October 1, 2025 Breakfast Meeting Notes
Guests today were Matt, Mike Sun, and Jeff Reardon.
The 50/50 drawing was won by Sharon.
Mike Sun got the opportunity to draw for the ace of spades but was unsuccessful.
Steve announced that a fellow Rotarian has died recently: Douglas Willet, who served as our club president from 2000-2001 . He was a great president and did a lot for the Penny Sale. He is survived by his wife Barbara and two daughters. Funeral arrangements to be announced.
Rotary weekly highlights: Bill and Alicia met with the town on Monday and talked with Scott Weden as well as representatives from the Police Department and Parks and Rec about plans for the Hometown Holiday Celebration. They have speakers for the announcers at the Senior Center and the floats are lined up. They will get together this week and figure out what help they need from club members to get the event off the ground. We’ll need someone to do the bonfire, as well as someone to arrange for Santa at the Senior Center. Decorations will be the put up on the Common on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Penny Sale: Ken Evans has asked for help this Sunday October 5 to put up Penny Sale banners around town. A sledgehammer would be a useful piece of equipment. Arrive at the Common Man at 9 am. This usually takes 2 to 3 hours and the more volunteers, the quicker it will be done! Beth can bring a pickup truck.
Setup for Penny Sale has been rescheduled to October 16, as the volleyball team has a match on the 15th. Please have your paperwork filled out ahead of time. Be sure to arrive on time at 5 pm, as you inconvenience others who have to wait for you! If you can’t make it on the 16th, be sure to drop your prizes off with Sharon or another club member to bring that night. If your donor has an item promised but you can’t get it before the 16th, bring your perforated sheet and a box that you can tape the sheet to; note “item to follow” on the sheet.
We have multiple jobs for the Penny Sale that need to be filled. Steve will be the janitor and curator of Sue’s Zoo. Sharon will be the turkey coordinator; she suggested getting gift cards for Hannaford, as dealing with whole frozen turkeys on the night of the event is a problem. Omer will be ticket monitor. Steve suggested posting the ticket numbers on the wall using an overhead projector; this may be difficult to see. Beth will speak to the High School’s audiovisual program to see if they have a good way to project the numbers.
Sharon will be the setup night coordinator. Food concession coordinator will be Tony. Tony will also reach out to the National Honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society to get volunteer prize runners. We need a minimum of 5 students per organization. Interact and Shelby may be able to get some student volunteers as well; Marybeth will set this up. Beth will provide a couple of girls from Circle. We still need a money room manager; Phil will do this if Alicia can’t. Sharon needs a second auctioneer to help her. Ben will do this.
Grand prize tickets: Bill noted that the grand prize for Owl’s Nest will be a round of golf for 4 at Owl’s Nest AND a round at the Vineyard course. Tony has prepared a spreadsheet for ticket sales and will email it out once it is done. Please volunteer for at least 2 shifts. Pair up with another Rotarian. Belletetes will let us sell there and we will have our usual spots outside of Newbury’s and the Common Man Roadside as well. Tickets are printed and Mike will pick them up today; they will be given to Tony, who will distribute them next week. If you would like to get your tickets sooner, see Tony. Mike will also pick up the flyers and he will bring them next week for members to post around town. Note that a QR code on the documents will direct folks to GiveButter so people can purchase tickets on line (no cash required!).
We will also need people to help Nancy and Ken Evans sell Grand Prize tickets the night of the event. Marybeth has gotten approval for us to have a table on October 18 and November 1 at the home football games, and she will ask about selling at other sports events as well.
Tables and supplies for the ticket sales will be at Chase Street in Scott Biederman’s office. At the end of each weekend, whoever is in charge will pick up all the envelopes from that weekend on Monday morning.
Thanks to Mike and Alicia for sending out the email about the new T shirt designs. Please give feedback to them so we can get new shirts ordered.
Tony asked the club to thank the club secretary for taking minutes each week.
Phil, Raisa, Denise, and Tony will be at the amphitheater at 11:30 this weekend for Pride Weekend. They will be there until 4.
Happy dollars were shared by Tony, Denise, Sharon, and Mike.
Respectfully submitted,
Lora Miller, secretary