The Maplewood Rotary Club will hold its regular weekly dinner meeting at The Woodland (formerly the home of the Woman’s Club) tonight, Sept. 9, at 6:30 p.m.
The club is inviting members of the community to join them for dinner, to find out what Rotary does and how people can join. The Maple Leaf will be providing a light dinner; to RSVP, call Art Christensen at 973-699-8276. You can also just drop by to learn more.
The Maplewood Rotary just began holding its weekly dinners at The Woodland, after a short stint at Highland Place and many years at the former Cryan’s in South Orange.
“Everyone is in favor of supporting Maplewood and The Woodland, so it makes total sense for us to be there,” said Christensen. “We’re back in Maplewood, the space is a lot bigger and we’re not competing with [live] music or people walking in and out of a restaurant.”
The town purchased The Woodland for it to be used by the community, Christensen said, “so let’s support it and use it. That’s what it’s for.”
The Maplewood Rotary is celebrating 85 years in town this year, and on the agenda for tonight’s meeting is how to commemorate this very special year.
Christensen points out that the core values of Rotary are service to the community and the world, fellowship, integrity, diversity and leadership.
“We support the local community in many ways, through donations to clubs, the library, and more,” he said. “If you want to be involved in the community, there is no better way to do it then to join an organization like Rotary.”
One of the club’s members, Norm Woolley, has been a member for more than 40 years — in fact, his father was one of the founders.
“We become family,” said Christensen.
The Rotary also supports good work around the globe. For instance, each year, their Affair of the Heart gala helps support the Gift of Life Foundation, which works to provide operations to children around the world with heart disease.
Locally, the Rotary’s impact can be seen and felt everywhere in Maplewood, from benches around town, to the tree and clock in Ricalton Square, to the annual Christmas tree sale at the Maplewood Pool.
“There’s lots of good fellowship and lots of good work done in the community,” said Christensen. “It’s a community love-in.”
Why not stop by tonight and check it (and The Woodland) out?
Maplewood Rotary, weekly Tuesday meetings at 6:30 p.m., The Woodland, 60 Woodland Rd, Maplewood, NJ.
