The goal of No Mow May is to allow grass to grow un-mown for the month of May, allowing wild flowers to come through and creating habitat and forage for early season pollinators. This is particularly important in urban areas where floral resources are often limited.
This spring, we are inviting all Rotary Clubs to participate in our No Mow May campaign by producing and distributing lawn signs that contain the Rotary logo, the name of your Rotary Club, and the friendly and playful call-to-action Let's Pollinate! Our District 7930 Environmental and Public Image Committees have cooperated on this effort and have created two templates that you can easily customize for your own Rotary Club.
Similar to what we did for the new Membership Brochure, Public Image Committee Chair Andrew Maddox has created an online design tool that allows you to easily customize this lawn sign for your Rotary Club.
The District Assembly is our next step in the journey of training incoming club leaders for the upcoming Rotary year 2023-24, including the Grant Qualification Seminar, which is open to all club members.
This year we will be in-person again and will be meeting at the Four Points Sheraton in Wakefield on Wednesday, April 12.
For the Grant Qualification Seminar we recommend that each club send at least two members to attend - but there is no limit. If your club grant committee includes multiple members, it would be ideal if they could all attend and get qualified. The District Assembly is open to all Rotarians in our district!
The evening will begin at 5:30PM with five parallel tracks for:
- Presidents-Elect – Post PETS
- AGs
- Secretaries
- Membership and PI Chairs
- Foundation Chairs


Invite your family and friends to our International Women's Day event on Saturday March 25th (see flyer) to spread the word about Rotary International's commitment to girls' empowerment. Rotary sponsors countess initiatives to support the education and well-being of women and girls. This is the "year of the girl."
Cambridge Rotary has invited two special groups to showcase their work. The event will highlight the theme – Innovation and Technology for Gender Equality. Lean about the STEM programs offered to low-income girls at the Science Club for Girls in Cambridge and computer training offered to children rescued from illegal labor at Distressed Children and Infants in Dhaka Bangladesh to ensure a promising future.
We are also excited to hear from Sarah MacDonald, Director of Life Science Cares, a community service organization for people working in the biotech field. Their group supports the community, including a paid internship program for students from diverse backgrounds through Project Onramp. We will award a woman making a difference in technology.
Be inspired, have fun and meet new people who care about making a better future for half the sky.
Tickets are $35 to support these groups and a free ticket for students. https://Cambridgerotarywomensday2023.eventbrite.com

On International Women's Day this Wednesday, we featured three dedicated Rotarian women in our district on our social media platforms.
Becca Harris, a Past President and future Co-President elect of Arlington, MA Rotary Club. She says, "the best way I know how to uplift women is to make sure that the conversation and action of equality for every person on earth no matter gender, race, sexual orientation, and ability are on the forefront of my communities and friends." Through Rotary's service, education and action in the community, she believes Rotary is working towards achieving equity.
When asked how she is celebrating women this month she said, "I am celebrating by sharing stories of women, especially women of BIPOC communities. I am also making sure I thank my mentors and other strong women in my life."

We also discussed RYLA with the Club and we will now be sponsoring a few participants!

150 books were collected and more were promised on the day of the book pickup. Cambridge Rotary thanks librarian Daina Bouquin for her readiness to help and promote the book drive through emails and support. "With the support of local partners, Cambridge Rotary can expand its outreach and awareness of its community service efforts," explains Natascha Finnerty, member and organizer of the drive.

James Norris is the Founder and President of Handi Capable Fitness and author of “Feeling Left Out”. "Feeling Left Out" is the first in a series of four (4) Children's Books. In his own forthright style, Author James Norris provides us with the message that it is our hope that we continue to convey and inspire the messages that everyone deserves to live a life they are proud of; No challenge can stop you from doing the amazing things you want to; Physical activity strengthens both the mind and body; and Encouraging others to get out and be active is part of improving your own life.
See the video here of James ringing the Finish Bell at the Boston Bruins Foundation BFit Challenge at the TD Boston Garden in early February.
James Norris is the Founder and President of Handi Capable Fitness, Inc. (HCF). HCF is a 501(c)(3) Organization headquartered in Malden, Massachusetts. Its Website Address is www.handicapablefitness.com. Mr. Norris is a nationally known Handi Capable Athlete and Motivational Speaker who was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy just before his second birthday. James has a very strong Social Media presence across many Platforms and is a popular sought-after National Speaker. Mr. Norris is currently in his later thirties. HCF supports the health and wellness of all adaptive athletes nationwide, encouraging them to step out of their box, and face adversity with strength, courage, and resilience. Through scholarship funding, HCF is able to provide much needed funding for fitness memberships, athletic equipment, and travel for its adaptive athletic community.
You can support James and HCF by purchasing his book, Feeling Left Out, on Amazon or Author House.

Ipswich-Rowley Rotary is happy to announce that Chase Delano has joined the Rotary family.
A recent addition to the local scene, Chase already is making a significant impact on Ipswich and the wider community. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Development, and currently serves as Executive Director of the Ipswich Partnership to which she brings broad experience in marketing, strategic partnerships, community building, and organizational development.
Chase is very engaged in the community as a member of the Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce, the Essex County Beekeepers Association, the Ipswich Garden Club, and MAC Tennis (USTA league). She also volunteers at the Three Sisters Garden Project.

Calendars are available at Danvers YMCA, 34 Pickering Street, Danvers 978-774-2055. Or contact Becky Kilborn at bjkilborn@gmail.com or 508-641-7865. A drawing will be held each day and the winner will be notified. Got to www.danversrotary.org for more information. Click here to view calendar and prizes.
We are grateful for your help.

For tickets, go to https://bit.ly/RotaryMoon. For more info, you can contact Jackie Rapisardi at rappy57@me.com. Download the flyer here.

In this short promotional video, the three District Governors, Randy Chapell, Victor Tom, and Alexander Falk as well as Evan Burrell provide an overview of the conference schedule and events. Please watch the video and then sign up for the District Conference.
We are also looking for sponsors and program book ads for the district conference – please click here if you want to advertise your business and support the conference at the same time: https://rotary7930.org/page/conference-program-book-ads-sponsorships/

Our new Global Grant, Saving the Ipswich River and Watersheds is sponsoring this unique event. Join us to discuss water and climate resiliency issues facing our watershed and communities. State legislators from around the watershed will share their ideas about how to protect our rivers. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of their legislators about these important topics.
The cost for breakfast is $25. Link to register:
https://www.ipswichriver.org/events/legislative-breakfast-2023/.

On February 2, 2023, Alex Pedro, owner of Plants by Pedro, spoke at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Lynn. He spoke about the various pollinators in our environment and the need to “help” them survive. He said: “We are all familiar with the common bee, yet there are numerous other pollinators. Basically, any insect that flies can be considered one.” If an insect is attracted to a flowering plant, then it is considered to be a pollinator.
One way we can help them survive is to allow our lawns to grow without cutting it or treating the lawn with harsh chemicals. By not cutting or treating the lawn, we allow it to grow longer and let flowering weeds grow, or wildflowers. This allows the pollinators to help the flowers grow which can help the vegetable, and fruit plants to grow to maturity. Without the pollinators in the environment, we would not have as many fruits and vegetables. We have all heard of the need for apple orchard owners to rent beehives to help with the pollination. The need to rent the hives is because of a bee shortage.
During his talk he stressed that people should live by the motto of: No Mow May! If we all did that it would help the environment! Why No Mow May? Because when you mow the lawns of your homes in May (in northern climates), it removes habitat and nutrients for bees and other pollinators that are emerging from underground winter homes. He left us with this closing message: “Keep in mind that there are four simple ways to protect pollinators: Grow pollinator friendly flowers; Provide nest sites; Avoid pesticides; and Spread the word”.

Rotary Peabody ended its month-long celebration of Black History month with speaker Nicole McClain, founder and President of the North Shore Juneteenth Association, Inc. Her organization's mission is to spread awareness about the Juneteenth holiday, sharing positive images of Black American culture with the community and joining the fight to dismantle racism using events and programming as a tool for change. Her informative, revelatory talk renewed the Club's dedication to its DEI efforts, including plans to celebrate Black Americans and other BIPOC and marginalized groups throughout the year.
We encourage all Clubs to celebrate Juneteenth in their cities/towns. You can get more information on the North Shore Juneteenth Association here.

Allan, a three-time Paul Harris Fellow, was joined at the meeting by his wife Laraine, a Paul Harris Award recipient, son, daughter and two grandchildren, while two other sons and families joined us on Zoom.
Pictured here are President Rick Gopen and celebration chair, PP Juan Gallego, presenting Allan with a citation from the City of Chelsea celebrating his 50 years as a Chelsea Rotarian and his service to the community. The Club also presented Allan with a plaque and gavel commemorating his fifty years as a Rotarian.

The Rotary Club of Marblehead Harbor has inducted two new members, Julie Hahnke and Francie King. Julie is CEO of Cecropia Strong, a non-profit that assists people with physical disabilities to lead full lives. Francie is a published author and editor who has recently joined the leadership team of The Marblehead Current, Marblehead’s non-profit weekly newspaper. Both Julie and Francie transitioned from the club’s Service Membership to Active.
Pictured here are left to right: Don Doliber, Club Secretary; Julie Hahnke; President Jessica Barnett and Julie’s sponsor; Francie King; and Bob Erbetta, Francie’s husband and sponsor.

On Saturday, February 11 the Salem Rotary Club along with the EarlyAct Club from the Phoenix School built 10 twin beds for children in need of their own bed. The Salem Club was able to increase to 10 beds using District Grant funds.
At A Bed for Every Child, they believe sleep is just as essential as food, water, shelter, and clothing – and that all children deserve space to dream. If interested in learning more, check out abedforeverychild.org.

Four brave dippers plunged into the icy dunk tank. The club raised more than $2000, which will be matched 2-to-1 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to help provide every child with the polio vaccine, and bring us closer to a polio-free world.
The event was covered by local cable ACMI. The video is available here and is a must see.


All the funds already collected via the webinar registration as well as via the separate online donation link will be counted as club contributions and will be matched 1:1 with DDF (District Designated Funds).
In addition, we are asking Rotary Clubs that have already collected monies for TutuDesks to inform DG Alexander Falk and DRFC Joan Arsenault about the amounts you have raised, and to send those funds via check to District Treasurer Arthur Schwartz. For those clubs that have not yet decided to make a contribution: you can still get onboard and participate. Please make sure you inform us about the funds raised and send your contribution check no later than March 15th.
We are very excited to hear from you and hope that by using this DDF match we can make a huge positive impact on the lives of many children in sub-Saharan Africa!

HELP WANTED – District 7930 Assistant Treasurer Do you have a passion for numbers? Do you have experience in cash handling, collections, accounting, and financial and tax reporting? Then you may be a great candidate to learn and assist our current District Treasurer, Arthur Schwartz! Here is the full job description and how to apply to this role. |
HELP WANTED – District 7930 Registrar 2023-2024 Are you a wiz with ClubRunner? Are you excited by putting together the registration and marketing for events within your club? Do you like to attend and welcome those who attend the event? Then you may be just the person we’re looking for to be the Registrar for the 2023-2024 Rotary year. Please reach out to Lori Karas, DGE at lori.karas@outlook.com. |

The presentation was about Unconscious Bias, also known as Implicit Bias. Implicit Bias is a bias or prejudice that is present but not consciously held or recognized. All people have biases and some of these subconscious biases can go against what we consciously believe in. These implicit biases can influence our decision making and can lead to assumptions that are inaccurate or unfair, or to make decisions that are wrong. The presentation included an explanation of what implicit bias is, what research on the topic suggests, identifying one's own biases, and strategies to avoid bias-based decision making.

The speaker lineup included Charlie Milner of the Marblehead Rotary Club, DG Randell Barclay of Rotary District 7870 (Southern VT & NH), as well as PDG Francis Callard from South Africa.
And we had a surprise visit from Rotary International President Jennifer Jones joining us for this amazing evening! What a treat!
If you missed the webinar and would like to donate one (or more) TutuDesks to a child in sub-Saharan Africa, please click on this link here: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ML5AXY2NVTDD3/checkout/CPHSHG53CJ54LLZMJQDPKDSV
After you've made your donation, please watch the webinar recording here on YouTube:

We're happy to share our wonderful turnout for the first meeting of the new year. As we are a group of young adults, aged 18 and up, we attract passionate undergrad students to our club. At our meeting we had students from multiple schools in the Boston area and some who are studying abroad right now. Most have volunteered with Rotary in some way before (Interact, Rotaract, or a Student Exchange program). Since we're always looking to build membership, we would appreciate you spreading the word about our club. Please share about the club with your neighbors, friends, and colleagues.
Our next meeting is set for Tuesday, February 7th at 7 p.m. at the Star Market next to the TD Garden on Causeway Street, Boston. If you're interested in more information, please email bostonrotaract.membership@gmail.com.

RYLA 2023—May 12–14! Applications Are Now Open!
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is Rotary International’s leadership training program for young people. Rotary District 7930 has a long-running annual program for high school students.
High school, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are invited to attend a weekend-long event, where they learn life and leadership skills including goal setting, cultural understanding, problem solving, communication, public speaking, networking, community building, team building and more!
High school, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are invited to attend a weekend-long event, where they learn life and leadership skills including goal setting, cultural understanding, problem solving, communication, public speaking, networking, community building, team building and more!
The cost for RYLA this year is $325 per student (typically paid by sponsoring Rotary Clubs), plus a $25 application fee (paid for by students).
Prospective students can apply by clicking here.

As our Rotary Year 22-23 hit the mid-point you still have time to submit your Club’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion citation and score sheet.
Most Clubs have found that when they review the Citation requirements (25 suggested action steps, Club must achieve 13 of the 25 for certification) that the Club has already achieved some of the action steps.
Your Club has until June 30, 2023, to review and submit your DEI Citation score sheet for certification. Please fill out your scoresheet and email to David Hart DEI Committee Chair and District Governor Alex.
DEI Citation and Score Sheet documents are available on the District 7930 DEI web page.
Please click on this link: https://rotary7930.org/sitepage/dei.
If you would like someone from the DEI Committee to come and speak to your Club, please contact David Hart, DEI Committee Chair at davidhart4251@gmail.com to arrange a date and time.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact David Hart at davidhart4251@gmail.com or at 781-718-7799.