our Raffle Event went well; we sold almost all of the 2,000 tickets (great job!!), and we raised roughly $4,500 for the Club, which given the circumstances and tight time-frames was no small feat.   Thanks, again, to the Cathedral of the Pines and Greg Walsh for hosting us; Jon Frederick and Stephanie Porter for running the event, including the Zoom feed, and to all of the Rotarians and future Rotarians that pro-actively sold their raffle tickets. 
       
      On another positive front, it was also great to recognize Paddy McCarthy as a Paul Harris Fellow for all of the great community service she has provided over the years.   Congratulations, Paddy, and a big THANK YOU to Clay Hollister for putting together the fitting tribute.    
       
      On the “not-so-good" news front, multiple attendees at Thursday’s raffle event have tested positive for COVID.   Based on this, the Board of Directors has made the decision to cancel all Rotary Club meetings through the Holiday season.
       
      This will be a fluid situation that we will closely watch, but as of the moment, we will not be meeting again as a Club until early January.  We will work with Bill Coleman to reschedule speakers, new Rotarian inductions, and student recognitions for our January meeting schedule. 
       
      Ending on a positive note, we DO have much for which to be thankful.  Please safely enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with those whom you love.     
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      Photographs of our Rotary Raffle Party event on Thursday, November 18th, courtesy of Greg Walsh
       
       
      President's Message (November 23, 2021) 2021-11-23 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (November 16, 2021)

      Good afternoon, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone had a great weekend.  My wife, Ann, and I got to experience our first Rotary District Conference up in Meredith, NH, this past weekend.   It was a great networking and informative event, and I would encourage all to try to attend in the future.  I will provide further feedback at one of our next weekly meetings.  
       
      Some items from last week and upcoming: 
       
      • Please see the attached three photos from our own Greg Walsh at this year’s Veteran’s Day ceremony.  Don Upton, Clay Hollister and Andy Lawn were prominent figures in this year’s parade.  
      • Reminder = this Tuesday evening at 6:30pm @ The Cathedral of the Pines, there will be the CHS Interact Induction Ceremony; if you can attend for support, that is greatly appreciated!
      • Raffle Update = we are meeting at 5:30pm @ The Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday, 11/18, to hold a social meeting and our raffle drawing.   Please try to turn in all of your “sold tickets” to Jon Frederick or Stephanie Porter prior to Thursday evening.
      • Franklin Pierce University will be closed after Thanksgiving, as the students have an extended leave for the holidays until they return in January.  Updates will be provided on meeting location, etc., for December and January meetings.
       
      Have a great week!
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      Photographs at the recent Veteran's Day ceremony on Thursday, November 11th, courtesy of Rotarian Greg Walsh:
       
       

       
      President's Message (November 16, 2021) 2021-11-16 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (November 9, 2021)

       
      Hello Fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone is well.  As a reminder that because of the Veteran’s Day holiday, there will be no weekly breakfast meeting this upcoming Thursday, November 11th.  
       
      Please take some time on this day to give thanks for all of our Veterans that have served our Country and provided us with a great quality of life, as well as personal and professional choices.  Many of our Rotarians are veterans, and we have all five services represented within the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club (Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Army, and Marines).
       
      Our upcoming schedule is as follows:
      • Monthly BOD meeting on 11/10/21 @ 8am at the Cathedral of the Pines.
      • District 7870 Annual Conference in Meredith NH on 11/13 and 11/14.
      • Conant High School Interact Induction service on 11/16 @ 6:30pm at the Cathedral of the Pines.
      • The Club’s Annual Fundraising/Raffle Event on 11/18 @ 5:30pm at the Cathedral of the Pines (BYOB).
       
      Please be sure to sell all of the Raffle tickets you have been given; we have good momentum going on this, but we need to make sure we move all 2,000 of these!   So far so good, and lets finish strong!  
       
      Jon Frederick indicates that the Thursday evening social on November 18th at the Catherdral of the Pines will be a BYOB event, and will include an appetizer contest.  Get those recipes of your favorite appetizer out.... and let's see who shall be our winner, complete with "bragging rights."
       
      Have a great week!
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      Pictures taken at our Thursday meeting, November 4th, at Franklin Pierce University, which included a presentation by the Conant High School Interactors ("Purple Pinkie Day").
       
       
       
      President's Message (November 9, 2021) 2021-11-09 05:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (November 2, 2021)



       

      Happy Tuesday, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Hopefully everyone had a safe and fun-filled Halloween weekend despite the weather.  The Club focus over the next two weeks is to sell out our 2,000 raffle tickets.;  If you need more, please each out pro-actively to either Jon Frederick or Stephanie Porter. 
       
      This week, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will meet on Thursday, November 4th, at 7:15am at Franklin Pierce University.  It will be Purple Pinkie Day at Rotary, as we will be joined by Interactors from Conant High School.  Purple Pinkie Day is a means by which Rotary and Interactors raise funds and awareness for Rotary's polio prevention projects.  The Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club will also honor and recognize the "Interactor of the Month."     
       
      Below is our upcoming schedule:
      • Wednesday, 11/10 = Board of Director’s Meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines, at 8:00am. 
      • No meeting the week of 11/11 due to Veteran’s Day Holiday. 
      • District Wide Conference on Saturday & Sunday 11/13 and 11/14 @ Church Landing Resort in Meredith, NH (member optional – please reach out to me if you are interested in attending).
      • Thursday, 11/18 = weekly evening meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines, (most likely) starting at 5:30pm to select the raffle winners and enjoy a social gathering.
        
      November is Rotary Foundation Month and December is Disease Prevention and Treatment Month.
       
      Looking forward to seeing everyone this Thursday morning at FPU. Have a great week!  
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
      Pictures from our Thursday, October 28th, meeting at Franklin Pierce University
       
       
       
      The Quiet Before the Meeting Begins
       
       
       
      And then it Begins... President Ben
       
       
       
      Two Davises and A Cup of Coffee!
       
       
       
      Breakfast!  Breakfast!
       
       
       
      Stephanie Thompson and Rudra Aryal, our two Soon-to-be Rotarians
       
       
       
      "Reverend" Owen Houghton
       
      President's Message (November 2, 2021)  2021-11-02 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (October 26, 2021)

      Happy Tuesday, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      The weather has taken a slight change for the worse from last week; it sounds like we may see the sun again tomorrow and/or Thursday.   I hope everyone is having a productive week.
       
      Below is our upcoming schedule:
       
      • Thursday, 10/28 = weekly breakfast meeting at 7:15am at FPU.
      • Thursday, 11/04 = weekly breakfast meeting at 7:15am at FPU.
      • No meeting the week of 11/11 due to Veteran’s Day Holiday. 
      • District Wide Conference on Saturday & Sunday 11/13 and 11/14 @ Church Landing Resort in Meredith, NH (member optional – please reach out to me if you are interested in attending).
       
      Please coordinate with Raffle Co-Chairs Stephanie Porter and Jon Frederick on the sale of your assigned raffle tickets.  Our goal (read: expectation) is to sell all 2,000 tickets before Thursday, 11/18.   This equates to roughly 50 tickets per member; given the modest cost of each ticket, this should be easily achievable.  If you do not have your tickets yet, please pro-actively reach out to either Stephanie or Jon.   
       
      Good news front: Dr. Rudra Aryal, a Physics Professor at FPU, attended last week’s meeting and has indicated a desire to join our Club!  Please reach out to introduce yourself to him; the Membership Committee will be assisting in the formal process of taking Dr. Rudra through the process. 
       
      October (although it is almost over) is Economic & Community Development Month for Rotary International.
       
      November is Rotary Foundation Month and December is Disease Prevention and Treatment Month.
       
      Looking forward to seeing everyone this Thursday morning at FPU.
       
      Have a great week!  
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      From the Photographer's Desk.... Meeting of October 21st
       
       
      Student of the Month, Nathan Davis
       
      Student of the Month for September was Nathan Davis, an 8th Grader from the Heritage Christian School.  An avid soccer player, Nathan was recognized with positive words by his teacher, Mrs. Allen (far right), that resulted in his nomination.  Joining Nathan (third from Left) are his proud parents, brother, and sister.
       
       
      Laurel McKenzie, Conant High School Robotics Team
       
      Laurel McKenzie, past Chairperson of the SAU47 School Board, is now involved with the Conant High School Robotics Team.   Sharing some of the details of the Team and pictures of their fellow Robotics team members were two students who presented several PowerPoint Slides.
       
       
      Raffle Tickets Are Available !
       
      Raffle tickets are available!  There they are!!  See Stephanie Porter or Jon Frederick when your supply runs low.  This year's Raffle Party item will be part of our major fund-raising effort for this year.
       
       
      Prospective Rotarian, Dr. Rudra Aryal
       
      Joining us at our most recent meeting was Franklin Pierce University Professor Dr. Rudra Aryal, a long-time friend of President Ben Wheeler.  Rudra teaches courses in physics at FPU.  Welcome, Rudra!
       
       
      Kathleene Card Has the "Magic Touch"
      Greg Walsh and Kathleene Card chat before breakfast began.  Twice in the last three months, Kathleene purchased her raffle tickets and handed them to Bob Schaumann before she left for an early morning meeting, with instructions that if her ticket is the winner, to give the proceeds to a certain designee. Twice Bob held the ticket for Kathleene, and twice she won!!  The lucky recipient of the weekly pot this time:  Nathan Davis, our Student of the Month!
       
       
      President's Message (October 26, 2021) 2021-10-26 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (October 19, 2021)

      Happy Tuesday fellow Rotarians; hopefully, you are enjoying this beautiful fall day. 
       
      We will be meeting for our weekly breakfast meeting on Thursday, October 21st, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.   On tap is the Student of the Month Presentation, as well as guest speakers from Conant High School who will discuss their robotic club! 
       
      I would like to thank the volunteers that came out Saturday morning for roadside cleanup; a little lighter turnout than normal, but we got the job done by 10am – many thanks to Mike Shea for spearheading this event.
       
      Enjoy the week, and I look forward to seeing you on Thursday.
       
      Ben
      President's Message (October 19, 2021) 2021-10-20 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (October 12, 2021)

      Happy Tuesday, fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope you all had a great Columbus Day weekend.  How about those Red Sox!
       
      There is no club meeting this week because of the Columbus Day holiday.  Keep in mind the following upcoming Club events/meetings:
       
      • Wednesday, 10/13 @ 8:00am = Board meeting at the Cathedral of the Pines
      • Saturday, 10/16    @ 8:00am = Roadside Cleanup (weather permitting) at West Rindge Builders
      • Thursday, 10/21    @ 7:15am = Breakfast meeting at FPU w/ guest speaker and Student of the Month presentation.
       
      Wishing everyone a great week!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
      President's Message (October 12, 2021) 2021-10-12 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Remarks (October 5, 2021)

      Happy Tuesday, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      Thank you to all Rotarians who turned out for the FPU game on Saturday.  It was a great day/event; a tough OT loss for the Ravens, but a very competitive and exciting game.  Once again, Rotarian Andy Lawn stepped up to “man the grill”!
       
      The talents of Coach Gas go beyond the gridiron.  Coach Gas will deliver this Sunday's sermon at the Peterborough United Methodist Church, where Reverend Kathleene Card's congregation gathers.  The service will be online should you not be able to attend in person, and it can be viewed at https://youtu.be/U1n4ILeoqjg at 10:00am.  You are encouraged to "like" the video, so we can track Rotary visitors.
       
      We will meet this Thursday, October 7th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce.  Our guest speaker will be Bruce Hill, who will discuss the 250th celebration for the Town of Jaffrey.  I will not be able to attend, but former club President Jed Brummer will be more than capable of handling the duties.
       
      Have a great week!
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      Photographs sent to the Editor by Andy Lawn...
       
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary at Franklin Pierce/Assumption Game
       
      A hard fought game at Sodexo Field at FPU saw the Ravens lose in OT to Assumption College, 35-28, in one of the Ravens' best efforts to date.  Jaffrey-Rindge Rotarians came out to support the team, and Andy Lawn's tailgate BBQ provided gastronomical delights, although a Big "W" would have made the afternoon a complete success.  Great team effort by the Ravens, Coach Gas!!!
      President's Remarks (October 5, 2021) 2021-10-01 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (September 21, 2021)

      Happy Tuesday, fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope you are enjoying this nice stretch of weather we are having.  This Thursday, September 23rd, we meet at Franklin Pierce University at 7:15am.   We are fortunate to have our District Governor, John Bob Siemienowicz, as our guest speaker; I am hopeful we will have a strong turnout from membership for this meeting.  
       
      A reminder that we do have a tent reserved for the FPU football game on Saturday, October 2nd; it should be a fun event, and lets show our support for the Ravens!
       
      Enjoy the week, and I look forward to seeing many of you on Thursday morning!
       
      Yours in service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      Photographs from our Thursday, September 16th, Meeting:
       
       
      We Remember.... Jean Hampsey
       
      Rotarians were saddened to learn of the passing of Jean Hampsey, wife of Rotarian Bernie Hampsey.  Jean had fought a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease; she and Bernie were married for 61 years.  President Ben made the sad announcement of her passing at the beginning of his President's Remarks at our Thursday meeting. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, October 1, 2021, at 12:00 Noon in St. Patrick Church, 89 Main Street, Jaffrey.
       
       
      Pictures from our Thursday Breakfast Meeting
       
       
       
       
       
       
      President's Message (September 21, 2021) 2021-09-21 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (September 14, 2021)

      Happy Tuesday, Fellow Rotarians,
       
      First of all, I would like to thank all Rotarians (and their significant others) that were able to attend the FPU football team dinner at the Cathedral of the Pines Thursday evening.   Attendance was very strong, and I have received very positive feedback from both Russell Gaskamp and the FPU football players, as well as many Rotarians.  I would definitely rate this a successful event!
       
      Our meeting this week will be a Club Assembly on Thursday, September 16th, at 7:15am, at Franklin Pierce University.
       
      A reminder that our District Governor, John Bob Siemienowicz, will be at our Breakfast meeting next week on September 23rd; please do your best to be in attendance that day.
       
      Have a great week!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      Pictures from the Franklin Pierce Football Dinner on Thursday (Pictures courtesy of Owen Houghton)
       
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Dinner Honors FPU Football Team 
       
      As many as 80 FPU Football Team Players and Coaches were recognized by the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club on Thursday, September 9th, for their service to the community.  Over the years, the team - under Rotarian and Head Coach Russ Gaskamp - has participated in numerous Rotary events where manpower was needed, including recent Food Bank distributions at Hannaford's, the pre-pandemic Police/Fire/EMS dinner honoring our first responders from Jaffrey and Rindge, and other events.  Pictured above, players get in line for a meal that consisted of barbequed pork ribs and barbequed chicken, chili, baked beans, multiple salads, and tons of cookies and brownies.  No one left hungry from the dinner, which was held in the Hilltop House at the Cathedral of the Pines.
       
       
      Rotarians Serve Hungry Football Players!
       
      Over twenty Rotarians cooked, grilled, prepared food, served, and helped to make the event a success!  Rotarians from both ends of the serving line are shown, as they filled the plates of hungry football players.  Nearly 200 lbs. of barbequed pork ribs and barbequed chicken were consumed.  A hungry bunch!
       
       
      Coach Gas Thanks the FPU Football Team and Rotary
       
      Coach Gas thanks the Team for their hard work in support of various Rotary activities, as well as giving a shout out to the Rotary Club for their preparation of the dinner.  Who says a little rain stopped Rotarians?  
      President's Message (September 14, 2021) 2021-09-14 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (September 7, 2021)

      Hello fellow Rotarians,
       
      As we move closer to the Fall, I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend.  It was good to see many of you at our weekly meeting this last Thursday.  
       
      The Board of Directors will meet tomorrow morning at 8:00am at the Cathedral of the Pines; there is NO weekly breakfast meeting this week, given the Labor Day holiday; however, we will be hosting a dinner event for the Franklin Pierce University football team starting at 5:00pm on Thursday at the Hilltop House at the Cathedral of the Pines in Rindge.    Thanks to all for their volunteerism and, especially, a huge thank you to Andy Lawn for spearheading this event! 
       
      A reminder to block the date for Thursday morning on 9/23 when District Governor John-Bob will be our guest speaker.   
       
      I look forward to seeing our club out at full force Thursday evening; our next breakfast meeting will be Thursday, September 16th, at 7:15am at FPU.
       
      Have a great afternoon/week, and enjoy this beautiful afternoon,
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
       
       
      Pictures from our September 2nd meeting at Franklin Pierce University
       
       
      Welcome "Home," Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club !
       
      After a year and a half, the Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Club once again met at our "home" of several years. As a nice surprise, FPU President Kim Mooney came down to our breakfast meeting and welcomed us back
       
       
      Jed and Jon Do Happy Fines
       
       
      Jon Frederic and Jed Brummer did the honors with Happy Fines.  Don Upton (center) had Happy Birthday sung to him on his "39th."  Meanwhile, Clay Hollister (bottom) announced he was celebrating with Caroline their 54th wedding anniversary.  Always nice to hear such good news.
       
       
      Jaffrey-Rindge Rotary Honors FPU Football Team -- Andy Lawn Updates
       
      Never one for a loss at words, our Andy Lawn updates his fellow Rotarians on progress for the September 9th Recognition Cookout for the Franklin Pierce University Football Team.  Upwards of 120 players, Rotarians, and spouses are expected at the Lawn residence to honor the Team for their several involvements at Rotary functions over the past few years.
       
       
      Gotcha', Sam!!
       
      We caught Sam Lafortune in a candid moment, as Harold and Peter Davis looked on.  Good to have Peter back with us after his recent visit to the hospital.
       
       
      Random Shots
       
       
       
       
      President's Message (September 7, 2021) 2021-09-03 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (August 31, 2021)

      Good afternoon, fellow Rotarians. Happy Tuesday
       
      I would like to thank all of the Rotarians who made it over to Hannaford’s earlier today for the Food Bank distribution; it was busier than I expected, and many hands make for light work, thank you.  A special thanks to Coach Russell Gaskamp and his Franklin Pierce Football Team for assisting – it is much appreciated.   
       
      This week, we will be meeting Thursday at Franklin Pierce University, at 7:15am.  I am looking forward to coming back home to the FPU campus.  Our big topic to cover this week is our football team recognition dinner to be held at Andy Lawn’s home on Thursday, September 9th, starting at 5:00pm.  We are expecting a large crowd that evening, so everyone’s participation and involvement would be great.  We will share details this Thursday.   
       
      Enjoy the beautiful weather this afternoon, and I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday morning at Franklin Pierce.
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
       
      Food Bank Distribution at Hannaford's
       
      Thanks to the FPU Football Team and 10 Rotarians who helped!
       

                
      President's Message (August 31, 2021) 2021-08-31 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (August 24, 2021)

      Good morning fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope everyone safely survived Tropical Storm Henri and that you are looking forward to seeing the sun for a few days the rest of the week.   We will be meeting this Thursday, August 26th, at 7:45am, at the Woodbound Inn
       
      This will be our last summer breakfast meeting at the Woodbound.  Our guest speaker will be the Executive Director/President of the Monadnock United Way, Liz Larose.  She will be providing an update on how the past 18 months have been for the United Way, given all that has taken place, and she will be highlighting some of the programs that directly serve residents in our geographic area.
       
      A few dates to set aside as details come together on the following:
       
      • Tuesday, August 31st = Food Bank Distribution at Hannaford's in Rindge, 11am - 1:00pm.  Rotarian volunteers needed.
      • Thursday evening, September 9th = we will host the FPU football team for a dinner for all of their volunteer efforts the past two years, led by Head Coach Russell Gaskamp.  Rotarian Andy Lawn is greatly assisting in spearheading this event. 
      • Saturday, October 2nd = we are in process of renting tent space for a tailgating event at the FPU football game that day.  It will be similar to the event we held there two years ago, and exact details will follow. They will be playing Assumption College, with a 1:00pm game start time. 
      • Friday, October 29th = please save the date for our Annual Raffle/Fundraising Event to be held that evening at the Woodbound Inn.   Rotarians Jon Frederick and Stephanie Porter are assisting me with the preliminary details, and we will be looking to recruit some additional Rotarians to join us to plan this event and coordinate all of the details, etc.
       
      Finally, we remember Rotarian Russ Robertson, who passed away on July 7th.  A "Celebration of Life" at the Robertson home in Dublin this past Saturday honored Russ's memory.
       
      I look forward to seeing everyone this Thursday morning... and wish you a great week,
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben
       
       
               Russell Wright Robertson (1939-2021)
      President's Message (August 24, 2021) 2021-08-24 04:00:00Z 0

      President's Message (August 17, 2021)

      Good morning, fellow Rotarians,
       
      I hope all is well. We will be meeting on Thursday, August 19th, at the Woodbound Inn at 7:45am.  The program agenda is still being finalized at this moment.   
       
      As a reminder, we will be moving to Franklin Pierce University starting on Thursday, September 2nd, with a start time of 7:15am. 
       
      As mentioned - due to CDC revised guidelines - the Rotary District is "strongly recommending" we return to wearing masks for inside meetings.  Based on this, the Board of Directors is "strongly recommending" we begin the mask protocol starting next week when we are moving about the breakfast meeting.  Please see the email below that was received from District Governor John Bob.
       
      Enjoy your week!
       
      Yours in Service,
       
      Ben 
       
       
      CDC Updates Guidance on Mask Wearing for Indoor Meetings”
       
      Summary:  Out of an abundance of caution we are recommending that clubs in areas which the CDC defines as having “substantial” transmission follow the new CDC guidance asking that all attending indoor meetings wear face coverings, regardless of vaccination status.
       
      As of 7 August this would include clubs in the following counties:
       
      NH:  All Counties have substantial transmission except Sullivan County
       
      VT:   Bennington County in southern VT
       
      Why has CDC Updated its Guidance?
       
      CDC has been tracking the seven day average case rate and percent positivity and in the past weeks they have seen significant increased activity across the country associated with the Delta variant.  At the following website you can view both the current situation (by State and County) as well as see the progression over time in a country-wide projection ( https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view ).
       
      These cases have been in both vaccinated and unvaccinated people.  Importantly, people who have been vaccinated generally have mild disease and are not being hospitalized.  However, vaccinated people who become infected may be a risk to uninfected people and those with compromised immune systems.  So, wearing a mask will help protect them.
       
      What are NH and VT Government Guidances?  The State of NH Best Practices guidance has not changed.  While that guidance, issued in May 2021, has removed all mandates it also notes that businesses, organizations, and individuals should review the CDC guidance.
       
      The State of VT removed all CoVID restrictions in June and VTOSHA guidance in June refers employers to CDC guidance as well.
       
      How long will this last and should we stop our in person and hybrid meetings?  We cannot predict when this will end, but we continue to monitor the data.  We appreciate the efforts for clubs to open up again and following these face covering guidelines is an added precaution that will help you continue that practice safely.  We hope that we may see what has been seen with Delta in the UK and India, where there was a sudden drop in cases, suggesting that the virus may have “burned itself out.”
       
       
       
       
      Pictures from our August 10th meeting...
       
       
      Cynthia McGuire, CEO of Monadnock Community Hospital
       
      With nearly eighteen months of the pandemic behind us, CEO Cynthia McGuire shared some of the challenges experience by the Monadnock Community Hospital and lessons learned.  The Delta Variant has caused a major surge in the United States, as well as world-wide.  Cynthia entertained questions from Rotarians at the end of her presentation.  She also won the 50/50 Raffle... and donated it back to the Club! 
       
       
      Many Rotarians Attended the Celebration of Life of Bill Driscoll
       
      Funny stories abounded and good memories were shared by friends and relatives of the late Bill Driscoll at his Celebration of Life that was held at the Meetinghouse on Thursday, August 12th.  Many Rotarians and spouses were there to remember Bill -- a Korean War Veteran, a firefighter, a town "character," haberdasher extraordinaire, and - as we best remember him - a Rotarian and Friend.