Rotary Club of Needham

November 17, 2009

Newsletter

Ryan led us in the pledge of allegiance, with Karen leading us in "America". Darrell led us in prayer.

Guests: Sandy Robinson, from the Needham Community Council, guest speaker.

Announcements:

• Thanksgiving Day dinner plans are moving along- Darrell passed out a sign up sheet for volunteers for Wednesday set up and Thursday meal service/hosting. Bill Paulson (our new Master Chef) will be leading the cooking in the kitchen!).
• If you can, go to the Mason's hall at 4 pm Wednesday to set up. And, come Thursday morning to help cook and serve.
• December 11^th (Friday) is the holiday party, which will be hosted by the Sockols at 611 Greendale Ave: coincidently Lois and Ron will be celebrating their 60^th wedding anniversary!!! Remember to bring a gift for our annual Yankee swap. Value not to exceed $15.00.
• Calling all folks to work at Sudbury Farms for the Salvation Army 'ringing them bells! Look for s sign up shortly.
• December 20 is our turn to work with Habitat for Humanity to work along side Dan Tibma (building professional) as we build a home in Needham.  More details from Dan to follow.
• The Booster's club Golf Cart has been purchased, but our signs have yet to be mounted. Look for it at the Thanksgiving Day football game.
• Ryan reported that the Rotary Foundation dinner last week was terrific! He talked about the movie shown about Polio Plus entitled "The Final Inch" to indicate how close we are to achieving a polio free world, with just 2 countries remaining. He hopes to be able to show it to us at a meeting.
• Bill Paulson's fast pitch girl's softball team played in doors last week and won!
• Karen Wetmore is collecting for gift cards for the Needham Community Council. Sandy Robinson (today's guest speaker) said they are looking for $15 cards, so, see Karen.
• Remember, next Tuesday's noon time meeting is canceled, in favor of Tuesday night's dinner with the Wellesley Rotary Club at 219 Washington St., Wellesley Hills (right at route 9) at 6 pm. The guest speaker will be Dan Shaughnessy from the Boston Globe.

Birthdays:

50/50: John Hirliman had the lucky ticket, but did not pull the lucky card. $216 in the pot!

Happy $$$: Tom Savino (from Framingham) for Framingham beating the NHS Rockets 30-29. Numerous grateful to have Karen and George our song leaders back! Chris Teachout congratulated the Needham Community Council for being recognized as the Non-Profit of the year by the Needham Newton Chamber of commerce. Scotti for a get-away weekend to San AntonioTX. Gary welcomed himself back after a months absence due to work. He also provided the joke below.

Humor: A woman was sitting at a bar enjoying an after work cocktail with her friends when Greg, a tall exceptionally handsome, extremely sexy, middle aged man entered the bar. He was so striking that the woman could not take her eyes off of him. This seasoned yet playful heartthrob noticed her overly attentive stare and walked directly toward her. Before she could offer her apologies for staring so rudely, he leaned over and whispered to her:

        "I'll do anything, absolutely anything that you want me to do, no matter how kinky, for $20..., on one condition."

Flabbergasted but extremely intrigued, the woman asked what the condition was. The man replied: "You have to tell me what you want me to do in just three words".

The woman savored the moment and considered his proposition. She then slowly removed a $20 bill from her purse, which she pressed into the man's hand along with her address. She looked deeply and passionately into his eyes, barely concealing her anticipation and excitement and slowly said.

"Clean my house".

(Any suggestion that this mythical man is our own Greg is strictly intentional!!)

Speakers: John Hirliman introduced the one person in Needham who needs no introduction: Sandy Robinson. Sandy is the fourth Executive Director of the Needham Community Council in its almost 80 years of operation.  She was raised in Needham and graduated from NeedhamHigh School. She and her husband chose to move back to this community 18 years ago to raise their own family after 10 years of living away from Needham.  She has 2 sons who are both now out of collage both of them also graduated from NeedhamHigh School.

Before becoming the Council's Executive Director she worked for many years in the social service industry.  Her work has served a variety of people in need, including women who were incarcerated, survivors of Domestic Violence, immigrants to the United States, and teens dealing with every day life issues.  Her goals are always the same, to empower whoever she is working with to make the best choices they can make, and help them move forward in their lives.

Sandy is with us today to discuss the many things the Needham Community Council does especially during the holiday season, and how we can all enrich our own lives and the lives of others by being "people helping people."

Sandy went on to tell us about all the good works of the Needham Community Council, including:

Ø       Holiday Gift and Decoration Boutique: Held last weekend unfortunately, but a fund raiser at the Council.

Ø       Making 350 Gift Bags: For all those in Needham who are home alone or need to be remembered.

Ø       Holiday Food Items for The Food Pantry: Roche Bros./Sudbury Farms donates all the food for this use (165+ turkeys).

Ø       Teen Holiday Gift Program: This is where our donations go, to give teens gift cards.

Ø       Thanksgiving Day Dinner for Needham Residents, with Needham Rotary: Together we serve some 75 folks, and deliver some 75 meals to shut ins.

Ø       Christmas Dinner served with the Temple Beth Shalom Project Ezra: Similar to the Thanksgiving Day program. This has been going on for 25 years.

The NCC is serving all of Needham's citizens, age 13 to 95!. From loaning of wheelchairs and walkers to their thrift shop to their food pantry...this is a great organization.

See their web site www.needhamcommunitycouncil.org