Events

With over 30 years of experience as a business owner and consultant, combined with a 20-year teaching career as an Adjunct Professor of Business at Suffolk University (Boston), John has developed a deep and practical understanding of the financial, marketing, sales, operations, and human challenges that organizations face today.  

John is known for his unique ability to quickly assess an organization’s needs and work closely with leaders to implement strategic, tactical, and leadership initiatives that drive real results. His approach is rooted in both academic rigor and hands-on experience, earning him the nickname “prac-ademic.”  

John’s boundless energy and passion for excellence shine through in every interaction. He’s helped hundreds of individuals, teams, and organizations thrive in their industries by delivering insights with depth, clarity, and a people-centric, data-driven approach that consistently achieves desired outcomes.

John offers one-on-one and group coaching programs specifically designed for CEOs and business owners of small to medium-sized companies and non-profit organizations, guiding them toward success and sustainable growth

Weekly Meeting, 7:15 AM Breakfast buffet, 7:30 AM meeting

Doubletree Hilton, Andover, Conference Room

Speaker: John Vetere, of Vetere and Associates

Topic: Corporate, Not for Profit, and Executive Coaching  

Please register!   

John Bottei is a Community Sponsorship and Engagement Specialist at Catholic Charities of Boston. He earned a Bachelor's degree in International Studies from Boston College with a concentration in Ethics and Social Justice. In his current role in the Refugee and Immigrant Services division, he connects community organizations and communities of faith with families served by the agency in eastern Massachusetts. These community sponsorship groups partner with Catholic Charities to provide companionship and support for a family in the transition to their new community, giving members an opportunity to empower the family as they move towards self-sufficiency. John is committed to accompanying those who are most in need in his community, and he strives to do so through his work. 

Andover Rotary Weekly Meeting

Speaker: John Bottei, Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Boston, "Empowering Immigrant Families Toward Self-Sufficiency"

Breakfast buffet, 7:15 AM, Rotary Meeting, 7:30 - 8:45 AM

Please register! 

Vin was an Andover resident for over 30 years before moving to Salem, New Hampshire last May. He is widowed and has 3 children from 23 to 29 including the current JV basketball coach at Andover High (John), a doctor in physical therapy (Emily) and a recent graduate of Endicott College (Alex).

After a successful career in corporate America, Vin decided to combine two of his favorite hobbies – trivia and music to form his current company Trivia and Tunes. He designs and hosts trivia games made specifically for his audience with musical clues. His primary audience consists of senior centers and residences and he has hosted games for fundraisers, private parties, corporate events, organizations and schools. His most memorable game was a baseball opening day trivia game for Dana Farber fundraisers for over 200 people. This game was part of an on-line event highlighted by a Tim Wakefield Q and A session. People love his game as witnessed by his 99.8% satisfaction rate. To learn more, check out his web site at triviaandtunes.com.

Andover Rotary Weekly Meeting

7:15 hot breakfast buffet - 7:30 meeting    until 8:45

Speaker: Vincent Piscareta, of Trivia and Tunes, about work with groups in fundraising

Conference Rooms, Doubletree Hotel, Andover 

Please register by Wednesday at 4 PM!! It helps us predict how many seats to have!

Melissa Pennington is a dedicated advocate for youth, with over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector. Throughout her career, she has championed initiatives that go beyond academics, focusing on enhancing opportunities for young people to succeed in all aspects of life. Melissa has spearheaded programs offering mentorship, life skills training, and extracurricular activities, fostering environments where youth can explore their full potential and build the confidence to pursue their dreams.

Her work has centered on bridging gaps in access to essential resources, particularly for those from marginalized communities. From partnering with local organizations to secure funding and create impactful outreach programs, to leading teams that mentor at-risk youth, Melissa’s leadership has consistently brought meaningful change.

Driven by a deep passion for social justice and equality, Melissa is committed to ensuring every young person she serves has the tools, support, and encouragement to thrive outside the classroom. Through her strategic vision and collaborative spirit, she continues to transform lives, one initiative at a time.

 Melissa currently serves as the Associate Program Director at Playworks, an organization dedicated to transforming children’s social and emotional health through the power of play. Playworks partners with schools to create safe, inclusive environments for play, where children can develop crucial skills like teamwork, conflict resolution, and leadership. Through structured recess programs, Playworks helps foster positive relationships and encourages physical activity, supporting students' holistic development.  

Andover Rotary Weekly Meeting

October 18, Breakfast Buffet, 7:15 AM, Meeting starts at 7:30 AM, ends by 8:45 AM

Andover Doubletree Hilton Hotel Conference rooms

Speaker: Melissa Pennington , Associate Director, Playworks

"Transforming Children's Social and Emotional Health Through the Power of Play"

Guests welcome: Please register by Wednesday 4 PM

Join the team from Ironstone Farm to hear more about what's happening with the herd! We also have new volunteer opportunities!  This week's meeting will be at the Ironstone Farm location.  Members should use 456 Lowell Street, Andover MA as the address for their GPS (Different from the website which says 450 Lowell).  At the entrance are two stone pillars.  Once you pull in you can park anywhere in the lot - including the grass areas.   We will meet in the basement of the big brown farmhouse.  You can walk through the grass down to the basement entrance (door is under the deck).  We look forward to seeing everyone.

REminder: Weekly Meeting at Ironstone Farm 

Irsonstone Farm 456 Lowell Street, Andover (Use GPS to take you to the basement of the big brown farm house)

Breafast 7:15, Meeting 8:45 AM

 Speaker: Kerri Whalen, Executive Director, The Mission of Ironstone Farm and new volunteer opportunities 

Dan Strollo, Executive Director – In Control Family Foundation - a nonprofit offering the nation's first state certified closed course, hands-on crash prevention training.

www.driveincontrol.org

Dan is a father of four with a background in the auto industry, marketing and construction.  He first learned of In Control back in 2006 and has led the organization for over 15 years, reaching 40,000+ students and saving countless lives in the process.  Today, his goal is to educate you on how dangerous driving has become and offer some tips to keep you and your family safer on our roads.

Andover Rotary Weekly Meeting

Doubletree Hilton Hotel, 7:15 AM Breaakfast Buffet, 7:30, Meeting begins

Speaker: Dan Strollo, Executive Director,  In Control Family Foundation 

Program: How dangerous driving has become, and how to keep safe onmn the roads.

Plus: Food Colection for Neighbors in Need at the Meeting

Please register - its just a click away!  By Wednesday afternoon please! 

<p>Ironstone Farms, Spirit of Giving Gala</p> <p>6&nbsp;PM Fundriaser for Challenge Unllimited Program, representing Rotary</p> <p>16 tickets available, or go to website <a href="http://ironstonefarm.org">https://Ironstonefarm.org</a></p> <p>Contact Jim Greeley for more information&nbsp;</p> <p>greeleyj7@gmail.com</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Andover Rotary Weekly Meeting

Robb Senior Center, Andover`

7:15 AM Breakfast Buffet, 7:30 - 8:45 AM, Meeting 

Speaker:  Mark Comeiro, Director, Andover Veteran's Services 

Want to honor a veteran? Please be sure to register him or her! Veterans from the VFW will attend!

Wnat to help a neitghbor in need to enjoy Thanksgiving? Bring non-perishables that would bless a table to the meeting. 

All food donatons Nov 8,15 and 22 go to Neighbors in Need to Distribute, devlivered by Alex and Diana Kiesel

And bring a  $Ten for Turkleys (for the Charitable Trust) or Venmo @Rotaryandover with the note, "Turkeys". 

Join us this Tuesday, November 12th at 12:30 pm for lunch or 5:30 pm for dinner at the Chateau in Andover.  20% of the total sales (before tax) will benefit the Andover Rotary Charitable Trust.  

If you are unable to join us for lunch or dinner, any purchase on this day from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm (dine-in on your own time, take-out or online orders) will qualify. Mention "FLAG YOUR CHECK" to the server or phone rep or if placing an online order, add the item "Fundraiser" to your cart and "Rotary" under special instructions.  

Invite your friends, co-workers, family members! 

To "sign-up" for either lunch or dinner, CLICK HERE.

NOTE: Your sign-up will reserve a seat for you/your guest(s) at tables in our section and does not include the cost of the meal.

Common Man for Ukraine’s co-founders turned small-town New Hampshire heart into global impact, refusing to stand idly by after the February 2022 invasion. Without a clear path to help Ukraine’s children, the four volunteers reached out and built one. 

Inspired by our Plymouth Rotary Foundation's commitment to Service Above Self, our all-volunteer team efficiently and effectively partners with fellow Rotarians on the ground to deliver impactful relief programs for Ukraine's most vulnerable children.

With every humanitarian trip our co-founders lead, it becomes clear that the needs of Ukraine's children of war keep growing both in scope and complexity.

Starting with an effort to feed the children and heat their safe houses, the toll on their mental health became increasingly clear -- leading to the launch of our trauma counseling initiatives.

Aaron’s Presents is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that offers 1) hands-on, individualized mentoring, 2) materials/services, and 3) logistical help to any child in 8th grade or below who wants to carry out an idea that benefits at least one other person, animal, and/or the environment. We follow the children’s vision as they create and lead a memorable, meaningful, and fun experience by practicing kindness, empathy, and generosity.

In the process, the children discover the value of their ideas and unique qualities and their ability to make the world better exactly as they are at every age and stage. Ours is a new approach to “community service”, because we’re asking kids to start seeing giving not as an occasional obligation but as their larger purpose.

Leah Okimoto started Aaron’s Presents in January 2014 as a way to honor the memory of her son. At other phases of her life, she has composed music for musical theatre, run a legal recruiting firm, tutored and mentored kids, and volunteered at homeless shelters, hospitals, schools and meal kitchens. She graduated from Harvard University in 1998 and currently lives on the campus of Phillips Academy in Andover, MA with her husband and two daughters.

Top Notch Scholars positions inner-city youth for success based on the principles of Intentional Psychology, an approach that’s been effective in helping improve human performance & achievement.

Run for the Troops is seeking volunteers for the Christmas Dinner for Veterans at the Veteran's Outreach Center in Haverhill on Thursday, December 12th.

Help is needed to:

• Set up
• Serve dinner
• Clean up.

If you are available to help in all capacities (from 1:30 to 5:00 pm), please sign up under "All Tasks" in the online signup. If you are only available to help with specific tasks, please sign up under the individual task.  

Questions can be directed by email to Bill Pennington or phone: 978-886-8587.

Thank you for supporting our troops!

Jemma Lambert has dedicated the majority of her career to public service in the municipal context. The deliberately public-facing nature of the work that underpins the work as Director of Equity & Engagement is of particular interest to Jemma whose professional and academic interests center on citizen engagement and in improving the safety net and quality of life for all in a given community.

Jemma has served as teaching faculty for Suffolk University, Dalhousie University and the University of Alberta where she has taught in the areas of Public Administration Professionalism, Citizen Engagement and Consultation, and Leadership and Decision-Making. Jemma’s work in Canada culminated in her authorship of the Citizenship Engagement curriculum for Canada’s National Advanced Certificate in Local Authority Administration.    Jemma received her Bachelor’s degree in history and literature from Hampshire College and her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Suffolk University.  

Jemma has had the pleasure of developing Leadership Academies in several municipalities; an initiative focused on connecting residents with their local government leaders. She considers this work to be profound and deeply rewarding.  Andover's Leadership Academy is an 12 week course designed to enhance townspeople's understanding of Town government operations and for municipal leaders and townspeople to learn from one another through conversation. The program is designed to advance understanding of and participation in civic affairs as well as to increase awareness of the challenges facing municipal government.

You, your family and guests are cordially invited to celebrate the holidays with us on Thursday, December 19th starting at 5:30 pm at the home of Mary Ann Millar in Andover. Appetizers and dinner buffet will be provided.  If you would like to bring a dessert or beverage to share or need Mary Ann's address, please email Diana who will be coordinating incoming fare.

We will also be collecting unwrapped gifts for pre-school children and canned food to benefit the Andover/No. Andover YMCA who generously offers meeting space throughout the year for our Club.  CLICK HERE for the Amazon Wish/Gift List.  Gifts from the wish list can be mailed directly to the YMCA if preferred.

RSVP by signing up online (click blue button under Online Registration to the left) or via the sign-up sheet which is being circulated at the weekly meetings.  If you are signing up for more than one person, please use the appropriate registration category to help ensure adequate food. 

Looking forward to celebrating this joyeous season together!

For the past seven years Andover Rotary has hauled in more money from a day of bell ringing for the Salvation Army than any other group in the Greater Lawrence area.

This year we go for our 8^th year. Our secret? Corny music and bad dancing.

On Friday, December 20, from 9:00 to 5:00, in front of Old Town Hall, come ring with us and drop some bills in the kettle.

The Rotary Club of Andover will go for its eighth consecutive win for the biggest cash haul in the Merrimack Valley for the Lawrence Salvatio Army. The Free Christian Church, once again, will try to topple us but we are the Harlem Globetrotters and they are the Washington Generals. (If you are under 40 you may have to ask a Boomer or Wikipedia.) And the Washington Generals always lose...

...But only if you join in the merrment on Friday, December 20th from 9 am to 5 pm in front of Andover Old Town Hall. Sign up for one or more one hour shifts. Shifts involve serious emoting, like dancing, singing and (if you're Doug Mercurio) begging. Friends and family members are invited!

Coordinator: Mark Spencer (mspencer@wateranalytics.net, 978-884-6958)

Provide help at Lazarus House Food Pantry on Thursday, January 2,  from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM.  We are looking for four volunteers. Enjoy fellowship with the volunteers and residents at Lazarus House while doing good and making a difference in the Rotary way. 

4 Volunteers are needed each month

Meet the Makers - The Heart Behind Pinch Dab Dash: 

Hi there! We’re Andrea and Eric, the founders of Pinch Dab Dash, and we’re thrilled to share our culinary journey with you. Like many of you, we found ourselves juggling busy lives and the familiar question, "What’s for dinner?" That’s when we realized the need for flavorful, easy-to-use solutions in the kitchen.

With Andrea’s extensive knowledge of cooking and her talent for replicating global flavor profiles, we’ve meticulously crafted our gourmet blends to bring the taste of classic worldly cuisine straight to your kitchen. At Pinch Dab Dash, we believe in gourmet made easy — that cooking should be an exciting adventure for everyone, whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience.

Our ready-to-use blends simplify the cooking process, allowing you to whip up delicious meals without the hassle of buying, measuring, and mixing individual spices. Each blend is a testament to our commitment to quality and flavor, designed to inspire your culinary creativity and help you feel confident in the kitchen, knowing that the perfect spice is at your fingertips.

We invite you to join us on this flavorful journey. Ask us questions, share your cooking stories, and let us be your trusted companions in the kitchen. Together, let’s make gourmet cooking simple, fun, and effortlessly delicious!

Essex Capital Partners was founded in 1995, and since its inception, has owned, developed and operated a portfolio of commercial properties in the greater New England region.

ECP’s first solar project was CRL Solar in White River Junction, VT, which entered commercial operations in 2012. Since that time ECP has successfully developed and capitalized 14 MWdc of solar projects in Massachusetts and Vermont.  As a family business and owner-operator, we take a long term view towards equipment and vendor selection, community relationships and sustainability. 

The board invites members review the club surveys. 

It is a strategic visioning session. A light supper will be available.

Past President Claudia SooHoo leading!!

Members must register!!

James Moore has more than 30 years in the banking and mortgage arena, but today he will speak with us about his role as President of the Merrimack Valley Toastmasters.  Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that builds confidence and teaches public speaking skills through a worldwide network of clubs that meet online and in person. In a supportive community or corporate environment, members prepare and deliver speeches, respond to impromptu questions, and give and receive constructive feedback. It is through this regular practice that members are empowered to meet personal and professional communication goals. Founded in 1924, the organization is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado with approximately 270,000 members in more than 14,000 clubs in 150 countries. Learn how Toastmasters can help improve your public speaking and build leadership skills!

Andover High School students made a splash on the world stage recently after winning an international physics competition and being invited to a laboratory in Germany.

It all began at the start of the 2023-2024 school year when then-junior Richard Chen approached physics teacher Daniel Donovan with a lofty idea. Chen, a member of the Andover High School Physics Club, wanted to enter a group into Beamline for Schools, a challenging particle physics competition.

Last May, the team received news that it was one of the competition’s three winners and earned the team a trip to Hamburg, Germany to test their experiment.

Only the third team from the United States to win this competition, the team is bound for Germany in September 2024, excited for a unique two-week long learning experience that will serve Andover students in years to come.

Transmural Systems is a Clinical Stage Medical Device Company with a Platform of Innovative Transcatheter Electrosurgery and Heart Failure Therapies headquartered in Dundee Park in Andover.  

Join us for a Winter Getaway, Friday Feb. 28th (arrival) to Sunday, March 2nd (departure) at the White Mountain Hotel & Resort in North Conway, NH for great fun, food and fellowship!

Who: Rotarians, families and friends are all invited. You do NOT need to be a member of the Andover Rotary.

Includes: Two night package (two breakfasts and dinner on Sat. at Ledges Restaurant in the resort).

Cost: Single occupancy - $725; Double occupancy - $435 per person.

Deadline: Reservations due 30 days in advance (by January 29th)

Children:  Children are welcome and if they are 17 years and younger, they may stay in your room free of charge but you must let the hotel know in advance as they may have to add a bed, in the room.  Meals for children are not included in the cost.

How To Register: Call Catherine Hayes-Blake at the Resort 603-356-7100 or 800-533-6301 ext 432 or direct line 603-356-5070 AND also use the "Online Registration"  (to the left of this announcement) to let us know you have made your reservation with the hotel.  

For any questions, contact Sheryl at: 978-618-2820. We hope you can join us!

Cancellation Policy: Any room cancellation outside of fourteen (14) days prior to arrival will be charged a $25.00 cancellation penalty.  Any room cancellation within 14 days prior to arrival will be charged a $25.00 cancellation penalty.  Any room cancellation inside of 14 days prior to arrival and up to the day of arrival will be charged the full per person package price.

Kimberly Lannon is an Addiction Medicine Physician in BEDFORD, MA. Kimberly evaluates patients using many different procedures, in order to determine what treatments must be carried out in order to properly assess their symptoms. Addiction Medicine Physicians provide medical care in addition to consultation for each patient and their families.

Since 1809, the Andover Bookstore has been located on Main Street, in the heart of historic Andover, MA. We take pride in being the country’s oldest continuously operating independent bookstore, in the value we add to our local community, and in our part in the fight to save small, local independent bookstores across the country from the faceless, ruthless online corporate behemoth that threatens all of our Main Streets.