A Message from the Club President

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WHAT IS THE ROTARY CLUB OF LEXINGTON?

Our Rotary Club is a very active organization of leading business and professional men and women who work or live in Lexington and who share an interest in fellowship and serv­ice within and beyond Lexington.

As one of more than 33,000 Rotary clubs in over 200+ countries and geographic regions, our Club works to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical stan­dards in all vocations, and build goodwill and understanding within our community and the world.

The membership of our club is intentionally diverse, with each active member repre­senting a different vocational classification, from agriculture to waste water recycling. The purpose of this classification principle is to promote acquaintances and understand­ing beyond one’s day-to-day business relationships. Should two members with similar classifications, such as a pediatric dentist and a periodontist, sit together at a meeting, it is highly probable that they will be fined $1.00 each.

At our weekly luncheon meetings, which are usually held at Palio's Italian Grill at 12:15PM, the tradition of fining one another is carried on with humorous gusto. Fines of a few dollars can be levied for any of a number of usually foolish reasons, such as a new car, one’s picture in the paper, or an exceptionally gaudy tie. All proceeds from such fining are used for the Club’s service activities.

Over lunch prior to the official meeting, members, visiting Rotarians and guests dis­cuss whatever subjects they wish with one exception: No business is conducted, and members do not promote their own businesses. New members are provided with an opportunity during our shorter summer meetings to tell the Club all about themselves and their businesses without any risk of being fined.

A wide variety of programs are conducted at our weekly meetings, including speech­es by town officials, scientists, authors or historians, presentations by charitable groups and visiting international students, and demonstrations of all sorts. Some are serious and thought-provoking, while others are light and humorous. In any case, the luncheon meetings end promptly at 1:30PM.

The Rotary Club of Lexington is committed to member participation that goes beyond attendance at weekly meetings. Shortly after joining our Club, each new mem­ber is appointed to one of our committees, and in a year or so, may very well chair a com­mittee. Each member is encouraged to join in our fund-raising, fellowship and service activities, all of which may be viewed in the "Four Avenues of Service" section of this web site. Many members look forward to these activi­ties as opportunities to get to know one another better. Working on service projects such as repairing the Band Stand can promote the development of lasting friendships.

Not all of our 45 members participate in every Club event, but every member is expected to join in on our annual Patriots’ Day activities. It should be noted that each member is obliged to attend our weekly meetings or to “make up” any missed meetings at some other Rotary Club that meets at a more convenient time or location. Our members have made up meetings all over the world. Members can now “make up” on the internet.

Thank you for visiting our site, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about The Rotary Club of Lexington and how we can be of service to your community project.

Yours in Service,

Douglas B. Holmes, President (2009-2010)

Rotary Club of Lexington, Massachusetts