Dear Members and Friends,
It is with mixed emotions that I step again into the role of club President. Our club was deeply saddened in the Fall by the unexpected passing of our beloved President Ray Morley. We have dedicated this year in his memory. At the same time, I am thrilled to be the first President to serve during our club’s centennial year. We have lots to celebrate, and our members are busily at work planning the details. More to come on this shortly.For Ipswich-Rowley Rotary, our 2022-23 year started with a very international flavor. After a two year pause, we were excited to host members from our sister Club in Ipswich, UK for a week of fun and service. We also welcomed our new Rotary Youth Exchange student from Finland and our Rotary Global Scholar from Belgium. Last Summer, we awarded numerous scholastic, camp, and non-profit scholarships to assist local families. In December, our sponsored High School Interact service club held another outstanding Jingle Bell Walk, now a town tradition of which they are proud, and from which they develop real-time leadership skills.
As we enter 2023, we will continue our tradition of service while pursuing new opportunities. For example, in December, and again this month, we have made significant contributions of food and resources to our non-profit partner, ‘The Open Door’ food pantry.
During the past year, our growing membership and service area was formally expanded to include the town of Rowley. We are proud of our new name, Ipswich-Rowley Rotary, and we’re excited about the future. All of us plan to work hard and do our best to hold true to our Rotary mission of providing service to others, promoting integrity, and advancing world understanding, goodwill, and peace. But what makes our club truly amazing is the respect and admiration we have for each other … we truly are a family.
This year, as we celebrate who we are and our 100 years of community service, our members are energized and planning for the future. Their enthusiasm inspires me and the other members of our 2022-23 leadership team, Cushing Titcomb and Martha Mauser.
Ipswich-Rowley Rotarians are your neighbors, friends and business associates. I invite you to join our Rotary family and help make our communities a bit better. Together we will achieve more than we can alone.
Lisa Shanko
President, January-March 2023