
Marlborough Rotary Club Celebrates Centennial in Grand Style with Dinner, Awards & Announcement of a Joint Project with City
Marlborough Rotary Club Celebrates Centennial in Grand Style with Dinner, Awards & Announcement of a Joint Project with City
MARLBOROUGH: Founded in May 1922, the Marlborough Rotary Club celebrated its Centennial in grand style at a banquet recently at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel. The evening started with an invocation by Club member Rev. Michael J. McKinnon of Holy Trinity Anglican Church, a ringing of the Club’s bell for its deceased members, and a video “welcome” from Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta of India.
Proclamations of congratulations were presented by the City of Marlborough, State Representative Danielle Gregoire on behalf of the Massachusetts State Legislature and, and State Senator Jaimie Eldridge on behalf of the Massachusetts State Senate.
Guest Speaker, Ned Eames Founder and CEO of Tenacity Inc., told his story of how he saw the need to raise the level of academic achievement among inner city youth, and did so using tennis instruction and competition to engage them and sustain academic interest in these youths with a competitive spirit in inner city youth. His efforts have substantially raised the percentage of graduation and college entrance in Boston, and he plans to do the same in Worcester. His efforts mirror those of Rotary – to see a problem and work out a solution – that President Aaron Aykanian awarded him a Paul Harris Fellow; a high award issued through the Rotary Foundation.
President Aaron Aykanian also presented a Paul Harris Fellow award to Past President Alan Herzog for his efforts in keeping the club together throughout the Pandemic and providing food to the elderly and veterans during that time of need.
To end the evening, Emcee Sem Aykanian announced a joint project of the Rotary Club and the City of Marlborough to create a Rotary Centennial Park at the junction of Route 20 and Williams Street, adjacent to the Marlborough District Courthouse. The park would serve as a beginning and end point for the proposed walking trail surrounding Lake Williams.
The evening was a festive affair that included background music of the Roaring Twenties style and displays of past Rotary events and talent shows.
Proclamations of congratulations were presented by the City of Marlborough, State Representative Danielle Gregoire on behalf of the Massachusetts State Legislature and, and State Senator Jaimie Eldridge on behalf of the Massachusetts State Senate.
Guest Speaker, Ned Eames Founder and CEO of Tenacity Inc., told his story of how he saw the need to raise the level of academic achievement among inner city youth, and did so using tennis instruction and competition to engage them and sustain academic interest in these youths with a competitive spirit in inner city youth. His efforts have substantially raised the percentage of graduation and college entrance in Boston, and he plans to do the same in Worcester. His efforts mirror those of Rotary – to see a problem and work out a solution – that President Aaron Aykanian awarded him a Paul Harris Fellow; a high award issued through the Rotary Foundation.
President Aaron Aykanian also presented a Paul Harris Fellow award to Past President Alan Herzog for his efforts in keeping the club together throughout the Pandemic and providing food to the elderly and veterans during that time of need.
To end the evening, Emcee Sem Aykanian announced a joint project of the Rotary Club and the City of Marlborough to create a Rotary Centennial Park at the junction of Route 20 and Williams Street, adjacent to the Marlborough District Courthouse. The park would serve as a beginning and end point for the proposed walking trail surrounding Lake Williams.
The evening was a festive affair that included background music of the Roaring Twenties style and displays of past Rotary events and talent shows.