Events

The Rotary Club of Bedford will be hosting a personal care item drive to support the Middlesex Community College Food Pantry. Come vote on election day, Tuesday, November 5th and drop your donations off at tables outside the JGMS entrance (99 McMahon Rd). We are collecting: body wash, shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, dish soap, shaving cream, razors, body lotion, tissues, paper towels, and hand sanitizer.

The MCC Food Pantries on the Bedford and Lowell campuses are a free resource for MCC students and families. To learn more about the MCC food pantry to go: https://tinyurl.com/mccfoodpantryinfo or email foodpantry@middlesex.mass.edu.

Join Us for the Rotary Club of Bedford's November 5th Evening Meeting for an evening of fellowship, community, and great food! 

We're trying something different this time - attendees must order their food from Ken's Deli before the meeting. Place your order during the day on Tuesday, November 5th:

• By Phone (781) 276-4999 - preferably between 10:30-11:30 am or 1:00-4:30 pm to avoid confusion during their peak lunchtime.
• Or Online at kensnydeli.com

In either case, tell them your name and that it's a Rotary Club order for later pickup.
Complete your order, including payment.
All Rotary orders will be picked up at 5:30 pm and brought to the meeting.
Keep in mind - there will be a delay between when the order is ready and when it will be picked up. Therefore, it would be best not to order something like soup or a hot entree. 

We'll be meeting in Upper Fellowship Hall, not our regular meeting room.

Via Zoom

Planning meeting - contact Joe for Google Meet link

Dr. Ehsan Hoque, MBBS, PhD, is the Executive Director and founder of Distressed Children & Infants International. He is passionately dedicated to promoting child rights and improving the health and welfare of underprivileged children

Their mission - At DCI, we are working towards a future where all children have a chance at a dignified and successful life. We believe education is the key to ending poverty cycle, stopping child labor, and early marriage. We provide education, healthcare, and skill development opportunities to youth and their families in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Nicaragua so they can thrive and lift up themselves, their families and communities.

Learn more at: https://distressedchildren.org

Planning meeting - contact Joe for Google Meet link

NOTE: This meeting will be held in The Residence, 240 South Rd, Bedford, MA

An introduction to The Rotary Foundation, and our own Bedford Rotary Foundation. 

Update on status of Hope for the Hungry. Regular zoom link

Planning meeting - contact Joe for Google Meet link

Enjoy a wonderful evening of connection, conversation, and community. Plus, the club is providing dinner—come hungry! 🍽️

To ensure there's enough food for everyone, RSVP by Saturday, November 30 - click the Member button under Online Registration on the left side to sign up. 

We can't wait to see you there!

For the 4th year in a row, we'll be handing out safety lights at the Bedford tree lighting. This is being done in partnership with MassBike. They provided around 50 bike lights to give to cyclists. Their mission is to distribute sets of bike lights to keep the riders safer and legal while biking at night. The Club is supplementing that project with additional lights of our own targeting not only cyclists but pedestrians (and dogs!). Come on by and join us!

Elliott Rittenberg (our immediate Past District Governor) will be speaking to us about Visioning. Visioning helps clubs produce a strategy to become irresistible, resulting in a plan for membership attraction and retention while creating impactful opportunities for service to our communities. Visioning is a facilitator-led exercise where we guide clubs to develop a strategic road map consistent with Rotary's Action Plan through a facilitator-led process.

NOTE: This meeting will be held in The Residence, 240 South Rd, Bedford, MA

Victor will share his (and Sze-Wen's) experiences visiting Singapore for the Rotary International Convention this past May.

Jack will come to speak with our club about Meals of Hope and will bring samples for us to try!

The project involves building an irrigated garden at the Mkutani primary school to improve students’ nutrition and school attendance as well as provide a teaching tool for valuable agricultural skills.

Steering Committee Meeting 

State Representative Ken Gordon will be joining us in person! He will be sharing his priorities for the next session.

NOTE: This meeting will be held in The Residence, 240 South Rd, Bedford, MA

Discover how Ranked Choice Voting works, why it offers a fairer and more democratic alternative to our current electoral system, its status across the United States, and the related warrant article set for the March town meeting.

Our speakers will be Madeleine Kando and Ethan Strominger. Madeleine is a member of the group called ‘Bedford Citizens for Ranked Choice Voting,’ whose goal is to implement the use of Ranked Choice Voting on the municipal level. The Bedford Select Board agreed to include an article on RCV on the 2025 Annual Town Meeting Warrant. More info can be found at: https://www.bedfordrcv.org/

Representatives from Girl Scout Troop 72044 will be speaking to us about their grant request.

Join us for Game Night at Diana Jarvis's place! 🎲✨

Entry Fee: Just bring one personal care item to support Middlesex Community College students.

We’ve got the food covered—just bring whatever you want to drink. The address will be shared when you register.

It’s all about fun, games, and giving back. Hope to see you there!

New Song Bedford is a volunteer initiative of the Bedford Cultural District that showcases musical styles ranging from contemporary folk to bluegrass to Americana and more. Mark is a member of the committee who is bringing the music to Bedford! 

Visioning is a dynamic, facilitator-led exercise that helps our club create a strategic road map—one that aligns with Rotary’s Action Plan while staying true to our club’s unique identity and goals.

We need you—from our newest members to our most tenured—to be part of this important process! This is your chance to shape the future of our club, ensuring our projects, impact, and growth reflect our shared vision.

Don't miss this opportunity to make a difference! RSVP today and help us build the future of our Rotary Club together. Plus, lunch will be provided!

Werner Salinger was born in Berlin, Germany, on 5 April, 1932.  Ten months later Adolph Hitler came to power, appointed by then German President Hindenburg. Salinger experienced Kristallnacht from the central Berlin apartment that also housed his orthodontist (one of the world’s first) mother’s dental practice.

Salinger has a BA in political science from Goddard College. He is a nine year veteran of the USAF, stationed in Germany for 3.5 years at the height of the Cold War as a USAF Intelligence officer, (NCO), interrogating German POW’s returning from the Soviet Union and defectors from countries east of the Iron Curtain. He is married to the daughter of a German soldier who served in Hitler’s Nazi army and they have four very adult children, six grandkids and six greats.

For fourteen consecutive years prior to covid, Salinger presented a World Affairs Seminar on board HollandAmericaLines cruise ships. He is the author of seven books, the most recent of which is titled “Toward a More Equal World”

Thanks to new member Pam Brown for coordinating this month's evening meeting. We will be going to Tashan, 213 Burlington Rd in Bedford. 

Pre-registration is required so we can provide the restaurant with a head count. 

Fixed menu: 
Potli Samosa
Murgh Malai Tikka (chicken)
Murgh Tikka Masala (chicken)
Saag Paneer
Sabz-E-Chettinad (mix vegetables)
Rice
Plain Nan & Garlic Nan
Tashaandar Gulab Jamun OR Rangeela Kulfi (ice cream)

Price per person - $30.00
Tax & Gratuity - 7% & 18%
Drinks to be billed separately

Ganda wants to help his organization's beneficiaries start a quality soap-making production. This initiative aims to provide sustainable income for the families involved, enabling them to support their children's daily needs, including lunch and food. Ganda spoke to us two years ago about the Child Welfare and Development Project (CWADeP) .

He needs funds d to purchase the necessary materials and equipment to establish the African soap-making process and provide training and skills development to ensure long-term success. This project will address immediate food security needs and promote self-sufficiency and economic empowerment within the community.

NOTE: this meeting will be held at The Residence, 260 South Rd

Joe will speak to the club about Bedford Depot Park, and the plans to demolish the old VFW building, which will be replaced by a proposed park that will provide more green space along with walkways, benches, and shrubs.

The Rotary Clubs of Bedford, Chelmsford, and Merrimack Valley have teamed up to pack meals for the hungry and food insecure right here in Massachusetts.  

Please help us to feed the hungry and food insecure in our community.  We will pack up to 50,000 meals in just 2 hours!  We promise a fun and rewarding opportunity to give back, and the whole family can join!