Ipswich MA Rotary - A Message from the Club President

Ipswich Rotary has served our communities since 1923, just 18 years after Rotary was founded in Chicago as the world’s first service club. By 1925, Rotary had grown to 2,000 clubs with a membership of over 100,000. Today, Rotary International has 32,000 clubs worldwide and membership exceeding 1.2 million.

Rotary brings together business and community leaders who, through fellowship and service, apply their skills and aptitudes to Rotary’s “Five Avenues of Service”. “Club Service” ensures our strength and stability. “Community Service” supports local education, humanitarian, and senior services. During the past year alone, we raised over $16,000 for technology in our schools, $7,000 for scholarships to seniors from Ipswich and Rowley, and thousands more to support humanitarian projects. In addition, Rotarians donate their time and resources to assist our senior citizens through small projects “Lend-a-Hand” and the Senior Lunch, and to support community projects such as the “Jingle Bell Walk”, "Ipswich Dinner Bell”, "Ipswich Caring", "Ipswich Food Pantry", and more.

Through our “International Service”, Ipswich Rotarians raised over $10,000 to help eradicate Polio and thousands more to assist emerging schools in rural Pakistan. Our “Youth Service” team supports our sponsored leadership clubs at Ipswich High School (Interact) and elementary schools (EarlyAct), Rotary Youth Exchange (in-coming students from around the world and out-going local students to study abroad), Camp Rotary, and the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program. Our commitment to “Vocational Service” is typified by high ethical standards in our businesses and by students from the Ipswich High School “Life Skills Program” who our members employ and train.

Through our shared fellowship and service, Rotarians truly are “Humanity in Motion”. This year’s Rotary International President, Kalyan Banerjee, has challenged Rotarians to reach within a little deeper and, in the words of Gandhi, to “be the change you wish to see in the world”. We are inspired by our service.

Ipswich Rotary strives to serve the communities of Ipswich and Rowley. Our ongoing work in Ipswich is well known, and we continue expanding our service in Rowley. Building on our strong traditions and momentum, Ipswich Rotarians will again “reach within to embrace humanity”. We encourage other local business and community leaders to “reach within” and join us in this important mission of "Service Above Self".

Bob Wicks

President, 2011-12