Approximately seventy Rotarians, family members, and guests descended on the Matunuck Community Association grounds on Sunday to enjoy our annual party. Bright sunshine illuminated the fall flowers that provided a stunning backdrop.

 

Children from age one up enjoyed whiffleball and beanbag games, while the more “mature” set favored bocce and “cornhole baseball.”

 

The highlight of the day was the food! Stuffies, chowder, clam cakes, and salads were followed by grilled Saugies, burgers, and zucchini, with sweet corn, baked potatoes, and many desserts. Many lobsters and steaks were seen to be devoured as well.

 

The big suspense of the day was, “Who would win the auction items?” Peter and Claudia won the Waterville Valley condo. Linda claimed by the mountain bike. Jim took home the lounge chair and B&B trip to Kingston. Fran will be deep sea fishing on Bills  Yacht Then there was the 50-50 raffle, which Spence claimed $169 that he generously donated back to the club For a grand total of $1867raised. Many thanks to our resident Wakefield Rotary Auctioneer Harry!

 

 

Many thanks to the committee members who planned, cooked, served, and cleaned for the group! Elizabeth led the charge, joined by Bob, Bill, Chris, Gene, Harry, Pete, Of course, others pitched in, including Sezkin, who shucked a lot of corn.

 

Fun and fellowship in the fall. It doesn’t get better than this! If you couldn’t make you were missed!!

 

First, District Governor Steve Albright recognized several club members for their contributions to the District, including Russell, Herb, and Steve. He mentioned that President Mark Maloney’s theme for this year is “Rotary Connects the World,” and he distributed pins emblazoned with that slogan.

 

Steve’s overriding goal this year is to stabilize and increase membership in our district. Although worldwide membership is flat, in the United States it is declining. Steve has asked each club to increase its membership by reaching out to people who share our ideal of making the world a better place. He suggested that there are several things we can do to increase membership, including appointing a membership chair, having a diverse membership committee, setting an achievable goal and plan, and making membership a priority for the club. (In response to a question, Bob said that our current membership is 47 and our goal is 53.)

 

To expand outreach to potential members, President Maloney is urging Rotary clubs to consider changing some of their routines to meet the needs of different groups. He suggests that younger people, including those with young families, may prefer different meeting schedules/formats, different types of service projects, and even separate clubs made up of their peers.

 

District Governor Albright also urged members to contribute to the Rotary Foundation (in addition to the club foundation). The expectation is “Every Rotarian Every Year” at the level of $2 a week or more. Half of the income to the Rotary International Foundation goes to goes back to the districts and half goes to support worldwide programs.