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Sneaking in on the last day of the month - it's still February! 
 
The club has lots of exciting things going on - in addition to our work on the pollinator garden project in Bedford, Ralph is spearheading another international project in Kenya, inspired by a presentation from the Rotary Action Group 4 Club Foot. This project will help adults with clubfoot, in addition to introducing the Ponseti method for correcting clubfood in children. 
 
We are in the process of planning at personal care drive for the MCC food pantry for Election Day in Bedford (March 12). The list of items we hope to collect includes: body wash, shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, dish soap, shaving cream, razors, body lotion, tissues, paper towels, and hand sanitizer. More info to come! 
 
Yours in Rotary
Paula
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Marc’s Musing...

February 2022

Robert “Bob” Mead. (1924-2021) I wish I had known Bob better.
I wish I had known him in 1956 when, in his early 30s, he and other involved, like-minded community businessmen embraced the ideals of Rotary and formed our Rotary Club of Bedford. I wish I’d known him during the four years when he and other Rotarians and townspeople joined in creating Springs Brook Park. It opened in 1971. And I wish I had known him when he inspired Bedford Rotary’s 2012 creation of the 9/11 Memorial Garden at Springs Brook Park. I wish that I’d had the chance to know him, his thoughts and the strength with which he built the legacy that we remember now.
 
July 22, 2021. It was just sixteen days after Paula Gilarde became our 68th club president. She, and a few other club members, attended the District’s recently formed Environmental Action Group”s “Climate Café” meeting where attendees talked about environmental issues, projects, and ideas. Motivated and focused on club service, several of the mentioned projects and ideas caught Paula’s interest, one in particular. In an email the next day
she wrote, “I'd like to learn more about Operation Pollination....” In the weeks and months following pollination interest grew. An Operation Pollination representative spoke at a September weekly meeting, and the next week the Board approved our signing the Pollinator Pledge. Later, Paula took interest in the idea of towns mandating the planting of native plants for pollinators.

October 20, 2021. That date, when the Bedford Rotary Board of Directors met, is the birthday of Paula’s proposal to create the Bob Mead Tribute Pollinator “meadow” (now garden) at Page Field in Bedford. Board approval was unanimous. What was born then and is now underway is multifaceted. It will certainly be a fitting tribute to Bob Mead’s legacy. It will be a long-term environmental service project, the creation, and growth of a gift to the Bedford community. It can be an opportunity to bring together citizens of Bedford, young and old, to join in its creation. It is an important, major project that requires support, input, and energy. It needs more than a few people “getting behind” it, it needs a significant number of people, Rotarians, and others, “getting into” it. And it will be a facet of Rotary’s legacy in Bedford.
 
March 1, 2022. Update.
Bedford DPW scouted the Page Field area with club members in December and a section bordering the wetlands behind Veterans Memorial Park on Great Road was agreed upon.
The next step toward full town approval will be presenting our garden plan and obtaining the approval of the Bedford Conservation Commission.
The “Winter Sow” project at the February 15th weekly meeting was active participation in the learning process that is both accompanying and guiding the creation of the garden. Milk jug cultivation of native plant seeds that require the extremes of cold weather to propagate in the spring may produce seedlings that will populate the garden before next winter rolls around.
There’s more to come. Much more!
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Speakers
Mar 01, 2022 12:30 PM
Bedford Embraces Diversity
Mar 08, 2022 12:30 PM
Project Update: Friendly Water for the World
View entire list

Meetings

We are now meeting in hybrid format – both in person and online. Come join us and see what we are all about. If you'd like to join our meeting, contact us by Tuesday morning at 10am and we'll try to provide a link to our virtual meeting. 

Rotary Leadership / Learning Institute (RLI) remaining opportunities

There are 3 virtual and 2 in-person sessions remaining in the 2021-2022 Rotary year.

Virtual: (by Zoom)

  • March 12, D7870, So NH and VT
  • March 19, D7430, SE PA
  • April 19, D7475/7490, West Orange, NJ

In person:

  • March 26, D7950, SE MA, Cape Cod, RI to be held in Upper Cape Tech in Bourne.
  • April 30, D7930, Wakefield

To register go to https://rlinea.org/

 

DISTRICT 7930 DIVERSITY EQUITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE

Virtual Discussion Series

March 2, 2022 • 7:00pm to 8:00pm • Zoom

Privilege & Belonging
Guest Speaker: Ricky Meinke

Click Here to Register
Zoom link will be sent to registrants on the day of discussion

 

 
Did you know that the Rotary Club of Bedford has a YouTube channel? We have recorded many of our meetings so even if you couldn't make it on the day, you can check it out later. Check it out!
 
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News
Winter Sow - a Hands-On Project
The club had a busy meeting on Feb 16th, participating in a winter sow project - growing native plants to help the most at risk pollinators. Big thanks to the Southborough Open Space Preservation Commission for gifting us with the seeds.
Read more...
Update from Friendly Water for the World
The Rotary Club of Bedford's district grant project in Matsakha, Kenya is underway. Our club, together with a match from our District 7910, raised enough money to fund the building of 3 rain water catchment basins which will provide clean water for the Namanja Primary School.
Read more...
1956‐57 Glenn Sims 1979‐80 Peter Kilmartin 2002‐03 Joel Berenson
1957‐58 E. Gottschalk 1980‐81 Lawrence Carlton 2003‐04 William Waite
1958‐59 Ron Davis 1981‐82 Paul C. Dick 2004‐05 Meg Packenham
1959‐60 John Bowen 1982‐83 David Valdina 2005‐06 Susanna Natti
1960‐61 George Doherty 1983‐84 Jack Wilson 2006‐07 Terrence Parker
1961‐62 Frank Hennessey 1984‐85 Peter Corea 2007‐08 Lea Ann Knight
1962‐63 Robert Mead 1985‐86 Robert A. Cassidy 2008‐09 Virginia Clerkin
1963‐64 Clifford Hughes 1986‐87 Ottfried Weisz 2009‐10 Victor Tom
1964‐65 Fred Olson 1987‐88 Kenneth W. Luther 2010‐11 Cliff Rober
1965‐66 J. Clive Enos 1988‐89 John B. Debaun 2011-12 Christine Pinney
1966‐67 Nathaniel Brown 1989‐90 Kenneth R. Walcott 2012-13 Peter Colgan
1967‐68 Donald Drew 1990‐91 David J. Rossi 2013-14 Robert A. Cassidy,
1968‐69 Joseph Bruno 1991‐92 James W. Harrill Victor Tom, & Margarita Kaliviotis
1969‐70 Ralph Collins 1992‐93 Peter Light 2014-15 Kevin Sullivan
1970‐71 John Whalen 1993‐94 Norma A. Barton 2015-2016 Diana Jarvis
1971‐72 George Benson 1994‐95 Ralph M. Hammond 2016-2017 Linda Cargiuolo
1972‐73 Maurice Nolan 1995‐96 Holly A. Chaney 2017-2018 Jacquelin Apsler
1973‐74 Pat Sciaraffa 1996‐97 Milan W. Jackson 2018-2019 Debi Malone
1974‐75 Ed Moore 1997‐98 Gregory S. Symko 2019-2020 Marie Tremblay
1975‐76 Ed Moore 1998‐99 Florence A. Rossi 2020-2021 Sze-Wen Kuo
1976‐77 Winston Bridge 1999‐00 Robert M. Kennedy  
1977‐78 “Syke” Bumann 2000‐01 Heidi A. Pusatere  
1978‐79 Matt Tomassian 2001‐02 David R. Hannum  
International: https://www.rotary.org