Jack Toner, of the Sumner and Toner Agency in Longmeadow was elected 1st vice president of the Rotary Club of Springfield at the meeting of the Club's Board of Directors on December 17th. Jack joined the Club in August of 2011 and has distinguished himself as one of our most active members.
He fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Jennifer Schimmel-Stanley, executive director of the Greater Springfield Habitat for Humanity who recently resigned her position as 1st vice president as well as post as chair of the Club's 100th Anniversary event in the spring. I'm grateful for her support and skillful help over the last six months and, though I'm sorry to see her step down, I fully understand and support her decision. She plans to continue as a member of the Club.
I reached out to 2nd Vice President Marie Angelides to inquire about her availability to serve as 1st vice president, but the timing was not right for her. She looks forward to continuing in her role as 2nd vice president, for which I am most grateful. Marie, Jenn and I have managed much of the Club's growth and development together over the last several months and I look forward to continuing to benefit from Marie's good advice and support.
Jack has chaired our Club's Road Race fundraiser for the last three years and had previously served as member of the Club's Board of Directors until his election to 1st Vice President. He would become our new president on June 26, 2015 and serve in that role for the fiscal year 2015-16, beginning July 1st.
We're holding our Club's quarterly Assembly tomorrow and will focus upon our accomplishments to date and reporting back to members on plans for a handful of important future events.
Club Member MaryAnne Herron, back from her most recent trip to Cambodia will report on how Rotary funds for our club and others were used to advance clean water projects around her clinic and school there. Dr. Herron makes frequent trips back in support of the programs and people there. She will have a brief update for us on progress to date.
Jack Toner will bring the Club up-to-date on our major fundraiser for the year, the Harvest 8k Road Race in Forest Park set for October 18th. More runners are urgently needed as registrations are running low, though many people have anecdotally said they will be running. Proceeds support smaller Springfield charities supported by our Service Fund.
Past President Jay Lieb and Membership Chair Mike Healy have made important progress on this year's "Service Above Self" luncheon set tentatively for December 6th. Rumor has it they may be ready to announce the national and local honorees at our meeting.
1st Vice President Jenn Schimmel-Stanley has been busy leading efforts to celebrate our Club's 100th birthday in the spring. The Club turns 100 officially July 1st, at the start of Jenn's term of office. Our formal celebration will be a few weeks earlier of May 20th to avoid the cluster of school and vacation conflicts which cluster around June and July.
Last Saturday was a beautiful fall day as runners and Rotarian gathered in the beauty of Springfield's jewel: Forest Park. Jack Toner, coordinator of our Club's Harvest 8K benefit run had "left it all on the field." as sports journalists like to say. The course was planned and certified, timing services were in place, the sponsors were secured, the promotion was generated at running clubs and running stores and other races across the valley--even on 22News. Thirty-two runners turned out--- enough to make the event competitive for the runners and a success for our Club.
Members of the Club turned out in support of the work done by Jack, Rotarian and former Club President Steve Jablonski and their team of able volunteers. The weather cooperated, spirits were high and the day went off without a hitch---generating a sizeable infusion into our Service Fund to help fuel our big plans for our 100th year in 2015.
At the Club meeting on Friday October 24th Jack will announce the final tally after expenses---safe to say, the biggest single infusion of funds this year into the Club's Service arm.
Special thanks to Jim and Bob Russell and their company, American Pest Solutions, our major sponsor, MGM Springfield, Hampden Bank, Capuano Care, Baystate Health, Health New England, Horizon Sheet Metal, Jablonski Devreise Architects, Sumner and Toner Insurance, Colony Care, CHH Engraving, Laprise Chiropractic, the DeLude Family, Cooley Shrair, the Willy Ross School, Andy Skroback PIP Printing, Wild Apple Designs, Kitchens by Custom Bainet and Dr. Maryanne Herron.
Of special note, new Dad Steve Jablonski ran with wife and new mother Jillian and the race's youngest participant,
All proceeds benefit local Rotary Service Fund charities.
Nine members of our Club will attend the October 28th Partners in Rotary luncheon being sponsored by our West Springfield sister Club. They are: Josh Elterman, Rick Lee, Jay Leib, Jim and Marion Russell and daughter Michelle Tsiotsias, Audrey Szychulski, Bernie Spirito and Rick Lee. Keep in mind, attendance at an event such as this not only supports our mission and sister Club, but counts toward your weekly Rotary attendance. Last minute sign-ups are still possible at this writing, if you'd care to join us.
Lunch will be held at the Carriage House, located on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition, 1305 Memorial Avenue, West Springfield, MA 01089. The meeting will begin promptly at 12:15 PM. Cost of lunch is $12 per person, payable the day of the event.
Rotarians are asked to RSVP to their own Club President who will submit group reservations. Some space may be available at the door on the day of the event.
Twenty-five members of our Club turned out to answer phones for the ShrinersHosptial for Children "Love To The Rescue" radiot
hon Friday October 3rd. In place of the club's regular luncheon meeting our members took phone calls from donors responding to on-air appeals from WHYN NewsRadio 560 and WHYN-FM Mix 93.1 on-air personnel.
We were, if anything, a little "over-staffed" but the Shriners Hospital event shattered it's $101,000 goal for the two-day event!
Families from around the corner and around the world have turned to Shriners Hospital for Children when they needed help.
On Friday October 3rd, members of the Rotary Club of Springfield will be joining forces with Shriners Hospital and Clear Channel Communications stations MIX 93-1 and NewsRadio 560 in a Radio-thon to raise funds to support Shriners services.
Rotarians will man the phones to take incoming calls spurred by the live radio coverage from Shriners which will include doctors, family and usually some children who are themselves patients---all asking listeners to call in to make a gift.
It's a small departure from the Rotary Club of Springfield's usual Friday meeting format which features lunch together and an interesting local speaker.
The Club will return to its regular meeting venue at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next week, at 12:15 PM on Friday October 10th. In addition to lunch, the program that day will be a scheduled a Club Assembly to review Club directions, future meeting plans and Service project progress.
Polio seems to some of us a throwback word from our childhood. To others it seems an odd and remote concern. But for parts of the world this virus is still a scourge as the World Health Organization, Rotary International, UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation attempt to eradicate it from the face of the earth. Only one other such disease has been eradicated---smallpox---and while the job isn't done we are within striking distance now. Ivan Butterfield a thirty year Rotary veteran, summertime friend and seasonal member of our Springfield Club, and a passionate Rotary spokesperson in the fight against polio---will join forces with Club member Dene Kimball to detail the effort to date to eradicate polio and the critical role of the Rotary Foundation with this and other national and international service work.
Their presentation will take place at our October 24th 12:15 meeting at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Also expected to attend are District 7890 Governor Michael Roy and Assistant District Governor David Condon.
Eradication is a concept that was once felt impossible, yet we are ever so near to achieving it. Ivan will report on the state of the battle and what remains to be done, and how all Rotarians can play a critical role in making this dream a reality by 2018.
Nationally, on that same day as Ivan's talk, Rotary International will hold its "End Polio Now: Make History Today" Livestream event, including a global update on the status of polio eradication, on World Polio Day, 24 October, at 18:30 Chicago time (UTC-5), viewable online at endpolio.org. If you can't catch it live, the archived video will be available following the live program.
Families from around the corner and around the world have turned to Shriners Hospital for Children when they needed help. 
