Bedford Rotary

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

2010-10-22T13:40:00.006-04:00

Save the Date!

SUNDAY, DEC 5, 2010

Bedford, Mass. —

Did you know that for the 24th year in a row Santa and Mrs. Claus will make a special trip on their sleigh from the North Pole to Bedford for the first Sunday in December for the annual Rotary Breakfast with Santa?

Join Santa and Mrs. Claus, on Dec. 5 at Bedford High School 8 am to 12 p.m. for a yummy breakfast including Whole Foods pancakes, Welch's juice, scrambled eggs, sausages, pastries, Starbucks coffee and more.

Smile pretty for the free photos by the professional photographer. In the silent auction and raffle there are dozens of great prizes are available such as Celtics tickets, a dream ride in a police car to school, a sweet smelling Christmas tree from NE Nurseries, and a party at the Bedford Fire Station. Many more prizes from local businesses are available too.

Many elves from Rotary, Callahan's, Girl Scouts, The Interact Club (The Rotary Club for High School Students) and Destination Imagination will lend a hand.

Again this year - bring your Toys for Tots contributions.

Don't miss special visits from the Lowell Devil Dog, and Minnie and Mickey Mouse.

http://www.BedfordRotary/BreakfastwithSanta.cfm

2010-10-08T15:15:00.001-04:00

To the Editor:

The Rotary Club of Bedford would like to thank all those who helped to make the September 11 Remembrance at Springs Brook Park possible. On a day in which we were drawn together to remember and reflect, we were struck by the tangible support of our community.

Thank you to Denis Freeman and the Bedford Department of Public Works for the chairs, podium, site preparation and the beautiful job that they do to continually maintain our beautiful park.

Without them, our task on that day would be considerably more difficult, and we
appreciate their help immensely.

We thank St. Malachy’s choir for their beautiful music; having a full church choir
added immeasurably to the morning. We thank Rev. Betsy Waters of the First Church of Christ for the wisdom of her remarks and for giving her time to us so generously.

We thank the Bob Latina and the Boy Scouts for posting the colors.

Thank you to Bedford Minuteman reporter Susan Ellis and photographer.

Our gratitude to Nat Brown and New England Nurseries for the gift of the Purity Japanese Andromeda to the families, to Bob Mead for his conception and delivery of this yearly, deeply moving ceremony, to attendees from the Bedford Fire Department, and to Selectman Walter St. Onge.

Finally, we thank the 100 or so participants who came together to share in a meaningful remembrance on a beautiful September morning,

Sincerely,

Cliff Rober

President, Rotary Club of Bedford
www.bedfordmaRotary.org

Storyteller! Robear will visit Rotary 9/20/10

2010-09-20T13:25:00.000-04:00

Join us for 3 original Stories by Robear

* Life of the Party
* Harvey's Mother's Funeral
* Outlandish Characters

note: Bedford TV(Madeleine Altmann) will join us to tape this presentation

9-11 Memorial Service

2010-09-09T13:57:00.002-04:00

9-11 Memorial Observance

2010-09-01T15:19:00.002-04:00

9-11 Memorial Observance

The Rotary Club of Bedford invites all interested citizens to a brief memorial service in observance of the events of September 11, 2001.

It will be held at 9-11 Memorial Park at Springs Brook, 200 Springs Road, on Saturday, September 11 at 10:30 AM.
...
The service will include a blessing by Rev. Betsy Waters of Bedford’s First Church of Christ, and music will be provided by the St. Malachy Parish Choir, of Burlington. Rotary President Cliff Rober will preside.

All are welcome. All ages. This invitation is warmly extended to Bedfordites and members of all surrounding communities.

Memorial Park is located along the road leading to Springs Brook Park near Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans' Hospital at 200 Springs Road. To reach it, take Routes 4/225 to Hillside Road. Turn right on Hillside, following signs to the V. A. Hospital. After passing through the 4-way intersection with Page Rd, take the first right into the park.

Please extend this invitation to all.

Trails Committee Completes First Phase of Bog Bridge Construction Project

2010-05-10T10:00:00.001-04:00

A group of citizens from the Bedford Rotary, Boy Scout Troop 114, and the Bedford Trails Committee assembled on a rainy Saturday in the garage workshop of Paul Marcus and finished construction of bog bridges that will improve trails through muddy sections of several Bedford conservation areas. Drew Colgan wrote a Rotary grant proposal as part of his Eagle Scout project, and the Rotary funded the materials for the bridges. Colgan’s project, completed in January, involved construction and placement of seven bridges in the Carlson Conservation Area. The grant money enabled the Trails Committee to purchase materials for an additional 17 bridges, which were placed along trails in the York and Carlson conservation areas on Saturday. Town Meeting recently approved funding for an additional 40 bridges using Community Preservation Act funds. “There are many individuals and organizations in Bedford who support and use the town’s trail system. This project has brought together people and resources from several places, and it’s great to see how much we have accomplished!” said Ralph Hammond, Rotarian and member of the Bedford Trails Committee. He added, “With the recently-approved CPA funds, we’ll be able to complete our efforts to expand access to Bedford’s conservation areas, many of which are wetlands.”

Breakfast with Santa & Mrs. Claus 2009

2009-11-09T13:14:00.006-05:00

Rotary Breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus

Sunday December 06, 2009
8 am- 12:00 pm

NEW LOCATION! BEDFORD HIGH SCHOOL

Admission $7.00 at the door
$6.00 in advance at New England Nurseries, Middlesex Savings Bank & more
Free professional keepsake photos!
Again this year: Silent Auction (Gifts, One-of-a-kind Services, Toys, Surprises) Crafts, Face painting, and more

new! raffle

23rd Annual
All proceeds to benefit local programs.
Presented by The Bedford Rotary Foundation. www.RotaryMaBedford.org
Questions? Sponsors Call Christine Pinney, 781-271-0398

Sponsored by the Goddard School, Middlesex Savings & Lowell Devils.
www.bedfordmarotary.org

Attention Bedford High School Sophomores

2009-03-01T20:06:00.002-05:00

ATTENTION SOPHOMORES

Applications are now being accepted for the
17th Annual District 7910

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Conference

June 26th through June 28 th, 2009

The Conference is aimed at giving young women and men an opportunity to develop their leadership potential. It will feature many thought-¬provoking events including inter¬active Leadership Labs, exciting guest speakers, and challenging mental and physical activities that will provide you with a chance to excel amongst and with your peers.

If selected, you will live, work and interact together with other students your age in an atmosphere of friendly competition. The program will challenge you to utilize and improve your skills and accept the responsi¬bili¬ties of leadership. Topics will include critical thinking, decision-making and ethics, communi¬cating effectively and public service.

There is no charge to attend RYLA!

But, there is a limit to how many can participate…The Rotary Club of Bedford will be conducting interviews and awarding Conference scholarship(s).

APPLY EARLY! Applications must be submitted before March 29, 2009 to be eligible to attend.

For more information, contact Christine Pinney, 781-271-0398 Christine@ChristinePinneyMarketing.com

Looking for nominees for a Rotary Leadership Conference- Press Release

2009-03-01T20:04:00.001-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Christine Pinney,(Club’s RYLA Contact Name)

RYLA Chair, Public Relations Chair (Title)
781-271-0398_(Home Phone)
781-271-0398_(Work Phone)
(509) 271-0396_(Fax Number)

Christine@ChristinePinneyMarketing . com (take out spaces)

http://ryla.rotary7910.org

Rotary offers fantastic Youth Leadership Conference opportunity for high school sophomores

BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS – March 2, 2009 -- The Rotary Club of Bedford is actively searching for qualified candidates to attend this year’s Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Conference! To be held from June 26th through June 28th, 2009 at Worcester State College in Worcester, the 17th Annual RYLA Conference will offer outstanding high school sophomores an opportunity to live, work and interact together in an atmosphere of friendly competition. It will be a program designed to challenge the participants to utilize and improve their skills and accept the responsibilities of leadership. Best of all, there is no charge to the students for the program! The Rotary Club of Bedford will sponsor 4 participants at this year’s conference.

Christine Pinney , local Committee Chairperson, said that participants would be selected from young women and men who have exhibited leadership abilities and who will be entering their Junior year of high school in the fall. The Rotary Club of Bedford is now contacting high school principals, guidance counselors, youth organizations and other sources for nominations of conference participants.

Aimed at developing the leadership potential of young men and women, the conference will feature many thought-provoking events including interactive Leadership Labs, exciting guest speakers, and challenging mental and physical activities that will provide the participants with a chance to excel amongst and with their peers. Topics will include decision-making, critical thinking, communicating effectively, ethics, and public service.

Anyone interested in obtaining further information should visit http://ryla.rotary7910.org/ or contact:
Christine Pinney at 781-271-0398 Christine@ChristinePinneyMarketing.com or any other member of the Rotary Club of Bedford.

Alexia Bililies named Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar

2009-03-01T11:59:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Alexia Bililies ’09 who has been named a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar for 2009-10!

From Bedford, Massachusetts, Alexia was a double major in

International Studies and
Humanities and Arts, and
recently graduated with High Distinction in February 2009

At WPI,
Alexia studied Spanish language and culture at Grenada, Spain, and completed an interdisciplinary project on HIV/AIDS prevention strategies in Windhoek, Namibia. In the fall of 2008, she completed her senior project while working on the People’s Pharmacy Project with Caritas Internationalis in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Alexia has also served as an intern with the Massachusetts Public Health Association in Boston and the Bureau of Prisons Federal Medical Center in Ayer. She was a member of Phi Sigma Sigma, Crimson Key, and the Social and Legal Issues Club and served actively as a volunteer in the Worcester community.

As a Rotary Scholar,

Alexia will complete a Masters in Disaster Management at the University of Copenhagen next year.
The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships program is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas.
While abroad, scholars serve as goodwill ambassadors to the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups.
Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to a greater understanding of their host country.

The Rotary Foundation's Ambassadorial Scholarships program is
currently the world's largest privately funded international scholarships program for university-level studies. Since 1947, nearly 38,000 men and women from about 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices. Examples of outstanding Rotary alumni include the Bill Moyers, a US journalist; Sadako Ogata, UN High Commissioner for Refugees; Paul Volcker, former chairman of the US Federal Reserve Board; Carlos Alberto Da Mota Pinto, former prime minister of Portugal; Otto Borch, Danish ambassador to the US; Helmut Jahn, architect; Chiharu Sakai, Japanese pianist; Kerry Healey, former lieutenant governor of Massachusetts; and Roger Ebert, a popular US film critic.

Congratulations once again to Alexia, who joins Akanksha Sharma ’08, Helena Zec ’06, Christin Reynolds ’04, and Karen Kosinski, ’02 as recent Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars from WPI.

We Sent a GSE Team to the Philippines

2009-02-16T15:44:00.001-05:00

GSE Team Philippines 2009

Rotary District 7910 is comprised of 54 Rotary Clubs in the greater Boston, Massachusetts area.Every two years we assemble a group study exchange team to send overseas.

A previous team, lead by Bedford Rotarian Kevin Sullivan, spent 6 wks in Egypt.

For 2009 four non-Rotarian professional adults age 25-35 are travelling to the philippines.

This year's team is lead by Concord Rotarian Doug Detweiler.Click the link below to view photos and see their very frequent blog entries.

http://gsephilippines2009.blogspot.com/

Honoring a Fellow Rotarian

2009-02-12T15:00:00.000-05:00

On February 10th, we honored Nat Brown for his 48 years of service to the Rotary Club of Bedford. We were thrilled to be joined by Nat's wife Judy, his kids Pam, Nat Jr, Ken & Shannon. Also present to share in this special occasion were DG Klaus Hachfeld along with his wife Glenys and DGE Carol Tooomey.

Speech co-authored and given by Susanna Natti & Bob Cassidy

Nat, you've been an active, contributing member of the Rotary Club
of Bedford since 1961. In becoming a Rotarian, you followed the example of your father, Judge John F. Brown, who was one of our club's charter members. You have served on many club committees and are a past president. You have been Rotarian of the Year.

You have made Service Above Self a way of life; your family has a tradition of service to this town, and you have made that manifest in so many ways.

You assisted in transferring the Job Lane House to the Town of Bedford, so that it and its history could be preserved, a vision your mother and Town Historian Louise K. Brown held and made happen. You have served the Town on numerous boards, and, along with your wife Judy, have been active in many community groups, including the Boy Scouts, the Bedford Historical Society, 4H, the American Red Cross, and your church. There are more organizations you have supported with your time, energy,
and donations. We can't list them all.

You and your brothers donated the Cedar Swamp to the town of Bedford and another substantial parcel of land to the Town for conservation and recreation purposes.

You are generous with your space in other ways - you have provided meeting space to a number of town organizations, including our own Board of Directors and Foundation Trustees. We have found that we only need ask; you are always there with a "yes".

Your firm has provided pro bono and discounted services to many Town organizations.

Your generosity and behind-the-scenes work has contributed so much to the town of Bedford but it does not stop at our borders. You have been involved in many worthy
projects. Inspired by a speaker and assessing the substance of a proposed project, you
have helped fund such projects as an ambulance in Nepal and solar panels in Ghana..

Last week, we had speakers from SNAP, the Special Needs Arts Program in Lexington,
which creates opportunities for special needs children and adults to participate in
music and visual arts programs. The speakers hoped for our support.
It was completely characteristic of you that you were the first one up out of your chair
with $50 and a challenge for the rest of us to match that money - which we did, and we even surpassed the match, because there's nothing like a challenge and you so often pave the way.

You have been the cheerleader for our club's fellowship activities, from weekends at the Balsams to trips to the Omni theater to restaurant evenings to Black Tie Dinners. You are someone who likes to have fun, and it's sometimes daunting for the rest of us to keep up with you.

You and your family and New England Nurseries have been extraordinarily generous over the years, whether it is supplying poinsettias for all the tables at Breakfast with Santa, working on our Memorial planting for 9/11 at Springs Brook Park, and many
other projects and events.

Speaking of family, you have been a father that all three of your kids (Pam, Nat and Ken) are proud to call Dad.

You have been a role model as a compassionate and caring person, as a professional (attorney, counselor, nurseryman, or whatever the role of the day) and as a sponsor and leader of good causes. Your 7 grandchildren adore you and you will never be too old to get down on the floor for a piggyback ride or to roast marshmallows by the campfire.

You don't blow your own horn. A lot of what you do is done quietly, behind the scenes. So, we'd like to blow the horn ourselves, and for all these things, we are so honored to have you as a member of our club, and we would like to present you with this Rotary Club of Bedford Distinguished Service Award.

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Bedford Blog

2009-01-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

We had a great visit today from Dan LeBlanc, Jill Lennon and Ken Masson of the Merrimac Valley Rotary Club who talked about the blog network they're building in our district, Rotary District 7910. The Bedford Club is now on board!

This is our very first blog and as this year's president I'm proud to be the one to give this a try. Our guests today made it sound really easy and I have to admit that it is as advertised. Our goal is to give current updates of what's happening with our club so that we may share all the great work we do and let people know a little bit about us.

The big news today is the completion of a long term, multi-club project in Kenya regarding the contribution of a brand new van for a children's center. The need for a van to transport children and support staff who live at a distance and may otherwise not have access to the services offered at the center has increased considerably since the project first started two years ago. With the help of many Rotarians not the least by our very own Ralph Hammond, this project has been seen through until completion... Congratulations!!!

Words from Rotarian Marco Pruiksma, of the Naivasha Rotary Club in Kenya. Today I went with some of the board members of the Compass School to the factory where the bus is being build up. The board members had to choose the design and color of the interior and the exterior. It turned out to be a long meeting but it was fun. What I can tell you is that the staff and children of the Compass School are really excited! (just to confirm: these are the same people and the same kids from the former Kimuri School).

From our viewpoint in Bedford, this is what Rotary and the Rotary Foundation is all about. Having an impact, especially for the teachers and students, to demonstrate that there are people that live in other parts of this world that we truly really do care about them. It is an honor to report that the Rotarians here in the USA are just as excited about this project as those in Kenya.

Rotary Clubs (District): Bedford (7910), Littleton (7910), Cambridge (7930), Belmont (7930), Stoneham (7930), Middleboro (7950), and in Kenya, Naivasha (9200). We will put the names of the clubs on the bus together with the Rotary logo.

Gift of Life NE - Urgent Need

2009-01-23T14:48:00.001-05:00

THIS IS URGENT ! Please consider how you can help. This is an excellent program, with many children saved by our district Rotarians. Ted Shaughnessy (see below) can give you contacts for clubs and Rotarians who have had this excellent experience.

DG Klaus

Host needed to save life of 3.5 year old Jaada from BelizeGift of Life NE needs a host family/club for 3.5 year old Jaada and her mom from Belize who are coming here for life saving open heart surgery on March 2.

Belize is English speaking. Surgery is March 2 at MA General Hospital in Boston and pre-op is Feb 25. Jaada and mom will both stay in the hospital from March 2-9 or so . Then go back for a follow up a week later another follow up a week latter and possibly ( not common) a third follow up another week later. So they will be with the host from about Feb 24 - March 2 and back around March 9 through late March. Hosting can be shared with others too.Please consider opening your heart and home so Jaada can measure her life span in decades rather than days. This will be a life altering experience for the hosts too.YOU can make a difference. Yes you can. Gift of Life NE is a project of Rotary District 7910. See our website www.golne.org Other kids will be coming later too so be sure to contact Ted if you will consider hosting at any time.

Contact Ted Shaughnessy, for more information or to discuss hosting.Email: tedshaughnessy@golne.org617-957-3461 cell781-449-4876h781-449-2320w