This was the theme of the Rotary International Convention which recently took place in Toronto, Ontario. District 7090 was out in full force, with over 300 Rotarians in attendance. As the incoming District Governor, this was the major kick off for my Rotary year and what a blast my husband John and I had! We had the opportunity to hear some amazing speakers such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, current and incoming RI Presidents Ian Riseley and Barry Rassin and many, many more! The speeches were electrifying, the House of Friendship was overflowing with amazing projects, and the Rotary vendors hocking the latest in Rotary “fashion” were everywhere!! However, in my opinion, the best part of it all, was connecting with old and new friends alike. As my husband tells it, “Every 5 feet we ran into someone we knew, and she’d spend another 10 minutes talking!” While I’d like to say he’s exaggerating, the truth is… he’s not! I love to talk to people about Rotary. Put me in a venue with 26,000+ of my favorite kind of people and “poof” … I’m in my version of heaven!! How can you NOT talk about Rotary! Couple that with meeting other Rotarians and Rotaractors from our own district and you have nothing short of a recipe for great success!! We talked, collaborated, brainstormed and got really excited about how to bring this inspiration back to our district! I saw once “shy” club presidents getting excited about partnership connections; I watched as some of our Rotaractors started dreaming of water projects that we could collaborate with in New Mexico. I ran into my fellow district governors who were also getting ready to start their governor year like myself. We talked about our fears, our plans and our goals – celebrated with some drinks and just enjoyed the overwhelming joy of being at the convention, getting ready to Be The Inspiration!
Now our new Rotary year has started, and I am so excited to be on this journey with you! Sometimes the thought of trying to be inspirational is a bit overwhelming. Take this article for example! Imagine the pressure of writing your very first newsletter article as the District Governor. No pressure at all. As I sat down to write this, I hoped that Inspiration would just ooze right out of my brain to my fingertips and translate into an amazingly written piece worth framing!! Not so much. I put way too much pressure on myself and had a brain freeze instead! So, I went “back to basics” and made of list of everything I’ve been doing since my official role started. And then it happened… inspiration came so fast and furious I wasn’t sure how to keep up, or how to keep this article under 10 pages... (just kidding, it’s not that long!).
I draw my energy and inspiration from YOU, the Rotarians I am honored to serve this year. I was invited to the changeover ceremonies for the Rotary Clubs of Fonthill and Niagara On The Lake as some of my first official duties. What a pure honor it was, to meet the club members, listen to the projects and achievements of the clubs and to hear the hopes, dreams and goals of the incoming presidents! As you’ve heard a million times from other district governors before me – it is truly a humbling experience. Between these two clubs they have used grants to help fund a computer and skills program targeting women and youth through Niagara Peninsula Homes, funded a sensory room in conjunction with the Red Roof Retreat, and raised thousands for dollars for Polio Plus and other local programs!
Next I met Sue Collins and Ryan Bridge from the Rotary Clubs of Waterdown and Flamborogh AM respectively. Together, these two clubs host the wildly successful Waterdown Ribfest. Practically every member of their clubs participated in one way or another to make this fundraiser a success. I was invited to attend and help “serve some suds”. But in true Rotary spirit – once I arrived my duties expanded, and I could not have been more thrilled to pitch in and help out! At one point in the day, I had the pleasure of sitting down with President Sue and asked her what her vision was for her year. The vision she shared was moving, inspirational and almost brought me to tears. Sue’s dream is to help her club realize their goal of building more affordable housing for the elderly in her community. Wow. Not much more I can say about that. The level of “Service Above Self” that I see everywhere I go is just amazing. Everywhere I look, I see #Changemakers! People tirelessly dedicated to being People of Action. Rotarians dedicated to improving the communities they live in and even the ones they don’t.
My goal for this year, is to share this inspiration with all of you. To connect us with each other. To open your eyes to the larger world of Rotary. To inspire you to take action and create lasting change. I truly believe that we need to look no further than our own district, to see first-hand, the up close and personal impact that we as Rotarians are making in our own communities and around the globe! I am so proud to be serving you and our district. Thank you for giving me this incredible opportunity! Please follow me on Facebook at Melisa Schrock – Rotarian. There you will find updates on what other clubs are doing, learn about new initiatives from Rotary International, and get a glimpse into a “day in the life” of a district governor! Some days, you might be moved to tears, other days you’ll laugh at my crazy life – but I promise that every day will be inspired!!
Club Events
Rotary Club of Norfolk Sunrise
presents
11th Annual Ride (motorcycle) for Polio
When: Saturday, August 25, 2018
Where: Tim Horton's
Queensway East, HWY 3 & 24, Ontario - ride along Lake Erie to Sparta for lunch
Recently, District 7090 hosted a Rotary Friendship Exchange from Thailand, District 3360. The team of 24 was comprised of twelve Rotarians; one past district governor, ten past presidents and one guest.
Pictured is the RFE team with Dick Beyers "The Destroyer", a WWWF Champion and wife. Both are members of DG Melisa's club, the Rotary Club of Akron. These are but a few of the highlights of participating clubs:
The Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, ON and Niagara Falls Sunrise treated the team to a Canadian Day celebration and turning on the falls lights, visits to wineries and of course, the team's favorite, shopping, as well as Niagara Falls on the Canadian side.
Then on to be hosted by the Rotary Club of Welland where they saw the Welland Canal in action, moving tons of cargo through narrow locks. They also met the mayor and other city dignitaries.
Visiting the Rotary Club of Dunkirk-Fredonia they were treated to a fly-in breakfast with several members taking a vintage airplane ride. They were treated to a visit to the University of New York at Fredonia, as well as an annual Italian festival.
The Batavia and Le Roy clubs took the RFE team to see the beautiful nature of Letchworth State Park and, of course, Niagara Falls on USA side. Then they went on to attend one of America's favorite summer sports, baseball; for most of the team this was the first time watching in person and up close.
The Rotary Club of Clarence took the team to visit and explore the diversity of our religious faiths by visiting churches of different beliefs. They also involved the team in a hands on project: food packing at Buffalo City Mission.
They were hosted by Rotarian Shefali Clerk of the Rotary Club of Amherst South for their farewell party.
On Monday of the Rotary International Convention, delegates have the opportunity to venture into the community surrounding the convention and be “home hosted” by a Rotarian (and significant other) in their homes. Occasionally, the venue has been a centralized barbecue or other meal, but, for sure, being in a Rotarian’s home for a few hours, sharing Rotary stories and ideas is a wonderful way to “get away” from the hustle and bustle of the convention.
This year, District 7090, under the leadership of Anne Bermingham, hosted about 150 people for dinner on Monday, June 25th. They came by bus – and that was an adventure in itself as a bad car accident closed the Queen Elizabeth highway and changed a 1 hour trip into a 3 hour trip from Toronto to Hamilton; however, Anne quickly reorganized and we extended the stay of our guests for an extra hour or so. Pictured left is Anne Bermingham, center front, with her guests at her home in Highview.
Talk about hospitality! Rotarians stepped up from all over the area - the Rotary club of Hamilton AM, Hamilton, Hamilton After Five (Tonic), Hamilton Mountain and Dundas Valley Sunrise all got involved. Some Rotarians hosted two couple, four couples or even ten couples in their homes. The Hamilton Mountain club entertained 20 at the yacht club, the Rotary Club of Hamilton After Five (Tonic), had 18 at Rotarian Marcel Mongeon’s back yard. One Rotarian, Michael Howes, hosted the couples at his boat dockside. People were entertained on boats, in gardens and backyards and around dinner tables in Stoney Creek, Hamilton, Ancaster, Aldershot and Dundas.
It was an amazing effort by many amazing people. MANY, MANY thanks to all those who were willing to host, transport or do any of the other many roles to make this a successful evening; but special thanks to our bus monitors – David Williams, Leo Johnson, Tim McClemont, and Rotaractor, Jelaine Foster – as well as our fearless leader, Anne.
Pictured right is a photo taken by hosts Helen and Wayne Massey, Rotary Club of Dundas Valley Sunrise, at their home as the group was preparing to disperse having been wined (lots) and dined on Wayne’s special treatment of steak and salmon, preceded by charcuterie and salad, and then topped off with strawberry cake and rhubarb crisp and icewine. The guests are Tom and Stephanie Smith from Tsawassen, British Columbia, Karen and Ted Ellis from East Rutherford, Texas, and the hostesses with the MOSTEST, Helen Massey and Lynne Morrow.
Have you visited our District 7090 Resource Food Truck lately? Check out the tasty recordings and PowerPoint presentations from our great series of webinars on membership – including topics like “5 Key Elements of an Effective Membership Plan,” “Recruiting & Retaining Young Professionals,” and “Best Practices for Onboarding New Members.” You may want to share these treats with other members of your club. They’re non-fattening, but might result in added members to your club. You can find the Food Truck parked here.
Looking for a way to get involved in the District? Looking for a way to support the successful on-boarding of new Rotarians? We have the perfect role for you!
Join the District New Member On-Boarding Committee and help plan, develop and implement strategies and activities that support the successful orientation of new Rotarians to their club, the district and Rotary International. Our work supports the growth and development of the membership in our clubs/district, creates tools, hosts training sessions and more. Committee meetings are online via Zoom once per month the second Thursday of each month at noon. For more information, contact Tamara Coleman-Lawrie at tamara@d7090.org.
District 7090 was the only District in Zone 24 with more than 2,000 members to increase its membership in the 2017-18 Rotary year.
Over the 2017-18 Rotary year, District 7090’s membership grew by 40 from 2,124 on July 1, 2017 to 2,164 on June 30, 2018. District 7090’s membership growth last Rotary year came from an increase of 46 new members in our new Rotary E-Club of Social Innovators (RESI) with the membership of all other District 7090 clubs collectively decreasing by 6 members.
Our membership growth during the 2017-18 Rotary year further solidified District 7090’s position as the largest Rotary District in Zone 24 East by widening our lead over District 7070, that includes the City of Toronto, York Region and Durham Region, which lost 36 members from 2,003 on July 1, 2017 to now sits at 1,967 members as of June 30, 2018.
Within all of Zones 24 & 32, membership decreased in the 2017-18 Rotary year by 1,207 from 60,415 on July 1, 2017 to 59,208 on June 30, 2018.
In fact, among the Zone 24 Districts with more than 2,000 members on July 1, 2017, District was the only one to increase its membership during the 2017-18 Rotary year.
District 5050 (BC and Washington State) stayed at 2,511 members from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018; while District 5060 (parts of B.C. & Washington State) lost 32 members from 2,637 to 2,605 and District 5370 (parts of Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan & Northwest Territories) lost 94 members from 2,130 to 2,036 over the same period.
As a result, District 7090’s membership passed District 5370 to become the third largest District in Zone 24 during the 2017-18 Rotary year.
On Monday, June 25, 2018, the Rotary Club of Waterdown hosted their changeover meeting with several guests present to recognize PDG Bob Bruce with The Rotary Foundation Distinguished Service Award. PDG Bob was nominated for this award by PDGs Karen Oakes and John VanLaar with endorsement by IPDG Marlee Diehl. Bob was escorted to the front of the room by IPDG Marlee and DG Reg Madison. Others PDGs in attendance were PDGs Don Hilborn, Art Wing, Joe DePaolo and DGE Melisa Schrock with numerous other PDGs sending their congratulatory wishes to Bob.
Pictured left to right are PDG Art Wing, PDG Joe DePaolo, PDG Don Hilborn, PDG Karen Oakes, PDG Bob Bruce, PDG Marlee Diehl, DG Reg Madison and DGE Melisa Schrock.
The Rotary Club of Waterdown is notably proud of this recognition to their fellow Rotarian Bob Bruce as he was one of only 50 possible recipients from around the globe recognized for their exceptional service to The Rotary Foundation. Well done, Bob!
It was a great evening of laughter and fellowship as Rotarians and guests celebrated many other significant milestones, including new member inductions, anniversaries, honouring special Rotary Foundation supporters as well as a review of the exceptional year under the leadership of President Sabih and welcoming incoming President Sue to the helm.
Over the Canada Day weekend, the Rotary clubs of Waterdown and Flamborough AM held their 9th Annual Oh Canada Ribfest, a fundraiser for the two Rotary clubs. From the photos, it looks like Governor Melisa was having a great time posing with awardees.
On the right, do you think DG Melisa was trying to explain to Bucky, the event's mascot, what a #Changemaker is?
Pictured left – Kathy Trost and Jill Dunn present a $2,000.00 check to Sydney Sanders from EFD Explorer Program. For the third year in a row the Rotary Club of Ellicottville Foundation for Youth donated $2,000.00 to the Ellicottville Fire Company. This donation will help fund new members in 2018 for the EFD Explorer Program. This program, in conjunction with the Boy Scouts of America, provides an opportunity for any child (aged 13 – 16) to become a volunteer fireman in training. Zach Golley, Kyle Germain and Daniel Tapikin are 3 young men from the Explorers who have joined the regular ranks of the Volunteer Firefighters over the past years.
“This type of program fits perfectly with the Rotary Foundation for Youth’s mission and we are happy to help," said Kathy Trost, Secretary of the Rotary Club of Ellicottville. She continued, “Our intention is to try to support two new members every year. We believe that this helps the Volunteer Fire Company maintain and grow the EFD who provide a tremendous service to our community." Jill Dunn added, “We are able to provide this funding because of the generous support for our fundraisers like Tuscan Moon.”
"The high cost of equipment for volunteers has been a limiting factor for growth of the program. This generous donation will help us grow the program and add much needed help to the company," said Debbie Golley from EFD.
There are currently seven members of the Explorer program. Explorer members get to participate in meetings, work nights, as well as in fire and ambulance calls. During work nights they learn about various fire trucks and equipment, like airpacks and they get to practice running the hose. While attending an actual fire, there are restrictions to what they can do to ensure safety, while allowing them to learn. At the scene they report to the assistant chief or captain for their assignments.
The Rotary Club of Hamburg on July 11, 2018, recognized member, Patricia Castiglia, for exemplary service, giving her a few special gifts from the club from the recent Rotary International Convention held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hamburg Rotarians who attended the convention: Dale and Barbara Stanley, Lisa Avery and Eileen Hotho brought back a convention t-shirt, visor and travel tags for Castiglia who has served as president two times, currently chairs two district committees and most recently has served as club secretary for two consecutive terms. Pat is shown modeling her new swag.
Rotary Club of Lancaster-Depew held the first meeting of their new year on Thursday. Shown above are Robert Benzel, Immediate Past President, with President Ken Graber and President Elect Adam Guglielmi, following his swearing in.
The group is readying for their second annual Antique & Classic Car Show to be held early August. See Club Events section of newsletter.
On Wednesday, June 20, 2018, The Rotary Club of Niagara Falls hosted their Annual Golf Tournament at Grand Niagara Golf Club. It was a great success with over 70 golfers, and due to the committee’s hard work, the tournament managed to raise $7,700.00!
Thank you to Meadows I.D.A and Beatties Basics for sponsoring the event! We also had a great deal of businesses and Rotarians throughout our community who donated prizes for our raffle table, and who also sponsored the event by signing up to be a hole sponsor.
It was a fun and successful day, and the Rotary club looks forward to next year’s golf tournament already booked at Grand Niagara for June 19, 2019!!
The Rotary Club of Niagara Falls, Ontario has had a busy and fun June and early July. Eight members and two spouses attended the Rotary International Convention in Toronto and had a great time. Arriving home from the convention, the club participated with other District 7090 clubs to host twelve Rotarians on a Friendship Exchange from Thailand. Clubs from Buffalo, Niagara Falls ON and Welland were involved. Ron Lyons, the club's International Service Director arranged three full days of touring in Niagara Falls escorting the guests to Welland. Our guest Rotarians were home hosted by club members. Five of the Thai Rotarians attended the RI Convention in Toronto and seven flew in to Buffalo via New York.
Pictured are the Thai visitors with President Jim Craig at the club's meeting on July 3rd.
The Rotary Club of Jamestown held its annual Recognition Dinner recently at Moon Brook and honored its outgoing officers and directors including President Joelle Washer as well as inducting its new President Katie Geise.
President Joelle was presented with a Paul Harris Fellow Recognition for her leadership in 2017-18. In receiving her award, Ms. Washer is entitled to name another individual to also be honored and she chose her husband Dana Washer. She stated, "Dana is my rock. Without him, I would be unable to participate in all of the volunteer activities I have been involved with.” Pictured left (Left to Right) are Greg Jones, Rotary Foundation Chair congratulating Joelle and Dana. Pictured right (Left to Right) are Lisa Yaggie, Assistant Governor installing Katie Geise as President for 2018-2019.
A chance meeting on a bus when attending the Rotary International Convention in Atlanta (2017) lead to a visit from Rotarians from Cupertino & San Jose clubs on their way to Rotary International Convention held in Toronto June 23-27, 2018.
The nine Californians, after an exchange of e-mails, were invited to attend the Rotary Club of Lincoln's Changeover, where the old board finishes their term and the new president and board begins their term for the new Rotary year. The club called it the "Carry On" as the president and board have all agreed to stay on for a second year.
Attending from California were members of the Rotary Club of Cupertino: Orrin Mahoney, Outgoing Governor District 5170, Hung Wei, Membership Director, District 5170, Helene Davis, 2018-19 Club President, and her husband, Jim, and Rotarians Dana Stern, Jayne Ham and Janet Breen.
In addition, Kathleen Thomas from the Rotary Club of San Jose, Janel Breen from the Rotaract Club of Silicon Valley and Collin Breen, District 5170 Governor of Rotaract.
An exchange of flags with President Sue Foster and then the barbecue and fellowship began.
The group from California were billeted by member Barb Mitges and her husband, George, as well as member Ron Kielstra and his wife, Ingrid. A two-night stay with a tour arranged for Friday and then a ride to Burlington to catch the Go Train on Saturday where the group would be attending the convention in Toronto.
A chance meeting, an exchange of contact information and the meeting of like-minded Rotarians that became friends.
Karen Sawicz, right, was sworn in as the new president of the Rotary Club of Albion on Thursday night by Tracy Ford, Assistant Governor. This will be the third time she will be the president of the club. She is the owner and publisher of The Lake Country Pennysaver and Orleans Hub.
Mike Bonnewell, right, receives a plaque and president’s pin from Rotarian Ed Fancher after Bonnewell served the past year as president. Bonnewell is the superintendent of Albion Central School. He also was named a Paul Harris Fellow, the club donating $1,000 in his name to the Rotary Foundation for its humanitarian work.
Members of the board of directors take their oath of office including, from left: Mary Anne Braunbach, Heidi Truschel, Doug Farley, Deb Boyer, Ed Fancher and Mike Bonnewell. Dick Remley, Bruce Landis and Becky Karls are also on the board. AG Tracy administered the oath.
The Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville recently contributed $500 in support of the Village of Westfield Recreation Department’s pool program for youth at its Welch Field Pool, which was opened to the public on August 13, 1967. The Westfield-Mayville Rotary Club was the original lead organization that encouraged the Westfield Village Board officials to accept its swimming pool proposal, and it raised about $50,000 during the 1960’s towards construction costs.
Andrew Webster, Westfield Recreation Department Director, accepted this Rotary club’s $500 donation and came to its June 19 meeting to thank the group and to speak about the pool and various aspects of the Westfield Welch Field Summer Program. Webster stated, “The Village of Westfield Recreation Department is one of only three in Chautauqua County, with the other two being in Dunkirk and Jamestown, more urban settings. As far as I know, our Welch Field Pool is the only public outdoor pool in the county. Last year, the pool celebrated its 50th anniversary. The Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville played the major role in establishing the pool. We are very grateful for this Rotary club’s support and its $500 contribution.”
He continued, “About 75% of our summer recreation activities involve the pool program. Annually we need at least $3,000 in donations to help offset associated costs, such as the four to five lifeguards, pool chemicals and minor expenses. We offer 100 open swims during the summer, and both youth and adult programs. The donation from your Rotary club will help us to continue to offer free swimming for youth under the age of 18, including swim lessons and swim team opportunities.”
Though the pool program is the most popular, Webster noted that the Westfield Recreation Department also offers field activities and a drama program. There are numerous outdoor activities, indoor games, field trips, arts and crafts sessions, special events, a skate park, free movies in Moore Park and Welch Field, special events and a bike tour. There are youth, adult and family programs.
After Webster concluded his presentation to the Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville, he had an opportunity to meet and briefly speak with Steve Elliott, the only current club member who remembers this organization’s campaign to establish the Welch Field Pool. Elliott, who has been a continuous member of Rotary since 1960, said, “Members of our Rotary club worked really hard to have this public pool become a reality. We had a lot of fundraisers, such as chicken barbecues, to raise the thousands of dollars that were needed.” Pictured is Steve Elliot (left) with Andrew Webster.
In the 1960’s this Rotary club led a campaign to generate support of its pool proposal and it then raised about $50,000. Other groups and individuals helped to raise another $25,000 to build the pool. On May 9, 1967, a ground-breaking ceremony for the pool was held. The pool and a bathhouse were open to the public on August 13, 1967. Thanks to an anonymous individual, the girls’ locker room of the bathhouse was recently renovated. The Rotary Club of Westfield-Mayville is proud of its history with the Welch Field Pool.
Throughout the 107-year history of the Rotary Club of Buffalo, it has given back to the City of Buffalo through the generous contributions of its many members. To date, the club has given out over $1.9 million in local grants.
Buffalo Rotarians are very concerned with the future of children in the community and understand the impact that local libraries have on the lives of those children. On June 27, 2018, the club presented the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library System with a major project grant award, “Rotary Reads – Kids Club”, in the amount of $116,675 for the rehabilitation of the children’s sections of 8 City of Buffalo libraries. This project was selected from over 30 applicants.
The Rotaract Club of the University at Buffalo held their chartering ceremony on Tuesday, June 19, aboard the USS Little Rock, which is part of the Buffalo Naval Park, located in beautiful downtown Buffalo. Between ticket sales and the 50/50 raffle, they were able to raise over $2,000 for their operational budget for the upcoming academic year. The club would like to thank their donors, Bing’s Catering and Flying Bison Brewery, as well as the attendees for the support they received in the form of ticket purchases.
The Rotaract Club of the University at Buffalo will be entering its third year of operation, and looks to continue assisting with planting trees at Lake LaSalle, located on UB North Campus, under the direction of Molly Dreyer, a recent UB graduate. The club will also use funds raised during this campaign to move forward with their own projects, including a coat drive and a food recovery initiative.
On Wednesday, June 27th the East Aurora Rotary Club hosted their 2018 Induction Dinner. Members welcomed new President Bob Young and also inducted Jim Schneider, Paul Blowers and Ted Borowiak as new board members for next year.
Pictured is (left to right) 2017-2018 President Doug Harty with 2018-2019 President, Bob Young.
convention, getting ready to Be The Inspiration!
I draw my energy and inspiration from YOU, the Rotarians I am honored to serve this year. I was invited to the changeover ceremonies for the Rotary Clubs of Fonthill and Niagara On The Lake as some of my first official duties. What a pure honor it was, to meet the club members, listen to the projects and achievements of the clubs and to hear the hopes, dreams and goals of the incoming presidents! As you’ve heard a million times from other district governors before me – it is truly a humbling experience. Between these two clubs they have used grants to help fund a computer and skills program targeting women and youth through Niagara Peninsula Homes, funded a sensory room in conjunction with the Red Roof Retreat, and raised thousands for dollars for Polio Plus and other local programs!
realize their goal of building more affordable housing for the elderly in her community. Wow. Not much more I can say about that. The level of “Service Above Self” that I see everywhere I go is just amazing. Everywhere I look, I see #Changemakers! People tirelessly dedicated to being People of Action. Rotarians dedicated to improving the communities they live in and even the ones they don’t.
eyes to the larger world of Rotary. To inspire you to take action and create lasting change. I truly believe that we need to look no further than our own district, to see first-hand, the up close and personal impact that we as Rotarians are making in our own communities and around the globe! I am so proud to be serving you and our district. Thank you for giving me this incredible opportunity! Please follow me on Facebook at 
to disperse having been wined (lots) and dined on Wayne’s special treatment of steak and salmon, preceded by charcuterie and salad, and then topped off with strawberry cake and rhubarb crisp and icewine. The guests are Tom and Stephanie Smith from Tsawassen, British Columbia, Karen and Ted Ellis from East Rutherford, Texas, and the hostesses with the MOSTEST, Helen Massey and Lynne Morrow.
Over the Canada Day weekend, the Rotary clubs of Waterdown and Flamborough AM held their 9th Annual Oh Canada Ribfest, a fundraiser for the two Rotary clubs. From the photos, it looks like Governor Melisa was having a great time posing with awardees. 
The Rotary Club of Hamburg on July 11, 2018, recognized member, Patricia Castiglia, for exemplary service, giving her a few special gifts from the club from the recent Rotary International Convention held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Hamburg Rotarians who attended the convention: Dale and Barbara Stanley, Lisa Avery and Eileen Hotho brought back a convention t-shirt, visor and travel tags for Castiglia who has served as president two times, currently chairs two district committees and most recently has served as club secretary for two consecutive terms. Pat is shown modeling her new swag. 
Rotary Club of Lancaster-Depew held the first meeting of their new year on Thursday. Shown above are Robert Benzel, Immediate Past President, with President Ken Graber and President Elect Adam Guglielmi, following his swearing in. 
all of the volunteer activities I have been involved with.” Pictured left (Left to Right) are Greg Jones, Rotary Foundation Chair congratulating Joelle and Dana. Pictured right (Left to Right) are Lisa Yaggie, Assistant Governor installing Katie Geise as President for 2018-2019.
Bonnewell served the past year as president. Bonnewell is the superintendent of Albion Central School. He also was named a Paul Harris Fellow, the club donating $1,000 in his name to the Rotary Foundation for its humanitarian work..jpg)
