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    Club Executives & Directors
    President
    Bruce Rutter
    Treasurer
    Robert Mello
    Secretary
    Charlie Weyerhaeuser
    Immediate Past President
    Maarten Hemsley
    Chair of Membership Committee
    Karl Kunz
    Public Image Chair
    Bruce Rutter
    Club Foundation Chair
    Maarten Hemsley
    Youth Programs
    Eimear Gorman
    Diversity Equity & Inclusion Chair
    Karl Kunz
    Social Chair
    Barbara Mello
    Sergeant-at-Arms
    Robert Hebb
    Club Photo Albums
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    Club members - pay your dues here:
    COME CELEBRATE WITH US
    THINGS HAVE CHANGED!
    The Duxbury Rotary Club began to meet on June 7th, 1950 and a year later received it's official charter from Rotary International. Each year thereafter, the members meet to install the new Officers of the Club and thank the outgoing Officers for their service to Rotary.
     
    Maybe you'll notice some differences from the two pictures below.
     
    June 19, 2024
     
     
    June 7, 1951
     
     
     
     
    SPREADING JOY
    The Duxbury Rotary Club has many events during the year, but, ultimately, they are all about bringing joy to others.
     
    Recently our DuxburyforAll organization went to Hingham to join with the Hingham Unity Council to bring some fun and games to help celebrate Juneteenth.
     
    A few weeks before that, some of our members helped Chandler School students put together "Kindness Packages" for homeless people in Boston.
     
    That's just to name a few of our events.
     
    To see what joy looks like, be sure to check our photo albums on the left side of our homepage.
     
     
     
     
     
    HEROES for UKRAINE
    On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, members of the Rotary Club of Plymouth, NH visited the Duxbury Rotary Club to tell us about their efforts to make a difference in the lives of children from Ukraine.
     
    What we heard and the videos and pictures we saw lead us to view those Rotary Club members as...well.. HEROES.
     
    While most people in the United States were horrified by the unprovoked attacks on the Ukraine and its men, women and children, a small group of Rotarians from Plymouth, N.H. were sitting having coffee together and expressing the same horror.
     
    But rather than just shaking their heads and hoping something would change, they said to each other the same thing that Rotarians everywhere ask when they see a big unmet need:
    "WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING."
     What they have done, and are committed to keep doing, is nothing short of heroic.
     
    They started by using the global outreach of Rotary International to get in contact with Rotarians close to the situation. That was a Rotary Club in Poland near the border with Ukraine.
    Having established the contact, they flew to Poland three days later and met with members of 13 other Rotary Clubs in the border area who were receiving refugees and knew the situation well.
     
    The members of the Plymouth Rotary Club formed an NGO called "Common Man for Ukraine" and decided that they needed to see the situation for themselves instead of just writing a check and going home.   
    THEY WENT INTO UKRAINE TO SEE CONDITIONS CHILDREN WERE LIVING IN .....FIRSTHAND.
     
    Since then they have donated well over $3.5 Million for food, clothing, mental health professional resources and for 3 week health retreats for children who have lost parents in the war.
     
    These donations were delivered in the war zone DIRECTLY by those Rotarians.
     
    Please view the several links attached for photos and videos of the work they are doing to make a difference in the lives of children.
     
    You may donate directly to The Common Man for Ukraine using their QR code or by making a contribution to the Duxbury Rotary Club with a note for applying it to Common Man for Ukraine.
     
            
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    THIS IS HOW WE SEE THE WORLD
    We believe that, by bringing the right people together,
    we can solve problems that seem too big otherwise.
     
     
    Contact us to learn more.
     
     
     
     
     
    THANK YOU!!!!
    Thank you to all the generous members of the Duxbury Community that have contributed to the great success of our Trivia Night fundraising event. Through YOU we have replenished our funds available to help neighbors in need. We had been down to only $170 in our account and you have pushed us past our goal by donating $13,000 to our Trivia Night.         
     
    THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!!!!
    TRIVIA NIGHT  MARCH 23rd, 6:30 - 9:30 PM
                                                 
     
    LOCAL CANDIDATES FORUM MARCH 6th
                                         
     
    On Wednesday, March 6, the Duxbury Rotary Club held an informal candidate’s forum for the 6th Plymouth District seat in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. 
     
    This district is comprised of Hanson, Pembroke, and part of Duxbury.  The seat was formerly held by Josh Cutler, who has recently been appointed the Undersecretary of Apprenticeship, Work-Based Learning, and Policy for the Healey Administration. 
     
    Candidates Becky Coletta and Ken Sweezey introduced themselves to the audience and presented their platforms. The Duxbury Rotary Club thanks both of them for their commitment to public service and for taking time out of their own busy schedules to inform us of the direction they each envision for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the 6th Plymouth District.
     
    We wish them both well in their campaigns.
     
     
     
     
    WHAT WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM HISTORY?
    Mark CicconeOn Feb 21, 2024 our Guest Speaker, Mark Ciccone, provided a look back 4000 years to the origins of Egyptian obelisks and some reflections on what they meant then and what they mean now. The Club was asked to consider what have we learned as humans over those millenia and how could we apply that learning today?
     
     
     
     
    JOIN US Jan. 17th for a film about breaking through stigmas.
    Join the Duxbury Rotary Club on January 17 for a free screening of the 70-minute, award-winning film “KUPENDA.” This moving documentary shares the stories of 3 Kenyan teenagers who set out to challenge their community’s long-held stigma against people with disabilities by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Home Page Stories
    2023 Festival of Lights @ Duxbury Town Green
    On November 26th, Club members once again presented Rotary’s Festival of Lights on the Duxbury Town Green. This was orchestrated to coincide with Holly Days, a "shop local" event to promote Duxbury businesses.
     
    The "Lights" included a Menorah, a Christmas Tree and luminaires in the shape of the Peace Symbol, reminding us that we are all one people.
     
    The festivities started with songs by the Duxbury High School Choral Group while volunteers did face painting for little ones, games were played and Gelt candy, cocoa and cookies were served to the many attendees.
     
    After arriving by Duxbury Fire Department truck, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus were joined by Rotary District Governor Angela Ponte in lighting the Christmas Tree.
    Lighting the menorah, was done by Luba Gilpatric and family who were assisted by Angela’s husband, Barry Rabinowitz.
     
    Many little ones brought their hopes and dreams to Santa and Mrs. Claus and promised to be on the best behavior.
     
    In keeping with the mission of Duxbury to "Serve our Community and the World", a 50/50 raffle was held to benefit the Club’s Good Neighbor Fund.
     
    Our thanks to all those who participated and supported the event this year!
     
     
     
    Pictured above are (left to right) Barry Rabinowitz, Angela Pointe (District Governor) and Maarten Hemsely (Duxbury Rotary Club President)
    Read more...
    Brothers Mega-Duck is the winner! 
    Left-to-right: David Conners, Rotary Club Events Chair, Russ Blais, Brothers Store Manager and Danielle Bunting, Brothers Assistant Store Manager.
    Click Me!
    2023 Duck Race is a huge success!
    On August 19 Duxbury Rotary Club held its annual Duck Race at the Blue Fish River Bridge.  Our sincere thanks to the hundreds of local residents who bought more than 2,000 ducks to compete in the race. 
    Thanks also to Brothers, Walgreens, the Duxbury Thrift Shop and Lux Nails and Spa for accommodating our sales teams. 
    Many thanks to the local merchants and organizations that sold ducks on our behalf, contributing to our success this year:
    • Island Creek Oysters - Raw Bar
    • Blakeman's (on Duxbury Beach)
    • Duxbury American Legion
    • North Hill Country Club
    • Chestnut Street Grille
    • Jamie's Fine Wine & Spirits
    • Rock, Paper, Scissors
    • Bee Hive Hair Salon 
    • Duxbury Senior Center
    • Snug Harbor Wines
    • Winsor House
    • Duxbury General Store & Package
    Thanks also to the following who decorated and entered “Megaducks” in their own race:
    • Brothers Marketplace
    • Chestnut Street Grille
    • D'Orazio's Italian Marketplace
    • Duxbury Oyster Company
    • Duxbury Animal Hospital
    • Green Harbor Lobster Pound
    • Hunt Landscaping 
    • Keller Williams Real Estate Company
    • ZAHMATS Hair Salon
    • Tufankjian Motors
    • Waterfront Realty
    • Duxbury Community Garden Club
    • Island Creek Oysters
    The weather cooperated and we had a great turnout for the duck drops and the kids’ games.  With the Fire Department’s ladder truck unexpectedly undergoing repairs, the DPW stepped in to launch the ducks from their front-end loader.
    We raised a record amount, far exceeding last year’s record.  Funds raised support the Club’s scholarships for DHS seniors and also our Good Neighbor Fund to help residents in financial distress.
    The Duxbury Rotary Club really appreciates all the support it receives from the community.
    Click Me!
    At Charter Night held at the Senior Center on June 21, Club President Maarten Hemsley presented Club member Charlie Weyerhaeuser a certificate for fifty years' continuous membership of the Club.
    Can We Talk?
    We believe that to end the divisiveness in our country, we need to understand and respect each other.  
    Listening to what we have to say about important issues facing us in our capital and in every community, is the first step.
     
    Please join in a town-wide Zoom meeting to discuss the events in Washington last week, and the future of our country and community.
    Hosted by Prejudice Free Duxbury, this Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 7pm.
     
    (NOTE: This event occurred in 2021 and "Prejudice Free Duxbury" is now known as "DuxburyforAll". )
     
     
     
    Prejudice Has No Place in Duxbury

    We need your help. Please join us in making lasting change.

    Prejudice Free Duxbury ( a collaboration between Duxbury Rotary and Duxbury No Place for Hate sent a letter to the editor of The Duxbury Clipper last week but it hasn't been published.  Here is the letter for your review. Please be sure to visit the Prejudice Free Duxbury website and tell us which task force you want to join.  The time to act is now.

    "Dear Duxbury Clipper:

    We’re writing to express our concern about the extremely negative posts we’re seeing on social media by supporters of candidates for local and national contests. The degree of prejudice expressed against religious and gender groups is shocking in this day and age, and a clear sign that we’re not as open and welcoming a town as we purport to be.
    Since founding Prejudice Free Duxbury this spring, we’re often asked if racial, ethnic, religious and gender bias are still issues here. These social posts are proof positive that not just bias, but full-blown bigotry is still alive in Duxbury and neighboring communities.
    If your readers are as appalled by the level of vitriol in these posts as we are, and would like to do something about it, we invite them to join us in our campaign to make Duxbury a truly safe and welcoming community for all. We have three task forces that have begun work on the issue—educating the public, engaging local organizations, identifying systemic issues and solutions—and need volunteers to help on each of them. To learn more about our work and sign up to help, please visit our website https://www.PrejudiceFreeDuxbury.org  .
     
    (2021 NOTE:  The name "Prejudice Free Duxbury" has been changed to "Duxbury for All" you can find the new website here. )

    Sincerely,
    Catherine Cullen
    Tara Downes
    Fred L’Ecuyer
    Brenda Hamadeh
    Rev. Philomena Hare
    Maarten Hemsley
    Christian Koomey
    Karl Kunz
    Laura Neprud
    Julius Prince
    Joe Soares
    Bruce Rutter
    Anne Ward
    Karen Wong "