**NEEDHAM ROTARY CLUB**
Meeting Minutes
Tuesday:  April 18, 2017
 
Pledge of Allegiance: Ted Shaughnessy
Song:  God Bless America; Led By: Ron Sockol
Prayer: Led by Karen Wetmore
 
Guests: - Bill Whitney and Capt. Stefan Edick
 
Announcements:
  • Our District conference is coming up next weekend in Providence.
  • Neponset Valley rotary is hosting a recycling event on April 29;
Recycling Event to be at Dedham Middle School in Dedham on Whiting Ave. Sponsored by the Neponset Valley Rotary Club. 8 am to noon.
  • Needham Rotary Arbor Day celebration in the elementary schools May 1-5.
  • Wellesley Rotary is sponsoring a ‘dine around Wellesley’ event at Elm Bank on May 4th.
  • Charles River ‘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.
  • 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!!
 
HAPPY DOLLARS:  Ken Davis-condolences to Libby; Libby appreciative for the condolences and support during the passing of her Dad; Ted and Greg for our guest speaker; Kathy whitney-thrilled to have her husband and Capt. Stefan Edick as our guest speakers; Charles-Happy To Be here; Chuck-for a great weekend playing golf; Louise-Welcome to our guests; Doug-Go Red Sox! Lois and Ron-delighted the guest speakers are at her table;  
 
50/50 drawing: Louise drew the right ticket, did not draw the lucky card.  Better luck next week!  $498 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:  Kathy and Bill Whitney love to sail and have their own boat, and in addition, Bill is on the Board of Directors of the Schooner Adventure. Today we welcomed Stefan Edick, who is captain of the Adventure, and Bill Whitney. Stefan presented  a slide show which showed us the beginning of Adventure, which was built and commissioned in 1926. It is one of 4000 such vessels built in Essex MA. It is the last U.D. Flagged Dory fishing vessel.
 
Over its life, it has caught and sold $4 million worth of fish. Wow: that’s a lot! Remember, fish  used to be $.005 to $.04 per pound. It was a fishing vessel from 1926-1953. Then it became a Windjammer touring vessel from 1954-1988. In 1988 it was declared a National Historic Landmark. Since that time, they have spent % million dollars restoring the boat, and it is now in tip-top shape.
 
The Coast Guard provided a seaworthiness certificate in 2015.
 
Bill has been active in the restoration of the ship, spending a lot of time over the last 5 years rebuilding the boat, from the inside out.
 
It is quite a story, well told. For more information and info on riding on the Adventure, see:
http://schooner-adventure.org/
 
Look for a 'special offer' from our social committee for a cruise on the Adventurer! Next email....
 
Next meeting: Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 12:00 at Needham Sheraton