PHOTO BY MARK LORENZ
Pictured are Ray Bastarache, and Steve Upton of the Lynn Rotary. Upton will be taking over the helm of the rotary as Bastarache steps down.
By MICHELE DURGIN
LYNN — Longtime Rotary International member Steve Upton is preparing to be sworn in as the next president of the Lynn chapter.
“I look forward to representing a terrific group of people who help others on a regular basis and ask for nothing in exchange,” said Upton, a Lynn native. “My dream is to keep Rotary going and see its dedicated membership continue to make a difference in the world.”
Upton added he is pleased to be affiliated with an organization that has local, national and international interests at heart. He talked about a recent trip that current president and friend, Ray Bastarache, took on behalf of the Rotary Club. Bastarache went to the Philippines and volunteered at a local hospital for eight days.
“Ray was a transporter of children going into surgery for cleft palate repair. He moved over one hundred youngsters in and out of the operating room. Rotarians do this kind of volunteer work all over the world, and they pay for their own transportation and expenses on these trips.”
Bastarache praised his incoming president and his work with the organization. “I have known Steve for many, many years. He is a wonderful man and committed to this community and the folks who call it home. Rotary is in very good hands as he prepares to take the helm. I am fortunate to call him my friend.”
Rotary International, a world renowned volunteer service club that brings professional leaders within local communities together to perform charitable works, was formed in 1905. Today there are more than 34,000 chapters worldwide and a membership of 1.2 million. CNBC recently ranked the club’s endowment, The Rotary Foundation, as No. 3 in its annual Top 10 Charities Changing the World in 2016 list. The Lynn chapter boasts several local leaders and role models in its membership.
Upton, 68, is a retired business administrator for the Lynn Public Schools, having spent 37 years on the job. He and his wife Linda are the proud parents of Edward, Joseph, Melissa and Robert and have five grandchildren.
“I am grateful for the good life that I have and thankful for my healthy family. I am in a position where I can help others and it’s great being a member of an organization of like-minded folks. Rotary is quite active in the community, and its 52 members participate in wonderful programs like My Brother’s Table on a monthly basis.”
Upton, a Lynn Classical and Salem State graduate who earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s Degree in Education, said he is humbled to be part of a group that raises scholarship money for local deserving youngsters and has been hosting a Student of the Month Luncheon, honoring eighth-graders from each of the middle schools in the city and their teachers for more than 20 years. He and his fellow Rotarians, along with the Lions Club, also co-host the Annual Football Captains’ Luncheon, held at the Porthole Restaurant. Brotherhood, Riverworks and St. Jean’s Credit Unions also support this beloved tradition.