The Strategic Planning Meeting that was tentatively set for tomorrow (Saturday May 19, 2012) morning has been rescheduled to Wednesday, May 30 at noon at the Eagle Tribune (100 Turnpike Street).
Pizza will be on the house.
All are welcome to attend and help shape the club's future. I need to know if you can come...

It's a go. July 13th meeting under the tent at Ironstone Farm!

(Yeehaw!)

The Rotary Club of Andover celebrated its 15th annual Citizens Who Care and fourth annual Educator of the Year awards on May 10 at 6 p.m. at the Wyndham Andover Hotel off River Road.

Lane Glenn, the new president of Northern Essex Community College, was the speaker.

The Citizens Who Care award honors those who have made extraordinary contributions to the Andover community, above and beyond their normal job descriptions. The Educator of the Year is given to one teacher, principal or support person in the Andover public school system who exemplifies these same caring qualities, in and out of the classroom.

“These exceptional people live, work, or volunteer in the Andovers, and have helped make life in the Merrimack Valley better for all. They are selected as the town’s true unsung heroes,” according to Rotary member Mark Spencer.

Since its founding 1996 the Citizens Who Care (and now Educator of the Year) recognition has been embodied in a display of portraits and biographies that circulates several town buildings, including Town Offices, Memorial Hall Library, Brickstone Square and town banks.

Jane Baldwin is a gifted teacher and one who inspires young people to serve others. Through her example of compassion and knowledge, Jane serves students with special needs and provides opportunity and support to innumerable students and families. Jane has been an educator for 33 years and is one of the favorite teachers at Doherty Middle School. Additionally, her work providing students with international travel opportunities, and as student council advisor, has opened new doors

Has made significant contributions to the development of special education in Andover. She has served on the Andover Special Education Parent Advisory Council since 2000, was SEPAC vice president for two years and has served as president for nine years. In 2003, Cyndi was a SEPAC liaison to the School Committee. She has also been involved with the Andover Youth Foundation, Ironstone Farm, the Professional Center for Child Development, the North Shore ARC and has helped to develop the Mary French Awards recognizing leaders in special education.

Has chaired the Friends of Memorial Hall Library Book Sale for six years. The 2,700 hours of work have helped the library raise more than $125,000 for library program and projects Art has volunteered for the senior center, driving a total of 136 town residents to their medical appointments.

Has served on the Board of Directors at the Andover Chamber of Commerce for 22 years, including being chairwoman from 2007 to 2011. She helped grow Taste of Andover into one of the town’s signature events. She served on the board for the Andover Historical Society in the ‘90s and currently on its Governance Committee. She has also been the treasurer of the Andover Business Center Association for 22 years. In that time she helped grown Andover Days into the biggest downtown event of the year. Nancy is the regional business advisor at Enterprise Bank. She and her husband Everett now live in Central Massachusetts

Has been an active volunteer with AVIS since childhood. Her vocation was fulfilled through her work with Family Service in Lawrence and she continues to carry out her ideals of world service through her travels with Rotarians to the Dominican Republic. During her last trip there her group installed 130 filters to purify water for drinking. Having recently retired, Kay currently is on the advisory board of Groundwork Lawrence, which runs a farmers’ market, provides open space planning and assists youth groups. Kay has also been appointed a Trustee of the Clipper Ship Foundation, a philanthropic organization that makes grants in the Greater Boston, Brockton, and Lawrence areas.

Has used his professional background in both social work and business administration in his volunteer efforts in Manchester, N.H. and Andover. Dennis was active in the Queen City Rotary Club, including a year as president in 1990. For six years he sat on the N.H. Board of Psychologists. Dennis first volunteered for Shawsheen, West Elementary and West Middle School. He was co-president of the Shawsheen PTO and served on the Facilities Task Force to study the condition of the 10 school buildings. He has been an on the School Committee since 2008. Dennis operates his own business, Andover Networking, an executive recruiting company.

Has been inspiring others through her volunteerism in environmental causes and education for over 30 years. Her civic involvement started with the League of Women Voters. Since 2000 she has been a Trustee of the Andover Village Improvement Society (AVIS). She has served on the Andover Conservation Commission for four years and is the assistant director of the PALS enrichment program. The latter has provided educational opportunity to disadvantaged youth for more than 25 years.

Earned the spot reserved each year for a high school student. She has been a Girl Scout for 12 years. For eight years, she has worked with the MSPCA, fostering mother cats and their litters in her home. She is active in the Youth Group at Free Christian Church of Andover, tutored young students at the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence and is a member of the Greater Lawrence Rowing team. As a part of the Big Friends, Little Friends program she has mentored a 13-year-old boy for the past two years.

Has been active in Andover for more than three decades. As an officer, member and Past Master of St. Matthews Masonic Lodge in Andover since 2005, he has rallied groups to complete projects for the Professional Center for Development, Ironstone Farm, Habitat for Humanity and American Red Cross, among others. He has also served on the National Committee for Prevention of Child Abuse and United Way.

30-years of exemplary history in Andover includes involvement in the public schools, Andover School Building Oversight Committee and the Andona Society. She has been a member of the Andover Planning Board since 2008, and is the past Chair of the Andover Housing Partnership Committee. She has been a member of the Andover/North Andover League of Women Voters since 1997, serves on Andover Dollars for Scholars, the Scholarship Awards Committee and the Andover Housing Trust. Her regional involvement includes serving as a commissioner on the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission since 2010, a liaison for the I-93 Junction Task Force since 2007 and a member of the Board of Bar Overseers of the Supreme Judicial Court Hearing Committee since 2009.

Have been raising funds to improve Andover since 2005. Inspired by their son Charlie, they developed Fore Melmark, a charitable golf tournament that benefits children with autism. With support from friends, business partners and volunteers, the tournament has raised more than a $1.2 million over six years. Angela and Jim’s volunteerism also includes Challenge Unlimited at Ironstone Farm and the Andover Youth Services where they provide support for fundraising events, prospecting and strategy development.

Join us on October 12, 2012 in the ballroom at the Wyndham Hotel, Andover, and be rocked with the laughter as the Rotary Club of Andover holds its Second Annual Comedy Night.

The evening will feature four well-known area comedians (to be annouced)and will once again be hosted by Dave Rattigan, who also produces the show under his Scamp Comedy company.

Last year, when the laughter finally died away, the Club had raised more than $7,500, to help fund its many community service projects throughout the Merrimack Valley, including a digital white board to be used in the Andover school system, scholarships for Andover residents, support for local non-profit charities and a Rotary exchange student program that this year includes sending an Andover student to Denmark and hosting a student from France.

"The evening was a terrific success —for attendees, and for Andover Rotary and its many projects!" Club President Al Getler said about the 2011 event. "People have already asked the date for next year’s event and I am happy to say we are already planning with the comedians and the Wyndham Hotel.”

So the plans are set for 2012. Mark your calendar, but your tickets and join us on October 12, 2012!

The mission of Rotary is why I belong to this great organization.  From the 4-way test we recite each week, to the countless lives that have been impacted by Rotary’s programs, to the sense of giving back to man-kind, I embrace this mission and want it to live on.

Being surrounded by others who have this shared feeling is awesome.  These fellow Rotarians, whether in my town or on the other side of the globe, are connected to me by Rotary’s cause and our shared values