Richard Hebert, owner of Colonial Candies, shared the story of his family’s 100 year old chocolate business.


 

Richard Hebert’s grandfather, Frederick, started the candy business in 1917.  He learned how to make candy while working at a sandwich shop.  When the sandwich shop’s owner would not agree to become business partners, Frederick went to Worcester and started his own store.  He made candies in the storefront window.  Foot traffic was good in Worcester and Frederick opened 13 stores in Worcester.  In 1944 Frederick bought a roadside candy store on Rte. 20 in Shrewsbury.  This store was successful until the Mass. Pike was built.  After this point, new stores were opened near major highways.  Interestingly, Hebert Candies sold the first white chocolate in the U.S. in the early 1950s.  The Bolton store was opened in 1978.  As the Hebert family continued to grow, new candy products were developed for sale as fundraisers and at local super markets in the 1990s.  Hebert Candies was sold in 2005.  Richard had to change the name of the Bolton store to Colonial Candies to comply with the sales agreement.  According to Richard, 98% of sales are by customers who drive right off of Rte. 495.  Colonial Candies does sell candies online but it only accounts for 1% of sales.  The three busiest times of the year are: Easter, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.

         

Next meeting on December 12 Nancy’s Airfield Café in Stow, 5:45 p.m., Barry Friedman will talk about his work with the Gift of Life.

 

Guests:

  • Jacky Foster

 

Rotary and Club Announcements: (Capitalized events earn points for our club!)

  • Local projects:

o    Warm Hearts of Stow – Families in Stow can use our support with the approaching holiday season and colder months.  Laura distributed envelopes to contribute gift cards for basic necessities as well as family activities.  Donations are due by December 15.

o    Stop Hunger Now – On January 25 we will package food into 10,000 bags for Stop Hunger Now at the Nashoba Regional High School.  The Littleton club and Nashoba Regional High School’s Community Service Club will participate.  We will also invite the public to participate.

o    A $250 donation from our club was given to the Raise the Roof project that will use the funds to put a new roof on an elderly Bolton couple’s house.  The $10,000 goal was met!

o    Angels for Amy – a planning meeting will take place in January.

  • RSVP to our holiday party: Thursday, December 19 at 6 p.m. at Nanci Bishop’s house at 353 Old Bay Road in Bolton.  You may bring a guest!  Email your RSVP to info@nashobarotary.org.
  • Sister Club: The Rotary Club of Aurangabad West (India) is interested in having our club be a sister club.  Natascha may be interested in serving as a liaison to this club.
  • Club dues increasing to $150/year to cover Rotary International and District dues starting July 1, 2014.
  • Please sign up to bring breakfast to a month of morning meetings.  Contact Laura for more information.
  • Framingham’s Rotary Club has an online auction that opened on November 29, Black Friday:

o    Go to Framingham Rotary Club Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rotary-Club-of-Framingham/212527062115983?ref=hl

o    Click the LIKE link for the page – this will add the page to those you get a “feed” from when posts are made.

o    Click on the EVENTS link. It is on the right hand side of page just below the main page photo.

o    Click on the 42nd Annual Online Auction Flyer image to open up the event.

o    Click the “GOING” button. When people see other people “going,” they are more likely to go/participate too!

    • If interested, click the INVITE FRIEND button to bring up YOUR Facebook contacts and checkbox and send the event invite/notify to those people.
  • December 8 is the DISTRICT HOLIDAY PARTY from 12-3 at the Chocksett Inn, Sterling.
  • December 12 is a district MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE MEETING from 6:308 p.m. at the Holiday Inn at Boxborough.
  • December 14 is the District’s NEW GENERATIONS MEETING from 9-4 p.m. at the Holiday Inn at Boxborough.
  • We are invited to Littleton Rotary Club’s holiday party that includes a Yankee Gift Swap on December 14 at 7 p.m. at Cheryl and Mark Cowley Hollinger’s house at 44 Tahattawan Road in Littleton.  Please bring a side dish to share and a wrapped gift to swap in the $20 range.  It can be naughty or nice!
  • Laura has posted the Best Club award criteria and the updated 2013-2014 Calendar of Activities on our website www.nashobarotary.org.

Nonclub/public announcements:

  • December 7-8 and December 14-15 Santa visits Colonial Candies from 12-5 p.m.
  • December 7 is the Stow Breakfast with Santa at St. Isidore church.
  • December 7 Stow Garden Club’s holiday greens sale at Stow Town Hall.
  • December 14 there will be an emergency services appreciation day at Minute Man Air Field.  There will be cake and ice cream at around noon!
  • January 25 is the next Bolton Repair Café.

 

Birthdays:

  • December 1 – Dana Gray
  • December 24 – Mary Garcia
  • December 31 – Nanci Bishop

 

Happy/Sad Fines:

  • Kelly was happy about this holiday time of year.
  • Catherine was happy because she recently won some money!
  • Nanci was happy that Jacky was at the meeting.
  • Mary Ann was happy that she will be going to Edaville Rail Road with her grandchildren.
  • Matt was happy to be back at the meetings and happy to be finished decorating his house for Christmas.
  • Ron was happy because he had a happy Thanksgiving with family from out of town.
  • Bob was happy that his niece had a new daughter.
  • Natascha was happy because her son is coming home.
  • Barbara was sad because Jim’s father died
  • Bill was happy to be at the meeting and happy about the upcoming holidays.
  • Jim paid a sad fine in memory of his father who was a Rotary member for more than 30 years.  He was also a Mason member.  Donations in memory of his father are going to the Rotary Foundation.
  • Lisa was sad to be late to the meeting but her son’s hockey practice ran late.
  • Laura was happy about seeing friends from college she had not seen in years at Dunkin Donuts!  She was also happy about her fabulous Thanksgiving week because she took a vacation from work and attending Rotary events.  She was also sad that Jim’s father died.