Needham Rotary 4-25-17

Posted by Jim Brown on Apr 28, 2017
 
 
**NEEDHAM ROTARY CLUB**
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday: April 25, 2017
 
Pledge of Allegiance: Ted Shaughnessy
Song:  God Bless America; Led by Bob Cocks
Prayer: Led by Karen Wetmore
 
Guests: - Jim Metcalf, Bob Dunning (former member), Carol Denman
 
Announcements:
  • Our District conference is coming up this weekend in Providence.
  • Neponset Valley rotary is hosting a recycling event on April 29;
  • Needham Rotary Arbor Day celebration in the elementary schools May 1-5. To be arranged.
  • Wellesley Rotary is sponsoring a ‘dine around Wellesley’ event at Elm Bank on May 4th.
  • Charles River Center ‘Gala Event is upcoming on May 5th. See Louise.
  • On May 13 we will be working with Needham Community Farm in repairing their beds.  Remember to wear mud boots and bring tools. See Jim Brown to sign up.
  • Reality Fair will be held on May 22 at Needham High School from 8:30-12:00.  Rich needs members to help at the tables.
  • The Exchange Club is sponsoring a golf tournament at the Marlboro Country Club to benefit the Charles River Center on May 22.  Rich, Marty and Bill will play.  They will ask Ryan to be fourth.  Players will pay their own $195 fee.
  • We will have a booth at the NBA Street Fair on Saturday, June 3 from 10:00-3:00.  We will sell raffle tickets at the booth.
  • Karen is working with Gloria Greis of the Needham Historical Society on a history of Needham Rotary.  Get any materials to Karen to be included in the display.
  • Newton Rotary is still looking for local families to host a scholar from Rome for a year in this country.
  • We will have a booth at the NBA Street Fair on Saturday, June 3 from 10:00-3:00.  We will sell raffle tickets at the booth.
  • Needham Rotary will be sponsoring a CARNIVAL in the Needham High School upper parking lot the weekend of July 7-9.  We will need 2 people to man 2 booths for 2 hour shifts all weekend.  Charles will arrange schedule.  Bill is doing the publicity with Chuck.  Chuck has designed banners to be hung on Chapel St in June and July.  Brad will speak with Channel 5. All hands on deck!
  • We will be selling Raffle tickets there at that time as well.
  • Bill Paulson has arranged for banners on Chapel Street for June and July. Thanks Bill!!
  • Chuck Buyer has arranged for Needham Rotary members to be on the Schooner Adventure on Sunday June25. Tickets are $50 each. Contact Chuck for details.
 
HAPPY DOLLARS:  Ken Davis, Louise for our guests; Chuck Buyer and Lois for participating in the NHS Scholarship interviews; Welcome Carols, Bob and Jim; Bob Dunning (former member)-looking forward to the Red Sox-Cubs contest this weekend; Erica $5-for Jacks selecting John Hopkins for college, and, for her kids trip to China; Marty-Happy to be back from great Easter trip and visits to several colleges in the Carolinas; Charles, Doug, Brad   and Jim-HTBH; Bob Cocks for his trip to Hawaii to visit with  his son and family!
 
50/50 drawing: Dan drew the right ticket, but did not draw the lucky card.  Better luck next week!  $517 in pot this week.
 
Humor: none today
 
Historical minute: Lois told us about President Harry S. Truman. He is best remembered for the formation of NATO, the Marshall Plan, and dropping the first nuclear bomb.
 
Guest Speaker:  Jim Metcalf started this model train, eighty foot run of tracks in the Needham Town woods (off of Robinwood Ave. off High Rock Street, in Needham) some 20 years ago. He built it using battery powered trains, G-scale, and today it is radio controlled. It runs between the sitting area and the waterfall. He has named it ‘Martini Junction’, as he once delivered martinis to his guests, when he first strted it.
 
Jim has had in excess of 2000 visitors, and it runs on a consistent schedule: when he wants to!
 
While we have no pictures of him, better yet there are clips of the train on You Tube at:
 
 
Directions to the train are: Go to the end of Robinwood Ave. in Needham. Start the trai to the right, and look for the orange bird houses which will lead you there.
 
It is fun to see how this retired engineer has spent years building up his train set in the woods for all to see!
 
Next meeting: Tuesday, May 2nd, 2017 at 12:00 at Needham Sheraton