Rotary Club. We are People of Action.

Rotary Club. We are People of Action.

Elizabeth Covino, President, Rotary Club of Nashua

Rotary International is a humanitarian service organization which brings together business and professional leaders in order to provide community service, promote integrity, and advance goodwill, peace, and understanding in the world. It is a non-political and non-religious organization.

What is the purpose of joining Rotary Club?

Membership in Rotary ensures continuing personal and professional development. Rotarians have countless opportunities to further enhance their leadership skills, as well as gain experience in public speaking and communication, organization and planning, team building, fundraising and teaching.

Rotary is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create lasting change. We connect people. Rotary International shares that Rotary unites more than a million people – as of today 1.4 million members and 46,000 clubs. Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. We transform communities: We take action locally and globally. Sixteen million volunteer hours each year. Each day, our members pour their passion, integrity, and intelligence into completing projects that have a lasting impact. We persevere until we deliver real, lasting solutions. We solve problems: No challenge is too big for us. Nearly 3 billion children immunized against polio. For more than 110 years, we’ve bridged cultures and connected continents to champion peace, fight illiteracy and poverty, promote clean water and sanitation, and fight disease. Our causes: Promoting Peace - Fighting Disease - Providing Clean Water - Saving Mothers and Children - Supporting Education - Growing Local Economies - Protecting the Environment. Join Leaders: Club activities, social events, and volunteer projects offer networking opportunities that build personal and professional connections. And Rotarians can extend those networks by visiting other clubs around the globe. Nashua is home to three Rotary Clubs:

The Rotary Club of Nashua meets for a luncheon meeting Mondays at 12 noon at Nashua Country Club (website: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/2946/). Contact President Elizabeth Covino to learn more at ecovino@nmymca.org.

Rotary West meets on for a luncheon meeting on Tuesdays at 12 noon at City Moose Café (website: rotarynashuawest.com). Contact Cecilia Ulibarri to learn more at culibarri@gmail.com.

Souhegan Valley Happy Hour Rotary Club (“the first drink is on us Club!”) meets Monday nights at 5:30pm at Boston Billiards & Casino, but they do move around (website: happyhourrotary.com). Contact President Shaun Nelson to learn more at svrotary@gmail.com

Locally, our three Rotary Clubs have a combined 160 years of service to Greater Nashua. In 2021, the Rotary Club of Nashua celebrated 100 years of service; Rotary West celebrated 50 years; and Souhegan Valley Happy Hour Rotary Club celebrated 10 years.

Some of the community service projects our Clubs have supported are: Centennial Pool on Cleveland Street, Rotary band shell in Greeley Park, Rotary Common, The Labyrinth and Reflection Garden at Rotary Common, Spaghetti City dinner at the Senior Center, Hats & Mittens collections for school children, Christmas gifts for local children, book collections for local children and adults, Books for female prison inmates to read and record for their children, Christmas dinner baskets for local residents, a partnership with Gate City bikes to make bicycles available to all, and much more.

On an international level, Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever. As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we've reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979. Rotary members have contributed more than $2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than $10 billion to the effort.

There are many reasons to join Rotary Club. Here are five:

Citizenship in the Community: Membership in a Rotary Club makes one a better community citizen. The average Rotary Club consists of the most active citizens of any community. Our three local Clubs have done much to better the lives of the community by working together on many service projects.

Friendship: In an increasingly complex world, Rotary provides one of the most basic human needs: the need for friendship and fellowship. It is one of two reasons why Rotary began in 1905.

Business Development: The second original reason for Rotary's beginning is business development. Everyone needs to network. Rotary consists of a cross section of every business community. Its members come from all walks of life. Rotarians help each other and collectively help others. Unlike formal business networking groups, Rotary’s business connects develop organically through community service projects and through the fellowship of weekly meetings that include a speaker.

Personal Growth and Development: Membership in Rotary continues one's growth and education in human relations and personal development.

Leadership Development: Rotary is an organization of leaders and successful people. Serving in Rotary positions is like continuing education in the area of leadership: learning how to motivate, influence and lead others.

What binds all Rotary Clubs around the world together is our motto is "Service Above Self" and our guiding principles are "The Four-Way Test,” of the things we think, say or do:

Is it the TRUTH?

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

We are always eager to invite others to join us and learn more! Help us create lasting change. Solving some of the world’s most complex and pressing problems takes real commitment and vision. Rotary members believe that we share a responsibility to take action to improve our communities. Join us, so that we can make an even bigger impact – together.