Ludlow Rotary ‘passes the gavel,’ reflects on accomplishments

At its annual picnic meeting at the lake home of Tom Harris, members of the Ludlow Rotary Club observed the traditional “passing of the gavel” and reviewed the club’s achievements over the past year.

Outgoing President George Thomson passed the gavel to the new president, Kevin Barnes, and led the Ludlow Rotarians in a review of what the club had achieved during the past year.

Thomson stated, “We have more than doubled the basic goals set forward by Rotary International, earning its Presidential Citation. I want to thank the board members of Ludlow Rotary Club along with all of the other members of the club for the great effort and dedication to meeting these goals.”

Some of the goals achieved during Thomson’s tenure include:

• Worked on a global grant from Rotary International for Okemo Valley Technical Rescue, possibly in the range of $40,000;
• Agreed to be an international partner with a Rotary Club in India to set up a kidney dialysis facility in rural India;
• Worked hard to support the incoming student exchange program, with Jim Rumrill becoming the chair of the Essex Eastern United States Student Exchange program next year. This program, curtailed by Covid for several years, is an important avenue in learning about other nations through their students. Rumrill also led the effort to charter the Interact Club at Green Mountain Union High School;
• Awarded $14,000 in scholarships to seven area high school seniors. This program has distributed more than $285,000 in scholarships since its inception;
• Raised the necessary funds to support scholarship awards and programs for local and regional groups through the Penny Sale, Duck Race, and Chili Cook-Off;
• Distributed books to schools in the district, including personalized ones for elementary school youngsters;
• Sought partnership with area Rotary clubs for Ludlow Rotary Club’s global grant proposals;
• Continued to ensure that Ludlow Rotary Club members still had fun doing all it could to help local, regional, and international groups in need of assistance.

Thomson stated that he will become an assistant governor in the district, which covers New Hampshire and Vermont.

On accepting the gavel from Thomson, Barnes said that he would continue to support efforts to address the club’s goals. “I believe we have achieved a great deal and it is my intention to see that we continue to work on these goals and the new ones that will develop. This club may be small when measured in numbers against large Rotary Clubs but it is huge in terms of what it can do and will do.”