New Member's Knowledge Of Disability Issues Will Be Valuable For Club

Merrimack Valley Rotary Club's newest member Bill Faueau (left) brings to the Club valuable knowledge on disability issues as he is a member of the Chelmsford Disability Commission. His knowledge will help the Club with projects such as The FARM, which is a non profit organization that helps people with disabilities through equine therapy. The Club is also involved in raising funds for a Centre for Special Needs Children in Bangladesh. Shown inducting Bill into the Club is Al Jean, the Charter President of the Club.
For more information contact: mvrotary@gmail.com

New Rotary Member Gets A Special Induction From District Governor

Attention Rotarians Interested in Canoeing, Horses, Dogs, Radio, Motorcycles, Fishing And More!

Are you a Rotarian interested in accounting, amateur radio, bird watching, canoeing, dogs, horses, motorcycles, fishing or something else.
There is most likely a Rotary Fellowship group that will put you in touch with other Rotarians with your interest around the world! To find out if there is a group with your interest go to: http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/gng_directory.pdf
And if there is not a group with your interest, why don't you start one yourself. Go to: http://www.rotary.org/en/ServiceAndFellowship/Fellowship/GlobalNetworkingGroups/Pages/ridefault.aspx and find out how!

MV Rotarian To Travel To Kenya

A Merrimack Valley Rotarian, Carl Good, will be part of a team of 30 Rotarians that will be traveling to Kenya at the end of September. The trip is designed to help people with HIV. Earlier this year, Carl was part of a group that went to Bangladesh to inoculate children against Polio. As a result of that trip, the MV Rotary is part of an effort to raise funds for a Centre for Special Needs in Bangladesh. Details of the Kenya trip is still evolving. Anyone interested in getting more information about the Kenya or Bangladesh trip should write to the Merrimack Valley Rotary at MVRotary@gmail.com

Make The World Greener...Send Ink Cartridges To MV Rotary!

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.

Do Yourself And Rotary A Favor....Surf The Net!

What is the perfect tool for Rotary?

It just might be the Internet. Why? Because Rotary is international. And the one tool that makes international communications easy is the Internet. Blogs, linkedin, Facebook, Web pages, Sykpe, emails, Youtube and more all make it easy to communicate with Rotarians on the other side of the world.

For example: Rotarians from around the world, who are planning to take a trip to a county to help people in need, communicate, plan and finalize arrangements for the trip via the internet. Blogs allow Rotarians traveling abroad, to report back to their clubs (and the world) on their activities ....with words and pictures. Facebook allows Rotarians around the world to share ideas and goals. Skype provides the means for Rotarians to hold meetings with other Rotarians, without even leaving their homes. Linkedin, makes it possible for Rotrians not only to communicate but also to share their profiles. YouTube makes news about clubs alive for other to see.

It is called the Social Media, and more and more Rotarians are starting to use it for all that it is worth. Yet, many still are missing out on all its opportunities. Rotarians, who have yet to discover all the beauties of this tool, should start learning and experimenting with its possibilities. Those that do, will become better Rotarians, and will make Rotary itself into an even better organizations. Start small, and be open to learning.

In Search of....

Our club is still on the hunt for a new home to host our meetings. This weeks meeting location was IHOP (International House of Pancakes) in Tewksbury, MA. I wonder if they truly are international??Service was good and the location was easy to access.

This location met a number of our concerns such as handicap access and menu variety. Food always seems to be a central element of successful clubs in our area.

Voting will be this Wednesday at Skips....

Equine Therapy Is A Good Cause For Rotary!

If your group is looking for a good cause to support, we recommend therapeutic horseback riding. Therapeutic horseback riding, also known as an equine-assisted activity, is for individuals with a range of physical, emotional, cognitive, and social special needs. There are several different kinds of programs that utilize horses and horseback riding for therapeutic benefits.

Equine-assisted activities, including therapeutic riding, driving, and vaulting are not therapy but sport and recreational activities that have therapeutic value. Equine-assisted activities, therapeutic riding is usually most effective in children because of the nature of mental, and social development. However, equine-assisted activities produce very favorable improvements in riders of all ages.


The Merrimack Valley Rotary Clubs supports The FARM, which is a local therapeutic riding program in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, USA. We have supported the organization through various ways including fundraising and hands on help. It is beneficial to the organization and the Rotary Club because we are helping people improve their lives. Plus working with horses is a very positive experience.

For more information for a program in your area, visit the web site for the
North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc. They are located at: http://www.narha.org/

If your want to support our cause, you can be visiting: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/97678?m=1a240&recruiter_id=15162213

We Serve Rotary Pancakes, Rotary Cereal and Rotary Bacon And Eggs!

We are a Breakfast Club, and we think the best reason to have breakfast (on Wednesday morning's ) is MV Rotary. We wake you up, we energize you, we give you plenty of reasons to feel good and we send you on your way to a great day!

In fact, studies show that the best day of the week for MV Rotarians is Wednesday! : ) And that is not good enough reason to have breakfast...here are some other reasons to have breakfast!

You Should Eat a Healthy Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast provides you with the energy and nutrients that lead to increased concentration during the day.

Studies show that breakfast can be important in maintaining a healthy body weight.
Hunger sets in long before it's time for lunch, but because it's not convenient to eat properly, many people who have not eaten breakfast snack on foods that are high in fat and sugar.

People who skip breakfast are unlikely to make up their daily requirement for some vitamins and minerals that a simple breakfast would have provided.
Breakfast provides energy for the activities during the morning and helps to prevent that mid-morning slump.

Eating a healthy breakfast has been linked to better learning ability and memory functions.

Frank Talk Ideas On Rotary Member Retention

RETENTION OF MEMBERS
"As you attract those new members into the club, you use a formal plan that educates them as to their expectations, responsibilities, and volun­teerism opportunities. You go far beyond the prac­tice of saying `Here's your pin and first month's bill. Welcome to Rotary.' Instead, you help them feel part of the club by adopting a proactive assimilation plan—such as making them a greeter, and putting them on an active committee right away.”

Frank Talk II, p. 124