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President

President Elect

Treasurer

Secretary

Immediate Past President

Bruce Rutter

Chair of Membership Committee

Joann Kunz

Public Image Chair

Katherine Taube

Youth Programs

Karl Kunz

Club Foundation Chair

Maarten Hemsley

Diversity Equity & Inclusion Chair

Tara Downes

Peace Committee Co-Chair

Tara Downes

Good Neighbor Fund Coordinator

Katherine Taube

Peace Committee Co-Chair

Katherine Taube

Sergeant-at-Arms

Robert Hebb

Social Chair

Denise Mehegan

2025 Festival of Lights

2025 Duck Race

2025 Charter Night

2025 Trivia Night

2025 New Member Induction

2024 Festival of Lights

2024 Charter Night

2024 Juneteenth DfA Celebration

2024 Kindness Bundles

2024 TRIVIA NIGHT

2024 Feb 7th Meeting

2023 Festival of Lights

Duck Race August 2023

Charter & Scholarship Night 2023

Listen Program Aug 5, 2020

1951 The early Days of Duxbury Rotary

For Members

Club members - pay your dues here:

http://duxbury-ma.eventgroovefundraising.com/dues

Rotary Club Meeting. Learn about NECAT
The Village at Duxbury

Feb. 04, 2026
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Rotary Meeting
Feb. 18, 2026 6:00 p.m.

The darkness of the Winter Solstice is upon us, but there is so much light and hope being reflected in our community that we just have to share it with you all.

Below are just two of the lights we see shining brightly in our beautiful Town of Duxbury.

Shortly after our annual Holly Days Festival of Lights event on the Town Green, when the weather tried to dampen all our spirits, the members of the Rotary Club provided bags of groceries to our neighbors in need through the Lions Share Food Pantry here in Duxbury.

Not long after that, we received a generous donation from Eversource Energy Foundation as our first Gold Level Sponsor for the upcoming Trivia Night scheduled for March 21, 2026.

Pictured are Justin Chester (Eversource Community Relations Specialist) and Barbara Mello (Duxbury Rotary Club President)

#Duxbury Rotary Club #Eversource Energy #Duxbury Rotary Trivia Night #Lions Share Food Pantry

Despite the rain, the spirit of Rotary made for a bright light in the Town of Duxbury!

This year’s Festival of Lights was jam packed with games to play, faces to paint, things to do, food and drink to consume and music to listen to.

Santa and Mrs. Claus made their trip from the North Pole to spread good cheer and listen to the hopes of children.

Duxbury for All was also there to listen to what the townspeople think is the meaning of “Community” and to offer scraps of cloth on which to write their own dreams for peace and community.

The Duxbury High School Chorus arrived with plenty of gusto for their serenading the gathering of townspeople at the Festival.

Of course Santa and Mrs. Claus were able to light the Christmas trees and the Menorah with the help of three young Duxbury citizens.

The inflatable animals, castle and dinosaur only heightened the joy of kids looking for the last hidden reindeer from the Holly Days event this past weekend. The festive atmosphere was made more complete with our own “snow making machine” that left a carpet of bubbles on the ground for the kids to enjoy.

A big “THANK YOU” goes out to all the volunteers that helped made the day a very happy time.

For pictures of all the fun, be sure to look at our photo album!

Photo Credit: Karen Wong

Some SNAP Benefits are back, but the need for food security continues.

Food prices continue to rise.

Housing costs continue to rise.

Energy prices continue to rise.

Unemployment is up.

If you live or work in Duxbury, the Rotary Club’s Good Neighbor Fund may be able to provide some assistance. Contact us confidentially through the Duxbury Rotary Club website to tell us about your need. You can find the confidential form on our website’s main page in the “Help is here, Duxbury!” section.

If you are fortunate enough right now to not need financial assistance, perhaps you know of a friend or neighbor who does.

If you know of people outside of Duxbury, in any state for that matter, you may want to invite them to try out a free AI powered tool designed by a Duxbury resident, Ralph Baker.

This free, public Food & Family Support Assistant helps people:

Make the most of food they already have,

Find nearby food pantries and community meals,

Discover grocery deals and creative ways to stretch meals.

Get recipes based on what’s in their pantry.

Learn how to support hunger-relief policies and SNAP funding.

It’s private, free, and designed with dignity. No personal data is stored or shared.

If needed, it may ask you general questions about your household, and it provides tailored suggestions and local food resources.

Try it here.

What you can do:

• If you know anyone who needs this (and it may be someone you don't expect), please share this.

• If you’re a community organizer, pantry volunteer, or social-service worker, consider adding this to your resource list.

• And if you are able, please consider a donation to the Duxbury Rotary Club’s Good Neighbor Fund, your local food bank or food drive. A good one is Scouting for Food

We held our annual Duck Race this year on September 13, 2025.

Here’s a You Tube video link to the start of the Mega Duck race. (Video Credit: Jim Aldred)

More photos are available in our Club Photo Album on the left side of this page.

Type your content here...

Make sure to buy some Duck Race tickets when you see our Duxbury Rotarians on the weekends in front of French Memories or Brothers.

Lots of fun is planned and lots of good is produced. Join us!

SILVER SPONSOR

Obituary: Humanitarian Razia Jan, Founder of Razia’s Ray of Hope

Tireless Advocate for the Education and Rights of Girls and Women in Afghanistan

Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation is saddened to announce the passing of our beloved founder, Razia Jan, on July 20, 2025, at the age of 81, at her home in Echo Park, Los Angeles, California, surrounded by loved ones. The world has lost a vibrant light — a visionary humanitarian, a fearless leader, and a source of inspiration to all who knew her.

A Life of Purpose and Service

Born in Afghanistan, Razia Jan understood firsthand the challenges Afghan girls face in pursuit of education. After moving to the United States in the 1970s to study in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she settled on the South Shore, where she raised her son and operated a small tailoring business. She became the first woman to serve as president of the Duxbury, MA chapter of Rotary International, embodying their motto “Service Above Self.” Rotary clubs across the nation and the world, especially in MA, OK, NE, and CA, would become key partners in her future philanthropic work.

Following the September 11th attacks, Razia mobilized her community in extraordinary ways. She organized donations of hundreds of handmade blankets to Ground Zero rescue workers, sent care packages to U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and partnered with the U.S. Army on Operation ShoeFly to deliver over 30,000 pairs of shoes to Afghan children. Her massive, hand-stitched memorial quilts honoring 9/11 victims were exhibited in major venues across the U.S., including the Pentagon Memorial Chapel and Madison Square Garden.

A Champion for Girls’ Education

In 2007, after 35 years in the U.S., Razia returned to Afghanistan with a vision few believed possible: a free private school for girls in the rural district of Deh Sabz, just outside Kabul. Despite pressure to make the school co-ed or for boys only, Razia stood firm: “The girls are the future of Afghanistan.”

The Zabuli Education Center opened in 2008, initially serving kindergarten through 4th grade and expanding each year with its students. By 2016, the school celebrated its first 12th grade graduating class and had enrolled over 750 girls, providing them with free education, uniforms, coats, meals, school supplies, and safe transportation. Responding to her graduates’ requests for continued education, in 2017, Razia established the Razia Jan Institute, a free two-year midwifery certification college - one of a few of its kind available to young women in rural Afghanistan.

Even after the Taliban’s 2021 ban on girls’ education beyond 6th grade, Razia persisted. Today, the Zabuli Education Center continues to educate over 800 girls each year in grades K-6, and remains a model for private girls’ education across the country.

Global Recognition and Impact

Razia Jan’s unwavering commitment earned her international admiration. She was named a Top 10 CNN Hero, received the Rotary International Service Above Self Award, the Rotary Global Woman of Action Award, and the Woman of Excellence Award from Germaine Lawrence. She was recognized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the American Legion, and many others for her humanitarian efforts. In 2022, she received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Lasell University. In 2024, the LA5 Rotary Club honored her as Woman of the Year. Razia served on the boards of several organizations, including the Jordan Hospital, and was an active member of the Interfaith Council and the No Place for Hate Committee.

Jack Rubin, DHS 2025 was all smiles in accepting the Duxbury Rotary Scholarship this past Wednesday from Rotarian, Denise Mehegan.

Jack has many accomplishments. No doubt, more to come as he starts his college life. Best Wishes, Jack!

Members of the Duxbury Rotary Club spent Saturday morning, June 21, 2025, getting the Town to shine a little brighter for those visiting during the upcoming July 4th celebrations.

The Rotary Club maintains a portion of Route 14 from the “Rotary” at exit 22 to West Street. This year we brought a truckload of trash to the Town transfer station.

On June 4th of this year, the Duxbury Rotary Club celebrated its 74th anniversary of its original Charter from Rotary International and elected new Officers and a new Board of Directors.

See more pictures in our Club Photos Albums section.

Maybe you were one of the many people who joined us to bring help and hope to neighbors in need. See more pictures from our 2025 Trivia Night in support of our Good Neighbor Fund.

At this time of such division in our country, we use this as our guide.

The District Governor, Sharon Johnson, inducted seven new members into the Duxbury Rotary Club at our Meeting of January 22, 2025.

Pictured from Left to Right are:

Jim Aldred, Mavis Hemsley, Joann Kunz, Peter Nappellio, Diane L'Ecuyer, Misty Rutter, Patrick Boles and District Governor Sharon Johnson

Congratulations to all of them!

Photo Credit: Karen Wong

Our gift to the Town of Duxbury was held on December 1, 2024 at the Town Green. It was a celebration of the season for people of many faiths and traditions. (See the photo album in the left column.)

The Duxbury Rotary Club began to meet on June 7th, 1950 and a year later received it's official charter from Rotary International. Each year thereafter, the members meet to install the new Officers of the Club and thank the outgoing Officers for their service to Rotary.

Maybe you'll notice some differences from the two pictures below.

June 19, 2024

June 7, 1951

The Duxbury Rotary Club has many events during the year, but, ultimately, they are all about bringing joy to others.

Recently our DuxburyforAll organization went to Hingham to join with the Hingham Unity Council to bring some fun and games to help celebrate Juneteenth.

A few weeks before that, some of our members helped Chandler School students put together "Kindness Packages" for homeless people in Boston.

That's just to name a few of our events.

To see what joy looks like, be sure to check our photo albums on the left side of our homepage.

On Wednesday, May 15, 2024, members of the Rotary Club of Plymouth, NH visited the Duxbury Rotary Club to tell us about their efforts to make a difference in the lives of children from Ukraine.

What we heard and the videos and pictures we saw lead us to view those Rotary Club members as...well.. HEROES.

While most people in the United States were horrified by the unprovoked attacks on the Ukraine and its men, women and children, a small group of Rotarians from Plymouth, N.H. were sitting having coffee together and expressing the same horror.

But rather than just shaking their heads and hoping something would change, they said to each other the same thing that Rotarians everywhere ask when they see a big unmet need:

"WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING."

What they have done, and are committed to keep doing, is nothing short of heroic.

They started by using the global outreach of Rotary International to get in contact with Rotarians close to the situation. That was a Rotary Club in Poland near the border with Ukraine.

Having established the contact, they flew to Poland three days later and met with members of 13 other Rotary Clubs in the border area who were receiving refugees and knew the situation well.

The members of the Plymouth Rotary Club formed an NGO called "Common Man for Ukraine" and decided that they needed to see the situation for themselves instead of just writing a check and going home.

THEY WENT INTO UKRAINE TO SEE CONDITIONS CHILDREN WERE LIVING IN .....FIRSTHAND.

Since then they have donated well over $3.5 Million for food, clothing, mental health professional resources and for 3 week health retreats for children who have lost parents in the war.

These donations were delivered in the war zone DIRECTLY by those Rotarians.

Please view the several links attached for photos and videos of the work they are doing to make a difference in the lives of children.

You may donate directly to The Common Man for Ukraine using their QR code or by making a contribution to the Duxbury Rotary Club with a note for applying it to Common Man for Ukraine.

See more about the Common Man for Ukraine by clicking here.

We believe that, by bringing the right people together,

we can solve problems that seem too big otherwise.

Contact us to learn more.

Join the Duxbury Rotary Club on January 17 for a free screening of the 70-minute, award-winning film “KUPENDA.” This moving documentary shares the stories of 3 Kenyan teenagers who set out to challenge their community’s long-held stigma against people with disabilities by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Follow this link to register and view the film trailer.

#disabilityisnotinability #kilimanjaro #bethechange

2023 Festival of Lights @ Duxbury Town Green

On November 26th, Club members once again presented Rotary’s Festival of Lights on the Duxbury Town Green. This was orchestrated to coincide with Holly Days, a "shop local" event to promote Duxbury businesses.

The "Lights" included a Menorah, a Christmas Tree and luminaires in the shape of the Peace Symbol, reminding us that we are all one people.

The festivities started with songs by the Duxbury High School Choral Group while volunteers did face painting for little ones, games were played and Gelt candy, cocoa and cookies were served to the many attendees.

After arriving by Duxbury Fire Department truck, Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus were joined by Rotary District Governor Angela Ponte in lighting the Christmas Tree.

Lighting the menorah, was done by Luba Gilpatric and family who were assisted by Angela’s husband, Barry Rabinowitz.

Many little ones brought their hopes and dreams to Santa and Mrs. Claus and promised to be on the best behavior.

In keeping with the mission of Duxbury to "Serve our Community and the World", a 50/50 raffle was held to benefit the Club’s Good Neighbor Fund.

Our thanks to all those who participated and supported the event this year!

(SEE MORE PHOTOS)

Pictured above are (left to right) Barry Rabinowitz, Angela Pointe (District Governor) and Maarten Hemsely (Duxbury Rotary Club President)

We need your help. Please join us in making lasting change.

Prejudice Free Duxbury ( a collaboration between Duxbury Rotary and Duxbury No Place for Hate sent a letter to the editor of The Duxbury Clipper last week but it hasn't been published. Here is the letter for your review. Please be sure to visit the Prejudice Free Duxbury website and tell us which task force you want to join. The time to act is now.

"Dear Duxbury Clipper:

We’re writing to express our concern about the extremely negative posts we’re seeing on social media by supporters of candidates for local and national contests. The degree of prejudice expressed against religious and gender groups is shocking in this day and age, and a clear sign that we’re not as open and welcoming a town as we purport to be.
Since founding Prejudice Free Duxbury this spring, we’re often asked if racial, ethnic, religious and gender bias are still issues here. These social posts are proof positive that not just bias, but full-blown bigotry is still alive in Duxbury and neighboring communities.
If your readers are as appalled by the level of vitriol in these posts as we are, and would like to do something about it, we invite them to join us in our campaign to make Duxbury a truly safe and welcoming community for all. We have three task forces that have begun work on the issue—educating the public, engaging local organizations, identifying systemic issues and solutions—and need volunteers to help on each of them. To learn more about our work and sign up to help, please visit our website https://www.PrejudiceFreeDuxbury.org .

(2021 NOTE: The name "Prejudice Free Duxbury" has been changed to "Duxbury for All" you can find the new website here. )

Sincerely,
Catherine Cullen
Tara Downes
Fred L’Ecuyer
Brenda Hamadeh
Rev. Philomena Hare
Maarten Hemsley
Christian Koomey
Karl Kunz
Laura Neprud
Julius Prince
Joe Soares
Bruce Rutter
Anne Ward
Karen Wong "

Razia Jan

1944 - 2025

We need your help. Please join us in making lasting change.