Our speaker was Susan Nicholl, Executive Director of the Metrowest Visitors Bureau, a regional tourism council.
 
 
Guests:
  • Gino Frattiloni, Visiting Rotarian
  • Susan Nicholl, Speaker
 
Announcements:
  • District Conference is coming up next week; our Club and the Acton-Boxborough Club are hosting a hospitality suite on Friday night from 9-11 pm, where Brazilian desserts, wine and beer will be served.
  • Gabriel, our Gift of Life child, may be going home next week.
  • May 14th, no meeting so that members can attend the District Conference on May 15-17.
  • June 4th, evening field trip to the RFK Children’s Action Corps Center in Lancaster.
  • June 11th, joint evening meeting with the Acton-Boxborough Club at the Car Barn in Hudson.
  • June 18th, no meeting as we’re the host club for Wings and Wheels.
  • Wings & Wheels update: Brian is coordinating volunteers. We owe a big thank-you to Karin for her outstanding work recruiting sponsors. Printers’ estimates for our brochures have ranged from $400 to $4,000, but Clinton Offset Printers will do it for free.
  • June 25th is the installation ceremony for Jim Stone as club president. This is a morning meeting to be held at Nancy’s Airfield Café.
  • May 30th is the next Repair Café; volunteers to put up posters around the towns are needed.
  • Guatemala: The funds have been transmitted, and received by the Coban club;  Carl is going down on June 9th, and the WPI Rotaractors will begin building  the rainwater harvesting systems for the local villagers.
 
Happy/sad fines:
  • Jim: is excited to be going to Brazil in a little more than three weeks.
  • Ray: has been making the rounds (Hudson, Marlboro, Westford), promoting the Repair Café; sad to report the illness of a member of Bolton Local.
  • Laura: happy that town meeting was only one night long; happy that we’re getting good coverage of the Reality Fair; and happy that the weather has finally turned.
  • Gino: this is his fifth meeting this week; next come Westford and Shirley.
  • Karin: happy that today is the nicest day of the whole year; she now has 22 parakeets, which make a great gift.
  • Ron: spoke to the Groton-Pepperell club about starting an Interact club; June 3rd is the Inauguration Ceremony with the new Interact Club at NRHS, when we will be presenting a charter, banner and pins.
  • Brian: happy that his wife is graduating from dog grooming school.
  • Bob: happy that the warmer weather is here; the RYLA weekend is coming up and hopes that members can volunteer.
  • Richard: his youngest daughter has a delivery date for the twins.
 
Speaker:
Our speaker was Susan Nicholl, Executive Director of the Metrowest Visitors Bureau, a regional tourism council.
  • The purpose of the agency is to stimulate the economy of the region.
  • Why should anyone come to Metrowest? Visitors are looking for something different. A record number of people came to the opening of Wegman’s; it’s the sort of shopping activity many people are looking for; likewise, the Natick mall and the Wrentham outlets.
  • The State benefits greatly from visitors; last year they spent $883 million, which generated $45 million in taxes.
  • People in the area ask, Why would anyone want to come here? They should know that Metrowest contains many hidden gems: the Mendon Zoo; the Museum of World War II in Natick (the largest private collection of war memorabilia); the Museum of Russian Icons in Clinton; botanic gardens like Tower Hill; the stamp museum at Regis College.
  • Community-based events also make it an interesting place for visitors. Many events aren’t in the brochure, but are on the web site: metrowestvisitors.org.