Community Corner

Q&A with Lake Hopatcong Rotary Club's New President

Tom Sellaro sees a bright future for the club.

Tom Sellaro became the Lake Hopatcong Rotary Club's president on July 1. We spoke with Sellaro about his background and his plans for the club.

How long have you been part of the club?

I have been a member for 12 years. When I joined Skylands Community Bank, the president of the bank asked me to get involved in a service organization. I went to a few different clubs and found my home at The Rotary Club of Lake Hopatcong. Through this organization, I made lifetime friends.

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Why did you want to be president?

I was previously president during 2003-2004. We have a small club compared to many others in the district. When the opportunity came up again, I recalled how supportive the members were for my first term. Being president actually is a good position where appointed chairpersons and their respective committees "step up to the plate" to attain our goals and objectives.

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What's your favorite thing about Lake Hopatcong?

Lake Hopatcong is a hidden jewel and a pristine oasis in Sussex/Morris counties. My great grandfather had a summer bungalow on Minisink Avenue and my grandfather was a lifeguard on the lake. All during childhood I heard many fond memories of family trips up the "the lake" from the city. When I moved to Morris County and joined Rotary, many of the members are Lake Residents. Through them, I experienced the wonderful aspects of Lake Hopatcong and now enjoy boating and recreational activities with my family and friends. When I bring friends to Lake Hopatcong who have never been here before, they can't believe what a wonderful lake New Jersey has to offer. 

What are some of your duties as president?

The duty of the president is to preside at meetings of the club and of the board and to perform other duties as ordinarily pertain to the office of president. This is done through guiding the club, through its members and committees, to perform our goals and objectives that are outlined for the year. The club has two operations, Club Operations and Charity Projects. The officers consist of a president-elect, secretary, treasurer and sergeant-at-arms. 

What are some of your goals as president?

The club sponsors fund raisers to support the "Avenues of Service." "The Avenues of Service" are the philosophical and practical framework for the work of this Rotary Club. They are club service, vocational service, community service, international service and new generations service. This club is active in each of the "Avenues of Service." We support Rotary International through the Rotary Foundation. The Rotary Foundation enables Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty. Our local charities over the past years and coming years are a holiday party for special population children in Hopatcong, Landing and Mt. Arlington areas, scholarships to graduating seniors of Hopatcong, Landing and Mt. Arlington, Memorial Park in Mt. Arlington, funding the cost of a new well for a terminally ill person who had run out of water, dictionaries for all third graders in Hopatcong, Landing and Mt. Arlington, life-saving heart operations in the USA for children in third-world countries who cannot get the services in their countries, contributions to assist in wiping out polio in the remaining countries.

Why should someone join the club?

Joining Rotary includes serving the community, networking and friendship, and promoting ethics and leadership skills. Rotary International is the world's first service club organization, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are truly volunteers who work locally, regionally and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto "service above self."

What's new with the club?

On Sept. 21, the club will be sponsoring our charity golf outing at Skyview CC located in Sparta, N.J. In May we will be hosting a cash raffle, $100 per ticket; we will sell 250 tickets maximum; and there will be 14 prizes with the top prize being $4,000. Please visit our web site at www.lakehopatcongrotary.com.

How long has the club been around?

The Rotary Club of Lake Hopatcong formed in 1970 and officially charted in district 7470 in 1974. Our District has 49 clubs throughout Sussex, Warren, Morris, Essex and Somerset counties. Paul P. Harris, a Chicago attorney, founded Rotary International in 1905.  

What are the club's main functions?

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster four objects: One being the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service. The second is high ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society. Third, being the application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life. And the fourth is the advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.


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