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Rotary Club of Reading, Massachusetts, USA

Rotarians have fun serving the community.  Join us!

Meeting Schedule as of September 2022. 
1st Monday: Residence at Pearl 12:15 pm. 
3rd Monday:  RCTV at 6 pm. 
4th Wednesday:  Board Meeting. 
 
Home Page Stories
The Reading High Interact Club is organizing a drive to benefit homeless families.  See the items they need in the attached photo.  While doing your holiday shopping, consider picking up items on the list.
 
Items will be collected through December 15.  
As we observe Thanksgiving this year, may we stay focused on the objectives we have for the world: Peace. Tranquility. A true Family of Humanity.  Freedom from hunger, from oppression, from sickness.  The freedom to choose our own destinies. 
 
We reaffirm our commitment to our simple Rotary Four Way Test for all we do and support: Is it the truth?  Is it fair to all concerned?  Will it build good will and better friendships?  Will it be beneficial to all concerned?  We reaffirm our commitment to high ethics in all we do. And we give thanks for this gathering of our community and for all the blessings, opportunities and responsibilities that befall us as Rotarians.  We continue in this new millennium with optimism, renewed energy, and a commitment to service to each other and to all our fellow men and women.
 
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Our 100th Anniversary Gala was held at Meadowbrook Golf Club on November 2.  Reading Rotary was chartered on December 7, 1923.  It was a great night with over 80 guests.
 
Our honored guest was US Army General Jack Hammond (Ret.)  General Hammond is Executive Director of Home Base.  General Hammond is an unbelievable speaker.  He served 3 active duty combat tours.  Home Base is a part of the Red Sox Foundation and provides services to veterans for the invisible injuries of war.  General Hammond is a graduate of Reading Memorial High School
 
Also in attendance were Reps Brad Jones and Rich Haggerty who presented President Sheila Clarke with a Proclamation from Beacon Hill.  Town Manager Fidel Maltez and Business Development Director Ben Cares supported us from the Town.
 
It was great to see former active Reading Rotarians Ron Winslow, Lee McNelly, Brian Crosby, Brian Snell and Kathi Spurr.  Past District Governors Joan Arsenault and Sheryl Meehan were also in attendance.  PDG Joan presented a letter and certificate from Rotary International President Gordon McInally.
 
The evening also featured a raucous game of music trivia from our DJ.
 
Stoneham Rotary hosted the traditional Joint Thanksgiving Luncheon at Bear Hill Golf Club this Tuesday.  In attendance were Rotarians from Stoneham, Town and school officials and the captains and coaches from the football and cheer teams of both high schools.
 
As is the custom, the athletic directors, coaches and football captains gave speeches about the upcoming Thanksgiving game.  Stoneham hosts the game on Thursday at 10:15 am.
 
The Stoneham Club also honored Sharon Iovanni with a Paul Harris Fellow recognition.  Sharon organizes the joint event for Stoneham each year.
 
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Tuesday, November 21 was a busy day for Rotary.  Sasha DiPietro organized Rotary's participation in Adopt-a-Family distribution day at the DPW garage.  Reading Rotary works with ReadingCares and the Town to coordinate the Adopt-a-Family program.  Donors are paired with families in need.  During the early morning drop off session, donors deliver fixings for Thanksgiving dinner for an anonymous family.  Along with Sasha, John, Lacy and Sean Douglass were representing Rotary during this shift.
 
During the later morning pick up shift, recipient families pick up the donations.  In addition to Sasha were Rotarians Peter Majane, Amy Walsh and Tim Kelley.
 
ReadingCares is an organization out of the Congregational Church.  Many volunteers from ReadingCares were on hand all morning as were Town of Reading volunteers.
 
Shout out to all the families and organizations who donated to this great community program.
 
If you could not help for Thanksgiving, please consider volunteering for the Christmas distribution day.  Sasha will be sending out a sign up for that one soon.
 
Special thanks to Sasha for heading up this project!
We are sad to report longtime Rotarian and Past President Ray Couture passed away on October 30, 2023.  Ray was a well-respected, local attorney with his office at 22 Woburn Street until he moved after a fire to Salem Street. Ray was Club President in 1972-1973 Rotary year.
 
Ray was a Navy veteran rising to the rank of Rear Admiral in 1980.  He served in both World War II and the Korean Conflict.  He was highly decorated and served in active duty and then in the Reserves.
 
A funeral service will be held Saturday, November 4 with visitation on November 3.  Services will be held at Barile Funeral Home on Linden Street, Reading, MA.  Further information is available here.
 
 
You're invited to Celebrate 100 YEARS OF SERVICE
 
Thursday, November 2, 2023
Meadow Brook Golf Club, 292 Grove St., Reading, MA 01867
6:00 pm Cocktail Reception
7:00 pm Dinner
$50 per person
RSVP/PURCHASE TICKETS. No later than October 26th
 
Paul Harris Honoree:  Jack Hammond, Brigadier General USA Ret., Executive Director, HOME BASE.  
 
Home Base is a national nonprofit dedicated to healing the invisible wounds of war for Veterans of all eras, Service Members, Military Families and Families of the Fallen through world-class, direct clinical care, wellness, education and research – all at no cost to them – regardless of era of service, discharge status or geographical location.
 
President Sheila Clarke is delighted to announce that Reading Rotary will make a special Paul Harris Fellow presentation to Reading native General Jack Hammond, US Army Ret., Executive Director of Home Base at the 100th Anniversary Celebration on November 2nd. 
 
Home Base is a national nonprofit dedicated to healing the invisible wounds of war for Veterans of all eras, Service Members, Military Families and Families of the Fallen through world-class, direct clinical care, wellness, education and research – all at no cost to them – regardless of era of service, discharge status or geographical location.  Home Base organizes the Run to Home Base (. Run to Home Base – Red Sox Foundation  ) event at Fenway Park.  President Clarke said, “Home Base provides amazing support to Veterans in need.  We are so happy to be able to honor General Hammond at our Gala.  His service and leadership are so inspirational.  You won’t want to miss it.”
 
Reading Rotary was chartered on December 7, 1923.  Over the years we have evolved from a weekly lunch meeting of business leaders to a robust community service organization with expanded membership, including a greater representation of our community. 
 
Reading Fall Street Faire:  All hands on deck needed on Sun., Sept. 10.  All Rotarians are asked to attend and volunteer.  Many will be there all day starting before 7 am and ending whenever we get everything stowed away.  Please sign up to help.  We have well over 100 booths, entertainment on 3 stages, lots of amusements, food, cornhole, beer garden, games, and lots of fun.  

Cornhole at the RFSF:  Cornhole teams needed.  Teams of 2.  Please invite your friends and neighbors.  Sign up here.
Cornhole boards.  Order a custom cornhole board for your business or family.  The board will be played on at the tourney and it’s yours to take home.

Meeting Volunteers.  We will be asking for the following volunteers for each meeting:  Greeter; Fines; Raffle; Set up/Clean up; Reflection.  Duties for 9/18.  Set up:  Jean K; Greeter: Phil S; Reflection: Peter M; Fines: Dick H; Clean up: Tim K.  Duties for 10/2.  Set up:  Jean K; Greeters:  Lisa S & Sue B; Reflection: volunteer needed; Fines: volunteer needed; Clean up: volunteer needed.  Contact Sheila to volunteer.

New Member Application:  This is official notice that we have a new member application from John McCoy of Northern Bank.  If anyone has any feedback, please contact Membership Chair Lisa Gibbs.

District Governor Visit on Sept. 18, at 6 pm at RCTV.  Please mark your calendar so we will have a big turnout for DG Lori’s visit.  Note there is no lunch meeting in September because of the RFSF on 9/10.
 
Rotary Road Trip.  President Elect Phil Stewart is organizing visits to nearby Rotary meetings.  If you want to join Phil and Sheila at an upcoming visit, contact Phil.
 
 
Here's your challenge to complete in the Cornhole Tournament Reading Fall Street Faire on September 10. 
 
Grab a friend to enjoy our new beer garden and entertainment during the best event in Reading!  Register here
 
Bags Fly at 2 PM
$60 Per Team
Cash Prizes Top 2 Teams (but it's really about bragging rights)
Haven Street, Reading.
 
You can also order a custom cornhole board with your company or personal design to use during the event and take home and keep.  Contact Sheila Clarke for details.
 
There are still vendor and sponsor openings available.  Act now.  Click here for more information. 
 
Reading Rotarians are all asked to share this announcement with your contacts.