District Conference The deadline to register for our Rotary District Conference is this week! So far, not many Salem Rotarians have signed up, even though we are the host community for this event. Please consider registering! Details are below.
Birthday Fund As we took the opportunity of Gerrit’s birthday to both wish him well and hear Claire belt out her best Ethel Merman, President Ryan reminded us that Rotarians are very encouraged to make a gift to the birthday fund on their birthdays; $1 for each year. These funds allow the Club to support smaller, one-time donations that fall outside of funds allocations.
April 28 Evening Meeting Claire shared that the Hawthorne parking lot will be repaved next week. Parking for our evening meeting will be street parking, so take a look around the Commons or surrounding streets for a space!
This Week at Rotary
Ed Tivnan, “Close the Loop”
Ed Tivnan is America's first certified Professional Facilitator of the French Circular Economy Collage — a credential he earned in October 2025. An Educational Consultant at Purdue University, a former high school biology teacher with 14 years in the classroom, and with more than 20 years of business experience in everything he teaches, Ed brought us on a journey to two communities, one that is more familiar and one to strive for.
The first place Ed took us was the linear economy. This is a “take, make, and waste” environment that relies on mining, efficient factories and growing food with pesticides, herbicides, and other “cides” that speed up growth but reduce nutritional value and harm the environment. It encourages a waste economy where inhabitants are used to throwing things away, including 40 percent of the food bought in grocery stores, which currently ends up in landfills. He noted that food rot alone leads to pollution and that the EPA states that 100,000 Americans die annually because of air pollution.
From there, Ed took us to a much more positive place, “a place of now waste.” Here, there is a circular mentality where the waste from one food source becomes food for another. Composting food waste is the main game changer with this philosophy where your food waste can naturally be turned into compost and reused in home gardens and yards, a much more sustainable way of gardening. Black Earth Compost is a good source of this compost on the North Shore, verified by two Rotarians!
This place also focuses on repair and refurbishment. Repair can include sites like fixit.com that offers tutorials on how to fix broken items and Fix It Clinics, where you can bring items for others to repair in a community setting. Salem currently offers these opportunities at the Community Life Center.
Refurbishment is another way to help reduce waste. Trading in old items to places like Back Market can allow you to get a newer device and recycle your old one for someone else’s use. The first brick and mortar store in the States is in Manhattan, but you can take advantage of this opportunity online at their website now.
France is ahead of the game on this front and offers a cell phone scale that helps determine what is fixable. They have identified Fairphone as the only company with a full 10-point rated phone out of a scale of 1 to 10. This is because the phones is repairable and has replacement parts.
In keeping with Rotary's pillars of Community Economic Development and Environment, Ed hopes these tips can help us “Close the Loop.”
Calendar Winners!
Everett Philbrooks sold by Dakota Russell
50:50 Raffle
$1,365 Pot
President Ryan and Birthday Boy Gerrit played.
No Winners this week!
Visitors and Guest Rotarians
None this week!
Volunteer
Let’s not forget our motto, Service Above Self! The Community Service Committee is working hard this year to find more opportunities for Salem Rotarians to serve in our community.
Salem Pantry Market Hours
May 2 | 8-10 AM
47 Leavitt Street
Ota Exchange - Seeking Host Families July 26 - August 3, 2026
The City of Salem is seeking local families to host visiting students from its sister city, Ota-ku in Tokyo, Japan, as part of a long-standing cultural exchange program now in its 35th year. From July 26 to August 3, 28 middle school students (ages 13–14) will travel to the North Shore for a week of English language learning and cultural immersion, and each student is placed with a host family—creating meaningful connections, cultural understanding, and often lifelong friendships. This is a unique and rewarding opportunity for families, especially those with (pre)teens, to experience another culture right at home while making a lasting impact on a young person’s life. Families interested in hosting, or who would like to learn more, are encouraged to reach out at salemotaculturalexchange@gmail.com.
Club Events
Why should you go to fellowship events?
Because they’re fun!
SAVE THE DATE: Jason Lang Installation Dinner
Evening of June 23; More Details to Follow
District News
District 7930 Spring Conference Saturday, May 2, 2026 | Salem Waterfront Hotel
Registration is open and only $99 for a fun-packed day including lunch buffet! Deadline to register is April 18, 2026. Working with our own Carolyn Shapiro, they plan to pack in a fun and energizing day: - Hear the latest in the District over an amazing luncheon - Participate in a district service activity - See the sites of the amazing city of Salem via a (optional) trolley tour, and; - Go Pirate! Visit one of Salem's top attractions - Real Pirates Salem Click this link for more information and register!
Salem Rotarians Say . . .
Rinus Oosthoek gave a few updates related to the high school. The first is that we will be hosting our May 12 meeting at the Black Cat Café. If you have not signed up but would like to attend, please let him know. He also reminded Salem residents to vote in the upcoming election on the high school project on May 5. Lastly, he invited Rotarians to join him at the CTE Awards Night at Salem High on May 21 at 5:30 PM. This is the evening where students in the CTE programs receive the awards funded by our club.
Rinus also shared that his friend and author Dr. Chuck Radis will be speaking at the Rotary Club of Marblehead on Thursday, Apr. 23 at 12:15 p.m. at the Boston Yacht Club, 1 Front Street, Marblehead. You may remember that Chuck was our first virtual speaker during the COVID years when he shared his experiences as the island doctor for the Casco Bay islands near Portland, Maine. Join Rinus on Thursday to hear about Chuck’s latest book!
Carolyn Shapiro shared news of an exciting sea adventure scheduled for April 24 – 25 that involves several other Rotarian organizations. The Battle for Derby Street shares the waterfront history of Salem where Captain Black Sam Bellamy’s crew of pirates go toe-to-toe against Captain John Turner’s pirate hunters. As participants learn, shop, and play up and down Derby Street, they will be able to tip the battle toward their chosen side before the dramatic conclusion at the end of the day. There are free and paid opportunities for fun! For more details or to register, click here!
Dan Sullivan gave a reminder that the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Salem will be hosting their Growing Great Futures event at Danversport on Thursday, May 14 at 5:30 PM. This new signature event celebrates the achievements of the Club’s youth and helps pave the way forward for Salem’s future generations. For more information or to buy tickets, click here.
Ed Tivnan, “Close the Loop”
