The Holiday Season is upon us. Regardless of how you observe it, a time of joy, commemoration, gift giving, merriment, and goodwill.  A time to rejoice.  A time to dream of peace.  A time to spend with family and friends.  A time of celebration.  A time to contemplate the year gone by and consider the possibilities of the year to come.  A wondrous time of year.

Merry Christmas all! And Happy Hanukkah, Good Kwanzaa, and Divine Diwali!! Enjoy the Winter Solstice!! Don’t celebrate anything? Live it up anyway … it’s that time of the year!

We’re a diverse group and together we are strong … Niles Strong!!

Bruce

November…a month for giving thanks. Traditionally, thanks for the bounty bestowed upon us by mother nature. Thanksgiving…a feast day… a day of gorging on food with our families and friends, drinking to excess (perhaps), watching football, sharing good conversation and heartfelt joy with our loved ones, and feeling the glow of a blessed life.

But it’s not just Thanksgiving that makes November special in the thanks department. On November 11^th of each year, we celebrate Veterans Day…a day to give thanks to those who served us all by serving in our armed services. We have many veterans in our Niles Rotary Club, and many more who, although not veterans themselves, are the sons, daughters, mothers and fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends of veterans. To all of them, I ask you to join me in saying, “Thank You”.

Speaking of service, let’s use November to remember, thank, and salute us, Niles (and other) Rotarians, who every month of the year dedicate themselves to the concept of service above self.  Who, through acts of kindness and commitment to a higher ideal, try to make life just a little bit better for those who don’t get to gorge on Thanksgiving Day, who perhaps don’t have family and friends to celebrate with, and who live a life seemingly less blessed than our own…who give support to those who suffer from the effects of a dedication to military service, or have an empty seat at the Thanksgiving table due to the deployment or loss of a family member.

Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for. Personally, I also want to give thanks to you…my fellow Niles Rotary members, for all the support and encouragement you have given me the last four months. It truly has been a blessing.

NILES STRONG!

Greetings Niles Rotarians!! Feeling strong these days? I hope so.

It’s October…time to start thinking about membership. We’ve lost a few members recently. But, not so bad. Because most of them haven’t left Rotary…they’ve just moved on to a club they feel meets their needs better than us. So Rotary remains strong.

Still, we don’t want to lose sight of how important membership development is. We have to keep attracting new members…keep the life blood flowing. But not just any members…quality members. How do we do that? Not so hard actually. Just invite good, service-oriented people to our club meetings. Once they experience the energy…the fun…the love…and the commitment, they will want to be a part of what we have.

This year, District 5170 has a membership program going on called “Ignite.” It’s based on the ancient practice of torch bearers leading the way to discovery and exploration, illuminating the way for those who follow. A little corny, I know. But also worth some thought. Because Rotary clubs like ours can lead the way for those who are looking for a way to give back… a way to experience true fellowship. So think about someone you know who fits this bill, and invite them to a meeting. It might be the best thing you ever do for them.

It also might get you a very cool Ignite pin from Past President and current Membership Chair Chuck Canada!

Stay strong. Niles Strong.

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose. Or so said Gertrude Stein. But Niles Rotarians know better…every Rose is not the same.  Because we have a special Rose. A Rose with a loving smile and a caring heart.  A compassionate Rose. A Rose who serves with pleasure. A Rose who never says no and is always there when you need her. A one-of-a-kind Rose.

Of course, I’m talking about our lovely Past President Rose Evernden-Andrade. The mother of Feed the Hungry and Pizza with Santa. A critical part of what makes the Reverse Raffle a success year in and year out. The Past President who reminded us every week during her presidency that Niles Rotarians aren’t just a family…we are a Family by Choice!! A Rotarian of the highest order.

Keep our beautiful Rose and her family in your thoughts during their difficult time. Send Rose your love. Let her never forget we are Niles Strong.

We love you Rosie.

NILES STRONG – where does it come from and what does it mean?

As you might suspect, it has itsroots in the city of myroots – Boston, Massachusetts. Following the bombing of innocent men, women and children spectators at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, which killed three people and injured hundreds of others, the entire Boston city and region banded together to bring the cowardly perpetrators of the crime to justice. Go back and look at the pictures – aerial photos of Boston roads and freeways empty like a ghost town, leaving law enforcement free to do its job. Countless law enforcement agencies working together to hunt down and finally capture the SOBs who thought they could terrorize people who had other ideas about freedom and how to preserve it. Those same citizens working together to make sure any and all information was made available to authorities. Five police officers injured or killed taking down the wrongdoers – in a mere six days.  It all gave way to the slogan, “Boston Strong”, epitomized by Big Papi – David Ortiz – standing with a microphone before the home crowd at Fenway Park and reminding them, “This is our city, and nobody’s gonna [bleeping] take it away from us!”

Okay…I get it. We at Niles Rotary have not been confronted on our home turf by terrorists. But the message rings clear. There is strength in numbers, and power in commitment. When together we paint a map of the United States that will be seen on a playground by generations of children, we are Niles Strong. When we work together year in and year out to throw a crazy fun dinner, reverse raffle, and auction, raising close to $80,000 yearly to fund charitable projects throughout the Fremont area, we are Niles Strong. When we send a full container of wheelchairs for delivery to war torn former Yugoslavia, or bring wheelchairs to Mexico City we are Niles Strong. When two people in our club endure the tragedy of a son badly injured in a car crash, and we raise $2500 in five minutes to help defray the cost of them going to Los Angeles to be with him, we are Niles Strong. When Niles Rotarians travel to Chile to help build a much needed orphanage, we are Niles Strong. When we pray for and give solace to fellow Niles Rotarians in their time of trouble, we are Niles Strong. When we show up in force at the Rotary International Convention, or share time together at Fellowship Fridays, or just shout it out at our weekly meetings, we are Niles Strong. I could go on and on.

Take pride in what we do. And remember we do it together. Because each of us can make an impact; each of us can make a difference. But, together, we are more than that — we are NILES STRONG!

Thanks for listening.