Our meetings are hybrid! Contact us for the Zoom link. Please check our website to verify the meeting location and time (we occasionally have evening meetings or meetings in other locations).
As the holiday season commences, I am reflecting on many reasons to be thankful. I am grateful to Marc, Paula and Tom for setting up and coordinating the Election Collection of personal care items for the MCC Food Pantry and for all those who manned the table, donated items or just stopped by for moral support. We also held our second meeting in the stunning new gathering space at The Residence. We are so appreciative of Arzu and Jane for making this a reality and being such amazing hosts! Additional thanks to all of those who contributed to the Rotary Foundation and congratulations to everyone who was recognized this past month at the District's Paul Harris dinner. Your generosity is inspiring and making huge difference in the world. We have a busy few weeks ahead beginning with our evening meeting this week followed by the town Tree Lighting and culminating in the Winter Community Breakfast. The committee has been working really hard to make this the best event ever but we can't pull it off without everyone in the Club pitching in. This is an all-hands event beginning with setup on Saturday afternoon right through clean up on Sunday. And don't forget to invite all your friends and neighbors to stop in for pancakes and festivities. I am grateful to all of you for making our club great!
Lighting Up Bedford
For the 4rd year in a row, we'll be handing out safety lights at the Bedford tree lighting. We are happy to do this in partnership with MassBike. If you are not helping at set up for the Winter Community Breakfast, please join Dawn in distributing the lights - give her a heads-up that you will be there. It took less than 20 minutes to give them out last year. Set up at 4:30 outside the fire station.
Evening Meeting 12/3
A reminder that Tuesday's meeting is an evening one at Fellowship Hall. The deadline to RSVP has now passed and food has been ordered for those who registered.
Winter Community Breakfast
Our Winter Community Breakfast (formerly known as Breakfast with Santa) is returning on December 8, 2024 from 9 AM to 12 PM at Bedford High School! Once again this year, we will hold a treasured family tradition, an event that is inclusive of all members of our growing and diverse Bedford community.
We have sponsorship opportunities for you or your business - the deadline for to sponsor is 12/3. We are also looking for lots of volunteers to help out.
The generosity of the Bedford community highlighted the Rotary Club of Bedford’s “Election Collection” during voting Tuesday. Donations of an estimated $2,000 worth of personal care items were collected for the Middlesex Community College food pantries in Bedford and Lowell. It was the club’s third election-day collection in support of MCC.
Please help us with staffing volunteers for Winter Community Breakfast happening on December 8 at Bedford High School.
As in years past this is an ALL-HANDS event with much help needed both for set-up, execution and clean up. Here is the INTERNAL sign-up link for Club members and their immediate family members (e.g. spouses).
And here is the EXTERNAL sign-up link for student and community volunteers. If you have neighbors, friends or acquaintances interested in helping and/or receiving community service hours, please share this link with them.
On November 18 the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life hosted Bedford Rotarians at a private screening of Defining Moments: The Leadership of Quiet Revolutionary Frances Hesselbein. The film chronicles the life of Hesselbein, former CEO of Girl Scouts USA and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and her remarkable career of public service. Rotarian Diane Ryan moderated a Q&A with producer Sarah McArthur following the film. To learn more about Frances Hesselbein’s inspiring legacy visit https://www.hesselbeinforum.pitt.edu/about-us/memory-frances-hesselbein
Rotary Club of Bedford’s Global Grant proposal (GG2458065 Rainwater Catchment Tanks for Schools in Kambiri, Kenya) continues to make major progress recently. In the last two weeks: 1) the District 9212 leadership has approved the project; 2) District Rotary Foundation Chair Protus Lumiti authorized the GG application; 3) GG2458065 was submitted to The Rotary Foundation for review; 4) The Rotary Foundation has rapidly reviewed the proposal and sent the GG team a list of clarification questions; and the Kenya GG team (representatives of RC Maseno, RC Kakamega, Maseno University Rotaract Club and Friendly Waters for the World met in Kambiri to see first-hand examples of a recently constructed water tank, an interlocking brink wall and manufactured soap.
At the District Foundation Dinner, The Rotary Club of Bedford was represented by Al Rosco, Diane Ryan, Ralph Hammond, Paula Gilarde, Jim Harrill, Sze-Wen Kuo, and Victor Tom. There were 160 attendees for this event, a much larger attendance than in recent years. Among the speakers were DG Joyce Graff, Celeste Herbert (The Rotary Foundation Regional Major Gifts Officer), Bill Gates (virtually), and Chelsea Minkler (Gates Foundation). Bedford’s multi-club multi-district Hope for the Hungry meal-packing program was mentioned early on, and the Bedford Rotarians were recognized for being Paul Harris Fellows and Major Donors.
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Lighting Up Bedford
The generosity of the Bedford community highlighted the Rotary Club of Bedford’s “Election Collection” during voting Tuesday. Donations of an estimated $2,000 worth of personal care items were collected for the Middlesex Community College food pantries in Bedford and Lowell. It was the club’s third election-day collection in support of MCC. 
It's the most wonderful time of the year!!!
On November 18 the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life hosted Bedford Rotarians at a private screening of Defining Moments: The Leadership of Quiet Revolutionary Frances Hesselbein. The film chronicles the life of Hesselbein, former CEO of Girl Scouts USA and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient and her remarkable career of public service. Rotarian Diane Ryan moderated a Q&A with producer Sarah McArthur following the film. To learn more about Frances Hesselbein’s inspiring legacy visit 
Rotary Club of Bedford’s Global Grant proposal (GG2458065 Rainwater Catchment Tanks for Schools in Kambiri, Kenya) continues to make major progress recently. In the last two weeks: 1) the District 9212 leadership has approved the project; 2) District Rotary Foundation Chair Protus Lumiti authorized the GG application; 3) GG2458065 was submitted to The Rotary Foundation for review; 4) The Rotary Foundation has rapidly reviewed the proposal and sent the GG team a list of clarification questions; and the Kenya GG team (representatives of RC Maseno, RC Kakamega, Maseno University Rotaract Club and Friendly Waters for the World met in Kambiri to see first-hand examples of a recently constructed water tank, an interlocking brink wall and manufactured soap.
At the District Foundation Dinner, The Rotary Club of Bedford was represented by Al Rosco, Diane Ryan, Ralph Hammond, Paula Gilarde, Jim Harrill, Sze-Wen Kuo, and Victor Tom. There were 160 attendees for this event, a much larger attendance than in recent years. Among the speakers were DG Joyce Graff, Celeste Herbert (The Rotary Foundation Regional Major Gifts Officer), Bill Gates (virtually), and Chelsea Minkler (Gates Foundation). Bedford’s multi-club multi-district Hope for the Hungry meal-packing program was mentioned early on, and the Bedford Rotarians were recognized for being Paul Harris Fellows and Major Donors.