A Message from the Club President
 
      The members of the Rotary Club of Lexington welcome you to our website.  We are an organization, founded in 1929, comprised of businessmen and businesswomen dedicated to serving the Lexington community, as well as working on an international level.
 
      To live by the motto “service above self” is our primary goal.  It is based upon what the founder of Rotary, Chicago lawyer Paul Harris, aimed for when starting Rotary in 1905.  He had a vision of businessmen meeting as a social group to help one another, to be neighborly, and to donate their time and service above self, where and when needed. The idea quickly spread, across the country and worldwide, and today Rotary International is comprised of 1.2 million members in over 33,000 clubs in almost every country of the world.
 
      The Rotary Club of Lexington maintains that our first and foremost goal is to serve our community of Lexington.  This is achieved by our members participating in several projects every year, including:
 
  1. A low-income house building project by sponsoring the Minuteman High School in home building projects.
  2. Awarding significant scholarship money to deserving students graduating from Lexington High School, Minuteman High School, and Lexington Christian Academy.
  3. Holding an Annual Comedy Night event to raise funds.
  4. Sponsoring a Cash Raffle each year to raise funds.
  5. Participating in the annual Patriots Day Holiday activities in Lexington Center.
  6. Sponsoring Senior Citizen barbeque and cook-out events.
  7. Polio Plus-we have helped the world to all but completely eliminate
Polio worldwide, and we are almost completely there!
 
 Through our partnership with other Rotary Clubs around the world, we are able to make connections that serve our Future Vision projects.  Rotary International develops projects to help those communities and countries in need to develop sustainable programs, specifically in any one, or combination thereof, of the following areas:
           
            -Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution
            -Water and Sanitation
            -Maternal and Child Healthcare
            -Basic Education and Literacy
            -Economic and Community Development
            
      If it had not been for Rotary, the world would not be where we are presently in actually approaching the elimination of polio from the face of the earth.  We are almost there!  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has challenged Rotary International to raise 200 hundred million dollars, and they will match that.  To date, Rotary International has raised over 175 million dollars. We are meeting that challenge and Rotary will help defeat polio for all the peoples of the world!   The 200 Million Rotary dollars, plus the Gates Foundation 200 million dollars, and their previously donated 150 million dollars, will add up to 550 million dollars, the intended goal.  Rotary started this whole process and has taken the leadership role.
      Through its Emergency Relief Fund, Rotary has been there to provide emergency services around the world.  Recently, the countries of Pakistan, Haiti and then Japan, suffered devastating earthquakes, and could not get emergency medical supplies fast enough.  Rotary stepped up!  This was accomplished specifically by providing medical supplies to the affected countries through our Rotary Foundation, the charitable division of Rotary International.  In Lexington, each member has seen the results and has become excited about making his or her donation to the Rotary Foundation.  Every member of the club is committed to donating on an annual basis to the Rotary Foundation.  Look how far the funds have gone!  To call it gratifying is an understatement!
 
      These local and international programs helping the peoples of the world are so inspirational!  By belonging to a Rotary Club, a person who wants to help others, and to be of service, will derive so much satisfaction by participating as a Rotarian.  That person WILL become a better citizen of his/her community, and a better citizen of the world!
 
      I hope you will join us.  We are friendly, fun, productive, and welcoming.  Meetings of the Rotary Club of Lexington are held every Monday, except for holidays, at 12:15 PM, (Check our website to confirm) at the Lexington Golf Club, 55 Hill St, Lexington, MA.  The meetings are fun and interesting!  Luncheon is served, the business meeting follows, and we then have our guest speaker.  Please join us at a meeting any Monday of your choice, enjoy yourself, and find out about our club.  The cost for attendance is $20.00 to cover meal expenses.  After attending one or more meetings, if you wish to join our club, please contact me, Dan Olsen, President of the Rotary Club of Lexington, at danielrolsendds@hotmail.com, and further details will be reviewed with you.  Come learn how you can help support the community we live in through your involvement.  We enjoy a great sense of accomplishment, camaraderie, and fellowship.  You are invited to become a part of it!
           
Dan Olsen
President of the Rotary Club of Lexington
(2019 – 2020)