Marlborough – At a gala held June 30, the Marlborough Rotary Club installed new leaders and honored longtime members for their years of service. After Mayor Arthur Vigeant gave his welcome, President Michael Lashua awarded pins to Peggie Thorsen and Susanne Moreale-Leeber for 25 years, Dr. Nick Kofos for 30 years, and Bill Downey for 53 years.
The installation of new officers and directors was officiated by Past-President Bonnie Doolin: president, Peggy Sheldon; president-elect, Sem Aykanian; vice president and treasurer, Matthew McCook; secretary, Michael Lashua; sergeant-at-arms, Peter Marshall. The Board of Directors will be comprised of Peter Mongeau, Lynn Faust, Marilyn Perry, Peter Marshall, Bonnie Doolin, Elaine McDonald, Dr. Nicholas Kofos, Marguerite Thorsen and Richard Bennett.
In her first act as president, Sheldon gave a speech, outlining her major goals for her year in office and revealing the year’s theme “Serving Humanity.”
“In honor of that theme, I am pleased to announce that we will be adding new service projects this year,” she said. “My theme for planning my year has been ‘Feeding Minds and Bodies.’ As many of you know, I am a ‘foodie,’ I also love to read, as does my whole family. I chose projects based on those interests and the needs of our community and abroad.”
She noted that some of the initiatives will include cooking classes for low-income families,
senior community meals, the expansion of the Rotary’s Mental Health Initiative, and a book drive to benefit children in the Philippines.
“This night is a celebration of many things,” Sheldon continued. “This year marks our Rotary Foundation’s 100th Birthday… I think the greatest way we could ‘Serve Humanity’ this year would be to continue the fight to end polio. Therefore, this year we will have a donation campaign for polio.”
The Rotary will ask for donations of $26.50 in honor of that amount which started the foundation in 1917.
“It is estimated that it will take 700 million dollars more to end polio,” Sheldon said. “We are this close; this is a job we have to finish.”
Rotary District 7910 governors Patricia & Francis Doyle of Northborough presented Sheldon with the theme banner for the Rotary Year 2016-2017. In presenting the banner, Pat Doyle told the audience that Sheldon had “hit all the right notes,” in tune with the goals of Rotary International and the district.