In these trying times, with a raging pandemic and societal upheavals, some are tempted to despair. Don’t. We have endured crises in our past, and we have survived.
Every challenge brings an opportunity to innovate, change, and grow. For example, during our recent board of directors meeting, we brainstormed around how our Club could complete our service project, Chalk-it-up, virtually. In just a few minutes, our board members suggested many innovative ways to achieve this goal.
I have learned through my life that where there is a will, there is a way. I learned to have grit, tenacity, and persistence. I developed the desire to help those that need help but can’t fend for themselves.
More importantly, I have learned a great lesson at Rotary: there is strength in numbers.
Rotary offers endless ways to create opportunities for others as well as for ourselves. In the words of our new RI President Holger Knaack, “We believe that our acts of service, large and small, generate opportunities for people who need our help and that Rotary opens opportunities for us to live a richer, more meaningful life, with friends around the world, based on our core values.”
In trying times, the best way to control our anxiety and be calm is to keep our minds engaged in service to others. This year we are planning new service projects. I encourage you to stay involved to the benefit of our community, as well as for your own.
Please, join us this Friday, July 10 at 12:30 pm in our weekly virtual meeting as we will proudly announce the winners of our Service Grants.
We had 16 applicants and we had selected 6 among them to be awarded either $1,000 or $2,000 grants to contribute to their efforts to assist our community with the COVID-19 pandemic. We are grateful to all members that had made these awards possible. Thanks for your generosity.
It gives me great pleasure to invite any Rotarian the opportunity to join a team of dedicated people, who is known as our DG track.
We are looking for people that would be interested in becoming the District Governor for the years 2023/2024.
Before you come up with the excuses that you don't have the time, we have made it easier for you since during my year we added the position of Governors Aide.
This person helps the District Governor in all aspects during their year and takes the burden off of one person doing it all.
The process is easy to apply.
Go to our District 7890 website and there is an application you need to fill out.
Send it to Dick Borden and myself, and you will be invited to the interview process in October.
This year due to the pandemic surrounding Covid-19, the Springfield Rotary Club will NOT be conducting their annual Paul Harris dinner in June.
The club decided that with the great difficulties surrounding our community, the Springfield Rotary Club would continue to provide their annual grants to support local Springfield organizations who are making a positive difference!
On Thursday, June 11th 2020, John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame and Frank Colaccino, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Governor; CEO of the Colvest Group and Committee Chair of the Westfield Bank 2019 Service Above Self Luncheon Committee presented a check for $6,500 to The Rotary Club of Springfield. This is the largest contribution The Basketball Hall of Fame has made to the Springfield Rotary Club since the inception of the Awards luncheon 10 years ago.
The contribution was from the proceeds of the 10th Annual Service Above Self luncheon held at the Hall of Fame last November. The Westfield Bank 2019 Service Above Self Award Winners were local honoree the Jimmy Fund Golf Committee of Western Massachusetts. National honoree were Bob & Chris Hurley, for living out the Rotary motto “Service Above Self”.
The Rotary Club of Springfield is planning to award $10,000 in grants to Springfield-based non-profit organizations that benefit the Greater Springfield Community virtually in July, 2020. This year all grant projects will relate to serving the Springfield Community during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Photo L-R Paul Lambert, Rotarian and Vice President, Enshrinement Services & Community Engagement; John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame; Frank Colaccino, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Governor, CEO of the Colvest Group and Chair of the Luncheon Committee; Sue A. Mastroianni and Jack Toner, Past Presidents of the Rotary Club of Springfield
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