Richard Colton, historian at The Springfield Armory National Historic Site since 2000 will address the Springfield Rotary Club's luncheon meeting this Friday, February 13th.
His topic will be the newly documented National Cannon Foundry at the site of Springfield Armory, which operated for most of the final two decades of the 1700's. According to Colton, “this is a very exciting industrial story that bridges the Revolutionary War-era Springfield Arsenal to the Springfield Armory and its production of shoulder arms."
Colton is a descendent of Shay’s Rebellion participants who protested the federal government outside the armory on Jan. 25, 1878. He was a member of the US Naval Academy, Annapolis Class of 1969, with dual master degrees in education and in public history from the University of Massachusetts.
The committee planning our Club's 100th Anniversary Celebration will meet Friday at 11 AM, right before our regular Rotary lunch meeting. Any other interested member is also welcome to attend.
Ellen Freyman and Dene Kimball have taken on the liaison role with the venue, The Colony Club (which is also celebrating its centennial in 2015). Richard Fulkerson has agreed to serve as the event's fiscal manager and Brian Sears has volunteered to assist with the production of the event program for the evening.
Our Centennial Celebration will take place on May 20, 2015 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the Colony Club in downtown Springfield.
The New Year saw a flurry of great new members arrive in our Club. Alicia Garcia, District Executive of the Boy Scouts of America, Rowland Hawthorne, a transferring Rotarian from the Buckland Rotary Club in Atlanta, Richard Fulkerson, Fiscal Director of the Shriner's Hospital in Springfield and Michael Kelley, Branch Manager for Westfield Bank's downtown Springfield location all joined our Club in recent weeks.
We're excited to welcome these great new members to our Rotary team and fellowship.
Do you know these Rotarians?Yeah, no, neither do we.Less than 20 % of our members have a photo attached to their Rotary ClubRunner Membership listing? Yet these pictures make it so much easier for new members to connect with others in the Club.
Toward that end, our newly formed Operations “E”mazing Team will be at the door of our noon luncheon, waiting to take your picture on three successive Fridays: February 13th, 20th and 27th. So, unless you're in the witness protection program, or photograph badly, like this guy, just stand still for a moment, smile, and let the ebullient Amy Scott take your photo. We'll even place it in your listing on ClubRunner for you.
Oh yeah, if you like Miss Amy's results and want a pdf for your own unlimited use on business cards or your web site, Membership Chair Mike Healy tells us that he will make one available to you for a $5 contribution to the Service Fund. Not too shabby...
Our spring social event in concert with the superb Rotary Club of West Springfield will take place WednesdayMarch 11th from 5:30 to 7:30 PMat the Carriage House in Storrowton Village in West Springfield.
The evening will place the accent on fun and fellowship with an Irish flair and will include cocktails and dinner. Live music will be provided by an All-Rotary Band, featuring Jay Lefebvre, George and Dave Condon and others. Rumor has it that Dee Kuerzel may be working on her Irish ukelele repertoire.
The joint Shamrock Social will take the place of the regular Tuesday March 9th West Springfield Club noon meeting and the regular Friday March 13th Springfield meeting.
Invitations will be extended to the Rotary Clubs in Agawam, East Longmeadow, Northampton and Easthampton Club as well as other interested people. "We'd love to add other Rotarians to the band, too," Jay Lefebvre noted. The event is modeled after several successful lunchtime events held by the West Springfield Club in recent years. Jay came to us at the Service Above Self Luncheon in December and proposed the idea.
We were planning a social for March anyway. What better way to do it than by joining forces with another great local Rotary Club? It is hoped that the evening event might also appeal to spouses, friends, colleagues, business associates---and of course, prospective members. Mark your calendars---more details to follow.
The regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Springfield Board of Directors, normally held the second Wednesday of the month has moved to Wednesday February 18th, due to a date and time conflict with this winter’s Rotary District 7890 President Elect Training, District Presidents quarterly meeting and District Grants workshop---held on February 11th at the Holiday Inn in Enfield, CT. Four members of our Board were in attendance: President Rick Lee, President-Elect Jack Toner and grants application members Maryanne Herron and Dene Kimball.
The Board Meeting will be held at the Grinspoon Foundation Conference Room, 67 Hunt Street in Agawam at 7:30 AM.
The Club's Facebook page has been revived, after a period of inactivity, thanks to new Club member Alicia Garcia, District Executive of the Boy Scouts of America who recently joined our Club. Alicia is listing stories of interest from our web page and Club Bulletin to the popular social media venue to further spread the news, and interest in Rotary.
Rowland Hawthorne, 
a transferring Rotarian from the Buckland Rotary Club in Atlanta, Richard Fulkerson, 
Fiscal Director of the Shriner's Hospital in Springfield and Michael Kelley, 
Branch Manager for Westfield Bank's downtown Springfield location all joined our Club in recent weeks.
just stand still for a moment, smile, and let the ebullient Amy Scott take your photo. We'll even place it in your listing on ClubRunner for you. 
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The Club's Facebook page has been revived, after a period of inactivity, thanks to new Club member Alicia Garcia, District Executive of the Boy Scouts of America who recently joined our Club. Alicia is listing stories of interest from our web page and Club Bulletin to the popular social media venue to further spread the news, and interest in Rotary.