Waterford CT Rotary - A Message from the Club President

Waterford Rotary is a great club made up of wonderful people. Although a small club, we are a very committed, hard-working, "roll your sleeves" up club and managed to do a lot for our community and for the world community in which we live.

Last year we worked with a Rotary Club in Zambia to equip a health care center for that city's needy children. We sent school supplies to a new school built by the US Army in Afghanistan.

For years we have worked with Waterford's Middle School to introduce our varied occupations. This is a terrific program that has been well-received by both students and staff. Although it requires a bubstantial commitment of time, the Rotarians who have volunteered for this program have found it to be very rewarding.

We continue to support the Community Meal Center in New London by providing a complete dinner once each month. This has been an ongoing project for many years, and the need seems to increase each year.

We also have ongoing programs to encourage good citizenship and scholarship in our schools. We honor "students of the year" from each of Waterford's five elementary schools, Clark Lane Middle School, Waterford High School and Waterford Country School. Another program to honor students is the Rotary Scholars program, which honors high achieving high school juniors. We give out a language award at Waterford High School's academic awards dinner. Finally we award scholarships to graduating seniors both at Waterford High School and Grasso Technical School. To sustain the Rotary family now ans into the future, we need to continue to nurture the youth today to grow into successful Rotarians tomorrow. Recognizing and supporting these efforts is an opportunity to encourage youth to work with us in building our future from one generation to the next.

It takes dedication, commitment, heart, belief and generosity from our members to make the statements above a reality. I hope that you are up to the challenge to join with Waterford Rotary Club as we begin our 27th year since our charter into Rotary International.....together we will "Make Dreams Real."

Of course, projects such as these require money, and we work hard to raise the necessary funds. Our main fundraisers have traditionally included a rose sale in November and a wine tasting event (Make Mine Wine) in June. For such fundraising endeavors to work, a lot of volunteer time is required. Therefore, an important goal for our club this year is to increase our membership with more wonderful people who want to give back to their community.

As a New or Seasoned Rotarian, you will find our meetings crisp, enjoyable, and fun-filled. We enjoy each other and our service together.

How are you making a difference in the world today? Pause tonight to reflect on the great things in life, your family, your friends - - could you stand to know some more good people?

I invite you to join our journey whether it's in Waterford or somewhere else around the world. If you believe that you could benefit your community from being involved with Rotary, we have a place for you - either through membership or a tax deductible financial gift. Be my guest at one of our meetings, listen to our dynamic speakers each week and enjoy the support and friendship found through Rotary. Rotary's best years are ahead of us. we are just waiting for your new ideas and your effort to go forth and serve to Make Dreams Real

Yours in Service,

Manly K. Church