Millennials Interested in Service

Below is an article in the Hartford Courant describing the interest of millennials in Community Service. You can do something about this for your club. Read the article and see what things millennials have been interested in. 

Arrange a series of service projects which could interest the millenials in your community. Partner with other groups, perhaps animal help organization or ??. Invite local people(millennials and others) to the service projects by social media, print media and other ways. Do this in conjunction with local groups like animal shelters, food kitchens, etc. Keep following up with those who come to get them involved. Maybe create a satellite club of millennials.

Millenials Interested in Service-Courant Article

Recently, millennial people have earned the nickname of the “do-gooders" generation, according to the Millennial Impact Report, as 70% of millennial workers spent at least an hour volunteering in 2014. They are also accountable for 11% of total giving in the U.S., according to 2018 charitable giving statistics from Nonprofits Source.

Sixty four percent of millennials volunteer locally, the charitable giving statistics say, and the most popular charities across all age groups are environmental and animal nonprofit organizations.

Frisch, 27, has been a volunteer “bat man” for the past two years at the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Unlike the superhero, Frisch doesn’t fight crime. Instead, he traces bats along a preset route from Tolland through Andover to Amston for research. He leaves his home in West Hartford driving at 20 mph for a three-hour trek, while recording bat calls from a computer set up in his car.

Kevin Frisch, 27, of West Hartford, is a volunteer "bat man" with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

“I volunteer at DEEP because I want to give something back to nature," Frisch said. "I think my favorite part is knowing I’m helping keep tabs on a pretty vital member of the food web. Bats are an amazing source of pest control when it comes to mosquito-borne diseases, and this seemed like a cool way to help collect more information on them.“

Frisch said he thinks volunteering may help shine a light on the value of bats in our ecosystem.

Global Rotary Peace Project-An Idea

Global Rotary Peace Project

Last year the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club and Maker Faire Connecticut had a 3d printed duck project which created a duck and a couple ducklings from 3 D printed components from around the world. The duck was a great hit and over 1000 people from around the world contributed 3D components to the duck.  This year we want to continue that tradition but with a difference. You can use any art form or technology. You will create a multitude of Objects on the theme of Peace.

Desired Outcomes for this Project in addition to increasing Peace Awareness/Understanding

1. Increase the Visibility of Rotary Clubs and Rotary

2. Create connections between Rotary Clubs and their Community world wide

3. Involve Rotary in the Community in a different way with different Visibility.

4. Involve non-Rotarians in a Rotary sponsored project.

This project will create and display objects with meaning and beauty on the subject of Peace. Peace means many things to different people and we are using the word in the broadest sense. But each person should answer the question "What does Peace mean to me" in the creation of their object.

Created Objects-The objects created can be knitted, wood, metal, 3d printed, electronic, porcelain or some other medium. We encourage creativity in the design and creation of the objects. (Use STEAM) In each case the Object will address the question of "What does Peace mean to the creator".

Creators of Objects-The creators of the objects can be Rotarians, students, Interactors, Rotaractors, engineers, plumbers or anyone else. They can be individuals or representatives of one or more Rotary Clubs or other organizations. We are hoping that Rotary Clubs will reach out to their Community to involve others in this activity.

With the Object-Submit with the Object the name and background of the submitter and her/his organization and the story behind the contribution. This will be printed on a tag shown with the Object.

Size of Object-The Objects will fit in a space of 10"long x10" high x5" deep.

The object will have a mechanism to hang it on a Frame, described below. The object can be any shape or form.

Frame-The Frames will be built to hold up to 100 Objects. The Frames will be built on a rolling base and will be 4' long x 4' wide x 6' tall. A frame will be built of 2x4's consisting of a base with 4-8" wheels, 6' uprights and a reinforcing structure at the top. The four sides will be covered by 3/8" thick plywood on which the Objects will be mounted. The weight of this frame will be 182 lbs for both the plywood and the 2x4s. A very rought estimate of the cost of the lumber is $110 plus another $100 for the wheels. The entire Frame will be painted grey.

Displays-The Objects on the Frame are called the Displays. They will be shown at the Maker Faire Connecticut in Westport on April 18 and 19. Then they will go to the Rotary District 7980 District Conference in Mystic on April 24, 25 and 26. It is the intent to show a portion of the Objects at the Rotary International Convention in Hawaii on June 6 to 10 and then have them displayed and available for other events.

How to make this Happen

a. Marketing/PR/Social Media-Make people aware of the project and encourage them to create objects and send them in. Need a person to do this.

b. Create a website to inform people about the project and have them sign up.

Here is the website that was created for the Great Duck Race  Need a person for this.

c. Design and build the frames that will be used to display the submissions. Need someone for this.

d. Receiving the Objects when submitted, storage of objects and transportation. Need someone for this.

e. Curating the submissions-tags with each object on the Frame, create a booklet describing them, put the submissions on the website, etc. Need someone for this.

Passport Club-We are about to start one-What is It?

Passport Club

WHAT IS A PASSPORT CLUB?

A passport club is a Rotary club that gives its members a more flexible club experience by:

            • Encouraging its members to visit other clubs and participate in their club activities regularly

             • Relaxing the attendance policy

             • Offering a variety of meeting formats

HOW DO PASSPORT CLUBS WORK? Passport clubs determine how they want to operate. Here are some common practices of passport clubs:

             • Meeting less frequently

             • Focusing meetings on service or social activities

             • Setting affordable dues

             • Measuring club health by participation rather than attendance

HOW DO THEY MEET?  Meetings can be social gatherings, service activities, virtual meetings, or fundraisers. Other Clubs' meetings are an important part of the Passport club calendar. As long as something is on the club’s calendar twice a month it meets the RI criteria.

Rotary Guide to Passport club

Membership Engagement-Now

We are now halfway through this Rotary year and our District, you, are making progress on membership. You need to focus on membership engagement.So what does this mean, What should you do?

You should identify those members who are less involved with club activities.

Then,

First every member of the club and particularly new members should be contacted about the next two or three club events. Call them, e-mail them and text them. Make every member feel part of the club and encourage them to participate. You cannot.  communicate too much. Have the messages come from multiple people.

 Second, every member should be part of a club committee. If someone in the club is not on a committee, call them up and ask them to help out.

Three, encourage members of the club to get together to do things. Figure out how the club can help this happen i.e. members in small groups doing projects. For example find some community service projects that a small group of people can do and create a small group of members, who are not heavily involved, to do it. 

Four. Do a community assessment to identify the needs of your town. Involve club members, town leaders and other people interested in the community. Advertise it and welcome other people to come. Most importantly invite those club members who are not yet heavily involved in the club.

Community Assessment

Fresh Start-Helping Families that need furniture, appliances, tables etc. Wallingford Rotary November 20, 2019

Wallingford Rotary Club-November 20, 2019

A Paul Harris Society Member
Matt Bailey became a Paul Harris Society Member at this meeting of Wallingford Rotary Club.
Matt is a long time member of Wallingford and a great contributor to the Rotary Foundation.
He remembers PDG Chip Lewis encouraging him to donate to the Foundation

Fresh Start- A Program by Meriden Rotary that Benefits both Meriden and Wallingford
Supplying Furniture, Appliances and other things to Needy Families

Ty Bongiovanni from the Meriden Rotary Club talked about supplying furniture, appliances and other things to families that need help. They collect donations, store them and then supply them as needed.
A surprising source of donations is from local evictions. When the goods are not claimed the authorities donate it to Fresh Start in Meriden. Have you replaced the furniture in your house and had nowhere to donate your old furniture.
They have more than enough furniture and appliances to donate to needy families.

Any club could do this in their town. A few simple steps. 1) Let it be known that you will take donations of furniture and appliances, 2) store the donations as they come in, 3) identify and provide furniture and appliances and other things to needy families. Ty is willing to come to your club to talk about how you can do this. Contact him or contact me.

Opioid Treatment-Overdose Action Team in New London

For almost three years, the City of New London, Ledge Light Health District, Alliance for Living and many other community organizations, first responders.  government agencies, individuals with lived experience and families from New London and surrounding towns formed the Overdose Action Team (OAT), which is focused on improving local response to the opioid epidemic through data sharing and coordinating intervention efforts.

The OAT was awarded one of only 13 grants in the country in 2018 through the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. As a result of this funding, three Recovery Navigators were deployed in locations through the city where data shows the highest numbers of overdoses. Since the project began, the navigators have engaged over 300 people, with many of those contacted initiating medically based treatment as a result. The program is so successful that the grant was almost doubled and the work expanded to other Southeastern Connecticut communities. We currently have 5 Recovery Navigators working in the community.

The State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, also awarded a grant to the OAT to implement the “How Can We Help” initiative, which enhances community outreach to include direct follow up with those who have overdosed at home.

In New London, a Recovery navigator and firefighter engage with a resident in his/her home. Our firefighter/navigator partnership, which started in late Spring 2019,  is the first initiative of its kind in Connecticut.

The City of New London is the first and only community in Connecticut to pass an ordinance which provides oversight of sober homes in our community.

Our work is recognized statewide and nationally and we have participated in numerous Summits, conference and forums.

In addition, the OAT has sponsored a photography exhibit, Living Proof, person stories of struggle and hope while living with opioid use disorder.. Living Proof is a photography exhibit featuring the compelling  portraits and stories of people from our region who have partnered with the Opioid Action Team to increase understanding of their chronic disease and paths to wellness.

In Memory of Ralph Krueger

On Wednesday, November 6 a Memorial for Ralph Krueger a member of Westport Sunrise Rotary
Ralph had a very successful career in New York City, Madison Avenue, and in real estate in Connecticut. Then at the age of 84 he became a member of the Westport Sunrise Rotary Club. He became an important club member who was always available to help. He was an important part of the fellowship of the club and the fellowship of the club was important to him.

So he was important to the clubs service effort and was very involved with the fellowship. That's Rotary.

A leader of the club describes the effect that Ralph had on him and the club

Ralph's daughter talked about the effect that the club had on her father

 Westport Sunrise Rotary runs a duck race fund raiser every year. They make considerable money for scholarships and other service to their community. They have a 23 foot high duck that they use for publicity. Ralph always wanted the 23 foot duck, which weighs 450 lbs to be front and center promoting the duck race.

Ralph's two daughter gave the club a nine foot duck so they could promote the race the way their father wanted

All the Ways You Contribute

A video on All the Ways you Contribute
Video on All the Ways you Contribute

All the Ways you Contribute

I have visited almost all the clubs in our District and am amazed, excited and inspired by the range of ways Rotarians contribute to and change the world in our District. So here's a list of how you each in your own way contribute to the range of our contributions.

1. RYLA, our leadership program for young people. I mention it first because we just finished a RYLA weekend when 75 high school students became leaders and their lives were changed.

2.  A club sees a need for an informative quiet space in a Middle School and gets a District Managed Grant to install an aquarium.

3. The Food Bank in another town needs a food freezer and a club gets a District Managed Grant to buy a freezer for the Food Bank.

4. Yale Rotaract got a Global Grant to buy medical equipment to serve Syrian refugees in Turkey and are right now working to buy medical equipment to serve Rohingya refugees in Bengladesh. In both cases the connections of Rotary allowed the club here in New Haven to connect with Rotarians on the ground in Turkey and in Bengladesh.

5. Our Interact students do service in every one of their communities and raise money District wide($20,000 in the last three years for Gift of Life and Polio) The success of Interact Clubs is assured in each case by a Rotarian who cares.

6. And our District helped found a school for girls in Africa and that school has grown so much that it needed help with a water system. PDG Trish Pearson and many, many of our clubs helped provide that water system.

7. And the eradication of polio is so important. It will change the world. Rotarians throughout the District give to help with the fight. The Ridgefield Rotary Club ran a concert which contributed a large amount to the polio effort and now Arlo Guthrie is coming November 22 and much of the income will be donated to eradicating polio.

8. And Youth Exchange. Every year we send students overseas and receive students from abroad and this changes their lives. Dedicated Rotarians in our District enable this to happen.

9. And one club in our District helps people with dementia and Alzheimers to live a little better. They bring people from Nursing Homes to a location where they can sing to and with each other. Music Mends Minds is the organization and our Ansonia Rotary Club is leading the way on this project.

10. Scholarships. Many clubs provide scholarships to high school students. Interviewing those students is such a rewarding experience for our Rotarians. The students receive help from our Rotary Clubs.

11. This year we have Service above Self Scholarships $5000 each that your scholarship winners from recent years can win. Recommend that the recent winners of your scholarships apply.

12. Clubs(New London and others) have built pavilions for their town. It is so satisfying to see a lasting result for your town from your Rotary efforts

13. Some clubs beautify their towns by planting and weeding town gardens in the Spring.

14. A few clubs do Breakfast with Santa or Breakfast with the Easter Bunny. The Interact clubs often help with these events. In at least one case over a 1000 people come meet Santa and have breakfast.

15. There are many fundraising events where it's all hands on deck. For example Lobster Fest or Shad Bake or....  Although these are a lot of work, the satisfaction from working with your fellow Rotarians is wonderful. And the proceeds go to help your town, fund your scholarships and other good works.

16. And packing meals for Haiti or Bahamas or .... These meal packing events are a wonderful combination of service and fellowship.

17. And I hope you are all planning to do something in support of STEM(Science Technology, Engineering and Math) and Robert insists with good reason that I add Arts. This is very rewarding and does not require you to be an expert.

18. We have another youth program, called Next Generations, which allows young people to talk about their issues and the World. This is enabled by contributions from your club.

19. And a club has people skilled in prosthetics(artificial limbs). They take their expertise and equipment to Peru and help people there who need help.

20. Gift of Life. Many Rotarians in our District help this program for bringing life saving surgery to infants in many parts of the world. Lynda Hammond leads this effort but you make it happen.

21. At Thanksgiving time and other times many clubs give food to the needy.

What a variety of ways to give back to your community and the world. There are many, many other projects and activities , which people in our District do, which bring value to our communities and to the world. Way too many to mention. But think about it, you know how much your club does and multiply that many times for all the clubs and all the people.

But if you have an idea, a passion that is not addressed, you can enlist the help of your fellow Rotarians and make it reality. And don't worry if some Rotarians are not interested now, keep trying, find others and you will find a team to help you make it happen. 

Rotary is a Gift.

December 10 Hawks Ridge Winery-Rotary Builds Business

December 10

Rotary Builds Business and Holiday Party

Hawks Ridge Winery

Rotary Builds Business is a gathering of Rotarians from many clubs to meet others and talk about their businesses. 

Talk about your Business and talk to other Rotarians and Guests

From 5:30 - 9:00pm on December 10 at Hawks Ridge Winery

Heavy appetizers are part of the deal

 Wine can be purchased at the winery. 

Bring potential members, family and friends

What a great way to kick off the holiday season get to tell others about your business and meet others.

Register Now

Rotary Builds Business-Dec 10 Registration

District 7980 Conference-Mystic 2020-NOW September 25 to 27, 2020 in Mystic Connecticut

MYSTIC 2020

District 7980 Conference

Mystic Marriott, September 25  to 27 , 2020

Register Now   

Rotary District 7980 Conference-see link at top

Be a Part of All This

Ron Beaubien-President Mark Maloney's Representative and he was RI Director and aide to RI President John Germ, 

Jeffry Cadorette-What a great speaker on Rotary!!!
Ryan Leigh Dostie-Author of Formation- A Womans Memoir on Stepping out of Line

            Named by Esquire as one of the Best Nonfiction Books of the Year: Chanel Miller's Know My Name meets Cheryl Strayed's Wild and Anthony Swofford's Jarhead in this powerful literary memoir of a young soldier driven to prove herself in a man's world.

Opioids-New London's Overdose Action Team
             talks about what they do and what you can do

Mystic Aquarium-The President tells of the Aquarium and tells us about the Oceans
Robotics teams-Three high schools, Meet them up close
Rotary Public Image from Nikki Mederos on storytelling

In addition

Rotary International Awards

The Pettengill and Osterman

Talks by our clubs on what they do-Community, International, Club, Vocational Service

Youth-meet our Exchange students,  Interactors, Rotaractors 

Rotary Builds Business at scale

March of the Presidents

Memorial Service for those we've lost

District Conference Highlights

Friday 4 PM Conference Opening-welcome to Mystic by Rob Simmons-former Congressman.    Ryan Leigh Dostie on her book Formation

Friday 6:30 PM Dinner
RI awards-Members of our District are honored for what they have done
Ron Beaubien-President Mark Maloney's Representative and RI Director and aide to RI President John Germ, 

Sat

8:30 AM Youth Programs-Youth Exchange, Interact, Rotaract
10:20 AM Jeffry Cadorette-RI Director

11 AM Opioids-New London Overdose Action Team

noon Lunch  Paul Harris Lunch Celebrating the Rotary Foundation and District 7980 Role

1:30 PM Toastmasters and Rotary

2 PM Dr. Stephen Coan-Mystic Aquarium

3 PM Robot Teams at House of Friendship 

5:30 PM  Rotary Builds Business in House of Friendship

7 PM Presidents march into ballroom with bagpipes

          Dinner
 Mark Maloney's Representative Ron Beaubien
Pettengill and Osterman club Awards
Jeffry Cadorette-RI Director

Sunday

8:00 AM Business Meeting
8:30 AM Memorial Service

9:30 AM Our clubs talk about what they do!

10:15 AM Nikki Mederos talks about story telling with Robert Friend
11:00 AM Conference Closing  Ron Beaubien

11:10 AM Enjoy Mystic

At this District Conference

At our district Conference the Presidents representative is Ron Beaubien and his wife Vicki

Ronald L. (Ron) Beaubien:  Rotary Biography Recap:

Ron, a Rotarian since 1976 in Coronado, California with a classification of Insurance, is President of Island Insurance Services, a full-service insurance agency in Coronado, CA.  Locally, he has also been president/chairman of the Coronado Chamber of Commerce, Coronado Hospital Foundation, Selective Service Draft Board and the San Diego Crime Commission. A 15-year member of the United States International University (USIU) Board of Directions, Ron is also a Mason and a Shriner. 

He is also a past Director of the Bank of Coronado.  Among many other community and service awards, in 1993, Ron and his wife, Vicki, were presented the “Coronado Distinguished Citizen Award” for outstanding and long-term service to their community.

A brief recap of Ron’s Rotary experiences includes:

*1994-5: Governor of District 5340 in Southern California;

*Numerous positions in the District and Zones 23-24, now 25-26, including GETS, Zone Institute Co-Convener and Chair, multiple events as a Speaker, Presenter, Discussion Group Leader or Panelist;

*2003-5: RI Board of Directors;

*2001: Disaster Relief Chair; 2007-8 International Membership Development and Retention Chair - chairing seven International Membership Conferences (North America) in 2007 and 12 International Membership Conferences (throughout the Rotary world) in 2008;

*Group Discussion Leader at the International Assembly in 2000 and 2001;

*For 8 years a member of either RI Audit and/or Finance and Investment Advisory Committees (Known now as the combined RI&TRF Finance Committee);

*Representative to and COL Committee member;

*2012 Moderator of the Rotary Coordinator/ Rotary Public Image Coordinator Institute;

*Most recently Ron and Vicki served as Aide to RI President John and Judy Germ;

*Many positions and activities within the Rotary Foundation as well Ron & Vicki are multi-level Major Donors.

             

A native Californian, Ron and Vicki have been residents of Coronado, California since 1968 and celebrated 51 years of marriage last November. They have two sons, both graduates of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.   Layne, a Three Time Olympian for the United States Water Polo Team (Athens, Beijing & London) earning an Olympic Silver Medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is currently taking over Ron’s insurance company. Brady is married and working in the film industry in Hollywood – as owner and Founder of an award-winning graphic arts company as well as co-owner of Cine-Concerts producing over 1,200 movie enhanced orchestral concerts in more than 60 countries.

Beaubiens To Serve As Aides To Rotary President-nominee

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Coronado Rotary Club President congratulates Ron Beaubien on his confirmation as aide to President-nominee of Rotary International, John F. Germ.

Posted: Tuesday, November 4, 2014 9:34 am

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Ron Beaubien, Past-President of Coronado Rotary Club and Past District Governor of District 5340, and his wife Vicki will assume the duties as aides to the President-nominee of Rotary International, John F. Germ and his wife Judy. This assignment will last through June 30, 2017.

President-nominee, Germ, said in his confirmation letter that “we know that we can count on you to help us navigate through the various challenges of planning, preparing and serving Rotary in this new and challenging assignment. I am looking forward to the opportunity to contribute to the growth and vibrancy of Rotary and I will need your help at each step of the way.”

Beaubien, President of Crown Insurance Services, Inc. has been a member of Rotary since 1976. He has served on various Rotary International committees and attended numerous regional, zone and international institutes as well as International conventions.  In India he chaired and participated in a Polio Plus National Immunization Day. As Rotary International Director in 2003- 2005, Coronado Rotary Club named him Rotarian of The Year.   

Working and serving Rotary is a large part of Beaubien’s life, however, he has served the Coronado community as well as San Diego as chairman of the Coronado Hospital Foundation, chairman of the Selective Service Draft Board and member of the San Diego Crime Commission. Ron was a director and secretary of the Bank of Coronado for 20 years and is past president of the Coronado Chamber of Commerce. He and Vicki were presented the Coronado Distinguished Citizen Award for outstanding service to the community by the Coronado Chamber of Commerce.

More about Coronado California

Paul Harris Lunch

Speaker Mike McGovern-RI Polio Plus chair and former VP of RI

Michael K. McGovern

PolioPlus Committee
Chair, Rotary International

Michael K. McGovern is current Chair of the Rotary International PolioPlus Committee and Past Vice President of Rotary International in 2007-08.

Mike joined Rotary in 1986 as a member of the Rotary Club of South Portland-Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA. He has served as club president, district  governor, district foundation chair, Rotarian Action Group chair, international training leader, RI committee member and chair, director of Rotary International and vice  president of Rotary. He has served in numerous other positions at the district, zone and international levels and has attended numerous councils on legislation in various roles.

Mike holds the Rotary classification of “Town Government” as the full-time appointed town manager of Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He was previously president of the Maine Municipal Association and has served on regional boards for the United Way and the American Red Cross. Mike is a Major Donor to the Rotary Foundation and a recipient of the Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service.

Jeffry Cadorette

Director 2018-20 
Rotary Club of Media 
Pennsylvania, USA 

Jeffry Cadorette had a 25-year career as a physical therapist in private practice as president and CEO of Physical Therapy Associates of Delaware County in Pennsylvania until merging his practice with Riddle Memorial Hospital to form the Riddle Rehabilitation Institute and Riddle Sports Medicine. He is now associate broker and executive vice president at Media Real Estate Co., where he is active in all phases of commercial real estate sales and leasing, tenant representation, and new project development.

A Rotarian since 1977, Cadorette has served RI as a committee member, Council on Legislation delegate, international training leader, seminar trainer, and president’s representative. He was worldwide coordinator of Rotary Foundation alumni coordinators from 2010-11.

Cadorette is a Foundation Benefactor and Major Donor and has received the Citation for Meritorious Service, the Distinguished Service Award, and RI’s Service Above Self Award.

Jeffry Cadorette-A Rotary Prescription

Ryan Dostie-Youth Exchange alum, Global Scholar, Author
Talking about the Effect of Rotary on her

Ryan Leigh Dostie goes by Ryan Leigh Dostie only in written work because her mother christened her with an extremely masculine first name, and Ryan without the Leigh seemed kind of confusing on a book cover. She secretly believes her name is the reason she joined the military, because names have that kind of formative power. She’s always been a writer, if you consider a short story in second-grade with the dubious plot of a girl making best friends with a wild mountain lion as “writing.” On her elementary school bucket list were four items: go to college, travel, become an author, have a horse. Ryan is working real hard on getting that horse.

She loves to travel and once wanted to visit every major city in the world. Now she would just like to see the countryside of new places and discover paths less traveled. Maybe that’s because she’s learned the beauty of a place is in its raw, untouched landscape, or maybe it’s because she suddenly doesn’t like crowds. With age comes agoraphobia. More accurately, with war comes agoraphobia.

Ryan has studied six languages (Japanese, Persian-Farsi, Dari, French, Ancient Greek) but only her mother says Ryan speaks six languages, because honestly Ryan has forgotten almost of all that, save for some conversational Japanese.

As far as hobbies go, Ryan likes to pick things up and put them down, preferably heavy and slowly (i.e. Olympic Weightlifting), but will move faster if her trainer yells loud enough (i.e. Crossfit). She loves to read, but will never admit to how little she actually does, because it’s shameful. While a journalist and photographer in the Connecticut National Guard, Ryan learned she really enjoys photography and maybe she’s even good at it. It's pretty amazing what you can do with an automatic setting on expensive cameras these days.

Ryan secretly loves Urban Fantasy because she has an unhealthy obsession with the ancient world and its impact on modern society and religions, and what better genre to explore such delightful connections? Ryan will happily regale you with tales of powerful, ancient deities, and how the biggest war god was originally a woman. Yet her current works revolve around women in the military and combat, because women are there, they exist, and have for a very long time. She would like to add her voice to literature regarding the “The Long War,” America’s ongoing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ryan has a beautiful, adventurous daughter, who has a delightful passion for horses (this is how Ryan hopes to trick her husband into getting that horse), as well as big dogs (Ryan wants another dog, too). Ryan is married to a Marine, whose ability to improvise, adapt, and overcome is probably the exact thing Ryan needs in a man and husband. He’s a devoted father, hard working teacher, volunteer fireman, EMT, and often caretaker of all household animals. We understand his reluctance for more animals. We will persevere.

Video at New Haven book store

Interview with Ryan Leigh Dostie onWNYC by Alison Stewart

June 7, 2019

https://www.wnyc.org/story/formation-womans-memoir-stepping-out-line/

Book by Ryan Dostie Formation-A womans memoir of Stepping out of Line



A Talk on Opioids Treatment-Jennifer Muggeo and Carol Jones

For almost three years, the City of New London, Ledge Light Health District, Alliance for Living and many other community organizations, first responders.  government agencies, individuals with lived experience and families from New London and surrounding towns formed the Overdose Action Team (OAT), which is focused on improving local response to the opioid epidemic through data sharing and coordinating intervention efforts.

The OAT was awarded one of only 13 grants in the country in 2018 through the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. As a result of this funding, three Recovery Navigators were deployed in locations through the city where data shows the highest numbers of overdoses. Since the project began, the navigators have engaged over 300 people, with many of those contacted initiating medically based treatment as a result. The program is so successful that the grant was almost doubled and the work expanded to other Southeastern Connecticut communities. We currently have 5 Recovery Navigators working in the community.

Here is a video on channel 8 of Jen Muggeo who will be one of our speakers
Opioids-New London effort Jen Muggeo

Talk on the Environment, the Oceans and STEM

STEPHEN M. COAN, PH.D. of Mystic Aquarium

Dr. Stephen M. Coan is president and chief executive officer of Sea Research Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which operates Mystic Aquarium and JASON Learning.  Committed to protecting the ocean environment, Sea Research Foundation accomplishes this through public engagement in conservation, STEM education, and research programs related to the ocean environment.

 Mystic Aquarium is the largest cultural attraction in Southeastern New England with annual attendance of 750,000.  JASON Learning is a digital based STEM curriculum that annually reaches 3 million students throughout the world.

 Dr. Coan has been an officer of Sea Research Foundation since 2001. He was appointed chief operating officer in 2004, and completed a radical restructuring of the organization’s financial platform, including reduction of $20 million in debt. He became president and CEO in 2006.   Under his stewardship, Sea Research Foundation has enjoyed record setting fund raising, and took over management of JASON Learning from National Geographic Society in 2010.  In 2014, Mystic Aquarium was awarded the National Medal for Museum and Library Service at the White House in recognition of its unique array of community and national programs serving at-risk youth and people with special needs. 

Prior to joining Sea Research Foundation, Dr. Coan was the chief education officer of the JASON Foundation for Education, now known as JASON Learning. He has served as executive director of two educational organizations and held faculty appointments at Tufts University, Bentley College and Cambridge College. He is a trustee of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Horizons in Windham, Conn., the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation in Baltimore, Md., and a founding trustee of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association.

 Dr. Coan earned his bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and both a Masters in Management degree and a doctorate in social policy from the Heller Graduate School at Brandeis. 

Mystic Aquarium video

African Penguins at Mystic Aquarium

Robots from High School Robot Teams for you and your kids to play with

On Saturday

Interact and Rotaract

Youth Exchange

















On Sunday

The Memorial Service-a moving remembrance of the Rotarians we have lost this year.

Talks by Clubs on What they do really well

Public Image

Nikki Mederos-Public Image Coordinator for Zone 32 and great storyteller.

Niurka “Nikki” Mederos District Governor

North Hudson Rotary Club

401 Gorge Road, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010

Mobile: 201-956-1667 Email: nikkimederos7490@gmail.com

A lifelong resident of Hudson and Bergen counties, Niurka “Nikki” Mederos is the Director of the External Affairs/Outreach Community at Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, NJ. During her 35-year tenure at the medical facility, Ms. Mederos has worked within local communities to promote the hospital’s services, build community partnerships and provide healthcare outreach programs to local residents. Additionally, she has organized dozens of community health fairs and health screenings to connect with thousands of members from the community.

Rest of Sunday
Find a Restaurant for Lunch with Some Rotarians
Go to Mystic Aquarium, Mystic Seaport, Naval Museum or...