Tuba Christmas Was A Jolly Event!

Several Merrimack Valley Rotarians gather at Faneuil Hall in Boston to witness 200 Tuba's playing holiday music.

The event had a Rotary connection as Elliot, husband of MVR member Debi Farnsworth, was one of the band members. Tuba Christmas, which was being held all over the U.S. on Saturday November 24, has been a holiday tradition in Boston for more than three decades.

It was an amazing sight and sound; 200 tubas all playing at the same time! Everyone had a great time.

See if you can spot Elliot in the picture of the players. Hint: he is wearing a red hat!

After taking in the event, the Rotarians warmed up in Cheers Pub! Both the conversation, laughter and the cheer flowed freely!

We can hardly wait until next year!

Rotarians Give It The Pie Try

On the day before Thanksgiving, The Merrimack Valley Rotary held its First Annual Apple Pie Baking Contest .

It was a tough competition as all sorts of pies were entered including: a pie with chocolate chips baked in the filling, a pie with cheese baked into the crust, a pie that was baked just minutes before the meeting and more!

The tension mounted as the judge, George Burliss, co-owner of Skips Restaurant in Chelmsford, walked into the room. So who won? In the end the traditional pie won!

And who was the winning baker? Club President Ken Masson! There were some good natured ribbing bout Ken, who was the organizer of the contest. Some sore losers questioned if he payed the judge off...but that would not be the Rotary way! It was won with a good pie try!

The Fun-Way Test!

We all know the four-way test. But, maybe the test should be five-way. The fifth test could be: “Is it fun for all?”

Every Rotary can benefit from some element of fun. But what is fun? Certainly, fun means different things to different Rotaries. To some, it means a good joke, but to others it is out right silliness. It all comes down to the makeup of the club and to the tolerance of its members. But in either case, it is still fun.

At the Merrimack Valley Rotary Club we have fun…and at 7:15 AM! That is why our motto is: “Have breakfast with us and you will enjoy it all day.” Not only is fun a part of every meeting, we also have special meetings just devoted to fun.

We have had meetings featuring clowns, pirates, and then, of course, there was, Halloween and more! Is it un-Rotarian like? For some clubs it might be; and that is fine. But for the members of MVR, it is encouraged, expected and desired.

What does fun do for a Rotary Club?:

Increases productivity. Members who enjoy the meetings are more likely to volunteer for projects and then be more productive on those projects. And what Club can’t use more productivity out of its members.

Increased attendance: When people know that meetings will be fun and do not know what to expect each week, they will go to the meetings because they want to rather than because they have to.

Increased innovation: An atmosphere that fosters fun increases innovative thinking. And more innovative thinking encourages growth and new ways of accomplishing goals.

Greater motivation: Fun, motivates because you want to support a group that makes each individual feel good.

Increased retention: Members will want to stay with the club because, they enjoy it. When you enjoy something, you will find ways to continue that enjoyment even when getting there becomes more challenging.

So, if you like fun, you will like the Merrimack Valley Rotary. Join us for breakfast…and you might just enjoy it for the rest of the day….or longer!

MVR Helping Environment and Community

The Merrimack Valley Rotary Club is involved in an ink cartridge recycling program. The program both helps the environment and local charities.

It helps the environment because ink cartridges contaminate the ground and take decades to decay. It helps local charities because each cartridge the Rotary recycles, the Club earns funds which it will give back to local charities.

How can you help? Instead of throwing away empty cartridges from your printer, fax machine and desktop copier, send them or save them for The Merrimack Valley Rotary.

We’ll take it from there. We will recycle the cartridges through the FundingFactory to earn funds for the community.

Last year alone, more than 300 million cartridges were thrown away. We’re alleviating the volume of waste that goes into landfills, while doing something positive for the community.

If you have any questions about this great opportunity, please feel free to call the Merrimack Valley Rotary at 978-446-9366 or e-mail us at mvrotary@gmail.com.