President, Al Ruthazer, Membership Chair, Mark Spencer, and Club Secretary, Pete Johnston welcomes Gail Ralston!
Club Secretary, Pete Johnston welcomes Sheryl Meehan!
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Let's Celebrate You!
Member Birthdays
Ken Feyl
January 13
Demetrius Spaneas
January 14
Doug Mercurio
January 16
Andrew Betts
January 18
Gail Ralston
January 31
Al Ruthazer
March 27
Join Date
Al Timm
January 1, 2021
4 years
Paul Salafia
January 20, 2012
13 years
Stephen Fink
January 23, 2015
10 years
Ken Feyl
January 27, 2012
13 years
Demetrius Spaneas
January 29, 2016
9 years
Howard Perkins
February 7, 1997
28 years
Karla Rossi
February 8, 2019
6 years
Steve Caron
March 1, 2019
6 years
Mary Ann Millar
March 13, 2020
5 years
Michelle Flanagan
March 13, 2020
5 years
Andrew Betts
March 15, 2017
8 years
Ann Ormond
March 15, 2019
6 years
Katarina Bell
March 15, 2024
1 year
Lois McGinness
March 15, 2019
6 years
James Kalogeropoulos
March 31, 2023
2 years
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Guess the Rotarian!
Based on the fun facts below, guess which Andover Rotarian is spot-lighted in this edition of Guess The Rotarian. The first person to answer correctly (send answers to mhoulihan@fusionacademy.com) wins a surprise!
"Hands down, this photo probably means the most. It's a photo of my big brother and me (he was 13; I was 3) and it represents well our relationship - I always looked up to him!"
1 - As a young mom, I volunteered as a Group Leader/Counselor for La Leche League in the Chicago area (helping new moms with breastfeeding). For that group, I also worked the "night shift" (5 p.m. to 8 a.m) where moms all over the world could call in 24/7 for advice. Most memorable was a call from a frustrated woman in Tennessee who called with a crying baby not sure what to do. We ended up talking about Elvis and music and before long, that baby was sound asleep! She just needed a distraction and someone to talk to at 3 a.m.!
2 - Also in Chicago, I worked as the "southwest Chicago suburbs phone bank coordinator" for Jimmy Carter's presidential campaign, enough to give me an invitation to the Inauguration which I still have (me and probably a million others)!
3 - In the 1990s, I sang with the Phillips Academy Community Chorus. One year a choir from Doshisha University in Japan (founded by Joseph Hardy Neesima, first Japanese student at the Academy) traveled to Andover to join our chorus. We were honored to give a concert at Symphony Hall in Boston and actually received a standing ovation for our efforts (yes, I have a photo of that with the stage full)! For a non-professional singer as I am, it was pretty amazing to have that opportunity.
Do you have an item for the October Newsletter? Make sure to send any stories, pictures, or news to Michelle at mhoulihan@fusionacademy.com by Wednesday, October 27th. Thanks so much - MH
Welcome from The President!
Hello Andover Rotarians, and friends of Rotary!
The Rotary Club of Andover is having a GREAT year!
It’s hard to believe it was almost 10 years ago when Mark asked me to speak at an Andover Rotary meeting. After a few breakfasts, and getting drafted onto Jim Greeley’s “Dream Team” of fundraisers, I got hooked…and now we’re here going into the Fall of 2021. It’s challenging with restaurants and social clubs struggling to get enough waitstaff, and the pandemic still creating interesting headlines each week. Regardless of any obstacles, we’re thriving! We have an absolutely exceptional board, and wonderful members who are helping on the club’s committees. Nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something, and together we’re accomplishing great things.
At our first regular meeting in July the Board and I verbally shared our club’s goals for this 2021/2022 period with our club members. Here they are again, in writing…
9 of the highlights of Andover Rotary 2021/2022 GOALS:
Club Service:
Make being a Rotarian FUN, and also make being a Rotarian FULFILLING for our club members
Club Service:
Clean up the roles/responsibilities/processes, especially regarding membership and community service
Community Service:
Provide at LEAST one service project opportunity per month, for all members
Community Service:
Roll Andover Cares INTO the club, instead of it being a successful stepchild on the fringe of the club
Membership:
Implement a robust member recruitment plan, an effective member engagement plan, and a successful member retention process.
Membership:
Grow membership, so we end the year with 60 ACTIVE members
Marketing:
By successfully promoting the 6 items above, build the reputation in the Andover community about Rotary, so everybody knows we are THE premier service club in the region
Philanthropy: Increase annual donations to Rotary Foundation by 30%, and increase annual local donations from $25K/year to $35K/year
Finance- Create a realistic, attainable budget, and maintain our fundraising and spending to achieve all philanthropic and service goals, grow our club’s Endowment by $10,000, and have a “breakeven” year.
I am so proud of ALL of the members in our club. We are on track to achieve or exceed EVERY one of these 9 goals! Our members are having fun at our meetings and service projects. Thank you Ann for lining up exceptional speakers. We’ve already inducted multiple new members into our club, and Mark is doing a great job as this year’s membership chairperson helping prospective Rotarians learn about our club, and navigate the application process. Al T and the rest of the amazing philanthropy committee have done an exceptional job evaluating many grants, and we’ve awarded over $15,000 already to worthwhile charities and causes. Bob and a team of talented people are addressing the Andover Rotary Endowment fund, and creating it’s guidelines and policies. Paul S is arranging many more service projects, with opportunities to help every month…and building on the success of the recent Ironstone cleanup projects which so many people supported. Michelle creating this newsletter. These people, and many more people, are all making Andover Rotary exceptional! I’m so appreciative of you all, and we’re just getting started! Please send your ideas/suggestions to me, or any of our board members. Looking forward to continue to share many successes from Andover Rotary…Where Doing Good is Serious Fun!
Al Ruthazer
President, 2021/2022
Foundation Fun, Grant Updates, & Fundraising with Al Timm
The Club Board approved the recommendations of the Foundation Committee for a total of $18,050. These include sponsorships for walks or runs, or banquets that raise money for impactful programs:
Run for the Troops Banquet - $2,500 to provide housing and emergency services for veterans
Challenge Unlimited Program (Ironstone Farms) Fundraising Banquet - $7500 for to run day long retreats for vets suffering from PTSD or drug addiction, and children who need help dealing with stress
Alzheimer’s Walk - $1,000 towards education, a 24/7 hotline for families and crisis intervention
Squash Busters - $2,500 for a sports afterschool mentoring and tutoring program
Boys and Girls Club - $3,000 for an outstanding afterschool program and other services
Two other programs received funding:
Woods Hill Middle School Mindfulness Training - $800 for a speaker to kick off the year
SHED Pre-school and afterschool program - $750 for a Yurt to engender care for the environment
The committee looked at the number of participants and what difference it would make. They used a rating system that included strong and measurable outcomes and their impact on Andover and surrounding communities. Starting this year, the committee requires reporting on outcomes met.
The Board plans to spend about $35,000 on grants this year. They will consider each grant request that comes in on an application form in a timely and through manner. The form is on the club’s website and lists an email address.
How can members help? They can give happy bucks at meetings and they can send checks or “Venmo” dollars to the Treasurer, Don Gottfried. These projects can’t happen without the fundraising that takes place and the gifts of Andover Rotary Members.
A special thanks to Al Timm and our Foundation Committee for their continued hard work and new and improved Grant Application. We would not be where we are without you!
A few of our stellar members headed over to the horse paddocks at Ironstone Farm for some good ole Rotarian fun. Special shout out to Paul Salafia for planning our August Service Project at Ironstone. Check out the amazing Rotarian impact they left behind here:
Hi! I need your help. I'm taking part in 125th Boston Marathon to raise money for Lawrence Boys & Girls Club Inc., who do great work for a cause that's very close to my heart. If you can, please donate to my fundraising project today!
Attention members who may be interested in reading at the West Elementary school this school year. We will begin reading once a month in Early October to the 1st through 4th grades. If you have read in the past and would like to be paired with a particular teacher/teachers of class/classes please include that information in your email to me. If you haven't read before. It takes about 20 minutes to read one of our books which we keep in the school library and then you have another 10 minutes for discussion.
Please get back to Alan Michel if you are interested!
September 24, 2021
7:00-11:00pm
at the Stevens Estate at Osgood Hill
As a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization, we never turn someone away who wants to be a part of the Y. As our community begins to heal and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, our auction gala will raise funds to provide programs and services focusing on youth development. We hope you will join us as we celebrate the resilience of our youth and our community. We are truly #mvymcaSTRONG and with your help we can continue to be Here For All.
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