Norwell’s Interact club was officially recognized as part of Rotary International on Feb. 19, 2010, although the club has been in operation for a few months.
The charter meeting for Norwell Interact was held in the Norwell D.S.S. library, where the club’s members, Rotarians from the sponsoring Clifford and Drayton clubs, and school officials met for a lunch of wraps, juice and cookies.
Cory Harrison, vice-principal of Norwell, was there to oversee the ceremony, as were staff advisors for the Interact group, Pam TarBush and Kim Sonnet. “You (members) should all be proud of your accomplishments,” stated Pam TarBush, head of the guidance department at Norwell. Interact members were commended throughout the charter meeting by Rotarians and executive members on their great contribution to social awareness within their school.
District Governor of Rotary International, Tanya Wolfe, was present and delivered a speech of commendation to Interact members. The District chair for Interact, Jennifer Roy, was also present at the meeting, and has been in constant contact with Norwell Interact’s executive members in order to ensure that the club runs smoothly, and maximizes potential for opportunities. Jennifer has provided Norwell’s Interact club with contact information for former Interact club members of the University of Western Ontario, allowing Norwell Interact to learn and grow from the experience of others.
Larry Grummett of the Clifford Rotary club presented Norwell Interact with an official Rotary International banner, as well as pins for all of the charter members. A certificate of recognition, as well as informational videos were also provided for the club. Both Drayton and Clifford Rotary clubs sponsor the Norwell Interact club; each club sent representative members to the charter meeting, to give thanks and speeches on behalf of their respective clubs.  
After the formal portion of the meeting concluded, the members began to finalize plans for their Haiti relief efforts, as well as organize fundraisers and create a timeline for their global project. Norwell Interact aims to build a school in a developing nation through “Free the Children,” before the end of the 2009-2010 school year.  
Although the club has ambitious goals, they have already overcome challenges in order to achieve satisfying accomplishments. The Feb. 19 charter meeting marked a milestone for both sponsoring Rotary clubs, as well as for Norwell District Secondary School.